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Celtic
Spirituality
Part
One:
In Search of the Goddess
By Nancy Lee Evans
If
you are of European descent,
this
is the heritage of your ancestors.
Celtic spirituality is
the indigenous spiritual tradition of the European people. As such, it
has much in common with indigenous cultures throughout the world.
What is now known as Celtic spirituality is a three-layered
tradition spanning 10,000 years. It began with the original peoples of
Europe
, Neolithic
Goddess worshippers who had an extraordinarily sophisticated spiritual
practice. The second layer of the tradition came with the Celtic
tribes, who inhabited most of
Europe
from 500BC to 500AD.
Because of the strength of the Celtic tradition in the
British Isles
,
Christianity -- the third layer of the tradition -- developed in a
very different way than in the rest of
Europe
.
It merged with pre-Christian Celtic spiritually, thus
developing a Christianity rooted in creation rather than having
dominion over it. The
depth of this tradition is what makes Celtic spirituality so
accessible. It brings
indigenous spirituality, the sacred feminine and Christianity together
into a living spiritual practice.
To understand why Celtic
traditions are primarily found today in the
British
Isles
, we must understand Roman conquest.
The entire northern campaign of the
Roman
Empire
was fought against the Celtic tribes.
Rome
ultimately conquered most of
Europe
,
applying its policy of replacing defeated cultures with the Roman
model. The countries of
Ireland
,
Scotland
,
Wales
,
and the regions of
Cornwall
,
England
,
and
Brittany
,
France
,
retained their Celtic languages, music, customs and spiritual
traditions since they were beyond the reach of Roman occupation. This
Celtic remnant is representative of the pre-Christian culture of
Europe
.
If you are of European descent, this is the heritage of your
ancestors.
The foundation of Celtic
Spirituality lies in the Goddess religions of
Europe
.
These were matrilineal traditions whose Creator -- or Creatrix in the
feminine -- was the Mother Godess. She has had many names in many
places. In the
British
Isles
, she was originally known as Ana, but
later became Bridget, a name shared with the Celts throughout
Europe
.
The Goddess worshippers
were a peaceful people whose lives revolved around the rhythms and
cycles of nature. Their
spiritual practice was expressed by honoring the spirits of the land,
plants and animals, as well as Mother Earth. As with most other
indigenous traditions, there was no separation between the physical
and the spiritual. All life was an emanation from the Mother, and all
of one’s actions in life were directed to serve or thank Her in some
way.
Archeologist Maria
Gombutas of Harvard and UCLA describes the Neolithic Goddess
worshippers as simple non-hierarchical farming, hunting and gathering
people, who had no weapons for war. Their artifacts were
food-producing tools and household items. They left simple, voluptuous
goddess sculptures that were used as personal fetishes and talismans.
The landscape itself was their place of spiritual practice. The
evidence of this can be felt today in the sacred landscapes of the
British
Isles
. Labyrinths were etched in stone and
carved into the land. Sacred wells, stone circles, trees, groves,
lakes, springs, mountains, glens and the sea herself, all were places
of prayer, reflection and ceremony. Visits to these places still fills
one with feelings of reverence and grace, and are worthy of modern day
pilgrimage.
Europe
and the
British
Isles
. These great passage tombs, stone circles
and stone henges were astronomical and spiritual ceremonial centers
constructed of massive 20- to 40-ton stones, sometimes measuring
thirty feet in length, as in
Stonehenge
.
The famous sandstones
sarsens of
Stonehenge
align with the midwinter and midsummer solstice sunrise. In addition,
twenty three ley lines -- the earth’s energetic meridians --
converge in its center.
Passage tombs are great
mounds of earth covering a womblike central chamber of large stones
entered by a serpentine passage. Newgrange
is the renowned passage tomb of
Ireland
whose otherwise dark central chamber is lit once a year by the dawn of
sunlight at Winter Solstice. This tomb is nearly as large as a
football field -- and it was built 1000 years before the Great
Pyramids of
Egypt
!
