Woodland Bard course
A Spiritual journey into the heart of the land through story, poetry and contemplation.
Stage 1: Exploring Tradition
Welcome to the Woodland Bard School
I invite you on a Journey into the land of story (the inner worlds), do not try to grasp the words with your mind, grapple with your intellect or comprehend it with your ego.
For we are entering into the womb of the earth, the stirrings of the soul,
the wanderings of spirit.
The trees are our teachers, the plants are our healers, the landscape our senses and the elements our essence.
This journey is of the shadows, oblique, incomprehensible; enter the world of feeling, immerse yourself in being.
The trees have personalities, the landscape has expression,
the plants speak to us.
A world only understood in the depths of our being, by virtue of our soul,
by integrity of presence, by memory of spirit.
J.Huet
I invite you on a Journey into the land of story (the inner worlds), do not try to grasp the words with your mind, grapple with your intellect or comprehend it with your ego.
For we are entering into the womb of the earth, the stirrings of the soul,
the wanderings of spirit.
The trees are our teachers, the plants are our healers, the landscape our senses and the elements our essence.
This journey is of the shadows, oblique, incomprehensible; enter the world of feeling, immerse yourself in being.
The trees have personalities, the landscape has expression,
the plants speak to us.
A world only understood in the depths of our being, by virtue of our soul,
by integrity of presence, by memory of spirit.
J.Huet
Our Native Traditions are still alive through the Trees, Animals, Plants and Landscapes wherever we live.
Connecting with Tradition
The Woodland Bard Course is an in-depth exploration of the traditions of the land through Nature (the window of the soul). Although we will draw upon classical and ancient sources the true experience is in the heart, and true exploration is allowing time to be with yourself and your natural state. The bards were the memory keepers of the tribes, keeping the oral traditions alive.
Often they remembered all the genealogies and laws of the people. The concept of a woodland bard is to remember the traditions of our woodlands, the lore of the land. Remembering these traditions is to step onto a spiritual path where we go beyond the concept that we are a set of genes here to reproduce another set of genes for the survival of the species.
It is enabling us to see ourselves as Consciousness evolving into a place where we lift a veil of illusion and see all of life as an evolving spiral of consciousness. Nature is a perfect mirror for that awareness, a window to see the play of life, a pure reflection of our soul and a means to open our heart.
“I am the son of poetry, poetry, son of reflection, reflection son of meditation, meditation son of lore, lore son of research, research son of great knowledge, great knowledge son of intelligence, intelligence son of comprehension, comprehension son of wisdom, wisdom son of the three gods of Danu.”
Genealogy of memory from 'The Colloquy of the Two Sages' (Book of Leinster 1100CE sourced by Caitlin Matthews)
Meditation and connecting with our heart does not belong to any tradition, religion or country of origin. However we all have the opportunity to tap into that well of inspiration called tradition or lore. This enables us to draw from many sources that can take us deep within.
Let's contemplate the above source for instance uttered by a Fili (Irish term meaning vision poet), which has been translated from the 'Colloquy of the Two Sages'.
A poem or words of inspiration has the ability to make us reflect, leading us to meditation, connecting us to lore which gives us great knowledge. If we use this great knowledge we expand our intelligence. However being clever is only useful if we truly comprehend what we are presenting, which ultimately leads to wisdom, which can take us to the source of who we are, in this case the three gods of Danu. In this tradition it is they who are representing that which is beyond the illusion of mortal existence, the immortal soul or our true inner self. It is important to see these snippets of lore as circular rather than linear in nature.
Are you tempted for instance to accept wisdom is above reflection or that the wisdom is the goal to aim for? Nature answers this question as we see the importance of the ecological web of life. Each component is essential for life on this planet whether it be a tiny beetle, mineral or speck of earth. In turn every beetle, mineral and speck of earth needs the mountain, tree and large birds of prey to survive, so in order to be wise we need each of the components that make wisdom possible. Some people get caught up in reflection and not grounding the experience, others in being clever and end up staying in their heads. All components make the whole, none of which stand alone or above the other.
A spiritual concept therefore recognises that all life is consciousness and as a human we are neither above or below any other element and that nature (our surroundings) therefore is a reflection of ourselves.
Power of words.
The above conclusions may be met by connecting deep within ourselves, but how exciting to have our experiences validated by ancient lore. When a poem or teaching rings true, the words themselves convey the deeper meaning, which is why ritual, prayer and poetry go beyond the words we use to express them. By taking a teaching or favourite line from a poem you can create a doorway into your soul. By truly reciting a blessing in a ritual you can literally lift the veil of illusion and find that place of endless joy inside you. This is why we have tradition because it gives us the experience of the inner worlds. If each morning one recites the same words with meaning and offers prayers and thanks to the world and maybe worships their sacred form all of which can lead to the experience of meditation, it becomes a practice, a perfect combination to unlock our true selves.
Why use Traditions?
If you align yourself with a tradition that resonates with you, you can tap into a support system that will be there even when you do not feel connected to the source. By connecting with a chosen tradition you can read the teachings, stories and poems connected to it. You can learn from those who have trodden the same path and therefore can inspire and help you come to an understanding of your own aspirations. In short you are never alone.
Diversity and individual expression of yourself whilst respecting and knowing we are all connected is what maintains traditions. The food you eat, the herbs you use, even the air you breathe is dictated to you by the surroundings that you are part of. A Sadhu in India will light a fire with the tinders and wood they have access to, they will make offerings from the nature that surrounds them and pray to the forms of Gods they see in their landscape, as will the Shaman in Siberia, the Indian in America and the Sangoma in South Africa. We can also tap into the traditions of our local landscape, and bring alive our connection to nature. This means we experience a world where food is not from the supermarket, medicine is not in pills, wildlife is not on farms and zoos and entertainment is not on a screen.
Connecting with ancient tradition is not recreating a bygone past but feeling that excitement again for the trees, plants and animals of our local landscape and understanding our origins, a spirituality that makes us at the forefront of being caretakers of our world outside our own doorsteps. An exciting journey opens into the heart of the landscape and ultimately into the heart of our true nature.
Staying in the heart, not tradition for the sake of tradition.
We live in a multi-cultural society and seeing all religions and traditions blending and being accepted as equal and valuable is essential, diversity not uniformity. In Britain we do not have a direct lineage to our spiritual ancestry that has been kept alive in the same way that it has in other countries such as India and Africa. Due to industrialisation, materialism and the stamping out of our early spirituality there is a tendency towards spiritual poverty in this country, preferring to define ourselves through the external material world rather than our inner spiritual worlds. For me connecting with our traditions is through nature. The same elements, landscape, trees, plants and animals still exist that have been here for thousands of years, this is our heritage, our living tradition. By connecting directly with these elements there is no need for intellectual debate about academic sources but rather an acceptance of drawing from many traditions to get to know our own landscape. To experience directly a tradition and draw from our own experiences is to allow an ancestral memory to enliven you rather than to trawl through endless academic sources and give yourself a headache!
‘Ancient soul, embodied in a physical temple.
Unique individual that cannot be replicated.
You are your Tradition.
Every moment, every breath, new light emerges,
new experiences unfold, new insights are born.
You are your Tradition.
Deep within you, in the wellspring of inspiration,
deep knowledge enlightens you.
You are your Tradition.
Allow it to unfold, unfurl, like petals of a perfect flower,
taking shape into a perfected expression of who you are.
You are your Tradition.’
J.Huet
Wellspring of Inspiration- Restoring memory.
Reciting poems and invocations awakens our traditions within us, tapping into an inexhaustible source of inspiration. When the veil of illusion is lifted we begin to restore our memory to the true meaning of life. The immortal soul awakens and we realise the age-old traditions are timeless. As you repeat a prayer and carry out a ritual you realise you are replicating the action of someone thousands of years ago, indeed maybe a memory of your soul thousands of years ago and we can appreciate the transient nature of a single lifetime compared to the immortal memory of the soul. This means that death (the soul leaving the physical body) is so close, whether we live a day or for decades, and it is possible to awaken in a moment to knowing the expression of our soul’s work must take priority above the desire to achieve material goods or earthly recognition.
Sources for this course.
The building blocks of this course are contained in the study of nature which are :- the elements, landscape, seasons, trees, plants, animals and the spirit which runs through all of them. A focus will be on the wooded landscape which is the natural climax species (the species that prevails when left to its own devices) in many areas of Britain and for reasons explained later play an important part in our nature traditions. This alone will cover many of the important aspects of our traditions. However we will also look to old stories, poems and writings to encapsulate the essence of British traditions. Our aim is not to draw from a singular source such as Celtic or Norse but to explore the sources which have kept a love for nature alive. I feel the value of the contribution of modern writers, storytellers and musicians is not to be underestimated, the veneration of nature is prolific throughout our history to modern times.
Sources from the classical English poets such as Wordsworth or Chaucer I feel are as appropriate and important as the old Welsh, Scottish and Irish texts written down in the middle ages to capture the spirit of our Celtic traditions.
The kenning from below, although written in 1391, may well go back to a much older oral tradition therefore connecting us to deep ancestral roots as we reflect on its meaning.
Of withered trunk fair haired the birch.
Faded trunk and fair hair.
Browed beauty worthy of pursuit.
Most silver of skin.
Book of Ballymote 1391
This verse written below by William Wordsworth, for me is no less profound and still has that same ability to awaken that profound love for nature and take you deep within.
“In common things that round us lie,
Some random truths he can impart,
-The harvest of a quiet eye
That broods and sleeps on his own
heart.”
William Wordsworth (1770-1850)
Spiritual states of being.
As we start to explore the spiritual realms we may find different qualities start to reveal themselves. I feel these three states below will help with the exploration of our inner realms and our nature traditions coming about quite naturally as we continue the journey....
Serene Mind
A serene mind enables you to access the deeper realms inside you, this is only possible when we turn the senses within. A common misconception, in especially more modern religious beliefs, is that when we act out our desires or wants it is a sin and we are almost encouraged to be ashamed, that practising abstinence is about atoning for these actions. However it is more likely that abstaining from external addictions is helping one to create a more serene and therefore pliable mind. When we are always looking to fulfill ourselves through external expression of our senses it often leads to an agitated mind which can therefore mean we are not able to access the inner realms as the mind is chasing after other avenues and serenity is disrupted. Showing the mind a place of rest is essential for one's wellbeing. The senses are not to be feared but are actually the thresholds for the inner work, and spiritual practice performed when our senses are still vibrant and alive is valuable indeed. Turning the senses within instead of grasping whatever we wish from the external world can lead to fulfilment and the ability to truly become sated.
Ethereal body
When we learn to access our true self on a regular basis we connect with the permanent spiritual body within us, sensing that the physical body is simply a temporary house for the immortal soul. When this profound memory is restored we realise there is no time and all that exists is in this moment. However to fully realise and have access to this profound experience, we need to be grounded into physical reality. Maintaining the state of an ethereal body whilst still being a fully functional person on the physical plane is essential to being a complete person. Doing our life's work, whatever that may be, is essential for our time on the physical plane. This is emphasised in spiritual texts such as the Bhagavad Gita in Hinduism, and for example in the Cattle Raid of Cooley in Celtic studies. To work each day is to be part of the web of life and is part of the process of giving and receiving which is intrinsic to human life.
Tender heart
Probably the Buddhists talk of this the most as they ask us to have compassion for all beings, whoever they are and whatever they have done. Being in the heart whilst living day to day can feel very vulnerable and although we talk about protecting ourselves from the harsher aspects of life, to allow ourselves to be vulnerable and be in touch with our feelings in all situations I feel is the ultimate aim and best protection. To feel that pain is to get to a point where you go beyond that vulnerability and become invulnerable and fearless. Why would you need to protect your inner being if you can cope with those difficult feelings? How can negative energy affect you if your heart is soft and full of love? The importance here is for this to be a real, tangible and authentic experience of love.
Imbibing these three qualities is possible through regular spiritual practice. We are practising to be in these three States of Being constantly, in the same way a musician or athlete practices every day to reach their goals. By allowing say twenty minutes each morning and evening to cleanse the mind by using ritual or meditation is no different from having a wash morning and evening. A constant practice will enable us to imbibe these qualities throughout our day and life and we may find prolonged practices of meditation naturally follow on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Bathing in water enables your physical body to be clean but true cleanliness comes from within.
The Elements
This course is an exploration of our native traditions bringing into focus a spirituality of the land. The Celtic culture is imbued with a tradition of the veneration of its landscape, trees and plants. Our connection with the land lives on in extensive literature despite the loss of our early oral traditions. Some of our oral traditions have been re-visited in what is termed 'neo-paganism' but I prefer the term 'living paganism' which implies it is a tradition that continually evolves from authentic roots.
The academic sources we use, for me are not important but more the quality of our hearts when connecting with the tradition. The same landscape, flora and fauna is here which existed hundreds of years ago. The spirituality and elements are unchanged and it is up to us if we want to choose to allow them to come into our lives and feel the richness once more of a green and pleasant land.
Often it is the elements we honour first in pagan traditions. The elements are the essences, the building blocks of life; their play creates form and their balance holds the universe together whilst their imbalance complete destruction. The play of creation, sustenance and dissolution is their interaction; surely if God were to be perceived through the form, the elements would be their embodiment and nature the creation formed from it.
In Bardic lore we hear of the nine elemental forms which make up this sacred human body, their play giving life and form to us all.
They are: Bone of rock, Flesh of earth, Hair of plants, Blood of water, Breath of wind, Eyes of sun, Mind of moon, Brain of cloud and Head of sky.
As a pagan the idea of springing from the earth and being made of these nine forms connects us deeply to our earth roots.
The next stage will explore the above concept in more depth in the form of Ritual.
Stage 2: Meditation and Ritual
‘To begin is to create, To create is to be conscious, To be conscious is to be seen,
To be seen is to feel, To feel is to know, To know is to belong,
To belong is to surrender, To surrender is to accept, To accept is to be complete.’
J.Huet
To be seen is to feel, To feel is to know, To know is to belong,
To belong is to surrender, To surrender is to accept, To accept is to be complete.’
J.Huet
Simple Alters can be set up indoors, outdoors or at events with elements that you have an especial affinity with.
Daily ritual and meditation : Setting up a regular practice
Sacred Ritual and Magical Items
In many traditions there is a concept of using a sacred bag containing holy items. Buddhist monks and Hindu Sadhus carry such a bag in Eastern traditions and in the Irish Celtic tradition we read of the craneskin bag passed down to the heir of a clan. The original bag was said to have been created from Manannan mac Lir, the deity of the sea (the depth of the sea being the ultimate bag of never-ending treasures). This bag was passed down to Cuiall and then Fionn, representing the spiritual responsibility of the great leaders and warriors. Our Celtic past points to our leaders being imbued with magical/spiritual qualities connecting them with the power of the landscape and ultimately the creation of life. Imagine a world where our Prime Ministers and other world leaders had complete respect for the elements of life and all its inhabitants.
For the individual today we can use such a bag to house our sacred items. Being in a bag they can travel with us and enable us to create a ritual/meditation space wherever we go.
Ultimately paraphernalia is not needed for meditation but these items can aid us and as tools can represent qualities and memories that enable us to work with a tangible physical embodiment of an abstract, creative and spiritual ideal. This therefore creates a body/mind connection with the spiritual work.
Ritualistic methods carried out each day enhance that connection even if ultimately that state can be obtained without them.
Setting up your meditation practice.
Set aside an area in your living space you can use just for meditating and ritual. In the same way we recognise a place of power in nature such as Stone Henge or Avebury, this is your own place of power where many memories will be created.
Use the same seat/cushion each day and have a set of clothes to wear for this process to instantly put you in a certain mind-set conducive for meditation, in much the same way you wear different clothes for work or for sport for instance.
Light a candle, go within, draw your senses inside. Once that spark is ignited within you, you can experience it in all the elements and you can take your senses out to the world filling it with joy.
The Ritual
An outdoor ritual generally starts with a fire (indoors the fire is replaced with a candle). The fire brings together the four essential elements of life and represents the fifth element which is spirit. The fire is also considered to be the mouth of the mother consuming all that is offered back to the earth. In the early Pagan traditions we recognise the main four elements of fire, earth, air and water and the fifth element which is ether or spirit. These are the building blocks of all life and the starting point for rituals. In paganism in this country we invoke these elements before any spiritual work, honouring the power of the universe as it takes form and honouring the formless through ether or spirit.
