Our Mission
Highland Oak Nemeton is a benevolent spiritual volunteer affiliate of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD) wherein members and guests may find fellowship and support. Through a reverence for and connection with nature, we support an ethical foundation based upon the release of ignorance and the respectful creation of deep and sacred relationship with each other and our communities.
About Our Grove
Highland Oak Nemeton was first organized as a Seed-Group of OBOD in 2001 after having existed informally in the local pagan community for a number of years. As our members progressed through OBOD's distance-learning program and advanced in their training from Bards to Ovates and finally Druids, we became a Grove in 2008 when we gained the requisite two Druid-grade members. Highland Oak Nemeton is a non-profit 501(c)(3) spiritual organization.
For nearly a quarter century, Highland Oak Nemeton has, through its members, provided volunteer, educational and financial support to nature-based organizations in the Baton Rouge area. In addition, it has more recently encouraged two programs of its own, the Campaign for Ecological Responsibility, which is international in scope, and a more local Sustainable Habitat initiative. In these areas, our mission statement is clear:
We celebrate life in all its beauty and diversity, seek to protect and preserve the Earth, and emphasize the virtues of compassion and respect for all of life. We encourage and support organizations and programs which promote a constructive, balanced, science-based interaction with the natural world to ensure a sustainable future.
In addition to our monthly grove meetings, we also have private gatherings to celebrate the eight seasonal festivals with rituals, feasting and fellowship. We hope to be able to expand to offer public rituals, open to anyone interested, in the near future. The festivals we observe are the astronomical festivals of the solstices and the equinoxes, and the agricultural, or fire, festivals which occur on cross-quarter days. For more on the Eight-fold Year, see About Druidry.
In addition to the seasonal festivals, as a fully functioning Grove we can also offer formal initiations for OBOD members of all grades (Bard, Ovate, and Druid), and have registered celebrants who can perform other rites-of-passage ceremonies, such as legal weddings, handfastings, naming ceremonies, etc. Our mission is continually expanding into other forms of public service and community outreach efforts, as well.
We also sponsor and organize the OBOD Gulf Coast Gathering at the Spring Equinox. GCG offers a weekend spiritual retreat for OBOD members and their friends and families, and is the premier druidry event of the southeastern U.S.
Membership in OBOD is not required to join Highland Oak Nemeton, nor does one have to be a Druid. If you would like more information or to attend a meeting, please fill out and submit the contact form on this site. We will reply and try to answer any questions you may have.
Information on the process of applying for membership in the grove is on the FAQ page under "How can I join Highland Oak Nemeton?"
For nearly a quarter century, Highland Oak Nemeton has, through its members, provided volunteer, educational and financial support to nature-based organizations in the Baton Rouge area. In addition, it has more recently encouraged two programs of its own, the Campaign for Ecological Responsibility, which is international in scope, and a more local Sustainable Habitat initiative. In these areas, our mission statement is clear:
We celebrate life in all its beauty and diversity, seek to protect and preserve the Earth, and emphasize the virtues of compassion and respect for all of life. We encourage and support organizations and programs which promote a constructive, balanced, science-based interaction with the natural world to ensure a sustainable future.
In addition to our monthly grove meetings, we also have private gatherings to celebrate the eight seasonal festivals with rituals, feasting and fellowship. We hope to be able to expand to offer public rituals, open to anyone interested, in the near future. The festivals we observe are the astronomical festivals of the solstices and the equinoxes, and the agricultural, or fire, festivals which occur on cross-quarter days. For more on the Eight-fold Year, see About Druidry.
In addition to the seasonal festivals, as a fully functioning Grove we can also offer formal initiations for OBOD members of all grades (Bard, Ovate, and Druid), and have registered celebrants who can perform other rites-of-passage ceremonies, such as legal weddings, handfastings, naming ceremonies, etc. Our mission is continually expanding into other forms of public service and community outreach efforts, as well.
We also sponsor and organize the OBOD Gulf Coast Gathering at the Spring Equinox. GCG offers a weekend spiritual retreat for OBOD members and their friends and families, and is the premier druidry event of the southeastern U.S.
Membership in OBOD is not required to join Highland Oak Nemeton, nor does one have to be a Druid. If you would like more information or to attend a meeting, please fill out and submit the contact form on this site. We will reply and try to answer any questions you may have.
Information on the process of applying for membership in the grove is on the FAQ page under "How can I join Highland Oak Nemeton?"