Passed!

I have the certificate that I passed the Celtic Wicca 101 class. So now what should I take? I'm still no closer to a decision, but I'm ready to start SOMETHING....

Final Essay Question: Explain Celtic Wicca and its practices and how you plan to incorperate it into your own specailized path.

In it's most simplistic form, Celtic Wicca is nothing more than honoring the ancient Celtic Gods and Goddesses in whatever way you are most able and in every way you are able. Honor them with your creativity. Honor them with your studies. Honor them with your life.

Because so little is known about how the ancient Celts actually practiced, Celtic Wicca is very much open to interpretation. The way someone today honors the Bard in them, may be totally different (thanks to technology, for one!) then was practiced eons ago. The same can be said with someone who walks a Druid path. How that learned society functioned and the rules it followed have been lost to the annuals of time. There is no one right or wrong way to follow that path, because we no longer know how it was followed at the beginning.

Personally, I plan to honor the Celts as a Bard. My goal is to write a novel and I believe that by following this ancient path, the Divine Spirit of the Universe will smile upon me and help me complete it. I also will do some "Druid" things, like never stop learning and embrace the spiritual world. I plan to use the Celtic Cross as a means to call the Spirits of the Quarters, as well as to meditate.

The more I learn, the more drawn I am to Celtic traditions. At this time of my life, anyway, I believe that's where I'm called to worship, to study, and to learn.

What is the purpose of the Celtic Cross?

The Celtic Cross was designed to honor the "four and one." The four arms of the cross can represent directions, elements, and time -- or all of the above at the same time! The circle in the center represents the divine spirit, also called the fifth element.

How is the Celtic Cross considered a pagan or wiccan symbol?

When the four arms area equal, the Celtic Cross provides a method of entering the sacred circle. By entering the cross on the north arm, a person can walk the circle, pausing at each arm to thank the direction and deity associated with that arm. As mentioned in the class literature, it is really another expression of the sacred circle.

How can you encorperate its use in your own beliefs?

I use the cross in a number of ways. To me, it is a reminder that everything is connected -- the directions, time, the body, people, and the Gods and Goddesses. Using it as a constant reminder of the endless path of knowledge, I find it a beautiful and visual way to call the quarters for ritual.

Explain the Celtic view on life after death.

The Celts believe in rebirth, as opposed to reincarnation. Where reincarnation requires the soul to be reborn with a new personality being developed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reincarnation), rebirth does not. In rebirth the soul chooses whether or not to return to Earth or move on to one of the three realms of the Otherworld.

What is the Summerland?

Summerland is the spiritual realm where the soul rests. It is the first of the three realms and where the soul embarks on a period of review. Accomplishments and failures can be examined without the emotional responses experienced in the physical world.

What are your own views of the afterlife?

Personally, I believe more in rebirth than in reincarnation. I believe that there are lessons each of us must learn in order to have eternal peace and we may come into this life to learn them (and end up maybe learning others!) before being able to stop the cycle. I think this is why some people are attracted to certain times in history, for example -- because their soul remembers that time. I also believe that if we as human choose not to "do good" or to learn the lessons we came for, we will have to do it again. For example, I don't believe a serial killer who murders only for the thrill of it has learned the necessary lessons to elevate his or her soul. That person will either have to spend eternity on the Isle of Black and White or try again. At the same time, someone who spent their life doing good — such as Mother Theresa — will be rewarded greatly in the afterlife and even given a choice to return and continue, or remain in the Otherworld, possibly skipping directly to the third realm. Heck, she could even be elevated to role of Goddess for the good she did on Earth!

Name the High Holy Days and the dates they fall on.

The High Holy Days, more commonly called Sabbats, are as follows:

• Samhain: October 31 and November 1
  
• Yule: December 21 through 31
  
• Imbolg: February 1 (this holiday can also be celebrated on February 2)
  
• Ostara: The Spring Equinox
  
• Bealtaine: May 1 (although this one can last through May 6 and be celebrated on any day or group of days within that time frame)
  
• Midsummer: The Summer Equinox
  
• Lughnasadh: August 1
  
• Mabon: The Fall Equinox
  

What time do the celebrations start?

