Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Imbolc Eve
Today marks Imbolc Eve. I will be burning my Bridget incense today and tomorrow, burning Imbolc incense on the second. It's finally here, thank the gods, and I'm blessed to be able to do this. Looking forward to all the fun that comes with it.
Monday, January 30, 2017
Irish God: Abarta
I got this from Wikipedia.
In Irish mythology, Abarta (possibly meaning "doer of deeds"[1]), was one of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and is associated with Fionn mac Cumhaill.[1]
One tale of Abarta's trickery is where he offered himself as a servant to Fionn mac Cumhaill, shortly after Mac Cumhaill had succeeded his father as leader of the Fianna, a band of mighty Milesian warriors.[1] In a gesture of goodwill, Abarta then gave them a wild grey horse, which fourteen Fianna had to mount onto its back before it would even move.[1] After Abarta had mounted behind the Fianna on the horse, it galloped off taking the warriors to the Otherworld where the Tuatha Dé Danann had been driven underground by the Milesians.[1]
The Fianna, led by Fionn mac Cumhaill's assistant Foltor, had to acquire a magical ship to hunt down Abarta's steed.[1] Foltor, being the Fianna's best tracker, managed to navigate into the otherworld, where Abarta was made to release the imprisoned Fianna warriors, and to satisfy honour, had to hold on to the horse's tail and be dragged back to Ireland
In Irish mythology, Abarta (possibly meaning "doer of deeds"[1]), was one of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and is associated with Fionn mac Cumhaill.[1]
One tale of Abarta's trickery is where he offered himself as a servant to Fionn mac Cumhaill, shortly after Mac Cumhaill had succeeded his father as leader of the Fianna, a band of mighty Milesian warriors.[1] In a gesture of goodwill, Abarta then gave them a wild grey horse, which fourteen Fianna had to mount onto its back before it would even move.[1] After Abarta had mounted behind the Fianna on the horse, it galloped off taking the warriors to the Otherworld where the Tuatha Dé Danann had been driven underground by the Milesians.[1]
The Fianna, led by Fionn mac Cumhaill's assistant Foltor, had to acquire a magical ship to hunt down Abarta's steed.[1] Foltor, being the Fianna's best tracker, managed to navigate into the otherworld, where Abarta was made to release the imprisoned Fianna warriors, and to satisfy honour, had to hold on to the horse's tail and be dragged back to Ireland
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Been an Irish Polytheist for One Month
Today marks one month that I've been learning about Irish Polytheism. I started on the 29th of last month, adding the additional label of Gaulish and Welsh Polytheist as well. It's been an amazing month and I've enjoyed learning and growing. Let's hope that next month will bring some warm weather and less of this snow.
Monday, January 23, 2017
Irish Gods: Aimend
Time for another one. I got this from Wikipedia.
In Irish mythology and genealogy, Aimend is the daughter of Óengus Bolg, king of the Dáirine or Corcu Loígde. She marries Conall Corc, founder of the Eóganachta dynasties, and through him is an ancestor of the "inner circle" septs of Eóganacht Chaisil, Eóganacht Glendamnach, and Eóganacht Áine, who established the powerful kingship of Cashel. Details of the story imply she may have originally been a goddess (Byrne 2001: 166, 193).
Etymology.
This name appears to be derived from Proto-Celtic *aidu-mandā. The name literally means "burning stain," which may have been a byword for the notion of ‘sunburn’ (q.v. [1] [2] [3]). The Romano-British form of this Proto-Celtic name is likely to have been *Aedumanda
In Irish mythology and genealogy, Aimend is the daughter of Óengus Bolg, king of the Dáirine or Corcu Loígde. She marries Conall Corc, founder of the Eóganachta dynasties, and through him is an ancestor of the "inner circle" septs of Eóganacht Chaisil, Eóganacht Glendamnach, and Eóganacht Áine, who established the powerful kingship of Cashel. Details of the story imply she may have originally been a goddess (Byrne 2001: 166, 193).
Etymology.
This name appears to be derived from Proto-Celtic *aidu-mandā. The name literally means "burning stain," which may have been a byword for the notion of ‘sunburn’ (q.v. [1] [2] [3]). The Romano-British form of this Proto-Celtic name is likely to have been *Aedumanda
Thursday, January 19, 2017
I Get Ready for Imbolc
With two weeks left before Imbolc comes around I decided to do a post for Imbolc. Imbolc is one of the four original Celtic holidays. The Celts divided their year into the dark and light halves. Imbolc is sacred to the goddess Bridget and it's a time that the Eews start producing milk. So it's a pretty important holiday. The producing of milk is the first sign that life is coming back.
