Thursday 11 December 2008

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

Sunday 26 October 2008

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)

Thursday 4 September 2008

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

Monday 23 June 2008

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.

Sunday 8 June 2008

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!

Monday 5 May 2008

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!






Monday 28 April 2008

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.

Sunday 27 April 2008

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)

Monday 21 April 2008

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.

Thursday 21 February 2008

E-DAY

FEBRUARY 27 & 28, 2008 STOP USING ANY UNNECESARY POWER JOIN THE E-DAY



"The small things in life can make a big difference"

Energy Saving Day (E-Day) is an editorially and financially independent and apolitical organisation which aims to make action to tackle climate change.

Their proposal is to make a 24 hrs maximum reduce power consumption in the UK,
between 6pm on Wednesday 27 February 2008 and 6pm on Thursday 28 February.

Everyone who wants to take part in E-Day is being asked to leave off household electrical items, which do not need to be on, and to leave these items off for as long as possible.

These might include lights in rooms that are not being used, televisions left on standby, mobile phone chargers left plugged in, unused printers, etc, etc.

During this experiment everyone in the country will be invited to see if they can save energy in their home, school or office, by leaving off electrical items which are not in use, and then offered direct feedback on the results of their actions on national electricity demand via the E-Day website (www.e-day.org.uk).

Climate change is a very serious reality, we can make the difference, each and every one of us count, let’s listen to the earth, let’s respect nature.


For more information, go to the E-DAY official website

-------
  • Druid Spirituality isn’t just about improving your own life — it’s about making a difference to the world too — it’s about becoming environmentally responsible. - Philip Carr-Gomm, chosen chief of OBOD
  • In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.- Native American maxim
  • Today, we all see that man can destroy the foundations of his existence, his earth, hence, that we can no longer simply do what we like or what seems useful and promising at the time with this earth of ours, with the reality entrusted to us. On the contrary, we must respect the inner laws of creation, of this earth, we must learn these laws and obey these laws if we wish to survive. Consequently, this obedience to the voice of the earth, of being, is more important for our future happiness than the voices of the moment, the desires of the moment. In short, this is a first criterion to learn: that being itself, our earth, speaks to us and we must listen if we want to survive and to decipher this message of the earth. And if we must be obedient to the voice of the earth, this is even truer for the voice of human life. Not only must we care for the earth, we must respect the other, others: both the other as an individual person, as my neighbour, and others as communities who live in the world and have to live together. – Pope Benedict XVI
  • 'In lovely harmony the wood has put on its green mantle, and summer is on its throne, playing its string-music; the willow, whose harp hung silent when it was withered in winter, now gives forth its melody — Hush! Listen! The world is alive. - Thomas Evans





Tuesday 5 February 2008

Athair ar Neamh

Today, I was meditating and praying a lot of time. One of my favourites is this song/prayer, that address to the One God, in the beutiful language of the Emerald Island, Gaelic. In the beutiful voice of Eithne Ni Brahonain.

Athair ar Neamh, Dia linn / Father in Heaven, God Bless us



Athair ar Neamh. Dia linn
Athair ar Neamh. Dia liom
m'anam, mo chroí, mo ghlóir
moladh duit, a Dhia.

Fada an la, go sámh
Fada an oíche', gan ghruaim,
aoibhneas, áthas, grá,
moladh duit, a Dhia.

Móraim thú, ó lá go lá,
Móraim thú, ó oích' go hoích'

Athair ar Neamh. Dia linn,
Athair ar Neamh. Dia liom,
an ghealach, an ghrian, an ghaoth,
moladh duit, a Dhia.

-----
Father in Heaven, God bless us
Father in Heaven, God bless me
my soul, my heart, my glory
praise be to you, oh God.

Long is the peaceful day
Long is the night without gloom,
wonder, joy, love,
praise be to you, oh God.

I praise you from day to day
I praise you night after night

Father in Heaven, God bless us
Father in Heaven, God bless me
the moon, the sun, the wind,
praise be to you, oh God.

Sunday 3 February 2008

Happy Imbolc

Imbolc or Oimelc is the Celtic celebration of the beginning of the spring. This date the celebration is done in honour of Brighid.

Brighid is considered a triple goddess for the Celtic Lore, patron of poets, crafts and health. On this day it’s celebrated as the Mother, the light bringer, the fertile earth.

This day has special resonance for another traditions along with the Celtic one: In Rome, today was the festival of Juno-Februa the goddess of marriage, mother of Mars. Rome was lighten with candles and a procession was made on her honour. In Mexico was the beginning of the Aztec year, that was also a big celebration with fires. The Catholic Church commemorates the Candlemas day, that remember of Jesus presentation to the temple, where he means a light to the world.

I went to the Long Man of Wilmington to commemorate the day. It was a very nice experience shared with some members of the Anderida Gorsedd.

I'm beginning to feel the spring around, some crows made a nest in the tree infront of my window, also I noticed this last weeks, that the sunset is about one hour later than before, let's wellcome the Spring.

May the coming spring be full of blessings for all.