While the presence of bones led early archeologists to believe that
these were graves, it is clear from the womblike structure that they
were in fact ceremonial chambers, much like gigantic sweat lodges into
which the bundled bones of ancestors were brought for ceremony and
perhaps storage. The astronomical features of these monuments link
them to ceremonies honoring the yearly passage of time: the equinoxes,
the solstices and the spiritually-powerful midpoints between them,
which are the high Celtic holidays of Imbolc, Beltain, Llammas and
Samain.
Who were the Celts?
The Celts rode into
Europe
around 500 BC from
Asia Minor
and the Russian steppes at the end of a great migration that had
originated in the
Far
East
centuries before. The Celts brought with them a warrior culture and
cosmology that in time embraced much of the Goddess worshippers
culture, including farming and cattle raising.
The Celts organized themselves in clans, led by chieftains.
Clans were close-knit groupings, with each member responsible for the
actions of all other clan members to the level of second cousins. The
Celts revered their ancestors as a source of inspiration and guidance;
the tales of their exploits -- which fill volumes -- were held as
valuable wisdom. Indeed,
the Celts had a rich oral culture steeped in poetry, music and legend
stewarded by the bards. Their extraordinarily fine gold work style has
not been reproduced in modern times.
Celtic traditions did not
leave anything behind. Each evolution in spiritual practice brought
with it the previous level. Thus, the Goddess and the feminine aspect
of divinity were not lost. She remains central to the Celtic world,
right into the modern era.
The Celtic cosmology also
included male gods. They were part of a pantheon of gods and goddesses
who did not so much displace the Goddess as articulate Her many
aspects. Lugh was the god of light, sun and inspiration, a warrior.
The Green Man was lord of the plant world. Bridget was incorporated as
the fire goddess of inspiration, poetry, healing, the arts, smithing,
fertility and the harvest. Her
continance was further refined as the Triple Goddess -- the maiden,
mother and crone. Her continued importance is felt today in the holy
wells and landmarks that bear her name and in the places where Bridgit
is known in the hearts of the Irish people as goddess and saint.
Although landscape was
essential to Celtic life and spiritual practice, the Celts were also
defined by their relationships. Kings were elected to ritually serve
as consort to the Goddess and the fertility of the land was the
measure of his success.
Heritage established one's place in the world. Genealogies of
the clans were kept by the bards reaching back for millennia.
One special form of friendship in the Celtic world was that of
the anam cara, the soul friend. This was a relationship of love,
friendship and deep belonging to which one could truly open one’s
heart, mind and soul. Here
secrets were safe. It was a relationship not just for lovers, but
equally for peers, students and mentors, as well as spiritual
counselors.
As the masters of this
oral tradition, the bards underwent a rigorous 20-year training that
included most of the shamanic initiations common to the indigenous
world. Because the bardic lineage was largely unbroken in historic
times, a great body of Celtic oral history and legend was recorded.
Drawing on a familiarity with indigenous practices, it is possible to
glean an understanding of the highly shamanic nature that Celtic
spirituality held in this era.
In the second article of
this three-part series, we will more deeply explore the shamanic
elements of Celtic spirituality.
Nancy Lee Evans is a
teacher, spiritual healer and counselor in private practice in
Anchorage
.
She is director of the Anam Cara Program and can be reached at
345-6760.
|
Celtic
Spirituality
Part II: Shamanism
by Nancy Lee Evans
The
purpose of these practices is to develop
the ability to perceive and communicate with
spirits of nature and the Divine. |
Those familiar with Native American spirituality will find many
similarities in the Celtic way, for it is grounded in honoring the
Earth, Ancestors and the Spirits of the Land. For the Celts, life
sprang from the Earth and was inseparable from her. Fertility of the
land and abundance of game and harvest determined the prosperity of
the people. In addition, spiritual connection to the land gave meaning
and belonging to people. The spirits of one's home and landscape were
honored in all ceremonies and called upon for blessing, protection and
power. Their presence would guide the ceremony and increase the power
and energy.
