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