The two key elements are Fire and Water often represented by dragons. These two elements represent the play of the male and female in both the outer and the inner worlds. When we use the term male and female they are qualities in us all, rather than limited by the concept of gender. Offerings are made to both these elements through the sacred hearth and the water ways.
Water is the embodiment of the female qualities helping with healing, purification, transformation and wisdom.
Fire is the embodiment of the male qualities such as the courageous warrior as well as representing poetic knowledge and the kindling of divine inspiration.
In Indo- European traditions these two elements combine and thus are referred to as the flame of inspiration or the power of knowledge. This combination creates a flame contained in a body of water. Where does this occur in nature; is it possible? To me this combination sounds like the human body where the flame of our heart, the fire of inspiration is contained in a body of water. The quest therefore is to unlock the mystery of the inner heart.
Invocation of fire.
‘Through stone and metal I invoke the memory of earth.
Through spark and cloth I invoke the fire of life .
Through tinder and wood I set my heart ablaze .
Through ember and ash I sustain the essence of life.’
J. Huet
‘I arise today through the strength of heaven: Light of sun, Radiance of moon, Splendour of fire, Speed of lighting, Swiftness of wind, Depth of sea, Stability of earth, Firmness of rock.’
The blessing of the elements – translation Kuno Meyers 1925
Below is a suggestion of how to invoke a circle of power. Allow the feeling of each element to reside within you and truly experience that transformational power, acknowledging this is an invocation and the true ritual is in the feeling and not in the words. Start in the East and move round clockwise as indicated below:
Hold up a wand to represent air and say: I invoke the elements of East, the power of air , the sword of Nuada in the city of Findias. I call to the beings of air, the faeries, sylphs, birds, bats, bees and butterflies.
Hold up a knife/athame/steel to represent fire and say: I invoke the elements of the South, the power of fire, the spear of Lugh in the city of Gorias. I call to the beings of fire, the salamanders that dance and flicker in the flames.
Hold up a chalice/cup/cauldron and say: I invoke the elements of the west, the power of water, the cauldron of the Dagdha and the city of Murias. I call to the beings of water, the water nymphs, merpeople, whales, dolphins, sharks and fish.
Hold up a stone and say: I invoke the elements of the North, the power of earth, the Lia Fail, stone of destiny, the hill of Tara and the city of Falias. I call to the beings of the earth, the giants, dwarves, hind, stag, sow, boar, rabbit, hare, fox and bear.
(N.B. The basis for casting a circle is rooted in the Irish tradition that there are four Otherwordly cities that are home to four items of power which contain the magic of each element.)
By the earth that is her body, by the air that is her breath, by the fire that is her bright spirit, by the living waters of her womb, this circle is cast with love and only love can enter. As above, so below. Blessed be.
The sacred words below can also be used as part of your meditation and/or ritual.
Call of the Bard
Hear the voice of the Woodland Bard, who present, past and future sees,
Whose ears have heard the holy word, that walk'd among the ancient trees.
William Blake (1757-1827) ( the word 'woodland' not in original poem)
“I am the son of poetry, poetry, son of reflection, reflection son of meditation, meditation son of lore, lore son of research, research son of great knowledge, great knowledge son of intelligence, intelligence son of comprehension, comprehension son of wisdom, wisdom son of the three gods of Danu.”
Genealogy of memory from 'The Colloquy of the Two Sages' (Book of Leinster 1100CE sourced by Caitlin Matthews)
Invocation to the Trees- nature's teachers.
The Alder at the front line that foraged first, the Willow and Rowan trees were late to join the army.
The spiky Blackthorn eager for slaughter, beloved and powerful, resisted all they saw.
Rose-trees ventured forth against a venomous host, the raspberry- tree formed, they made an enclosure.
Box and Honeysuckle and Ivy in its prime.
The surge of giant Gorse, Cherry trees raised the alarm.
Birch-tree in its great beauty was delayed by donning his armour though not out of cowardice but rather from its greatness. Almond trees of valuable nature, foreign wood with exotic form.
Pine trees in the hall's place of honour, in the great throne of battle. Oak, the best, was exalted before the other rulers.
The Lime-tree in all its fury flinched not a single foot, slew in the centre.
Then on the left and right Hazel were adjudged worthy of the fray.
The Privet, blessed are they, battle bull, king of the world. On sea and estuary the Beech excelled.
The Holly greened anew was in the battle superlative in his cry, terror dealt from its hand.
Briony burst forth, breaking the battle ranks. Bracken destroyed. Broom headed for battle in the furrows of wounding.
Gorse was not denied though it be the peasant's bane.
Heather fine and victorious, bewitched your warriors, even pursued your men.
The Oak rushed before him heaven and earth trembled.
Borage valiant warrior, his name on the courtry, floor. The congress of Elms causing terror rebuffing all onslaughts when their defences were breached.
Pear superlative in oppression on the field of battle. Their aim to rush into the fray.
The awesome Thorn-Apple. The Chestnuts shamed. The Pine with its thrust.
Jet's nature is black. The mountain's nature is to be bent-backed. The tree's nature is slim at day break.
Powerful is the nature of the high seas. Ever since I sensed the time of year when leaflets adorn the tips of Birch trees, our revival removing the enchantment of winter.
The crowns of the Oak have ensnared us, laughing on the cliff-side, the lord in battle array.
Not from mother or father was I engendered, my blood, my creation from the nine elemental forms.
From fruit, from fruition, from the first fruit-formation of God.
From primroses and highland flowers, from the flowers of trees and shrubs.
From soil and earth was I made, from the flowers of nettles, from the water of the ninth wave.
Battle of the Trees from the book of Taliesin a 14th century Welsh manuscript.
Offerings and Blessings
In religions all across the world daily offerings are made to God. In the more earth religions in particular, these offerings are made to the fire which can be substituted by a candle. We have explored the reasons why daily meditation and ritual is an important component of connecting with tradition and ultimately our true selves, and the benefits that can bring to us.
However to make offerings is to feel that sense of giving back what we have received, and as our heart opens it instantly takes us into a more giving, generous place. In Christian tradition we pray, sing hymns and partake in the giving of bread and wine which are the key components of a blessing or thanksgiving ritual. In paganism we also have the opportunity to carry out this daily practice enabling us to start each day honouring ourselves, the earth and all life-forms.
I feel this is just as important and relevant today as it has ever been. Imagine everyone going to work filled with gratitude and love for each other and all we receive from the world e.g. our food, drink, petrol, car, bicycle etc.....
When you have this awareness you realise just how much you do have no matter how simple your life.
Below is a ritual based on a traditional Gaelic blessing, which I am using here as a daily prayer of offering enabling us to honour the earth and all her elements. It also enables us to tune into many beautiful qualities and virtues that we can aspire to and take into the world and to everyone we meet. The benefits of meditation and ritual we have already expounded upon and those benefits enable us to give as well as receive and such an offering is a simple way to do that. This offering takes no more than ten minutes so is possible to conduct daily, even in a busy life.
Based on a Traditional Gaelic blessing
“We bathe your palms In the showers of wine - the wine ( or a herbal drink if preferred) can be sipped.
In the crook of the kindling, - the kindling can be briefly held.
In the seven elements:
The blessing of air- wave a feather gently around your head to receive the blessing of air.
The blessing of fire- move your hands from the candle/fire to your head as if taking a shower of fire. ( do not touch the flame)
The blessing of water- dip your fingers into a chalice/cauldron and sprinkle the water gently over your head.
The blessing of earth- sprinkle ash or soil lightly on your palms and rub it in as a blessing of the earth.
The blessing of wood- hold a wand in your hands briefly to take the essence of the element.
The blessing of metal- hold a steel/knife in your hands briefly to take the essence of the element.
The blessing of spirit- spend a moment in silence.
In the sap of the tree, -hold fresh bark/ sap or offer to the fire/alter
In the milk of honey, - eat or offer honey to the fire or alter.
We place nine pure, choice gifts upon your clear beloved face: as each gift is spoken a gift of a hazelnut can be eaten or offered to the fire representing the nine hazel trees of Connla’sWell which bestows wisdom.
The gift of form, The gift of voice, The gift of fortune,
The gift of goodness, The gift of eminence,
The gift of charity, The gift of integrity,
The gift of true nobility, The gift of apt speech.
Dark is yonder town, Dark are those within.
You are the brown swan, Going within fearlessly. - visualise yourself as the brown swan going within fearlessly.
Their hearts beneath your hand, Their tongues beneath your foot.
No word will they utter to do you ill.
You are a shade in the heat, You are a shelter in the cold, - really imagine embodying these qualities as you speak them individually with awareness.
You are the eyes to the blind, You are a staff to the pilgrim,
You are an island in the sea, You are a stronghold upon land,
You are a well in the wasteland, You are healing to the sick.
You are the luck of every joy, You are the light of the sun's beams,
You are the door of lordly welcome, You are the pole star of guidance,
You are the step of the roe of the height , You are the step of the white-faced mare,
You are the grace of the swimming swan,
You are the jewel in each mystery.”
“You are wind of sea, You are ocean wave, - really visualise and become these aspects.
You are roar of sea, You are bull of seven fights,
You are vulture on cliff, You are dew-drop,
You are fairest of flowers, You are bull for boldest,
You are salmon in pool, You are lake in plain,
You are a mountain in a man, You are a word of skill.”
adapted from the book of the invasions of Ireland translation provided by Irish texts society.
Meditate by entering the Birch grove which signals the start of your Otherworld (Inner realms) journey. Visualise the light airy birch grove teeming with melodious birds, a myriad of fungi and the sounds of wild animals stalking prey or making shelter. Make it as real as possible, try to touch the barks, smell the scents and hear the sounds. Go deep into the feeling of being immersed in nature, remembering it is the feeling rather than the visions that is most important. Be still and at peace for as long as you have time for; bringing love, gratitude and acceptance into your day.
Open the circle by thanking each element, start in the North and move around anti-clockwise so that you finish back in the East where you began casting the circle.
By the earth that is her body, by the air that is her breath, by the fire that is her bright spirit, by the living waters of her womb, this circle is open but unbroken. As above, so below. Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again.
Blessed be.
In the next stage we will continue to explore Ritual in relation to the seasons.
‘When darkness falls, when the light is extinguished, when my time is over what will I regret?
When I lie on my bed and death beckons to me, will I think of the things I did not do?
Or will I praise every moment I spent preparing my soul for its final journey home?’
J.Huet
Sacred Ritual and Magical Items
In many traditions there is a concept of using a sacred bag containing holy items. Buddhist monks and Hindu Sadhus carry such a bag in Eastern traditions and in the Irish Celtic tradition we read of the craneskin bag passed down to the heir of a clan. The original bag was said to have been created from Manannan mac Lir, the deity of the sea (the depth of the sea being the ultimate bag of never-ending treasures). This bag was passed down to Cuiall and then Fionn, representing the spiritual responsibility of the great leaders and warriors. Our Celtic past points to our leaders being imbued with magical/spiritual qualities connecting them with the power of the landscape and ultimately the creation of life. Imagine a world where our Prime Ministers and other world leaders had complete respect for the elements of life and all its inhabitants.
For the individual today we can use such a bag to house our sacred items. Being in a bag they can travel with us and enable us to create a ritual/meditation space wherever we go.
Ultimately paraphernalia is not needed for meditation but these items can aid us and as tools can represent qualities and memories that enable us to work with a tangible physical embodiment of an abstract, creative and spiritual ideal. This therefore creates a body/mind connection with the spiritual work.
Ritualistic methods carried out each day enhance that connection even if ultimately that state can be obtained without them.
Setting up your meditation practice.
Set aside an area in your living space you can use just for meditating and ritual. In the same way we recognise a place of power in nature such as Stone Henge or Avebury, this is your own place of power where many memories will be created.
Use the same seat/cushion each day and have a set of clothes to wear for this process to instantly put you in a certain mind-set conducive for meditation, in much the same way you wear different clothes for work or for sport for instance.
Light a candle, go within, draw your senses inside. Once that spark is ignited within you, you can experience it in all the elements and you can take your senses out to the world filling it with joy.
The Ritual
An outdoor ritual generally starts with a fire (indoors the fire is replaced with a candle). The fire brings together the four essential elements of life and represents the fifth element which is spirit. The fire is also considered to be the mouth of the mother consuming all that is offered back to the earth. In the early Pagan traditions we recognise the main four elements of fire, earth, air and water and the fifth element which is ether or spirit. These are the building blocks of all life and the starting point for rituals. In paganism in this country we invoke these elements before any spiritual work, honouring the power of the universe as it takes form and honouring the formless through ether or spirit.
The two key elements are Fire and Water often represented by dragons. These two elements represent the play of the male and female in both the outer and the inner worlds. When we use the term male and female they are qualities in us all, rather than limited by the concept of gender. Offerings are made to both these elements through the sacred hearth and the water ways.
Water is the embodiment of the female qualities helping with healing, purification, transformation and wisdom.
Fire is the embodiment of the male qualities such as the courageous warrior as well as representing poetic knowledge and the kindling of divine inspiration.
In Indo- European traditions these two elements combine and thus are referred to as the flame of inspiration or the power of knowledge. This combination creates a flame contained in a body of water. Where does this occur in nature; is it possible? To me this combination sounds like the human body where the flame of our heart, the fire of inspiration is contained in a body of water. The quest therefore is to unlock the mystery of the inner heart.
Invocation of fire.
‘Through stone and metal I invoke the memory of earth.
Through spark and cloth I invoke the fire of life .
Through tinder and wood I set my heart ablaze .
Through ember and ash I sustain the essence of life.’
J. Huet
‘I arise today through the strength of heaven: Light of sun, Radiance of moon, Splendour of fire, Speed of lighting, Swiftness of wind, Depth of sea, Stability of earth, Firmness of rock.’
The blessing of the elements – translation Kuno Meyers 1925
Below is a suggestion of how to invoke a circle of power. Allow the feeling of each element to reside within you and truly experience that transformational power, acknowledging this is an invocation and the true ritual is in the feeling and not in the words. Start in the East and move round clockwise as indicated below:
Hold up a wand to represent air and say: I invoke the elements of East, the power of air , the sword of Nuada in the city of Findias. I call to the beings of air, the faeries, sylphs, birds, bats, bees and butterflies.
Hold up a knife/athame/steel to represent fire and say: I invoke the elements of the South, the power of fire, the spear of Lugh in the city of Gorias. I call to the beings of fire, the salamanders that dance and flicker in the flames.
Hold up a chalice/cup/cauldron and say: I invoke the elements of the west, the power of water, the cauldron of the Dagdha and the city of Murias. I call to the beings of water, the water nymphs, merpeople, whales, dolphins, sharks and fish.
Hold up a stone and say: I invoke the elements of the North, the power of earth, the Lia Fail, stone of destiny, the hill of Tara and the city of Falias. I call to the beings of the earth, the giants, dwarves, hind, stag, sow, boar, rabbit, hare, fox and bear.
(N.B. The basis for casting a circle is rooted in the Irish tradition that there are four Otherwordly cities that are home to four items of power which contain the magic of each element.)
By the earth that is her body, by the air that is her breath, by the fire that is her bright spirit, by the living waters of her womb, this circle is cast with love and only love can enter. As above, so below. Blessed be.
The sacred words below can also be used as part of your meditation and/or ritual.
Call of the Bard
Hear the voice of the Woodland Bard, who present, past and future sees,
Whose ears have heard the holy word, that walk'd among the ancient trees.
William Blake (1757-1827) ( the word 'woodland' not in original poem)
“I am the son of poetry, poetry, son of reflection, reflection son of meditation, meditation son of lore, lore son of research, research son of great knowledge, great knowledge son of intelligence, intelligence son of comprehension, comprehension son of wisdom, wisdom son of the three gods of Danu.”
Genealogy of memory from 'The Colloquy of the Two Sages' (Book of Leinster 1100CE sourced by Caitlin Matthews)
Invocation to the Trees- nature's teachers.
The Alder at the front line that foraged first, the Willow and Rowan trees were late to join the army.
The spiky Blackthorn eager for slaughter, beloved and powerful, resisted all they saw.
Rose-trees ventured forth against a venomous host, the raspberry- tree formed, they made an enclosure.
Box and Honeysuckle and Ivy in its prime.
The surge of giant Gorse, Cherry trees raised the alarm.
Birch-tree in its great beauty was delayed by donning his armour though not out of cowardice but rather from its greatness. Almond trees of valuable nature, foreign wood with exotic form.
