Forgiveness

Forgiveness

"Pardon's the word to all."
     ___ William Shakespeare, "Cymbeline"


   The call to forgiveness - whether it be the laying aside of vengeance, the releasing of people from obligation, the canceling of debts - sounds a general amnesty between ourselves and those who have wronged us. If they are not dealt with, wrongs and claims against others can become the ropes that tie the souls of victims to the souls of perpetrators.

  The true meaning of forgiveness is releasing ourselves and others from the bonds of blame. If we remain in situations where we suffer wrong continually, we must face the priorities and strive to remove ourselves from this danger as soon as possible, or else we must forbear to condemn. Situations where our love and care are greeted with indifference, violence, and abuse are situations in which we endanger our very soul. We must get help or get out. To forgive does not mean to condone, but it does mean the end of condemnation.

  No person living is free of condemnation: we have all wronged someone at some time. Yet to set aside condemnation and release someone from the obligations of restitution takes great resolution and courage. To forgive is to detach the bond that keeps us locked in mortal combat with our enemy. The obligatioin to forgiveness grows stronger as time wears on, before we weave too strong a bond, before the anger, strife, or wrong pollutes our very soul.

"Meditate upon a situation that requires your forgiveness. Who or what do you release?"
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

Prophecy

Prophecy

"O hear the voice of the Bard
Who present, past, and future sees,
Whose ears have heard the holy Word
That walked among the ancient trees."
    ___ William Blake, "Songs of Experience"


   Celtic tradition has abounded in prophets: King Arthur's Merlin, the uncanny Brahan Seer, Thomas the Rhymer, the Welsh awenyddion (ah-wen-ITH'ion) or 'inspired ones,' and the many unnamed seers and seeresses of history. The ability to see thyrough the veil from the temporal world into the world where time is always now, is one that runs in the blood and surfaces in certain family lines and in lone individuals alike.

  Moments of true seeing and true utterance happen to everyone. They occur when we see clearly through the veil between the worlds, all unbidden, and observe what will be. Then we experience the slowing down of time, the growing sense of communion with precise coordinates of knoweldge that click in our brain into startling patterns of revelation. Because our society tends to ignore such revelation, we usually shrug off what we have experienced as something of little importance, ignoring these subtle messages.

  These moments sometimes happen when we are on the brink of decisions, meetings, or agreements: we suddenly have a sense that we are present at something momentously charged and potent, maybe having a flash vision of a future event when the fruits of the decision have matured. We may experience a sense of warning, a flash of insight that tells us clearly that the person we are meeting does not mean us well. We sometimes even remember past insights and visions that we indeed predicted and are now actually living through. At those times the same sense of timelessness and encompassment rises within us.

"Use your prophetic soul to look between the worlds to understand a recent action's consequences."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

Glimpsing the Otherworld

In an old Welsh tale, Pwyll, the Prince of Dyfed, is out hunting with his hounds when he encounters another pack of hounds of weird appearance, bringing down a stag:  "...their hear was of a brilliant shining white, and their ears were red; and as the whiteness of their bodies shone, so did the redness of their ears glisten."  Then the owner of these hounds appears and it is none other than Arawn, King of the Otherworld, who persuades Pwyll to swap places with him for a year. While in the Otherworld, Pwyll wins the beautiful Rhiannon as his wife.

A brush with the Otherworld:  There are many signs that an entrance to the Otherworld is near, time may distort, and often an animal with bright eyes will look at you or invite you to follow it.
   Go out either at dawn or at dusk. Walk slowly, in silence, stop, look and listen. You are searching for a creature - a bird, mouse, squirrel, badger, or even a fellow human - who will guide you to the Otherworld. You'll know when you've arrived; there will be a deep silence and colors will become more vivid. Remember, it is a subtle, evanescent place. You cannot stay there for long.
[From: "Celtic Inspirations" by Lyn Webster Wilde]

Perseverance

Perseverance
"An eident drap will pierce a stane."
[A steady drop will pierce a stone.]
    ___ Scottish proverb

 One of the prime figures of p0erseverance within the Scottish tradition is King Robert the Bruce. The apoocryphal story of his hiding in a cave and watching a spider attempt to make its web again and again tells us that was how the Scottish hero mustered his own perseverance to struggle on. When life seems stacked against us, whence do we find the perseverance to continue?

