The Innovations in Indo-European Culture 
Searles

Sat Jul 22 00:49:46 2000
The Innovations in Indo-European Culture *p*The innovations in Indo-European culture, (in respect to their religions), seem to be twofold: *p*1.) The introduction of concepts associated with the deities of newly encountered people, such as occurred during the migration of Indo/European culture).*p*2.) The development of monotheistic concepts against a polytheistic background (as is the case when Vedic culture gave birth to Hinduism and Buddhism, and Celtic culture incorporated Christianity).*p*Within ancient and modern Celtic culture, the tripartite cosmology is considered to be: Land, Sea and Sky, while the two groups of divinities that manifest reality between them would be the Tuatha De/ and the Fomorii. Each of these groups of deities possesses individuals associated with the three realms. In the Vedic culture, and other Indian cosmologies, the three realms are seen as Sky, Space and Land.  The deities are grouped as "gods and not-gods."  This is curiously how the Irish Celts said that the Tuatha De/ Danann described themselves. This structure is also commonly found among other Indo-European cosmologies as widely separated as Zoroastrianism and Asatru.*p*The priesthoods of many Indo-European peoples have been characterized as being conservative (in that their role was to be the tribal memory of their histories, genealogies and religious practices).  Memory was the way in which information was preserved for many thousands of years before writing or other recording media were placed into common use.  The priesthood, the Bards, the Poets and the Druids were considered to be the repositories of the "coimgne," a term describing the knowledge that is retained from tradition.  To insure that such knowledge was preserved, it was repeated at yearly and periodic gatherings of the people and the wise among them.  Every tale was repeated in the presence of those who knew its every word by heart.  The laws of the people were spoken for all to hear and each ritual had a particular form and meaning to each of its actions.  In regards to this conservation of knowledge and practice by Indo-European priesthoods, I wonder if the Druids had to re-start from the beginnings in a ritual, if they made a mistake in their litany and chanting?  I know that this was a common practice among the Brahman of India in their own observances of ritual.  What do we know of specific instances of such practice among the early monks and priests of the Celts who had also embraced Christianity?  I wonder if they considered a working to be effective only if it was carefully crafted and faithfully repeated without mistake?  Echoes of this might exist within the prayers, creeds and catechisms of today's churches and religions.*p*Though the Vedic and Celtic cultures were separated by time (and distance), time itself does not seem to be a uniquely determining factor in the processes that influenced their separate (though similar) spiritual development.  The process of their evolution appears to be more a matter of sequencing and timing, and not the passage of time itself.  The historical development of monotheistic concepts within Indo-European polytheism seems to be related to certain triggering events, such as those set in motion by the seer-catalysts within an already spiritual religion.  The point that I'm trying to make here is that spirituality in polytheistic cultures appears to move toward monotheism as its seers journey further into spiritual realms.  This does not mean that these religions divorce themselves from the deities of their families or traditions. It does mean that the body of their religions is seen as being all of one family or body. This "oneness" becomes a part of the Mysteries of almost every religion, being accompanied by a hierarchy of spirit and deity in most of them.*p*Similar concepts appear to be found among the major religions of the world and of history. I've seen mention of Buddhist teachings and elements within the teachings of Iosa (the Irish name for Jesus). I even have read a book that suggests he may have studied in India or in an Indian temple in Egypt (_Jesus Lived in India_ by Holger Kersten).  This seems to mean that the Christian monotheism that was accepted by the Irish Celtic culture was possibly a related outgrowth of the same types of concepts and teachings that influenced Buddhism. I've also seen Buddhism considered to be atheistic in some descriptions, however I've further read and studied several writings by Buddhists that describe spirit as being like an ocean and our individual spirits as being like streams into that ocean.  My impression is that they consider that every person can be a Buddha, in much the same way that Thelemists think that every Magician can be a star.  This belief in an underlying spiritual power contains elements of monotheism within it, although it is not strictly monotheism.  That is why I have characterized these influences as "monotheistic concepts" and not as monotheism itself. This implies to me that the tendency among Indo-European cultures is to move toward a unifying concept of spirit.  The driving force behind this movement IMO is the presence of Seers among their peoples. I am also of the opinion that perceiving diversity in the way that deity manifests is a local consideration, while a more universal point of view might well show us that this diversity is a part of a hierarchy of sub-deities making up a greater, larger, more powerful entity.  How ONE can be many or how many can be ONE is the essence of the Mystery IMO, whether one discusses physics, philosophies or religions.*p*I have been told there are many experiences and studies of Indo-European religion and its practice that can be vastly different from my own.  In my own studies, I have discovered a multitude of deities that have been worshipped by individuals and tribes, while these same deities have been seen to spring forth from a common creation.  