Honoring the Ancestors
Ancestors were revered in Celtic world as evidenced by the extensive
genealogies kept by the bards. As with one's connection to the land, a
connection to one's ancestors supported a sense of belonging. Knowing
where your ancestors came from can give you a powerful anchor. One
recent study revealed that ethnically-specific body rhythms and
physical mannerisms were carried into the 5th generation after leaving
the "old" country. Our heritage is literally in our bodies,
bones and psyches.
The term ancestor includes a spiritual as well as blood lineage,
for the spiritual teachers and guides of your spiritual lineage are
also your ancestors. They reside in the spiritual Otherworld that
exists beyond time and space. In the Celtic way, they live beyond or
in the mists. One's relationship with teachers and guides of this
realm must be nurtured and developed over time, just like any
relationship.
Animal Totems
The shamanic aspects of Celtic spirituality were highly developed, and
animal totems and allies were often used. Common totems included the
deer, bear, badger, raven, eagle, swan, otter, mouse, boar, cat,
horse, wolf, hound, eel and salmon. In Celtic legend, for example, the
deer often leads the hero through the mists or into the enchanted
forest to an Otherworld encounter. In both Irish and English legend,
many seek to catch the Salmon of Wisdom. The one who eats the first
bite of salmon becomes endowed with the gifts of poetry, prophecy and
shapeshifting.
No totem animal is considered to be greater or lesser than another
is, for each has its own gifts, strengths, and lessons to teach. In
addition to clan totems, each person also had a totem that was known
for their protection, guidance and inspiration. In times of need, a
totem animal could be called upon for strength, clarity or courage.
With an understanding of the specific characteristics of the various
animals, their appearance in physical form or encountered while in
dream, vision or trance could be interpreted as a message from Spirit.
The Lorica
One form of protection used in the Celtic world is the lorica. In
legend and practice, the Celts called upon the forces of nature in its
many diverse forms to serve and enhance themselves. One of the most
famous of these is St. Patrick's breastplate:
I rise today
Through the strength of heaven
The light of the sun
The radiance of the moon
Splendor of fire,
Swiftness of wind,
Speed of lightning
Depth of sea
Stability of Earth
Firmness of rock.
You may wish to try using a lorica yourself, for it is a powerful
shamanic practice that gathers energy and protection from the forms of
nature called forth. You may call upon power animals, angels,
ancestors, trees, or guides.
First, sit quietly and center yourself. Focus your intention on
invoking strength and protection. Then, set one form of nature in each
of the seven direction (these include the four compass points, plus
above, below and within yourself). For example, you might say,
"Bear before me; moose behind me; wolf to the left of me; badger
to the right of me; eagle above me; salmon below me; and the clear
light of Spirit within me." Most people feel a greater solidity
and groundedness with using the lorica.
Druidic Training & Shapeshifting
The druids were among the highly educated priest class of the Celts
who were responsible for an extensive oral history. They also
underwent a rigorous 20-year training that included most of the
shamanic initiations common to the indigenous world: fasting, sleep
deprivation, ritual burial, forms of vision quest and extended periods
of time in nature, trance/meditative states and ceremony. The purpose
of these practices is to develop the ability to perceive and
communicate with spirits of nature and the Divine. Druidic training
was based in poetry, healing, prophecy and shapeshifting.
Though a Christian, Saint Patrick clearly had Druidic training. He
used his famous shamanic breastplate to create a cloak of invisibility
around himself and his eight monks in order to escape capture by an
angry king's guard. The guard did not find Patrick, and saw only nine
deer slipping away into the forest. There are many similar accounts of
shapeshifting in the stories of the Celtic heroes and saints.
