Celtic Reconstructionist forum

Revisiting a post on Possession

2008-07-20T00:37:27Z

I hope that it is OK to post a comment and question of this link - I am new to Livejournal and I am afraid that I don't know the "etiquette" yet - so if this is a problem, I am hoping someone will let me know.
Since I joined the community this past week, I have been going through the archives. I saw interesting posts from 2003 regarding possession. Having come from a Haitian Vodou background and having had experienced possession by the lwa first hand, I found this post particularly interesting and would like to share a personal experience I had when I first began studying CR.

So, a little over a year ago, I began to want to do some sort of ritual. I didn't (and still don't) have a lot of experience when it comes to writing rituals so I based it on certain portions of the traditional Haitian Vodou Ceremony (I wrote about this a little bit in my LiveJournal a few days ago) as this was the only sort of ritual I was familiar with (other than Catholic :-)). In Haitian Vodou, the ceremony begins by a prayer, actually more of a call and response litany, called the "Priere Guinea". Like I said, it is basically a call and response litany, separated by refrains that the Mambo/Houngan (priestess/priest) sings and which the congregation repeats followed by various calls and responses in litany format. It is actually a really pretty prayer, but is very long! Following this prayer, they honor the crossroads and the directions, through a variety of songs and then sing songs to particular lwa while drawing veves to call them down. There are also offerings and such.

So I decided to base my ritual on this format - still not sure if this was a good idea or not. So, I spent quite a few days writing up the "liturgy" and composing the CR Irish equivalent of the "Priere Guinea". In the end, it ended up being quite long - and took about 20 minutes to say/sing. I basically started out with a few verses from the Carmina Gadelica that I made more "Irish Polytheistic friendly". I've seen this done by a lot of people before, so nothing new there. I then composed a call and response prayer for honoring the Tuatha de Danannan (basically three lines to honor the individual deity with a response after each line - for example:

To Manannan Mac Lir,

We honor you.

To He of the sea,

We ask for blessings.

To the Opener of the Gates,

We remember your name.

This is similar to how the verses are set up in the Priere Guinea. I did this for several of the Tuatha de Danann. Following the verses to the Tuatha de Danann, I did the refrain, then more verses to the land spirits and aos si, the refrain again and then more verses to the ancestors and the refrain one last time. It was actually pretty nice. So after writing this, I wanted to use it in an actual ritual, so I sang the prayer (drafting my partner to work with me), I honored the three realms and then asked Manannan to open the gates. My intent was to present Manannan with offerings and ask him for some guidance in a matter I was having. I had my partner drum on the bodhran while we sang some songs to Manannan - very simple songs. That was going to be it (no veves or anything like that :-)) - I presented the offerings and then was going to close while expecting to get my request for guidance in the form of some omen or message, but after a few minutes I started to feel myself get that "pre-possessed" feeling that I get when I am about to be possessed during a Vodou ritual (there is only one Lwa who possesses me - my "met tet" or ruling spirit - since I was not and am not an initiate) . Anyways, I got a little panicked at this point and quickly ended the ritual and we left the room. I wasn't really expecting any sort of possession, it caught me off guard and I did not know how to handle it -as at that time I did not know that this was something that happened in CR (At this point, I don't think I would be panicked about it anymore, having gotten my feet a little "wetter"). I was also nervous because I had never been ridden before in any sort of situation outside of a Vodou ritual where a Mambo and/or Houngan was present to "control" the possession.

In analyzing it, I actually thought it was the format of the ritual I used (since I had copied a Vodou format), but now I see that others have had similar experiences and was quite happy to find the posting on this.

(By the way, Manannan did eventually seem to answer my question :-)).

So, I am basically wondering if anyone has had any experiences that they could share with me or if this concept has become more "developed" in CR since 2003?

Altar basics

2008-07-19T21:59:56Z

I'll be moving soon and would like to make my altar an integral part of my new living space. I've had several altars throughout the years but none of them have been associated with a tradition. Are there specific elements that many / most CR's include in their altar construction? Is statuary a typical component of CR altars? I've read some discussion of statuary in the community but wasn't sure if physical depictions of the gods was a typical practice of the various Celtic peoples. I had read that statuary was largely introduced to the Celts by the Romans but wasn't sure if this was accurate.