Imbolc also marks the half-way point in winter. Even though it's cold outside the sun is getting closer and closer to us and the warm weather will come back with it. I start celebrating Imbolc on the 31st of this month and don't end it until the sun goes down on the second of February. Another tradition that's done around this time of year is a horrible holiday called Groundhogs Day. It's believes that if the groundhog sees it's shadow there will be six more weeks of winter, even though winter does last for six more weeks.
If it doesn't see it's shadow then it will be an early spring. This year, he better not see his dang shadow. I hope that you all have a good Imbolc and be well.
Imbolc also marks the half-way point in winter. Even though it's cold outside the sun is getting closer and closer to us and the warm weather will come back with it. I start celebrating Imbolc on the 31st of this month and don't end it until the sun goes down on the second of February. Another tradition that's done around this time of year is a horrible holiday called Groundhogs Day. It's believes that if the groundhog sees it's shadow there will be six more weeks of winter, even though winter does last for six more weeks.
If it doesn't see it's shadow then it will be an early spring. This year, he better not see his dang shadow. I hope that you all have a good Imbolc and be well.
Monday, January 16, 2017
Irish Gods: Balor
This is the first one in a long list of Irish gods and goddess that I will be covering. I get my info from Wikipedia, which did a good job here.
In Irish mythology, Balor (modern spelling: Balar) was king of named Fomorians, a group of supernatural beings. He is often described as a giant with a large eye in his forehead that wreaks destruction when opened. He has been interpreted as a god or personification of drought and blight.
Name
It is suggested that Balor comes from Common Celtic *Baleros, meaning "the deadly one", cognate with Old Irish at-baill (dies) and Welsh ball (death, plague).[1]
He is also referred to as Balor Béimnech (Balor the smiter), Balor Balcbéimnech (Balor the strong smiter) and Balor Birugderc (Balor of the piercing eye).[1] The latter has led to the English name Balor of the Evil Eye.
In Mythology
Balor is said to be the son of Buarainech and husband of Cethlenn. Balor is described as a giant with an eye in the middle of his forehead. This eye wreaks destruction when opened. The Cath Maige Tuired calls it a "destructive" and "poisonous" eye that no army can withstand, and says that it takes four men to lift the eyelid. In later folklore it is described as follows: "It was always covered with seven cloaks to keep it cool. He took the cloaks off one by one. At the first, ferns began to wither. At the second, grass began to redden. At the third, wood and trees began to heat up. At the fourth, smoke came out of wood and trees. At the fifth, everything got red hot. At the sixth...... At the seventh, the whole land caught fire".[1]
Balor hears a prophecy that he would be killed by his grandson. To avoid his fate, he locks his only daughter, Ethniu, in a tower on Tory Island to keep her from becoming pregnant. One day, Balor steals a magical cow of abundance, the Glas Gaibhnenn, from Goibniu the smith. He takes it to his fortress on Tory Island. Cian, who was guarding the cow for Goibniu, sets out to get it back. With the help of the druidess Biróg and the sea god Manannán, Cian enters the tower and finds Ethniu. They have sex, and she gives birth to three sons. Balor attempts to drown the boys in the sea, but one is saved and is raised as a foster-son by Manannán. He grows up to become Lugh.
Lugh eventually becomes king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He leads the Tuath Dé in the second Battle of Mag Tuired against the Fomorians, who are led by Balor. Ogma disarms Balor during this battle, but Balor kills Nuada with his eye. Lugh kills Balor by casting a sling, or a spear crafted by Gobniu, through his eye. Balor's eye destroys the Fomorian army. Lugh then beheads Balor.
One legend tells that, when Balor was slain by Lugh, Balor's eye was still open when he fell face first into the ground. Thus his deadly eye beam burned a hole into the earth. Long after, the hole filled with water and became a lake which is now known as Loch na Súil, or "Lake of the Eye", in County Sligo.
