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2012

Every day I heard more news about the 21st of December 2012. The word is spreading over the internet so fast that I think it has became dangerous really, people are really concern about it, some even on the fringe of being panic. I'm not going to quote every single theory, you can google them easily, what worries me is that according to my perception there's a mass hysteria going on in crescendo, and we still have three years for this to grow to dangerous proportions.

In 2000 there was also a little of hysteria about the end of the world, also a lot of talking about planetary alignments, earthquakes, meteorites falling, etc. The truth is that in 2000 we face a major even for human technology, in our computer-based world, but a lot of money and effort was put to make the transition to Y2k without any significant problem, but no earthquake, solar flare or end of the world happened. The thing is that in 2000 the internet access was not as widespread as today.

Now there's also the thing about money, people are making a lot of money with this, books, videos, "survival kits", all you can think about, now even a hollywood film. Search all the 2012 dedicate websites, they end up selling you something or asking for a donation for the "project", or just want to increase their visits and get more payment from their sponsors. (I don't have any in case you wondered, my blog is sponsor free)

There's little knowledge, specially in the english speaking world about the Mexican ancestors, they know that the mayans were some people who live in Mexico (when their geography lessons are good enough, otherwise they say in southamerica) and that they made human sacrifices like Mel Gibson told them... etc.

But let's talk about the issue.

One common misconception is to say that the maya calendar ends at 21-12-2012, well it doesn't, their calendar was cyclical, that is specially notice in the short count, where cycles of 13, 20, 29 365 day happened. The long count was set up for the purpose of counting astronomic events (eclipses, transit of planets, stars, etc.) that is why is so long, because is not fixed to the earth solar cycle. So it doesn’t mean an end of times, just a beginning of a new era, as the previous ones.

The popol vuh, which collects the old Mayans myths about the creation talks about four attempts to create the human race before the gods succeeded, however the concept of different "suns" was not really developed in detail by them, just mentioned as a concept of four stages.

This was "perfectionated" or better said the myth expanded by the Mexica (Aztec) civilization, even when the Mexica adopted a lot of the Mayan and Teotihuacan lore, they were very different cultures, I like to say that you imagine them as ancient Greece vs Rome, Mayans vs Mexicas, one more focus on philosophy and science the other on war and conquest, it's a good western parallel, with the obvious differences, don't buy Mel Gibson view btw is just bollocks!. According to that we are already on the fifth sun (or even in the sixth).

The first sun was the Nahui-Ocelotl (four jaguar), a world which inhabitants were giants, and this giant creatures were destroyed four times every 52 years by jaguars until there were no more. The jaguars were a totem animal of Tezcatlipoca, a war fire god. The 52 years were the Aztec count of the New fire, a ceremony of renewal of the world.

The second sun was Nahui-Ehécatl (four wind) this sun died after 7 new fires (7 times 52 years) a great hurricane kill a lot of the living things and it was also the rising of the monkeys.

The third sun was, Nahui-Quiahuitl (four volcano or fire rain) it last for 6 new fires, when a great rain of fire that Xiuntecuhtli, god of fire and volcanoes bring to the earth, most of the inhabitants of the world died, and it was the rise of the birds and turkeys.

The fourth sun, Nahui-Atl (four water) end with a terrible flood, after 3 new fires, on this one just men were allowed to survive, and it was the rise of men.

The fifth sun, Nahui-Ollin (four movement) was created by Quetzalcóatl, a wind creation god, who also is the god of wisdom and peace, for example he in the form of kukulcan was the one who stop human sacrifice of the mayans according to their legends. He give to men life with their own blood. This sun is the expansion and grown of human civilization and it started when Teotihuacan the city of gods was founded.

All this is based on the Sun stone, a great stone disk (now at the National Museum of Anthropology and History in Mexico city) of more than 3.5 m of diameter and 25 tons. You could notice that the suns have some resemblance to archaeological and palaeontological evidence, the giants being the dinosaurs and giant mammals, the rise of the monkeys as the first apes, the rise of birds the transformation of dinosaurs into birds after the extinction, the flood and the rise of homo sapiens, and the beginning of civilization.

Now, the Aztecs prophets talk about the end of the fifth sun when Quetzalcóatl returned to them, that was when the solar, lunar and Venus calendar match, and that along another prophecies and omens make them put the end of that sun in the gregorian year of 1519. (I don't remember the name in nahuatl, sorry) So when Moctezuma II take the crown of the Mexica Empire he knew the end of the world and the return of Quetzalcóatl was imminent and there are several accounts that he wanted to stop it, so a lot of sacrifices of animals, plants and humans were done, and their priests were desperate to stop the world end. Unfortunately for them their attempts were in vain since Hernan Cortes arrive in 1519 to the coast of Yucatan, two years later the capital city of Tenochtitlan capitulated in favour of Cortes and his army (btw an army mainly of indigenous people who wanted to defeat the Aztec empire). So the general agreement is that the fifth sun ended with the arrival of the Spanish, and the children of the fifth sun give rise to the new mixed race, see also theories like the cosmic race by Vasconcelos.

Now, back to the Mayans.

The Mayans have a counting system on base 20, (from zero to 19 and back again), the Arabic system that we use is base 10, it seems that the Mayans said, wait a minute, we don't have just 10 fingers, we have 20 with our feet, their mathematical and astronomic knowledge was really great, they marked the solstices and equinoxes. solar and lunar eclipses and other astronomical events from thousands of years with a real great accuracy, one example is the pyramid of kukulcan in Yucatan (one of the winners of the new wonders of the world btw) which in every spring equinox sunrise, its shadow give the impression of a serpent going down of the ladders. Or the calculation of venus cycle in 583.935 days (actual calculations give an erratic movement that goes from 583.92 to 583.94) there are a lot of evidence on that. So, the mayan calendar was not arbitrary or just based on their system of numerology, but in the actual astronomical reality and the relationships between the sun, moon, earth, venus (they put a lot of attention to it), stars, etc.

Any way, they had two systems of counting, the civilian and religious one. The civilian was divided in two, a solar one with 365 days and a lunar one of 29 days, (actually the conversions to our decimal system gives 365.24 and 29.53 which is very much accurate). The religious one was what is called as Long count, it start the 11th of august of 3114 BC. It's not clear what that beginning represents, specially taking into account that in that time there were no Mayans, actually no civilization at all in America, so certainly not the beginning of the world, nor the beginning of THEIR world.

Perhaps if we see the other way around that will be more clear. Life did not start in the 11th of August, 3114 BC; it is however around the times when great cultural and historical events begin, the dawn of civilization. 3000 BC is an accepted date for the end of the neolitic period for many cultures, on that millennia many things happened, the first Egyptian dynasty, the foundation of Troy, the construction of New grange, the construction of Stonhenge, the early dynastic period of Mesopotamia, the expansion of the first Sumerian cities, etc. So we can take that date roughly enough as a good approximation of an important beginning in human civilization. Then, the 21st of December 2012 could be the beginning of a big change in human civilization, and maybe in 5000 years (if we don’t drive us to self-extinction due to environmental issues or wars) historians will be saying that that date roughly enough was a good approximation of an important beginning in human civilization.

There is no one single archaeological evidence, codex, or even oral myth of the mayans, nor the aztecs, that talks about the end of the world on that date.

