Crowds gathered at the River Marden in Castlefields on Saturday 16th March for the Spring Equinox Festival and River Blessing, but not everyone in the town is on board with the event.
Organised by Calne Town Mayor Robert MacNaughton, the blessings are intended to be a way to thank the rivers for looking after us and say sorry for the pollutants mankind persists in dumping in them.
Cllr MacNaughton has 10 years experience in Druidry and he feels that rivers are sentient beings, in that they can have a consciousness.
He commented: “If we put out positive feelings into rivers, then they reharmonise themselves in terms of that positive energy.
“If people put pollution into the rivers, they could become dead. Whilst we can't do anything about structural issues of the government, about water companies, what we can do is come to the rivers and say, we love you, you're fantastic, we need you.”
The event was well attended with over 100 people joining in the festival, including Mayors from Malmesbury, Marlborough, Highworth, Chippenham and Royal Wootton Bassett, the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire and the vice Chairman of Wiltshire Council.
During the ceremony The Bishop of Ramsbury, Dr Andrew Rumsey, and Tara a water maiden from Stroud gave the blessing to the river, ending with the release of a bouquet of flowers into the water. Tara invited attendees to 'put their love, gratitude and blessings into the flowers', adding: "Your energy will be received and absorbed by all of the beautiful parts as they are given in the honouring of this spring time with all their beautiful colours and bounty."
Japanese drummers and Morris Dancers provided entertainment and a model raft making workshop for children culminated in a river race.
However, former town councillor John Boaler feels the ceremonies are making Calne a laughing stock. Mr Boaler is Co-chair of Priestley 250, a group currently working on a series of exciting community events and activities to celebrate the anniversary of the discovery of oxygen by Dr Joseph Priestley at Bowood House in 1774.
He told us: "Priestley was a leading figure of the English enlightenment, a freethinker and scientist who discovered Oxygen at nearby Bowood House, while living in Calne - with the river blessing, the town is getting publicity for essentially an ‘anti-science’ ceremony."
Mr Boaler feels the river blessings undermine the work being done to celebrate Priestley and the importance of science with Calne being a ‘Town of Discovery’.
He added: "We want Calne to be associated locally and more widely with Priestley and his scientific discoveries. This New Age nonsense runs counter to this."
Cllr MacNaughton argues that the presence of so many local dignitaries at the blessing proves that the health of rivers is a key common concern. Some of those attending the blessing who didn't necessarily believe the ritual could heal the river commented that they felt the event drew attention to the importance of our rivers and encouraged people to be more aware of the pollution we subject the rivers to and to consider what we can do about it.
Mr Boaler added: "I don’t imagine many of those who watched the ceremony share the Calne Town Mayor’s view that saying ‘we love you’ to the Marden and scattering some flowers on its surface makes a jot of difference to the health of the river. I think it is self-indulgent nonsense."
