Today, we continue the experiment of my sharing audio excerpts from Celtic Spirit. The tour leader, Dorrie, offers short prayers or rituals at each of the thin places or sacred sites the group visits. These are her words as the group gathers at the top of the hill at the Cliffs of Moher:
Read MoreLast Wednesday was Imbolc or St. Brigid’s day, the celebration of winter reaching completion and the first signs of spring appearing. I say that as I look out and piles of snow and an outside thermometer reading of 10 F degrees. Perhaps it is because of the climate where I reside, but my primary sense of this holiday is that it symbolizes and celebrates Hope. The light gets noticeably brighter and the days longer. Spring is coming. New beginnings are on the horizon.
Read MoreThe Celts celebrate the Sun throughout the year as it moves through the sky and creates the seasons. And today we continue to celebrate the joy of long hours of light and lots of sunshine in summer. Luthnasa, the Celtic holiday of the first Harvest, is at the beginning of August.
Read MoreParades and flags are part of summer. I thought it might be fun to visit the flags of the Celtic nations. Some are well-known; others may surprise you.
Read MoreSummer Solstice is a major Celtic holiday. It is also celebrated throughout Europe by many names. Those of us who take an interest in Celtic tradition know the major images: Stonehenge at sunrise, bonfires the night before, general merriment.
Read MoreI had never seen a bonfire built so elaborately. The huge mound of were for wooden doors, one in each direction, each with a beautifully painted animal representing that direction. While the fire was awesome, as soon as the painted creatures caught flame, there was a gasp from the crowd and a tear came to my eye- a tear not of sadness but of appreciation, appreciation for the seasons of our lives.
Read MoreLearning to ignite or create fire was one of the earliest of skills of developing civilizations. All indigenous peoples have stories of how it was discovered.
Fire brought warm, light and the ability to cook food, forge metal and transmute the other basic elements in a way that seemed magical. Ceremonies were often built around fire.
I invite you to light a candle and spend a few minutes bringing awareness of the element of Fire into your field. Allow all its aspects to speak to you. See, feel and hear what comes to you from the flame.
Read More
