That’s one way to see out summer! Members of The Druid Order perform ancient ceremony on London’s Primrose Hill to mark the autumn equinox

• The Druid Order celebrated the autumn equinox today with a service to mark the arrival of the harvest
•  Group descended upon Primrose Hill, north west London, near Chalk Farm Tube station, this afternoon
• Autumn equinox is a brief event when daytime and nighttime are nearly equal lengths all around the world

Members of The Druid Order celebrated the autumn equinox today with a service to mark the arrival of the harvest.

The group descended upon Primrose Hill, north west London, near Chalk Farm Tube station, to hold their traditional annual ceremony – which dates back to 1717.

Dressed in their traditional white robes, the procession of druids head towards the top of the hill before forming into a circle and performing the ancient ceremony.

The autumn equinox, which normally occurs between September 22 and 24, is a brief event when the sun appears to shine directly over the equator, and daytime and nighttime are nearly equal lengths all around the world.  

Members of The Druid Order arrived to Primrose Hill, north west London, near Chalk Farm Tube station, earlier today to hold their traditional annual ceremony

The group, who were dressed in their traditional white robes, formed a procession line and walked towards the top of Primrose Hill

The autumn equinox is a brief event when the sun appears to shine directly over the equator, and daytime and nighttime are nearly equal lengths all around the world

The Earth is tilted on its axis, meaning that as the planet orbits the Sun, the Sun illuminates the northern or southern hemisphere more depending on where the Earth is along its orbit.

However, at two points in the year the Sun will illuminate the northern and southern hemispheres equally. These are known as the equinoxes.

Members of the Druid Order believe this time to be the ‘start of the Druid year, when day and night are equal’.

On the day of the equinox the Earth’s axis is perpendicular to the sun’s rays. 

After the autumn equinox, the Northern Hemisphere starts seeing fewer hours of daylight than darkness each day.   

A statement on the group’s website read: ‘This is the start of the Druid year, when day and night are equal.  The harvest festival, when the power of heaven is infused into the fruits of the earth, and you reap what you have sowed. 

‘You see the full reality, what you made of your dreams, projects and plans, the actual reality, the truth that gives understanding and wisdom. 

‘The start of the academic year, of inner work, of assimilation and unbiased reflection that will later be the proper basis for the choosing and sowing of seeds. 

‘The auto-tombing process of autumn, judgement day, Libra, sign of balance, cardinal air.’

Members of the group, who trace their origins back to ancient Wales, walked towards the top of the hill to mark the autumn equinox

The druids, who have also been known as The Ancient Druid Order, An Druidh Uileach Braithreachas and The British Circle of the Universal Bond, performed a service to mark the arrival of the harvest

During the ceremony, which dates back to 1717, the group, dress in white robes and form a circle, with key positions oriented to the cardinal points and the Sun

 The group, who believe this time to be the ‘start of the Druid year, when day and night are equal’,  performed their ceremony at the top of the hill 

For more than a century, The Druid Order have held public ceremonies – one at the Autumn Equinox, one at the Spring Equinox, and one at Summer Solstice

Druids, who trace their origins to ancient Wales, were the priests of the early Celtic religion but they also performed the roles of judge, doctor, and scholar.

In 1166 the Oxford Grove of Druids were persecuted by order of the Bishop of Oxford of the Roman Church and their records were burnt.

The group, who have also been known as The Ancient Druid Order, An Druidh Uileach Braithreachas and The British Circle of the Universal Bond, continued to flourish however and for well over a century, the Order have held public ceremonies – one at the Autumn Equinox, one at the Spring Equinox, and one at Summer Solstice. 

During the ceremonies the group, whose key activity is meditation, dress in white robes and form a circle, with key positions oriented to the cardinal points and the Sun.     

The organisation owns a house in south London which hosts weekly classes where people discuss philosophy and religion. 

There are more than 200 druid groups around the world and membership is open to followers of all faiths and none.

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