Beltane

Beltane

"Unite, unite, let us all unite,
For Summer is a-come unto day
And whither we are going we will all unite.
Oh the merry morning of May."
   ____ "Padstow Night Song", taditional Cornish song


   At twilight this evening, May Eve, the great festival of Beltane begins, a great communal celebration that excluded no one from its embrace. Ancient Celtic celebrations involved the kindling of bonfires at this time - indeed, the name of the festival derives from 'bright fire'. The Beltane fire itself was kindled in a special way; evidence from nineteeth-century Scotland reveals that the wood had to be of nine different kinds, that it had to be gathered by men with no metal about their persons (metal being inimacl to the faerykind), and that it had to be kindled without metal. The ancient method of fire-raising involved a fire spindle and a small piece of wood to create friction or by the rubbing together of two oak poles. This arduous task was traditionally performed by nine teams of nine married men - eighty-one firstborn sons.

   Once the fire had been kindled, people danced sunwise round it and jumped through the flames. As the fire was dying down, the animals that had wintered over in barns and local pastures were driven on their way up to summer grazing, between the parted fire to ensure their fertility. Before the coals died out, people took fire from the ceremonial blaze to rekindle their hearths (which had been extinguished in every household prior to the festival).

"Welcome in May by making your own fire or lighting a candle and singing May-time songs. Honor the coming of summer in your own way. Rise before dawn and wash your face in the dew tomorrow morning, to receive the blessing of Beltane. If you have a partner, this is the best time for sexual fun and frolic."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

Faeries

Faeries

"We are from the beginning of creation
Without old age, without consummation of earth."
   ___ 'The Voyage of Bran,' early Irish
text, (trans CM)


   The faeries are the race of being who live between the worlds, making their home upon the earth but usually apprehensible only to other-worldly vision. Every country in the world has stories about the faeries as the 'people between' who inhabit quiet country places but occasionally interrelate with human beings, exchanging favors for small gifts and courtesies, such as gifts of milk or food.

   Within the Celtic countries there is still a great respect for the faerykind. People and faeries are considered to be neighbors who must live in mutual respect. People are careful to build their houses away from routes frequented by the faeries, and refer to them only as 'the good folk.'

    Many stories relate how musicians have learned tunes from the faeries, or how humans have wandered into faery domains and lived with them there. Such tales may seem fabulous to those who have cliched images of tiny, gossamer-winged faeries who flit about from flower to flower, but faeries within the Celtic tradition are considerably more robust, some being even taller than humans.

   As Beltaine (BEL'tenn-a) approaches, faeries become more active. It is believed that now and at Samhain, the doors to the faery hills are open, and that the faeries make their progress through the land. It is a time to be sensitive about our movements and intentions so that we do not disturb the fair folk about their business.

"Discover the faery traditions of your own part of the land. What spots are associated with faeries? What courtesies are customary? Respect their ways; leave them to their own affairs."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

Aisling

Aisling

"O'er mountain, moor and march, by greenwood, lough and hollow,
I tracked her distant footsteps with a throbbing heart;
Through many an hour and day I follow on and follow,
Till I reach the magic palace reared of old by Druid art."
   ___ Aodhagan O Rathaille, "Gile na Gile"
       [trans by J. C. Mangan]


    This poem is an aisling (ASH'ling), a vision experienced by a person in a lonely place who becomes aware of an otherworldly or beautiful woman who comes for a purpose, usually to invite him to visit her, find her, or perform some service for her.

   The ancient aisling poems show the Goddess of the Land appealing for a champion to right her wrongs. One of the last poets to write a genuine Irish aisling was W. B. Yeats, whose poetic and dramatic writings depict Ireland as Kathleen ni Houlihan, an old woman wandering the road in rags, prophetically uttering words of transformation.

   These later poems are expressions of the poet's vision of the land; he is able to envision the appearance of its spirit and the condition of the group-soul of the land. Within our own lives, we can also become aware of the problems that beset our country by seeking out an aisling vision of our own.

"Envision your country laid out before you; in soul-flight visit whatever part of it seems to you to represent its sacred heart. Stand there and ask for an aisling vision of your land's condition. How does the spirit of your land appear, and what things does it show you? Remember that your land may be either a mother - or fatherland - that is, its indwelling spirit may be either female or male. Do not get hung up on gender, but attend with all your attention to the vision that you have. What needs to change? What attention can you help throw upon the problem you have been shown?"
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Cailin Matthews]

The Vehicle of the Circle

The Vehicle of the Circle

"The entire space of the circle becomes our
sphere of inner working - it becomes a sacred
area in which, the magic carpet, we can travel
to other states of being."
     ___ Philip Carr-Gomm, "The Druid Tradition"

   Whenever we sit in meditation or do any sacred work, it is good to hallow or bless the area in which we are working. That blessing signals to the spirit of the place and to ourselves that what happens within the circle is special and holy. The demarcation of our sacred space is easily accomplished: we can walk around it and describe the circle with our body; we can point at the ground while walking; we can sain (bless) our circle with emblems of air, fire, water and earth; we can welcome our soul-protectors and spiritual allies to make our place of working safe and protected.