Now this all 2012 end of the world came when there were attempts to synchronize the mayan stones and calendars with the Aztec calendar, it seems that they could synchronize the year, since both have the same structure, how ever, the day of Nahui-Ollin is the fifth of may, not 12th of December (Btw on 5th of may 1519 its said that Cortes decided to conquer the Great Tenochtitlan, however there's little evidence, but in July he arrived to Veracruz and the formal plans started). So, some theories emerge about this era ending with movement (earthquakes) on 2012. After that and adding a lot of New Age rubbish, the "prophecies of the end of the world" emerge.

So, basically we are talking about a cosmological and astronomical date of great significance, yes. Probably the beginning of a new era on conciousness, very likely, at least some of us would like to see it, but a gradual one, not a change from one day to another.

So, don't worry too much about this, and better start being worried about your life, the impact you have on your surroundings, in the enviroment, in the people around you. Do you want to see a global event that could change human history forever? Yes? really?! well, start for yourself!! Be the change you want to see.

The Truth about 2012 from NASA Lunar Science Institute on Vimeo.

My music

Part of the studies about paganism and druidry are focused on trying to expand our creative side, the best way to do this is through the arts, and for me there's nothing better than music.

I have found a way to distribute my music online so that others can download it for free, and I still get paid for it, and obviously still keep all the rights to it.

So if anyone fancy it, please check out the music I will be uploading to my artist profile...

ÆLFARH

As a quick reference, I make a variety of New age/Ambient music

As a bonus, a quantity of the money I make is donated to a charity of my cause. I have chosen World Wildlife Fund (WWF). So if you fancy some free music and wanna help me get paid for doing what I love, and some charity bonus, please check my stuff out

Pagan Past, Pagan Present, are they conected?

Authenticity and coherence are two words that have been around my mind in the last couple of weeks. Interesting discussions have being held on the Caer Feddwyd forum, as well as in the OBOD one.

Neo Paganism is clearly a religious movement that emerges immerse in the post modern movements. One of the main characteristics of post modern thought is that it cuts out any frame of reference to work in a relativistic way. A lot of the New age religions are happy to work this way, using an eclectic mix-it-all, everything is valid as long as “it feels ok” frame of mind.

Even when the origins of neopaganism are way back the postmodern movement, modern neopaganism has not being immune to it, actually the opposite, has welcome it with open arms.

In the particular scenario of celtic paganism there has been a branch, that emerge in the 1980’s that saw that relativistic point of view as something not worth of following, this branch is known as Celtic Reconstructionism (CR). It was the antithesis, the opposite to the romantic druidry that incorporates celtic themes, Greco-roman, hermetic, masonic, general mystic and esoteric, and oriental concepts into its cauldron to get the result. CR, however quickly found that it doesn’t have a great amount of information from which reconstruct the old religion of the Celts, since the Celts were an illiterate civilization, so, apart of a few Classic accounts as the famous Comentarii de Bello Gallico by Gaius Iulius Caesar, and other texts, very little was known. So CR look into the Irish and Welsh medieval texts as the corpus of celtic lore. The scholars since the XIX century have had the theory that those texts were a very accurate source of how the old pagans view their gods and customs, with a little of “interference” of the Christian themes put in them by the medieval Monks. Now, the actual trend in scholarship go for a new look, saying that it is impossible to separate the pagan themes on the medieval texts, and that actually is hard to tell which ones are pagan or not.

Of course every social discipline has its trends, and most of the time we see that trends emerge as antithesis of the previous one, and it’s not until some time that a synthesis can be found, in the continuous spiral of knowledge. Social sciences are not exact, and they depend a lot in suppositions and interpretations, especially when they deal with the past. There is a current scholar trend that is trying too hard to find a Christian Biblical origin for everything in Irish lore, disregarding the pagan themes, opposite to the nativist view that disregard the Christian elements.

But this trend of the academia put CR in a big trouble, the authenticity they claimed is now doubted, some CRs put so much effort in distance themselves of the romantic druids that began to see the medieval Irish and Welsh texts as their “holy books”, and of course if a holy book is debunked, the building shakes.

This could be seen as a battle win by the romantics, that will say, I told you so, it makes no sense in looking hard into the past since it’s not accessible to us, so let’s just take what inspires us and feels ok. One example is how the book The Druids by Ronald Hutton has being taken by the druid community, Ronal Hutton even when it’s a respected scholar, he also has strong links with OBOD and even run a grove, so it’s clear in reading his text that there’s an agenda behind; in his book he portraits an interesting portrait of Druids as archetypes that had being used in different places and different times by people according to its own agendas. Which of course is true, the problems is that he goes further and say that nothing can be known of ancient celtic religion and it’s philosopher-magician class, and of course that is what some romantic obodies wanted to hear.

But, a synthetic point of view is emerging in the celtic pagan and druidry circles, of which I have to say, I’m happy to share opinions. One that see the truth not in the hard CR theories nor in the Romantic Relativistic ones, but somewhere in the middle.

Megli put in the Caer Feddwyd forum an excellent phrase that illustrates very much the point: The only sound basis for religious speculation is a mixture of feeling (experience, intuition, instinct) and judgement (logic, sense, rationality, a sense of coherence.)

I do think that the truth is a mixture, a synthetic view from the opposites. The medieval texts are clearly not pagan tales with Christian dust to be removed, they are product of a syncretic culture that emerge from Ireland after the conversion, and that even today can be witnessed to some extent in the peculiar Irish Catholicism that is practiced.

So, are the medieval texts really not worth of interest to the Celtic pagans? Of course not!, they are of interest, because they have pagan ideas and characters on them, maybe the sources from which the truths we hold arise may be muddy waters indeed but does not the lotus and lily grow best in the swamp? There are several themes that could reflect a pre-christian frame work, war, battle, kingship, young against old, light against darkness, nature of magic and the elements, otherworldly images, etc. that even when not accessible in a straight forward way, can be reached with some work.
The thing is that we can’t rely only on those text, we need to look at the archaeology findings, to the classic accounts, compare them, trying to see the whole picture, we have to view those texts as a whole, and try to find the truth on that tapestry of images. How? Well, that is where the experience, intuition and instinct came into the game, and if that is not enough, then using freely our inspiration to find our way, but always being honest on what is a modern invention and fiction and when it’s not.

Of course studying those texts, reading the available material is a slow process, and could be hard work, the cost a lot of time and, yes also money since books are usually not for free; but if we are not afraid of that the result is a very satisfactory growing of intellectual and spiritual knowledge that fulfils our paths.

Alone – Edgar Allan Poe

From childhood's hour I have not been
As others were; I have not seen
As others saw; I could not bring
My passions from a common spring.
From the same source I have not taken
My sorrow; I could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same tone;
And all I loved, I loved alone.
Then - in my childhood, in the dawn
Of a most stormy life - was drawn
From every depth of good and ill
The mystery which binds me still:
From the torrent, or the fountain,
From the red cliff of the mountain,
From the sun that round me rolled
In its autumn tint of gold,
From the lightning in the sky
As it passed me flying by,
From the thunder and the storm,
And the cloud that took the form
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my view.

This story is not true in the sense that most people use the word. It emerges out of the mists of time, rooted deep in the heritage of Britain. It is a weave of mythologies, theologies, and histories. It is the story of two people, and a story of our peoples. It has no beginning and it has no ending.

The Apple and the Thorn is a story, who explore two iconic characters of mythical England. Vivian, the Lady of the Lake and Joseph of Arimathea. It’s a story where two faiths, two worlds coming together, full of passion and love, of inner thoughts and inner experiences, shared by its authors.