Pine trees in the hall's place of honour, in the great throne of battle. Oak, the best, was exalted before the other rulers.
The Lime-tree in all its fury flinched not a single foot, slew in the centre.
Then on the left and right Hazel were adjudged worthy of the fray.
The Privet, blessed are they, battle bull, king of the world. On sea and estuary the Beech excelled.
The Holly greened anew was in the battle superlative in his cry, terror dealt from its hand.
Briony burst forth, breaking the battle ranks. Bracken destroyed. Broom headed for battle in the furrows of wounding.
Gorse was not denied though it be the peasant's bane.
Heather fine and victorious, bewitched your warriors, even pursued your men.
The Oak rushed before him heaven and earth trembled.
Borage valiant warrior, his name on the courtry, floor. The congress of Elms causing terror rebuffing all onslaughts when their defences were breached.
Pear superlative in oppression on the field of battle. Their aim to rush into the fray.
The awesome Thorn-Apple. The Chestnuts shamed. The Pine with its thrust.
Jet's nature is black. The mountain's nature is to be bent-backed. The tree's nature is slim at day break.
Powerful is the nature of the high seas. Ever since I sensed the time of year when leaflets adorn the tips of Birch trees, our revival removing the enchantment of winter.
The crowns of the Oak have ensnared us, laughing on the cliff-side, the lord in battle array.
Not from mother or father was I engendered, my blood, my creation from the nine elemental forms.
From fruit, from fruition, from the first fruit-formation of God.
From primroses and highland flowers, from the flowers of trees and shrubs.
From soil and earth was I made, from the flowers of nettles, from the water of the ninth wave.
Battle of the Trees from the book of Taliesin a 14th century Welsh manuscript.
Offerings and Blessings
In religions all across the world daily offerings are made to God. In the more earth religions in particular, these offerings are made to the fire which can be substituted by a candle. We have explored the reasons why daily meditation and ritual is an important component of connecting with tradition and ultimately our true selves, and the benefits that can bring to us.
However to make offerings is to feel that sense of giving back what we have received, and as our heart opens it instantly takes us into a more giving, generous place. In Christian tradition we pray, sing hymns and partake in the giving of bread and wine which are the key components of a blessing or thanksgiving ritual. In paganism we also have the opportunity to carry out this daily practice enabling us to start each day honouring ourselves, the earth and all life-forms.
I feel this is just as important and relevant today as it has ever been. Imagine everyone going to work filled with gratitude and love for each other and all we receive from the world e.g. our food, drink, petrol, car, bicycle etc.....
When you have this awareness you realise just how much you do have no matter how simple your life.
Below is a ritual based on a traditional Gaelic blessing, which I am using here as a daily prayer of offering enabling us to honour the earth and all her elements. It also enables us to tune into many beautiful qualities and virtues that we can aspire to and take into the world and to everyone we meet. The benefits of meditation and ritual we have already expounded upon and those benefits enable us to give as well as receive and such an offering is a simple way to do that. This offering takes no more than ten minutes so is possible to conduct daily, even in a busy life.
Based on a Traditional Gaelic blessing
“We bathe your palms In the showers of wine - the wine ( or a herbal drink if preferred) can be sipped.
In the crook of the kindling, - the kindling can be briefly held.
In the seven elements:
The blessing of air- wave a feather gently around your head to receive the blessing of air.
The blessing of fire- move your hands from the candle/fire to your head as if taking a shower of fire. ( do not touch the flame)
The blessing of water- dip your fingers into a chalice/cauldron and sprinkle the water gently over your head.
The blessing of earth- sprinkle ash or soil lightly on your palms and rub it in as a blessing of the earth.
The blessing of wood- hold a wand in your hands briefly to take the essence of the element.
The blessing of metal- hold a steel/knife in your hands briefly to take the essence of the element.
The blessing of spirit- spend a moment in silence.
In the sap of the tree, -hold fresh bark/ sap or offer to the fire/alter
In the milk of honey, - eat or offer honey to the fire or alter.
We place nine pure, choice gifts upon your clear beloved face: as each gift is spoken a gift of a hazelnut can be eaten or offered to the fire representing the nine hazel trees of Connla’sWell which bestows wisdom.
The gift of form, The gift of voice, The gift of fortune,
The gift of goodness, The gift of eminence,
The gift of charity, The gift of integrity,
The gift of true nobility, The gift of apt speech.
Dark is yonder town, Dark are those within.
You are the brown swan, Going within fearlessly. - visualise yourself as the brown swan going within fearlessly.
Their hearts beneath your hand, Their tongues beneath your foot.
No word will they utter to do you ill.
You are a shade in the heat, You are a shelter in the cold, - really imagine embodying these qualities as you speak them individually with awareness.
You are the eyes to the blind, You are a staff to the pilgrim,
You are an island in the sea, You are a stronghold upon land,
You are a well in the wasteland, You are healing to the sick.
You are the luck of every joy, You are the light of the sun's beams,
You are the door of lordly welcome, You are the pole star of guidance,
You are the step of the roe of the height , You are the step of the white-faced mare,
You are the grace of the swimming swan,
You are the jewel in each mystery.”
“You are wind of sea, You are ocean wave, - really visualise and become these aspects.
You are roar of sea, You are bull of seven fights,
You are vulture on cliff, You are dew-drop,
You are fairest of flowers, You are bull for boldest,
You are salmon in pool, You are lake in plain,
You are a mountain in a man, You are a word of skill.”
adapted from the book of the invasions of Ireland translation provided by Irish texts society.
Meditate by entering the Birch grove which signals the start of your Otherworld (Inner realms) journey. Visualise the light airy birch grove teeming with melodious birds, a myriad of fungi and the sounds of wild animals stalking prey or making shelter. Make it as real as possible, try to touch the barks, smell the scents and hear the sounds. Go deep into the feeling of being immersed in nature, remembering it is the feeling rather than the visions that is most important. Be still and at peace for as long as you have time for; bringing love, gratitude and acceptance into your day.
Open the circle by thanking each element, start in the North and move around anti-clockwise so that you finish back in the East where you began casting the circle.
By the earth that is her body, by the air that is her breath, by the fire that is her bright spirit, by the living waters of her womb, this circle is open but unbroken. As above, so below. Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again.
Blessed be.
In the next stage we will continue to explore Ritual in relation to the seasons.
‘When darkness falls, when the light is extinguished, when my time is over what will I regret?
When I lie on my bed and death beckons to me, will I think of the things I did not do?
Or will I praise every moment I spent preparing my soul for its final journey home?’
J.Huet
Stage 3: Exploring the seasons
Winter- rough-black, dark-smoked, cold-flinted.
Dogs splinter the cracking bones, Cauldrons sit on fires at the dark day's end.
Raw and chill is icy spring ,Cold sits on every wind.
On the sodden pool, ducks cry out, Eager is the harsh-shrieking crane.
From the wilderness Wolves scent morning prey, Birds rise from meadowed nest,
Many are the wild things of the wood, That they flee from out of the greening earth.
Anon. Irish poem, 11th Century, trans C.Matthews.
The Importance of the Seasons
The extract from a the poem above brings alive the season of winter, a living memory of how the seasons were viewed by our ancestors a thousand years ago. How exciting to read a piece of living history. Can we still connect with that same cycle? Are we still stirred in our being by nature's expression just as they were all that time ago?
Connecting with the seasons is stepping into a natural flow, understanding the times when nature can support our intentions and actions.
Originally we were Nomads following a set course around the geography of a given area. To do that we needed to have a complete knowledge of the earth, its’ trees, plants, animals, directions and elements. Studying the seasons therefore is to step into nature's cycle to bring together our knowledge of the land. As a settled race we can now use this knowledge to teach us the best foods to eat, the best time for a given activity, when to collect plants and discover animals. It is an all-encompassing knowledge to aid well-being and health.
Dogs splinter the cracking bones, Cauldrons sit on fires at the dark day's end.
Raw and chill is icy spring ,Cold sits on every wind.
On the sodden pool, ducks cry out, Eager is the harsh-shrieking crane.
From the wilderness Wolves scent morning prey, Birds rise from meadowed nest,
Many are the wild things of the wood, That they flee from out of the greening earth.
Anon. Irish poem, 11th Century, trans C.Matthews.
The Importance of the Seasons
The extract from a the poem above brings alive the season of winter, a living memory of how the seasons were viewed by our ancestors a thousand years ago. How exciting to read a piece of living history. Can we still connect with that same cycle? Are we still stirred in our being by nature's expression just as they were all that time ago?
Connecting with the seasons is stepping into a natural flow, understanding the times when nature can support our intentions and actions.
Originally we were Nomads following a set course around the geography of a given area. To do that we needed to have a complete knowledge of the earth, its’ trees, plants, animals, directions and elements. Studying the seasons therefore is to step into nature's cycle to bring together our knowledge of the land. As a settled race we can now use this knowledge to teach us the best foods to eat, the best time for a given activity, when to collect plants and discover animals. It is an all-encompassing knowledge to aid well-being and health.
Celebrating the seasons in different locations in the UK.
Mapping the seasons.
The seasons can be depicted in a circle as compass points, a map for our inner and outer worlds. By following this cycle we can attune ourselves to the earth and understand the role we play in her cycle. The four main compass points of north, south, east and west are the main seasons (the quarters or Sabbats) of winter, summer, spring and autumn.
However in Britain there are a notable 8 seasons as the difference between the early and late part of each season manifests. They are further sub-divided into north-west, north-east, south-east and south-west. These represent what are known as the cross-quarter points( Esbats) and make up the agricultural year of Samhain, Imbolc, Beltaine and Lughnasadh. These festivals are known as the fire festivals, celebrated with ritual fires.
In the Celtic tradition the seasons of Samhain, Beltaine and Lughnasadh would have been the three main fire festivals, thus emphasising the importance of three in the tradition. At these three main events huge fires would have been lit and tribal communities would have gathered together.
Imbolc would have been a smaller affair celebrated the by hearth at home. The two most pivotal festivals would have been Beltaine which can be simply acknowledged as the beginning of summer and Samhain which is the end of summer and the Celtic New Year.
In Celtic tradition the day starts the night before as we watch the light coming out of the darkness for new beginnings, so it is fitting for the New Year to unfold at the darkening of the year. This means the seasons are divided first into two, north and south, summer (Sam) and winter (Gam); into three, as the main gatherings of the fire festivals, as four with the equinoxes and solstices and as eight as the complete seasonal cycle of the year. To step into this cycle is to be completely immersed and in tune with nature.
The main seasons, the quarters, are very specific dates marking the sun's passage of time, when the days are equal (Equinox) and when the day or night is longest (Solstices). The cross-quarters, although are now set at the first of the month they represent, were originally marked by nature itself, the blossoming of a tree or flower or the emergence of an animal. Each of the festivals last around six weeks and are often celebrated the night before the day for the reasons discussed above.
Why are the Agricultural Seasons less known today?
It may strike some people today as bizarre that celebrations celebrating the beauty of the land and reminding us of our connection to nature were and still are considered a threat to the Church.
Christianity spread into Europe and at times seemed to be embraced and celebrated alongside the seasonal festivals, in fact today the Catholic Church have kept alive a shadow of these festivals and their origins which connected them to the land through Candlemas (Imbolc), May Day (Beltaine), Lammas ( Lughnasadh) and All Saints Day ( Samhain ).
For over 400 years especially between the 15th Century and 18th Century people were executed for heresy, murdered for their religious beliefs. This started within Christianity itself as minority Christian groups such as the Jews, Waldensians and Cathars were targeted. Out of this intolerance of so-called immoral behaviour* the concept of Satanic Witchcraft was borne, a contradiction in itself as practicing Pagans rarely believe in a Devil. The hysteria led to roughly 40-60,000 people being killed in the so-called Witch trials as people believed that malevolent sorcery was the cause of many disasters.
The Pope in 1326 declared witchcraft was heresy and that they should be prosecuted, this was followed by the terrible black death which may have been considered a religious warning to some and by 1486 the Pope of the time was declaring Witches should be killed, by any means necessary. This fear spread throughout the Countryside and made our Native Traditions into a crime and created a deep-seated fear in the Church and the practice of Witchcraft. The essence of this appalling behaviour was the non-acceptance of beliefs outside a set doctrine.
The Seasonal celebrations were said to be where the witches met to carry out these terrible acts of heresy, the result of which means even today they are feared, misunderstood and more often celebrated in the context of the Roman Catholic Church as outlined above.
The Witch trials that peaked between 1560 and 1630 and began to decline between 1650 and 1750 were to help eradicate a direct lineage to our Traditional Oral past and give supremacy to one main religion across Europe which may have led to an impoverished Spirituality of the West. The Trials started to decline as people believed less in invisible forces causing the world's problems leading to an age of rational scientific thought and urbanisation.
However it is to be noted the dominating religion of the time was seeking to control in the same way commercialism does today, instead of us all dressing alike, using the same products and foods etc we were all expected to worship in the same way and therefore pay our dues to the same Organisation. This is reflected today in the disappearance of small businesses being replaced with a few multi-national companies which control the products being sold and used. The theory that economy is the source of all oppression seems to ring true in this bloody history.
Let’s hope in modern times we can all find our individuality within a beautiful diverse world.
*immoral behaviour would include the freedom to be naked, homosexual and worship in a non-Christian way such as calling to other gods, worshipping the earth etc..
Connecting with the Seasons
In the previous stage we put together a daily practice of connecting with tradition, invoking the elements, calling for protection and carrying out offerings and blessings. To fully make use of these techniques is to put them into context of the seasons allowing nature to support these actions and to step even more deeply into nature's flow. For each season the daily prayer of offering suggested in stage 2 can be used whilst adding a focus for each season.
Celebrating Yule 21st December- 31st January
The focus for Yule is the Yule log which can be lit to represent the returning light. We can use this time to reflect on the year and our intention for the coming year. However we can begin by tapping into the energy of the season, the deep dark depths of winter, its cold unforgiving nature whose harshness cuts back the greenness of nature into the womb of the earth where it waits for re-birth.
Poems have a way of capturing the feeling of a given time so we begin our ritual with the words of Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894).
“ A naked house, a naked moor, A shivering pool before the door,
A garden bare of flowers or fruit, And poplars at the garden foot.
Such is the place I live in, Bleak without and bare within.
Yet shall your ragged moor receive The incomparable pomp of eve,
And the gold glories of the dawn Behind your shivering trees be drawn;
And when the wind from place to place, Doth the unmoored cloud-galleons chase;
Your garden gloom and gleam again With leaping Sun, with glancing rain.
Here shall the wizard moon ascend The heavens in the crimson end
Of day's declining splendour; here The army of stars appear:
The neighbouring hollows dry and wet Spring shall with tender flowers beset,
And oft the morning muses see Larks rising from the broomy lea;
And every fairy wheel and thread Of cobweb dew – bediamonded.
When daisies go, shall winter time Silver the simple grass with rime.
Autumnal frost enchant the pool And make the cart-ruts beautiful,
And when snow-bright the moor expands how shall your children clap their hands.
To make this Earth our hermitage A cheerful and a changeful place
God's bright and intricate device Of days and seasons doth suffice.”
The above poem reminds us that indeed nature is perfect as it is, this is reflected in the Irish Celtic story of the Second Battle of Moytura. Bres, the King of the Fomor offered Lugh Lamfada milk and grain to be available all year round and the Druid Maeltine of the Great Judgements replied:
“ It has suited us that the spring is for sowing, the summer for strengthening , the autumn for harvesting, and the winter for consuming the grain.”
The Morrigawn ( Goddess of the land) at the end of the battle prophesied:
“I shall not see a world that will be dear to me.
Summer without flowers,
Kine will be without milk,
Women without modesty,
Men without valour,
Captures without a king.
Woods without mast,
Sea without produce.'
The Second Battle of Moytura translations provided by Irish Texts Society
To think these quotes were first put to paper in the 11th Century and possibly go back to an Ancient Oral Tradition is to acknowledge that we have always needed to be reminded of the importance of nature and to treat all with kindness.
About Yule
Yule marks the shortest day of the year (21st/22nd December) therefore making it the dark season of deep winter. However due to the fact from this day on the light increases the festival becomes a celebration of the light returning. In nature this is acted out with the fertility of the land. Coupling and reproduction is the most natural of all functions and the Celts saw this action not only played out with other animals but with the landscape at large.