Almost all the celebrations start at sunset and continue through until sunset the following day. The exceptions to that would be Samhain, which is a two day celebration, and Yule, which ends with the common New Year.

Using the rituals given as a spring board, choose a High Holy Day and create your own ritual. Explain what you did and why you chose to do it.

Given the date today, I chose to create a Beltain ritual which my husband and I will follow tonight.

The actual ritual will be as follows:

1. We will open the circle and call the quarters. At the same time, we will light our bonfire.
   
2. We will call the spirits, thanking them for taking the time to be with us and for any guidance and assistance they can offer as we celebrate.
   
3. We will state our purpose for being there and calling upon them. This is the time of the ritual where we will vocalize our commitments to the goals we have. Because this is a family ritual, we will state family goals, as well as some personal ones.
   
4. We will honor the Gods and Goddesses, especially Rhiannon, Freya, and the Green Man (who are all associated with Beltain). At this time, we will scatter some seeds in our "back field" (we live in the country and have one!). The seeds we'll be leaving are cucumbers, lettuce, and pink violas. The vegetables are representative of the sexual aspect of the sabat, while the flowers are for the welcoming of summer. Eating of honey bread (being cooked RIGHT NOW -- yum!) and drinking of wine will also take place here, as will leaving some for the spirits.
   
5. When that's completed, we will have a moment of silent prayer/meditation.
   
6. Finally, we will thank the spirits and close the circle.
   

Afterward, we can sit and watch the fire and I have a few Enya CDs that I think will be relaxing background noise as we unwind and reflect on the celebration.

I'm looking forward to this!

Explain the 5 elements in Celtic traditions.

The five elements in Celtic tradition are similar to the five elements in other traditions: Earth, Air, Water, Fire, and Spirit.  Of course, in the Celtic tradition, they are called by other names.

Earth, or Calas, is at the top of the equal-armed Celtic cross.  This is the dirt, rocks, trees...  all the substance we think of when we think of earth.

To the right, as you are looking at the cross, is Fluidity or Water.  As the name implies, everything dealing with or living in water is represented here.

At the bottom of the cross is Air, or Breath.  As the name implies, this element represents the wind, the breeze, even the very breath we breathe.

The final arm of the cross is Uvel, or Fire.  In addition to actual fire, this element includes the sun, and heat, and even light.

The center of the cross represents Spirit, or Nwyvre.  This is the element of the Divine that we, as humans, can not see or touch, but, if we are lucky, can sense.

How are these (the 5 elements in Celtic tradition) different from what you may already be familiar with?

I don't think the first four are very different at all.  Earth, Wind, Air, and Fire are common in all traditions I've seen or studied.  Even the element of Spirit is similar to other beliefs.  In the Celtic tradition explained here, though, it is slightly different — and more realistic to me.   I'm drawn to the fact that it includes the Spirit of humans, and not just the Divine.  I believe we are all connected to the Divine, and this view of the elements reinforces that belief in me.

Druids and Bards: a research paper

The following was written for the Celtic Wicca class at the Magic Circle School. The assignment was to select two areas of Celtic society and write a research paper on them. Well, it was a little more specific then that, but you get the idea!

For this paper, I chose to focus on the Druids and the Bards.

According to Wikipedia, a Druid was “was a member of the priestly and learned class” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Druid). Everything I was able to find about them hinted that very little is actually known, and what people think they know is actually pieced together and extrapolated from the few facts that are available. The term “Druid” probably comes from the Gaelic word “doire,” which means oak tree. The root of the word also means wisdom (http://www.crystalinks.com/druids.html).

According to The Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids, Druidism can be a spiritual path, a religion, or a cultural activity (http://www.druidry.org/modules.php? op=modload& name=PagEd&file=index&topic_id=1&page_id=8).

According to The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Celtic Wisdom by Carl McColman, a Druid was an intellectual figure, held social prestige, and had political influence (p. 124). Druids probably also had extensive training in magic. McColman went on to say that Druids quite possibly also had training in sciences, law, philosophy, and medicine. The part that fascinated me, though, was the idea that the Druid class was also made up of “Anamcharas,” or soul friends (p. 128). These were the counselors and spiritual guides of the Celtic society. The book The Druids: Celtic Priests of Nature by Jean Markale seems to be one of many texts completely devoted to the idea of the Druids being the spiritual leaders of their society.