   Some people shy away from the idea of a 'magickal circle,' but the circle that surrounds us when we meditate is not a place where wonders or manipulative things occur. Rather, it is a holy and intentioned place wherein we acknowledge the coexistence, in one spot, of our apparent world within the unseen world. Within our small circle, the whole comos is microcosmically present.

   Our circle can become a vehicle in which we travel to the otherworld. Within it, we speak to and meet our allies, we consider our concerns and ask help about them, and we have communion with the life of the universe. When it is time to return to mundane life, we thank our allies, unwind our circle by walking round it in the opposite way, announce that our circle is concluded for this time, and return to our ordinary lives, refreshed and empowered with the help, wisdom and blessing that we have experienced within the circle's protective space.

"Practice making your own circle before you meditate. Find out what procedures work best for you.
Use your own words and movements, doing everything simply and with intention rather than for effect."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

Soul-Protectors

Soul-Protectors

"For you took what's before me and what's behind;
You took east and west when you wouldn't mind me.
Sun and Moon, from my sky you've taken,
And God as well, or I'm much mistaken."
    ___ "Donal Og", traditional Irish folk song


   The betrayal of love and trust is not entirely avoidable in this life, but we can reorient ourselves better after such a hurt if we are aware of our soul-protectors and their help. These can be discovered by meditating upon the nature of our spiritual allies according to the directions of the compass. By identifying, meeting and working closely with these allies, we gain a better sense of our way.

   The allies who walk ahead of us are the scouts on the trail of our life - the leaders, path-clearers, and forerunners who show us the way. The allies who stand behind us are our parents, motivators, and teachers - the ones who have prepared us to go forth in life.

   The allies who on our left are the challengers, caution-givers, and questioners. It may seem strange to regard challengers as allies, but without hinderance and help of the allies on our left and right, our progress wuld strangely crooked.  If we think of allies on our left as those who question our motivations, we will steer aright. The allies on our right are the encouragers, dare-setters, and friends; they give us unfailing support.

   The allies who are beneath us are the ancestors and the ones who give us power, the allies of the natural world; without their example and sacrifice we would not even be alive. The allies who are above us are the inspirers, deities, and spiritual teachers whose wisdom keeps us on our path.

"Meditate facing each direction in turn and begin to meet your own allies. Finally, make your own protective blessing, visualizing the allies about you."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

Helping Others

Helping Others

"One should give only what people need or
want, and in the way they need or want it."


   It is a good and natural thing for us to want to help and support others. But it can also be a very difficult thing, as we may have already discovered. There are a number of factors we must consider before we step forward to assist someone. In the first place, help may not be wanted. In the second place, if help is wanted, we may not be the best people to bring it. This inability to ask for or receive help can be very frustrating to the would-be helper, but for the one in need, personal control over her life - even to the extent of refusing help - may be all that she has left. To persist in help in in the face of down-right refusal is a way of further disempowering that person in need.

    When we help others in order to help ourselves, we are on a slippery slope of self-delusion. Sometimes, after discovering something wonderfully efficacious to our own condition, we press that something on everyone we meed in a fit of convert fervor and excessive zeal. People find their own ways to ask for help. Our part is simply to be sensitive to the signs (whether obvious and indistinct) that they make in our direction.  Then we can look into what kind of help is needed, what kind of support and backup is desired, when to back off and let well enough alone so that nature can heal wounds. If our personal help is inappropriate or inexpert, we must leave the helping in the hands of those better capable than ourselves and not press our attentions where they are not wanted.

"Is there something you need to ask help with at this time? If so, is there someone you know whom you would like to have help you?"
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

Equality

Equality

"The finger tops are not equal in length;
nor are all men equally strong;
there's no gaming-board without its king,
no litter born without its leader."
    ___ Muireadhach O Dalaigh, in Osborn Bergin,
       "Irish Bardic Poetry" (trans CM)


    Celtic society recognized and appreciated all individuals for their particular strengths and abilities. The many skills and professions were seen as pillars that upheld the land, at whose center was the king. Complete equality is very rare. According to the qualities, strengths, and abilities that we possess, each of us will find our way in the world. Dominant traits and abilities will come to fore, whatever anyone does, whoever tries to diminish them. The advantages of certain people will always appear better to us than our own. But from those who are richly endowed, more is required.