Jonathan

Offerings

2008-07-18T21:51:37Z

Hello,

So I have been thinking a bit about offerings and wanted to ask a few questions, but I am not sure exactly how to phrase them. Anyways - I am wondering if particular Gods/Goddesses have specific offerings that they like - I am sure that they do, but I am wondering how the associations were arrived at. I am betting that there is a lot of UPG in this subject and would be curious to hear what other's have arrived at for specific offerings for specific Gods/Goddesses. I guess I am curious coming from a background of Haitian Vodou where the spirits/Lwa have very specific offerings that one gives to them - for example the Lwa called Damballah takes a white egg on a mound of white flour and anisette, the Lwa Erzulie Freda likes pink champagne, anais-anais perfume and Virginia slims, but one would never think of offering her a cologne called Rev d'or without offending her.

So back to CR....

For example, with Manannan mac Lir, I suppose that tradition calls for presenting him with bundles of reeds as they do on the Isle of Man. I also read somewhere that Hawthorne is somehow associated with him (not sure if this was from a text and if so what the text's sources were or if this was someone's UPG). I also read somewhere that apples were an appropriate offering for him (not sure what source or, if again, this was someone else's UPG that they were presenting as fact). I've offered him those items but I have also offered such items, based upon my own UPG, as shells, seawater and etc. (I hope I am using the UPG concept in an appropriate context here - I'm a newbie).

So, I am wondering if someone could shed a light on offerings for me - anyone have any specific offerings or any specific items that they find should never be offered to a particular God/Goddess either based upon textual/cultural sources/traditions or one's own UPG.

Just Curious.

Authenticity question

2008-07-18T16:07:33Z

Drifting around the internet, I came across this essay:
http://www.geocities.com/wiccantwinpaths/altarstuff/celticstuff/commentaries/duile.htm

and I was very taken by the teaching question:
"Where is the Center of the World?"
"Easy to answer, it is where I stand."

The author presents both referencable items and opinion as received fact and I am wondering if there is any source for this attractive statement. Google-Fu isn't helping me here, which is depressing.

Does anyone know of a reference?

Thanks in advance for any help.

New to both CR and the community

2008-07-18T15:02:31Z

Hello all,

I'm new to the group and wanted to briefly introduce myself. My name is Jonathan, I'm 26, and I'm entirely new to CR. I haven't actively practiced a particular religion in quite some time but was a practicing pagan for several years. I was originally a Wiccan but found that system lacking with respect to my personal spiritual needs after a couple of years. I was never as interested in magick as much as I was in religious practice and ritual. I participated on and off in a pagan group that was of an eclectic orientation but ultimately felt that eclecticism was, for me, historically ungrateful and spiritually unfulfilling.

I became interested in the idea of reconstructionism through Asatru. Although I was never a practitioner of heathenry, I did research the faith thoroughly and was impressed by the Asatruar interest in having an academic, anthropological, and/or historical basis for modern pagan practice. I found my way to some information about CR through a general reconstructionism message board while reading about Asatru.

I was peripherally aware of CR for a few years, after learning about it as mentioned above. I read a bit about it here and there long before I started considering it as a possible spiritual path for myself. I have found myself drawn to the Welsh pantheon, what I know of it at least and I hope to learn more as part of this community. My knowledge of CR is minimal at this point, with what I know coming largely from the CR FAQ. I look forward to learning from the members of this community.

Jonathan

Just a reminder...

2008-07-17T23:25:26Z

The SF Bay Area Ogham study group will be meeting the fourth Saturday of each month - that's nine days from now - in Hayward starting about 2 p.m. Contact me if you need more info. Feel free to pass the info along including the contact info. We need to know how many people to expect, as it's a smallish apartment.

Introduction

2008-07-17T02:03:09Z

Hello,

My name's Michael (Miadhachain is the non-anglicized version of my surname). I basically wanted to post a brief introduction and say "hello" to everyone. I am very new to LiveJournal - as of last night - and I have tried to figure out how it works, but I am still not sure of some of it. So, I hope that this posting goes through without any problems!

I came to Celtic Reconstructionism through a previous spiritual and religious practice. I was for many years involved in a traditional Haitian Vodou House. I still attend some rituals at this house as I have many friends in that faith, but I came to the realization that that path was not for me some time ago. Like CR, Vodou is, among other things, an animistic and a very ancestor oriented religion and I had a hard time finding a place for myself in that faith given that I didn't seem to be able to connect to my ancestors through that path. Due to that, I became very interested in the pre-Christian religion of my ancestors and this eventually led me to Celtic Reconstructionism. I have set up a shrine to my ancestors and to a Patron spirit and have begun making them offerings. I very much like the idea of having a Patron and there are similarities between the idea of having a Patron or Matron in Celtic Reconstructionism and the idea of a "met tet" (literally - "master of the head) in Haitian Vodou. A "met tet" is basically the ruling spirit or Lwa of an individual. These spirits are not picked by us, but pick us. Anyways, I digress.

