Pic: Llewellyn

Do you remember in SP06, our Yule Holiday Special for 2008 we presented a section of Priestess of the Forest for you? You can find the Shownotes for SP06 in the Shownotes section and have a look again. Priestess of the Forest is a novel set in the 3rd century about a Druid healer and a Fennid warrior written by Ellen Evert Hopman, an author well versed in American Druidism. Well, in April of 2010 she is preparing to release the sequel to this book called The Druid Isle.

The Druid Isle

The Druid Isle takes you into the world of Ethne, a Druid healer, and her warrior partner, Ruad. When their beautiful daughter Aífe undertakes training on a Druid island, she falls in love with Lucius, a handsome young man who has traded his priestly studies at a Christian monastery for the Druid life. But their love—and their beliefs—are threatened in the face of a lustful king and relentless Roman monks.

Set on a third-century island off the coast of Scotland, this instructional Celtic tale delves deeper into the spiritual mystery of the Druids and offers a fascinating look at the Romans, Gauls, and Britons.

Ellen Evert Hopman

Ellen Evert Hopman (Massachusetts) has been active in American Druidism since 1984. She is co-chief of the Order of the Whiteoak (Ord na Darach Gile), a popular author of Druidry-related titles, and a master herbalist. She teaches at the Grey School of Wizardry and has contributed to several Pagan journals.

You can find out more about Ellen and her work on her website at http://www.elleneverthopman.com.

Reviews

"Ellen has done it again. The Druid Isle grabs you right from the start. In it, we follow the story of Aife, a Pagan girl who lives with the forest Druids, and Lucius, a young Christian monk who turns Pagan. In my opinion, one of the best features of the book is the small bits of old lore from the Druids scattered throughout. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone’s library!"

–Rev. Skip Ellison, Archdruid of Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF) and author of Ogham: The Secret Language of the Druids and The Solitary Druid: A Practitioner’s Guide

I’m looking forward to seeing this work and hope that we’re allowed to bring you a section from the follow-up to Priestess of the Forest!

Pic: stephen_dedalus

Sometimes when you are searching the net for information on the beliefs of the Ancient Celts, you’ll come across, as I did, the term Celtic Reconstructionist. Interested, I tried to find out exactly what Celtic Reconstructionism (often known as CR) is, and a brilliant article by Patricia Deneen published a year ago offers some general pointers. In summary, she says:

Celtic Reconstructionism (CR) is a growing movement in the Pagan community. The term Celtic refers to a group of languages that spanned from Northern Italy to the British Isles. Like other reconstruction religions, practitioners attempt to forge links between the pre-Christian past and modern religious practice.

Sources for Celtic Reconstructionism

There is a multitude of sources for Celtic mythology of varying scholarly quality. Reconstructionists look to the biases and educational background of authors and translators of this lore before deciding which are the most reliable.

Records of mythology of Celtic peoples such as the Welsh Mabinogion and the Irish heroic tales of the Tain are common resources.

Celtic Deities

CR is a polytheistic religion, that is the belief in many gods and goddesses. These deities are believed to be entities unto themselves worthy of reverence, not archetypal aspects of one godhead.

Celtic Reconstructionist Practice, Ritual, and Magic

This movement is still in its early stages, and there is no one set of dogma or rituals that is followed by every practitioner. However, there are some common denominators that individual CRs use while developing their practice.

Ethics in Celtic Reconstructionism

A virtue model similar to that of the Nine Noble Virtues of Asatru is part of the CR ethics system. Hospitality to the gods and humanity is seen as paramount. Other virtues include justice, loyalty, honor, honesty, and courage. Good and evil are not generally accepted concepts in CR as the gods and aspects of the world are seen as inclusive of light and dark.

The full article, over on Suite 101, is well worth reading and Patricia includes some references that have to be followed up, including one to the CR FAQ, which as I understand it, is pretty much the standard reference source for CR.

Pic: Connexion

Connexion reports that King Arthur and the Knights of the Round-Table have thrilled generations of British children with their exploits. However, less well-known to Britons is the fact they play a starring role in French folklore and literature as well. The first ever major French exhibition about Le Roi Arthur, classified by the Culture Ministry as “of national importance,” has opened in Rennes.

It is designed to appeal to everyone from families to experts in the field.

Curator Sarah Toulouse said:

There are beautiful pieces like original illuminated manuscripts from the 13th to 15th Centuries and beautiful 19th Century English pre-Raphaelite paintings, embroidery and stained glass by Edward Burne-Jones.