Following that idea, The Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids lists an interesting timeline of the Druids and their role in the spiritual health of their society (http://www.druidry.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=PagEd&file=index&topic_id=1&page_id=7). The website states that spirituality existed in Europe more then 25,000 years ago and changed relatively little for the first 20,000 years or so. The spiritual practices of this time focused on the “circle of life” — the rebirth of the God through the Goddess. One of the most common way to show that — at least that have survived — are the mounds. One great example can be found at New Grange in Ireland, where a shaft is oriented to the Winter Solstice sunrise, so that the dawn rays can bathe the initiate in sunlight after his or her vigil through the night.

The site goes on to say that by the 16th Century, “the key text of Druid spirituality, transcribed from the oral tradition by Christian clerics, talks of the spiritual and magical training of a Druid, in which he is eaten by a Goddess, enters her belly, and is reborn as the greatest poet in the land. So from over twenty thousand years ago to the sixteenth century, we see a common theme - which we find again in the training of Druids and poets in Scotland up until the seventeenth century. There, to awaken their creative genius, they were told to lie in darkness for days, and after this period of sensory deprivation, they were released into the brightness of the world.”

McColman states that it was this era of translation that combined many of the Druid beliefs into the Christian tradition. He claims that The Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids has held an important role in bring Pagans and Christians together in the name of religious tolerance (p.133). He states, “Druids can fill a unique role as ‘religious ambassadors,’ especially between Christianity and neopagan religions such as Wicca.”

Again, though, this is because of the modern Druid, and not truly historic one of which so little pure information is known. This is in part because modern Druidism is embraced as a philosophy, more than a religion (McColman, p. 133).

In his book, McColman lists nine steps to becoming a modern Druid. They are as follows:

1. Become environmentally aware.
2. Read all you can.
3. Meditate.
4. Take responsibility for your life.
5. Make contact with other aspiring druids.
6. Engage with the spiritual world.
7. Let go of your cherished illusions.
8. Become well rounded.
9. Serve your clan.

In my opinion, though, these combine the steps most members of society should be taking no matter what spiritual path they pursue — changing “Make contact with other aspiring druids” to “Make contact with other aspiring (whatever path you are on).”

The second path I chose to research is that of the Bard. Whereas the Druids were the spiritual leaders and intellectual “workers” of their society, the Bards were the entertainers and intellectual “fun guys.” These were the poets, musicians, and storytellers. Bards were the ones who not only shared the history of the society, but also gave people an escape.

According to one web site I found, “The Bard was a repository of histories, stories, legends, songs and poetry of his people. Wherever the bard travelled, he was honoured and given certain diplomatic impunity. Before the invention of the printing press, books and scribes were very costly, and recently news travelled very slowly and inaccurately. The bard, due to his education in oral tradition, could be relied upon to know the latest news from his court, whether crops had failed to the south, or which roads were safe to travel. For some villages and towns, the bard was the only reliable source of information (http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/2662/bards.html).”

The Bard allowed artistic endeavors to flow and often used those endeavors for spiritual purposes (McColman, p. 94). One reason this resonates so well with me, is that I believe artistic talents —painting, drawing, writing, music — are all gifts from the Divine.
Interestingly, Taliesin, Britain’s chief Bard, believed the same. In the story of Gwion Bach and Cerridwen (which can be found at various websites and books), we learn three things. First, talent is a gift. Gwion Bach didn’t ask for his responsibility in stirring the pot, nor did he ask for shape shifting powers. He received that wisdom because it was his destiny, and the talent to shape shift for the same reason. How different that story would have been where it not for those talents and gifts? The same can be said for OUR talents. How different would art be without Monet? Theater without Shakespeare? Music without Bach?

The second lesson we can learn from the Bard is that if we don’t use our talents, we can die. If you believe that your talents are gifts, then they must be used to better our lives, the lives of those around us, nature, the earth… the list goes on.

Finally, at least as much as if not more than any other, shows us the beautiful relationship between art and magic. In the story of Taliesin, he left listeners “spell bound” with his tale. The same has been said for many artists of all genres.

Those are the Bards. They use their art to change the world. There is a spiritual element to their creation and they show us that.

