Reproach

Reproach

"Reproach, however strong,
Redresses no wrong."
   ___ Welsh proverb


   The eternal motion of vitality, energy, and power is forever circulating in the universe; we are each part of its movement, receiving vitality, passing it through our lives and letting it pass on again. There are many ways in which can (and do) arrest this natural motion by clutching parts of the flow to ourselves. One of these ways is when we become stuck in cycles of reproach - whether we blame ourselves or others for our predicament.
   From the moment that a person tastes reproach, he ceases to live in the present moment. His whole life is caught in a web that spreads out and covers everything he touches. Not only does time cease to flow for him, but his relationships are all tainted: those who interact with him sense that their own lives are used as comparisons for the original reproach. There is no life or energy in the vicinity of a person who holds firm to that awful moment of betrayal and cannot let go.
    The first means of returning from that time-held moment into the present is by a determined releasing of reproach, with its attendant anger, resentment, and guilt. This release has to be complete without strings, unconditionally without revenge. Then can begin, the gradual rebuilding of life, with its everyday expectations, hopes, and disappointments.
   The release of reproach enables the universal motion of vitality to flow again. Like a long-dammed-up tide, vitality sweeps toward the arid shores of the soul with compassionate moisture, bringing life into perspective and rhythm once more.

"How is reproach clogging up your own life? Flush it out of your heart by letting it go with a blessing."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

Sovereignty

Sovereignty

"And Sovereignty said to Niall, 'And as you saw me ugly at first but at last beautiful, even so is royal rule. The land cannot be won without battles, but in the end everyone finds sovereignty is both beautiful and glorious.' "
  ____ "Echtra Mac Echach Muigmedoin", early Irish text,
            (trans CM)


    There are many Irish stories concerning the qualifications necessary for rulership - stories that reveal the true nature of sovereignty. In these similar tales, the candidates for kingship are sent out into a dangerous place to fend for themselves. In the dark of the night, they each seek for water; at the only ford or well, each encounters a fearsome hag who refuses access to water unless the seeker first kisses her. When the successful man embraces her, she turns into a beautiful woman who declares that she is the Sovereign Goddess of the Land. Only the spirit of the land can acclaim and accept the ruler who is humble enough to submit to her.

    Sovereignty is not something that can be claimed with pride or with thought of self-aggrandizement or glory. Sovereignty exists only with the agreement of the land itself. Until, or unless, this is sought with understanding, territorial disputes will continue.

    In our own sphere of life, we each seek the sovereignty of our profession or of our soul's depths. If it is sought for self-gain, or in order to disable another, sovereignty is never truly ours. If, however, we seek out the heart of our craft, of our soul - wherever we live our lives - the spirit of sovereignty will indeed come to us and we will have a true contract of understanding based on mutual respect and exchange.

"What are the boundaries and duties of your soul's sovereignty? Consider how you serve, defend, and maintain personal sovereignty in your life?"
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

Dispositions of Character

Dispositions of Character

"Some are born to sweet delight;
Some are born to endless night."
   ___ William Blake, "Auguries of Innocence"


   We are blessed by the nature we were born with, and - optimist or pessimist - we must somehow find our way through life. Whichever way we are disposed, we must take our character into account when we make decisions or form opinions; our nature plays a big part when we form alliances, friendships, and associations; the way people interact with and react to us has much to do with their reading of our character.

   Sunny temperaments have the ability to make friends easily. Those who make heavy weather of life, on the other hand, hunch their shoulders against inevitable disaster and trudge along without an encouraging word to anyone. Each person is born with certain characteristics, which are then modified by upbringing and circumstance. It is quite possible to meet sweet-tempered people who have had difficult lives, however, as well as ill-tempered people who have had every natural advantage.

  To steer by 'sweet delight' may be a joy in the right circumstances, but it probably is not a great help in times of crisis; to be bound endless night' may keep away unbidden guests, but it certainly attracts no friends. Natures, like plants, can be trained to reveal other traits and strengths. Such training is hard work and requires constant vigilance, but with humor and humility, even hardened natures can change.

"What kind of temperament do you possess? What strategies can and do you use when tempted to give in to your standard reaction, your natural inclination?"
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

Mapping the Secret Territory

Mapping the Secret Territory

"For some years my heart was proud, for as the beauty sank into memory it seemed to become a personal possession, and I said 'Iimagined this' when I should humbly have said, 'The curtain was a little lifted that I might see.' "
   ___ A. E. (George Russell, "The Candle of Vision"


   Those who are trying to map the thresholds of vision, to pass beyond them into the mysterious hinterland of the unexplored spiritual terrain, know that they have to need the messages and visions that come. The recording of such information can be very valuable as a reminder and an encouragement in those times when the spiritual borders are stubbornly out of reach. But such records should never become territorial claims, proofs of purchase or evidence of our spiritual prowess. Exclusivism has no part in the work of mapping the terrain of vision.