The act of sexual reproduction can be seen in the pollination of plants and sowing the seed as the birth of new growth. This personification of the fecundity of the land is played out through the Lord and Lady of the land. The Lord or male aspect of nature can be in the form of a large giant clothed in holly leaves and he represents the dark side of the year.
At Yule the Holly giant fights the Oak giant who represents the light side of the year for the hand of the Lady of the land. This is a beautiful re-enactment performed at Yule and at the peak of the light in the summer solstice. It recognises the need to honour the beauty of the female form from which all seed is fertilised and the process of courting her with complete respect. The harsher lustful side of the male is played out through the fight of supremacy but then subdued by the honour of courting the Lady. This act, seen as essential for all life on earth is therefore an act of the highest persuasion, the courting of the God and Goddess. In its purest form it is the unfolding of a delicate, pure and tender love. Through fear and oppression this most powerful act is distorted and becomes violent in the deep darkness of ourselves. This power need never be feared but embraced as the joining of two beautiful souls, gender being irrelevant for the male and female aspects are in us all and the birthing and touching of two souls in same-sex unions is a potent and beautiful act.
The act need never be trivialised, demonised, feared or overtly focused upon but honoured as the sacred union of the divine. Being spiritual is allowing this power of our senses to unfold through honouring the body of another person, giving wings of trust to soar on waves of ecstasy to journey to the thresholds of another's soul.
The Yule log.
The Yule log signifies the light returning, as already discussed and traditionally the fire would be lit with the log. However the alternative is to decorate a chosen log with holly and ivy and light a candle positioned on the log. As part of the blessing the candle can be lit followed by meditation. Contemplate all the positive aspects of your life, really celebrate all the good things that have happened and then send out of this positivity and set an intention for the coming year.
Traditionally the log used is ash which is considered to be the best wood for burning and is especially sacred to the Norse as the tree of life, Askr Yggdrasill, the centre of the universe around which everything moves. Its roots (the underworld) are said to be guarded by a huge serpent, the trunk (this world) is a vehicle to move between the worlds; and its canopy ( the upperworlds) is where a majestic eagle perches, whilst goats browse on the canopy’s leaves. The spring, at its base, is where the Norns ( three powerful women) reside, who rule over the destiny of us all. However in more matriarchal times before the influence of the Norse, it is said the birch may have been our Yule log representing the power of the young goddess and her beautiful light of spring slowly returning.
Meditation
Light the candle on the decorated Yule log or put the log on the hearth or ritual fire and focus at this time on blessing all those in need at this time of deep winter.
“May I harness the true power of charity:
To show kindness to the world that meets me.
To give without knowing.
To receive with blessing.
To honour all who I meet.
To be honest without apology.
To love without boundary.
To stay in true happiness.
To be steady in solitude.
To be compassionate without drowning.
May I be buoyant on the sea of life, forever riding waves of gratitude.”
J. Huet.
Allow yourself to go within on waves of gratitude, feeling blessed you have food and shelter at this time and radiating love and blessings to all those without.
Enter the Birch grove or a special place of your choosing in the inner worlds of your heart.
In the next stages we will cover rituals for the rest of the seasons, however, meditating on the power of true charity which can simply be an open heart is possible at any time of the year.
Stage 4: Celebrating the seasons
Brightening of white on a dismal day.
The Blackthorn hatch gives hope.
Cold, black bark, hard pointed spears.
A threshold, a doorway to Spring's new cheer. Native plum fruits to flavour your gin
Let's give a toast to the bringer of Spring.
J.Huet
Celebrating the Seasons
Our journey continues to explore the seasons, stepping into the flow of nature. In this stage I will give some background lore to the seasons of Imbolc to the Summer Solstice, the next stage will cover the remaining festivals. A fire ritual for each season will give suggestions as to how to celebrate them with themes to contemplate and meditate with. The fire as already discussed in previous courses is the mouth of the mother, the coming together of the five elements and symbolises the soul-awakening. The fire can be represented by a candle for celebrations held indoors or where a fire cannot be lit.
The Blackthorn hatch gives hope.
Cold, black bark, hard pointed spears.
A threshold, a doorway to Spring's new cheer. Native plum fruits to flavour your gin
Let's give a toast to the bringer of Spring.
J.Huet
Celebrating the Seasons
Our journey continues to explore the seasons, stepping into the flow of nature. In this stage I will give some background lore to the seasons of Imbolc to the Summer Solstice, the next stage will cover the remaining festivals. A fire ritual for each season will give suggestions as to how to celebrate them with themes to contemplate and meditate with. The fire as already discussed in previous courses is the mouth of the mother, the coming together of the five elements and symbolises the soul-awakening. The fire can be represented by a candle for celebrations held indoors or where a fire cannot be lit.
Nature indicates the seasons such as above- Hedgehog for Imbolc, Blackthorn for Spring, Hawthorn for Beltaine and the Meadow for Summer.
Imbolc 1st February- 19th march
Imbolc is that burst of light, that emergence of blossom, the first tentative steps into a still cold, harsh climate patched with moments of warm sun daring the hardiest of nature to come out and play.
This is a time not depicted by the slow steady ceaseless play of light and dark but by the less predictable play of the green world. The hedge-hog, snake and hazel catkins unfurl from a winter lull and it is they who announce it is time to wake. Imagine our leaders looking to nature to begin a new political agenda, surrendering to the knowledge of trees and animals to decide our fate. This is not some ungrounded fantasy but recognition of being part of nature for it is nature who tells us it is Imbolc and that the time has arrived to sow early crops, help the birthing of lambs and prepare for the new growing season.
Imbolc Fire Ritual
Imbolc or Oimelc can be translated as butter-bag and the key component of the festival is the birthing of lambs. It makes sense therefore that the festival is dedicated to the Goddess and to the women who start to bring creation into birth. The archetypal young mother of Celtic belief is Brighid, so exalted and honoured she continued into Christian lore and was feared by the patriarchal sect of Christianity.
In Christianity she took the form of the high abbess of Kildare and her sanctuary which no man could enter was tended by nineteen or nine nuns. At this time her importance was considered to be greater than the bishops which upset the Roman Catholic Church. A papal decree was passed in 1151 to close the hermitage which was later reopened, only to be challenged again in the reign of Henry V111 when the sanctuary was closed forever.
However she still lives on in our culture as the archetypal mother of all and as the caretaker of Celtic society. She takes on many roles as a healer, foster-mother and midwife, demonstrating the strength and power of the Goddess.
In Celtic lore the most important aspects are played out in threes, this was long before the idea of the holy trinity in Christian lore. Brighid is also seen as three, in the form of the three sisters, the daughters of the Dagdha.
Each sister represents a key component of Celtic life which are poetry, healing and smith craft. In her form that represents poetry she is honoured as the patron of the bards and a source for their inspiration.
In these times she is needed more than ever as a symbol of true womanhood, power and strength, a beloved Goddess.
The Sacred Three My fortress be Encircling me,
Come and be round My hearth, My home.
Fend Thou my kin And every sleeping thing within
From scathe, from sin. Thy care our peace
Through mid of night To light's release.
Traditional Celtic Prayer
Below is a prayer to Brighid we can use to open the Imbolc cermony.
This can be spoken standing, with people holding hands, as the invocation is very much about feeling the support of Brighid and the memory of tradition:
Brighid, Bride, Breeju, lady of the land, the exalted one;I pray to you.
Three daughters of the Dagdha, Healers of the sick, Muse of the poets, Masters of craft;
I pray to you.
Protector of the Green World, Shield Maiden of Animals, Mother of All;I pray to you.
Power of the Elements, Essence of the Earth, Goddess of all Nature;
I pray to you.
Bringer of oxen- Fea and Feimhean, Bringer of pigs- Triath and Torc.
Guardian of pasture; I pray to you.
Mother of Goibniun the smith, Luchta the wright, Credne Cerd the metalworker.
Alchemy of craft; I pray to you.
Power of the Divine female rising from the womb of the earth, protect us from all calamity, misendeavour and bad intention.
J.Huet
By holding hands we can feel that support and connection to others and allow the spirit of Brighid, the Goddess to endure.
We can also feel again the qualities of the season through poetry, this time with the words of Coleridge.
One month is past, another is begun,
Since merry bells rang out the dying year, And buds of rarest green began to peer,
As if impatient for a warmer sun; And though the distant hills are bleak and dun,
The virgin Snowdrop like a lambent fire, Pierces the cold earth with it's green-streaked spire
And in dark woods, the little wandering one May find a primrose.
Hartley Coleridge Feb 1st 1842
Brighid's Bed ( Leaba Bride)
The next part of the ritual involves bringing in a small Wicca basket to represent Brighid's bed. The basket can be decorated with seasonal flowers and hazel catkins on a bed of straw. A white wand of willow or poplar can also be put onto the basket to represent justice, peace and purity.
The bed is honoured and passed around, we can use this time to focus on the women who have inspired us, and honour and bless the powerful presence of women in our lives.
A moment of silence can be observed before invoking the protection of St Brighid's cross.
' May the protection of Brighid be given through Bogha Bride, St Brighid's cross' - the cross can be passed around and a silent prayer can be made to the Goddess.
The wand on the bed can now be offered to the fire as we chant:
Now we banish winter, Now we welcome Spring.
We can also gather all evergreens left over from Yule and burn them on the fire at this point in the ritual.
Spring Time 20th march- 30th April
Spring has arrived, the light is balancing the darkness and the green world is truly awakening from its deep slumber. This is a time of activity, putting into action the dreams of winter. However this is also a time when we move forward with caution, the innocent infancy of Imbolc is now entering a world of infinite possibility and the decisions we make will affect the path we will take for the year.
However fear does not need to freeze us, as each journey is always a valuable experience.
Raw and chill is icy spring ,Cold sits on every wind.
On the sodden pool, ducks cry out, Eager is the harsh-shrieking crane.
From the wilderness Wolves scent morning prey, Birds rise from meadowed nest,
Many are the wild things of the wood, That they flee from out of the greening earth.
Anon. Irish poem, 11th Century, trans C. Matthews.
The above verse conveys this darker side of spring, the loss of innocence as all awakens and the cold days still remind us of harsher times.
This is also captured in the Christian concept of Lent, for Spring can be a lean time as the winter stocks dwindle and early crops have not quite reached fruition indicating it is the natural time to fast and abstain.
Lent is from the Norse word 'Lenct' which means the lengthening time of the Alder, a tree whose catkins are borne at this time of year along with the striking silver turning to gold willow catkins.
The woodland willow stands, a lonely bush of nebulous silver,
There the spring Goddess cowers in faint attire of frightened fire.
Robert Bridges 1844-1930
Both these trees are of the waterways as the Spring Goddess reveals herself in the ebb and flow of the rivers and in the waxing moon, coaxing new life into abundant growth. Water has a feminine quality and is a giver of new growth just like the young Goddess.
The joy of spring is reflected in one of Wordsworth's most famous poems:
I wondered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
I feel this poem is capturing the delightful aspect of a sun-soaked spring nurturing the ever abundant dance of nature. Daffodils by their thousand once were seen in Ancient woodlands and would have been a display to announce March to match any bluebell display in May. This feast for the eyes can still be relished in West dean woods in Sussex, explored in stage 6.
A spring celebration could include a Wicca basket (or any receptacle of your choice) of daffodils and other spring flowers as a focal point to celebrate the awakening of nature.
Now we can experience the awakening of nature representing the soul’s journey into adolescence allowing us to explore, create and enjoy the fecundity of the land and life.
Enjoy the beauty of spring through the eyes of a young soul in expectation of an adventurous and fruitful year.
Beltaine 1st May- 19th June
May day! Delightful day!
Bright colours play the vale along.
Now wakes at morning's slender ray
Proud and gay the blackbird song.
Now comes the bird of dusty hue,
The loud cuckoo, the summer-lover;
Branchy trees are thick with leaves;
The bitter evil time is over.
Loaded bees with puny power
Goodly flower harvest wins;
Cattle roam with muddy flanks;
Busy ants go out and in.
Through the wild harp of the wood
Making music roars the gale-
Now it settles without motion,
On the ocean sleeps the sail.
Men grow mighty in the May,
Proud and gay the maidens grow;
Fair is every wooded height;
Fair and bright the plain below.
Loudly carols the lark on high,
Small and shy his tireless lay,
Singing in wildest merriest mood,
Delicate- hued delightful May.
This poem was written by Thomas Rolleston ( 1857 – 1920) and attributed to Fionn McCuail capturing the essence of May-time.
Summer has begun, it is time to let go, be free and be a vibrant teenager catching the first warmth of the sun and the fertility of the land and life.
Among the many buds proclaiming May
Decking the fields in holiday array.
Striving who shall surpass in braverie,
Marke the faire flowering of the hawthorne tree
Who finely clothed in a robe of white,
Fills full the wanton eye with May’s delight.
Geoffrey Chaucer 1343- 1400
It is the hawthorn tree which is the traditional marker of May, a guardian tree associated with the Sidhe/faerie folk and the fertility of the land. Beltaine is a time of great celebration, our ancestors who lived so much of their lives outdoors would have taken great delight in this time.
All fires would be allowed to go out and one central fire would be lit in the spiritual centre of the land ( Tara in Ireland for instance) then all other fires would be lit from it, the soul of the land awakening across the tribes. The main fire would become two and the cattle would be driven between them for purification. The great celebration would begin in earnest, the maypole erected as a phallic symbol of the fertility of the land. May Queens would weave garlands decorated with hawthorn blossom expecting to be courted by the men.
Large fires, parades, dancing and singing to celebrate the beginning of summer and the fruition of the green world. This was the natural time for couples to be hand-fasted ( the marriage of two souls bound together by 5 cords of love representing the 5 elements, the essence of all life).
This would be further consecrated as the two newlyweds would go into the woods and share their love. The idea of there being a special time for love-making which the green world supported and rejoiced in, meant an excitement filled the air and couples could let go. This almost allowed it to have an air of innocence, a youthfulness unfolding of the twinning of souls as the High King of the green world symbolically mated with the sovereignty of the land. This union of souls never need be restricted by gender as men join with men and women with women expressing their male and female aspects in ways that feels right for the individual.
Beltaine Fire Ritual.
Taine means fire and Bel is either the name of a great Celtic God or a name meaning shining or brilliant. The core of its meaning therefore is a fire for the Otherworld, the bright realms and this is a time where you can enter heightened states of knowledge of the inner worlds.
An altar of flowers, herbs, leaves and barks can be a focal point. Light the fire or candle and invite the joy of summer to enter your life, the adventurous teenager exploring their new awakenings of soul. If practical you can jump over the fire or candle individually or as a couple for purification and good intentions. An alternative is to jump over a broom stick laid on the ground or held low by two people. As the person or couple jumps they can feel a sense of going through an exciting threshold in their life and invite new growth to transform them. Whilst jumping the rest of the group can chant:
“Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jump over the broomstick”
Although you can celebrate Beltaine at home and on your own as you can with all the other festivals, it is a good time to be with others and out in the countryside around you.
Celebrate, be merry and enjoy this threshold of the year, though remember the door to the Bright Realms is wide open at this time just as it is in Samhain, so do not allow your merriment to run too far away with you. Surround yourself with good caring people and warm friendly souls.
Mid-Summer 20th June- 31st July
The sun is at its peak, it is a time to feel confident and express yourself as a young adult, that anticipation and tentative step as a teenager is now being rewarded as life comes into blossom, a time where you need not work so hard, you can relax and soak in the summer sun.
Summer Solstice Fire Ritual
The best celebration of this time is to take yourself out into the beauty of nature. Make an altar outdoors if you can or bring a delight of flowers indoors to celebrate this time of beauty and self-expression.
In this vibrant time of exploration find time to connect with others and meet them in that place of tenderness:
Untouched, unshaken in a constant state of love.
A state of peace connected to an ever-evolving heart that reaches out to every soul on the planet.
To see only beauty, to allow every person to shine with the radiance of their own inner true selves.
To go beyond judgement and fear and connect with every being in their innermost heart.
To be patient, tolerant and unyielding in a state only you can know.
To meet everyone in the bliss of conscious acknowledgement and to know every fault perceived is a reflection of the state of your own inner heart.
Reach out to the goodness in the heart of every person you meet and watch them shine into conscious awareness knowing they are loved.
Be kind to everyone you meet.
J.Huet
Find some quiet time to light a candle or a fire and pray for those in need and meditate on a kind heart.
In the next stage we will continue to explore the festivals from Lughnassadha through to Samhain.
Stage 5: The Seasons as a Way of Life
When we make the seasons a way of life we know what foods to harvest.