Just like he did for Druids, McColman lists nine steps to becoming a modern Bard. They are as follows:

1. Make the pursuit of wisdom and spirituality a priority in your life.
2. Befriend your inner genius.
3. Claim your gifts and take them further.
4. Play at least one kind of musical instrument.
5. Get to know the history of your people.
6. Get to know the myths that shape your path.
7. Master the art of storytelling.
8. Ask for Divine help.
9. Put yourself out there.

These are the types of things I personally feel the need and desire to do personally. So where I believe society, as a whole, should follow the steps listed for Druidism, I find myself also drawn to these steps of the Barb because those are the things that bring me inner peace.

Celtic Goddess paper

For a goddess, I selected Brigid. A LOT has been written about her and I will only touch on some of what I found.

As the Goddess of Fire, Brigid is found in the home and hearth, she is also to be called on for inspiration and creativity. All of these aspects are important to me because I’m a mother, I work from my home (so I’m always here and cooking!), and I am a creative (as well as “crafty”) person. In addition, Brigid is the goddess of poetry (http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/celtic-goddess-brigid.htm) and I am an unpublished novelist — yet another way Brigid does and is working in my life. To put it another way, Brigid is responsible for the Fire of the Hearth; the Fire of the Forge; and the Fire of Inspiration (http://www.pantheon.org/articles/b/brigid.html).

Lore about this goddess is abundant. It is believed that when Christianity overtook the Celtic lands, the Christians “converted” Brigid into St. Brigit. The goddess’s cross, which could have originally been a pagan sunwheel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigid%27s_cross) became a cross dedicated to Christ, allowing the ancient people to still safely practice and hold their beliefs.

With her “mother” aspect, Brigid is the goddess associated with Imbolic, the bringing of Spring. This “birthing” of the land is her responsibility. As the goddess of fertility, this is a perfect role for her.

One of the things I found the most fascinating about her, though, was the idea that Brigid had two sisters — also named Brigid. Together these three symbolize the Celtic Triple Goddess (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigid). One datasheet I found online put it this way:

Brighid - a poetess, daughter of the Dagda. She is the female sage, woman of wisdom, or Brighid the Goddess whom poets venerated because very great and famous for her protecting care. She was therefore called 'Goddess of the Poets'. Her sisters were Brighid the female physician, and Brighid the female smith; among all Irishmen, a goddess was called 'Brighid'. Brighid is from breo-aigit or 'fiery arrow'. (http://www.shee-eire.com/Magic&Mythology/Gods&Goddess/Celtic/Goddess/Brigit/Factsheet1.htm)

Brigid, in my opinion, is an amazing Goddess and I feel very drawn to her because of the “fires” she represents. There is so much information out there about her, though, that narrowing it down for this paper was difficult and I plan to spend more time studying her in the future.

Celtic God paper

The god I chose to learn about for this assignment is Oscar. I chose him because I actually named my dog after him. (I hope that’s OK, since he wasn’t one you had listed on the “Gods” page.)

According to answers.com, Oscar is the son of Oisin, and grandson of Fionn mac Cumhaill. As a child, Oscar was excluded and other Fianna refused to take him on their adventures. The web site goes on to say, though, that Oscar “becomes a focus for the idealization of storytellers; he is consistently the bravest, the most stalwart, the most frequently victorious. If a warrior is called for a single combat with a fearsome challenger, Oscar most readily serves.” (http://www.answers.com/topic/oscar-18) The Dictionary of Celtic Religion and Culture claims that Oscar was one of the most important warriors of the Finn Cycle and adds that in Works of Ossain, Oscar is listed as the son of an aged poet (http://books.google.com/books?id=7AvdTqwucfwC&pg =PA218&lpg=PA218&dq=celtic+oskar&source=web&ots=HlOvIjDqVf&sig=MwFB7pnzMtnCCYAXHrM6EorDWsw).

Answers.com goes on to state that Oscar accomplished the following tasks:

• He wrestles with Goll mac Morna to establish himself as the strongest of all the Fianna. 
  
• He engages in overseas adventures accompanied by Labraid Lámderg [red hand].
  