The ability to merge with Nature by bringing one's energy into
synchronicity with that of the forest or an animal is the essence of
shapeshifting. There are many degrees of success. One can merge to the
point of being able to feel what it is like to be inside a bear's
body. Or, one can be attuned so as to know the instincts and knowledge
of the eagle. More masterful still is the ability to align one's
energy with another life form so well as to be perceived as that life
form. Finally, one could become so adept as to actually take on the
physical form of another animal.
The Celtic access to the spiritual realms was through the thin
places. These are points of transition where matter melds from one
form to another. Thin places include the beach, where land and sea
meet; doorways between inside and outside; dawn and dusk; life
initiations, such as marriages, onset of puberty, birth and death; and
the sacred places of the land where spiritual presence is felt. It was
and is believed that it is easier to access Spirit in these times and
places.
Shapeshifting Exercise
You might try reaching across the mists to experience a simple form of
shapeshifting yourself. Choose a thin place and time to connect with a
plant or animal. Bring your awareness to the core of your being and
feel your connection to the Earth. Slowly, let awareness expand from
your core to include your surroundings.
Now, focus on the plant or animal you have come to know better.
Share with it your appreciation for its beauty and presence in your
world.
With your mind's eye, draw a circle around the perimeter of the
plant or animal. With your intention, let your awareness sink into
that shape. What do you notice? What is the feeling of this creature?
Are you experiencing an emotion or perhaps a flow of energy? What is
the experience of this creature's being? Can you feel differences in
body structures -- skin, muscle, bone; bark, leaves, wood? Can you
communicate with your plant or animal through images, feelings or
words? Communication can be very subtle, so be ready to receive what
comes in any form.
With practice your experience can become deeper and richer. In
time, you can learn to merge yourself with another life form and
access its knowledge and wisdom.
| Part
III of this series will further explore the shamanic elements
of Celtic Spirituality and their incorporation into a
creation-based Christianity that fueled the spiritual light of
Europe for 700 years. |
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Celtic
Spirituality
Part III: Living the Sacred Life
by Nancy Lee-Evans
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The
three marks of a godly man:
to seek knowledge,
to perform justice and to exercise mercy"
~~~
Welch Bardic Triad
|
The Celts understood there was an
unseen world that surrounded and interpenetrated everyday life. They
lived in unbroken relationship to that world and were enriched by it.
The Celts lived simultaneously on multiple levels of being, blending
the physical, spiritual and symbolic throughout their activities and
culture. People in the traditional Gaelic-speaking Western regions of
Ireland and Scotland had prayers for everything they did: for greeting
the day, going to bed, milking, looming, cooking, bathing, herding,
banking the fire and setting out on a journey. There are countless
prayers of protection that usually invoked the power of the elements
of Nature or God. The Carmina Gadelica by Alexander Carmichael offers "The
sacred Three, to save, to surround, to shield, the hearth, the house,
this eve, this night, Oh! this eve, this night, and every night, each
single night, Amen." The "three" in this case means
the sacred Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit or equally, in
earlier Goddess versions, the Maiden, Mother and Crone.
In the Celtic world, all of creation was ensouled, even the earth
herself. The interplay of the five elements of earth, air, fire, water
and spirit gave rise to each unique rock, tree and well of creation.
The element of spirit was perceived as non-human, sentient, etheric
beings who populated the landscape as fairies, sprites, leprechauns,
elementals and dragons. Each had unique qualities that were respected
and honored. Each sacred place in the landscape was linked, and still
is, to one of those spirits as well as associated gods and goddesses
to the legends of the land, for in Ireland every place is associated
with legend. The sacredness of these places was a tangible sanctity
that transcended time and space, allowing one to move into direct
experience of the divine without the intervention of doctrine or
dogma. As spiritual practice was held outside on sacred land, the
power of the elements and the spirits of land and legend were an
active, vital part of the practice, which enhanced the tangibility of
their presence.