It tells the story from two different points of view, the voice of Vivian is Emma, the voice of Eosaidh (Joseph) is Walter, or you can say that it’s the other way around, they are the voice of the characters; that is something that gives an added value to the reading experience. It appeals to both Christians and Pagans alike, and there’s a beautiful love story inside, not only between the main characters, but a love to the traditions, the nature and the land.

It appeals me the most the part told by Walter on the Eosaidh character, since is a character who grow and learn a lot during the book, he learn to love the land and its spirits, to honour them, in parallel to his love for Vivian, who in contrast, didn’t develop or learn very much during the tale, it lacks of the humility and openness of the one who wants to learn, and is portrait as a person who believes has all the answers and the right path, she just don’t get another way that is no hers; however her character also gives a lot of meaningful experiences about the pagan spirituality that enriches the tale.

In general is a good reading, very easy to go through, once you started it’s difficult to put it down, and at the end gives to the reader a feeling of hope and tolerance, as well as invite to have a reflexion on these both faiths, their weakness and strengths, as with the weakness and strengths of the readers’ own path.

Native American Lore

Some thoughts share by native americans that are worth to think about

Mario Benedetti

One of the most extraordinary poets of our modern world has pass away. And even when he is now on the stellar journey, his work will remain for years.

He may not be very well know on the english speaking world. And even when translate a poem is so much complicated and never give the true feeling of the original work, some of you may appreciate his poetry this way:



Much more serious

All the parcels of my life has something yours
And that is in true nothing extraordinary
You know it as objectively as I do
However there is something that I would like to clarify to you
When I say all the parcels,
I don’t refer just to this that we have now,
This of waiting for you and Aleluya find you,
and damn it loosing you,
and find you again,
and I wish that was all.
I’m not meaning that out of the blue you say to me, I’m going to cry
And I, with a discreet lump in my throat, come on, cry.
And that an invisible cute rain protect us
And may be because of that the sun rises.
I neither refer only that day after day,
Our little and decisive complicities stock grow
Or that I can believe that I can transform my defeats into victories,
Or you give me the tender gift of your most recent desperation.

No.
This is much more serious.
When I say all the parcels of my live
I mean that in addition to this sweat cataclysm,
You are also rewriting my childhood,
That age in which one says adult and solemn things
And the solemn adults celebrate it,
Instead you know that that is not worth of it.

I mean you are remaking my teenager years,
That time on which I was an old man full of jealousy,
And you, instead, know how to extract that moor
My joyful germen and to water it just by looking.

I want to say that you are shaking my youth
That pitcher of clay that nobody took in their hands,
That shadow that nobody get together to their own shadow,
And you, instead know how to shake it
Until the dry leaves fall down,
And only the frame of my truth without heroic deeds stand.

I want to say that you are holding my mature days
That mixture of atonishment and experience,
That weird confine of anguish and snow,
This candle that ilumínates death,
This precipice of poor life.

As you can see this is more serious,
much mor serious,
Because with these or other words,
I want to say that you are not only
The dearest girl you are,
But also the esplendid or cautious women
That I loved or I love.

Because thanks to you I found
(and you could say it was about time, and will be right)
That love is a cute and generous bay
That lights up and darkens down
According with how life comes,
A bay where ships come and go,
Come with birds and omens,
And go with mermaids and dark clouds.
A cute and generous bya,
Where ships come and go
But you,
Please,
Don’t go


Don´t Save Yourself

Don't Save yourself,
Don´t be immobile
On the edge of the road,
Don't freeze the joy,
Don't love with reluctance,
Don't save yourself now
or ever,
Don't save yourself,
Don't fill with calm,
Don't reserve of the world
Just a calm place,
Don't let fall your lids
Heavy as trials,
Don´t speak without lips,
Don't fall asleep without sleepiness,
Don't think of you without blood,
Don't judge yourself without time.

But if in spite of everything
You cannot avoid it
And you freeze the joy,
And you love with reluctance,
And you save yourself now,
And you full with calm,
And you reserve of the world
Just a calm place,
And you let fall your lids
Heavy as trials,
And you speak without lips,
And you fall asleep without sleepiness,
And you think yourself without blood,
And you judge yourself without time,
And you are immobile
On the edge of the road,
And you save yourself,
Then
Don't stay with me.


Tactic And Strategy

My tactic is
Looking at you,
Learning how you are,
Loving you as you are,
My tactic is
Talking to you
And listening to you
To build with words
An indestructible bridge
My tactic is
Remaining in your memories
I don't know how
Nor with which pretext
But remaining with you.
My tactic is
Being frank,
And knowing that you are frank,
And not selling each other
Simulations
So that between us
There is no curtain
Nor abyss.
My strategy is,
However,
Deeper and
Easier,
My strategy is
That one of these days
I don't know how
Nor with which pretext
You finally
Need me.

Liminal

I was writing an entry in my Spanish language blog, about a great fusion group called Salsa Celtica, that by the way, is highly recommended for those who like either salsa or celtic music, or both. But I’m not going to repeat the same that I posted there. However the topic of the syncretism, fusion, cross-over, and many other names came to my mind.

How can we define ourselves? Is definition by itself a way to put boundaries to our experiences or a way to state that you are part of something? Mixing over everything is good?

Well, it’s very complex to answer this questions with a single yes or no, as most of thing in life they are full of colours, and not only black or white. We need some definition, some stability in our lives. For some is the need to know who they friends are, for others, know that the person you love, loves you back and is that there’s a commitment in there. For others is religion, work, sport, etc.

But having a wider spectrum than the majority of people is really to not be defined? For example, I’m following a spiritual path that even when is mainly based on celtic spirituality, it also have something of eclectic paganism and I even incorporate the Christians roots of my childhood. That, I assure you, in not drifting in the limbo between all this, I have very clear what I believe and what I don’t, I have very clear what it’s really rooted in the past and what is a modern interpretation, however, I don’t need to totally reject the ethics and even some of the spirituality that shape me as a boy and a teenager; nor I reject that some modern interpretations of ancient lore has value; I just make a great effort to don’t loose of my sight the main tree of my grove, the one on which I’m centred, the celtic reconstructionism.

But whilst examining my life I saw that pattern repeated in several points of my life: I can write with my right and my left hand. I love music cross-overs and fusions, to explore into different rhythms, melodies, styles. My favourite time of the day are sunrises and sunsets. I fancy both women and men. I’m an engineer who loves spiritual thinking and philosophy. All that elements of my particular life make me think about the concept of liminal spaces in the celtic myths.

The liminal spaces where the most sacred ones, they were the times and places where magic was more powerful; they were entrances to the other world, and sources of wisdom. There was an important colour for them, nglas, which was between our grey, blue and green. It had, or represent at least, the three realms of which this world was made, Samhain and Beltaine were taken as liminal day between the dark and the bright side of the year. etc. There are a lot of references in literature and myths.

The question is why? what are the attributes of those places moments... are they important because they are not defined, because they are open to more possibilities? or are they defined in their own nature but not by our standards?

We live in a world where everything tends to be dualistic, you are with me or against me, you are good or evil. And by those standards, yes people like me, moments like those, places like that, are undefined. But I really thing that they are not, that what we need is a wider spectrum of definitions, a perception that life is not a simple as black and white, and then realise that the beauty, the power of the concept of liminal is that its definition is to itself and not to exterior forces. Just look around you, do you see a static and perfectly defined nature, or do you see a diversity of colours, smells, tastes, shapes and sounds.