  When is perseverance not enought? When we have tried to the limits of our ability, when we have tried all avenues of pursuit, when there is no more help to be sought, it is reasonable to consider whether this project is the right one or if it is being approached in the right way. Sometimes a reappraisal of method can bring about a fresh change. If you are still pushing a rock up the mountain after a reasonable period of perseverance, it might be time to stop and reassess.

  Perseverance is not a common virture these days, especially among those who expect quick or instant results. The ability to carry on with a project and see it through is often a painful, painstaking, incremental task that does not yield results in an obviously satisfactory way. It is a task scorned by many a waste of time and effort. Yet many wonderfulachievements have come to birth as a result of daily, incremental, crablike progress.

  We must the patience of water itself, which cleaves the stone over many centuries.

"Are your plans on target; are they realistic and achievable? What changes would their manifestation bring to your life? Are you approaching your goals by the best possible route? Is other help available? What factors are still lacking?"
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

Tasks of a Bard

Tasks of a Bard

"The three chief endeavors of a bard: to learn and collect knowledge;to teach; to make peace and put an end to all injury.
To act contrary to these three things is not usual nor fitting to a bard."
     ____ ancient British triad


   How can these bardic tasks become part of our own spiritual path today? How can they be integrated into our culture? Each society needs knowledge that informs and is appropriate for its members: it does not want to hear about bygone lore. This means that every would-be bard should indeed research to the very roots of knowledge the thing that she wishes to convey, but she must also seek out the relevance and practical wisdom of that topic.

  The ancient bards could inspire, encourage, enchant  their listeners. The modern bard must learn the old art of oral performance rather than of written exposition. These skills may be learned from our spiritual allies, who are the true teachers of the bardic knowldge, as well as from situations in which the solution to difficulty is imparted by spontaneous, synaptic inspiration: where knowledge, problem and answer line up.

  This leads to making of peace and the cessation of injury - skills that we need very badly in our own time. The bardic performance can bring the end of hostility, especially if music is part of the picture. In the presence of music, all people are brought into harmony and understanding as its universal language speaks to the soul. We may bring an end to injury and offense through the offices of a modern bard in times not so far distant from our own.

"Meditate upon the bardic teachers of your ancestry. Make a soul-flight to one of their schools and ask to meed with a bard who will teach you the skills necessary for bringing peace to our world."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

Celtic Bards

Stories inspire transformations. Spiritual Ecstasy, Spiritual freedom, and front line environmentalism. The Branch of Peace (the silver branch) is shaken to silence those gathered … to call peace. Similarly, Beavers of the oral tradition, keepers of the past. They affirm the identity of our people, linking them with the land on which they depend. They offer a source of stability in a world where the future is less certain than the known. They give the people their roots … their foundation, and encourage people to achieve their potential. Using sensory deprivation has been common among Bard’s for centuries. It forces one to face the single point of tumulus within oneself, thus commonly cracking into Poetic Awen.


The Branch of Peace: Talk of grades within the kinship as “branches”. This is referring to a specific grade within The Branch of Peace.

A critical part of their task is to deepen and enrich the connection with the people and the land. In addition, within their tales are woven the laws of nature, with warnings to the un-weary.

Among our kin is a sense that the stories not only benefit the people, but also the land, as if within their telling it, the Bard is practicing the sacred art of honoring each tree, hill, lake, and lunar tide. In addition, with each reaction, she/he inspires, honors ancestors and all humanity.

Yes, it is so; the Bard is a magician of words. A Bard practices her/his craft to be a master of emotion and movement. Poetry weaves the right (spatial) and left (linear) parts of the brain; shifts perceptions of reality, concepts, boundaries and potentials. She/he uses her/his Awen to inspire others. Bard’s creativity stems from her/his own ability to listen, relax and receive the energy that inspirits her/him.

