Modern Day Bards

Bard of Cerridwen Training 2027

with Elan of Boar Wood

Temple College of Avalon

Nine Priestesses make their way through the woods. They wear cloaks of feathers, and their hair is plaited with ‘song threads’ – coloured yarns with beads and feathers, each representing a spell song for their community. They wind their way towards a central house, coming from many directions. Some have travelled a very long way across space and time and are now retracing well-worn steps to the sound of raven and owl. When they meet at the doorway of the great roundhouse in the wood, smoke rises from the central smoke hole and they can smell the familiar scent of herbs steeping in the cauldron on the fire. They are home.

Who is this course for?

This course is for anyone who feels drawn to the Bardic tradition, who loves song, poetry and storytelling. It is for those who feel the call to create and those who wish to channel the Awen into the modern world. You do not need to be a skilled singer to do this training. We are exploring the inner journey of the Bard and what that means for us both as individuals and members of a wider community; this is less about performance and more about the transmission of wisdom. Bardic learning takes many forms, as we will find out throughout the year – the Bard is not only a singer but also a seer and a keeper of ancestral memory. You also do not need to be a Priest-ess of Cerridwen to do the Bard of Cerridwen Training (but those who have initiated as a Priest-ess of Cerridwen will find much on this course, which will deepen their Priestess skills and development).

You will learn:

To journey around Cerridwen’s Song Wheel, connecting the inner and outer seasons to Her different aspects.

To connect with Cerridwen as Mother of the Bards, and to understand how the Awen flows through you as a poet, singer and storyteller.

To recognise the Song Birds of Cerridwen when they appear as messengers and helpers in your Bardic work.

To access the folk tradition and find the magic of the old songs.

About the wisdom of song and poetry in the Celtic Traditionand the historical importance of the Bards.

Seasonal songs and chants (and perhaps compose your own).

To explore your connection with the songs of the land.

To find your role as poet and ‘voice of your kin’.

What do you get?

You will receive written digital materials, audio visual materials, and a 1.5 hour live seminar per season (which will also be available as a recording). There are nine seasons in total, each exploring a different aspect of Cerridwen and the wisdom of the Bard.

We will also be working closely with my book In Cerridwen’s Song House: The Inner Seasons of a Modern Bard.

I will answer any queries you have by email throughout the training.

As well as access to your online course platform, a private Facebook group will be set up for the group.

When will Cerridwen’s Song House Portals open?

10th January 2027 – North: The Poets of the Dark Huts

14th February 2027 – North East: Spell Song Singer

21st March 2027 – East: Druid Priestesses, Warrior Songstresses and Modern Protest

2nd May 2027 – The Musical Gifts of the Fae in the South East

13th June 2027 – Finding the Sparkle Notes in the South

25th July 2027 – South West: Mother of the Awen

5th September 2027 – West: The Song of the Land

17th October 2027 – Songs of Death and Initiation in the North West

December 2027 – The Centre of the Song – Midwinter Dedication as a Bard of Cerridwen

Course Tutor: Priestess Elan

I hold a First Class MA (Hons), MSc and PhD in Celtic Studies. I have been a university teacher of Celtic Studies for 18 years. I have published books and articles on poetry, prose and drama, as well as running workshops for both adults and children in traditional song and folklore. I initiated as a Priestess of Cerridwen in 2022, and I dedicated as a Priestess of the Dark Goddess and Bard of Cerridwen in 2024.

The Bards are coming

Bardic Song Wheel