Celtic Earth Magic Pic: CMP

We would like to Thank gifted healer Lorna Drake from Sussex Downs Reiki for taking the time writing this post to help introduce us to the fascinating and enlightening practice of Celtic Earth Magic. What is Celtic Earth Magic ? …… I aim to give an overview of a system of energy healing which has become integral to the way I now live my life.

For me, Celtic Earth Magic is a natural evolution and expansion from Celtic Earth Reiki – an all encompassing term for the magic that exists in nature, and which we can all experience if we step away from the humdrum of daily life and learn skills to open our hearts and minds

I will use the terms Celtic Earth Magic and Celtic Earth Reiki interchangeably, as one is born of the other.

The Celtic Peoples believed that everything has an individual spirit, and is connected to everything else and this faith is fundamental to the systems of Celtic Earth Magic that I am going to introduce to you.

Students of Celtic Earth Magic receive attunements - symbols placed into the aura – just as for traditional Reiki, by the Celtic Earth Reiki Master, and this system can be studied on different levels culminating in the Master level.

• The first level is mainly for allowing the student to absorb the new energies, for expanding the connection to nature, and for self healing.
• The second level is designed to help us manifest our goals and discover what we need in order to follow our life path, and also for healing on others.
• The final level – the Master level – is for us to further deepen our connection with nature and the energies, for divination , magic and self-development.

Ogham

Celtic Reiki was rediscovered in 1988 by Reiki Master Martyn Pentecost , and is a system of healing using the energies of specific trees and the symbols for those trees from the ancient Celtic Ogham language. – as each tree or plant has a particular energy and attribute, the particular ogham symbol for that tree/plant can be accessed according to need. These mystical Ogham signs are used in the same way as a Reiki healer uses traditional symbols of healing.

The Ogham language should not be confused with the Norse Runic system, although the two systems would have evolved side by side

This method also uses one other energetic entity that was sacred to the Celts – the Sea

The Ogham symbols and their meanings are quite widely documented in books and on oracle cards, but for those who are unfamiliar with this system, the following are the trees and plants used in Celtic Earth Reiki / Magic :

Ogham symbol chart Pic: Wiki

Each of the trees or plants has a designated symbol, Celtic name and an associated crystal. Also included as mentioned earlier is the Sea, as well as a Grove or Sacred Grove.

When you choose to walk the path of Celtic Earth Magic, you are walking in the footsteps of your ancestors – the connection can be felt so strongly as to be almost tangible, and you may find yourself, having the extraordinary experience of sensing smells and sounds as if from another time long past..

Energy Centres or Chakras

In traditional Reiki, we connect to the seven main Chakras (energy centres) in the body that run from root (at the base of your spine) to the crown of your head.

With Celtic Earth Reiki, we connect to two additional Chakras – the Earth Star Chakra and the Soul Star.

The Earth Star lies approximately two feet below the ground and is most commonly visualised in earth colours and associated with crystals such as Obsidian and smoky quartz.

The Earth Star connects you to your past lives and your ancestral tribe. The Soul Star is approximately eighteen inches above the head and is most commonly visualised as a clear bright light – associated with Quartz crystal or Diamond – also sometimes seen as a weave of light cascading down towards the Earth Star. The Soul Star connects you to your life purpose – your destiny. The call to connect to our ancestors is strong and directly linked to the Celtic belief in the sacred connection between all things.

The Chakras Pic: Wiki

The healing and manifestation that can be created with the Celtic Earth Magic systems is a powerful tool which must always be used for the highest ideal, and is hugely important especially now when the Earth is so in need of healing.

Crystals

As part of the Celtic Earth Magic system, we can also use our connection to the tree energies and Ogham symbols to create a crystal grid for manifestation of goals and also for healing.

Manifestation symbols can be made from stone or wood (only naturally occurring substances should be used ) and these are then inscribed with the Ogham symbol and charged with the energy of the particular tree.

Crystal Grid Pic: Lorna Drake

These manifesting symbols are then selected according to your need at the time and placed into the crystal grid where the connection is made using a master crystal. This system can also be used very effectively for healing.  It is however advisable to create a different grid and set of Ogham symbols for each intent. The attunements that the student receives on their path of Celtic Earth Magic are an ‘awakening’ in many senses.

In my own experience, I found that my perceptions of the world around me started to change – my relationship with the natural world deepened and I became so much more aware of what was going on around me.

Ancestors

This deepening connection also led me to re-evaluate other aspects of my life and was very empowering when dealing with a variety of situations and challenges – calling on and connecting with your ancestors is a powerful and enlightening tool – and we can learn from their centuries of accumulated wisdom

We can also work with Celtic Earth Magic for connecting directly to any aspect of nature  – holding to the belief that everything is connected, you can open yourself to the nature that surrounds you.

Once learned and practiced, the Celtic Ogham symbols and their names for the trees and plants can be used to directly connect to a particular ancestor; but more than that, you can connect to anything – any plant, stone, or animal just by opening your heart and mind and listening.