Don't be afraid if reality is not simple and flat, that is what it makes it so beautiful, that is not.

The great Argentinean writer, Borges, in a short story, that some could classify as “Magic Realism” (what a lovely literary term, isn’t it?) defined the maximum expression of Liminal that as the Aleph "The only place on earth where all places are -- seen from every angle, each standing clear, without any confusion or blending”.

So it’s not to be undefined, is a definition beyond boundaries.

What I Have learn...

I’m in my second week in my new work, getting back to the UK after for months, now for a long term staying. How much? I really don’t know but it’s going to be some years. Las year I begun what you could call a “life changing journey” starting with my site assignation at Tampico, Mexico; the first time I was really living by my own, away from friends, family and my home city. Then the big step, go to Britain to begin the MSc. A new country, a new culture.

During that year I was fortunate enough to travel around several countries, so I met different people, weathers architectures, etc. a lot of changes, a lot of new stuff, very difficult to assimilate in that short time.

What I have learned from that year? Well first of all, as you can witness from this blog, it was a very interesting journey from the spiritual point of view, a journey of self discovering, of discovering the ancient lore of this land, and of the nature itself; also a journey to realize that indeed there’s only one truth, but there are many many forms to reach that truth, or at least try to reach it. Many paths, many different beings apart of we humans. It was and still is, since I have a lot to learn from this land, and I mean from Britannia herself; a exciting and extraordinary experience.

On the other hand it was also a journey to know human kind. I was fortunate enough to meet people from across the globe, form Europe, Asia, Africa, America … I think I just missed to knew people from Oceania to say I know people from the five continents. That has being marvelous, so different countries, customs, histories and stories to tell. However to be exposed to that so varieties of cultures, give me the change to know human as a whole, and realize that even when the differences exist, they are minor, and that everybody is just human

On Sussex I was very lucky to know people from so different countries as Vietnam, Germany, India or Kenya. But I could learn that the things that united us were more than the ones that separate us. We all share the same fears, the same dreams, the same happiness and sadness about things. We are all one big culture that has to be called humanity.

But I also learn that we give excessive importance to try to state clearly what make us different. Yes, there are differences, but they are just superficial. That was very evident to me on this first visit to Chile, a country far away, geographically speaking from my Own; but very close in terms of culture, customs, etc. However their inhabitants try hard to make it note that they are so different from their neighbors, even when they are not.

Now, in this work, this new town, I can very easely make a list of the differences from my previous work; you know the quality of life and all that stuff. But still is a country like my own, a country populated by human beings. Some people realize that some time ago, so I’m going to quote Carl Sagan on this:

An extraterrestrial visitor examining the difference among human societies would find those differences trivial compared to the similarities. Our lives, our past and our future are tied to the sun, the moon and the stars…We humans have seen the atoms which constitute all of nature and the forces that sculpted this work…and we, who embody the local eyes and ears and thoughts and feelings of the cosmos, have begun to wonder about our origins…star stuff contemplating the stars, organized collections of ten billion billion billion atoms, contemplating the evolution of nature, tracing that long path by which it arrived at consciousness here on the planet earth…Our loyalties are to the species and the to the planet. Our obligation to survive and flourish is owed now just to ourselves but also to that cosmos ancient and vast from which we spring. We are on Species. We are start stuff harvesting starlight.


We have to look for the common good before selfish interests, but not in the nationalism point of view, but in a planetary one, we must know that we all are one society, and have one planet, and unless we try to work together and stop seeing the other as weird, different and therefore dangerous and frightening, we are going to blow off all this!

I also learn the meaning of a cosmopolitan city, and that doesn’t mean a big and populated city, it means several cultures, religions, sexual preferences, tastes, etc. living together in harmony (or trying to) by tolerance and good living.

That I think was the main learning of this year, of course there was also a big change in the emotional/sentimental point of view, but that is no topic for a public blog LOL

So here I am, in a new adventure, a lot of challenges, a lot of opportunities and of course a lot of fears, but above all that, a lot of dreams to make true.

So, as a citizen of the world, I’m beginning this new journey of life, independence, dreams. Wish me luck!

Ord Brighideach

Today I start a commitment, one I have tought about it, and take in the form of a gaesa. This will be a new step in my journey, one I'm happy to take. Fate has drive me to this new path, and I accept it in joy. I join the Ord Brighideach, and today as part of the Mistletoe-Cill Drualus, I have take the 14th shift, that starts today at sun set.

Here my oath, speaked loudly to the winds, written loudly in this place in no place, but present every where

Bright Brighid hear my prayer
I make my oath to you this day

As I light this flame to honour you
As I light this flame inside of me
May your light be within my life
Day by day, night by night

May your fire forge my will and my strength
May your fire heal my body and my heart
May you fire inspire my soul and my mind

I will keep your fire inside my soul
I will light you fire every twenty days
I will keep your light in my life

I make this oath to comply with my gaesa
To honour my commitment, to honour my word

No fire, no sun, no moon shall burn me,
No lake, no water, nor sea shall drown me,
No arrow of fairy nor dart of fay shall wound me,

No sickness will hurt me, no despair will bit me
So under the protection of Brighid I am

So under the oath of Brighid I will be

Your flame present in the earth below us
Your flame present in the sea aroud us
Your flame present in the sky above us

Bride above me
Bride around me
Bride below me
Bride infront of me
Bride on my back

May you be blessed always

The mexican view of the Death

Mexican culture, the child of two great cultures, the indigenous culture of the american natives and the european culture of the Spaniards. This new culture, product of a clash of worlds, of the iron sword and the obsidian mallet, the one from I came. Has a very unique form to see death.

To the inhabitant of New York, Paris, or London death is a word that is never uttered because it burns the lips. The Mexican, on the other hand, frequents it, mocks it, caresses it, sleeps with it, entertains it, it is one of his favourite playthings and his most enduring love. It is true that in his attitude there is perhaps the same fear that others also have, but at least he does not hide this fear nor does he hide death; he contemplates her face to face with impatience, with contempt, with irony: 'If they're going to kill me tomorrow, let them kill me for once and for all'.'; Octavio Paz on The Labyrinth of Solitude (1959)

Now, being near to the day of the death, and the same time the celtic new year, to different practices and rituals, that were united, ironically by the one Church that tried to eliminate them because of being pagan traditions, walk together this date.

This small video shows this, in a small wink.

Samhain Shona Duit!!

As many of you may know for me on personal level, and for my cultural background Samhain, the Day of the Death, the Celtic New Year, is a very important day, and the Ancestor Altar is a must !


Even when a proper altar according to our costumes shall be of nine levels, for space issues I only made it of three.

1) The ground level represents the duality live-death. There are Cempaxóchitl (Tagetes erecta) petals and a live one, to symbolize this.



2) The first level represents the spiritual journey through live and death, also the walk to the Mictlan , here are various elements (I explain them later) of the spiritual path


3) The second level represents the actual place where the spirit remains, the end of the journey. Here is the offer to the ancestors themselves, and five candles to bring them light and peace in the five directions.

Also, I make the altar to honour my three levels of ancestors.