Welcome to the fifth stage and again we find ourselves furthering our understanding of the seasons. This is a key component of the course as it enables us to live as part of nature and open our eyes to what is happening in the world around us.
This knowledge would have been passed down from generation to generation; the whole community would have attended each seasonal celebration connecting them to the earth and also just as importantly to each other.
A clear understanding that we depend on the green world and each other would have been deeply immersed in our being, that disconnection from tradition and an understanding that we can make our way in the world alone is a modern concept.
This is where Tradition awakens us to true knowledge that cannot be assimilated through any form of modern media. It is not just a Spiritual understanding we come to, but an understanding of how to live in the world. Our essential human needs are rarely within our control. The food we eat, the water we drink and the fuel we use often use comes from other sources a long way from home.
In the modern world it may appear we are more in control being able to eat food from around the world and having for instance an endless choice of products to purchase, yet we have allowed a few huge companies to control our markets so that our direct influence on the very things we completely depend on has diminished. The knowledge of tradition is essential to take back that control. To understand your immediate environment through the seasons is to have insight into how you wish to live.
Before continuing this exploration here is an invocation to the Dagdha, the spirit of the Green Wood which you can use at anytime of year:
Good God Dagdha, Father of Many, Parentage of the Sidhe, All-knowing Noble,
Spirit of the Green Wood shelter us; Power of the soft brown earth comfort us.
May the strength rising from the roots of the trees transport us to the bright realms acting as pillars of hope.
May the roots of trees ground us in one reality,
taking us into the depths of our being, the womb of the earth.
Inspiring us to be caretakers of all Nature.
Good God Daghda, May we be as steady as a tree,
serving all beings and taken only that which we need to sustain our lives.
Good God Daghdha, Envelop us in the knowledge of the Green Wood.
Teach us to have a compassionate heart and truly love all souls equally as one.
Great God Dagdha teach us to be light of spirit, tender of heart, steadfast in being.
May the wild wood of all souls continue to blossom for all eternity.
This knowledge would have been passed down from generation to generation; the whole community would have attended each seasonal celebration connecting them to the earth and also just as importantly to each other.
A clear understanding that we depend on the green world and each other would have been deeply immersed in our being, that disconnection from tradition and an understanding that we can make our way in the world alone is a modern concept.
This is where Tradition awakens us to true knowledge that cannot be assimilated through any form of modern media. It is not just a Spiritual understanding we come to, but an understanding of how to live in the world. Our essential human needs are rarely within our control. The food we eat, the water we drink and the fuel we use often use comes from other sources a long way from home.
In the modern world it may appear we are more in control being able to eat food from around the world and having for instance an endless choice of products to purchase, yet we have allowed a few huge companies to control our markets so that our direct influence on the very things we completely depend on has diminished. The knowledge of tradition is essential to take back that control. To understand your immediate environment through the seasons is to have insight into how you wish to live.
Before continuing this exploration here is an invocation to the Dagdha, the spirit of the Green Wood which you can use at anytime of year:
Good God Dagdha, Father of Many, Parentage of the Sidhe, All-knowing Noble,
Spirit of the Green Wood shelter us; Power of the soft brown earth comfort us.
May the strength rising from the roots of the trees transport us to the bright realms acting as pillars of hope.
May the roots of trees ground us in one reality,
taking us into the depths of our being, the womb of the earth.
Inspiring us to be caretakers of all Nature.
Good God Daghda, May we be as steady as a tree,
serving all beings and taken only that which we need to sustain our lives.
Good God Daghdha, Envelop us in the knowledge of the Green Wood.
Teach us to have a compassionate heart and truly love all souls equally as one.
Great God Dagdha teach us to be light of spirit, tender of heart, steadfast in being.
May the wild wood of all souls continue to blossom for all eternity.
Continuing the Traditions
In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries a 'Celtic Twilight' emerged; learned people felt inspired to research and revive our Celtic traditions. By this time the traditions of this land had especially suffered through the Burning Times explored in stage 3, but thankfully in the Celtic lands of Scotland, Wales and especially Ireland these traditions had not been completely obliterated and old texts have survived that have insights into our traditional oral past.
Great writers and poets such as William Butler Yeats and Lady Gregory helped bring about a revival of Irish literature and poetry and the Scots Alexander Carmicheal and Professor Magnus Maclean helped renew interest in Gaelic literature and Celtic studies. Lady Charlotte Guest put the ancient stories of Wales ( the Mabinogion) into a modern print format for the first time in 1841 and Kuno Meyers a German Scholar brought much ancient Irish poetry back into the light. This may have led to a further resurgence in the 1950s with the works of The White Goddess by Robert Graves and the Silver Bough by Florence Marian McNeill. English writers such as Kipling and Tolkien have also added works that reflect a traditional Bardic approach to writing.
At this time in the 1950s the modern Pagan movement was born in the form of Wicca, under the guidance of Gerald Gardner and Ross Nichols who formed the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids.
These movements have blossomed into a popular movement taking us back to our Pagan roots. Modern Celtic Scholars, musicians, poets and mystics continue to take us into the heart of tradition. In the last 25 years that I have been exploring my own connection with nature traditions I have witnessed a great growth in interest of these traditions.
Eastern disciplines, philosophy and spirituality have taught us so much as our own indigenous traditions were put aside when we entered into the modern world. However in order to understand the landscape and to live in harmony with it, it would help to remember our own ancestry of the land we live upon.
So join me in continuing that exploration through the celebration of Lughnasadha.
Lughnasadha 1st August- 19th September
On Tuesday at the feast of the rise of the sun
And the back of the ear of the corn to the East
I will go forth with my sickle down
While the fruitful ear is in my grasp
I will raise mine eye upwards
I will turn on my heel quickly.
Rightway as travels the sun
From the direction of the East to the West
From the direction of the North with motion slow
To the very core of the direction of the South.
I will give thanks to the King of Grace
For the growing crops of the ground
He will give food to ourselves and to the flocks
According as He disposeth me.
Traditional Reaping blessing translated by Alexander Carmichael.
The above Gaelic blessing illustrates that connection to the land. In the book of the Dun Cow written around 1100 it is clearly a legal obligation to gather for the festivals so all that partake in the harvest also partake in the work needed and the celebration of the fecundity of the land.
As already discussed the fire festivals are key times for the agricultural year and dictate the food available for the villages. Traditionally they would have been celebrated at key sacred sites such as Tara at Beltaine and Samhain.
At Lughnasdha the main celebration was held in Teltown in Ireland.
In England there also would have been key sites of celebration such as Stone Henge, Durrington Walls and Avebury.
As we enter the season of Lughnasadha, the first harvest, it is an opportunity to explore a key aspect of essential human need- the food we eat. At one time the food we eat would have come from the countryside around us, grown by the community ripened by the sun, picked by the hands that would eat it and grown in well-nurtured organic soil.
Nature dictated what crops were suitable for the conditions of a given area, alleviating the need for this constant questioning of what is good for us. We now pay for scientists to explore the chemical components of food to help us with our quest for good health and the obvious conclusion that a mixture of food in moderation covers most of our needs; that every food has benefits and disadvantages.
We then import so-called 'super foods' from across the world and claim it is more environmentally friendly not to eat meat and to eat vegetarian food grown out of season heavily dependent on fossil fuels.
It all comes back to the land you live from; you would never dig up the green and pleasant pasture land of say the Southdowns to grow vegetables.
Weeds such as nettle, plantain, burdock and dandelion are as much super foods as any other and they grow freely and are mainly pulled up and destroyed.
I have complete respect for people who choose not to eat meat, in fact I admire that life style choice but the problem is not always what we eat but how it is grown and the expectation of all foods available all of the time.
This was explored in one of the oldest Irish stories, the Second Battle of Moytura already mentioned in stage 3. The story clearly states each season works for the production of food and to expect it out of season is to go against nature.
To set up schemes which look to improve the overall quality of food production seem to me far more effective than creating niche organic markets. Raising the standards of all foods and ensuring all crops are grown considering the welfare of wildlife and the welfare of all domestic animals is surely true progress, and much more needed than ploughing money into food research and intensive farming so that food can be grown all year round!
The threshold keeper of this season is the beautiful scarlet berried Rowan tree honoured by the poet Bliss Carmen (1861-1832):
She lived where the mountains go down to the sea, and river and tide confer,
Golden Rowan of Menolwan was the name they gave to her.
She had the soul no circumstance Can hurry or defer,
Golden Rowan of Menolowan How time stood still for her!
Her play mates for their lovers grew, But the shy wanderer,
Golden Rowan of Menolowan Knew love was not for her.
Hers was the love of wilding things; To hear a squirrel chirr,
In the golden rowan of Menolowan Was joy enough for her.
She sleeps on the hill with the lonely sun, Where in the days that were,
The golden rowan of Menolowan So often over shadowed her.
The scarlet fruit will come to fill, The scarlet spray to stir,
The golden rowan of Menolowan, And wake no dream for her.
Only the wind is over her grave For Mourner and comforter,
And 'Golden rowan of Menolowan' Is all we know of her.
Lughnasadha Fire Ritual
The word Lughnasadha can be translated as the fair or assembly of Lugh, a deity who is said to be the master of all craft. When he fought the Fomhoire, the terms spoken between Lugh and Bres were very much about the best way to work the land. However as with many of the old traditions it is to the Goddess we must turn to honour.
Lugh is holding this feast to honour his foster-mother, the goddess Tailtiu who died after spending a year clearing a great plain to feed the people. The foster-mother in Celtic society was held in great esteem and importance.
The Goddess Brighit known as the foster-mother of Jesus in her form as a Christian Saint.
The festival of Lughnasadha is therefore to honour the sacrifice of the goddess of the land to feed the people.
Let us start with the words of Robert Burns( 1759-1796)another poet who captured the Celtic spirit in his works:
The moor-cock springs on whirring wings among the blooming heather,
Come, let us stray our gladsome way And view the charms of Nature,
The rustling corn, the fruited thorn. And every happy creature.
Light your fire or candle to honour the Mother earth who gives to us all without any reward; reflect on your actions this year, have you helped be a caretaker of the sacred land or have you taken without care? What can you give back to earth, how can you lessen your impact? Meditate on the beauty of nature and the role you play in her cycle.
Autumn Equinox 20th September- 31st October
Autumn is a time of ripening and the beginning of maturity as we enter into an older phase of the life cycle. We gather the harvest of the year and reflect on the season behind us as we step into our strength, wiser and more confident of our abilities.
This time of high tides and abundant fruit reflects the life-giving properties of the experienced mature mother as she radiates vitality before retreating into her depths at Samhain. The male energy is also at his peak, mature, giving, and nurturing. He has nothing to prove for he also radiates an inner strength as the fruition of his life unfolds.
The guardian of this time is the fruiting Elder that can cure ailments and guide you at this time. She is the protector of the land, the animals and the mind. A powerful symbol of strength and wisdom.
Use this time to truly acknowledge all you have achieved this year and in your life. Be at ease, confident in your abilities and allowing them to nurture and aid a new generation.
This is a good time in the words of Sir Walter Scott ( 1759-1796) -
“To see the heath-flower withered on the hill,
To listen to the woods' expiring lay,
To note the red leaf shivering on the spray,
To mark the last bright tints the mountain stain,
On the waste fields to trace the gleaner's way ,
And moralise on mortal joy and pain,”
Samhain 1st November- 19th December
'These early November hours that crimson the creeper's leaf across.
Like a splash of blood, intense, abrupt, o'er a shield; else gold from rim to boss
And lay it for show on the fairy-cupped elf-needled mat of moss.'
Robert Browning ( 1812-1889)
The time of Samhain is when the veil between this world and the next is at its thinnest. A time for deep meditation and thought. The harvest of this time is of the inner worlds, the stage of old age where we touch the depths of true knowledge and have the opportunity to embody the soul.
Once at this time, the winter stores were topped up and the cattle slaughtered for winter food. Great fires for the burning of the livestock’s bones were made called Bonfires (Bone-fires) which may be the origin of Bonfire night. This was known as the Festival of Tongues where all could speak freely.
Samhain simply means end of summer and is a time for inner reflection and the remembrance of our ancestors.
The guardian of Samhain is the Apple tree whose fruit can transport us to the Bright Realms.
Light a candle and immerse yourself in deep meditation:
Deep meditation- awakening your energy centres.
True meditation is a deep connection to the soul, the eternal self. Relief of stress, clarity of vision and mind and improved focus are but symptoms of meditation rather than its essence. Its essence is beyond the mind, body and material world, a state untouched by the fore-mentioned symptoms. Through spiritual practice and soul nourishment it can be made into a permanent state of being.
When you meditate there are three key places of power which are called granthis in the yogic tradition of the East which are said to take tremendous force to pierce or awaken, only possible through a true teacher or master. This lore I feel could be likened to the three cauldrons spoken of in Bardic Irish lore which Caitlin Matthews has especially brought to our attention through her commentary on a fifteenth century treatise on poetry in her book Encyclopaedia of Celtic Wisdom.
When a seeker starts to meditate energy is awakened in the base of the spine or a fire in the belly which flows upwards releasing sublime nectar, an exquisite feeling of joy and love for all life. It is like the joy of love-making for the first time and a feeling of being complete, sated.
The cauldron of warming is situated in the root of the belly and is upright in all people. This position enables it to fill with the learning of true knowledge, yet only some use it to heat the knowledge of inspiration within them. I believe this heat is the moving of energy witnessed when we go within and is the source of all the true arts.
This state is experienced when the body is in a focused flow such as when you skydive, abseil, rock climb or drive at top speeds. In meditation this feeling is prolonged and if you learn to sustain it, it will rise up within you awakening the inner senses, literally enabling you to experience the most divine touch, sound, taste and sight, saving you from the need to search for them in the external world. Imagine the time, money and resources this could save us!
The next awakening is in the heart, though this process need not be linear as each centre can awaken at different times. The cauldron said to be situated in the heart is the cauldron of vocation which can stay inverted in some people, positioned on the side if you have awareness and in an upright position if you are a master.
The treatise says it can be upturned by sorrow or joy. In the Sufi tradition they speak of the breaking of the heart to rebuild it more strongly and capable of deeper loving. In the Yogic tradition the teacher pierces the heart as you fall in love with him or her as the personification of God.
The secret therefore of unlocking the mysteries of the heart is the very human act of heartache, and if one can fully experience a broken heart this centre is pierced. In the treatise they specify the sorrow as longing; grief and jealousy, these feelings felt to the core (which most people run from or deny) create a terrible pain of longing that many poet saints speak of.
A divine love beyond human suffering may only be possible through the feeling of this intense pain. Entering this heart ache can erupt into an intense joy, a painful yet blissful longing to be complete. A most human love can be conferred onto the teacher to pierce this centre.
I believe that your partner, if you can love them with a pure heart, can take you to this state as a teacher, master or Guru traditionally would have.
Through spiritual practice or mastering of an art form such as poetry, this exquisite pain can reach up to the next energy centre between the eyes. This is often called the third eye and in this Bardic Tradition it is the Shining Brow, the cauldron of knowledge.
The sensation felt in this centre can also be very intense as it opens, piercing the brow and allowing bliss to enter the head, lifting the spirits and awakening a sensuous flow throughout the entire body. This moving energy is what the poets call inspiration, the fire in the head.
In Gaelic, inspiration is called 'Imbas' and it’s source flows from the sacred water ways, the river Boyne (which could be likened to the river Ganges in India). The seeker becomes the salmon flowing against the current of ordinary life to the source of the Boyne, the Well of Segais where they obtain knowledge by the eating of hazelnuts, and are reborn in the well of inspiration.
Through intense sorrow and/or joy focused into spiritual practice or in mastering of an art form, all three cauldrons can be active and ultimately upturned so the seeker (or poet in this tradition) can become the Master.
Taliesin (6th Century Welsh Bard) describes the divine being as 'the Distributor' and this is said to be the function of the cauldron of knowledge. The quality of 'Distributor' is also associated with people of importance such as the King, Queen and Chieftains. Knowledge gained and passed on may be the universal lore of master and seeker.
I find this lore of the cauldrons exciting as it seems to follow the same guidelines of many meditation masters alive today and shows a clear similarity to the poet saints of India which surely would be the Bards of Celtica.
The understanding and assimilation of pain brings great knowledge and/or mastery of the arts.
It is this time of Samhain that takes us deep within.