You can suddenly become aware of the specific energies and messages that the trees, plant etc have – like us they are all very different !

Nature Spirits

Nature spirits can also be connected with – most readily in my experience by just sitting quietly in nature and asking them to come to you, but you can also dowse for them using a pendulum or rods, or by just concentrating your mind and feeling the subtle shifts in energetic vibration around you – are they Sylphs of the air ? Gnomes of the earth ? Dryads of the trees ? Or Undines of water ? Ask them ….. You will be surprised at what you find out ……

Divination

The final aspect of Celtic Earth Magic that I want to touch on is Divination.

Using the meanings of the trees, plants and sea symbols can be a way to gain insight into questions for which we seek answers.

The divination tool can be crafted from wood, stone or crystal – I made mine from discs of Ash wood.

There are parallels here with the Norse and Anglo-Saxon runic divination systems, but the Celtic Earth Magic system uses specifically the Ogham signs for the trees and plants and their applied meanings, and can be used as a stand alone divination tool or as an adjunct to healing. I am happy to refer to them as Ogham Runes, because the dictionary definition of ‘rune’ is basically a symbol drawn from an alphabet which is said to have magical meaning.

Ogham Divination Pic: Lorna Drake

This has been a brief but hopefully informative overview of a huge and powerful subject, and one which we and our beautiful Mother Earth can benefit from in so many ways.

Lorna Drake is medically trained as well as being a Celtic Reiki Master, and a Reiki Master in the Usui tradition of healing. She also works with the Quecha Indian Shamanic system of Munay Ki and is a talented Tarot.reader.

You can can contact Lorna on her website at http://sussexdownsreiki.co.uk/  or on her Facebook page at  Sussex-Downs-Reiki.

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Handster at http://www.handster.com/celtic_myth.html or by using the QR code opposite. It’s als found on the Opera Marketplace as well as AppBrain in the US.
If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

Pic: Geof Teague

Jason from the Wild Hunt reports that The Wicker Man is to be a Rock Opera. He reports: After the dreadful abomination that was the 2006 remake of “The Wicker Man” are we really ready for another treatment of this pagan musical cult-classic? Foul Play SF and The Dark Room certainly hope so as they unleash “The Wicker Man: A Rock Opera About the Ultimate Sacrifice”. October 2008, something wicker this way comes! We’re presenting a Foul Play, the Wicker Man: a Rock Opera About the Ultimate Sacrifice, a musical thriller, and burning sensation just in time for Halloween from the team that brought you Attack of the Killer B-Movies

Continue Reading »

Originally posted 2008-10-16 09:51:44. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The Spirit of Albion The Movie  Pic: By Gary Andrews

Author Clare Hamilton raises some excellent points about the story of Arianrhod from the Welsh Mabinogi tales in this wonderful article from The Goddess Alive Ezine. Arianrhod was a Welsh Goddess who lived on an island off the west coast of Wales. At the centre of her castle was a turning glass tower, which contained the mystical Seat of Poetic Inspiration. Her name Arianrhod means ‘starry wheel’.

She is obviously a very powerful Celtic Goddess even though she apparently completely disgraces herself as a mother within her story.

Let us go to the bones of the story. A virgin births a child, apparently miraculously. The child grows up, is betrayed, killed, hangs on a tree in agony, then is resurrected by his uncle/father’s magic.

Sounds vaguely familiar? Here we have the prototype of  the central Christian story, the story of the Virgin Mary and the boy Jesus. And of course  behind that story lies the Mother/Son duo, the Mother Goddess and the King  Child, most  anciently  portrayed of course by Isis and   Horus.  So it seems we are dealing here with far more than would at first appear. For  here we have the heart of the great mystical Mother/Son relationship. This  should certainly give us pause for thought and make us look closely at the  apparent strange behaviour of Arianrhod.

Arianrhod, as we have noted, is a  very powerful Goddess, guardian of the Seat of Poetic Inspiration and linked  with the sea, the moon and the stars. She is also the prototype of the Virgin  Mary. There are many  depictions  of the Virgin Mary with a wheel of stars about her head, and she is also often  portrayed standing on a new moon, and at other times with the sea all around  her. We are looking here at the ancient figure of Arianrhod, her feet on the  new moon of Virginity; the wheel of stars, which is her name,  circling  her head; and the sea, which her tower commands, stretching away from her  island castle.

So why does she Deny her Son his Rights?

So let’s look at some of the  difficult questions arising out of her story.   If  Arianrhod  really is the great mother of the Sacred King child, then why does she seem so  vindictive? What are these so-called curses about? Why does she seem to be  denying her son his rights?

And why  is she so powerful that Gwydion has to work so hard to outwit her?

