The Clan of Ytene. Mistletoe Burning Ceremony, First Full Moon after Yule
The Clan of Ytene is a Pagan group that honours their Ancestors, the ancient forest, and sacred land. Ytene is a Saxon word for the New Forest, meaning ‘land of the Jutes’. The Clan was founded in 2008 by Simon Wood. It has evolved from a Druid group to one that blends Druidry with Witchcraft and is now developing a closer connection to the land. Weaving ancestral and landscape connection with magic, myth and witchcraft for the modern day.
Several members of the Clan studied with Peter Paddon and have incorporated some of his philosophies, spell craft, and lore into their rites. Peter Paddon (1964-2014) was a witch, a cunning man, an author, and a teacher. The Clan of Ytene seeks connection, guidance, wisdom, and blessings from spirits and ancestors through ritual, meditation, divination, and magic.
They established Pagans of Ytene as a public-facing group, which runs open rituals around the Sabbats. In 2023, they set up the Green Man Association of the New Forest to creatively imagine the folklore and traditions of the New Forest. They also organise the Green Man Parade and the New Forest Wassail in Burley.
