March 21 2008: These are interesting times for the druids, witches, shamans and all the others who are proud to call themselves pagans. They believe their numbers are rising and are working hard to win new rights for their faith. But they face contempt from many of the organised religions and, perhaps worse, mockery from the public. Here, members of the Stag Circle allowed the Guardian a rare glimpse of their inner workings
Tony and Suky of the Stag Circle at Suky's home the night before the equinox. Druids mark the spring equinox, traditionally celebrated at dawn at Stonehenge
Tony sounds the horn in the Dolmen Grove temple. Groups like the Dolmen Grove, of which the Stag Circle is a part, are working hard to become accepted as a bona fide religions
Frank who, by day, works in IT. At night he is a druid. They claim there are more than a million people in the UK who share, in one form or another, pagan beliefs, and that there could be up to 60,000 druids
The Dolmen Grove druids arrive at Stonehenge at dawn
Stonehenge at dawn. This year English Heritage is limiting the numbers of Druids who can attend the spring equinox
The Dolmen Grove druids at Stonehenge at dawn. They follow ancient beliefs, rejoicing in air, water and fire
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Frank, of The Dolmen Grove druids, at Stonehenge at dawn
The Dolmen Grove druids' campaigns to broaden acceptance include making sure that pagans are properly counted at the next census, and the inclusion of pagan terminology in dictionaries
The Dolmen Grove druids at Stonehenge
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