In addressing these questions, we  should first bear in mind the strong  possibility  that by the time her tale was written down by the Welsh monks, they had spotted  her  pagan  power and  decided  to deliberately slander her name. There are three injunctions that she  pronounces, a mystical number, and they represent her power over her son. They therefore have all the hallmarks of magic about them.

The first thing to notice is that  her pronouncements  are not curses at all. What she actually says (translated from the Welsh) is:

“I swear a fate, a destiny, upon the boy”.

This is very suggestive,  very magical, and her words in themselves are not even particularly contentious  – it is only the reaction of Gwydion that makes them appear so. In the first  injunction, on discovering that her boy hasn’t yet been named, she says that

 he  will have no name until she gives him one, not that she is denying him a  name.

In ancient  times, a name was a very magical  thing, and in native American cultures names are often not given until the  inner nature of the child is understood. Arianrhod sees him hit a wren with  extreme accuracy with his sling, and then names him ‘Lleu of the Skilful Hand’  He grows up to become the Welsh sun-God, counterpart of the Irish Lugh. He has  killed a wren, in ancient Welsh tradition  the King of the Birds, triumphing over the Eagle, so this is an act of  sacrificial kingship. We have here on Arianrhod’s  part not an act of wilful withholding  but the vestiges of an ancient  female rite of Naming.    To read more of this fascinating article  visit  Goddess Alive Magazine

Claire Hamilton’s  Amazing book  Maiden, Mother, Crone is  available  at either Amazon.co.uk  or Amazon.com

We also recommend  another book by Claire Called   Tales of the Celtic Bards available at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

You can subscribe to Goddess Alive ezine at http://www.goddessalive.co.uk/subs_info.html

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Handster at http://www.handster.com/celtic_myth.html or by using the QR code opposite. It’s als found on the Opera Marketplace as well as AppBrain in the US.
If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

John Bruno Hare, creator of the Archive, passed away on April 27, 2010. His vision included a sacred text archive of largely Public Domain works that would remain accessible worldwide, and would be forever free to read.

The vision of John Bruno Hare is alive and well. Plans for new texts, new products and mobile applications, and new versions of the site itself have been underfoot for some time, and patiently await birth.

In memory of JBH’s passing, ISTA presents the first new content ever added to the Archive since April 2010, along with some featuring of existing content. The theme, loosely, is Remembering Bruno, the Afterlife, and Being Present.

[source]

Many wonderful new titles are offered in this remembrance including “Yogic Alchemy in Taijiquan” , Wallace Budge’s translation of the Egyptian “Book of the Dead“, the “Mayan Calendar” by John Bruno Hare himself and, or particular interest to us in the Celtic community, “Ulster Folklore” by Elizabeth Andrews. As you know, without the Sacred Texts Archive and the inestimable work of John Bruno Hare, the production of this show would have been well-nigh impossible and almost certainly wouldn’t have taken place. We owe him, his friends and associates - past, present and future - a great debt! Thank you guys, and may you travel in peace John.

Souterrain at Ardtolle, Co. Down Pic: Gutenberg

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Handster at http://www.handster.com/celtic_myth.html or by using the QR code opposite. It’s als found on the Opera Marketplace as well as AppBrain in the US.
If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

The CMP Logo

In this show, we bring you the second of our special features about the mythic film, The Spirit of Albion: the Movie and celebrate Beltane along the way! We meet Damh the Bard,who created the songs used in the films and Gary Andrews, the Director, Author and Editor for the film. We meet them on a nice, quiet afternoon in the beautiful country pub, The Giant’s Rest which is almost at the feet of the mighty giant known as The Long Man of Wilmington, a huge chalk figure that makes his acting debut in the film to have a fun chat about the film.

The film will première a couple of days after this show is released and we’ll all get our chance to see this long-awaited production! We also celebrate Beltane with a couple of wonderful pieces of music supplied by the amazing Spiral Dance and the talented George Nicholas of Cernunnos Rising.

Thanks go out to the wonderful manager of the Giant’s Rest, Gary (oh yes, another Gary!) who gave us permission to record in the pub which has been known for over a decade as the Most Druid Friendly Sussex Public House!

Hope you enjoy it,

Gary & Ruthie x x x

How to Listen

The Episode is available for subscribers on the feed, or you can download it or listen to it from our Episodes page. You can find the Shownotes for this episode in the Shownotes section.

If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Handster at http://www.handster.com/celtic_myth.html or by using the QR code opposite. It’s als found on the Opera Marketplace as well as AppBrain in the US.
If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

Triquetra on one of the Funbo Runestones, located in the park of Uppsala University. Pic: IantoPF

The Circles of Existence, sometimes called the Triquetra became popular as a result of the television series “Charmed“. In that television series it is represented on the cover of the Hallowell sister’s “Book of Shadows” A book containing spells and incantations passed down by generations of witches.The Triquetra has a much older representation. The word “Triquetra” is a Latin word that translates as “Three cornered” However for the ancient Celtic people it had a sacred and special meaning. The Symbol has been found carved on stones in various parts of North West Europe and is found on the Irish Book of Kells. Its widespread use marks it as something more than decoration. We find the answer to the question of its meaning in ancient story and legend.

