Embracing Celtic Religion
Searles

Mon Jul 17 09:18:30 2000
Embracing Celtic Religion*br*(thoughts to another person at a time in my past)*p*The embracing of a religion is always a personal decision. As such, it is pretty much an individual thing. Even if we both practice the same religion, we probably do it in slightly different ways. Our inner beliefs and feelings would be radically different. This is as true with modern religions as it is with those of the ancients. I experiment quite a bit in my own religious practices; attempting to discover my religion and myself at the same time. It is my belief that I will not be completely myself until I have discovered both aspects of my being.... the True Inner Being or Self and the Eternal Spiritual aspects that are beyond myself. This process of discovery requires us to journey to the Otherworld, but that is another story entirely. It is much too long to detail here (it covers many, many lifetimes and journeys). Perhaps I shall write a book about the journeys someday? I DO know that there is a definite lack of good books on this topic. *p*Polythesism, Duotheism, Deism or Monothesism... these are all efforts to explain Divinity. My personal concept of how Celts viewed Deity is modeled on the response of the invading Celtic commander, Brenius, as he laughed in the faces of the priest/esses at Delphii. I don't think that Deity manifests as anthropomorphic idolatry. I think Deity assumes any shape Deity desires. After all, the Will of Deity alone manifests Creation. We are just a part of that Manifestation. Deity is everywhere....rivers, springs, lakes, caves, forests, clouds, Sun, Moon, Stars, fire, earth, air or water. These manifestations of Deity are separate and individual, just as we humans are separate and individual. Deity is as diverse as Creation. Deity really has no limits. Our archetypal understanding of Deity is limited by the contents of our "brain boxes" and our ability to perceive within this Manifestation. Deity is much more fully experienced by us within the Otherworld. When we travel to such places, our spirits and our abilities take on more and more of the characteristics of Deity. We are more fully ourselves. We more fully experience Deity. At least, that is my personal experience of Deity.*p*Finding facts about the ancient Celtic practices is like solving a murder mystery at times, no one has an alibi, no two witnesses are telling the same story and the facts are downright contradictory (if not sketchy<G>)! Just as an archaeologist gets tremendously excited when an ancient garbage dump is located, so I am excited when I find anything that says "Celtic". (Garbage dumps are a pretty good source of information BTW.) The archaeologist sifts through the "garbage", classifying and quantifying. The new data is compared to other data; another piece of the puzzle is resolved. Even bad data is better than no data at all. Eventually, enough information is obtained to make conclusions. So it is with the available Celtic information as well. Scraps of information are to be found here and there. Some of it comes from literary "garbage dumps". We classify and quantify. We rejoice in finding ANY data even bad data!<G> Our joy when we find good data is boundless! Finding relics from a river or sacred well is marvelous (as detailed in Hutton's work). Awaiting information about the opening of the cairn of Queen Maeve in Connacht is worse than waiting for Christmas as a kid!<G> *p*My own study involves reading the translations of the ancient Irish and Welsh Bardic/Filidh poetry and tales. I believe there is a lot of ritual information within these works waiting to be discovered (like buried treasure)! They may well contain many insights into the Inner Mystery Teachings. I have constantly looked for new information. I take what I can get. I am very interested in getting information (addresses/phone numbers) for the Celtic works that you have mentioned. Information is the enemy of ignorance. One of my goals in life is to become less ignorant each day. Hopefully, my batting average will exceed my weight when the game has been finished!<G> In the absence of good information, I will read bad information, hoping all the while that I can, at least, intuit something valid from the rubbish heap. Most authors, however misguided, are earnest about their efforts. A lot of work goes into writing a book. Time and money are involved (both precious commodities). Being forever an optimist, I approach new works hoping to find anything, at least SOMETHING that is both good and worthwhile. I mourn when I discover a cherished belief being attacked. I cry when fact yields to fantasy. I applaud when an author has made the "Salmon Leap" across the rocks of Scathach's gorge! All in all, I have enjoyed the efforts of most authors to extract knowledge from the ancient works and practices of the Celts. There really are few that are completely without merit. This doesn't mean I praise works that are without merit. (I do READ them however.)