There was a major revival of interest in King Arthur in Britain in Victorian times, in art and also by poets like Tennyson and in children’s literature. In France it was more the 20th Century, with films and books.

The show also features pop culture exhibits and two impressive parade giants from Ewell, in Surrey, of Morgan le Fay and the Green Knight – who has been decapitated and is carrying his head.

Children love it and they can try to pull Excalibur from the stone.

added Ms Toulouse.

She said that, while academics on both sides of the Channel placed Camelot in Britain, some Arthurian adventures took place not in La Grande Bretagne but in what was, in the Middle Ages, known as la Petite Bretagne – modern Brittany.

[source]

Originally posted 2008-09-15 09:35:56. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Pic: Wiki

In Edmund Spenser’s ‘The Faerie Queene’, Books 11 and 111 The Bower of Bliss and the Garden of Adonis might look similar from a distance; their geographical form is certainly similar, and the tour on which Spenser takes us seems to follow the same kind of route. But their ostensible similarity, and their juxtaposition in two adjacent books of ‘The Faerie Queene’ only serve to highlight their differences. The two gardens represent very different qualities of human life, and Spenser indicates the differences visually in his description of the gardens, verbally in the words he uses in these descriptions, and dramatically in the kinds of activity that take place in the gardens.

The first distinction to be made is between the proportion of Art to Nature that has gone into the construction of the gardens. The ‘Bowre of Blisse’ is introduced as:

‘A place pickt out by choice of best alive,

That natures worke by art can imitate:’ [11.X11.42]

Art itself is not condemned, but the use of art to stimulate wasteful unproductive lust. The artifice of the garden is admired for its skill, but condemned for being used to excess.

‘And them amongst, some were of burnisht gold,

So made by art, to beautifie the rest,

. . . That the weake bowes, with so rich load opprest,

Did bow adowne, as over-burdened.’ [11.X11.55]

The image of the vine bending under the weight of golden grapes illustrates how nature is distorted by artifice, just as human nature is distorted by entering the Bower of Bliss. Spenser’s description of the golden ivy seems to anticipate Baroque sculpture and architecture in that it is more than an imitation of nature; it tries to supersede nature by exaggerating the most pleasing aspects. The result is an excess of sweetness to the point of sickliness. The stimulation of pleasurable sensations is almost pornographic, and Spenser ensures that we get the message by the use of the words ‘lascivious’ and ‘wantones’.

‘And over all, of purest gold was spred,

A trayle of yvie in his native hew:

For the rich mettall was so colored,

That wight, who did not well avis’d it view,

Would surely deeme it to be yvie trew:

Low his lascivious armes adown did creepe,

That themselves dipping in the silver dew,

Their fleecy flowres they tenderly did steepe,

Which drops of Christall seemed for wantones to weepe.’ [11.X11.61]

A modern reader might not pick up the quality of excess implied in this description, but in fact Spenser takes pains to point out the excess. Art in the Bower of Bliss

‘Was poured forth with plentifull dispence,

And made there to abound with lavish affluence.’ [11.X11.42]

‘Wherewith her mother Art, as halfe in scorne

Of niggard Nature, like a pompous bride

Did decke her, and too lavishly adorn’ [11.X11.50]

The emphasis on excess is of course most relevant to the theme of Book 11: Temperance.

In contrast to the lavish glittering spectacle of the ‘Bowre of Blisse’, The ‘Gardin of Adonis’ comprises of natural goodness. ‘It sited was in fruitfull soyle of old’ [111.V1.31] and:

‘In that same Gardin all the goodly flowres,

Wherewith dame Nature doth her beautifie,

And decks the girlonds of her paramoures,

Are fetcht:’ [111.V1.30]

The arbour is ‘of the trees owne inclination made’ [111.V1.44]. This garden is free of artifice, and in emphasising its natural perfection Spenser likens it to Ovid’s golden world:

‘Ne needs there Gardiner to set, or sow,

To plant or prune: for of their owne accord

All things, as they created were, doe grow’ [111.V1.34]

The quality of life represented by the Garden of Adonis is represented by ‘Genius’ who guards its gates. The Bower of Bliss was also guarded by a ‘Genius’, but not the real one. In keeping with another of Spenser’s themes, appearance versus reality, the Genius of the Bower of Bliss is a fake

‘That secretly doth us procure to fall,

Through guilefull semblaunts’ [11.X11.48]