The three points have led to some in the modern Pagan movement claiming it as a representation of the Goddess in her three manifestations of Maiden, Mother and Crone or as a representation of the God in his manifestations of Youth, Warrior and Sage.

Here is a much older definition. Welsh words are used. There are literal translations of these words but they do not sufficiently convey the meanings. Certainly not in the context they are used in the old Welsh Myth and legend.

Abred, Our Mortal Home

The first Circle is called “Abred“.This is mortal existence. This is where we are now. Abred encompasses this Earth and all the other Worlds that exist on this material plane. We are born to live out our mortal lives here in Abred. This mortal plane, this Middle Earth, is not some punishment nor is it a testing ground. It just is. It’s the place where we live a mortal existence and experience the “Cause and Effect” laws. Here our actions, whether good or bad have an effect and we must keep coming back here until we have wiped out all of our footprints. When we have learned to live without disturbing the flow of the universe then we will be ready to move on. Until then we are caught in the circle of our mortality. This story illustrates the dilemma:-

Our Mortal Home as seen from Apollo 17 Pic: Wiki

“There was once a priest whose duty it was to sacrifice goats. One day while preparing a goat for sacrifice he heard the goat laugh, a very human laugh. Surprised, he asked the goat why he was laughing. The goat explained that for the past 500 years he had been born as a sacrificial goat, to die on the altar and be reborn only to be sacrificed again but this time he was to be reborn as a man. The priest was pleased for the goat but then he saw a tear in the goat’s eye. He asked why the goat was sad. The goat replied; “Because 500 years ago I was a priest who sacrificed goats.”

Annwn, the Otherworld

We journey from this life to return again. Pic: IantoPF

The second Circle is “Annwn“.When we pass from this mortal existence our spirit, that essence of us that is truly us, enters Annwn. For those who die bravely and honorably in battle this is a place similar to the halls of Odin in Scandinavian legend. Annwn is also a place of rest and reflection; it can be a home of joy and delight for those of a less warlike nature or for those who wish to rest from war. For the wicked it can be a grim and forbidding place but it is not an eternal resting place for anyone.

After we absorb what we have learned and experienced we prepare for our re-birth.

We die into Annwn and are born into Abred to die into Annwn and so on.

Gwynfyd, the “White Life”

The third Circle is called “Gwynfyd“When we have passed all the trials of Abred it is time to move on. Now we go to Gwynfyd, known in Irish as “Tir na Nog” the land of youth. Here, in these undying lands, we face other adventures. Little is known of this Circle. Only that in each transition from Abred to Annwn we become better prepared for Gwynfyd.

Gwynfyd, literally “White Life” Pic: Wiki

The Ceugant

We journey from this life to return again. Pic: srpllc

Now it is time to add the three Circles together, where they intersect forms a sacred symbol that we have come to know as the Tri-Quetra.There are beings that are able to travel freely between all three Circles or spheres of existence. These beings are said to live in the “Ceugant” Sometimes a fourth Circle is added to symbolize the Ceugant itself and the wanderers travelling through the three Circles. This is the symbol of the Ceugant and the travelers of the Multiverse.

inatoPF (‘Pete’) Biography

Born in Wales, I left school when I was 15 and never looked back. Worked on farms and construction sites until I got a job working for a local bus company, South Wales Transport. Just a stopgap until I could find something better. I’ve been driving buses ever since.

Now I live in California. Married to an Apache we have two wonderful sons with brown skin and blue eyes. Yes, trouble all the way. On-line writing is how I fulfill my life time dream of being an author. If you have the same dream join HubPages and start making it a reality.

Though I write about a variety of subjects, my main interests lie in Myths and legends from the past and opinions about the shenanigans of today.

I love the art of driving, Some of my hubs will reflect that.

We’re a Pagan family and our lives are truly Goddess blessed.

We’re also a very fun loving bunch.

My latest project is telling the old Welsh legends the way they were always told with the poetry. The tales were meant to be listened to, not read, studied and analyzed. They are here to be enjoyed and my aim is to tell them before the old ways are lost forever.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Daibanjo47?feature=mhum

I also have a Blog Where the magic never ends;

http://themagicneverends.blogspot.com/

I just found Twitter and I think it’s cool.

Thank to Ianto for this fantastic post. You can find our more about him and his other posts about Welsh Myth on his blog.

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Handster at http://www.handster.com/celtic_myth.html or by using the QR code opposite. It’s als found on the Opera Marketplace as well as AppBrain in the US.
If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

The CMP Logo

In this show, we hope to bring you a wonderful gift for Ostara, or Easter, with our first ever documentary show. Starting from conception as a play performed by young actors to a film about to hit our screens, the Spirit of Albion Movie promises to bring the Celtic Gods to the World of Film for possibly the first time! We bring you the long-awaited, full story of ‘the Spirit of Albion the Movie’ along with interviews with all the actors.

