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By Jaguar
As many of you have noticed, this issue of Ripples is quite late. The forces of chaos quite overcame me this time. I must have forgotten to make a suitable offering to the Outsiders at the last ritual! In the meantime, much has happened. The Yule issue of News from the Mother Grove (for which I am also Chronicler) was completed and sent to the printer on schedule. Unfortunately, the printer also forgot to appease the god/desses of chaos, and the Samhain and Yule issues went out together, early in the New Year.
For those of you who hadnt yet heard, Fox and I are expecting a sprout in July (if you can't recruit 'em, breed 'em <grin>). We are quite excited, as this is our first. Many thanks to those of you who have already been so supportive.
Finally, on a more somber note, Isaac Bonewits, the ArchDruid of ADF (our parent organization) recently resigned from his position, due in large part to failing health. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors. What this means for ADF is unclear at the moment but we hope to have more news in a few weeks. In the meantime, Ian Corrigan, as Acting ArchDruid, has assumed Isaac's responsibilities.
By Fox
Few areas of Celtic lore are more confused by the ravages of time and cultural intrusion than the phenomena of death and the afterlife. The coming of the new Christian faith to Northern Europe signaled a radical change in our traditional understanding of death and rebirth as new characters and biblical theology were superimposed on aboriginal mythology. This hybridization of belief systems created a uniquely Celtic Christianity that, while greatly enhanced by popular folk belief, was in many ways very different from our pre-Christian understanding of the world.
Much of the thinking that resulted from this course of events has been passed down through the centuries to us in folk tales and continues to distort our views of ancient cosmology today. Many of these ideas even continue to be upheld and promoted by modern Neopagan lore as tales are retold and studied for use in revivalist movements. To gain a clearer understanding of our cosmological heritage we must attempt to identify and remove these external influences of late history to reveal a functional and internally consistent world view. While we can not hold out much hope for a truly precise picture of our ancestors beliefs these efforts will carry us much closer to that goal.
The Gods and Goddesses of our ancestors were seen as very powerful. They existed in this world and could move freely between the realms. They were intimately tied to the activities of the world and had an active role in daily events. Many were involved directly in the very cycles upon which life depended.
When Christianity came to the fore people slowly adapted their understanding of these older deities to the new faith. A theology developed to explain the deities loss of power to the Christians God which described them as being defeated and relegated to the margins of the world. This belief was a continuation of our traditional view of supernatural relegation. The Celtic Deities were forced to live underground in the same way that they had once forced older pre-Celtic Gods to move out into the Sea.
Today the myths that have been passed through time to us contain stories of how the Gods were forced to live beneath the ground in caves and burial mounds. They began to be referred to as 'the Sidhe' from the Gaelic term for under the hill. Stories abound of fantastic underworld palaces where the former Gods, in diminished form, host marvelous banquets for the dead and heroes of old. These themes are repeated in other tales which picture these palaces as hostels or bruidhen. These accounts have contributed much confusion to a clear understanding of ancient cosmology as they unjustly cast most of the major Irish deities in the role of the Celtic Otherworld God.
As the Christian view of the sinister nature of death and the Otherworld took hold, attitudes toward the old Gods became rooted in suspicion and fear. In late times our view of the Gods became so diminished that they began to be thought of as fairies, sprites, elves, dwarves, etc. These characters maintained their sinister and dangerous nature until recent times when the New Age movement and modern Disney stories turned them into cute but inconsequential playthings.
A very popular figure in modern day Neopaganism is the horned man, often given the name 'Cernunnos' taken from a single inscription in Gaul. This modern horned man is a strange mixture of a number of ancient deities from Pan through the Green Man through Hermes through Arawn to Gwyn ap Nudd created through the syncretic power of Wiccan theology. He is seen as a representation of the wild and lusty force of nature while at the same time embodying a sinister otherworldly soul hunter character.
I believe that some of the content of this deity is the result of the collision of the ancient Welsh Otherworld God Arawn with the Christian Devil which occurred as Annwn slowly became synonymous with the Christian Hell. Other portions come from Gwyn ap Nudd, who was once a Welsh hunter God but later became the leader of the 'wild hunt' where the forces of chaos and evil roamed the countryside seeking lone travelers for the opportunity to snatch their souls.