I hope to learn quite a bit about how other people practice and incorporate their spiritual and religious beliefs into their daily lives. Coming from a very "in person" community-based religion, I feel a bit isolated at this point and have been feeling that way for a while - there doesn't seem to be a lot of people who follow Celtic Reconstructionism in my area - I've encountered a lot of practitioners of other neo-pagan religions but not a lot of CRs.

Michael

Introduction

2008-07-16T19:05:03Z

I just joined and wanted to post a quick introduction. I'm very new to livejournal and still haven't firgured most of it out so hopefully this will work as planned...
I am 29, married with two small children and live in Connecticut. My name is Morgan but I go by Seabhacgeal online. I became interested in Irish paganism - as well as anything else Irish - about seventeen years ago and have considered myself an Irish reconstructionist since then, although that's not what I called it back then, I don't know that I called it anything particular, but find recon. is the best word to describe it now. My focus has always been on accuracy and trying to worship as the ancient Irish polytheists would have, as much as possible (without the head hunting ; ) ) My step-grandfather was from Cork and I grew up with a familial love of Ireland and it's culture. I have been trying to teach myself Irish for years but don't have the time to focus enough on it for any real proficiency, although I keep trying, which is a nice way to say that my Irish is really really bad. I am fascinated by the old myths and fairy tales and believe a lot can be learned from reading them. Actually I'll read anything related to the Irish or Celts and am always on the lookout for good books on those topics. Over the years I have come to honor Danu, Dagda, and Lugh but I am especially devoted to Macha, which is an interesting challenge since so little is written about her. I am a member of a CR druidic group, and am particularly interested in traditional and modern reconstructed forms of divination in an Irish context. My biggest struggle now is finding ways to raise my children with a sense of my spirituality and culture. I learned about this community from the CR FAQ book and joined livejournal so that I could join this group, as I hope to learn a lot here and have some great discussions. I'm not very good at intro's so I hope that's enough info....
Looking forward to getting to know you all.
Beannachtaí
Seabhacgeal

unwanted guests

2008-07-16T15:45:29Z

My mother has family throughout the U.S. When they come to town, they are used to staying at her house - but now I own the house. My parents live in a one-bedroom condo.

I am looking forward to the opportunity to play hostess except for one of my aunts, a sloppy drunk and confirmed kleptomaniac (she has stolen from family.)

When I heard she was visiting I found myself fervently hoping she did not ask to stay with me (thankfully, Mom is setting the aunt and her entourage up on her living room floor.) Yet I feel torn for not wanting her, as it is counter to the ethic of hospitality.

From a modern CR perspective, just how far do you carry the ideal of hospitality? Would you open your doors to someone even if you know they may steal from you or harm you in some way?

Also, how does this play out in Celtic lore? I have read stories where guests betray their hosts and stories of those who are punished (or at least not rewarded) for being inhospitable - but are there any cases where an unwanted guest may reasonably be turned away?

cr_r @ 2008-07-12T09:07:00

2008-07-12T14:10:35Z

A thought just occurred to me, and now I'm über-curious. In the story of Cath Maige Tuired, during the tyranny of Bres, Oghma was given the humiliating task of collecting firewood for Bres' grand hall. It is definitely my understanding from UPG that Himself has serious issues with the ungenerous and with those who offer poor hospitality. That's more or less a result of the starvation during his servitude, that he enjoys homemade offerings in generous portions, but that he also is not impressed favorably by waste and undue extravagance.

What's piqued my curiosity now is this: why firewood? It makes sense that The Dagda would do work that ultimately builds up the defense of Tara, but I don't get the firewood. What's the mythological connection to that, and why wasn't it, say, slopping hogs or picking up roadside trash? Is it simply a random menial task or something more? Some possibilities occur:

1. It's a connection to kindling a fire of inspiration.
2. It's some sort of hearth connection in the lore that I'm not picking up on.
3. It is simply random, and I'm trying to make something out of nothing.
4. It's all pants.