We also include many ‘Behind the Scenes’ audio clips to bring you a feel of what it was like to be on the set of the film as it was being made.

How to Listen

The Episode is available for subscribers on the feed, or you can download it or listen to it from our Episodes page. You can find the Shownotes for this episode in the Shownotes section.

If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

Hope you enjoy it,

Gary & Ruthie x x x

———————————

You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Handster at http://www.handster.com/celtic_myth.html or by using the QR code opposite. It’s als found on the Opera Marketplace as well as AppBrain in the US.
If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

Legendary wizard Merlin lived in the Partick area of Glasgow, Scotland, and not in Camelot, a new book has claimed.Tradition has it that King Arthur’s magician was either English or Welsh.  But Scots advocate Adam Ardrey, who spent six years researching Merlin, claims he actually lived in what is now Ardery Street with his wife Gwendolin.

Pic: Indiana Stan

Mr Ardrey said he believes

Merlin was a politician and scholar rather than a magician, and is buried near Dunipace, just south of Stirling.

In his book Finding Merlin: The Truth Behind The Legend, amateur historian Mr Ardrey said his research showed Merlin was born in the year 540 in the Cadzow area of what is now part of Hamilton in Lanarkshire.

Mr Ardrey said

Merlin later lived with Gwendolin at Ardery Street from 600 to 618, where they would have enjoyed a “comfortable lifestyle.

The area is today occupied by traditional red sandstone tenement flats, but in Merlin’s day it would have been open countryside. It is best known as the area where comedian Billy Connolly grew up, and was also the original home of Glasgow football club Partick Thistle. Continue Reading »

Originally posted 2008-11-28 10:59:13. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

As you probably know by now, we have been following the progress of the making of a new film called The Spirit Of Albion: the Movie. The name of the movie comes from the title of an Album and song by the Pagan Folk musician Damh The Bard. Filming started in April 2011 and final production of the film is taking place now ready for a Beltane release (May 1st 2012). The film revolves around the lives of three young people who are all facing personal challenges of one kind or another. Then on 31st October they find themselves drawn to a clearing in the woods, and nothing is ever quite the same again….

Following on from our blog on The Spirit of Albion: The Movie on April 6th 2011, we thought we would bring you up to date on the creation of the Movie and how it came into being.

The Archway Theatre Production

As you may know the idea for the Movie came from a play that was originally written and created by a group of young people between the ages 16-24 at a Young Adults Workshop under the guidance and direction of Gary Andrews. The play was inspired by the emotive music of Damh the Bard, a famous British Pagan Folk singer. These talented young people chose ten of his songs and weaved a magical, modern day story of very real social issues and how three young Adults are struggling to deal with these challenges in their lives.

Archway Theatre Production Pic: Spirit of Albion Movie

The play became well loved by the Pagan community. At first it played at The Archway Theater in Horley, Surrey for three nights where it was a huge success! Damh, his wife Cerri and many other people from the pagan community attended along with friends and family of the cast and crew. People were deeply moved by the powerful play and many people were in tears by time the final curtain fell and the talented young actors bowed to a standing ovation. After the success at The Archway Theater, the play was revived for a performance at WitchFest International at The Fairfax Halls in Croyden. By this time many of the original cast had moved on to University and “a new age-appropriate cast made up of experienced actors” was brought in for this one-off performance.

The Spirit of Albion at Witchfest

Again it proved to be a strong emotive performance. The following review is a review of the performance at Witchfest by our talented friend, Craig Sacket:

“In a packed auditorium, I sat among the audience waiting to see how the show would use the songs of Damh the Bard to tell it’s own tale of magick and mystery.  For two enjoyable hours I was drawn in by the story, losing myself entirely to it’s woodland setting and the unfolding drama.  So enwrapped in the adventure was I, that I almost forgot I was actually a member of an audience! Each one of us had been captivated the same way, with only our shared laughter and tears reminding us of others around us.

“Most shows dazzle with fancy illusion, but SOA weaves real magick that rekindles an old fire in each of us.  The cast gave faultless performances, with their acting and singing, raising both the bar AND our spirits with every verse.  While the original Archway line up buzzed with a youthful enthusiasm, the Witchfest cast took things further with a grace and gravity that added another way toward the heart of that woodland grove. “As the story came to it’s conclusion, I felt refreshed and invigorated…as did everyone in the theatre. “Every voice sang along to the final song, and from the smiles from audience and cast alike, it’s clear to see that SOA is something very special indeed….not only a show to watch, but also a story to be a part of.

Witchfest Production Pic: Spirit of Albion Movie

“With two performances now leading to the movie, the magick is set to continue and once again deliver a fresh yet familiar message to pagans and lovers of good storytelling alike.

“Bravo to all the cast and crew!

“Thanks as always to Damh the Bard.