   We cannot accomodate everyone, nor can we bring total equality to all. Some will inevitably win high achievements and others will lack them. If, however, we appreciate every single person for him- or her-self, if we give respect regardless of age, color, education, gender, or religion, we come as close as we can to equal opportunity.  Having committed to that, we must accede to the fact that, in different places, states, and conditions, each of us will different and particular needs.

"Meditate upon the differences between equality and equality of opportuni9ty in your own life."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

The Gatways of the Heart

The Gateways of the Heart

"Ancient power spots, and sacred sites....are gateways. The
real openings lie in our own hearts, minds, and lives."
    _____Jo May, "Fogou"


    The whole of our lives is a bringing together of our inspirational and power sources. These are like the stones that form the gateway of our spiritual path, creating thresholds to which our spiritual allies in the otherworld are drawn, they come close to us when we recognize and visit our inspirational and power sources. Our efforts and their efforts combined make these thresholds real gateways between the worlds, through which vital energy  can flow. The reciprocation between the worlds passes through these thresholds. When we finally come to die, our fear will be lessened because we will already be familiar with these thresholds of passage.

   The ancestors who once visited sacred sites were acutely aware of these things. They would doubtless prepare themselves before visiting by prayer, fasting, and purification and be interviewed by the guardian of the site before they approached it, to ensure that each visitor was truly attuned and prepared. If we also cleanse the gateways of our heart before we approach sacred sites, we will come fully prepared for the encounter between the worlds: to greet our ancestors with peace and our spiritual allies with love.

"Before you next visit a sacred site, meditate upon the preparations you may need to take before visiting."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

In Honor of Earth Day - The Gospel of the Grass

The Gospel of the Grass

"I am the author
written into the
greenbook of the grass,
the primal scripture."
    ___ Bill Lewis, "The Skyclad Christ"


   The idea of a document's being 'scriptural,' - that is, having authority - is intregal to Western thought. We no longer remember that wisdom, knowledge, and teaching were covered primarily by oral means, but in early Celtic times it was the
word that had authority, not what was written. The druids did not write their teachings down; they conveyed them by word of mouth direct to the ear of hearer. Nothing intervened.

   Beyond oral traditions of transmission is another level of understanding that human beings have largely forgotten but, the animals still live by and understand - the gospel of the grass. The connective principles of the green world have their own authority and primacy in the transmission of living wisdom. The 'Book of Job' compares all life to grass, and speaks of the way in which the upspringing grass shoot that withers away is cast into the fire to be burned. Yet this green shoot feeds the human and animal worlds. The green grain ripens into the golden harvest that makes our very bread.

  Before people spoke, or wrote, or even existed, the grasses were growing and swaying in the wind. If we are able to listen to the wisdom of the green world with our instinctive senses, we may hear the primal scripture that has its own spiritual language and understand the knowledge that transcends all religious boundaries.

"If you can, sit with the grass and listen to the wisdom of the green world today. What does it tell you?"
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

Footnote to the image in this entry: 

In the Garden of Dreams.


The sculpture was made by brother and sister team Sue and Pete Hill. There best known works are the series of earth and plant sculptures they made for the Lost Garden of Heligan and for the Eden Project.

This sculpture was created as a sister to the Mud Maid which can be found at the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall.

The Lady of the Lake

The Lady of the Lake

"Beware and do not stir the lake
Untimely. lest she take offence.
Bring gifts of gladness well bestowed,
No sadness for your recompense."
   ___ Caitlin Matthews,"In Avalon"


   The Lady of the Lake stands at both the beginning and the end of King Arthur's story as fosterer of his youth and as healer of his wounded body. She gives Arthur his sword and scabbard that goes with it. When Arthur first receives these gifts, Merlin asks him which he regards as more important. Arthur, musing upon his sharp blade's ability never to fail him in batle, names the sword. But Merlin informs him that the scabbard, which guards him against loss of blood, is equally important. The sword that Arthur wields all his life is raised in defense of the land, but it not his personal property, nor can it be passed by him as an hierloom to any successor he might choose. Wounded at the battle of Camlann, he demands that it be thrown back into the lake from which it came, that the Lady might take charge of it again.

   The Island of Avalon, the home of the Lady of the Lake, is one of the deep guardians of the land, to whom all heroic defenders must return for healing and restoration. The island is an abode of bliss where the weather is always temperate and where those who are overburdened by their sorrows or wounds can find recovery. Like all parts of the otherworld, it is accessible to those who make the soul-flight thither.

