The Spirit drum. .. written by Angharad Emma Varda

In September the core group had a beautiful sleepover with the girls without their mums.

The focus for this time together was the drum. The women of our community here in West Wales have been gathering around the Spirit drum for about a year. The spirit drum is a drum used by Emma and Shando in many ceremonies, circles, camps and festivals since 1975 when it was made! It is a travelling drum that reaches many  circles,people and places.

The girls and children have been connecting with and playing the drum on this land, and we felt a flow that this community needed a community drum for their lodge. We felt guided to help the girls make a drum for their lodge , and for this community of women.

It was a beautiful ceremony, the drum was birthed with song and drumming of the spirit drum, as the girls took turns to weave and tighten the lacing and paint the barrel with ochre designs.

We told drum stories and played drum games with the spirit drum, whilst the drum was carried into its new home in the yurt.