“And may the Spirit of Albion long continue to call you home!”

As Craig mentioned above, and with the demands of its audience, it was realised that this story could have a much wider appeal if a movie was produced.

Filming begins!

The Shooting script was finished by August 2010; and by April 2011, technical equipment for shooting the movie had been gathered, songs storyboarded, locations chosen, and cast, costumes and make-up were in place. It was time to record the songs for the film sung by the principal cast members and overseen by Damh the Bard.

Gary Andrews filming Damh the Bard “Do you dream of drinking from the Grail, That the truth is held within a tale…?” Pic: Lusete

The first shoot was at a private woodland on a beautiful sunny day. Damh was to be filmed playing his song Pagan Ways, and it was here that the flash-back section to Damh’s song Green and Gray was shot, with Gary Andrews playing the priest and Séan George portraying The Horned God. When commenting on this filming, Damh, in a state of wonder, said: “It was just as I imagined it when I wrote the song” From this comment it sounded to us like Gary and the cast were creating something magical, and we couldn’t wait to find out more.

The filming continued throughout the Spring and Summer, taking place on location at The Weald and Downland Museum in Singleton Sussex, then a trip to the West Country to Grimspound, Stonehenge, Wayland Smithy and other wonderful magical sites. Afterwards back to Surrey for some indoor filming which we were lucky enough to see.

It was quite magical to watch Damh’s songs brought to life by these talented actors and their supporting crew as well as keeping up with the production via Marq English‘s Video Production Diaries. More than once many of us felt shivers go down our spines as certain scenes were acted out.

The final Marathon over-night shoot

Then came the Finale! The over-night and final shoot – at an idyllic private woodland called Morgan’s Wood owned by the lovely Darren and Siobhan Thomas.

Well, we arrived late Saturday evening, said “Hello” to everyone, pitched our tent and went to find out what was happening. The principal characters were being made up and changing into costume in a gazebo. A generator and a lighting tower had been set up and there was a buzz of excitement in the air. While everyone was getting prepared for shooting, it gave us an excellent opportunity for some impromptu interviews with cast and crew, which you will hopefully be hearing in upcoming shows.

Gary, Simon & Dodie Discussing Scenes Pic: Lusete

The Cast prepare for the Final Shoot

Now is our chance to show you how amazing the actors looked while playing their roles.

Lucy Brennan as ‘Arianrhod’ Pic: Lusete

Séan George as ‘The Horned God’ Pic: Lusete

Lucy Brennan looked stunning and ethereal as the Goddess Arianrhod, the narrator of the story, and it was fascinating to watch Lucy Darkness, Makeup & Prosthetic expert, turn Séan George into the very masculine Horned God.

Lucy Darkness – Make-up and Prosthetics Pic: Lusete

Redvers G. Russell as Robin Goodfellow (Puck) “Why is it that you people think that anything that doesn’t conform to your world-view is evil?” Pic: Lusete

Lucy, above working on the Make-up for George (James Abbott), also did the prosthetics for Redvers G. Russell to turn him into the mischievious Puck.

Joy Tinniswood as ‘Cerridwen’ “That’s enough. Leave him be!” Pic: Lusete

Joanne Marriott as the Morrighan Pic: Lusete

Joy Tinniswood looked almost elven dressed for her unique portrayal of Cerridwen and Jo Marriott was beautifully intimidating dressed in her armour to play The Morrighan.

Filming took all night, with constant supplies of coffee and a welcome warm meal at about 2 a.m. Everyone was tired but in good spirits. The camaraderie between members of the cast and crew was high and it was a pleasure to feel a part of the team.

Around the Camp-Fire

Most of the filming that night took place in a Grove of trees where the scene was set for the Primary human characters to meet up on the 31st October.

The troubled humans around the fire Pic: Lusete

The talented young actors who played the primary Human characters were Emma Doubleday as ‘Esther’, Ella Sowton as ‘Annie’ and James Abbott as ‘George’ and they played very real and believable parts, drawing us all into the story. The magic of a woodland fire, and the fantastic lighting gave us observers the feeling that for a while we had stepped into an otherworldly realm where the Celtic Gods and Fae walked and that something unseen but magical was happening.

As dawn started to break the last of the filming for that night took place. After the final cut at 8.30 am, a lovely warm breakfast of porridge was served (including the hidden ingredients of muscavado sugar and double cream!), after which many of us went off to our tents for a couple of hours sleep, before people started arriving for an afternoon of filming.

After four hours sleep we crawled out of our tents, and went to join the many people who had arrived to take part in the afternoon shoot. The heavens had opened and everyone was drenched, but were drinking coffee, eating pastries and still smiling. This was the final shoot of the movie and it was huge.