"Building on yesterday's meditation (the one on Herbs), take a soul-flight to visit the Lady of the Lake to seek for healing, taking with you the herb that you found. Give the herb to the Lady of the Lake and let her use the plant to bring healing to you. Give thanks for her help and return to your own time and place."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" By Caitlin Matthews]

Herbs

Herbs

"After Miach had been buried by his father, from the joints
and sinews of his body there grew three hundred and sixty-five herbs, one for each joint and sinew. Then his sister Airmed
opened her mantle and separated these herbs according to their
properties."
    ___ The Second Battle of Moytura, in "Lebor Gabala Erenn"
     (Trans. CM)

   Each of the healing herbs that grew from the body of the healer Miach (MEE'ak) has its own special properties. The lore surrounding healing herbs has been handed down from healer to healer since earliest times, when herbs were the only medicine anyone had. The way in which this wisdom was originally obtained is a method that we can also use: working with spirit of the plant allows us to discover its uses and properties. Not only can preparations of leaves, flowers, or roots bring cure, but they can also convey the wisdom of the plant's spirit. The most helpful herbs are usually those that are common and plentiful, and it is respectful to the spirits of our own land to seek these out and allow their local and immediate properties to help us.

"Walk in nature, asking to be shown an herb, plant or tree that can bring healing to an ailment that you currently have. Let your attention be drawn only to the plant in question: you will begin to notice that one particular plantalmost waves at you. Go and sit with it, without touching it. Greet the spirit of the plant and intuit from sitting with it what kinds of things it is good for. Ask permission to take a sample from the plant, and take a very small part if this feels all right. In return, sing a song, pull out a hair and leave it nearby, or breathe your blessing upon the plant by way of thanks. Identify your plant, if you do not know what it is. Check your findings in a book of herbal properties. Do not use the herb in any preparations to inget or anoint, however; this is the work of a professional herbalist, whom you can consult. Work only with the spirit of the plant. Visit the spirit of the plant to ask what actions or rituals can help bring healing. Give thanks. "
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

Requiem for a Tree

Digital photo collage. 20x36" giclee on canvas.

"Requiem for a tree" represents the strong tie between man and tree and the respect that was once given to trees but is seldom seen today. Primitive man observed the growth and death of trees, the annual decay and revival of their foliage. Through these observations, they made the connection between the animal and vegetable world and regarded the tree as sacred.



In almost every part of the world, travellers have observed the custom of hanging objects upon trees. Wreaths, ribbons or rags are often suspended from the branches to win favor for sick loved ones or cattle, as prayers or merely for good luck.



The tree is has also been used as an oracle through the ages. Best known, perhaps, is the oak of Dodona tended by priests who slept on the ground. Forms of the tall oaks of the old Prussians were inhabited by gods who gave responses. Important sacred trees are also the object of pilgrimage, one of the most noteworthy being the branch of the Bo tree at Sri Lanka. The tree-spirits will hold sway over the surrounding forest or district, and the animals in the locality are often sacred and must not be hunted or harmed in any way.



In ancient Celtic society - pagan high priests known as "Druids" worshiped nature and regarded their natural surroundings as well as trees as being sacred. They celebrated soltices, harvests and lunar cycles - often holding gatherings in sacred tree groves. Very little is known about ancient Druidic culture as it was mostly wiped out under Roman occupation

Manifesting Our Dreams

Manifesting Our Dreams

"Dreams grow holy put in action,
Work gros fair through starry dreaming;
But where each flows on unmingling,
Both are fruitless and in vain.
May the stars within this gleaming,
Cause my dreams to be unchained."
   ___ Caitlin Matthews, "Celtic Devotional"


   We live in a world where the divorce of dreams and their practical implementation is almost complete. How can we weave the two strands of dreaming and working together? By attending first to our dreams and visions, and by allowing a space to appreciate and develop them. Unless we take these steps, our dreams fall barren into the rocky soil of our unconceiving imagination. Dreams will not manifest without our active help, or without the energizing grace of the spirit. And while that grace is generously available to us, it will not accomplish our dreams without our hard work.

   When our dreams man ifest through this process, the whole world is recreated in that moment, for we have been cooperators in the work of creation, not merely passive creatures who crawl upon the earth. It is then that the stars dance where we step and the song of joy issues from our spiritual allies, for we have made holy the daily ground of our working.

"Before sleeping, hold your inspired plans and visions in your heart as you recite this prayer: 'Be attentive in the days that follow to the clues and pathways that open to your dreaming,' "
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

The Religion of the Heart

The Religion of the Heart

"Forced prayers are nae [no] devotion."
    ___ Scots proverb


   Too often, religion is a forced devotion, coercively thrust upon unwilling souls. used to keep people submissive and obedient - an approach that smacks of the reformatory, the orphanage, or the prision, a mode that infantilizes and imprisons the soul. Wherever we are in our spiritual search, we must each worship according to the needs of our heart and nature. To do other than this is to betray our soul. But it is not an easy path. Many confusions arise, especially when we find helpful clues within spiritual traditions and writings whose primary tenets we abhor, or when we discover that our chosen way of worship, though satisfying to others, has become savorless to us. Who or which is right? Those who want ultimate certainty and reassurance in their spiritual lives often choose fundamentalist modes of worship; those who want to be always right choose dogmas that exlude everyone who is remotely wrong.

