Examinations

Examinations

"They would not take him among them till he had made a leap over a stick the height of himself, and till he had stooped under one the height of his knee, and till he had taken a thorn out of his foot with his nail, and he running his fastest. But if he had done all these things, he was of Fionn's people."
    ____ Lady Augusta Gregory, "Gods and Fighting Men"

   These fearsome tests that all men were set who wanted to join the Fianna, the war band of the Irish hero Fionn mac Cumhail, were designed to select only the best and strongest candidates. But the Fianna was made up not just of muscle-men or tiny-brained superheroes; all candidates also had to have culture and knowledge.

   At this time of the year many students must take examinations in order to try for places at a university or to gain certification for suitable employment that will use and stretch their gifts. Examinations test competency and reveal fitness for certain tasks and professions; these days, exam results often involve students in a competitive lottery. Only the most qualified take the plum places and jobs. Some educational experts would like this competitive element to be removed and to have instead some kind of cooperative system where all candidates are treated equally. If we look at the extensive variety of habitats in the world, we find there are animals who have adapted themselves perfectly to the environmental challenges of the most barren and remote terrains. Similarly, we human beings take the opportunities best suited to our abilities and then find ways to adapt ourselves to the challenges that stretch us.

"Make your own blessing for students sitting their exams."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

June

"Month of June - beautiful are the fields;
Smooth the sea, pleasing the strand;
Beautifully long the day, playful the ladies."
   ___ Anon. - Welsh Poem

And so the Merry Month of May passes and we come to June. June sees the beauty of summer unfolding, The month's meditation themes include clarity and clearing away, times of light in darkness, turnings and returnings, changing and shape-shifting, divine and mortal gifts, the enduring soul, and shields and defenders.