Since land was sacred, under Druidic law it could not be bought or
sold. Rather, land was held in common by clans or families. Some
priestly families held responsibility for the most sacred of places,
often on their lands. As Christianity began its conversion of the
Celtic world, the same families then provided the Christian saints,
who lived as the Druids had, in these sacred holy places. Monasteries
were often formed around these sacred places as the spiritual practice
shifted focus.
A deep relationship with nature was characteristic of the Celtic
saints, who believed, like their Druid ancestors, that knowledge of
God lay not with the study of the scriptures, but with God's creation.
By living a simple life, they strove to become one with that creation
and God. Living in deep harmony with nature, they were often supported
by animal friends who would bring them food, guide their way and bring
them messages.
For many monks, male and female, life was hermetic. When monks
chose to live together, it was in the model of Christ and the twelve
apostles as an abbot and twelve monks in a rough-hewn monastery.
Typically, when numbers grew, thirteen would set off to create a new
monastery. Over time, monasteries grew from a collection of crude huts
to a walled village. Monasteries like Kildare and Glendaloch in
Ireland were whole communities. The abbot of these monasteries
replaced the function of the Druid as religious head of clan culture,
while the chief remained secular head and warlord. Smiths, bakers,
weavers and farmers lived together with the monks. In addition to
being spiritual centers, the monasteries served as hospitals and
universities to the surrounding countryside.
Central to Celtic spiritual practice is the cycle of the ceremonial
year. It represents the circle of Life and is, in itself, a symbol of
creation. The solstices and equinoxes hold the position of the four
directions representing the flow of life through the seasons and
cycles of the sun. Cross-quarter days held midway between the
solstices and the equinoxes are Celtic holy days.
Samain, the feast of the dead, is the beginning of winter
and Celtic New Year. It is held traditionally at first frost as a time
to honor ancestors and remember the dead. On this night, the King
ritually wed the Goddess as a sign of his stewardship and the ongoing
fertility of land and harvest.
Imbolc, on February 1, is a time of quickening that holds
the promise of spring. Lambs are born in Britain and Ireland;
snowdrops peek through the snow, and light has returned in strength
and duration. This is Brigit's feast day and a time for honoring
mothers.
Beltain celebrated the coming of summer, on May 1. The
fertility of the land and people was celebrated by feasting, dancing
around the may pole and much lovemaking. Fires throughout the land
were extinguished at night to be relit from Druidic ceremonial fires.
Stock was driven between the fires for purification before the embers
were carried back to the hearths of the people.
Lughassa, held on August 1, celebrated the first fruits of
the harvest. It was a time of feasting, games, stories, music and
dancing. There were trade fairs where rents were paid, legal matters
settled, and work found for the coming year. In acknowledgement of the
fruits of the planting and the death that comes with harvest, the
festival Corn King was ritually offered to be reborn in the first loaf
of bread.
To the Celts, these festivals are not merely dates on a calendar.
Rather, they coincide with changes in the land and psyches of the
people. In a culture without division between the physical and
spiritual, they provided an opportunity for spiritual expression and
experience. So important were they that they were transitioned under
Christian influence into the holy days of Candlemas (Imbolc); Easter (Beltain);
the Ascension of Christ (Lughassa); and All Hallow's Eve and All
Saint's Day (Samain).
The continuity of Celtic Spirituality is the source of its strength
and relevance today. As we hear the spiritual call of Earth and
Creation, we need not give up any foundation we may have in
Christianity. Through an earth-centered focus of Celtic Spirituality,
we may find ourselves revisiting a forsaken Christianity in a new,
less encumbered light. This is the spiritual origin of most of us of
European descent. Recalling our roots is a way to bring aspects of our
beings that may have seemed destined to alienation back into harmony
once again.
Nancy Lee Evans
is a teacher, spiritual healer and counselor in private practice in
Anchorage. She is director of the Anam Cara Program and can be reached
at 345-6760.
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