"If I break faith, may the skies fall upon me, may the seas
drown me, may the earth rise up and swallow me,"
____ ancient Gaulish oath of the elements
This mighty oath binds the swearer's existence to the dust of the ancient Celtic elements themselves. We take the elements' gifts for granted, we do not think for even a minute about the air we breathe, the water we wash with, or the earth that sustains our every step.
But this ancient oath has more ominous and immediate connotations in our age. We have taken the elements so much for granted, dis-respected their gifts so absolutely, that we have made it more than possible for the skies to fall on us, for the earth to swallow us, for seas to overwhelm us. As heavy industry pollutes the air, the air quality grows poorer; as the earth heats up from the greenhouse effect, the ice caps begin to melt and the seas rise; as we fill the earth with our unrecyclable waste, the soil itself becomes poisonous and infertile. We forgot the meaning of this oath long ago, and now we are reminded.
The broad and beautiful gifts of the elements are so willing, able, and bounteous. They clothe, nurture, and irrigate the planet and all its inhabitants freely and blessedly. To keep faith with the elements, we need to make an intentioned effort to sustain the life-flow of our planet by putting our minds and hearts and actions to the uplifting of life. These precious elements of air, water, and earth are the triad of powers that maintain the life of the world. Preserved by the warmth of the sun and these three mighty powers. our earth has heat, light and life. Without them it is cold, dark, dry and barren
"Consider each of the elements as you use them. When washing your hands, lighting a fire or stove, taking your first breath of fresh air, walking to work, stop and be thankful for their gifts. Bless them, and pray that they be preserved in peace, so that human hubris may not invoke the ancient oath upon our dear planet."
[From: The Celtic Spirit by Caitlin Matthews]
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