1) The three celtic realms are represented by a seagull feather (sky) a stone from Brighton's seafront (earth) and a shell (sea), and a candelabra with three candles each to iluminate each realm; there are also five oghams representing the five directions. This represent my spiritual ancestors, my celtic spirituality. All this can be encounter on the first level of the altar

2) Theres also a piramid representing the sun piramid on Teotihaucan, and a image of Coatlicue, the mother goddess, as well as the colours, the sugar and chocolate skulls, as well as the sugar grave yards and the cempaxóchitl petals, all this to honour my cultural ancestors and at the same time the ancestors of the land. This can be encounter on the three levels.

3) There are photographs of the ones who departure earlier (my grandfathers) to honour my blood-line ancestors. You may notice there are some Christian crosses around, since my ancestors where Catholic, I feel very appropiate to honour their faith in the altar, and also because Christianism is part of my own background; but even if I had nothing to do with that faith, it make sense to me to honour the faith of my grand and grand grand fathers. This can be encounter on the second level.

Finally, this altar is not ended, on the night of 31th of october until the night of november 2nd, there has to be put there food and drinks. To wellcome the ancestors who will come to the festivity. I do not put that earlier most of all to ensure the food don't get on bad state. This will be put on the ground level.

I will post pictures of the altar on 1st of november, after my ceremony.

Hope you enjoy this pictures.

Happy Samhain (samhain shona duit)

Peace Day

Druids were always known as peacemakers. Now the earth became one, one day, on 21th of september to celebrate the Peace Day. One day of non-violence and cease fire.

Every one can make their own commitment visit PEACE DAY WEBSITE

Is there a soul at all?

I have been having a very interesting discussion in the OBOD message board, about the existance of the soul. Every single religion of the world, despite of the differences between beliefs, accept that there is something trascendental, call it soul, spirit, phsyche. That is not just part of the material world.

Materialist claim that feelings, emotions, and consciousness are just produced by the Brain. I reject that hypothesis because three main reasons:

1) As far as I know there’s no single experiment that can recreate the feelings of one person. We can’t artificially make a person to love another, we can’t make artificially to make a person hate another, etc, etc. And I'm not talking of reduced moments of anger or joy that could be artificially made, I'm talking about the feelings itself, everyone who had love can say that is not just a moment of biochemical joy, even when that effect is reached. We have reached a moment when we are able to understand and even recreate the effects of certain feelings in our body and our brain. We know what part of the brain are stimulated when we feel something, and the biochemical processes that are created because of that feelings; that only can demonstrate the effects of them, not its causes.

2) Even when some sensations are produced just as a reaction, and we can recreate them very accurately, they are the ones that do not involve consciousness, that is, the instincts. For example, if you put boiling water and make people touch it, they all will react in the same way, that is held apart the hand by instinct. How ever, with feelings and emotions is not that simple, the same scenario could create different feelings in different persons, what in a person could make to love other in another could create only indifference or even a negative feelings. They are not just a mechanical actions with predictable effects.

3) Claim that electric impulses can create something more that electric charges and electromagnetic fields; and therefore create something as consciousness, and therefore feelings and emotions, is going to far from effects to causes. There we are saying that something ordinary under specific and not proved circumstances have a propertie that can create something as our psyche; pretty much the same as when a child say that under specific and not proved circumstances their toys can speak to them, that’s an ordinary object to develop an extraordinary property as pshyche.

Now the second argument is, well if they are not created by the brain which is the “obvious” conclusion, then, where are the proofs of them be generated outside of the brain?. To answer that I’m going to tell a little story.

Back in 1957, Hugh Everett formulate a theory that states that every single decision that we make opens the way to a parallel universe, that is there is one universe for every single scenario that is possible, by the way, it was stated pretty much as the same in Borges tale The Garden of Forking Paths, but I'm digressing... Most of the scientific community reject that theory, because of the fact that will be impossible to prove it by experimentation, for them it sounds pretty much as when some people claim that there are other worlds where "fairies or spirits" live, so it was just filed away. After more than 30 years, some physics where investigating one of the more elusive forces of our universe, gravity. We know what its effects are, but we do not know its causes; and among the properties we understand of it, we know that this is one of the more weak forces of the universe. There have been no ways of know why.
Then they turn their heads to Everett’s theory and say, well, let’s have a look, let’s assume that parallel universes exists; and then they propose a hypothesis, the generation of gravity could be done in another universe, It was said that the reason for gravitational force being weak as compared to the other forces is that it is confined mostly to higher dimensions and that we feel only the effects of it in the known dimensions, somehow the idea doesn’t seems too bizarre, if we also compare it with other theories as the superstring ones; and even when some scientist still don’t see it as a good explanations another do. So basically a theory emerged based on a hypothesis that can not be proved, and is only assumed.

So basically we are now dealing with something similar, we haven’t been able to proof that consciousness is just the product of the fluxes of electricity in our brain, we can only assume that they are, with no single proof, and just a risky assumption to equal effects to causes; on the other hand we have the other theory, that assumes that consciousness is generated outside of the brain, by something that someone may call, soul, or spirit, or just psyche. Both theories make its final assumption based on no proofs, just that, an assumption; both trying to explain some observed phenomena, that we know it’s real, that it’s consciousness itself.

As with the gravitational weakness, we are not in position to say that the theory and its hypothesis are true, or dismissed, we can only see them as possible explanations. We can for certain agree or disagree with it, with some arguments; but we cannot possible say without any reasonable doubt that "that's the way the things are", in one way or another.

The fact that some scientist have been interested in support the “soul” theory, as with this two books: The God theory and Self-Aware Universe: How Consciousness Creates the Material World , that were written by scientist; prove that is not something just illogical or irrational, albeit not demonstrable at the current development of science. Is just a posibility, and until we have a sound proof that discard that theory, we can neglect it just "because".

For some it will be not of any importance to know that their beliefs are based on something rational, for me it is, and I have spend a lot of time thinking on the subject for many years. I have reach the conclusion that the lack of evidence do not implies that something is impossible or irrational.

New project started

I'm writing this post to let you know about a new project I have started, that is a website about Druidry in spanish language.

It's now published at http://www.losceltas.org

The name of the site is "La Arboleda Sagrada; An Garrán Beannaithe" (The Sacred Grove)


The site, came to my mind as a way to give information about Druidry to the spanish-speaker comunity on the internet, since there's not a lot of info on that language.

I have incorporated three basic sections

1) Tradición (Tradition) with articles about What is Druidry, the Beliefs, Ethics, Rituals and Festivals

2) Los Druidas hoy (The Druids today) with info about the activities of the contemporany druids, the orders, the ecologic campains.

3) Foro (Forum) an online forum in spanish language to discuss druidry and celtic paganism related topics, maybe a first step to begin an on-line druidry comunity on spanish language

4) Recursos (Resources) this is probably the section with higher expectations... the objective is to create an on-line library with texts and articles about Druidry and Celtic culture and history in spanish language. At the moment it has the translations of articles by some very wise people I have contact, and have granded their persmision to publish their articles; two articles of mine, based on some drafts I had put on my blog; some incantations as The Amergin song, and Amergin's invocation of Ireland, as well as Athair ar Neamh a beautiful prayer by Eithne Ni
Brahonain and the begining of a big project... the translation of ancient books, text, poems and incantations.

At the moment I have the translations of The boyage of Bran, The second battle of moytura, and the Galic wars of Caesar.