As the aboriginal view of death as a natural passage in the never-ending cycle of life was overtaken by Christian concepts the previously benevolent Otherworld God took on the sinister and fearful characteristics of a demon. The festival of Samhain slowly turned from a respectful honoring of those who had passed beyond into a time to hide in our homes for fear of having our souls snatched away. Tales that once told us how to welcome the honored dead into our homes were reversed to teach us how to protect ourselves from them and bar them from our doors.
The horned man is indeed one of oldest known deities of Western Europe. But far from being a soul snatching Death God he was the protector of animals and the forest creatures. He was intimately connected with the deeply spiritual, but hardly sinister, activity of hunting and was honored widely as vital to the delicate dance of life. In this original form he is a very appropriate deity for our modern movement at a time when environmentalism is practically a spiritual imperative.
The ancient Celtic Otherworld had little to do with the underground. In fact, it is more readily identified on the horizontal plane as outward from the center rather than downward. It was associated strongly with the sea, and for this reason occupies a place as a realm in the triad of land, sea and sky. The dead are envisioned as living on beautiful islands or in magical lands under the surface of the waves.
The Otherworld is a happy place of peace and harmony, an idealized mirror image of this world. There is no pain, sickness or aging as the dead enjoy beautiful music and endless banquets of delight. The heroes of the ages entertain themselves with all sort of sports and good-natured athletic competitions as all await their time of return to this world.
The king and host of this wondrous realm is a Sea God. For Shining Lakes Grove he has been identified as Manannan mac Lir. His functional equivalent in the Welsh pantheon is the God Arawn. Both of them are far from demonic characters. Manannan is a wise and gracious host who has many wondrous abilities and possessions such as magical horses who can stride on the surface of the ocean, a cloak of invisibility and magical pigs.
The Irish Celts have a tale of the first mortal ever to die. Just prior to their landfall upon Ireland, the sons of Mil are stricken by a mishap. One of their number, a fellow named Donn is drowned by the Goddess Eriu after he insults her. From this point on he appears in the tales as the keeper of the first guidepost on the journey to the Otherworld. The dead were believed to have briefly visited or passed by his house just after the moment of death. This house is located on an island off the coast of Ireland called TechnDuinn or House of Donn. This tale is undoubtedly of ancient origin as it is present in other forms in the larger body of Indo-European lore such as the Vedic Yama.
The battle hags of Celtic lore are closely associated with death. They are often seen transformed into ravens who hang around battlefields to feast on the gory remains. They are closely associated with the destiny of warriors and are usually triple Goddesses. Examples are Badbh, Nemhain, Macha and the Morrigan. They do not, however, seem to have anything to do with the realm of the dead itself and rather are mostly concerned with the moment of loss of life and possibly transportation of the soul to that realm.
There are also female characters who can be more readily seen as Goddesses of the Otherworld.
They are generally very beautiful women who have great regenerative and healing powers. They are strongly associated with swans or songbirds with beautiful plumage and magical voices. The Goddesses often have the ability to transform themselves into the form of these birds. Examples of these Goddesses are Fand, Be Lind, Fi Band, Naiv, Rhiannon and probably Epona. In later tales they were seen as enchantresses who lured heroes into Otherworld adventures.
Living mortals also occasionally entered the Otherworld. A large number of the tales that have been passed down to us concern mortal adventures into the Otherworld and encounters with its inhabitants. Bold heroes such as Pwyll, Cu Chulainn, Bran, Finn and Conaire all found or fell upon a way to transgress the boundary between the worlds. These tales provide a wealth of knowledge about the nature of the Otherworld while pointing the way for modern practitioners to access and explore this realm. This is particularly true of those tales surrounding the God Manannan mac Lir.
A final character that should be mentioned is the Otherworldly dog or hound. As with many of the Indo-European people, the Celts also had such beasts in their mythology. Kings of the Otherworld such as Manannan and Arawn had special dogs which were red and white or speckled in appearance. They served their masters as hunting dogs or guard gods. When they were viewed by mortals they were seen as omens of impending death.
Through the careful study and adoption of the principals outlined above we will be able to cultivate an understanding of death and the Otherworld that is much closer to that of our ancestors. The concept of the Otherworld as a peaceful and benevolent respite has important implications to our funerary and worship practices while permitting us to evolve a much more balanced and less-fearful approach to the journey beyond the veil.