Interpretation
In his book The Myths of the Gods: Structures in Irish Mythology, Alan Ward interprets Balor as the god of drought and blight. He interprets the tale of Balor as follows: The Drought God (Balor) seizes the cow of fruitfulness (Glas Gaibhnenn) and shuts her in his prison. The Sun God (Cian) rescues the cow with help from the Sea God (Manannán) – water being the natural enemy of drought. The Sun God and a Water Goddess (Ethniu), attempt to produce a son—the Storm God (Lugh)—who will overcome the Drought God. They succeed in spiriting the future Storm God away to the domain of the Sea God, where the Drought God cannot reach him.[2] The Storm God and Drought God at last meet in battle. The Smith God (Gobniu) forges the thunderbolt and the Storm God uses it to unleash the storm and kill drought, at least temporarily.[3]
The folklorist Alexander Hagerty Krappe (1894–1947)[4] discusses the Balor legend in his book Balor With the Evil Eye: Studies in Celtic and French Literature (1927). Krappe believes Balor comes from a very ancient myth—perhaps as old as agriculture—of a woman (the earth) shut away by an old man (the old year), impregnated by another man, whose child (the new year), then kills the old man. Other versions of this myth are said to be found in the tales of Gilgamesh, Osiris, Balder and Danaë.[5] Moreover, according to Krappe, Balor is related to Janus, Kronos, the Serbian monster "Vy,"[6] the Welsh Ysbaddaden,[7] and other versions of a two-headed god with an evil eye. Krappe also suggests that the woman may originally have been a cow goddess, such as Hathor, Io or Hera.
In Irish mythology, Balor (modern spelling: Balar) was king of named Fomorians, a group of supernatural beings. He is often described as a giant with a large eye in his forehead that wreaks destruction when opened. He has been interpreted as a god or personification of drought and blight.
Name
It is suggested that Balor comes from Common Celtic *Baleros, meaning "the deadly one", cognate with Old Irish at-baill (dies) and Welsh ball (death, plague).[1]
He is also referred to as Balor Béimnech (Balor the smiter), Balor Balcbéimnech (Balor the strong smiter) and Balor Birugderc (Balor of the piercing eye).[1] The latter has led to the English name Balor of the Evil Eye.
In Mythology
Balor is said to be the son of Buarainech and husband of Cethlenn. Balor is described as a giant with an eye in the middle of his forehead. This eye wreaks destruction when opened. The Cath Maige Tuired calls it a "destructive" and "poisonous" eye that no army can withstand, and says that it takes four men to lift the eyelid. In later folklore it is described as follows: "It was always covered with seven cloaks to keep it cool. He took the cloaks off one by one. At the first, ferns began to wither. At the second, grass began to redden. At the third, wood and trees began to heat up. At the fourth, smoke came out of wood and trees. At the fifth, everything got red hot. At the sixth...... At the seventh, the whole land caught fire".[1]
Balor hears a prophecy that he would be killed by his grandson. To avoid his fate, he locks his only daughter, Ethniu, in a tower on Tory Island to keep her from becoming pregnant. One day, Balor steals a magical cow of abundance, the Glas Gaibhnenn, from Goibniu the smith. He takes it to his fortress on Tory Island. Cian, who was guarding the cow for Goibniu, sets out to get it back. With the help of the druidess Biróg and the sea god Manannán, Cian enters the tower and finds Ethniu. They have sex, and she gives birth to three sons. Balor attempts to drown the boys in the sea, but one is saved and is raised as a foster-son by Manannán. He grows up to become Lugh.
Lugh eventually becomes king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He leads the Tuath Dé in the second Battle of Mag Tuired against the Fomorians, who are led by Balor. Ogma disarms Balor during this battle, but Balor kills Nuada with his eye. Lugh kills Balor by casting a sling, or a spear crafted by Gobniu, through his eye. Balor's eye destroys the Fomorian army. Lugh then beheads Balor.
One legend tells that, when Balor was slain by Lugh, Balor's eye was still open when he fell face first into the ground. Thus his deadly eye beam burned a hole into the earth. Long after, the hole filled with water and became a lake which is now known as Loch na Súil, or "Lake of the Eye", in County Sligo.