It is a matter of releasing words with honor, respect and the power to evoke change. It refers to an attempt to change oneself, often by focusing on one’s own human soul.

It pertains to a source of inspiration stemming from the beauty and power of the land (earth). Gorsedd, a word once meaning “high seat”, the ancient mound on which high Kings were inaugurated and where tribes collected together for important occasions; is now better known, or translated, as a gathering (not the mound itself) of Bards. Not all Bards begin as or become universally good poets.


A brief look on Celtic Bards from the past.


    Whether you wanted a message delivered far across the land, or a great motivational speech for your military, a bard was the person to call. A bard was a type of person who specialized in oral communication, and was known for their ability to tell great stories, give messages from one person to another, and motivate armies before they were about to go to battle. The bard was also talented in musical instruments, writing poetry, and would often sing to people. Their music was considered beautiful and worthy among Gods.

The bards are found in Celtic cultures in countries like Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. ­Most bards were the only type of messengers in these lands, and therefore could do what they wanted, sing when they wanted, and perform where they wanted. Nobody could harm or punish them for this, because without the bards, no news would travel the lands. The bards would have to be knowledgeable in their country’s history, the law that the land is ruled under, and the heritage of his or her King. They had to be able to tell tales and myths, whether they were true or not. ­The bards were also called to prepare soldiers for battle. They would come and sing or tell stories to calm the soldiers, and motivate them for the hard task that lay before them. Because of all the important roles bards played in society, they were highly honored and were just as significant as a high ranking soldier.

 There are still bards amongst us in today’s world. However, they are not as highly honored, and are considered more of a musician than anything else. In order to become a bard, you have to have had lots of college Celtic history classes, and be able to play an instrument from that time period, such as a harp. You must also be able to write poetry, and play pieces of music that others have written, and write some yourself. Bards are some of the most influential group of people in the Celtic regions, and will more than likely be around for more years to come.

Marriage Blessing

Marriage Blessing

"Length of life and sunny days, and may your souls not to
homewards till your own child falls in love!"
    ____ traditional Irish blessing (trans. CM)


   For most people entering marriage today, such thoughts are far from their heads. Indeed many disillusioned wedding guests sit and discuss - even as they toast the happy couple - how long this marriage will last. Though the statistics show that many marriage now end in divorce, there are still a number of long-term relationships that continue - especially if the partners are supported by well-wishing and encouraging friends.

  When we celebrate a marriage, we are essentially celebrating the continuance of life: factor that is now often subsumed in the mutual satisfaction of the couple, who may indeed have chosen to have no children. Yet the heart of the marriage blessing enshrines the possibility of life's continuance: the birth of children and the perpetuation of humankind. the best-laid plans to derer a family until a more convenient time are often overturned by nature, which finds a way for life to flourish. In the eyes of new parents, the marriage blessing often seems to be a rather dubious or double-edged one, cutting short personal pleasures and dampening mutual delights.

  But the privilege of parenthood, the feeling of blessedness, is also, experience as children grow, change and surprise us. The true fruit of our partnership, they will grow up to marry and have children of their own, so that when our souls to homeward, our offspring will have the happiness, love, and initiation into parenthood in their turn.

"Make your own marriage blessing for those celebrating the beginning of their partnership today. Draw upon the fortunate elements of your own relationships."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]


Celtic Christmas

  In the eighth century the traditional twelve day pagan festival was declared a sacred season by the Church, and it became the Twelve Days of Christmas, with peaks at Dercember 25th, January 1st, and January 6th.  During this time the Church prohibited all work or public business, except for the labor of cooks, bakers, or any others who contributed to the delights of the holiday.

  Twelve days of feasting, merrymaking, sporting contexts, sionging, dancing, and all sorts of joyous anarchy and 'misrule' got under way on the magical threshold between the old year and the new. Some of the fun and games probably once belonged to Samhain, the original time for the Celtic New Year but was transferred to the Christian festival in later times.