They are considered to be outwardly unified, (by being grouped as families or as descendents from a common Ancestor).  The source of their power is seen to flow from a common source.  IMO and my experience, it is that common source into which the vision-seers journey.  Obviously, the word monotheism has many different meanings to people (and causes many different reactions in its use).  I hope that the ways in which I have used it to describe this journey of Indo-European religion and spiritual belief are considered to be unifying rather than dogmatic..*p*In my personal practice of religion, most of my work is accomplished from tradition through study, from within experience through observation and experimentation, and has been inspired by imbas through meditation and ecstasy.  I do not base any of my ideas on assumptions, though I do begin some of my investigations through establishing hypotheses, which are then experimentally and experientially verified.  I am troubled when the experiences of other people seem to point to a different truth in this matter of many gods, and the consideration of a greater overall unity of being.  As I have previously stated, the *Mystery* of most religions is how one can be many and how many can be one.  This is also a mystery of science.  It is the mystery of creation and even our very existence. In my own journeys between: separation through ego, and unity through dissolution, I have experienced first hand how many can be one, and how one can be many.  This concept can be extended and experienced for beings of all types: plants, animals, people and gods.  I suppose that Iosa and Gautama were no better understood than Crowley or Cathbadh in their attempts to teach the mysteries through observable phenomena and the lessons of parables.*p*When working with totemic animals, do we not acknowledge that there is ONE essence of that type of animal?  When working with all animals do you not acknowledge that there is a Lord of the Beasts?  When in the forest do you not acknowledge that all trees are connected through the Parent Tree? As a follower of an Indo-European religion, do we not consider that all of humankind comes from ONE Ancestor?  When we are conducting the sacrifice and recreating the Cosmos through your actions,, how is the microcosm connected to the macrocosm so that all of being id renewed?  How far down the road of that mystery must we journey to encounter its essence?  Certainly we are all separate and we each have many gods in that separation, but there is also the Happy Otherworld where there is no mine or yours.  What does that mean?  Can it mean more than one thing and be true?  I personally think it can appear to have many meanings within the mystery of truth.  Perhaps even truth has a common Ancestor and maybe the world of truth itself is recreated when we sacrifice a single truth upon the ritual altar? :-)  Differentiation and Unity are how the universe appears to work.  Why this is so, is a great Mystery of creation. It is symbolized among Celts in the Sacred Bile, as a Cosmic Being that is One Being with many branches and roots, and which grows out of nothingness into all of creation,  reconnecting with itself beyond the bounds of observable reality within the Otherworld.*p*When we experience a sense of separation within our spiritual work this sometimes indicates  that we have not yet gone beyond the realization of our original separation and birth.  We have not sought and found the essence of our own creation or the meaning of our lives.  IMO these meanings are found beyond the internal world of our separation and within the larger world that exists beyond arbitrary limitations. Many of the laws of Magick as found in _Real Magic_ by Isaac Bonewits point to this ability to identify with the object of a Magical working.  How does a person still the winds without becoming the wind?  How does one walk upon the fire without burning?  How is truth judged without being true?  Is the Magic in the process or is it in the results?  Perhaps it is both?  I am reminded of the many teachings of Yoga that prescribe a multitude of techniques and disciplines, each of them pointing oneself toward an enlightenment that, once reached, states, in no uncertain terms, that all of the previous actions have become unnecessary.  Perhaps the one and the many are like that as well?  It's not a case of one or the other. They are both and they are neither.  That is the mystery.  That is the science and that is the reality.*p*I don't personally think that religions are changed by physical conquest as has been suggested by others.  The example of imperialism forcing changes in state religions (Christianity and Islam being prime examples) has little to do with the inward secret religion of the heart and the greater religion of the spirit.  Such outside forces only control the observable physical practice of religion.  I don't believe that imperialism has changed polytheism into monotheism by its attempts and actions any more than the Inquisition and the Burning Times destroyed Witchcraft  Many people and bodies were burned by ignorance, though thankfully, knowledge and the truth of spirit are beyond destructive burning. I don't really believe that imperialism changes much for us that is real, more than some parts of the physical world in terms of trade, commerce and social structure.  Such actions within the physical world have only a superficial connection to religion and none at all to the spirit of religion. I believe that religions are a fire of the spirit that will burn the dross of the mind to leave the essence of the gods.   It is when we are consumed within that ecstasy of spiritual fire that we might find the truth of the seers. Right now, my sight shows me boundaries and divisions, yet it also shows me that Danu is a river within which we are all children.  Of course, we are individuals at our core, in our separateness, but what are we beyond that core?*p* *br*