*p*On to better things! The Celts DID swear by the three worlds. This is a reported fact. What those three worlds mean is not exactly clear to me. Are they the Lands/Islands of/under the Sea? Are they the fields where the cattle of Tethra roam? Are they the raths of the Sidhe? Are they the vault of the Sun as She travels within the fields of the Sky Horse? Are they located within the mists? Do the doors open at the time of the sunset/sunrise/ eclispes? I'm still learning/experiencing these three worlds. My journeys to the Otherworlds have been to brief but very exciting! This work continues. What I do know a bit more about is the middle World. This is the Land that we humans occupy most of the time. It is where we have been re-incarnated. *p*To the Celts of Ireland, the Land was Sacred and divided into five parts. These parts were variously described as Ulster, Connacht, Munster, Leinster and Meath. Directions were important upon the Land and were usually determined by locating the East (by looking at the Rising Sun). South or "dessel" was then to the right. North was to the left or "tuaisceart/tuathal" ("cle" is another word for this). This is where we get the word "sunwise" (the Sun travels on our right hand side). If we follow the direction of the Sun, we must turn clockwise. It is this turning (following the path of the Sun) that is considered to be an invoking or increasing form of Magic. Why do you suppose this is so? I have my theories but would be very interested in hearing your opinions and theories. Why fight against the path of the Sun?*p*When turning sunwise we "draw down the power of the Sun"! This happens in much the same way as the turning of a (right-handed) screw determines its direction of travel. It is also true for electromagnetic fields in our current practice of physics. Force, power and direction are all the results of clockwise (right-handed) actions. When invoking power from the Sun we should always remember to turn with the Sun. Perhaps turning (spiraling) the other direction is used to invoke Deity from another element? Maybe when working with the Sea or the Land one turns to the left? I am still seeking the answers in this quest. Wasn't it Cormac that had the geas " not to travel sunwise around the hill of Tara" and to only travel sunwise around the Hill of Tailtu? (I think this geas has some hidden knowledge for us about working with Deity as well as with sacred sites.) *p*Another concept worthy of consideration is the concept of the "Sacred Center". This was ably presented by Rhys and Rhys in their work "Celtic Traditions". Basically, defining the four directions, defines the center of that plane. This was a concept very much embraced by the ancient Irish Celts. Their Land had the five provinces. Meath was their Sacred Center. Uisneach, Tara, Tlachta and Tailtu were their sacred sites within this center. The Tuatha De' Danann came from the Sky after studying at the Magical cities of Findias, Gorias, Murias and Falias ("City of Clearing". "City of Warmth", "City of the Sea" and "City of Stone"). These names imply many things to me.....among them that these four cities define the Sacred Center of the Sky. The names imply Air "Clearing", Fire "Warmth", Water "Sea" and Earth "Stone". The names of the masters of these four cities are Uiscias, Esras, Semias and Morfesa ("Water", "","Air" and "Great Knowledge"). The discussion of what these names mean as well as their manifold implications are way beyond the scope or the length of this post. To me they imply the use of five elements in Magical work (Air, Fire, Water, Earth, Spirit). Fintan's descriptions of the attributes of the five provinces of Ireland being: Prosperity, Music, Knowledge, Battle and Kingship are also very interesting. To me, this information suggests a division of Existence into five elemental quantities with cross correspondences. Maybe the information suggests other things to you. I'd be interested in hearing from you on this (and anything else as well<G>). The names of the Triple Goddess of Sovereignty also hold hidden meanings. Fodla, Banba and Eri'u are the three Queens of the Tuatha De' Danaan. They are encountered by Amergin and the Mileseans during their invasion of Ireland. These names mean "Divisions, "White Sow" and "Traveling Across". The names of their husbands, the kings of the Tuatha De' Danaan, are even more revealing. Mac Cecht is husband of Fodla, with "checht" meaning " ploughshare". Banba married Mac Cuil ("son of Holly"). E'riu married Mac Greine ("son of the Sun"). If we take all these names together, it becomes clear that these three sets of Deities represent The Land, The Otherworld and the Skyworld. Where else do the Goddess of Divisions and the Son of the Poughshare rule but the Land of the Living; upon the fields and plains of Ireland itself? Where else do the White Sow Goddess and the Son of the Eternal Holly rule but the Land of the Dead, the Otherworld (under earth and sea)? Where else do the Goddess that "Travels Across" the Land and the "Son of the Sun" rule but the Land of the Sky? The Goddess of Sovereignty is threefold....Land...Otherworld... Skyworld! (Another way of saying this is Earth.... Sea....Sky as you also stated.)*p*I have run on quite a bit here. I hope you have found some wisdom in my words. Much serious work must be done to fully understand the wisdom of the ancients. Even the words are difficult to understand at times!<G> I don't think I have all of the answers. I am not Seanchan Torpeist. Hopefully we can all share the tidbits we've encountered and grow in wisdom. *br*