The Genius of the Garden of Adonis guards the gate through which old people enter and young babies leave, and the cycle of regeneration being represented has the same seemingly-paradoxical combination of transience and permanence as Spenser’s Mutability Cantos [4]. The paradox is resolved by Platonism. While Time is the enemy of life in the garden:

‘For all that lives, is subject to that law:

All things decay in time, and to their end to draw.’ [111.V1.40]

It seems that the people, or perhaps just their souls, are recycled from old age to babyhood. And Adonis himself:

‘All be he subject to mortalitie,

Yet is eterne in mutabilitie,

And by succession made perpetuall’ [111.V1.47]

This is the same conclusion Spenser comes to at the end of the Mutability Cantos:

‘I well consider all that ye have sayd,

And find that all things stedfastnes doe hate,

And changed be: yet being rightly wayd

They are not changed from their first estate;

But by their change their being doe dilate:

And turning to themselves at length againe,

Doe worke their owne perfection so by fate:’ [V11.V11.58]

The garden is an allegory for the Platonic life-principle expounded in verses 36 to 38 of the Garden of Adonis where changeless ‘things’ or ‘substance’ borrow temporary physical form during life, decay, and are restored again.

In ‘sublunary’ terms this represents the fruitfulness of earthly life and the principle behind the ‘mightie word . . . increase and multiply’ [111.V1.34]. The Garden of Adonis is first and foremost, fruitful. The garden itself is a kind of storehouse for the various forms of life:

‘. . . there is the first seminarie

Of all things, that are borne to live and die’ [111.V1.30]

And its resident lovers, Cupid and Psyche, bear a child. Spenser approves of the pleasure indulged in in this garden, because it takes place between people who are enjoying natural healthy love:

‘But now in steadfast love and happy state

She with him lives, and hath him borne a chyld’ [111.V1.50]

In contrast, the pleasures to be had in the Bower of Bliss are thoroughly disapproved of. Even the word ‘bliss’ itself implies an extreme and transitory sensation compared to ‘steadfast love and happy state’ of the Garden of Adonis. The lovers of the Bower of Bliss are indulging in ‘lewd loves, and wastfull luxuree’ [11.X11.80]. They indulge in sex for its own sake, with no love, and no intention of procreation. This kind of activity, according to Spenser, saps the spirit and will-power of a knight, and causes him to lose interest in his true quest.

‘Ne for them [his armour] ne for honour cared hee

Ne ought, that did to his advancement tend,

But in lewd loves, and wastfull luxuree,

His dayes, his goods, his bodie he did spend:

O horrible enchantment that him so did blend.’ [11.X11.80]

The word ‘enchantment’ is important here; the queen of the garden is an enchantress with the power to turn men into pigs, and by implication a mind attracted by lust is a mind under a kind of spell. As with the golden ivy, it takes a man of insight and experience to see through the superficial attractions to the underlying depravity.

‘That wight, who did not well avis’d it view,

Would surely deeme it to be yvie trew:’ [11.X11.61]

Guyon himself becomes enchanted by the sight of the ‘naked Damzelles’ bathing. This long description [11.X11.63-68] is extremely attractive; it is designed to arouse feelings of lust in the reader or listeners. Spenser’s ‘warning words’ such as ‘greedy eyes’, ‘kindled lust’ and the all-important ‘seemed’ [11.X11.64,68,65] are few and far between, but they are there, warning the reader of the danger Guyon is in. This is part of Guyon’s education into temperance. The Palmer drags him away.

‘He much rebukt those wandring eyes of his,

And counseld well, him forward thence did draw.’ [11.X11.69]

But not all the pleasures to be had in the Bower of Bliss are tainted with artifice. The ‘lovely lay’ sung in verse 75 simply advocates enjoying life while it lasts:

‘So passeth, in the passing of a day,

Of mortall life the leafe, the bud, the flowre,

Ne more doth flourish after first decay,

That earst was sought to decke both bed and bowre,

Of many a Ladie, and many a Paramowre:

Gather therefore the Rose, whilest yet is prime,

For soone comes age, that will her pride deflowre:

Gather the Rose of love, whilest yet is time’ [11.X11.74]

Ian Mackean runs the sites http://www.literature-study-online.com, which features a substantial collection of Resources and Essays, (and where his site on Short Story Writing can also be found,) and http://www.Booksmadeintomovies.com. He is the editor of The Essentials of Literature in English post-1914, ISBN 0340882689, which was published by Hodder Arnold in 2005. When not writing about literature or short story writing he is a keen amateur photographer, and has made a site of his photography at http://www.photo-zen.com

Author: Ian Mackean
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Pic: Pretanic World

Historically the picture we have of the Druids is almost entirely due to people who traded with the Celts, such as the Greeks, or to the people who fought against them, such as the Romans. Sadly, it is for the main part, during the downfall of the Celts, in Roman occupied Gaul, that we hear the most about the Druids. The Celts, though never a united force, were the first masters of Europe. Their influence stretching from the North western fringes of Greece, across the top of Northern Italy and into Spain. Going up into Austria, Southern Germany, Gaul and Scandinavia and finally the British Isles. It is generally agreed that the Celts evolved from populations already resident in Europe during the Bronze Age, from earlier Indo-European tribes.