   It is worth realizing that the many factors that comprise our religion of the heart may be shared by different spiritual groups, and that our most potent spiritual experiences and clue may lie not in scripture but in nature. The fact that there is not only one (even any) right way and the possibility that our spiritual questing may not have an ultimate solution or destination are hard to accept. We can only follow our heart's leading to our soul's home.

"What is the religion of your heart?  Of what factors is it comprised?"
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by  Caitlin Matthews]

Consumerism

Consumerism

"With the desire for possessions the very nature of man alters."
     ___  Llewelyn Powys, "Earth Memories"


    The human desire to possess is threatening to consume the world's resources. How do we rediscover a way of life that is more simple and respectful? Few people wish to return to baking their own bread, typing on a manual typewriter, or washing clothes by hand, so how can greater simplicity emerge, how can our consumption be reduced? Taking a leaf from our grandparents' generation and from traditional peoples around the world, we can begin by living within our income rather than running up our credit cards. This means shopping carefully and thoughtfully, and buying goods that are well made so that we do not need to replace them often. It also means considering the kind of impact that the object we want to purchase will have on the world when we have finished with it. Knowing that today's consumer durables are tomorrow's antiques or cast-offs, that we will not be in possession of them we breathe our last, will help moderate our life-style.

  The pleasures of shopping brings color and variety into our lives. If ease of purchase is weighted against our actual needs, the satisfaction of possession will find its own golden mean.

"When you next go shopping, balance your actual needs against the world's good."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

Treasures of Solitude

Treasures of Solitude

"To get the full impact of all the elements, within and without, one has to be alone."
    ____ Neil M. Gunn, "The Atom of Delight"


   The physical impact of the elements upon our earliest ancestors must have been considerable. It motivated them to construct clothing that would protect them from extremes of heat or cold. Human beings have gradually adapted to their climate and habitat in distinctive ways, until only the adventurous still face the challenge of the elements regularly. These days, most people are accustomed to living predominantly indoors rather than outdoors, seldom exposing themselves to the elements long enough to be affected by them.

   Yet there is  a more subtle way in which the elements affect us, a way that passes beyond their physical impact: the way in which the elements play upon our emotional response and spiritual understanding. If we listen to the subtle messages of the elements, we can become aware of how they illuminate bridges between our conscious and unconscious awareness of what moves our inmost heart.

   To be alone in nature is not to be lonely. The companionship of the elements surrounds us on every side, enveloping us in a living web of vitality and movement. Within that mantle, we are enabled to find out own place, uninfluenced by the demands and bustle of everyday life. We are able to hear the wisdom that wells up from our unique perspective - wisdom that the elements alone can amplify loud enough for us to hear and understand.

"Allow yourself to experience the elements of wind, rain, or sun, earth, and sea or sky at first hand on a solitary walk today."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

The Grail Messenger

The Grail Messenger

"When you were in the court of the Lame King and saw the
youth bearing the streaming spear from which drops of blood
flowed in streams..... you did not ask their meaning nor their cause." 
    ____ Peredur, from The Mabinogian (trans. CM)


   These words addressed to Peredur (Perr-ED'yr) by the Grail messengar, an ugly maiden who comes to berate him for not having asked the "Grail question". She publicly rebukes Peredur for his lack of resolve. The Grail procession passes through the hall, but Peredur, who has been warned about curious questions, keeps silent and so loses a wonderful opportunity to transform the stalemate suffering of the Wounded King and the wasteland.

   The function of the Grail messenger is to remind putative Grail winners of their responsibilities. Within our own lives, we need such figures to goad or shame us in behaving ethically and appropriately. Strong advice is not always forthcoming from our friends, who may love us too well to speak out for our good. Only our very close friends have license, and it is a privilege they do not often exercise. Our spiritual allies may also bring to our attention important things we have neglected or the effect of actions that have set things awry; but unless we are in close relationship with them, we do not always choose to heed their words.

   The one Grail messenger whom none of us can avoid is the voice of the soul - that thing which many people call conscience. The word conscience literally means 'with knowledge'. Our unwitting actions do not go unregarded by the soul, which reminds us where we have contravened its codes of behavior. Its voice can be an ugly reminder of things that have to be put right.