The understanding of the genealogy of the Sidhe God tales is particularly important to our revival of faith in the old Gods. The fact that these Gods have been freed from their underground prisons to rule the world again has great power to bring them into our lives and show us their relevance to the interworkings of life. As we have begun to learn in Shining Lakes Grove this belief that the Gods can be once again seen and felt in nature around us has great power to intimately connect our acts of love and worship to the ever changing force of life around us.
By Johnna ap'Morrygan
One of the plants most associated with the ancient druids is mistletoe. There are actually two species of mistletoe, both of which are members of the Loradae family but in two different genera. European mistletoe (Viscum album) was the type known to the druids, while American mistletoe (Phoradendron flavescens or Phoradendron serotinum) was used medicinally by Native Americans.
Both types of mistletoe are small shrubby plants with woody stems branching in an irregular fashion. Both have dark green, thick, leathery leaves which are green year round and small, sticky white berries in clusters. Mistletoe does flower in the summer, but the flowers are tiny and a nondescript yellowish color. The berries form in October and last all winter. The main apparent difference between the two varieties are that V. album has longer, more slender leaves up to three inches long, while the American type has broader leaves which grow to about two inches. In both varieties, the plant itself is a foot or two long, although it is possible that they may grow much larger. Mistletoes are found on a variety of trees, including oaks, fruit trees, and willows. American mistletoe grows in New Jersey, Ohio, southern Indiana, Minnesota, and south into Texas and Florida. European mistletoe grows both throughout Europe and northern Asia even as far east as Japan. Mistletoe should also be available through florists and other suppliers in December.
An enormous amount of lore surrounds the mistletoe plant. Its association with druids comes mainly from the eyewitness account of Pliny, who recorded a Midsummer ceremony in which druids harvested mistletoe with a golden sickle and caught it in a white cloth so as not to touch the ground. He further recorded that the druids referred to the plant as all heal and considered it the most powerful of all healing herbs. Some Celtic scholars think that the reason mistletoe was so valued was because, growing as it did in trees, it was a most singular plant. The Celts seemed to have fascinated by things which were exceptions to the usual rules. This makes sense in view of a Norse story involving mistletoe. The Norse god Balder could not be killed by any plant growing in the earth, so Loki arranged to have him murdered with a dart of mistletoe wood. He was then burned in a fire, but the other gods so mourned his passing and were so angry at Loki's plotting that they managed to resurrect him. After that, the mistletoe plant was given to the love goddess Freya, perhaps to symbolize the love of the gods for Balder. She supposedly decreed that anyone passing under the plant must receive a kiss to signify that the mistletoe is the plant of love. It is uncertain how mistletoe came to be associated with Yule, except that it is evergreen and associated with rebirth, and Yule is the time of the birth or rebirth of gods.
Magically, American mistletoe may be used the same way as the European type as the properties which make it magical are the same. One important part of the lore of using mistletoe was that it was always harvested in some unusual or special way. Some peoples believed that it must not be touched by iron, so it was harvested with gold implements. Others harvested the plant by throwing stones to knock it out of the tree. Another almost universal belief was that it must not touch the ground, or it would be worthless.
Culpeper classified mistletoe as ruled by the Sun, and as hot and dry (fire). He also reiterated the old idea that the best mistletoe is that which grows on the oak. As previously mentioned, mistletoe is sacred to Freya, and is also sometimes associated with Odin. Wiccans often connect mistletoe with the fifth element, spirit. Mistletoe is very useful in love magic, and in fertility magic. Pliny reported that the druids gave an infusion of mistletoe leaves to women and animals who were barren. Wearing it or bathing in the infusion would probably work just as well. The dried berries may be used as an incense for love spells. It is also considered one of the best protective plants. It was used as a charm hung in the household to protect against accidental fires and used in a variety of ways to protect against malevolent magic.