The Celts first get a mention by name in the sixth century BCE when a Greek, Hecateus, states that the Celts were neighbours of the Ligurians, and that a remarkable feature of their society is the social structure, which was a hallmark of that society. However, it is not until 200 BCE that the Druids get a mention, by another Greek called Sotion. His work ‘Succession of Philosophers’ was lost, but a reference was preserved by another writer Diogenes Laertius: There are among the Keltae and Galatae those called Druids and Semnotheoi…’ (Semnotheoi were presumably Galatian priests).

That the Druids were known to the outside world by 200 BCE would suggest that they were already a powerful, well established group amongst their own people, with wide ranging powers. The reports from Julius Caesar in his ‘Gallic Wars’ (sixth book) certainly agree on this point.

The Celts who had continued their migration into Britain and Ireland became separated and isolated for many centuries from the Celts of Gaul. Language, culture and religion developed along different lines, and Druidism, as pictured in native records, was in Ireland considerably different from that of Gaul. The religion of the pagan Irish is commonly designated ‘Druidism’ and in the oldest Irish legends the Druids figure conspicuously. Continue Reading »

Pic: h.koppdelaney

If you are a believer in alternate realities and planes of existence, then you may have a belief in the Fey or what would be referred to as fairies. Even if you are not a believer in these creatures, then you may have heard the stories ranging from Tinker Bell in the famous story of Peter Pan to other books of that ilk that have long been a part of both literary history and folk tales pass from generation to generation.

For those who believe the question of what to do about the Fey have surfaced in recent thought, albeit with a little tongue in cheek humor. There is even a kit on Amazon that purports to allow you to catch the Fey for inspection. Because of the interest there have been serious and not so serious questions about the capture of the Fey in forums, blogs and Q&A sites around the web.

Some contend that they capture is good natured and meant as a means to study or friendship. Others object that the capture of any living thing against its will can and will lead to reprisals from any intelligent creature. The Fey being magical in nature, if the texts and folklore are to be believed, can make life somewhat interesting for the purported capturer. Such abductions are often leading to such vengeance as missing keys, missing toys, scratched and noises to keep you awake at night and afraid…or so the objectors say.

All in all, when fantasy meets reality things can change. Even as the monster in the closet or under the bed are imaginary, so too could the imaginary creatures of the mind be slotted into the category of childhood fantasy. But how far our imaginations can take us is spelled out in our understanding of science when we believed that the world was flat and the sun revolved around the earth. So too could be our understanding of the Fey. We might be on the cusp of multidimensional revelation if we follow the Golden rule to both perceived beings and as yet unrevealed beings in our midst.

Author: Max Sinclair
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The Druids were the mystics, philosophers, and magicians of the ancient Celtic world. Their spirituality was borne from the romantic magic and the near-worship of poetry and music, warrior prowess, and the world of nature. This book describes this mystical romanticism as it was in ancient times, and offers various ways to bring it to life today in both private and social realms. Brendan originally wrote this book in 2006 and it has come to be regarded as one ofthe classics in understanding modern Druidry. At 240 pages and published by New Page Books, it can be purchased from Amazon.

The whole exploration of the Celtic spirit is guided by the basic impulse of all mysticism, which is to "Know Yourself". The book shows the many ways in which this impulse shines through Celtic tradition, principle, custom, and heritage. Professionally-researched, provocative, and informative, the world of the Druids is brought to life by not only Celtic mythology and traditional storytelling, but also by stories of the author¹s own experiences of living and traveling in Ireland and visiting its sacred sites. This book combines a well-researched, high-quality "training manual" for modern spiritual Celts and Druids, with an original and thought-provoking philosophical account of the spiritual meaning of Druidry.

