Celtic Studies:
When the subject of Celt
comes up we commonly think of Celtic countries and lands, such as Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, Mann, Wales and Cornwall. But
we should remember that people of Celtic descent are found in many other places. Once there were Celtic tribes stretching
from Ireland to Turkey and from Italy to Denmark and these places still have the distant descendents of those tribes.
There
is also the vast Celtic diaspora through voluntary and enforced immigration. New Zealand, Australia and North America have
a great many people of Celtic descent. The American south was peopled by shiploads of Scottish people brought to the new world
to work plantations as indentured servants especially during the Clearances. There were so many of the people that were working
the American plantations from the Highlands of Scotland that when enslaved Africans were first brought to America, Gaelic
was often the first European language that they learned to speak. The Boston area alone has more people of Irish descent
than all of modern Ireland. Texas and Nova Scotia both have so many people of Scottish descent that they each have their own
officially recognized tartans. There are communities in North America where Gaelic is still the daily language of the
local people.
We should remember that Celtic language, culture and identity has spread throughout the world and we can
find people of Celtic descent on every continent. These Celtic peoples scattered across the world taking with them their identity,
language and customs.
Druidry:
This blessing is from the Highlands
of Scotland and was traditionally the first blessing that a newborn received shortly after birth. This blessing was performed
by the midwife and not a blessing that was waited on in order to be performed by a particular person. Called the Nine Waves
of Grace this blessing was performed as nine little splashes of water were placed on the head of the child with each wave
being performed in conjunction with one of the spoken lines. There is an idea here of blessing the different parts of the
child rather than a blessing which covers everything.
A wavelet for your form, a wavelet for your voice, a wavelet for
your sweet speech, a wavelet for your luck, a wavelet for your good, a wavelet for your health, a wavelet for your throat,
a wavelet for your pluck, a wavelet for your graciousness, nine waves for your graciousness.
Ethics/morality:
This ancient Irish triad
gives us a view of what were considered the three worst failings of a leader. Sloth is laziness; treachery is dishonesty and
insincerity while evil council is listening to poor advisors. Think about these things would cause trouble for a leader in
ancient tribal society and how they can cause trouble for various types of leaders in the world of today.
The three worst
things for a chief: sloth, treachery, evil counsel.
Myth:
Journeys abound in myth and they are
of great significance. We se in Irish myth different types of journeys those of the land which tend to be journeys within
this world, those of the sea which tend to be to otherworlds of the ancestors or of afterlife and those journeys of sky which
seem to be journeys to an otherworld of the gods. We see journeys perceived as threats and battles happening around Samhain
time while we see elopements or trysts between beings of this world and another world happening around Bealteinne. Some journeys
seem to happen when a person becomes lost such as when they enter the wildest places of the forest while other journeys seem
to take place when one is surrounded by a fog or mist. Some journeys happen as a single step is taken through the door of
a Sidhe mound and one enters the hill. In some tales one follows something or someone and in following is transported to another
world. When we see these journeys we should ask ourselves about the significance of the journey in where they person goes
and what they learn or what happens to them before during and after the journey.
Cosmology/Theology:
Polytheism is the belief
that there are multiple gods and goddesses. A person who holds a polytheistic view may worship all of the deities which they
believe exist or they may worship only a specific selection or even only one of those deities. The deities worshipped or recognized
a polytheist are seldom seen as being omnipotent (all powerful) or omniscient (all knowing) though they are usually seen as
being powerful and knowledgeable and are sometimes seen as having special areas of influence. Another characteristic of polytheism
is that individuals and groups are able to develop very strong personal relationships with their deities with these string
relationships often being described as patronage.
The various deities of a polytheistic system may be seen associated
with or manifest in places, natural forces, peoples or skills. The ancient Celtic peoples were polytheistic and we see among
the many gods known a variety of associations with some deities being connected to places, other deities being connected to
tribes, some deities connected to natural forces such as fire and weather while others were connected to crafts and skills
or the establishers of things such as law and order. Many people seem to see the gods of the Celts as only associated with
land or natural features but a short tour through the mythic material will demonstrate that there were deities associated
with many things including human culture, society and skills.