  Released from work, all sorts of little bands toured the community offeirng entertainment in exchange for food and drink. Singers known as waits sang traditional carols unaccompanied or with harps, fiddles, and pipes. Mummers and guisers came out in full force, dressed in colorful costumes, which might include animal skins, masks, and bells, and brightened the winter season by performing plays aruond the community.  Often the central theme of these plays was the death, and subsequent resurrection of one of the characters, echoing the drama of the old year as it prepared to give way to the new.

Scotland

  In Scotland the revelry was particularly lively and joyous. Under the influence of Scandinavian settlements it retained the old pagan name of 'Yule' in many parts, while the Twelve Days became kn own affectionately as the 'daft days'. But in the sixteenth century jollity was snuffed out with the candles. Feasting gave way to fasting when the newly established Reformed Scottish Kird denounced Yule as an abominable popish practice. The puritanical leaders even went so far as to prosecute citizens for such sins as 'playing, dancing and singing of filthy carols on Yule even.'                                                                          A Celtic Saint Nicholas visited the Wells County
                                                                                     Public Library.

    Only in the Catholic Highlands and Islands did the old ways continue, while in the rest of Scotland the p0sychological need for a midwinter feast was met by transferring the festivities to the New Year. By the 1800s the Kirk had relaxed its grip on Scotland and some of the old celebrations were restored, but ever since, the heart of Scotland'[s mid-winter celebrations has been the New Year feast of Hogmanay.

The polished brass of the beer spigots stand out against the lights of the Christmas decorations in the window of the Celtic Cross pub in downtown Reykjavik.







Ireland

  In Ireland the holidays lasted from Nollag Mor, Big Christmas, on December 25th, to Nollag Beag, Little Christmas, on January 6th. It was the most important festival of the year, a time to contemplate the special mystery of both human and divine love.  People were more than usually devout and generous to others. It was commonly held that the gates of heaven were open at this time and that anybody who died during the Twelve Days went straight to paradise.

    Preparations for the season began many weeks in advance, when country people flocked to the Margadh Mor, Big Market, to 'bring home the Christmas.'  They took butter, eggs, hens, geese, turkeys, and vegetables to sell and returned home laden with meat, tea, tobacco, whiskey, wine and beer, dried fruit, spice, sugar for the Christmas puddings, toys and sweets for the children, new clothes and household gear.
   Everybody gave gifts, a custome that had its roots in ancient law. Shopkeepers gave Christmas boxes of fruitcakes and drinks to their customers, sized according to the amound of business they did there during the year. Farming families gave bacon, hens, eggs, and potatoes to friends and relatives in towns while they in return received town supplies.
[From Mara Freeman's "Kindling the Celtic Spirit"]

Vintage Celtic Christmas card

Intellectual Stimulus

Intellectual Stimulus

"Too many men and women spend their time between an
office and a home in a state of intellectual stupor."
     ___ Llewelyn Powys, "Earth Memories"

   Among the bards and druids, the training of the mind and memory was of paramount importance; the continual use of memory kept open the neural pathways, making response quick and incisive. Speed of mind meant speed of tongue: the swifter-than-thought pronouncement of judgment or pithy and apposite verse was expected of bards and druids. While there are many professions today that use training methods to sharpen the intellect, most of us do not exercise our minds to any great degree. Instead of thinking deeply about a thing, we often summon up our sensations, emotions, and instincts and create an opinion woven of these strands. Although the intellect needs stimulus and training, it still has its place in the scheme of things.

In the wintertime, the air is clearer and crisper, the brain seems to work just that little bit more quickly than it does in the summer. Those of us who are intellectually flabby may find that now is a good time to exercise our intellect, to stretcvh it further than it is accustomed to. The process of learning something is one way to engage the intellect; if there is no time for that, however, engaging in deep discussion about a topic is important to you with freinds or reading something that stretches your conceptual apparatus is also beneficial. There are no set boundaries on the limits of human intellect: see how far we each can go!