The scene was set for the story to Damh’s song Morrighan, with the dead of war singing in the woodland, and lots of battle scenes for a montage during the song. With over 40 extras, re-enactors and stunt performers you couldn’t move for people in uniforms. Filming was due to start at 12.00 pm, but due to the rain it was delayed an hour. So at 1.00 pm the weather had cleared a little and the filming started. Jo Marriott looked glorious in her Raven Feather Cloak and battle armour as The Morrighan, and it was a haunting experience to see people re-enacting death scenes from the trenches of the First and Second World Wars – amongst other conflicts.

The Morrighan still taking the souls away from Battle I am the Phantom Queen, and everything you’ve been…” Pic: Lusete

Death through the years “All the bullets, swords and guns…” Pic: Lusete

Many battle scenes through the ages were filmed that afternoon, and after the Final Wrap for the whole Movie was announced at 16:45, there was a strong mixture of joy and sadness because the filming had finished. Many people had worked closely with old friends, had made new ones throughout the year, and, unsurprisingly, love had even bloomed among the make-up, wardrobe and cameras. Now that the actors’ and supporting crews’ roles were over, it was time for the post-production team to at last put the movie together.

The exciting bit right now is that Joy Andrews/Tinniswood and the post-production team at Egotrip Media Ltd. have worked really hard, and they tell us the film will be ready for its’ Release Date of May 1st 2012.

We hope to be bringing you Special Episodes that will include interviews and excerpts with the cast and crew over the next few weeks to help you share in this unique experience that we were lucky enough to enjoy.

We would like to thank Gary, Joy and the cast and crew of the Spirit of Albion movie for welcoming us with open arms and allowing us to be included in this very special and magical journey.

Pic: Spirit of Albion

We will be attending the Crawley Premiere and hope to see some of you there!!!

The DVD is now available for PRE ORDER from The Spirit of Albion: The Movie shop as well as
Calenders, T-shirts, Hats, Bags, Cups and posters. Why not preorder the DVD and some merchandise for a novel birthday gift?

At the time of writing there were still Premiere tickets left. The Movie will be shown at The Hawth, Theater, Crawley, Sussex, UK and should be ordered by calling 01293 553636. Tickets are £15. The event will take place on Monday 30th April, where you’ll be able to meet with the cast and crew. You should arrive from 7:00pm (bar open), the Doors will open at 7:30pm and after a Live Concert by Damh the Bard at 7:45pm, the Film will start at 8:30pm. After the film, there will be a chance to mingle/buy DVDs (!)/have a drink and so on. The bar closes at 11pm.

There will also be another Premiere Screening taking place in the North of England to coincide with the main Premiere for those who are too far away to make the Crawley Premiere. This will take place on the same day and approximately the same time, Monday 30th April, at the Mitchell and Kenyon cinema at the University of Central Lancashire. Unfortunately, we will not have Damh performing, nor the cast and crew (unless we can persuade some to come north) but we will have refreshments and a chance to mingle and chat! The cinema seats 150 so I expect they will fill up quickly. Tickets are expected to be £6. Please email Linda if you’re interested on: lsever@uclan.ac.uk

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You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Wizzard-Media-Celtic-Myth-Podshow/dp/B004W8QR58 or by using the QR code opposite.
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Elen Hawke/Flick Merauld

It has always been one of our aims to find out as much as we can about how the ancient Celts lived their lives, their priests – the Druids – and about their beliefs and myths. As part of that search we’ve been keen to discover where the Celts came from – what was the world like as the Celtic tribes evolved their unique identity – and also, to discover where the Celts went and what they mean to us in our everyday lives. We have found out that many people live these beliefs, stories and myths today and while we’ve mentioned Druidry, Druidism, Celtic Reconstructionism in passing many times, we thought it was time to start taking a closer look at what some of these fascinating people actually believe and what it means to them.

We’re honoured and privileged to begin our series with the famed Druid author Elen Hawke, the pen-name of Flick Merauld, who has just released a fascinating and easy to read romantic tale set in Brittany where she unfolds many of her views of ancient Breton Celtic life and Druidic belief. We hope you enjoy the article and her book, and invite other modern Druids to take part in this study as Flick has done. Thank you so much, Flick – over to you!

I’m a Druid, though Wicca has formed part of my Pagan journey and still underpins some of my ritual practice. I’m also the author of several books on witchcraft, writing under the name Elen Hawke and published by the American mind body and spirit publisher Llewellyn, and more recently of a novel, The Sacred Marriage, which is available from Amazon as an eBook.

The spiritual journey that has led me to where I am now, both in terms of my Pagan practice and my literary work, has been long and eventful, taking me through many twists and turns that have included an exploration of Eastern spirituality along with personal encounters with the so-called paranormal.

All have been relevant to me – especially those relating to the snippets we have left of the native traditions of Britain – all have, at least in part, reflected my view of the world and have coloured my writing. But two experiences in particular stand out for me.

My first conscious awareness of seeking came to me when I was still very young. When I was around five or six years old my father, an imaginative man, gave me a passage to read from Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows; the part in the chapter The Piper at the Gates of Dawn where Mole and Rat come across the god Pan playing his pipes at daybreak. For anyone who hasn’t read it, it’s worth looking up for its evocative descriptions and its sense of connection to nature.