Monday 28 January 2008

Four elements vs Three realms

The term “elements” has some different meaning according to the frame of reference we are talking about.

In science, when we refer to elements, we refer to the atomic chart of elements that conform the human known universe. From Hydrogen to Ununseptium, the 117 elements are for use in chemistry and physics.

As for realms, science considers to be five main living realms animalia (animals or metazoans), plantae (vegetables), fungi (superior fungus), protista (protozoan, eukaryotic alga & inferior fungus) and monera (bacteria and prokaryote alga).

These definitions are in constant change, with the new discovers that science make everyday.

I said that to avoid any confusion for the topic I’m going to talk about. As many spiritual definitions, we are not talking about science words, but metaphors.

In western tradition is very common to refer to the four elements for everything is created, or related, four main forces that conform the spirit of the things.
This concept came from pre-platonic Greeks, the elements, as you probably know are:

Γαια, gaia earth
ύδωρ, hydor, water
άήρ, aer, air
έιλή, heile, heat (fire)




They represent in Greek philosophy, science, and medicine the realms of the cosmos wherein all things exist and whereof all things consist.

Pythagoras added a fifth element, Aether αιθήρ, also called quintessence (from the Latin quinta essentia, "fifth element") representing the space above the earth, but also representing the spirit, soul and ideas. A non-matter element.

There’s a beautiful song by Cielo y Tierra, a Mexican quartet that says “Tierra mi cuerpo, agua mi sangre, aire mi aliento y fuego mi espíritu” (earth my body, water my blood, air my breath and fire my spirit).

This concept is also found in one of the most ancient pagan religions, Hinduism.

Prithvi / Bhumi — Earth
Ap / Jala — Water
Vayu / Pavan — Air / Wind
Agni / Tejas — Fire
Akasha — Aether

How ever, this concept is far of being a universal one, as an example, Chinese tradition speaks of five “earthly” elements: metal, wood, water, fire, earth.
Some has used the scientific idea of the four states of matter, to validate the greek concept (solid, liquid, gas and plasma) but is an inaccurate one, since plasma is not fire as we know fire, moreover fire (or heat) is used to change a matter from one state to another (and not all matter can be changed from state, for example, living things, I mean the Carbon based life, can’t pass to gas or plasma state, since carbon is reduced to ashes.

That leads me to the Celtic point of view about the cosmos and how is it form.

As state shortly in a post below, three was a sacred number to the celts. They see even numbers as unbalanced ones, there’s a need of something between that bring balance to that; so was with elements.

This elements were called Talam (earth) , Muir (sea) and Nem (sky). This elements are not total abstractions, we can see them surrounding us, we can feel them as we walk in our lifes. Celtic rituals don’t invoke these elements, nor dismiss them, since they’re always present in our lives. “Invoking” the elements makes no sense, since they are within us and around us.


How ever, the spiritual meaning for each is not only their physical description. It’s important to take into account that the meanings are not to be associated with the dualistic paradigm. They are not Good/Bad, Female/Male, Light/Dark elements, we can encounter these attributes within them, but not limited to. As told before, the dualistic approach of the western culture, including the mainstream monotheist religions and most of the pagan ones, is not applicable to the celtic point of view.

Talam, is the land, and the centre, where we walk, where we live, it’s the midworld. It means solidity, and stability. We can manifest it as a rock, or a tree. It’s our body.



Muir, is the ocean, the water that sorround us far or close, it’s emotionally and spirit oriented, transformative, chaotic, liminal, it’s our sensorial and intuitive being. We can manifest it as a water, from a river, from a well, from the sea. Well are often used as passages to the Underworld, were we can encounter our ancestors, It’s our blood.


Nem is the sky, it’s mind and wisdom oriented, illuminating, ecstatic, is the source of life and consciousness, a life force. Ancient Celts believe that the soul was in our heats, as part of our mind. It’s manifest in the world as the sky, and if we travel beyond we can encounter with the stars. It’s our breath.


There’s also a denomination for these in welsh celtic tradition, as Calas, Gwyar & Nwyfre

That is applicable to all human experiences, and inter-relations, I read an example that makes it clear.

Let’s take our food, the Talam are the elements of the dinner: meat, vegetables, grains, etc. Muir is the cooking process, the transformation, the flow from raw to cook. Finally, Nem is the mental dimension, how we select the ingredients, the recipes, the skills and personal seasoning of the cook. This is a easier example, but you can think in several more.
Irish has a name for the colour of the three realms, Glas, this word means green/grey/blue, colours associated with the Other World, the Tir nan nÓg. Green for the earth, grey for the sea, blue for the sky. Meaning a state where the three realms join and pure wisdom and illumination is reached.

Returning to the initial thought, about the states of matter, solid, liquid and gas could be far easy associated to the realms, and plasma could be interpret as a travel beyond the sky, when we reach the stars… an Aislingthe (let’s remember that plasma is a very new concept, not known by the Celts, or even by our fathers when they went to school)

Meditations about these realms are far and beyond the uses of this blog, but I hope to get the spirit and explanation of why a Celtic ritual and worship, shouldn’t include the four greek elements.