Before discussing the medicinal properties and uses of the mistletoes, there are a few words of warning. First, under no circumstances should you ingest the berries, and they should be kept away from pets and children. The berries of both varieties are toxic, and deaths have been reported from eating them. It is, of course, very possible that the druids valued mistletoe partly for its ability to induce visions, since, like most deadly poisons, mistletoe berries are hallucinogenic. In addition, the plant itself is mildly toxic. No deaths have been reported from ingesting the leaves or preparations of the leaves, but caution should be exercised. In the 1930s, when mistletoe was still widely used,it was prepared by using 1 teaspoon dried or 2 teaspoons fresh leaves to one pint of boiling water. A mouthful was taken no more than three times a day, and this is most likely a very safe dosage.
It is also very important to distinguish between the two types of mistletoe for medicinal purposes, because the active compounds are quite different. American mistletoe is primarily a stimulant. It stimulates, the heart, central nervous system, and smooth muscles, resulting in increased blood pressure and uterine contractions. Native Americans used it to treat, epilepsy, headaches, hyper-tension, lung ailments, paralysis, and, most importantly, as a childbirth aid and abortificient. Scientific studies have confirmed its efficacy in childbirth, and in controlling bleeding after labor. American mistletoe should not be used by pregnant women, because of the risk of miscarriage, nor by those with high blood pressure or heart problems.
The medicinal properties of European mistletoe are quite different. It tends to depress nerve impulses, lower blood pressure and increase pulse rate. It is a useful sedative and may be valuable in treating high blood pressure. One interesting fact is that, in ancient times, people used the principles of sympathetic magic and concluded that since mistletoe does not touch the ground, it could prevent fits of falling sickness, today called epilepsy. They therefore wore sprigs on their persons or drank infusions of the leaves. In more recent times, however, research has confirmed that the way that European mistletoe affects nerve impulses really does control spasms caused by epilepsy and other nervous disorders. In addition, European mistletoe is currently being researched for its use in treating cancer, and compounds derived from it are already in use in Europe for several types of cancer.
In either type of mistletoe, the leaves are the part which is used medicinally. They may be dried at room temperature or used fresh. An infusion as previously described may be made using boiling water, and steeped for about five minutes in a covered container. This is the only recommended method for dispensing mistletoe.
Editors Note: SLG does not endorse or recommend the use of medicinal herbs by untrained or unsupervised individuals. This article is intended solely for your reading enjoyment.
By Kami Landy
Editor's Note: This is the first in a two-part series on bringing our pagan practices into our everyday lives.
We come home from ritual energized, connected, inspired, determined to keep up this relationship with those who dwell in Otherworlds. Then we look around. No nemeton. No bonfire. No well. No knowledgeable ritualists to guide us through the process. No TIME. Oh well, there's a ritual about once every six weeks. WAIT A MINUTE! That's not all there is to life or even to our Pagan religion. You don't HAVE to have all the lovely trappings, you may not even always want them. So, what can we do at home, in those few minutes here and there that busy people can steal for themselves?
Well, first let's look at physical structures. We have a pretty elaborate ritual space setup. Do you need a whole nemeton at home? Well, it's nice if you plan to do that sort of formal ritual, and can make a lovely meditation spot, but you don't actually need it. So, what do you need? How can you approximate the various shrines and altars in your own home? Well, first off, I'm going to describe something that will work best for a person who is in their own home. Another time we can talk about adaptations for a dorm or room in a non-pagan house.
So- the basic definers of sacred space; a "center", then fire and water. The center is the central axis, the roof tree. If you don't have a central chimney, there is probably a staircase somewhere near the middle of the house. This is your "bile'", the roof tree which holds the whole house together and enables you to go up and down freely as our "world tree" enables us to pass between worlds freely. As such, you might want to decorate that wall with a Celtic knotwork tree of life picture or stone carving or a quilt of that name. You can put an incense (or better, sweet oil) burner on a shelf or side table or the like under it. When you come down in the morning, go up to bed at night, or first return from a trip, be aware of our constant movement between the natural, human and spiritual worlds. Let the simple act of walking up and down stairs, or of touching the side of your chimney, become a meditative reconnection with all the levels at which we exist. No, you probably can't do it every time you go up and down stairs, there are kids to yell at and missing tie-tacks to find while running madly about. But that once or twice a day will help you to remember who you are.