I'm now working on the translation of the following texts:

The Irish Triads, ed. Kuno Myer
Carmina Gadelica ed. Alexander Charmichael
The Cattle-Raid of Cooley (Táin Bó Cúalnge)
And the complete Irish mythology by Lady Augusta Gregory

As you can imagine these translations are going to take me months, since I have other things to do, and I'm working at the moment alone on this project, but I'll upload them little by little, as I get some parts finished. The process of the translation have been so inspiring, to find the right word to express the meaning, get me in a deeper involve of the texts themselves, meditating about them, learning about them.... it was just great!!!

Once these are translated and published, I'll follow with other texts and so on... It's an ambicious project, I know; I hope it doesn't get out of my hands. I also know that there's some danger in translating these texts, since I'm doing it from the english translation since I'm not fluent on
gaelic, nor a celtic scholar, nor a professional translator (If you know somebody who have that credentials and that also is fluent in spanish, I'll love to have him/her check the translations I'm working on) but I hope it helps the people who is really interest in celtic culture but for
several reasons (mostly about time and money) can't learn english (or gaelic) and/or access to the information that is available in printed and electronic books.

The articles published, listed here by last name alphabetic order, are as follows:

Phillip Carr-Gomm / OBOD:
The seven gifts of Druidry (los siete regalos del druidismo)
http://www.losceltas.org/sieteregalos.html
Ethic and values on Druidry (Ética y valores del druidismo)
http://www.losceltas.org/eticadruidismo.html
Eco-campaign (Campaña Ecológica)
http://www.losceltas.org/ecologia.html

Erynn Rowan Laurie:
Following a Celtic path (siguiendo un camino celta)
http://www.losceltas.org/caminocelta.html
The Truth vs the World (La verdad contra el mundo)
http://www.losceltas.org/verdad.html
An Essay on Sacrifice (Un ensayo sobre el sacrificio)
http://www.losceltas.org/sacrificio.html

Brendan Cathbad Myers:
Initiation and the Druid Secret Language (iniciación y el lenguaje
secreto de los Druidas)
http://www.losceltas.org/lenguaje.html

Kenneth Proefrock:
The Practice of medicine (la práctica de la medicina)
http://www.losceltas.org/medicina.html

Graeme K. Talboys:
The nine dimensions of the way of the Druid (las nueve dimensiones del
camino del Druida)
http://www.losceltas.org/nuevedimensiones.html

Loretta Wilson:
The Brehon Laws (Las leyes Brehon)
http://www.losceltas.org/brehon.html



Hope you like it!

Happy Bealtaine

Bealtaine Shona Daoibh!!

Bealtaine (pronounced Beeyaltineh) is the Celtic festivity that indicates the begining of the summer, it's hold in the middle between the spring equinox and the summer solstice, and even in modern Irish, the name of the month that we know as May is Bealtaine.

Is resembles the lights of Bilé, the sacred tree, the world tree who get togheter with Danna, in the form of the River Danube, as partners, they give life to The Dagda and the Tuatha dé Danna.

Bile also spelled Bel is a sun god, a fertility god; patron of cattle, since Bealtaine celebrates the fertility, as the beginning of the summer, and the growing season. The word "Bealtaine" literally means "bright" or "brilliant fire," and refers to the bonfire lit by a presiding Druid in honor of Bile.

The festival is hold in the eve of may 1, as known the day for the Celts begin at the sunset. This is a time of fertility, blossoming, creativity, union.

May it light your lifes!

Hard vs Soft polytheism

There have been some discussions about soft vs hard polytheism before, and as in all philosophical matters, it’s difficult to put rigid boundaries about what is one thing, what is another.

First, we shall take into account that speaking about deity (or deities) we only hope to understand a little, and that there’s plenty of interpretations of what, at the end, we can’t fully understand, prove or deny with absolute certainty anything.

Most of the ancient people that inhabited Europe were polytheist, as many others around the world (like the American inhabitants, for example) that kind of polytheism take into account personal and independent deities, with different characteristics, they may have a common genealogy, but equal status, comparable powers and even they tend to fight each other.

These entities were very local and they pick some people and tribes in their protection, and some ask for some forms of henotheism, that certain tribes only address to them, or mainly address to them. So there were cities, tribes and even nations dedicated to the veneration of one god or goddesses as their patron. We have just to remember the war of troy to see an example.


As time passes, these concepts were merging with a concept of one God (or Goddess) superior to the others, most of the times, they tend to refer to the top on the genealogy and give that attribute to the Father God or the Mother Goddess, as the king or queen of them all, with enough power to control every other god, and even attributes of creator of both, man and gods. That happened long before Christianity arises, so it was a natural evolution in pagan societies and philosophy.

The Celts were not the exception, and we can find that at different stages there was a king of Gods, or leader, that receive special veneration, as well as a Mother Goddess.

How ever, the speed on which the Mediterranean Pagans (Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, etc) merge to the idea of one God above all others, without question, was slower in the evolution of the religion of the Celts. But then, the invasions take place. First the Vikings, then the Romans, after that the Saxons, etc. and that obviously change in a certain way the cosmology of the Celtic people of the Islands, France and Spain.

But still, there are basic differences between the Mediterranean, Nordic and Celtic pantheon. One of the most significant is that the Celtic Gods are not limited to one mainly attribute, as for example, Mars God of War, Apollo God of the Sun, Athena, Goddess of the wisdom, or Aphrodite Goddess of Beauty. When first approaching the Celtic pantheon, as we have as reference the Greco-Roman pantheon learned in the schools, we tend to ask “who has the god of war for the Celts?” but there’s no answer to that, because there are various gods and goddesses associated to war, and battles, and the sun, etc.



Of course there are main attributes, and as in other religions as the Hindu and Egyptian, there were figures that merge in triads, with triple Celtic Gods and Goddesses.

Another great difference is that Celtic people view the Gods as their ancestors, they were all descendents of the mix between the Gods and the Men, the Thuatha dé Dannan and the Milesians, for example, and not created by them with only special characters know as demigods, as Heracles.

But even with the influence that invasions, commerce, etc give, one thing remains, every god has its individual and independent characteristics, personality and were separate entities. Even if the acknowledge of one above the others, one almighty and creator, their sons were creations but not parts of him/her, as we are different from our own parents.

Christianity take this concept from the beginning and early Christians had a pantheon of angels, demons and saints to address in specific occasions, all created by One God, even if that god take the form of a trinity, remains as an inseparable entity, and also separated of the other saints and angels, and of course of the demons, that were originally also angels.
Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican Churches today still keep that idea, meanwhile most of the Protestant Churches, some sects of Judaism and Islam, see this as a form of polytheism (which in my opinion it is) that has to be avoid.

But then, as time passes with the advent of the Christians and Christianity spread over Europe, there was a merging, as all we know, between the ancient gods/goddesses and the Christian Saints. But there was one figure that originates a new concept. Mary, the Virgin.

And this is a important entity, since in the form of Mary, many pagan Goddesses were put into the Catholic faith, usually the Mother Goddess, as Danna, Minerva or Coathlicue (in America) but, how the Catholic Church explain that they were all but the same, Mary, the mother of Jesus the Christ? Simply, they include a philosophical idea that it was risen by that times, no matter how many virgins there are, and their different attributes, they are all but different faces or manifestation of one, “the Mother of us all”.



When time passes, and the revival of pagan faiths, now know as neo-pagans, begin; that concept was introduced and extrapolate to the Gods also, so, the statement that “"All gods are one God, and all goddesses are one Goddess, and there is one Initiator” emerge. How ever is my understanding that the first published book that use that sentence is by the Sea Priestess by Dion Fortune, and it has been taken as a part of the teology of many pagan religions.