We now have explored the elements and the seasons. In the next stage we will link our studies to the landscape and the directions to which each element and season belong to, giving us a strong foundation to continue our inner journey through Nature.
stage 6: Exploring Landscape
Old majestic woods, lime dappled shade,
Hazel in abundance, oak in decay,
Violets spring forth, wild garlic glistens white,
Perpetual flowers offer delights.
Hedge spiked blackthorn, sweet chestnut in neat rows,
Alder with reddish catkins and small black cones,
Otter looks up, cuckoo looks for nests,
Nature has re-awakened from her sweet rest.
J.Huet
British landscapes of the South Downs, Dartmoor and the River Wye.
Connecting to Landscape
Old stone pits with veined ivy overhung,
Wild crooked brooks o'er which is rudely flung
A rail and a plank that bends beneath the tread,
Old narrow lanes where trees meet overhead,
Path-stiles on which a steeple we espy
Peeping and stretching in the distant sky,
And heaths o'erspread with furze-bloom's sunny shine
Where wonder pauses to exclaim 'divine!'
Old ponds dim-shadowed with a broken tree-
These are the picturesque of taste to me,
While painting winds to complete the scene
In rich confusion mingles every green,
Waving the sketchy pencil in their hands,
Shading the living scenes to fairy lands.
Pleasant Places by John Claire (1793-1864)
The invocation and the play of the elements is key to any earth religion and is often perceived through each element having a place of power and a season, as well as a direction that reflects its characteristics. In previous courses we have already explored the elements and seasons, now it is time to connect them to the landscape.
To know the geography of the land you live in is key to connecting with the landscape at large, and therefore an awareness of key places of power around you is imperative to the study of nature and the key to being conscious of the part you play in it.
In this stage I will focus on the woodlands of England for it is they that I feel are part of our living tradition. England's natural vegetation is woodland (except land 2000ft above sea level) and left to its own devices it would regenerate into an oasis of ancient trees, shrubs and wildflowers.
Each natural woodland is a place of power where we can honour our ancestors, nature and the spirits of the land as well as a practical place and resource for wood, timber and herbs. Here are some examples of very old woods in England which you may wish to visit and get to know.
The East of England
The East is the place of the element of air and the season of spring. The landscape is open and windswept as exposed fens create a barren low-lying scene. The Eastern lands of England have some exciting places of power. Eastern England boasts some of the finest examples of ancient woodlands in England especially in the region of East Anglia.
Hatfield Forest is just one mile square in size and yet is one of the most perfect examples of an ancient wood pasture in Europe. Situated not far from Stansted airport this site was once part of a woodland which was the third largest wooded area in Essex according to the Doomsday book written in 1086. Already by the fourteenth century the original woodland had become scattered wood lots. The term wood pasture refers to a method of combining Woodsmanship with pastoral farming for the production of milk and meat.
In this system only the large standard trees of the woodland remain which are pollarded. This is when trees are cut back to their main trunk (bolling), kept at a height of around 8-20ft for wood production. The pollards are used for wood production whilst the grass underneath is grazed by cattle. The wood pasture at Hatfield is unchanged as if it has stood still in time. Cattle feed beneath the ancient hornbeam trees as they have always done since before at least medieval times.
There is an ancient woodland coppice here. Coppice is when the trees are cut right down to ground level to regrow for wood production. There is also a lake and some fine uncut mature oak trees.
Bradfield woods in the county of Suffolk is a real gem amongst woods. It is one of the finest examples of a working coppice in Britain today. The site has not changed for over 700 years consisting of natural trees that have never been planted, creating a perfect habitat for wildlife. Well-documented since 1252 it was originally owned by the Abbey of Bury St Edmunds who managed it exactly as it is still being managed today.
The coppice is cut in the winter months to allow a profusion of flowers to come to fruition in the spring. The coppice is cut in rotation on a seven year cycle, supporting a healthy invertebrate population which in turn supports birds such as the nightingale. The site supports 350 flowering plants and 42 native trees and shrubs, a perfect mecca for wildlife.
The South of England
The South of England is the element of fire and the season of summer. A rich, gentle landscape of hills, woods and farmland. A stronghold for many ancient woodlands and the beautiful South Downs National Park stretches a hundred miles along its length. The heart of our ancient countryside is here to explore.
Rudyard Kipling adored the South Coast and I would most definitely agree when he says:
I'm just in love with all these three,
The Weald and the Marsh and the Down country.
Nor I don't know which I love the most,
The Weald or the Marsh or the white Chalk coast!
I've buried my heart in a ferny hill,
Twix' a liddle low shaw an' a great high gill.
Oh hop-bine yaller an' wood-smoke blue,
I reckon you'll keep her middling true!
I've loosed my mind for to out and run
On a Marsh that was old when Kings begun.
Oh Romney Level and Brenzett reeds,
I reckon you know what my mind needs!
I've given my soul to the Southdown grass,
And sheep-bells tinkled where you pass.
Oh Firle an' Ditchling an' sails at sea,
I reckon you keep my soul for me!
In the Sussex Weald there are two woodlands of notable wealth. Ebernoe Common and The Mens (German for common) which are remnants of extensive woodland which once would have been at least 23,000 acres. They created fuel for the iron industry since at least the Roman times, producing around 500 tons of iron per year from 46,000 tons of coppiced wood.
In Anglo-Saxon times the Weald was one of the largest and wildest woods in England and is still one of the most densely wooded parts in England today. This demonstrates how woodlands in more industrial areas tend to survive. Early industry was dependent on coppiced woods. However the problem with Industry demanding these woodlands meant they were less available for the common man who needed faggots and building materials etc.
The Mens has the richest lichen flora in the South East and one of the richest fungal floras in Britain. It is also notable for its diverse plant flora as well as its fauna, one of the best habitats in Britain. Rare beetles thrive there as well as woodland butterflies.
As we travel towards Chichester, West Sussex we come across West Dean Woods notable for its old coppice and profusion of wild daffodils in March. The wild daffodil a notable ancient woodland indicator, which means it only grows in woodlands over 350 years in age. In the newer woods one can see evidence of the medieval method of ploughing known as ridge and furrow.
On the other side of Chichester on the back roads to Funtington is a very special area indeed. Situated in the hamlet of West Stoke is Kingley Vale the largest and most impressive yew wood in Europe, if not the world! Some of the yew trees are at least 2000 years of age creating several groves of pure yew trees. The surrounding area is a delightful chalk downland with an array of striking wildflowers.
Old trees such as those at Kingley Vale support hole-nesting birds, wild bees, bats and a myriad of invertebrates that make use of features often fashioned over hundreds of years.
The oldest yew in Britain is said to be the Fortingall yew in Perthshire, Scotland estimated to be 5000 years old.
We now leave the county of West Sussex and go just over the border into Hampshire where we find remnants of the once vast wood known as the Forest of Bere.
The Forest of Bere once covered a vast area starting from around the area of Emsworth and stretching down to another famous forest, the New Forest. From Saxon times it was known as the Forest of Baer
( Baer meaning swine pasture) and was a series of commons creating an open landscape of trees, heathland, farmland , wood pasture and coppice.
In Norman times it became a Royal Forest ( Forest of Bere) which is a hunting ground owned by the King and not necessarily woodland. In the forest the King has rights to all the game and this can include the game on private land adjoining the Forest which is still part of the ‘legal’ Forest boundaries. The ‘legal’ Forest boundaries may sometimes double the size of the actual Forest owned by the King.
Hollybank Woods is situated in the village of Emsworth and is remanent of the Forest of Bere. It is mainly a mixed broadleaved woodland with conifer stands planted in places. In the wetter areas it hosts many species of flower including hundreds of early purple orchids.
Recently this woodland has been put under a coppice regime as volunteers cut back the trees in rotation. The main reason why many of our ancient woodlands do not support the diverse flora and fauna that they once did is simply neglect and lack of management as Bradfield woods, already explored, demonstrates.
The New Forest is the largest remaining tract of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in South East England, it stretches across South West Hampshire and South East Wiltshire towards the East of Dorset. It is a unique survivor of the common land system, the least modified landscape in the whole of lowland Britain, the supreme place for lichen in Europe ( due to lack of acid rain) and home to 2/3 to 3/4 of the saproxylic* invertebrate population of Britain.
*Saproxylic invertebrates are those animals without a vertebral column depending on dead or decaying wood. Sapros =dead xylos= wood.
It was created in 1079 by King William the First and still 90% of the Forest is owned by the Crown. Commoners and wealthy land owners alike often disliked the Forest system which meant certain rights were taken away. William’s sons, Prince Richard and William the Second (William Rufus) both died in the wood creating the rumour their deaths were a punishment for the creation of the Royal Forest.
Commoners’ rights were confirmed in 1698 and also in 1877 when the Navy tried to encroach on them. The common land system was an important system in rural England and enabled the land to be well managed and its resources put to good use. Often the rich landowners would own the large trees and the land itself, but in exchange for its maintenance the commoners were given certain rights and customs.*
The New Forest is a living historical landscape, demonstrating the importance of preserving the ancient countryside for now and the future.
*Commoners’ rights include: Right of Estovers (cutting of peat for fuel); Right of Turbary ( wood for fuel) ;Right of common of Marl ( digging of clay) Common of Mast ( Pannage= beech mast and acorns for pigs) and Common of pasture. Customs included the cutting of Bracken at the end of August for animal litter; Bee hives in July-September and the cutting of gorse and holly for winter browse for ponies and deer.
The West of England
I hear these waters, rolling from their mountain springs with a sweet inland murmur.
Once again do I behold these steep and lofty cliffs, which on a wild secluded scene impress thoughts of more deep seclusion; and connect the landscape with the quiet of the sky.
On revisting the banks of the Wye by W.Wordsworth.
The West of England is the element of water and the season of autumn. A place of mystery, emotion and magic. It is in the West amongst the cliffs, springs, wells and rivers we imagine the realms of the bright ones, our own Tir na nOg, land of youth where the spirits of nature and our ancestors reside.
So it is fitting the last of our wild woods did reside here (still in existence in its semi-natural form).
The west is home to the some of the most outstanding areas of natural beauty of lowland England consisting of limestone cliffs and ancient woodlands dominated by the most picturesque river Wye.
It is the borders of areas, where paths meet, where the land disappears into water and sky, where boundaries are betwixt habitat and landscape, where places defy the eye and the harvest of vision leads to exquisite beauty where magic happens. The West is that place where England meets Wales and the Celtic lands come alive moving through the boundaries of England and Wales.
The Wild Wood.
Imagine walking across Britain when nature dominated, the vast woods open and diverse. Huge towering oaks fill the skyline, beautiful graceful limes let in dappled light which warms the soil thus supporting a myriad of flowering plants pollinated by delicate winged delights; the butterflies and moths. Stirring bears look for a meal as rampaging boars dig up roots and grubs. The majestic powerful stags fight for supremacy. Packs of wolves howl and hunt, taking down the fleeing deer. Goshawks and eagles fly through the air looking for prey. Holes are bored into rotting and decaying mammoth trunks by large unusual beetles. Thousands of varieties of insects become food for perfectly formed song- birds delighting the ear with melodious sweet sounds.
Alder carr and willow roots fill the sparkling streams whilst the black poplar dominates the wet meadow and aspen suckers in stagnant waters.
Beaver fells trees to make its home whilst ragged robin and ladies smock cheer the open wet areas. Aurochs and elks graze amongst buttercups, scabious and plantain. Wild cats clamber amongst the trees while Lynx sights its prey. A world where humans are no different from the other predators and part of an ecological structure, a perfect system, allowing every living creature a chance to thrive.
Evidence suggests the last remaining Wild Wood was the Forest of Dean. Possibly still in an unaltered wild wood state in the 1200s supporting the last of our swine herds and huge towering oaks. The reason for this is oaks taken in 1240 and 1261 were documented as characteristic of wild wood species different from the usual species of this time. Records also inform us that up to 1260 wild swineherds still used this wood.
Some experts do believe this woodland was cleared in Roman times thus meaning it would not have been a wild wood in the 1200s. Whether it was a wild wood in medieval times or not it is rare today to have a woodland of this magnitude in England and is well worth a visit.
We most certainly can trace its origins as a forest ( a hunting preserve) back to Saxon times used by King Harold and then into Norman times by William the Conqueror. In essence it is a working woodland with a mosaic of different plantations from different periods in history.
In places the Forest of Dean still meets the Wye valley ,for districts intermingle confusingly at times in this mosaic of landscapes on England's western fringes, adding even more magic to the breath-taking splendour of this landscape. My memories of walking along the Wye gorge will always stay with me just as Wordsworth remarks in his works:
'Nor wilt thou forget that after many wanderings, many years of absence, These steep woods and lofty cliffs and this green pastoral landscape'
This ancient landscape gives sightings of peregrines soaring on the thermals above a meandering river and green oasis of trees.
Travelling West into Dartmoor takes us into the windswept moors and a woodland gem called Wistmans wood. The stunted windswept oaks grow in high altitudes many miles from pollution. The lichen carpets the trees and rocks creating a magical sight where one expects to see woodland elves and faeries.
The North of England
The North of England is the element of the Earth and the season of Winter.
This is the land of moors, dales and a mountain way of life. However the earliest areas of land clearance started in the Yorkshire Wolds. Early humans created heaths and pasture for wild beasts which they consumed for food. These areas were maintained by the continued burning of the heaths to stop the trees returning. The area of countryside from the Wolds down through to the middle of England is known as planned countryside and consisted of shallow more easily cultivated soils. Originally the land would have been farmed in open-prairie farming field systems changed into small hedged fields by the enclosure acts of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
John Claire (1793-1864), a famous poet from Northamptonshire in the East Midlands was deeply affected by the enclosure acts which helped destroy much of his beloved ancient countryside where he lived. He wrote wonderful poetry which expressed a deep love of the English countryside.
Wood Pictures in Spring
John Claire
The rich brown-umber hue the oaks unfold
When spring's young sunshine bathes their trunks in gold,
So rich, so beautiful, so past the power
Of words to paint--my heart aches for the dower
The pencil gives to soften and infuse
This brown luxuriance of unfolding hues,
This living luscious tinting woodlands give
Into a landscape that might breathe and live,
And this old gate that claps against the tree
The entrance of spring's paradise should be--
Yet paint itself with living nature fails:
The sunshine threading through these broken rails
In mellow shades no pencil e'er conveys,
And mind alone feels fancies and portrays.
Let's now explore Sherwood Forest, a survivor of the early land clearances of the planned countryside. It is a beautiful country park of heath, grassland and ancient wood. Most famous for the stories of Robin Hood it is the area known as Birkland which is the ancient woodland aspect of the Forest. The wood itself boasts 996 veteran oak trees, gnarled and twisted and full of character, the major Oak being the contender for the tree that sheltered Robin hood.
Much of the land we would call heath-land forest, supporting a rich invertebrate population and numerous birds such as the night-jar, sparrow hawk. redstart, cross-bills, long-eared owls and all three species of the woodpecker.
Maybe the story of Robin Hood could be seen as a celebration of our natural forest systems as well as its message of fighting injustice. Certainly in the stories the spirit of the Green Wood is represented by Herne, a mentor and guide for Robin Hood.
And yet I think these oaks at dawn and even will whisper ever more of Robin Hood...
….You, good Friar, You Much, you Scarlet, you dear Little John,
Your names will cling like ivy to the wood. And here perhaps a hundred years away
Some hunter in day- dreams or half asleep will hear our arrows whizzing overhead,
And catch the winding of a phantom horn.
Tennyson: The Foresters (1881)
The Centre of England
Finally we finish our exploration of English Woods with Windsor Forest, a woodland that still is alive with the folk tales of Herne the Hunter, the spirit of the Green wood. Herne was said to be the King's favourite Forester and was hung by the other Foresters who were jealous of him. His ghost (spirit of the woods) is said to still haunt Windsor Forest.
The spiritual centre of England changes throughout history and is never geographically in the centre. It is the place of ether and therefore the centre of all the elements and the seasons. I have chosen a woodland near to London as I feel London is a place of great significance in the modern world imbued with much classical and ancient history, as well as being situated in the depths of our ancient countryside. The London area supports old parks, woods and important ancient countryside features.
Personally I feel Windsor Forest would be the perfect wood to celebrate the spirit, the centre of all things. Ancient oaks of up to a thousand years impress the eye. As you enter the park, twisted, fallen, half-rotting giant oaks are a spectacular sight, housing rare beetles and supporting a myriad of life.