Any thoughts?

Charities

2008-07-10T21:17:44Z

I was talking with someone on myspace, and he got me thinking. I was wondering about what charities everyone here supports. I don't currently have any active charities that I support, so was hoping to get some ideas from this discussion.

Scotish Mythology

2008-07-07T18:01:19Z

Does anyone have any good websites or sources I can use to look up the Pre-Christian Lore and Mythology of Scotland? I already have the majority of the text of the Carmina Gadelica. However I was hoping to do a comparison of sorts between the myths of Ireland and Scotland, and I am intensely interested in the myths of Scotland now that I know that I have Scottish Ancestors.

Brigid's Incense

2008-07-01T18:01:48Z

So I am toying with the idea of making my own incense blend. In that vein I would like some input, if you have the time.

Other than Juniper what ingredient(s) would you want to see in a Brigid incense?

I am thinking of binding with blackberry.

Realta

Musical Instrument Blessing Ritual?

2008-06-30T04:51:43Z

Hello all. First let me get this out of the way--I'm sorry I haven't been around much to participate in the discussions of this community lately. I am doing a pretty work intensive internship right now and it's been keeping me tied up. Also, I am only just getting to the copy of Celtic Gods and Heroes I am supposed to read to start my CR education. (I also got a Welsh language audio/text course.)

On to the question--you can probably intuit from my avatar that I'm a musician. I see music as really key to my spiritual life. It seems like a genuine part of the divine to me, when I experience what I feel is a connection between myself and others to the spiritual realm as someone, myself or anyone else, performs music.

Because I take this so seriously (it seems like a divine act, after all), I have really taken to the idea that I should try to consecrate my instruments and the area I perform in, when or before I work music. In fact, I call the Rickenbacker bass in the avatar "Ant of the Ancient Earth" from the Irish story "The Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel", in order to show my respect for its power. (Although, I do not own this instrument and it will be leaving me in the future. It is my father's.) I am, however getting one like it of my own soon, and want to bless or consecrate it when I do, to get it ready to work music with me.

Are there any rituals I should be aware of, or is this just me coming up with silly ideas on my own? It seems to me that the Celts, who cared deeply for music, must have had some rites of passage for musicians to help them along the path of transmitting divine sounds.

Thank you deeply for your help. If you are curious, I want to name my forthcoming bass Tafod y Cigfran, "Raven's Tongue", if you think it appropriate.

cigfran

Back in print - A Circle of Stones

2008-06-30T00:15:28Z

After many years out of print, usually only accessible at high prices through used book dealers, A Circle of Stones: Journeys & Meditations for Modern Celts by Erynn Rowan Laurie (that would be me) is once again available, this time as a PDF file. I've seen my book, originally $10, going for $60 or more on Amazon, which I think is obscene, so if you're interested in one of the earliest books from a Celtic Reconstructionist perspective, please check it out.

You can get it through my website via PayPal, and I'll send it to you through YouSendIt.

The book has been consistently found on recommended reading lists about Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism since its publication back in 1994. My approach and my beliefs have changed somewhat since then, but there's still a lot of decent stuff, and this is a much better price than you'll find anywhere else!

Any otaku CRs out there?

2008-06-27T21:08:04Z

I just stumbled upon this anime-style online RPG called Mabinogi, whose world/history (despite the title) is based on Irish myths. I just thought it was rather funny, heheh. If anyone wants an RPG where they can get points for facing Fomors, this is the one for you...

ETA: I have to warn you though - it looks pretty cutesy.

Generation 1: The Advent of Morrighan!

Ogham study session on Saturday

2008-06-27T07:32:21Z

We're on schedule to have our ogham study group meet tomorrow in Hayward as previously announced. We'll be covering Beth and, if we have time, Luis. Contact me if you need details.

native plants

2008-06-23T12:50:57Z

Hallo all. I have just moved to Asheville, North Carolina and am enjoying the vast array of plants that are here. It's amazing, especially after moving from Brooklyn. I have a fair amount of knowledge about herbalism, trees, foraging, etc, but I don't know much about which species are native and non-native here. It occurred to me that there must be plants that were brought over during migration from Scotland to N Carolina, at least, I would think there must have been. The question is, which plants?

Does anyone know if we have any non-native species in the southeast, specifically western north carolina, that are also commonly found in Scotland? I have a British book of plants that my grandmother gave me, so I know there are probably a great deal of similar ones (like cowslip, for example), but that is referring to southern England, I think.