This concept is know as soft polytheism, where at the end all merge to just one male and one female principle, and all others but manifestation of that. Then, some neopagan faiths keep that concept and extrapolate it to One single entity, the Uncreated, The One, that has the male and female attributes merge in one.

Under this concept, even if we address to different names of gods and goddesses, we are addressing but to one (or two) entities, and just appealing to one of its (their) qualities.

My personal view is stick to the hard polytheism, but in its later form, I mean, I believe in The One, the creator, beyond and above all other gods, but independent of them, and the other gods, or powerful spirits of the universe (that’s my name for them) as independent entities, with their own area of influence, powers, characteristics, behaviour, and personality, never as faces of one single (or dual) entity.


Now, came the problems and questions. Myths talk about the relationship between this deities, and their areas of influence, as an example, Isis interact with the gods of mount Olympus, as well as Epona enter the Roman pantheon. Now we have another gods in other parts of the world, in America, in the near East and the far East, etc. How they interact? Is it okay to address to some in the area of the other?

I think, that some may have different names but are the same in different cultures, but others, shall be independent and local, how can we know the difference?

Well, these are my two pence about Hard vs Soft polytheism.

Three Realms, Directions & Winds

I have cover this topic before on THIS POST, but now I return to it, since I see great importance in understanding the Celtic Cosmology to difference it from other eclectic pagans paths as Wicca, and some forms of modern Druidry.

I will not go into details of the four element concept and its relations with the quarters (directions) winds, etc. since, most of the eclectic pagan paths, follow this interpretation and there is plenty of information available, and the purpose of this blog is to cover the Celtic point of view, not the Greek one or any other.

The Celtic interpretation of the Universe was that it was formed in three basic realms, there’s also mention of them as the Three Legs of the Cauldron of the Universe.



The Cauldron called the universe is supported by the three legs of sea, sky and land. The Cauldron called the sea is supported by the three legs of water, moon and spirit. The Cauldron called the spirit is supported by the three legs called intent, plenty and emotion.

The approach is less abstract and more tangible. We can physically being in the three realms, and as a modern analogy, we can relate them to the three basic states of matter on which science has classified the physical reality. (Yes, I know that there is a fourth one, plasma, but that’s a recent discovery not known even by our fathers and just to make it clear, plasma is not fire)

I previously explain the associations of these realms and there we can find the importance of three (and odd numbers) by the Celts, whose cosmology find balance in the third part; there’s no concept of good/bad, male/female, etc, as in most of the religions, but there’s always a third one that brings balance to the opposites and “their continuous fight”. That’s why, when I address to my conception of The One, I said that I conceive it not as male or female, but neutral, as the result of the conjunction of the two concepts. Since there is not a Celtic myth of creation, as for example, with the Nordic (Viking) people, we can only imagine how they view that concept, and that is my personal interpretation based on the Celtic concept of balance.

The concept of elements, or an elemental system, near to the Greek one, is what we call the dhúile, there are from seven to eleven, elements, but most of the text speaks of nine. This elemental system is meant to be a way to understand the relation between the person and the cosmos and the other way around.

One of these elemental systems is:

Cloch (Stone)
Cré (Earth)
Uaine (Plant Life, literally green)
Uisce (water)
Gaeth (Wind)
Gealach (Moon)
Grian (Sun)
Nel (Cloud)
Spéartha (the skies or Heaven)

Here we can see that these elements can be found in the realms, but are not limited to them, we can find fire in the sky, earth and ocean; as well as water in those three, etc. We are so used to classify everything under the Greek concept, that even is thought in the school (at least I first learn it on the primary school) that we tend to believe that all cultures refer to this elemental system, but the Celtic people, as others around the world, did not limit the elements to those four.

The elements where part of the realms, they are all interwoven and connected, much like a Celtic knot.

As far as I know, there’s no an agreement among the scholars about how many and which where the dhúile, but only an agreement that the ancient Celts, refer to them as the element of which the cosmos and the person is formed.

There are various texts when we can find this references, as for example in some text of Tailesin, as this:

I was made from the ninefold elements -
From fruit trees,
From paradisiacal fruit,
From primroses and hill flowers
From the blossoms of trees and bushes,
From the roots of the earth was I made,
From the broom and the nettle,
From the water of the ninth wave.
Math enchanted me before I was made immortal,
Gwydion created me with his magic wand.
From Emrys and Euryon,
From Mabon and Modron,
From five fifties of magicians like Math was I made -
Made by the master in his highest ecstasy -
By the wisest druids was I made before the world began,
And I know the star-knowledge from the beginning of Time.

Taliesin, Chief Bard of the Britons (circa 600 CE)
as found in the Cad Goddeu

Also, in the song of Amergin that you can find HERE in a previous post

Or this Incantation of the Celtic Lorica, attributed to St. Patrick, but that reflects a Druidic and pagan way of view the cosmos. (This was shared to us by Beith, thanks!)


Atom-riug indiu
Neurt Nime
Soilse Gréne
Étrochtae Éscai
Áne Thened
Déne Lóchet
Lúaithe Gaíthe
Fudomnae Móro
Tairismige Thalman
Cobsaide Ailech

I bind myself this day
With the power of heaven
With the light of the sun
the brightness of the moon
with the splendour of Fire,
the swiftness of lightning
the speed of the wind
the depth of the sea
with the stability of the earth
with the firmness of rock

Fire and water were important for the Celtic rituals, and cosmology, as previously stated. Fire was a transformation force, as it’s seen today by even the science when we need fire (or heat) to transform the matter from one state to the other, and to put into motion a lot of thermodynamic forces. The Celts were aware of this, but not limited to the physical reality, but also in the spiritual one. Fire transform and give us the Imbas (or Awen) the inspiration we need to that transformation.

As for water, it has a strong and obvious association with Muir, the Ocean, and that’s why this realm is also associated with the Other world. Mannanán Mac Lir was the keeper of the gate to the other world, the sacred wells were passages to that world, etc. So in bringing water to a ritual, we are bringing the otherwordly associations to us.


Now, regarding the directions, they were not limited to four (NSEW) but there are indications that were at least five, or even nine.

One indication of this five-fold division is reflected in the five provinces of Ireland - Ulster, Munster, Leinster, Connacht, Míde – that correspond to NSEW and centre, being the centre the place where the high king was crowned (Tara)

Another system speaks of nine directions

Thuaidh (North)
Faoi (Under, About)
Amach (Outwards)
Ior, Siar (West)
Air, Oithear (East)
Isteach (Inwards)
Deas, Deis (South)
Thrid (Through)
Os Cionn (Above)

The Greek system of directions is interlink with the winds, and their gods (Boreas, Eurus, Notus, Zephyrus), how ever, there’s no indication that the Celtic pantheon had such things as four wind gods, and the winds, as understood by the Celts, are lack of the attributes that the Greco-Roman tradition give. Wind was only a force of the air.