This is the place of giant oaks often referred to as the King of the Forest, a perfect tribute to our most exquisite English countryside, the stronghold of veteran trees.
There is not a crown to mark the forest's King, For in its leaves shines full the summer's bliss,
As sun, storm, rain and dew to him their tribute bring.
Anon.
In the next stage we will enter the Spirit of the Land.
Stage 7: Spirit of the Land
Storytelling at Stone henge, an ancient temple of the British Landscape.
The rich culture of my Celtic lands, the bards, the seers, the wrath of the gods.
Sacrifices, spells, warriors, druids utter sacred lore, Goddess clothed in glamour galore
As she adorns the night sky, power of the moon.
Fionn returns, Brighit blooms, not a wilting flower, a power, this hour for her return
Let us call to the Celtic lands and the ancient stories once told.
Ana, Bav, Macha, Dagdha, Cernunnos, Herne.
Great women warriors Scathach, Aiofe. Knights of the red branch Cuchulainn and Fergus McRoy.
Power of the Goddess, Brighit, Danu, Grainnah,
Spinning and Weaving Sisters, Sheila Na Gig.
Tuatha Da Dannann, Lugh, Aonghus, Oghma and Don.
And finally magical Druids, Cathbad, Carlton and Dreco.
J.Huet
Spirit of the Land
In this stage we will continue to explore the spiritual lore of the land and our relationship with it through deity and the ancient stone circles of Britain, discovering that we can still tap into and harness the same energies as our ancestors would have done thousands of years ago.
Introducing Deity
Every living thing, every action, every quality, all that is around us and within us, both animate and inanimate, has a deity. In India they recognise literally millions of deities that feed into an all encompassing energy, a life force running through the entire Universe; this energy is often perceived as God. Science will have a different name and if I had a scientific background I might be able to explain this energy in terms of physics. However, the study and the presence of this energy was known long before the advent of Quantum Physics. It was felt by the most sensitive of all instruments; the ‘human body', through the most extraordinary universal energy ever created – the ‘soul'.
Our ancestors knew of this one energy (often conveyed as three) and connected with its myriad of forms through deity. A religion which removes all concept of deity to give this energy one name (albeit also recognised as three) is an alien concept to earth spirituality, seeming not to accept the individuality of all forms.
Each deity therefore is the ultimate embodiment of a given quality, skill or object. That everything has a perfected state was acknowledged by our ancestors in the word ‘deity’. Does it not make sense to pray to Brighid and connect with a gentle, strong female form when praying for healing? To pray to a forceful male energy of the woods when campaigning against deforestation?
And to pray to the inexorable immovable will of the war Goddess when going into battle, thus tapping into that energy within our own psyche.
This concept is explored in ancient stories all across the world personifying Gods in human form whether it’s from Hindu, Greek, Irish or Welsh sources. I feel that more modern tales such as Star Wars, X-Men and even Harry Potter have also captured this concept of deity and of the elemental powers being harnessed in a human form.
In practical terms why do we call upon deity? Does pray and worship truly have a place in the modern world? In modern times is the priest praying for peace being ignored? Throughout history how was it possible for the Romans to kill the Druids as the Druids cursed them and for Witches to be tortured across Europe in the Burning Times if they were connected to this energy? Why did the Native Americans, Maori and Aborigines not channel the energy to protect themselves from persecution?
I believe the answer is lies in universal law. We all have the choice of how to live our lives and this energy moves through us, working through the laws of the Universe. A perfect answer to this can be conceived through the famous speech of the Druid Maeltine when Bres offered the Tuatha de Dannan crops all year round mentioned in stage 3.
Spirituality has to adhere to the physical laws of the universe as they hold together its balance and often the stories mentioned earlier explore what could happen if these laws are broken and the destruction it would bring if a human tried to harness that power outside of those laws.
By praying and connecting with deity we are opening ourselves up to the best possible outcome of a situation without controlling it. We may not witness a miracle but we can harness, connect and channel the optimum and purest energy within us to reach a desired goal.
This goal may simply be the strength of character to endure, the mindfulness to help or the sense of Presence to guide. We cannot quantify spiritual attainments through physical means for we do not necessarily know the best predicament for a given situation. We may not know what an individual needs to experience or when it is their time to leave this world. This is left to higher laws beyond human intervention.
We cannot necessarily apply modern consciousness to spiritual exploration. John O’ Donohue (most famous for his book Anam Cara) talks of this as the danger of neon vision, comparing modern consciousness to the bright white light of a hospital theatre, glaring. The workings of the soul are gentle and of the shadows and are not perceived through the materialism, ambition and desire of modern culture.
In ancient Britain many of the key wild areas would have had spirits associated with them, protecting sacred trees, wells, springs and particular sites of spiritual interest. In India this tradition continues as in each region people devote themselves to particular deities and build temples to specific gods.
In Britain we may have built temples, but the power of the spirits was mainly recognised in the natural landscape and in the stone monuments and circles. As a pagan we recognise God or Spirit in many forms and it enables all people to make a more personal connection to Spirit.
A herbalist can make offerings to Blodeuwedd, a spirit made of flowers; a craftsman to Lugh who mastered all crafts; and a poet to Brighit who is the muse of all poets. This enables us to relate and build a personal relationship with a deity, craft, place or calling thus accepting we are all unique and individual yet all part of one beautiful web of life from which all spirit flows.
Making offerings or honouring something sacred enables us to connect with something bigger in ourselves that is pure and untainted by life's challenges, an opportunity to give for the sake of giving and love for the sake of love. This can lead to a more open heart and understanding of a bigger picture beyond our materialistic needs.
Below are the deities from the Celtic Era which have survived the test of time. These sources are mainly Irish and Welsh reflecting the landscape and energies of the land we call Britain. To tap into these deities is to awaken to tradition and our full potential as human beings working in a truly present, conscious way.
Robin Hood- Let’s start with the more modern deities of a post-Celtic world. Robin Hood is associated with Sherwood Forest which is an ancient wood which still claims to host the tree that he would have sheltered under. Although the tales are set 100 years after the Norman invasion they signify the battle of the common folk or the existing guardians of the land with the new invaders and oppressors. Robin, finds solace and spirituality in the woods and from his teacher and guide Herne who lives there. Robin who is part Saxon and Norman represents the Greenwood and is maybe a more modern Celtic Sun God and protector of the land.
Herne- Robin Hood's Teacher is reminiscent of the archetypal man of the woods. Herne has an antler head dress and uses the herbs of the Forest, an embodiment of the King or Spirit of the woods.
Herne the Hunter- In Windsor Great Park we see a similar deity bearing the same name as above as well as imbibing similar qualities and who also has a tree dedicated to him. He was said to be the King's favourite Forester and was hung by the other Foresters who were jealous of him. His ghost (spirit of the woods) is said to still haunt Windsor Forest.
Maid Marian -The Spring Goddess representing the power of women and the fertility of the land.
King Arthur- Whether the tales of King Arthur are a medieval romance or a story of a Celtic warlord he again has the makings of a post-Celtic Sun God and protector of the land.
The stories of Arthur start deep in the Welsh Countryside spreading to the south and east to the City of Winchester witnessing the struggle and retreat of Celtic tribes from England to Wales.
Merlin- Arthur's teacher carries a blackthorn staff, speaks of a sacred cauldron, sword and of the Celtic Druidic lore bringing the Celtic spirit into a time when it was being squashed and replaced. Merlin has all the makings of a Lord of the land and animals.
Gwenvier- Arthur's lover who again represents the power of women and the Goddess.
Nimue/Lady of the lake- Both characters can be interchangeable as the light and dark form of the Goddess. Deities of healing springs, herbs and the power of the land.
Gwydion- The older Welsh tales speak of Gwydion who is a great magician and takes the form of a Birch tree and works enchantments with the power of the land.
Blodeuwedd- She was conjured up by Gwydion using nine sacred flowers, the embodiment of herbs and healing.
Arianrhod- Powerful Goddess of springs and tides. Reminds us that the power of the Warrior flows from the Mother.
Llew Llaw Gyffes- Similar to the Irish Celtic Sun God Lugh Lamfhada, powerful warrior with magical powers.
Daghdha- The Irish stories have been preserved more than any other in the British Isles, the deities mainly embodied in the powerful magical tribe of the Tuatha De Danann. The Daghdha is the Chieftain, the father figure, the power of the land and King of the woods.
Brighid- The Goddess of poetry, smithcraft and healing. The daughter of the Daghdha.
Lugh Lamfhada- Irish Celtic Sun God, master of all crafts and a great warrior.
Morrigawn- The dark Goddess of war taking the form of raven, crow and spider. She represents the decay and destruction, grief and sexual gratification. These deities are not evil but simply the manifestation of the darker sides of our nature and are reminders to accept and not judge ourselves whilst still holding on to our own integrity and morals.
Oghma- The Diety who is said to have invented the Ogham script. He is in fact the great champion of the Tuatha De Danann, associated with knowledge, poetry and eloquence demonstrating its importance in Celtic society.
Deities of Britain and Gaul
In the fourth century BC the Celtic Nations were a dominating force across the world, eventually sacking Rome and Greece and even entering Asia Minor. This bloody history ended as they lost their power to the Roman Empire. The Romans merged the Celtic deities into their own before Christianity tried to wipe them out completely. However classical Roman references have enabled us to put together some of the great Celtic Gods and Goddesses for posterity. The obvious connections and themes the deities of Gaul represent are typical of the surviving Celtic Nations and indeed indigenous people across the world.
Eiocha- The great mother, source of all creation. She came from the sea as a white mare made of foam. Creation coming from the sea and continuing where sea meets land fits with the scientific models of evolution.
She can also be the triple Goddess in the form of the Matronae (matrons) flowing from the river Marne, tributary of the Seine in Gaul.
Epona- the Goddess of the land and animals, the powerful fertile young mother of grain and crops just like the Irish Brighit. She rides the white mares symbolic of Eiocha and is our link to the spirit world, taking our souls on to the eternal world.
Cernunnos- the ultimate chieftain, the great father and power of the Greenwood across Gaul.
Esus- the great lord, depicted with an axe and trees. The deity of vegetation. His rituals include hanging from a tree just like the Norse God Odin.
Teutates or Toutatis- the tribal protector, deity of the land and people.
Taranis- Harnesses the elemental power and he is often depicted with a thunderbolt and wheel. The wheel,* an essential part of Celtic life, also represents the sun, the spokes being its rays.
*when we put our heart into a craft or indeed any everyday function such as eating and travelling and relate them symbolically to our spiritual lives we appreciate, respect and care for all that we do so much more.
From the Great Rivers of Gaul, the Seine and Danube flow the Goddesses of Celtica into the Wye and Severn of Britain and the Boyne of Ireland, all names of the one flowing female power.
From the Great Oak of Gaul and Ash of Scandinavia the stable male God manifests in the yews, oaks and hazels of Britain and Ireland.
Remember these two great principles, the Goddess and God, wherever you go, breathing life into the land as our ancestors would have done all those thousands of years ago.
Exploring Stone Circles.
What is Stonehenge? It is the roofless past,
Man’s ruinous myth, his uninterred adorning of the unknown.
Sunrise cold and red,
His quest of stars that arch his doomed exploring.
And what is time, but shadows that were cast by these
Storm sculptured stones while centuries fled?
The stones remain.
Their stillness can outlast the skies of history
Hurrying overhead.
William Blake.
In the country of Britain we have some remarkable ancient stone circles dating back thousands of years, our original temples and power houses from our distant past.
The scale of these monuments is immense, the ancient people using an entire landscape to celebrate and connect with their spirituality which is intrinsically linked to a way of life and the thresholds we encounter such as birth, marriage and death.
As already discussed these stages are connected to the elements, seasons, landscape and even the planets.
Many experts have explored that the stone circles or henges map out the sky and the planets, however they are often built in a haphazard way with a lack of precision and symmetry.
For instance it would not be difficult to create a more perfect circle or to space the stones more evenly.
This is not to say the skill and engineering feats of these temples was not a triumph on an unprecedented scale, but rather it denotes them as ceremonial spaces first reflecting the energies of the landscape and the lives of the people who built them.
As explored in stage 6 Earth Spirituality is about acknowledging your sense of place, knowing exactly where you are in the geography of the land and even the universe. This knowledge starts with the four elements which make up all life and then the directions of north, south, east, west and the centre which is the fifth element of ether.
I used the example of London in stage 6 as a spiritual centre for a more modern England as the centre changes throughout history. However the centre of England from prehistoric times seems to point to the Kingdom of Wessex and especially in the area we now know of as the county of Wiltshire and the world renowned sites of Avebury and Stone Henge.
The Sacred Landscape
As with all ancestral spirituality the sacred landscape is often rooted in practical as well as spiritual reasoning. The area around the immense stone circles of Avebury and Stone Henge was perfect farming land with soil that was easily worked with a stone plough, rich fertile plains which would have helped nomadic hunter gatherers to settle as farmers. Surrounding the land they cleared was at one time a mosaic of rich ancient woodlands, a valuable resource.
Once the early communities settled, trade routes were to be established and we find that if we trace a line from the far east of England to the furthest point in Cornwall, the area of Avebury is the central point of southern England.
From here the prehistoric Ridgeway stretching from East Anglia to the Dorset coast meets the Old Bath Road from London to the West.
These trade routes in early times, before 6000BCE, would probably have stretched into Europe via a land bridge.
This meant the area where Stone Henge and Avebury were built was already a site of trade and commerce bringing together tribes from all over England and possibly even Europe.
The natural progression of this coming together of tribes may have therefore been to develop it into a place of worship where one could celebrate and honour the spirituality of the land. These temples therefore may have been built on such a large scale to make them worthy strongholds for tribes to celebrate and mark festivals from all over England and beyond.
We are exploring a time when people understood they depended on the entire universe, the cosmos in order to live. They knew that without the sun, moon, earth and all of Nature they would not be here. They may have seen and felt the energies of the land, living and breathing every moment and completely in tune with every animal, bird, rock, tree and plant in a way the modern human may struggle to understand.
As the community came together an immense satisfaction could have developed, linking them together in a common purpose with an awe and satisfaction of what they had achieved. In its entirety an awesome place of worship.
These sites were developed over many lifetimes which demonstrates how early people did not just focus on the small amount of time that they existed in a physical body but far beyond that.
They placed themselves in the eternal world of the soul, harnessing the power of their ancestors and also the future of the new generations.
Evidence suggests they may have begun marking out sites with wooden pillars before placing the mammoth stones. The earliest structures around the area of Avebury were connected to the burying of the dead such as the Sanctuary and the West Kennet long barrow, which is the largest and best-preserved long barrow in Britain.
Once these areas were built they then constructed areas to celebrate the sun, moon and the seasons.
Silbury Hill for instance, ( also near Avebury) was first built at the harvest festival of Lughnasadha. This huge structure is 130ft high, the size of the smaller pyramids in Egypt and indeed when finished was a 7 stepped pyramid glistening white before being buried and grassed over. This structure has kept its original shape and size for over 4500 years!
There have been many theories about why it was built including it being an ancient tomb of King Sel full of gold though nothing was ever found. The most popular theory is the Silbury Goddess, the mound being her pregnant womb. This fits with the celebration of the harvest festival which is a celebration of the Goddess, the fecundity of the land and its harvest.
The sheer scale of the sites of Stone Henge and Avebury and the surrounding countryside demonstrates how our ancestors were manipulating an entire landscape almost like they were Gods themselves, showing the importance of worship and the marking of thresholds, a sacred landscape stretching for miles with barrows on the horizon and beyond.
Moving these huge stones over miles of countryside would have been quite a feat but also the huge earthworks, banks and ditches were all dug out using antler picks and rakes, ox tongue blades, wooden shovels and baskets and still survive the test of time.
The earthwork at Avebury encloses over 28 acres of land and originally the height from the bottom of the ditch to the top of the bank would have been 50ft.
These builders were highly skilled in science and engineering living in an ordered society.
Harnessing Energy.
The earth and rock is older than us and any living thing, the power and size of them speaks of longevity and strength. The energies of the very earth itself were and still are channelled into the temples of old.
Imagine the processions of people as they walked the stone avenues leading to the henges with sacred features all around them on the skyline. Walking from the ancient site of Durrington Walls to Stone Henge at the Festival of the Dead or walking the stone avenues to the centre of Avebury and onto Silbury Hill for the harvest festival.