Another layer to that question is, are there any plants that fit this category that have been used commonly, or were/are sacred, etc? For example, I know that woad grows in the western US, but it is considered invasive there, and I don't think it is found in my area.

My ancestry is specifically from Dunoon/Loch Lomond area, so it would be interesting to know about species native to that area as well.

Tapadh leibh in advance for any resources, links or knowledge!

St. Michael / Manannán connection?

2008-06-23T03:38:17Z

I was searching for information on Manannán in the archives on Celtic-L and came across this post from 1994 by erynn999 (https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9408&L=CELTIC-L&P=R8472&D=0&X=186C9A35B7367B0234 -- hope this link works).

[...] For instance, you have the Manx summer solstice rite that involves paying rent to Manannan for the Isle of Man. Or you have a Scottish highland festival of the wild carrots that was dedicated to St. Michael -- who happened to carry a trident and was associated with the ocean -- around fall equinox. [...]

My questions are ...

01 — does St. Michael have possible connections to Manannán?

02 — And if so, would that mean that in the Highlands there was a possible regional celebration in honor of Manannán that was covered up with St. Michael?

03 — Where can I find more information on the traditions of this festival?

One reason I ask is Autumn and Manannán fit together for personal UPG reasons with me and it would be nice to know there might be a valid reason for that.

Body modification

2008-06-18T09:21:55Z

Hi folks! I'm curious if there is any historical evidence backing up tattooing and body modification within the Gaelic cultures. I think the conversation sparked off images and statues of Gaelic deities, especially the warrior deities, seemed to have detailed markings depicted on their bodies, and I'm curious whether this was a modern addition or if tattooing and body modification was common with Gaelic cultures, warriors or otherwise?

Altars

2008-06-18T08:00:29Z

So, altars. I imagine some of you must have one. Would it be terribly bothersome of me to ask for pictures? I'm curious! (Unfortunately there does not seem to be a particularly strong presence of CRs on pimp_my_altar, heheh.)

I happen to be re-arranging my own altar at the moment, and I was thinking I could put to use a previously neglected cauldron of mine (I was moved to purchase it one day, without quite knowing why), given their symbolic importance. However, it is made of iron, and I was wondering if it would be inappropriate to use an object made of iron on a devotional altar. (It was my thought to use it to submerge offerings in.) As often happens, I'm not sure if this is a smart question or a silly question, but in any case, I'd like your thoughts.

Pregnancy

2008-06-15T14:14:44Z

So I just found out the other day that my wife is pregnant, and that I'm going to be a father :D :D :D ! I wanted to do some form of devotion to Brighid (obviously), asking her to protect my wife and my unborn son during the pregnancy. I know we already have a few threads over here about baby blessings, but what about before the baby is born?

Is there any traditional material? Has anyone here done something of this kind before and want to share the experience? Or should I just follow my heart and let it "flow"?

Thank you all.
:D :D :D :D :D :D

Got Milk

2008-06-14T03:57:04Z

So my Christian Mother and I were in a car the other day driving to her house. And I asked her if she minded if I did some daily devotions at her house. She of course asked me what was all involved, and I told her, basically saying some words, and offering some milk to the Gods. So she asked "So your Gods go around the universe all day with the Got Milk Mustache?" and I was like "WTF" and then it dawned on me what exactly she had said and I was laughing so hard I couldn't believe myself.... I had never actually considered this possibility before.

Just thought I would share some Christian / Pagan humor with everyone :-D

question about concepts of death

2008-06-12T03:34:39Z

okay I have two primary questions to ask here. I have an essay that I am writing for the Gaol Naofa newsletter. The topic is what the concept of death is within Celtic Reconstructionism is. So I was wondering if I could get some ideas from people as to what they feel in regards to this. This could be as simple as what they think will happen at the time of death or as complex as what you feel the afterlife is going to be.

Additionally I was hoping to get some leads on some articles or book resources that I could track down with the aid of my local library in regards to the same topic. Any help in this regard would be greatly appreciated. The article isn't going to be published until the samhain newsletter so I have some time before I need to finish it, but I live by the statement that "The early bird catches the worm" if you know what I mean?

Ceremony & Purpose

2008-06-11T16:49:22Z

Hi all, just wondering-- is anyone out there doing any ceremonial or personal ritual work to address climate change? I'm looking for ideas for my own use too. Thanks!