Does anyone here have a Welsh language course they would recommend?

Also does anyone have experience with any good Gaelic (or other Celtic languages) charities that do language/cultural preservation, preferably in the Gaeltachta/Gàidhealtachdan?

One of my resolutions for 2004 is to focus more time on my spirituality. One of the things I want to do is learn Gaelic. My future brother-in-law is going to Afghanistan for a year, he's in the U.S. Army, and he is planning on using his spare time to learn Gaelic. I have been wanting to learn as part of my CR studies and now I will have someone to converse with.

Here's my question: can anyone recommend an online course, book, tape set, or CD-ROM (preferably MacOSX compatible) for learning Irish Gaelic. Free to low cost is preferable.

As I was raised Catholic, (I wasn’t very good at it, I still don’t know the Hail Mary!) I became accustomed to saying “Amen” as a “holy word” to end the prayer appropriately. When I first came to the pagan path I was introduced to “So Mote It Be”, which at that time seemed only natural to say; I’m pagan now, so when in Rome…

It didn’t take long before I felt that phrase did nothing for me. Yes, I understood it and what it meant, but it just didn’t “tie” things up for me. I still used it for lack of something better.

Then came the endeavor of attempting to teach myself Scots-Gaelic (HA!). I learned Tapadh Leibh and have used that in prayers since. In fact, at present I use that to end prayers and to give thanks to the Gods. It works well, but sometimes it still feels incomplete to end with merely that. Perhaps it’s just the programming over the last 25 years of saying “Amen” or “So Mote It Be” when completing a prayer/invocation/etc?

So here are my questions: Is there an equivalent to “Amen” in Scots-Gaelic (I’d settle for Irish) that isn’t originally a Christian term? and what do some of you typically use (if anything) regularly in prayer/ritual?

Just curious and thought I’d see what some of you use in prayer to make it feel “complete”.

Oh yeah, name’s Turas and I’m new to the list! I know some of you. Good to be here and look forward to good conversation and shared learning!

A new project from the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies has just recently been brought to my attention. The full title they're using on their website is: "Project 5: The Celtic Languages and Cultural Identity: a Multidisciplinary Synthesis".

Their stated purpose is to "set up a long-term project to reveal in full detail the connections between the story of the Celtic languages and the cultural history of Europe-tracing the evidence of Celtic speech and the cultures of its speakers from the pre-Roman Iron Age to today."

The pages they have up right now include "An Atlas for Celtic Studies" and a "Celtic Lexicon" which includes work-in-progress version of a Proto-Cetic/English dictionary and selections from the Celtic core vocabulary.

I think this could be a very valuable resource for us to use to help us advance our own personal knowledge stores.

Revival of extinct religions in the modern Anglo-American society and its linguistic aspect

The researcher e-mailed me this link. Haven't filled out the survey yet, though it looks pretty straightforward. But I have to admit I am a bit put off by "Market demand for certain products caused by Reconstructionism" being listed as one of the goals. But maybe that's just me being anti-consumerist and grumpily paranoid ;-)

So, Opinions? Do folks want to participate in this? Is being counted and studied a good thing? Or not?

comments welcome and requested.
( Celtic Magic )