"Consider the things that blemish your soul. Change or put right the consequences of your actions wherever you can."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

Including the Soul

Including the Soul

"Excluded soul is the great calamity of our age."
    ___ John Moriarty, "Turtle Was Gone a Long Time"

   Wherever we look, we see a lack of sensitivity to the soul's needs. In the race to eliminate world starvation, we have forgotten that the soul can also suffer from lack of nurture. On the way to world literacy, we have fogotten how to read the book of the soul. The temptation to go beyond what is humanly feasible, to drive our energies to the breaking point, is often irresistible. In conventional health care, the needs of the soul are often secondary to the needs of the body (if they are consulted at all). In the building of housing, little attention is paid to the aesthetic and pyschic needs of those who will occupy the structures.

   When soul is excluded, we instinctively and unconsciously recoil from the implicit rejection, seeking out ways in which soul-satisfaction can be stimulated. This stimulated satisfaction often takes the form of shallow gratifications that give us a quick-fix sense of satisfaction, but when this feeling passes - which it soon does - we reach for even less nurturing things. When soul is pushed right out onto a limb, we grasp at addictive things: not just substances - drugs or food - but forms of behavior and crablike ways of living that scurry around the real need.  These addictive ways of life are on their own continual loop, giving us nothing eroding soul ever more at each turn. Addictive fixes are merely self-sabotaging. The needs of the soul are not just religious: they are cultural, creative, and inspirational. When we pay attention to these, the soul is able to give scope and dynamism to our lives.

"Meditate upon the needs of your soul and how they are being met currently. Where are they being enroached upon or neglected?"
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

Perspective of Age

Perspective of Age

"I could have told much by the way
But having reached this quiet place can say
Only that old joy and pain mean less
Than these green garden buds
The wind stirs gently."
    ___ Kathleen Raine, "The Oracle of the Heart"

   It is said that youth loves autumn best because it promises the fruits of maturity, but that age loves spring best because it recalls the freshness of beginnings. When we have come into that quiet place that age open us to, into the secret, walled grden of remembrance, the deeds of our lives seem of less moment than the miraculous spiral of life. The old pains and joys, the treacheries and rejections as well as the sweets
and pleasures, find their resting place. It is at such moments that we find windows to accept or bestow forgiveness, to for get injuries, to fully appreciate the riches that have come to us, and to accept and cease to regret the things we have not done.

    From the perspective of youth or middle life, none of these resolutions may seem currently possible or ultimately achievable, but our time will come. The returning cycles of the year bring us ever nearer to the heart of things, to the core of ourselves, wherein all things cease to spiral. At the perfect heart of the still center which is the soul's home, there is a different vision - not the view of the traveler along the way, but the intimate persective of age, which at last understands the motions of life from the heart's stillness.

"Recall moments of stillness that have given you a brief glimpse into or perspective of your soul's circuit in this lifetime - moments of convalescence, times of crisis, periods of mystical introspection. What eternal truths have you learned from such moments?"
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

The Five Streams

The Five Streams

"Our violated senses yearn back to the flow
Of Segatis' well: five pure streams
Bridging the worlds with wonder."
    ___ Caitlin Matthews, "Avebury Easter"


   When King Cormac visited the otherworld, he saw a shining fountain bubbling up, with five streams running out of it. Nine hazelnut trees grew over the fountain, dropping their nuts into the waters; and a salmon swam in the pool, eating the nuts and sending the husks down the streams. Cormac found himself transfixed by the melodious singing of these waters, which was sweeter than that of any singer he had heard. Manannan mac Lir (MAN'nan'NAN mak LEER) told him that this was the fountain of knowledge and that the five streams were the streams of the five senses through which knowledge is obtained. He said that only those who drank of the five streams and of the fountain would gain knowledge, and that all the gifted people - the poets, artists, and craftspeople - drank from them both.

   The five senses that are our windows upon thye world have both mundane and spiritual functions, although we all too often utilize only their mundane mode. These doorways of perception can also be channels of direst inspiration if we dedicate them to the fountain of knowledge and become more sensitive to the ways in which we receive information. This increased sensitivity will result in a direct awakening of our subtle senses: insight, resonance, discrimination, instinct, and empathy. These are the correlative of our mundane senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. When both sets of senses are consciously connected, otherworldly knowledge flows directly into our senses, causing our creativity to become active and visionary.

"Meditate upon how your own senses are fed by the five streams of the otherworldly fountain."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

Many Mansions

Many Mansions

"The Son has spoken of the Father's many mansions: he
has successively stripped the bark of revelation in each
age of the many coloured world."
    ____ Caitlin Matthews, "The Celtic Book of the Dead"

   The coming of Christianity to the Celtic peoples overturned many ancient traditions - not all of them desirable or sustainable - and brought a new way of traveling the soul's circuit. The new teachings were receiv ed through a Pagan consciousness that found the idea of universal redemption - the welcoming of all, regardless of social condition or gender, into the family of God - both astounding and appealing. The fusion of Pagan and Christian elements can be seen in the quote above. The poet, using the imagery of bark, expresses a connection between the cross and the otherworldly tree - a tree which penetrates all ages and upon which can be seen seed, blossom, and fruit simultaneously in druidic belief, there was a stron sense of the way in which souls pass through sequential worldly time and through the timelessness of the otherworld. Some of these ways could be identified as exemplars of great power.