What of the fire? We can't very well keep a sacred fire burning in the house can we? Or can we? What is the pilot flame on the hot water or furnace or cook stove if not an eternal flame? Now, it lacks something of atmosphere to go down to the basement for worship, although there is historic precedent for it, so what is the "hearth and heart" of your home? If you have a fireplace, well, you're home free- there's a veritable hearth. Look at the Scottish tradition of smothering the fire at bedtime; it's a lovely, quiet, meditative moment to focus on the sanctity and security and permanence of home. If you haven't got a fireplace, then look to the "fire" you use most for domestic tasks, the stove. Doesn't everyone seem to gravitate to the kitchen anyway? Since it's probably prohibitive to light a whole bonfire in the kitchen, how about a nice little cast iron brazier, especially if it's cauldron shaped, which can live next to the stove? Light it as you begin to cook a meal, briefly giving thanks for the use of this powerful force for our daily needs. Do you or the kids do homework at the kitchen table? It can also be a fire of inspiration. You might hang a Brigit's cross or corn dolly above it, or a sun face.
Where better to think of sacred water, flowing water, than the bathroom. I think that indoor plumbing is well worth our reverence! Seriously, it's not hard to create a little fountain or sculpture of river rocks and shells to place beside the sink or in a corner of the tub. Again, when you are in there for your own daily ablutions, pour a cup of water over this small shrine so it cascades down into it's own "pool", perhaps a china or even plastic bowl, and ask for the continuing presence and goodwill of that goddess or spirit who keeps the water in your house or in the land under it. If you feel moved to offer a gift of silver or nuts or a charm in the form of something you need, you can place it there until you are able to put it in a nearby stream, lake or pond. Try not to offer your best ring down the drain unless you're REALLY in need... Once again, as the connection with fire reminds us of our ability to harness that wild power, so this moment of contemplating water reminds us to be still and deep, to listen to the flowing forces within the earth.
In our rituals, after we have opened these three portals between worlds, we invite three kindreds; the gods, the beloved dead, and the spirits of nature. How shall we attend to them at home? First, not everyone has a personal patron deity. If you do, you will determine the proper place for their shrine based on who they are. A shrine to Brid belongs in the kitchen or by the fireplace or near your desk for inspiration. A shrine to Manannan might be part of your water focus, or might be at the front door since he is a guide between worlds and is found at boundaries. A shrine to Cernunnos or Flidais might look awfully like a hunting trophy on the wall, or be a small circle of trees in the yard. Lugh might like to be remembered at your work or in the "seat of authority" to which you retire after a long day. The Dagda can be found in the bedroom or the kitchen or your comfy chair. And so on. If you want a general work-altar for honoring all the gods as you need to, then you will want to put aside a corner as your "temple space". Mine lives between the computer and my desk and is put away most of the time, the icons or tools being used for "decorations" atop a shelf or tucked safely into a drawer, since the space is needed by the kids or the person at the computer, most of the time. Take your time finding out what works for you, the gods are patient. And they sometimes give hints. Oh- and don't forget the shrine in your car. Where else do you have so much time for contemplation, privacy to speak aloud, and need of protection?
Compiled by Kami Landy
There are MANY more sources of content and analysis regarding the Irish and Welsh mythology than are listed here. I just included the ones on my shelf for now. If anyone wants more, have a look at the ADF Study Program Guide, or see me for an extensive booklist from the Nemeton-L computer mailing list.
Rees, Alwyn and Brinley; Celtic Heritage; Thames and Hudson, NY, 1961.
When I first picked up this book in 1981, it was still considered controversial because it interpreted and organized the stories in ways no one else had done. Now it's a standard in the field. Read it to see how myths fit into a cosmological order, then go find more detailed tellings of the stories elsewhere.
Dillon, Myles; Early Irish Literature; University of Chicago Press, 1948.
I've had this book since I began reading Celtic myth in 1979. While it's old and a bit dated, it's one of the nicest integrations of the original verse in translation that I've seen, and an extremely lucid organization of the material. I believe it's been reprinted in soft cover which is available from Barnes and Noble along with much of his other material. Speaking of which, have a look at;
ibid, ed.; Irish Sagas; Mercier Press, Dublin, 1968.
Nice retelling and analysis of some of the major stories for an Irish radio series. Mr. Dillon translated the stories but not the titles, which causes some confusion. I consider it a supplemental source.