The Celtic people of the Islands, interact a lot with the sea and as sailors, they refer to the different currents that surround the islands. There are some text that speaks about 12 winds, four main, four sublevels and other four sub-sub-levels, how ever, it’s important to take into account that this texts were written by Christian monks that were influenced by the Christian and therefore Neo-platonic cosmology. Here Saltair na Rann (again, thanks to Beith translation)

45] Ri roordaig ocht ngaetha (The king had ordained eight winds)
torgaib cenlocht lanaeba, (raised without loss of full beauty)
cethri primgaetha cotngaib, (four chief winds..)
cethri fogaetha feochrai. (four subwinds...)
49] Cethri fogaetha aile, (four other subwinds)
rádit auctair ergnaide, (discerning authorities count)
bidhi an-arim fírchert (the correct number)
dogaethaib dagaeth deec.(of the winds is 12 winds)
53] Ri rodelb datha nangaeth (the king arranged the colours of the winds)
rosderb frisratha slanaeb, (he fixed them to [their] streams of grace/beauty)
iarclechtaib rith roratha , (following the customs of course [of] virtues)
combrechtaib cachilldatha. (with varieties/categories of every colour)
57] Ingel, incorcarda glan, (the White, the clean/pure purple)
inglass, induaine allmar, (the blue-grey, the mighty green)
inbuidi, inderg, derb dána, (the yellow, the red, a certain gift/offering)
nisgaib fergg frisodála. (they are not wrathful in their good assembly)
61] Indub, indliath, indalad, (The Black, the grey, the piebald/variegated)
intemen, inchiar chálad, (The dark/dusky/gloomy; the hard murky)
indodar, doirchi datha, (the dun, dark colours)
nidat soirchi sogabtha. (they are not bright or easily grasped)
65] Ri rosordaig oscachmaig (The king ordained them over every plain)
na ocht fogaetha feochrai, (the eight fierce/untamed subwinds)
rodelb cenditha, dín saeth, (He formed without faults, sheltering hardship/distress
cricha nacethri primgaeth. (the boundaries of the four main winds)
69] Anair incorcra glanbda, (From the East the pure purple)
andess ingel gle, amra, (From the South, the wonderful bright white)
atuaid indub gailbech, grach, (From the North, the tempestuous ugly/rough black)
niar indodur engach. (From the west, the noisy/shrieking Dun)
73] Inderg, inbuidi 'male, (the Red, the Yellow..)
eter gil ocus corcrai, (between the White and Purple)
indúani, inglass, croda lir, (the deep Green, the Blue-grey, valorous/crimson?)
eter huidir isglegil. (between the Dun and the bright white)
77] Indliath, inchiar, grainne anguir, (The Grey, the the Murky ugly, evil-painful?)
eter huidir iscirduib, (between the murky and the gloomy black)
intemen, indalad tair, (the dusky, the variegated easterly)
eter duib ocus corcair. (between the black and the purple)
81] Coir rocoraiged acruth, (Their form had been rightly arranged)
doronad an-orddugud, (their order had been made)
fogaessaib glessib cenchlith (under intelligent contrivances (or under 'bright widsoms')
without concealment)
iarsessib, iarsuidigthib. (after (ie in manner of/ in) ranks and placements)
85] Na da gaeth dec, tolaib tress, (The twelve winds, with wills/abundance of contention)
tair ocus tiar, tuaid istess, (East and West, North and South)
rii roscuibdig cotagaib, (the King who harmonized them
roscuibrig fo secht nglassaib. (harnesses them under seven fetters)
89] Ri dosnarbair iarsessaib (The King who bends/yields them in their ranks)
imthalmain con-ilglessaib, (around the world, with many-arrangements)
cach digaeth dib imglés ngle (each wind of them around a clear purpose)
isoengles foraib huile. (and One purpose over all of them)

For pilgrim it's a long way....to know who you are

I have been a Pilgrim from some years now, a pilgrim in a spiritual search, a pilgrim now, also in the physical form.

The pillars that keep my beliefs up, on one side what I was, on the other, what I am.

For many years I have been looking forward for this, to visit Ireland. For me, that country was the most Celtic one in the world, and after been there I can confirm that.


It was a lifetime experience without a doubt, I went there as a pilgrim, as a man looking for the spiritual roots of his believes.

The first thing I did, once I arrive, was to touch the Ireland ground and thank the spirits of the land to allow me, finally to go there. Now that I think about it, it had to be odd for the people around me see me kneel and praying after leaving the airport.

And the first stop was, of course, New Grange. As you probably know, this Neolithic monument is the most ancient monument in the Island, and one of the most ancient ones in the world.

With a perfect alignment to the rising sun in the winter solstice, the internal chamber lights up with the first light beams of the morning; that chamber full of secrets and forces, of lives, dead, mementos echoing in every breath. I went inside and must say it was a powerful experience, I could feel the power of the chamber, I could feel part of its history, and could imagine the feeling of being there on the winter solstice.


But that was only the beginning, the experience grow as I was driving along the Island, watching its landscapes, breathing its air, knowing its people.

Finally I get to Donegal county, on of the Gaelic speaking areas of Ireland, I could hear the language of the Celts, and seeing that people I could understand more about the Celtic Cosmo vision. One ancient Celtic Triad says: “Three things all should have on hand for a guest, expected or not: open door, un-dry cauldron, warm bed”; reflecting the importance that the Celtic ones put on being good hosts, and open in friendship to the foreign. I could see that the Irish people still believe on that, since they are friendly and open, joyful and always smiling.

As in other times, the connection with this land was deeper in a spiritual way, more than in any other, in walking through the beach, collecting some shells, I could dream awaken about that, about what I have wanted to live and already had lived.


After that beautiful experience, that was bigger and deeper due to the company of a person too much important for me, my greatest and dearest friend, that allows me to share with him this experience. Then, we return to England, to celebrate the spring equinox, the Alban Eilir, the middle of spring.

The celebration of the balance between day and night, the celebration of the balance of the forces of nature, so we went to Stonehenge, to get the first lights of the incoming sun, it was my second time in Stonehenge, but the first inside the stone circle, I have to say it’s such an experience to walk through that impressive stones, and to see the world from inside.


After that we held a small and very intense private ceremony at the Kingley Vale yew forest. The experience was very deep, like a sharing of souls in front of the ancient nature. There are few events that can’t be described with words, since words are limited, this is one of them. I feel very grateful with life for every and each experience I have been living during this journey, but this one is one of the greatest and happiest I had.


Another stop was Glastonbury, to taste a little of the experience of the mists of Avalon. As usual the Tor welcome us with a fierce wind, and the challice well with its tender and paceful gardens.
We spend a time there, meditating and we also bless some special objects to us with the waters that lead to the healing pool.



After visiting the sacred places of the Celts, we have the opportunity of go to another sacred place, this time one that is special to me, the Vatican City.

I was rise as Roman Catholic, but for many years I have been apart of the Church, but not from my believes, I could call myself a may be Christian Celtic Pagan, where the adjective "Christian" modifying the type of paganism I follow, if a label has to be applied; since Christianism and Celtic Reconstructionism, as well as Druidry, have been unify in me as a whole, as a single pillar that supports what I am now, hic et nunc.

Then even I not consider myself as part as the Catholic Church, I have a great respect for it, since it had shaped what I am now; but St. Peter’s Basilica is not only a sacred place for Catholics, but a special place for every Christian, and a sacred place for the human kind as a whole, since the spirit of the One God is venerated there, with great devotion.


Therefore, I was a pilgrim in the more special and sacred places for me, all in one month, all in one travel, all with a great company.

That doesn’t mean that my spiritual pilgrimage is over, but this important experience has given to me and I have a lot to meditate, a lot to think, feel, and integrate to my personal growing.