"Exercise with the spirit of the country in which you live. Ask it what are the freedoms and privileges that it guards. Ask how these freedoms are to defended and what is the greatest threat to them at this time."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

Newgrange - Winter Solstice


Newgrange is best known for the illumination of its passage and chamber by the winter solstice sun. Above the entrance to the passage of the Newgrange mound there is a opening called a roof-box.

On mornings around the winter solstice a beam of light penetrates the roof-box and travels up the 19 metre passage and into the chamber. As the sun rises higher, the beam widens so that the whole chamber is dramatically illuminated.

  Winter Solstice is the time when light is born out of the womb of winter's darkness. Every year, on or around December 21st, the sun appears to stand still, or rise and set in the same place for a few days. It is the time of the longest night, when Earth's very breath seems to falter in the face of the overpowering dark. Then, imperceptibly at first, the sun begins its long journey toward the south, and all of creation begins to exhale.

   Rituals for welcoming back the sun date from the dawn of civilization, as communities come together to celebrate life with feasting, music, dance, drama, and above all, light and fire. Whereas today we tend to think of Christmas as a single day or weekend even, most cultures suspend normal work routines and celebrate for at least twelve days.

  In ancient Rome the Winter Solstice was welcomed with a joyous and unruly feast known as Saturnalia. By the second century C.E. they also celebrated the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun on December 25th, a custom that originated in Syria. Further north, Scandinavians celebrated Yule, a name that could mean 'wheel' or that possibly gives the root wood for 'jolly.'

   The exact nature of the early Celtic celebrations are not known because in the fourth century C.E. the Church of Rome overlaid the old festival of the birth of the Sun with the birth of the Son. The actual birthday of Christ had never been certain, so after much debate the ancient midwinter feast was chosen because people were used to celebrating the birth of a sun god or hero at this time of the year. Even then, the Church fathers had to continually remind believers that they were supposed to be worshipping the birth of Christ, not the Sun. For although this holiday now had a new name, many of the same customs were carried on as they had been for thousands of years and for the same reason to banish the dark and welcome back the light.

Integrity in Work

Integrity in Work

"He should be constitutionally and habitually devotional,
so that blessing of God may be upon him, and what he does,
and that he may be conscientious ton do what is right and
beneficial in the practice of his art."
  --- "The Herbal Remedies of the Physicians of Myddfai"


    Whether we work for an employer or are self-employed, whether we have retired or are taking a sabbatical from work, the integrity of our actions constributes to the universal web of life. If an employer begins to bend the rules for his own benefit, then his staff may be tempted to follow his example. One person's actions may affect the company in such a way that certain positions or products are canceled - for who robs one, robs all. Occupations that strip the earth of its resources or leave it polluted are easy to target as culpable of gross theft and planetary vandalism, yet the actions of everyone living enable such results to some degree.

  To be in right relationship to our universe, a certain integrity and code of practice in our work and actions is necessary. Most of us have no explicit code by which to steer, but what we value is revealed when we consider why and for whom we are conscientious in our work and actions. Surely it is not only our employer or fellow workers who inspire us to do well but those who consume or use what we make, or our families who are supported by our work.

  Hands that work are the partners in manifestation of the unseen world wherein Spirit (by whatever form or forms we recognize it) is the keeper, maker, and inspirer of all that is. Any code of practice must first apply to the sacred source of spiritual inspiration to keep its actions pure, to operate from the highest movtives, to irrigate all work from the wellspring integrity.

"Draw up a short, realistic personal code of practice both for your occupation and for your actions in general."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]


The Month of December

Month of December - the shoe is covered with dirt:
Heavy the land, flagging the sun;
Bare are the trees, still is the muscle.
      anon. Welsh poem

December see the winter solstice and the return of gradually longer days. The themes of this month include the nature of work, revenge3 and forgiveness, gifts and blessings, belief and disbelief, and practicing being human.    [From "The Celtic Spirit"]