Biographical Information
Lord Ariel Morgan
and the Caledonii
Born in 1959, Ariel Morgan was adopted into a Scot-Irish family whose lineage stems from Clann MacLauren through the Sept family of the Lowes of the Highlands regions near Lochs Lommond and, the hereditary homeland of the Caledonii Tribe.
Morgan was initiated into the Druidic mysteries during the Full Moon of July in 1975, having been raised on Paris Mountain in Greenville, South Carolina. The Nematon, holy place of his Tuatha, was located on the Eastern knoll of the mountain and in the forests around his home, he learned the ways of the Eld ones and respect for the mysteries of his ancestors.
In 1979, during the Blood Moon in the Season of Samonious, Ariel Morgan became Ard Draoi of the Caledonii. It was during this year that he decided to take a controversial step and bring his tradition out of the shadows into the light. The Caledonii went public as the Temple of Danu Mari and formed a discussion group. Morgan began to put down the text of the Sacred Teachings and placed them into a rough form which would become the three books of Caledon that comprise the Great Book of the Caledonii.
The next major step occurred in 1984 with the initiation of the first Elders of the Temple of Danu-Mari and the formation of a teaching group comprised of area college students. After a vote, the Temple consecrated it's self to Hecate and formed the Temple of Hecate Triskele, teaching Wicca to interested students as the Caledonii Tradition of Celtic Wicca. After several smaller groups hived from the Temple, The Caledonii formed the Caledonii Federation of Celtic Wicca. Druidic studies were not initiated until achieving of Third Degree had taken place.
In 1989, the tradition took another step and formed the eclectic and very public Temple of Ravenscry, governed by a council of Elders and lead by Lady Bedaih and Lord Lugh. The Elders of the Caledonii withdrew support from Ravenscry and separated from it. For several years after the Ravenscry experiment, the Caledonii Elders agreed to teach Druidic rites and traditional ways and remained staunchly Druidic. The Caledonii Federation of Celtic Wicca, its Temples all run by Third Degree High Priestesses, remained autonomous. The two branches of the Tradition shared a council of Elders who incorporated in the early 90's to form the Fellowship of Caledon, the Elders Council of the United Tradition.
In 1990, Morgan met Lady Rhiannon Bennett of Heartland Spiritual Alliance at the Heartland Spirit Festival. After many conversations and a great deal of support from Lady Rhiannon, the Caledonii became known more widely.
In 1992, Ariel Morgan received a request from Lady Rhiannon of Heartland Spiritual Alliance to allow her to enter the Tradition and she was approved by Council. Morgan consecrated her and she formed Clann Danu Mari.
Ariel Morgan attended Furman University where he studied Sociology and Religion, He received his B. A. Degree in Philosophy and Fine Arts from the University of South Carolina in 1992 and completed post Baccalaureate work in Sociology in 1993 also from U.S.C. He entered Graduate school at Winthrop university completing work in Art History, specializing in Celtic Studies. In July of 1997 he entered the Master of Ministry program at Southern Wesleyan University from which he holds as Masters in Ministry.
Morgan has supervised the building of shrines, and two of the Caledonii's great Nemata, one located at Camp Gaea, outside of Lawrence Kansas, and the Mother Nematon, located at Fairy-Glen Farm in South Carolina. He is currently serving the Tradition as Wisdom Keeper and Ard Draoi and functions as Eld Father of the Clann of the Raven Dancer.
Among His initiates are Bean Draoi Lady Rhiannon Bennett, Tradition Director of Studies and Eld Mother of Clann Danu Mari, Lady Amethyst an Honored Elderess, Elderess Silver Ravenwolf Eld Mother of the Black Forest Tradition, Dame Grey Cat an Honored Elderess, Elderess Lady Mara, Elderess Lady Alyia, Elder Lord Raven, Elder Lord Lugh and Elderess Lady Bedaiah, Bean Draoi Lady Aliah Sianoqouh, Elder Lord Gwydion L'un D'ours, Elder Lord Andron Macrae and Elderess Lady Cassandra,Draoi Lord Pendragon, Bean Fili Lady Calelaia, Bean Fili Lady Falcon of Raven Wilde Covenant, Elderess Lady Moonwalker of Storm Moon Coven, Elderess Lady Cassandra Hecate Eld Mother of the Temple of Hecate Triskele of Asheville, Eldress Lady Morgana and Elder Lord Terren of Coven Earthrite of Asheville, NC, to name just a few.
