About Us
Our Story
The Awen Center started as an idea in 2018 when Beth Mowry, our founder, was still living in Brooklyn, NY, but yearning for more connection with the natural world. Having grown up exploring the forests and working at summer camps in Western PA, and after 15 years in the city, she was ready to return to her nature-loving roots. Simultaneously she became more focused in her Druid studies by joining The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD) and found weekly reassurance of her path while watching the “Tea with a Druid” series online. One quote from her studies was the spark of inspiration, the AWEN - “Build a life you don’t need a retreat from.”
Why “The Awen Center”?
“Awen” is a Welsh word that roughly translates “Flowing Inspiration”. It’s that flash of insight, the creative flow or sometimes even a solution to a problem that comes seemingly out of nowhere. The concept of AWEN is central in OBOD Druidry and we want this place to be a haven for AWEN.
Our Vision
Right now, The Awen Center is a place to gather for single-day events like seasonal celebrations, forest therapy walks or arts and craft classes. It is our goal that over time we will add overnight accommodations like platforms for tents, primitive camping sites and lean-tos. We would love to build a shower house, cabins, a pavilion, art trails, meditation spaces, an outdoor kitchen, an amphitheater as well studios for various forms of art including painting, pottery and mosaic.
We very much want The Awen Center to be a place for groups and individuals to come to revitalize, to learn new information and skills related to wellness and sustainability and to harness their innate creativity. What sets us apart from other retreat centers is the clear connection to Druidry, particularly OBOD Druidry.
See our Norms and Expectations for visitors here.