In this book you will find:

• A professionally-researched survey of Druidic history, tradition, and custom,
• Detailed descriptions of the mysteries of Celtic spirituality, including the Sacred Truth, the Great Marriage, the Hero¹s Journey, and the Otherworld,
• Practical guidance for meditation and ceremony, for individuals and for groups,
• A detailed description of the Celtic story of the creation of the world, presented together with a plan for re-enacting the story in ritual, .
• The remarkable human side of Druidic spirituality.

You can read some endorsements and more about the book, Brendan and his other works at the Brendan Myers website.

I blogged yesterday about the Tallahassee Celtic Festival and Highland Games and today I found another one in Sudbury, Canada. As I said yesterday, I think it is amazing to see this modern day celebration of our Celtic roots – the question I would really like to see answered is: where are the UK Festivals? Bell Park will erupt with the wail of bagpipes, Scottish sports, Celtic songs and stories, and the smells of traditional meals during the inaugural Greater Sudbury Celtic Festival and Highland Games on May 24.

Derek Young, festival director, said:

The timing for this year’s inaugural festival is great, given that the City of Greater Sudbury is celebrating its 125th Anniversary, and many of our local pipe bands and community partners are also celebrating milestone anniversaries

The festival will feature local singers, storytellers, historians, the Vale Inco Canadian Federation of Scottish Athletes Heavy Games Exhibition, pipe band performances, food, folklore and vendors promoting traditional crafts, gifts, and unique items.

There will be an evening concert featuring Sudbury’s own Duncan Cameron, returning home with his Celtic band, Fig for a Kiss. They will be sharing the stage with Andy Lowe, who will be singing traditional ballads from his CD entitled, Inheritance.

Source

Originally posted 2008-04-19 10:56:27. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Pic: BBC

More than a dozen skeletons thought to be thousands of years old, have been found by Oxford archaeologists working at an ancient burial site in Dorset, reported the BBC in December 2008.

Excavations are taking place at the site in Weymouth before builders move in to build an access road to the Olympic sailing centre for 2012.

Archaeologist David Score said they had catalogued finds from almost every period of human life.

He said it

really added to knowledge of the Bronze and Neolithic eras. Building the relief road has given archaeologists an excuse to excavate and record finds dating back thousands of years,

Mr Score said.

I think it is very important because it’s not very often that you get the opportunity to excavate an area of this size, in a location of such importance with so many burials from a wide span of time.

Eating habits

I think once we have done all the analysis it really will contribute quite a lot to the corpus of knowledge that we’ve got about the Bronze Age and Neolithic periods in this area.

"We found more than a dozen skeletons they’re in various states of preservation. Some are fairly poorly preserved, but the later ones, particularly the Roman ones are fairly well preserved.

All the finds are being taken back to Oxford where they are being catalogued.

Scientists will also look for small fish bones or charred plant remains to try and find out more about ancient eating habits.

The items will eventually be returned to Dorset where they will be put on display in a museum.

[Source]

Pic: Dave Smith

Historically Didcot was situated in the County of Berkshire and although both Oxfordshire and Berkshire are in the Thames Valley, Didcot has now been relegated to the auspices and care of the County of Oxfordshire. The town is approximated 10 miles south of Oxford City, and is perhaps most infamous for the Didcot Power Station.

In the 1960′s the Didcot Power Station was built to supply electricity to the national grid, which was powered by burning coal. Some people who live in Didcot believe that the power station is an eyesore, while others believe it is what gives the town its character. If you have ever watched Inspector Morse, then you may have seen the power station being used as a backdrop in various scenes as this television series was filmed in Oxfordshire.

The town of Didcot, like many other towns in the UK, dates back to the Iron Age. The first settlement was on the ridge but the surroundings were mostly marshland. During Roman times they dug a ditch in an attempt to drain the marshes and this still exists and runs north through Ladygrove, a Didcot area close to Long Wittenham.

The first written historical records of this town appear in the 13th century. At the time they called the town Dudcotte (so the name hasn’t changed much). It only had a population of 100 people and not much going for it, so it remained that way for hundreds of years. In the Lydalls road area, you will still find parts of the original village, and the All Saints Church also still has parts of it which date back to the 11th century.

Although this village has grown into a town which now dwarves surrounding towns that were once much larger, it is still set in an inspiring countryside of valleys and hills. One of the major attractions to Didcot is the City of Oxford. Known throughout the world as the "City of Dreaming Spires"! Some of the greatest minds in the world received their inspiration from Oxford and it is quite unlike any other place in the UK. If you visit, it is a must to see Blenheim Palace, the home of Sir Winston Churchill.

For accommodation in Didcot check this list of Didcot hotels.

Author: Simon Haughtone
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