There are two primary views seen in Comhaltacht Draiocht
concerning the nature of the gods. One view is that the gods are singular individuals who inhabit the world of existence and
that they are completely separate beings. Another view holds that the various gods are in some way connected and are simply
faces for a unified deity or supreme form of deity, this view is known as panentheism. All that we can be absolutely certain
of is that in general the ancient Celts were polytheist. There is no evidence to establish the existence of panentheism among
the ancient Celts but without proof to the contrary it cannot be said absolutely that panentheism of some sort did not exist.
Comhaltacht Draiocht has not established an authoritative view or orthodoxy concerning this issue on the nature of the gods
and so both views are considered to be theologically acceptable in Comhaltacht Draiocht.
Spirituality/ritual:
Imbolg is the quickening
of the ewes or the coming of milk. It is a feast which occurs in late winter as the tide turns and the world moves toward
spring. Life in the womb of the herds begins to quicken and milk begins to flow. This feast is a hearth oriented feast associated
with the Brighid and usually seen indoors and often in smaller family groups. Brighid is often welcomed in and Brighids crosses
are made to be placed in the home to protect the home and the inhabitants. This is the gentlest and most peaceful of the four
festivals, being quieter with flowing satisfying energy as the world turns toward the coming season of growth.
Self awareness:
Personal relationships are
a very important part of our lives. How we interact individually with the being that we come in direct contact with is vital
to our own health and the health of the world around us. We tend to think of personal relationships in a social perspective,
but our personal relationships also exist in emotional, physical and spiritual perspectives. Personal relationships exist
between us and our immediate environment, including people, animals, natural features, spirits, ancestors and gods. In this
month spend some time contemplating your own personal interactions with those around you, be those interactions with human
or with non-human beings.
World awareness:
Any one of us can be said
to be part of many communities with these communities being at different levels of society or of the world and focused on
different aspects of our world. We are each part of a community which includes the world around us that is not the result
of the ordering or organization of man. We tend to think of it as the wild or natural world but it connects to the world of
humanity and to the lives of humans we should not view it as a world apart. Our lives and actions affect the world around
us be it the world of our human neighbors or the world of our non-human neighbors. This community with the world around us
can be expressed in terms of our relationships to the world. Our relationships to the non-human world around us is twofold
in that we each have an individual relationship with this part of the world but we are also part of a corporate or humanity
wide relationship with the world.
It is wise to try and foster an awareness of the world around us and this is best done
by getting out in the world. Go a little beyond the world of humanity and society by regularly visiting parks, forests, or
places that our non-human neighbors live and rule. These places have less of the order of humanity and are great places to
study and learn about natural systems of order and wildness. A daily walk in the forest or even through a park can be invigorating
and allow us to expand our awareness beyond the edges of ourselves, and then we start to become more aware of our own place
in things as an individual and as a species.
Expressions:
Many people express
their spirituality and faith through the writing and performing of songs and music. There are others that express these things
by listening to music which inspires them or which they feel expresses their own feelings. Singing can be used to tell a story,
to establish a particular emotional atmosphere and to focus the mind. Instrumental music can be used to calm or excite. In
the ancient Irish material we see description for the three types of instrumental music, on of which was called the laughter
strain and which brought feelings of joy, another of which was known as the crying strain and which brought feelings of sadness
and the third strain being that of sleep. Often we see music and signing included in the performance of group ritual, many
times in the form of small repetitive chants which focus the people on a particular idea or deity bring everyone to the same
state of emotional and spiritual awareness and focus. We also hear songs of praise being offered to deities during rites.
These songs can range from masterful compositions to simple creations but they have in common their ability to express feelings
and thought and to allow the listener to experiential participate in the spiritual activity of the composer or performer.