. . . muir mas, nem nglas, talam cé . . .

`the beautiful sea, the blue heaven, the present earth . . .'

Wednesday 23 January 2008

Earth Pilgrim

Thanks to Liz from OBOD message board, I was able to see this magnificent and inspirational video.

In this unique BBC 2 Natural World documentary Resurgence Editor Satish Kumar reflects on our connection to our natural environment. Using the traditional English landscape of Dartmoor as his natural muse he offers a very Indian perspective through the changing seasons.

It's very interesting that cultures so separated by distance as the Hindu and the Druids, had so much in common, so much that happen to be lost by our western industrializated and postmodern world.

This Indian wise man, share his point of view of the nature in the frame of the Celtic land of Dartmoor, recognising the Druid point of view about nature, and giving his own.











Monday 21 January 2008

A stone circle by the sea

Whilst working in the Sacred Grove meditation exercise, I manage to find another place, in addition to the image of a forest grove. This place came to my mind when I wish to relax and experience the nature as a whole. I imagine a circle of stones (actually a half circle) near by the sea, where I can feel the three realms, Earth, Sea and Sky. And I go there very often in my mind to meditate about several things, I use the forest grove, when I wish to ask somebody to come to me and talk (or simply listen)

I told you that, as an introduction for the experience I had yesterday.

I went to the Brighton Pier on the afternoon, to read. I spent some time in the pier, went for a coup of tea, and then, when it goes dark, I went to the beach.

I wish to experience of being in a place in this world, close to the one I go in my inner world. So, I stand in front of the sea, and as it was night (and cold) I have the privacy I was looking for.

I closed my eyes and start the exercise. In my mind I start a ritual, a ritual that I named as an "approchment or closeness ritual". I salute the four winds, ask for the blessings of what I consider my elder brothers, Zephyrus, Boreas, Notus & Eurus. (I like the greek names when referring to them). I salute the spirits of the place and ask for their permission. I thank our good Mother, Empress of the world; and thank our creator, my God, and ask for guidance.

I start just feeling the cold wind, listening to the waves of the sea, smelling the ocean, after a while of connecting physically with the place, some images and feelings came to my mind.

I became a tree, and the ocean waves touched my roots, a flowing energy goes through all my being in to the sky. The energy came from the earth, but at the same time from the sea and ends in the sky.

With every new ocean wave, the tree grows taller, until I felt like leaving behind the atmosphere. I continued growing with a thousand tree-arms trying to reach the stars; finally I touch one, a white and bright one. The roots and trunk remain on the beach.

Then I asked the owl that has become like a totem animal in this path, to come, I saw her flying in to the circle of stones and stand there. I said to her "I'm not afraid of you, come closer" so she did and fly in to the tree. I hear her saying "I'll be along with you in your entire path". Suddenly I was again in the beach, in human form, but it was night no more, It was the dawn, and I heard the voice again saying "Run in to the aurora, run in to the sea".

So I ran in to the sea, jump into it and became a shark, that dived into the sea deeper and deeper, then I swim to the surface and jump, became a Hawk flying to the sun, to the dawn, behind me there were a half circle of seagulls, flying along, just behind the hawk. Then I realise that I wasn't flying in to the sun, but in to the white star. I reach the star and became the star, feeling every flow of fire, every flare, every explosion on its surface, and suddenly went down in to the earth again, so quick that it hurts. Then I saw my self from above, the human body near to the sea in the night. At the same time I saw the shark diving in the black sea, and the Hawk flying in the dark night; all the images at the same time.

I saw what it looks like a spiral galaxy, but in movement, like a hurricane that it's seen from above. I was in the centre, the star, the shark; the hawk came in to me.

At that time I opened my eyes in the "real" world, and feel dizzy, I look above and there were clouds surrounding the moon, in form of a spiral, and from one part of that spiral, the clouds form a path, that went beyond the horizon. I saw a bird flying in to the city.

I realise that I have tears on my eyes, and start walking back. I felt like when you spend hours crying, tired, with some sadness, but at the same time, relief and relaxed. I walk slowly because I was like not having the strength to do it. I was still very dizzy, so I sat for a while, turn my mp3 player and the random selected melody was "The longships" by Enya; a beautiful melody, that bring the images back, but now, as I was watching a movie. After the dizzy feeling went out, I return to the city.

I was a very deep and hard experience, and I wished to share it with you. I'm not sure of all the meanings, and what exactly happened, that make me feel like this with so intense repercussion in my physical body. That to find out it's a personal quest, so I share it as it is, with no further interpretations.

Well that's it, my two cents for today

The Longships:

Wednesday 16 January 2008

My sacred place

Since the begining of times, human beings have created sacred places, for meditation and worship.

For me, to have such a place, is not as a religious matter, in the common sense, rather, I like to view it as a place where I can meditate and think about thinks, a place that reminds me of the path when I'm feeling apart.

It's a place that has personal meanings, personal and individual features and images. Inspired on the triad point of view, I create a composition with mirrors, that forms a new image with the reflection of other two. Three candels also are present on the composition.

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