Philip Shallcrass

Philip Shallcrass, often known by his Druid name, Greywolf, is Chief of the British Druid Order [ [http://www.druidry.co.uk British Druid Order] ] . He is an artist, writer, poet, musician and singer-songwriter. [The content of this article is extracted from the unpublished manuscript of Philip Shallcrass' autobiography. Publication details are from the BDO archive.]

He was born in Sussex, England in 1953. His parents were atheists, but Philip, from early childhood, always felt that there are spiritual, otherworldly dimensions to life. Early spiritual questing saw him explore Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Norse Paganism, ritual magic and the Kabalah. In 1974 he discovered Druidry through reading Robert Graves' "The White Goddess". In the same year, he read Mircea Eliade's "Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy". Eliade's book contained descriptions of the visionary experiences of shamans that mirrored events in Philip's own life. Further studies convinced him that Druidry was the earliest recorded form of native European shamanism.

In 1978, Philip joined an Alexandrian Wiccan coven, being initiated a High Priest the following year. During the course of that year, he had been writing seasonal festival rites for the coven. These were heavily influenced by his studies in Druidry. By the time the festival cycle was complete, the coven's celebrations had become so Druidic in flavour that the members agreed to stop calling themselves a coven and become instead a Grove; the Grove of the Badger. This is now seen as the Mother Grove of the British Druid Order (BDO).

Over the years that followed, the material written for the Grove of the Badger was revised and added to. At the end of the 1980s it began to be published and bring the BDO to wider attention. Philip married Eleanor Kilpatrick, an Occupational Therapist with the NHS, in 1985. In the early 1990s, Ellie and Philip met and began a continuing friendship with Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, chiefs of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. Philip Shallcrass began to lecture on Druidry at a series of conferences on New Religious Movements.

In 1992, he became editor of "The Druids' Voice: the Magazine of Contemporary Druidry".

In 1993, at the invitation of Tim Sebastion, founder of the Secular Order of Druids, Philip composed a ritual to be performed at a multi-faith conference Tim had organised among the old stone circles of Avebury in Wiltshire. This resulted in the formation of the Gorsedd of Bards of Caer Abiri, which grew over the next few years to become what Ronald Hutton described as the "central event" of the New Druidry. [Ronald Hutton, "Witches, Druids and King Arthur", Hambledon & London, 2003, pgs. 255-256]

In 1994, following a powerful vision in a sweat lodge, Philip adopted the Druid name, Greywolf. In 1995, he began to work regularly with Emma Restall Orr, who became joint chief of the BDO. Together, they lectured, hosted workshops and rituals, wrote new material for the Order, and appeared on TV and Radio in the UK and elsewhere.

On trips to Washington State, Greywolf established links with Pagan and Native American groups in and around Seattle, including the Quileute people of LaPush on the Pacific coast of the Olympic Peninsula. The Quileute are descended from shape-shifting wolves, so Greywolf feels a strong kinship with them. [http://www.quileutenation.org Quileute Nation Homepage]

The 'shamanic' form of Druidry pioneered by Greywolf with the British Druid Order resulted in bringing the shamanic vision of the World Drum [http://www.theworlddrum.com World Drum Project] to ceremonies at Dragon Hill, below the Uffington White Horse hill figure in Oxfordshire, and at Avebury. [http://www.druidry.co.uk/theworlddrum.html BDO World Drum Page]

Philip is currently working on a new distance learning course on Druidry for the BDO and on a book entitled "The Craving Soul: A Practical Guide to Sex & Spirituality."

Publications by Philip Shallcrass include:
* "A Catalogue of Occult Books", MRG, Hastings, 1978
* "A Druid Directory: A Guide to Druidry and Druid Orders", British Druid Order, Devizes, 1995, with revised editions 1997, 2001 (with Emma restall Orr)
* "Druidry: Rekindling the Sacred Fire", (with Emma Restall Orr and others), British Druid Order, Wiltshire, 1996, with revised editions 1999, 2002
* "The Passing of the Year: A Collection of Songs and Poems, Spells and Invocations," British Druid Order, Wiltshire, 1997, reprinted 1999, 2001
* "The Story of Taliesin," British Druid Order, Wiltshire, 1997
* "Druidry: A Practical and Inspirational Guide," Piatkus Books, London, 2000
* "The Remembering Soul: A Collection of Songs and Poems, Spells and Invocations," British Druid Order, Wiltshire, 2001
* Articles by Philip Shallcrass appear in:
* "Paganism Today," edited by Graham Harvey & Charlotte Hardman, Thorsons, 1995, reprinted as "Pagan Pathways," Thorsons, 2000
* "The Druid Renaissance," edited by Philip Carr-Gomm, Thorsons, 1996, reprinted as "The Rebirth of Druidry," Element, 2003
* "Talking Stick Magickal Journal," issue i, volume ii, Talking Stick Publications, 1996
* "The Encyclopaedia of Modern Witchcraft and Neo-Paganism," edited by Shelley Rabinovitch and James Lewis, Citadel Press, New York, 2002
* "The Druids' Voice: The Magazine of Contemporary Druidry," British Druid Order, 1992-date
* "Tooth & Claw: Journal of the British Druid Order," British Druid Order, 1995-date

References

[Category:English musicians