    The poet sees Christ as a Celtic exemplar: one who has seen the rise and fall of many-colored ages and who, like a vision poet, has stripped the bark of the otherworldly tree to read its revelations. It is in the bridging of these two beliefs that the poet derives power and comfort. As we enter a time of religious pluralism, our own consciousness is full of the metaphors and symbols of Christian belief. They frame and shape the ideas and beliefs that we hold, even though we may not be practitioners of the faith. Because of this grounding in Christian thought, we sometimes experience doubt and confusion when we encounter other belief systems. If, however, we remember the concept of many mansions, many manifestations of spiritual truth, we will not be in error.

"Meditate upon the beliefs that have power for you."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

Nature's Power to Heal

Nature's Power to Heal

"Your pain and sickness
Be in the earth's depths,
Be upon the grey stones,
For they are enduring...
Be upon the clouds of the sky,
For they are the rainest,
Be upon the river's current
Cascading to the sea."
    ___ Scots Gaelic prayer for healing (trans. CM)


    A common treatment of illnesses in Cetic tradition involved invoking the help of the elements - the sky, the earth, the sea - to disperse illness harmessly. For mysterious or persisting conditions, the patient would seek out a sacred site - a saint, spirit or deity. This custom still endures throughout the Celtic countries, where it is believed that pilgrimage to a sacred site, in conjunction with prayer, is a sure form of assistance.  On arrival at the site, the pilgrim makes a turas (or sunwise circuit) around the perimeter, with prayer or invocation. If the site is a well, then the pilgrim takes the waters and anoints the afflicted part, again very intentionally and prayerfully. Then, if a tree hangs over or near the well, it is customary to tie a piece of cloth to a branch and pray, "I leave a portion of my illness in this place."  As the cloth fades and withers in the sunlight and wind, dispersing in the elements, so fades the illness.

   Applying to the wider web of the universe, to the spiritual sources of help, is an eminently sensible course of action: the prayers of spiritual allies - from the great elements to our personal helpers - have a wider influence thant those of doctors. Their power to transform pain, disorder, and infection into health is miraculous.

"Ask your own spiritual allies to help heal your infirmities."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

An Opponent's Criticism

An Opponent's Criticism

"What is sharper than the sword? -- The reproach of an adversary."
    ____ Fionn and Grainne (trans. CM)


    There is nothing like the sting of an opponent's criticism to needle us into reaction. Such criticisms trespass upon our self-esteem and dent our pride past bearing. We find ourselves retaliating with scornful rejoinders, and we think up vengeful scenarios that will teach the opponent a well-placed lesson, even though we do not intend to implement them. Leaving aside unjust, outrageous, or malignant criticism, most criticism has a kernel of truth, which makes it so painful to receive. We are aware, even as we are hurt by the words, that there is some justification for complaint or reproach. The criticism of friends strikes us with less force, since it is usually framed in a kindly way, but the criticism of enemies - who see with the deadly eye of knowledge what we are all about - is threateningly penetrating.

   For Fionn, the sting of Grainne's reproach lay in the fact that he was old - something that he could do nothing about. In courting a woman severa decades his junior, he laid himself open to such treatment. There is no fool like an old fool, they say, and certainly Fionn experienced the full shame and reproach of rejection here.

   We can learn from our opponents a good deal more about ourselves than we will ever learn from forbearing friends.

"Consider a recent incident in which one of your opponents criticized you. What truth emerges from your reflections? What does your reflection tell you about yourself and how you conduct your life? What resolve spring up in you as a result?"
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

Walking the Earth Sacredly

Walking the Earth Sacredly

"It is all sacred. Every hill and every valley. Our land
is a living thing, not a grave of forgetfulness under
our feet."
    ___ Owen M. Edwards, cited in Emyr Humphreys,
               "The Taliesin Tradition"


   The way in which we walk the earth matters greatly, but our feet do not always remember this. Instead of walking the earth sacredly, we tend to stamp with proud disrespect in every stride. How can we remember the sacred dimention of the earth? Only when we realize it as a living entity does this understanding come home to roost. Nearly everyone has at some point experienced the impinging of a greater living presence when we have seen a beautiful view or stood at a powerful land feature through which the earth's soul is clearly discernible, but this feeling fades away once we are back in our home surroundings.