    The human failing of hubris, that spiritual pride which claims more than it has a right to, follows us from birth to death. To life the curtain is not to claim what lies beyond it. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that our spiritual explorations have never been commensurate with our geographical discoveries. At heart, we realize that there is no monetary profit to be gained from spiritual discovery and that those who indulge in spiritual materialism are merely poseurs, not the spiritually enlightened. The fruit of our vision is not for hoarding but for sharing; only when shared can it become a fruit that satisfies eternally.

"What are the borders between you and the spiritual realms most clearly discovered? What have you learned from your own visions and experiences during your lifelong discovery?"
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

Imagining the Future

Imagining the Future

"To imagine your future constantly and vividly is to create your future."   ____ John Cowper, "Obstinate Cymric


   One of the best preparations for the future is to pay attention to the present moment.  Not by being provident, cautious, and miserly with life's experiential wealth, but by attending to the unfolding of today's events and one's part within them.
  
    For those who have places to go and tasks to accomplish, the active use of the imagination to shape their destiny should never be despised. There is no such thing as a 'destined future' - one that is fixed and immovable - since every step we take toward the future, every action and intention, changes the dance of our life to some degree. By imagining our future in an active way, we become more sensitive to the influences and interests around us. This active imagining also helps break down our romantic or false expectations and sets up pathways of practice toward our life's purpose, as we grow ever more sensitive to the unfolding patterns. Furthermore, it helps sustain us when achievement seems far off or unendingly delayed.

   The work of shaping the future consists not in the ruthless excision of everything and everyone standing in our way, but in the gentle returning of ourselves and our abilities to the pitch of our innate life's purpose.  This is a daily, intentioned shaping whereby we become attuned to the song that is always singing us.

"Use your own active imagination to create the pathway that leads toward a plan in the future."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]

The Soul of the Land

The Soul of the Land

"How has Ireland been apportioned? -- Knowledge in the west; battle in the north; prosperity in the east, music in the south, kingship in the center."
    ___ "The Settling of the Manor of Tara," from Caitlin and John Matthew, "The Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom."


   Beneath the physical form of hills and valleys, beneath the rivers and mountains, there is another appearance. It is not only in the minerals, not in the folded rocks; it is not only in the soil, nor in the trees and plants. Yet somehow in and under and through all these things, the land has another nature: its living soul. Many people believe that there are no such things as souls in people or anywhere else, and yet, we know that this cannot be so. As the soul of a person looks out of her eyes and makes her who she is, so too does the soul of the land shine out of its features and gives it special qualities.

   However small or large our own country is, certain regions have their own distinct nature. They are centers of administration, trade, learning, art, spiritual wisdom, and so on. All contribute to the land as a whole. Certain regions foster one quality more than another; they are like a garden in which certain skills flourish and grow strong.
    In the Celtic lands of yesteryear, each region had its sacred center or assembly, as did each country - a center that was not necessarily central in mathematical terms. The sacred center of any land has a greater spiritual pull than any other part, so it is here that the major assemblies of national importance are debated or decided. As Tara is to Ireland, so too is our own country's sacred center to the land itself; a hallowed place where the soul of the land shows through in all its splendor.

"Become closer acquainted with the different regions of your own country through travel, study, and meditation."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthew]

The Moon

The Moon

"I give you praise, moon of guidance,
That I have seen you again,
That I have seen the New Moon,
The lovely leader of the way."
  ___ Scots Gaelic prayer to the moon (trans CM)


   Few people today mark the moon's phases, unless they go out a lot at night or their work calls them to contemplate the mysteries of the moon. The tides and seasons of our own mood have their correspondence with the moon's phases, which we can used with benefit once we are aware of them. It is easy to live only a daytime life, obedient only to the sun's diurnal rhythm. The longer monthly pattern of the moon is less discernible to us, but much more profoundly connected with our unvoiced preoccupations, with the subtextual feelings, memories and instincts that inform us with their subtle messages.
   To be aware, as the writer of this invocation was, of the moon as 'leader of the way' is a great gift. The inexorable daily rhythm of the sun can sometimes beat us upon the anvil of life as problems hassle us, and the sun's longer rhythm of the four seasons brings us through changes over a whole year. But the cycle of the moon sees our soul through the phases of birth, growth, achievement and death in one month, giving us relief, change, and encouragement. Whatever the problem, no matter how heavy the burden, we can look up and see that the moon has renewed itself yet again - as we also can.

"Go out and commune with the moon tonight, whether it is visible or not. Note your mood over a couple of months and see how it changes correspond to the moon's phases."  - Note: tonight is the night of the New Moon and it will not visible in the sky but over the next few days, it become visible in western horizon in the twilight as it sets. It could look similar to the picture above.
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]