Interpretation
In his book The Myths of the Gods: Structures in Irish Mythology, Alan Ward interprets Balor as the god of drought and blight. He interprets the tale of Balor as follows: The Drought God (Balor) seizes the cow of fruitfulness (Glas Gaibhnenn) and shuts her in his prison. The Sun God (Cian) rescues the cow with help from the Sea God (Manannán) – water being the natural enemy of drought. The Sun God and a Water Goddess (Ethniu), attempt to produce a son—the Storm God (Lugh)—who will overcome the Drought God. They succeed in spiriting the future Storm God away to the domain of the Sea God, where the Drought God cannot reach him.[2] The Storm God and Drought God at last meet in battle. The Smith God (Gobniu) forges the thunderbolt and the Storm God uses it to unleash the storm and kill drought, at least temporarily.[3]
The folklorist Alexander Hagerty Krappe (1894–1947)[4] discusses the Balor legend in his book Balor With the Evil Eye: Studies in Celtic and French Literature (1927). Krappe believes Balor comes from a very ancient myth—perhaps as old as agriculture—of a woman (the earth) shut away by an old man (the old year), impregnated by another man, whose child (the new year), then kills the old man. Other versions of this myth are said to be found in the tales of Gilgamesh, Osiris, Balder and Danaë.[5] Moreover, according to Krappe, Balor is related to Janus, Kronos, the Serbian monster "Vy,"[6] the Welsh Ysbaddaden,[7] and other versions of a two-headed god with an evil eye. Krappe also suggests that the woman may originally have been a cow goddess, such as Hathor, Io or Hera.
Friday, January 13, 2017
Doing Gods Posts
Every Monday I will be doing god posts of Irish gods and goddess. I will try and include a photo of said god and goddess. I believe that it's important to understand the gods and how they are different from others. I hope that you will enjoy it and I will site where I get my information.
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Full Moon (January 2017)
So tonight was the Full Moon and I decided, after two full moons not doing this, that I would do the Druid Prayer of Peace. It's something that the Druid Network created and I've been doing it ever since I got started in Druidry. And since I have a portable Druid altar I decided to use it tonight and do the ritual. The only thing that I added was the charcoal burner with the hot charcoal on it.
I really felt something during this Full Moon. The portable altar is really cute and it does help me focus on rituals. Though I will say that I'm only using it, for now, on the Full Moon. However, I find that it doesn't take that much space and it really helps me to connect to things. Here's it in use and I hope that you all had a wonderful Full Moon.
I really felt something during this Full Moon. The portable altar is really cute and it does help me focus on rituals. Though I will say that I'm only using it, for now, on the Full Moon. However, I find that it doesn't take that much space and it really helps me to connect to things. Here's it in use and I hope that you all had a wonderful Full Moon.
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Why I Reject the Celtic Tree Calendar
One of the most important differences between what we do and what Neo-pagans do is based on the Celtic Tree Calendar. It's a calendar that was 'invented' by Robert Graves and is now a firm part of neopagan beliefs and practices. Even the Witches Datebook that I have has the Celtic tree calendar in it. I just ignore it as it's not part of my practice as both a Druid student and a Irish Polytheist. The reason that I reject it is the same reason that Druids have rejected it.
It's made up lies and something that shouldn't be apart of any spiritual practice. Both groups reject it solely on those grounds alone. So to keep things simple I reject it due to it being a falsehood and don't use it in my practice. Of course people in the neopagan community goes on and on about how the truth lies somewhere in the middle and respect what Graves did.
If you read anything that we do have about the Celts, and I mean written by people that know what their talking about, you will not find it at all in any model that the Celts used to record their months. The Celtic Tree calendar might of existed but not in the form that Graves has given us. He had no respect for the Celts and any system that they had. We do have a calendar that was found in Coligny France and was used by the Celtic speaking people to help them with planting, festivals, harvesting, and so on.
Once again there is no Celtic Tree Calendar, not the way that Graves did things. The only legit calendar is the Coligny calendar that's housed in France.
It's made up lies and something that shouldn't be apart of any spiritual practice. Both groups reject it solely on those grounds alone. So to keep things simple I reject it due to it being a falsehood and don't use it in my practice. Of course people in the neopagan community goes on and on about how the truth lies somewhere in the middle and respect what Graves did.
If you read anything that we do have about the Celts, and I mean written by people that know what their talking about, you will not find it at all in any model that the Celts used to record their months. The Celtic Tree calendar might of existed but not in the form that Graves has given us. He had no respect for the Celts and any system that they had. We do have a calendar that was found in Coligny France and was used by the Celtic speaking people to help them with planting, festivals, harvesting, and so on.
