This page presents writings, both contemporary and ancient, that reflect the Celtic Spirit.
by MaryCatherine Burgess and Joyce Rupp
excerpts from an unpublished manuscript
The Celtic Spirit embodies a divine life force that breathes in and through all creation.....This Celtic view of life contains an amazing ability to recognize core wisdom underlying diverse spiritual traditions found cross-culturally throughout the world. Embedded in that core wisdom is a common experience of soul as life's essence, incarnation as a precious gift, and the interconnectedness of all life as a given. Steeped in the holistic capacity to hold dualities, the Celtic Spirit expands to embrace the both/and - the seeming paradox of male and female, light and darkness, earth and sky, sun and moon, human and divine. Rooted in the power of triads, this Spirit overflows with love of learning, love of nature, and appreciation for silence and contemplation.
Celtic Spirituality
Every aspect of Celtic life was approached as an opportunity for union with the divine....their entire day was entwined with prayer. No part of life was too ordinary, mundane or routine for the Holy One to be present in it. The Celts had blessings for everything from house to hearth, animals and land, birth and death, waking and sleeping and travel.
The Celts were deeply wedded to the natural elements of earth, sky and sea. It was in creation that the divine was most manifest for them. They experienced a oneness with the Creator through hills, stones, springs of water, caves and many other elements. It was out of this strong connection with creation that the four great Celtic festivals developed and were celebrated around the cycles of the seasons. These festivals were also celebrated around the inner cycles of human life in the world of the unseen, also known as The Otherworld. The Celts valued this realm of the Otherworld and considered it to be their true home - the source of wisdom and the home of their divinity. It was a wonderful sphere, unbounded by time and space, where all was possible.
Celtic Christianity
Celtic Christianity evolved gradually, beginning around the 5th century with a keen bond between the land and divinity; women's equality with men; the power of protection from harm which later formed the Celtic breastplate prayer; the symbol of the triad or three as it was reflected in devotion to the Trinity; the presence of mentors and healers; the use of music, story telling, dance and art as expressions of their life; appreciation for the beauty and power of the sea; the love of learning and the use of symbols. Kinship with Christ was a basic practice, with a special emphasis on the Incarnation and the Cross of the suffering Christ.
Non-cloistered monasticism flourished during the Celtic Christian era. It fostered learning and wisdom even amid the Dark Ages. The Celts valued silence and solitude. and often lived an ascetic lifestyle of simplicity in rural places. They were also known for their hospitality of hearth, a spirit of joy, and a deep sense of community.
The Challenge of a New Spiritual View
We recognize a current dynamic awakening to Celtic spirituality, and have sought to capture the vibrancy and the power inherent in this rich tradition. The Celtic Spirit offers a fresh approach to spirituality because, for the Celts, the physical realm was not only sacred but an essential and vital source of connection with the divine. This belief is also found in the spiritual traditions of indigenous peoples throughout the world who also embraced a vision of all life as inter-related and intimately connected.
Viewing all life as a diverse manifestation of the divine reveals a major shift in how spirituality is approached and lived. It offers an awakening to a world in which Spirit is embodied in every part of life. As more people discover the archetypal energies and universal truths that were so much a part of the Celtic Spirit, they will sense a profound longing to come home to this deep transformative heritage.
This prayer probably originated in the 8th or 9th century. This version is a 19th century translation reworked by Noel Dermot O'Donoghue, a modern celtic visionary and Irish priest who was the first Catholic to teach theology at the University of Edinburgh.
For my shield this day I call:
Heaven's might, Sun's brightness
Moon's whiteness, Fire's glory,
Lightning's swiftness, Wind's wildness,
Ocean's depth, Earth's solidity, Rock's immobility.
This day I call to me:
God's strength to direct me, God's power to sustain me
God's wisdom to guide me, God's vision to lighten me,
God's ear to my hearing, God's word to my speaking,
God's hand to uphold me, God's pathway before me,
God's shield to protect me, God's legions to save me:
from snares of the demons, from evil enticements,
from failings of nature, from one man or many,
that seek to destroy me, anear or far.
from Celtic Christianity by Timothy Joyce
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the gentle night to you
Moon and stars pour their healing light on you
Deep peace to you
Books
Bradley, Marion Zimmer. The Mists of Avalon. Del Ray by BallantineBooks, New York, 1982. Though fiction, it seems alive with insight and truth about how the religions of Christianity, the Druids and the Mother Goddess affected those integral to the legends of King Arthur.
Cowan, Tom. Fire In the Head: Shamanism and the Celtic Spirit. Harper San Francisco, San Francisco, 1993. An exploration of Celtic Shamanism through cross-cultural myths that explain some of the history and roots of the Celtic spirit.
Dewaal, Esther, The Celtic Way of Prayer: The Recovery of Religious Imagination. Servant Publications, Ann Arbour, MI. 1991. Includes pre-Christian/Christian Celtic traditions in relation to spiritual growth.
Fitzgerald, John W. A Contemporary Celtic Prayer Book. ACTA Publishing Co. Chicago, IL. 1998. Based on Celtic sources, creative prayers for the hours of morning, midday and evening.
Green, Miranda. Celtic Goddesses: Warriors, Virgins and Mothers. British Museum Press, 1995. A study of the role of women in Celtic society, myth and religion.
The World of the Druids. Thames and Hudson Ltd. New York, 1997. An illustrated new account of the Druids from ancient times to present day, including their role in Celtic society and religion.
Newell, Philip. Listening for the Heartbeat of God: A Celtic Spirituality. Excellent presentation of spirituality today modeled on vital characteristics of Celtic tradition.
Campbell, Joseph. The World of Joseph Campbell: Transformation Through Time. Volume III. The Western Way. High Bridge Company, St. Paul MN. 1990. Lectures given by Joseph Campbell. Three cassette tapes. The conclusion of Campbell's final lecture series in which he explores the Arthurian legends of courtly love and the quest for the Holy Grail. Includes historical groundwork of Celtic life and influence.
O'Donohue, John. Anam Cara: Soul Friend: On Celtic Spirituality. Sounds of True Recordings, 1-800-333-9185. Six tapes filled with wonderful insights.
"Celtic Blessing" from Dances of Universal Peace: Europe II
"May the Road" from Dances of Universal Peace: Europe IIL.
Available through International Centre for the Dances of Universal Peace, 444 NE Ravenna Blvd., Seattle, WA. 98115. Phone: (206) 522-4353.
www.codamusic.co.uk 12 Bank St, The Mound, Edinburgh, Scotland. Phone. (011 44) 131 622 7246
www.culburnie.com P.O. Box 219 Nevada City, CA. 95959, Phone (530) 292-4219
November 7, 2008 12:48:04 PM