Biographical Information of Lady Rhiannon Bennett
Tradition Director of Studies
I spent every summer with my maternal grandparents in northeastern Alabama. They were people of the soil. They farmed and raised animals on a small scale to support themselves. I learned many of the "rituals" of the cycles of the earth by learning about farm life. Good southern methodist my grandparents would have never acknowledged their "pagan" practices. Much as the ancients, their beliefs and actions came from a natural connection with the cycles of life which secured their survival. They planted with the moon phases and with specific herbs specifically located for protection, healing, and insect control. My grandfather was a dowser. At the age of four he let me place my fingers between his and the stick to feel for myself the "life of the wand." Early on I had questions that couldn't be answered with the bible if you discounted the bible as an absolute source. This questioning got me into lots of trouble, and led to further searchings. As the President of the MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship) I arranged field trips to a Synagogue, a Hindu temple, a Buddhist ceremony, A Sufi gathering... thus into interfaith relations.I was heavily into the ecology "movement" in the late 60's early 70's. I was thereby exposed to the Earth Mother ideals and it was a short step to the religious direction.
My first exposure to published Craft material was through the Church and School of Wicca which almost convinced me that I was on the wrong path altogether, luckily I met Lady Arianna in 1969 and began the study of the Craft with her and Lord Tanu in the Lady of the Lakes Coven, Rochester, New York in the fall of 1969. Lady Arianna was British Family Tradition and Lord Tanu was Black Foot Indian. Most of the material we had came from Lady Arianna, however, there was also the flavor and respect for the indigenous religions of this continent. I was dedicated to the group Imbolc 1970 and initiated 1st degree Beltane 1972, just before my 18th Birthday. I left the area soon after but stayed in touch and was solitary for several years, during which time I ran into to Tim and Morning Glory Zell and began corresponding with Gwydion Pendderwen.
I practices as a solitary for several years and did not get involved with another coven situation until Shadow Coven in Springfield, MO in 1977, began attending Pan Pagan Gathering where I was privileged to meet many people who have now grown up to be "Big Name Pagans." Aulden Ham was the first Coven in which I was Priestess, mostly due to the lack of better trained individuals than from my own fitness for the position. During my involvement with Aulden Ham I recieved my second and third degree initiation from Regan who was trained in the Coven of Anu in Sedalia and was also in Ring Coven in Arkansas. He turned out to be cetifiable, but I did learn from him and it was through him I was introduced to Alaric and Sabbatsmeet. I attended my first Sabbatsmeet which was in its infancy at Lammas 1979 and hosted Samhain that same year. Aulden Ham disbanded due to philosophical differences and following a move to Kansas City.
Avillion was formed with Alaric as P and myself as PS in 1981 as a Neo-Pagan support group by a circle of friends who had worked in and been initiated into the craft by various groups previously. The traditions and beliefs we brought with us were as varied and individual as the people themselves thereby establishing an eclectic tradition based on the blending and sharing of our individual paths. The common denominator being the Ancient paths of Wicca. Our roots were important to us and yet the here and now as well as futurity was of greater importance still.
Over the years many of the elders moved on to form other groups, follow other paths and live in other areas. As more Seekers came to Avillion the structure of progression came to be based on the British Family Tradition, which is the tradition Rhiannon, HPS was originally initiated into. This, of course, has been modified, amended, and (I feel) enriched by the blending and sharing experiences by each individual who has worked with Avillion as well as by teachers from other paths. Sort of a Rhi-organized Brit Fam Trad. (Mirth & Reverence)
Because of it's origins Avillion maintained its eclectic directions and never developed into a teaching coven. It was and continues today to be a celebratory group, sharing a variety of focuses. In 1992 I took a leave of absence in order to focus on Gaea and the HSA. Avillion continued to meet and I attended as an elder when I was able.
I began talking to Lord Ariel in 1989 at Heartland Pagan Festival after working with him in the eldering of Dame Grey Cat and Elderess Lady Amythyst, about the Caledonii and the similarities and differences from my original tradition and my current leanings. My decision to petition to be adopted occurred in 1992 and I was accepted as elder in the fall of 1993 and began working to help update the teachings and mysteries of the Caledonii.
We are Shamanisticly based, experientially channeling spiritual energy for the needs of the present and future. Caledon while firmly rooted in a solid lineage, is also growing and transforming, as we reclaim our Celtic heritage correlating with the traditions honored by the indigenous people of what is also our native land. We practice a wholistic environmental approach by tradition as we believe our ancestors did by life style.
This has been a life's journey for me and no two life journeys are the same. You are here for your own reasons and it is my responsibility and priviledge, as the Director of Traditions Studies to be your guide as you you explore those reasons, assist you into areas you want to go, enable you to control your own energies and facilitate the blending of your energies with those of our tribe forging a whole that is truly greater than the sum of its parts.
Welcome, and know that you are here for a reason, you will learn from us and we will learn from you. The Caledonii are kith and kin by oath or by blood, you will know with in a short time if this is indeed the path for you.