Arriving at the setting or rising of the sun and moon with lavish feasts and great celebration, in tune with earth and sky, sun and moon, with the energies of the time and experiencing a deep profound relationship with all of nature and the earth.
How does all this relate to our lives as everyday mystics in the modern world?
Visiting sacred sites, ancient woodlands and connecting with the land can build that connection within and replenish you for the ongoing daily spiritual work you take into your everyday life.
The next stage will be the final part of this foundation course bringing together all we have learnt so far thus enabling us to begin our exploration and increase our connection to our inner landscape.
Stage 8: The Inner Landscape
Stirrings of life unfold, tentative steps beckoned by creation.
A hard seed case softens, the first sprout emerges : Shy.
Toad buried in lush damp grass, stirs : Shy
Snake slivers, hedgehog shuffles, robin hops, blossom brightens: Shy
New life, new adventure, new hope touched by soul is gentle: Shy
Allow your heart to soften and in an unpredictable world be gentle: Shy
J.Huet
Woodland Knowledge.
In this course we have explored the landscape, elements, and seasons. In other courses we will build on this foundation and already I have courses which specialise in Nature Connection and Tree Folklore if you visit the home page of this website.
However now is the time to bring together all the aspects of the Woodland Bard School we have learnt so far and put it into practice to explore our inner depths, drawing once again from the mystics and traditions of the sacred land.
Regular practice.
Ideally in the morning or evening you can set up a meditation practice exploring a virtual woodland inside yourself, nurturing an ever deepening relationship with nature. As often as you can it would also be beneficial to explore and meditate in a natural landscape of your choice. You may wish to collect feathers, stones, bones, plants, bits of bark, wood and shoots from the woodland floor to connect with these elements.
Time spent in nature is good companionship, it will quieten your senses and help you discover your true nature, giving you a break from an often stimulating, frenetic and sometimes pressured artificial world. This is needed more and more as technology demands more and more of your time.
As you set up a regular practice whether once a day, once a week or at a key seasonal change you can build a nurturing steady foundation inside you. This is many times more important than a heightened spiritual experience which simply serves to give you a glimpse into the incomparable joy of steadfastness.
Meditation is the key that unlocks the mystery of who you are, meditate for the joy of it! Loss of anxiety, despair and depression can be assuaged by a regular practice but its true purpose is to draw your senses within and find inner peace.
The Inner Landscape
The previous courses have explored the outer landscape and the seasons. This knowledge enables us to really connect and become part of the natural countryside, allowing us to know the right times to do things and where the places of power are to explore. This means when we sit in our homes we can have a sense of the green world, our position in it and the role that we can play in it.
The first step to any inner work is that sense of being grounded in the outer world. This enables us to use the energies of the green world to support the inner work of meditation, prayer and ritual. Being grounded in the physical realm and understanding the geography and the seasons around us enables us to use these energies of a given time and place to enhance our connection to our spiritual work.
In the same way you strengthen a crop in the summer and harvest it in the autumn, your inner work will change accordingly to make use of the energies flowing around you. It is likely in the Summer you may travel to certain beautiful spots and meditate with the strengthening energy, whilst in the winter you may stay inside and meditate deep within, nourishing a new phase in your life that is giving birth.
This understanding that the physical world and its energies are reflected within your inner landscape is the beginning of understanding your soul, the immortal self.
Soul-awakening
'The greatest gift you can give yourself and to the world is to love with a pure heart and through your heartache be taken to your beloved. '
J.Huet 2017
Soul-awakening is a gentle process about coaxing your true nature into being with patience and gentleness. Quick fixes and generic processes in a fixed system are limited in their application for soul-awakening. Every person is unique, every journey within is different for each of us. There is no religion or system with all the answers. This means we have complete freedom to be who we are, to explore our inner worlds in a way that feels right for us.
The soul wants to be embodied and conscious but can only do so in the right conditions. If you observe young children they are free, curious and spontaneous but also vulnerable and painfully shy if pushed out of their comfort zone. If a child is condemned, humiliated, constantly put down or harmed they withdraw into a shell and shut down.
Spiritual practice creates the right conditions for the soul to emerge. The seed of a plant first roots into the soil, needing the cover of darkness and the correct conditions to do so. The shoot then emerges slowly, tentatively, even shyly.
When we first meditate we do the same, we need to feel safe and nurtured to put roots down. To use the same practice everyday is to create a routine, a familiar practice that can soothe us. In time, the shoot emerges and is very vulnerable, susceptible to so many pests and predators which will easily knock it back into its shell. At this stage in meditation, we need to protect ourselves from either giving up or opening ourselves up so wide we feel too vulnerable.
Soul -Protection
As discussed in stage one, having an open heart and loving unconditionally is the best protection we can give ourselves. Being able to feel our pain and become fearless and invulnerable is the ultimate aim. However in Celtic literature there are many references to protecting the soul especially at the times when doorways to the Otherworlds are wide open such as Samhain and Beltaine. Sometimes we are warned not to eat fruit from trees which confer knowledge such as the apple tree. This is also reflected in Christian lore with the tale of Adam and Eve.
What does this mean? How do we get lost in the Otherlands? Are these just stories based on fear?
Spiritual practice opens us up to true knowledge. When we try to rush this process the ego (personality) feels threatened, confused or fearful. Using any form of drug or pushing yourself unnaturally to face your shadows is a dangerous process; you can wound or delude yourself. Meditation needs consistency, regularity and patience. The process can never be rushed.
The shoots of a plant only grow when firmly rooted. Once you are firmly rooted in your spiritual practice you are unlikely to settle for a superficial life. Spiritual practice has many stages and at any stage you can retreat back into your shell again.
Being transported to exalted states when the ego is not ready may be the metaphor of losing yourself in the faerie realms. When you experience inner love for the first time sublime nectar is realised inside you and you feel you can do anything. This experience needs to be grounded into your life for if it taps into the ego you may delude yourself and run away with the feeling of exaltation. This is why a teacher to guide you is so often recommended.
Once you are established in this state you need to nurture it. This is done through soul qualities or virtues. The plant no matter how established it has become still needs the support of the soil and the correct conditions to flourish. The soul needs virtues and a purity of being to flourish which are natural states within us. This is not to be confused with the idea you have to be good to go to heaven and to be hard on yourself but more it is about feeling your soul's expression.
Naturally you wish to help others, to be reliable, loyal, consistent and gentle. If you are around company which opposes this, your soul can shy away and you can feel empty as if a part of you is missing.
The protection we therefore don as we go about our lives is virtue.
If we allow ourselves to compromise our state to fit into society our spiritual connection can be forgotten and we can feel cut off from ourselves leading to confusion and anger. If we are in company which wishes to bring out the best in us, we feel nourished in the depths of our being, alive, vibrant and never alone. How can we stop ourselves being dragged into compliancy, from colluding with gossip, bad intention or simply negativity?
Constant vigilance and the radiating of virtue is the answer. This will mean others have to come up to meet your state. Without being seen to be doing anything you can inspire others to raise their states. To maintain and keep this state we all need help and soul nourishment. Sustained spiritual practice will do this, as will good company. The protection for the soul that is needed therefore is to surround it with qualities that bring out the best in you.
In Celtic lore we can visualise these qualities surrounding us, taking them with us into the day, allowing our mind the constancy of not compromising the state we have attained. To keep raising the bar, not dumbing ourselves down to fit in. To find stimulating, interesting, soul nurturing company and activities, this is the only protection you need, the protection of your own state, protection from yourself!
In course 2 this is why the main practice was the recitation of words which confirmed noble qualities and virtues to aspire to. If you recite these words daily or even throughout your day your soul presence becomes more and more embodied and peace infiltrates your entire life. A worthwhile practice which brings peace of mind, good health and a connection to the Source of who you are.
I feel in the deepest recesses of our soul we yearn to merge with the supreme Soul. The agony of heart break, jealousy and loneliness taps into that deep pain which is why many of us shy away from it.
My experience is the soul is shy, tender and gentle and unless nourished remains hidden behind the façade of life. Good company enables the soul to come out and be nourished in such a way that deep loneliness is abated.
Awareness of our actions.
See you the dimpled track that runs, All hollow through the wheat?
O that was where they hauled the guns That smote King Philip's fleet!
See you our little mill that clacks, So busy by the brook?
She has ground her corn and paid her tax Ever since the Doomsday Book.
See you are stilly woods of oak, And the dread ditch beside?
O that was where the Saxons broke, On the day that Harold died!
See you the windy level spread about the gates of Rye?
O that was where the Northmen fled, When Alfred's ships came by!
See our pastures wide and lone, where the red oxen browse?
O there was a City thronged and known, Ere London boasted a house!
And see you, after rain, the trace Of mound and ditch and wall?
O that was a Legion's camping-place, When Caesar sailed from Gaul!
And see you the marks that show and fade, Like shadows on the Downs?
O they are the lines the Flint men made, To guard their wondrous towns!
Trackway and Camp and City lost, Salt marsh where now is corn;
Old Wars, old Peace, old Arts that cease, And so was England born!
She is not any common Earth, Water or Wood or Air,
But Merlin's Isle of Gramarye, Where you and I will fare.
Puck's Song by Rudyard Kipling.
Every action we begin to realise also leaves an imprint in our inner landscape, thus care and awareness given to every action benefits the individual directly. This care is not born from fear of sin but from a simple wish to be in harmony with oneself. This leads to virtuous action being a joy and pleasure to perform rather than a constant self-imposed vigilance judging one's actions, a spirituality at the forefront of ecological awareness and conservation.
Every action both good or bad creates an energy within us that can expand or contract, affecting your outer life and the long-term journey of the soul. If there is much conflict within you it affects the flow of your life and things may start to generally deteriorate.
When there is harmony within, everything flows effectively and efficiently.
Our addiction to the concept of life being arduous, that things are sometimes meant to go wrong can encourage us to carry out actions that cause conflict.
Our fear of being at peace and in harmony makes it difficult to hold on to these states, a feeling only assuaged by regular spiritual practice.
Spiritual practice builds the foundation needed to enable the ego to cope with an awareness that life can be harmonious even in difficult times, enabling us to hold onto this state and embody it.
If you are pretending to be in harmony or fearful of committing so-called sins, thus imposing a judgemental will upon yourself; rather than a nourishing, loving and understanding awareness, the conflict will continue as well as the addiction to feeling out of harmony. When this happens keep going back to the spiritual practices that work for you, promoting a joy inside which will lead you away from this addiction.
'It is right it should be so man was made for joy and woe
And when this we rightly know thro the world we safely go
Joy and woe are woven fine, a clothing for the soul divine
Under every grief and pine runs a joy with silken twine'
William Blake
Expression of deep pain such as anger or heartache is not the same as engaging in acts that create disharmony. This expression enables you to heal and enhance your inner landscape.
Learning to BE
'While an eye made quiet by the power of harmony, and the deep power of joy, We see into the life of all things’
William Wordsworth.
If we allow ourselves to feel in harmony and peace there truly is nothing to do. Sometimes we feel a great joy and we want to then do something with it.
On a sunny day instead of just enjoying the calm heat we may find ourselves sitting in traffic to go to the ideal destination for the weather, or feasting on ice-cream or drinking in a pub.
When we feel excited about how well our meditation is going we may wish to travel all over the world to learn different techniques from other cultures. At other times we might just feel content sitting at home but then we feel we have to do something extra to fulfil ourselves. Of course there is nothing wrong in any of these actions but we need to learn how we can just BE, complete as we are.
The human quest for improvement has led us down an unstoppable path of constant indulgence, never sitting still and before we know it we need a phone, food from all over the world, television, the internet, an outfit, a perfect body, an army and nuclear weapons just to live in the world, when really all we need to do is just BE, complete as we are.
Spiritual practice does not necessarily meet basic human needs, such as shelter, warmth, health, food and company. It is important to be in good health mentally and physically to pursue a spiritual path. If you need to find food or water that is your first priority or if your mental health is unstable you need support first and if you have poor health you need healing first. Once those basic needs are taken care of and you are sound in body and mind only then do you have the life energy to pursue your self-development.
BE-ing part of the world
'May we discover beneath our fear embers of anger to kindle justice.
May courage cause our lives to flame, in the name of the fire and the flame and the light.'
John O'Donohue
A state of peace within us is a gentle strength that is authentic and real. This doesn’t mean we can't kindle a fire within us to do good and fight for just causes.
This world has always been a place of opposites; of pain and suffering and joy and triumph.
What we choose to focus on is our soul's journey.
We can feed on the constant negative bombardment of the media or we can focus on making the world a better place.
When that suffering directly affects you or someone you love then the challenge is all the more immediate.
It is possible to shed those tears, and from that pain bring understanding to every situation, an understanding of how we can make the world a better place, for it is only ourselves we can truly change.
However it is never about being indifferent to the world but about responding accordingly and bringing compassion and support to every situation we encounter.
Ancient Knowledge of Place.
'Places in landscape are not mere locations. Rather places are unique and intense individualities, expressive of and sustained by subterranean clay continents'
John O'Donohue
The natural state is a connection to all of life, to experience the energy of every person, plant, tree, animal, stone and landscape at every encounter. As one feels that connection a joy arises of the knowledge of 'place', one's place in the web of life, acknowledging that all life is in harmony, each life-form fulfilling a perfect role.
Evidence suggests ancient indigenous people are always in this state. Modern humans are often so distracted with possession, ambition and appearance their natural state is lost and as already explored their spirituality latent.
'Unless Whiteman learns the dreaming of the Countryside, the plants, and animals he uses or eats, he will become sick and insane and destroy himself'
Aboriginal elder.
As we destroy our sense of 'place' through deforestation and urbanisation, a part of our soul is lost. Our integral connection to the land cannot be underestimated. The agony experienced by indigenous people when their land is taken away is similar to the grief of losing their family and community. Some tribes refuse to keep going and die along with their landscape, their sense of place.
It is likely many of us in the West have become numb to this careless destruction of the countryside justifying it as a need for survival. The soul connection to the landscape is severed and we lose that state of knowing that all life is connected and therefore the experience of its tangible presence.
This is not to say the developed ego of the West does not have its uses and it is important to note the exceptional achievements developed through the ego's ability to organise, create and discover life-changing solutions to many situations such as medicine, communication and travel. However, to lose a natural state of love and kindness in our pursuit of comfort is a huge loss indeed.
In modern times we start to impose our ego onto our spirituality confusing material gain, ambition and power with it. Some of us experience heightened states and suddenly start talking about a 'New Age' of enlightenment, forgetting that we are only tapping into a natural state as old as the ancient mother herself (the planet earth).
Evidence suggests far more people were in this continued awareness in our distant past than they are today and it is modern man who has stepped out of rhythm. In fact in this time where our minds are more developed than ever it can be much more difficult to evolve spiritually as the temptation to fill our lives with activity and thoughts is greater than ever.
This state requires the quiet solitude of the natural mind, a connection to nature and all its inhabitants. In more simple terms, the ability to unplug ourselves from the self-imposed artificial world of technology is essential to experience this state.
Modern life is longer and healthier (in some respects) than it has ever been, our ability to make money, fame, and change the external world is astonishing but at what cost to the soul?
When we realise the violation of the landscape at large is also the violation of our inner landscape we can begin to understand the health of our soul and how our spirituality has become comparatively impoverished.
When we begin to connect again and bring back the lost parts of our soul whose family is all of Nature, it is likely the agony of the destruction and suffering of all life will also come home and we will weep for the part that we have played in it.
However this pain can bring us to the return of the natural state and sudden access to a host of spiritual help.
The spirit of every rock, plant, tree and animal potentially is an ally to help us understand our true nature, bringing back our lost parts and becoming our soul family; bringing us a continued sense of peace and joy in a sometimes tumultuous world. This is our birthright and the normal state of being.
Thus we come to the end or maybe I should say the beginning of this foundation course, and I would like to conclude with the words of one of our English mystics William Wordsworth:
‘Therefore I am still a lover of the meadows and the woods,
And mountains; and of all that we behold from this green earth.
The anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse, the guide,
The guardian of my heart, and soul of all my moral being.’
May you continue to enrich your life in the soul of the earth and your own being. It has been a pleasure to share this journey with you.
Bright blessings,
Jonathon Huet.
Quiet solitude; stirrings of love.
Never alone, immersed in soul awareness.
An ache to be understood, for another to assuage this feeling of incompleteness.
Then acceptance; All is complete.
Solitude, never alone.
J.Huet
If you would like to continue your studies I also offer a more in-depth course exploring the stories and practices of the Woodland Bard.