I wouldn’t say it woke me to a sense of the land, for the world I grew up in was more tranquil, more rural than the one we inhabit now and people weren’t so alienated; but it did focus things and gave me some sort of explanation for the feeling I had of the magic of the natural world. I don’t think that first impression has ever left me.

Countless years later I moved to France with my partner and daughter, where we bought and renovated an old Breton longere or longhouse, built of granite and set in unspoilt countryside in Southern Brittany, not far from the famous standing stones at Carnac and in the heart of the region to which many Arthurian legends are attributed. We arrived exactly on the Spring Equinox, in the midst of the mad profusion of a burgeoning Breton spring. The sense of a Celtic Pagan past is very apparent in Brittany, and our house was surrounded by forests and woods of oak, sweet chestnut, apple trees and mistletoe.  It was a special place, and our land contained a holy fontaine, or healing spring, one of many marking the sources of the myriad streams flowing through the landscape of Brittany.

Furthermore, house and spring and an adjoining chapel were on a confluence of Ley lines, a spot where the gateway between the worlds  was open, and we had many strange and otherworldly experiences while we were there. We also joined in the Midsummer Fête, or Pardon the local people held, a festival that clearly had its roots in ancient times. Once again I was immersed in a mystical world, one I had thought I’d left behind with the erosion of green space in Britain. We were only there nine months, before being forced to return to England, but by then my feet had been firmly set on the Druid path, though I didn’t have a name for it at that time.  However, I did write the first part of the previously mentioned novel while there, set in Brittany and Oxford and drawing on my experiences of the energies of the land, many of which occurrences I was to find were common to other Pagans.

After coming back to England, reading and seeking made me realise I was a Druid, that that was the particular form my spirituality had taken, a label, if you want (though I intensely dislike labels) that most closely coincided with the way I perceived the numinous and, especially, my interaction and relationship with the land, the earth, spirit of place. But I was also drawn very much to witchcraft; and through initiation into Gardnerian Wicca and subsequently running my own coven, I was able to balance certain aspects of my relationship to my femininity and the feminine in nature. It was during this time, while running a discussion group for a large Pagan organisation, that I came to write my books on witchcraft. I spent so much time  answering questions that it seemed practical to write it all down and offer it for publication, so that the knowledge would be readily available to Pagans worldwide.

Elen Hawke/Flick Merauld

I stopped writing non fiction books on Paganism several years ago. I felt I’d said all I wanted to through that genre and was in danger of rehashing and hyping old material, something that felt dishonest and pointless. However, I continue to write, having returned to my first Love, fiction. I will have a chick lit/soap-opera/humorous type of eBook out next month on Amazon, written under my real name Flick Merauld and called The Aunt Sally Team. Although the book is a fun-filled romp through love, sex and drama, set in Oxford and Cotswold villages and pubs, it has strongly Pagan elements.

Meanwhile I’m a member of the British Druid Order, but also attend a grove run by an OBOD Druid. I’m lucky to live  in Oxford, another ancient place steeped in myth and with its feet in a Pagan past. Close by are the Rollright Stones, The Hoar Stone,  Uffington White Horse and Waylands Smithy, and Avebury and West Kennet Long Barrow aren’t too far away, so I’m lucky to have so many sacred sites to hand.

For anyone interested in reading more about me, please visit my Amazon author page: Elen Hawke/Flick Merauld

Flick’s New Book – The Sacred Marriage by Elen Hawke

As she has done since childhood, Sophie spends the summer with family friend Rory Ballantyne in his old stone longhouse in the heart of Celtic Brittany – a ravishingly beautiful region filled with ancient customs and steeped in the mystery and romance of Arthurian legend. But this year things are changed: her family are involved with their own lives, so she stays there without them. At first she is troubled by tension and quarrels between Rory and his wife, but she is soon distracted by the arrival of gorgeous artist Jason Ryder. Sophie becomes increasingly drawn to Jason but she also realises that Rory is not the older brother figure she had thought him, but a fascinating and attractive man. Then a series of strange dreams opens her to the energies of the land there, forces that seem to want something from her.

At eighteen, Sophie is no longer a child, and she sees the local area and people through different eyes. Gradually she realises that the energies she senses, along with her dreams, emanate from a holy spring dedicated to Sainte Nicole, a Christianisation of a Celtic deity whom locals refer to as the Lady. The spirit of the land is reaching out and Sophie¹s quest to fathom its message brings her, through love and loss, to an understanding of herself that helps her cross the threshold into maturity and gives her the strength to follow her own truth.

Flick’s new book  The Sacred Marriage is available on Amazon.co.uk and on Amazon.com

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Wizzard-Media-Celtic-Myth-Podshow/dp/B004W8QR58 or by using the QR code opposite.
If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.