Once again there is no Celtic Tree Calendar, not the way that Graves did things. The only legit calendar is the Coligny calendar that's housed in France.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
This Pagan Can't Wait for Summer
Last week it snowed and I'm going to say that I love snow, I just don't like feeling the effects of snow. It's so cold that I've had to move my Celtic altar to my other room so that I can meditate and do my rituals without my teeth chattering. This pagan needs summer to come back around right now. Sometimes it's hard to understand why we need the cold weather that comes around every year. I think that I will never figure it out, nor understand it.
However, I know that summer is coming. The first spring festival will be here before I know it and then we can make wonderful plans. I can already taste the beach.
However, I know that summer is coming. The first spring festival will be here before I know it and then we can make wonderful plans. I can already taste the beach.
Monday, January 9, 2017
Changing Things
I've decided to change things on this blog to reflect my practice of
Irish Polytheism. I really love it as much as I love all the other forms
of Celtic Polytheism. However, Irish is what I choose to practice and
follow. I will be doing entries that cover the Irish gods and goddess
and doing many other things. I hope that you will enjoy the future posts
that I'll be doing.
Sunday, January 8, 2017
My Things Came In
I was going to post this when they did come in but I forgot. This is what came in and I'm going to share a video of it.
Friday, January 6, 2017
Combining Roman/Greek Deities with Gaulish Deities isn't New Age
I want to get this out of the way before someone gets on here and acts as though what I practice is just like what the New Age Wiccans do. First of all when you blend deities that, historically, were blended then it's not like how the New Age crowd does things. We're talking about things that happened within the context of Gaulish Polytheism. Yes, it did destroy a unique culture but the Romans sure didn't care about that.
It also allows us to understand why this happened and better understanding this helps us out. Especially if you're drawing from this period. Another thing that I want to point out, in context of the title Combining Roman/Greek deities, we're talking about the Roman's bringing a Hellenized form of Roman religion (they admired the Greeks and wanted to be like them) and combined them with Gaulish deities. The Romans brought incense burning, dedicatory objects (objects dedicated to a deity due to something that the god did for them), animal sacrifice (they did away with human sacrifice), and the Roman way of dress.
Even if you're practicing a blend of Gaulish and Roman Polytheism it's still within the context of the past and it's verified by the written and archeology records. It's not New Age, it's not cherry-picking, it's not being eclectic, and it's not something that wasn't done. I think that's what the New Age community needs to understand about these practices and understand why they were done.
It also allows us to understand why this happened and better understanding this helps us out. Especially if you're drawing from this period. Another thing that I want to point out, in context of the title Combining Roman/Greek deities, we're talking about the Roman's bringing a Hellenized form of Roman religion (they admired the Greeks and wanted to be like them) and combined them with Gaulish deities. The Romans brought incense burning, dedicatory objects (objects dedicated to a deity due to something that the god did for them), animal sacrifice (they did away with human sacrifice), and the Roman way of dress.
Even if you're practicing a blend of Gaulish and Roman Polytheism it's still within the context of the past and it's verified by the written and archeology records. It's not New Age, it's not cherry-picking, it's not being eclectic, and it's not something that wasn't done. I think that's what the New Age community needs to understand about these practices and understand why they were done.
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Why I Chose This Path
One of the huge questions that is asked by anyone that encounters anyone that practices something different is what made you choose this path? The simple answer is that I felt a sense of 'home' when I started to look into this kind of practice. I practice both Gaulish and Welsh Polytheism and those Celtic deities are deities that I feel connected with. I love the rich mythology that is part of that part of the world and I feel as though I can just step into that world and experience it.
It's not an easy practice, as your practicing a dead religion. But it's worth it. It will take time for me to get things down, to understand things, and to grow and develop. But I think that it's worth it in the end. I hope that this helps someone understand why I chose this path.
It's not an easy practice, as your practicing a dead religion. But it's worth it. It will take time for me to get things down, to understand things, and to grow and develop. But I think that it's worth it in the end. I hope that this helps someone understand why I chose this path.
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
My First Post
Welcome to The Celtic Wanderer and I'm glad that you're here. This blog is for my Gaulish and Welsh Polytheistic practice and all the things that come with it. I will be blogging about all sorts of things that are connected to my practice and how I approach this form of Polytheism. I will not be posting anything that's Wiccan or New Age. Nothing that's part of Neo-Druidism or Eclectic practices.
This is only for my path and how I use this path to help me understand the world around me. I hope that you will enjoy it here and thanks for coming.
This is only for my path and how I use this path to help me understand the world around me. I hope that you will enjoy it here and thanks for coming.
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