Sjoestedt, Marie-Louise; Gods and Heroes of the Celts; Turtle Island Foundation, Berkley CA, 1982.
Important interpretation of the Societal myths of the Celts, especially the Irish, translated from the French by Myles Dillon. It was written in 1940, yet it is quite important and still current.
Green, Miranda Jane; Celtic Myths; British Museum Press, 1993.
At last! Something recent. Ms. Green specializes in the interpretation of art and artifacts more than the literature, so this little book adds another dimension to our understanding of the literary material of the early Celts, as she puts the tales together with the physical record. So does;
Ross, Anne; Every Day Life of the Pagan Celts; G.P. Putnam's Sons, NY, 1970.
It's been reprinted as, I believe, The Pagan Celts. Ms. Ross focuses on the archaeological record to illuminate the culture of the early Celts, including the religion. I tend to put this in partnership with
Powell, T.G.E.; The Celts; Frederick A. Praeger pub., NY, 1958.
Similar to Ross, but more readable (at least to me). More of an emphasis on the religion and the history, supported by the archaeological record.
Gregory, Lady Augusta; Gods and Fighting Men; The story of the Tuatha De Danaan and of the Fianna of Ireland, Arranged and Put into English by Lady Gregory. With a Preface by W.B.Yeats.; Charles Scribner's Sons, NY 1904.
The title tells it all...
Kinsella, Thomas, trans.; The Tain; Oxford University Press, 1969.
The currently popular translation of the main story of the Ulster Cycle, which includes the whole life of CuChulainn.
Gantz, Geoffrey, trans.; The Mabinogion; Penguin Classics; ?.
My favorite translation of the Welsh mythology.
Rutherford, Ward; Celtic Mythology; Sterling Publishing Co,NY, 1987.
Brief overview of the myths, with analysis. Puts them into a cultural context and looks at the sources. Really more about research verification and debunking some of the fuzzy thinking about the ancient Celts than about the mythology, but useful.
Smyth, Daragh; A Guide to Irish Mythology; Irish Academic Press, 1988.
A dictionary-style reference about the characters of the mythology.
Rayner, Lee J.; Legends of the Kings of Ireland; Mercier Press, Cork and Dublin, 1988.
Nice re-telling of the Historical Cycle, with analysis.
Heartfelt condolences to Patty Disbrow on the passing of her mother.
Many thanks to L.J. Prucha for her generous donation to Shining Lakes Grove. She encourages others to join her in the support of the Grove.
Many thanks, also, to Bill McDonald for his very kind donation to SLG's Building Fund.
(From James Beard's American Cookery)
Soak raisins in liquor while you make the crust of your choice. After the crust is made, add all the remaining filling ingredients to the raisins. Divide the mixture between the pans (if making two pies), pour half of the butter into each pan, and add the upper crust. Bake at 450F for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350F and bake for 25 minutes (8 inch pies) or 35 minutes (10 inch pie). Serve warm with whipped cream, ice cream or hard sauce.
SLG has created an Ancestors' Memorial Plaque to memorialize the dear friends and relatives of the SLG community who now live in the Summerlands. The dark walnut of the plaque is beautifully set off by shining brass plates displaying the names of our loved ones. It has become a permanent part of our shrine to the ancestors. For a small donation, you can have your loved ones name engraved on the plaque and especially honored at every Samhain celebration. Please call Johnna ap Morrygan at 485-8632 for more information.
Submitted by Gwydion ap'Morrygan
Starting Balance: $0.00 Income: Donations: $860.31 Raffle Proceeds: 737.18 Local Dues: 589.00 National Dues: 540.00 Book Sales: 121.60 DP Subscrip.: 60.00 Ripples Subscriptions: 10.00 Total Income: $2898.09 Expenditures: Postage: $614.86 National Dues: 560.00 Ritual Site Fees: 410.00 Necklace Material: 327.12 Ritual Props: 101.07 Copying Costs: 81.91 Govt. Fees: 70.95 Office Supplies: 59.99 Banking Fees: 57.80 Raffle Items: 52.00 Book Purchase: 29.00 Advertising: 18.00 Presentation Supplies: 17.15 Newsletter Supplies: 16.49 Total Expenditures: $2416.34 Ending Balance: $481.75
Shining Lakes Grove
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