   To get a sense of the living presence of the earth as an encouled being, we can chose to purposely notice the abiding life of the earth by sitting in nature and focusing upon its breathing, its rhythms, and its soul. This requires that we filter out our own concerns and presence and focus instead upon the earth's. Whenever we give up this kind of time and attention, the rewards are striking. We learn, at first hand, the beauty and presence of the sacred earth; we hear its ancient stories, songs and myths; we become aware of the humbling fact that we are a part of the earth; not the earth of us.

   With this realization, we can take up a new relationship with our planet, walking gently and with remembrance, dancing the song-lines of the mythic landscape in our soul's circuit.

"Today, wherever you walk, be aware of each step as a blessing upon the earth."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

The Art of Meditation

The Art of Meditation

"I am in the place between sun and moon,
where the lightning-flash strikes."
   ___ Ross Nichols. "The Book of Druidry"


     Mediators stand 'between sun and moon' ready to heed the messages of the sacred sources of traditional wisdom from ancestral depths and to help bring through the ideas and blueprints that originate in the otherworld. Mediators are the burden-bearers and shock-absorbers of our world. They do not ask for this responsibility, but they are called to this work by their spiritual allies and shown how to handle the vital power that can transform and bridge worlds. Their work is done not for personal gain or spiritual aggrandizement, but for the benefit of all life. All spiritual traditions have their mediators, but the world does not usually know them. While the work of mediation is not secret, it is usually performed behind the scenes.

   Mediation is not anaogous to channeling or mediumship, which often put one in touch with nothing more than the chatter of unclarified spirits. Great mediators do not produce many manifest works. Instead their work is like that of a satellite which receives signals and transmits them to the world at large. For most of us, the function of mediation is to be in the right time and the right place simultaneously. The purposes of spirit are not known to us, but we do sometimes have the feeling of being at the place where the lightning strikes, the sense that we are called to conduct a feeling or meaning that is greater than our personal comprehension. It is then that we stand briefly in the shoes of the mediator.

"Make your own prayer for all mediators who help bridge realities for the greater need of the world."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

Bringing the Peace

Bringing the Peace

"And have you brought the wisdom
That we have near lost?
Or have you brought the peace
That we're all aching for?"
    ___ Mary McLaughlin, "Bring the Peace"

    Peace begins at home. Many of us have peaceful intentions regarding the world at large, but what is the use of feelings of cosmic peace if our own heart is troubled and we cannot keep peace within the family or between neighbors? Conflict should be set aside as we lie down to rest, since it blocks the path to peace. (Toward that end, the self-clarification shown below can be used at the end of the day, before sleeping.)  Only by surrender of forgiveness can conflict finally and completely be resolved, however.

   This surrender is hard to achieve, because it means giving up pride, boundaries, territories, rights, and many other issues that we instinctively defend. Peace does not require us to tear down natural defenses or let the other party invade our domain, but it does require us to extend hospitality of spirit. Peace will sprout only when we ourselves spill tears of release upon the hard ground of our hearts.

"Meditate upon the following questions:

* Is there pece between me and my soul? my family? my neighbors? my environment? my country?
* Is there peace between my faith, race, and generation and those of others?
* Is there peace between my country and the world?
* Is there peace between me and Spirit?

Finally make your own blessing upon those with whom you are currently in conflict: 'May there be peace between me and ______________; and may Spirit breathe peace into every breast."

[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

Good Friends

Good Friends

"I pledge my oath without boasting,
For how ever many good people we might name,
A hundred of them would not match Cerna's goodness ---
If we could even call so many to mind."
    ___ "The Metrical Dindshenchas, ed. Edward Gwynn (trans. CM)

What constitutes a good friend? Someone who is insightful, like-souled, tolerant of our failings, someone who says the right thing at the right time, someone who blesses us by her quiet support, someone who helps us laugh at our inflated notions, someone who mourns with us in our sad times.  Friends are the sisters and brothers of our soul. But friendship is a two-way street; there are obligations on both sides.

   Although the rules of friendship are unwritten, it is clear to both par;tners when they are broken. If we transgress against trust and confidentiality, if we allow the friendship to become one-sided or without meaningful exchange, if we fail to communicate about a misunderstanding over too long a time, if we keep something of our friend's and forget to give it back, if we presume to speak on behalf of our friend without authority, then we break the rules of friendship.

    The bond of friendship is shaken by neither time nor distance. It abides beyond temporal boundaries, necessities and unseen contingencies in profound and beautiful ways.

"Meditate upon friendship as a friend and as one who is befriended. On what are your friendships based; how are they sustained? What do you value most in your friends?"
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

The Month of April

April sees the full flush of spring. This month's themes from "Celtic Spirit" include friends, opponents, and spiritual allies; healing and care of the body and soul; the variety of spiritual approaches; bridging and meditating on the otherworld; walking our own path.

Month of April - aerial is the horizon;
 Fatigued the oxen; bare the land;
Common is the vistor without an invitation.
     anon, Welsh poem