• In Tóraighecht Dhiarmada agus Ghráinne [The Pursuit of Diarmait and Gráinne], Oscar sympathizes with the fugitive lovers against his grandfather. Étaín is Oscar’s usual consort, although he is a pale lover compared to Diarmait. 
  
• Oscar’s climactic moment in the Cycle comes in Cath Gabhra [The Battle of Gabhair/Gowra], when he mortally wounds the hated Cairbre Lifechair, whose dying act is to thrust a spear through Oscar’s heart. (http://www.answers.com/topic/oscar-18)
  

The slain hero is then buried under a cairn at Benn Étair. In the Christianized story of the Fianna’s escape from hell, Oscar is the critical player, wielding an unbreakable thong so that his comrades can break free. Also, Oisín tells St Patrick in The Colloquy of the Elders that “only God can defeat Oscar.”

I couldn’t find any correspondences for Oscar, but did manage to think of some that hold significance for me. For an animal, I chose the deer. Although I looked and looked, I couldn’t find the exact page, but I know The Encyclopedia of Ancient Myths and Cultures lists Oscar as a great deer hunter. Since answers.com does suggest that Oscar may have originally been an alternative form for Oisin (which means “little deer”) that may well be. I would also have Oscar be a god of humor, since he supposedly died with a joke on his lips, “provoking Fionn to weep as he does at no other point in the Cycle,” according to answers.com.

Wicca in the Celtic Tradition

Having read through the lists of Celtic Wicca, I feel very drawn to a number of the traditions, specifically the Deborean, Family, and Arthurian ones.

The Family Tradition appeals to me because it is the style of Wicca I was brought up practicing. My heritage is very much Irish (my mother's father was half-Irish), and a belief in the "little people" and the "fae folk" and the stories and traditions that encompass that culture were an important part of my childhood, thanks to my mother and grandfather. In my case, these beliefs and traditions were very much mixed with main-stream Christianity to the point that I didn't see a difference. Embracing the ability to see spirits, or speak with the dead, was one aspect. Leaving a cup of milk for the fairies was another. In my opinion, turning the Goddess Brigid into Saint Brigid (keeping her tale the same, bringing her out of hiding, yet still making her "acceptable" to share with others ) is yet another way. Even using specific herbs for a sore throat or making certain foods before a journey are more than family traditions because of the magical/mystical properties around the herbs and other ingredients. The people who practiced this form of Celtic Wicca kept their family's traditions and rituals by sharing with their children and their children's children.

The Arthurian Tradition also intrigues me. Based on everything I've been able to find, not only is this the most well-known of the Celtic paths, but it is also the one based upon King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Each of the main characters in the legends is a hero of sorts. Deep at it's roots, this is a story of women's rights and empowerment. I don't believe that the legend is without truth, since by definition "Legends are fabulous stories that have some historical basis." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend#Related_concepts) I refuse to believe that there wasn't a tradition of Celtic beliefs to follow Arthur and his quest for the grail.

Finally, I think that's what makes the Deborean Tradition so appealing to me. It's a way of combining so many of the Celtic traditions with the Native American ones. The Clan of the Forest Moon relies on Cherokee beliefs (http://www.paganspath.com/forestmoon/principles-clan.htm), but I think any Native American tribe's traditions could be used. While this tradition seems to have been founded in the Smokey Mountains (http://josef.theislandbase.com/Wicca/AlternativeReligion.htm#deb), I don't see why the same principles can't apply to the people of the Black Hills. Since there is a strong Lakota population where I live, I think we as people should and could learn from the people who have inhabited this land for so long before us. I'm drawn to the "old ways" and in a country not even 250 years old, those ways really belong to the Native Americans.

No matter what "minor path" you resonate with, though, I think the Celtic traditions are the most "real" for me. I found the following definition at http://josef.theislandbase.com/Wicca/AlternativeReligion.htm#cel that summarized Celtic Wicca.

This sect concentrates on the elements, nature and the Ancients. With their great knowledge of healing, magick and nature, including plants, animals and stones, this tradition is probably the closest in structure to the ancients. They are extremely dedicated to preserving the importance of traditional Celtic values such as honor, courage, truth, strength, wisdom, and eloquence. Aided by the fey, Celtic magick is full of fun, yet powerful.

To me, that's what this path is all about.