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.

Gawaine Swearing Mercy Pic: explore-parliament.net

This is the fourth part in our new series of animated stories of King Arthur based on artwork found around the Houses of Parliament, courtesy of a wonderful Virtual Tour found at explore-parliament.net. In this piece, called Mercy, we can see Sir Gawaine swearing never to refuse ‘Mercy’. Sir Gawaine represents the knightly virtue of Mercy in a strange tale in which he fought a knight who had killed Sir Gawaine’s hounds, after they had slain that knight’s white hart.

Why have you slain my hounds?’ said Sir Gawaine. ‘For they did but their kind.’ And he smote the knight so hard that he fell to the earth, and then he cried mercy and besought him as he were a knight and a gentleman to save his life. Sir Gawaine would no mercy have, but unlaced his helm to have stricken off his head. Right so came his lady out of a chamber and fell on him, and so he smote her head off by misadventure.
- Malory

Gawaine returned to Camelot with the lady’s body on his horse, and her head hung about his neck.

And there by ordnance of the queen it was judged upon Sir Gawaine for ever after he should be with all ladies, and fight their quarrels, and that he should never refuse mercy to him that asketh mercy. Thus was Gawaine sworn upon the four Evangelists.
- Malory

Prince Albert made frequent visits to the Robing Room to view Dyce’s progress. His active interest in and support of the fine arts schemes in the Palace of Westminster could express themselves in both criticism and praise.

Personal Note

As we noted before in Part 3. of this series, Sir Galahad, the hart represented Christ,  ‘a white hart without spot’, so the potential interpretations of this strange story are innumerable.

I noted in that piece that the White Hart has an earlier origin than as a symbol for Christ, and the first part of this story is so reminiscent of the First Branch of the Mabinogion and the slaying or taking of Arawn’s stag, that we may be not only seeing evidence of that cross-fertilisation we have spoken of before, but also the archetypal nature of the symbols that makes them remain as an essential part of stories, culture and tradition for well over 1400 years – and that is only recorded history! How old is the story and its images before that?? I’d give a body part to have been there at the beginning!

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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

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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.

Classic 4 Gallon Pot Pic: OLX Classifieds

Cast iron cookware has been around us ever since the dark ages of course. They used it back then because they didn’t have anything else. These days, when people have great choices in all kinds of modern kitchen ware however, when you see people choosing cookware, cast iron still comes up near the top of the list often. With cookware, cast iron is just something that cannot be improved upon for variety of reasons. To begin with, it’s a heavy enough surface that it will heat evenly, even if a tiny gas burner is all that’s heating up the dish.

Certainly it’s a little slow, and it takes a little more energy than thinner and more modern cookware to heat; but once it’s ready, there’s quite nothing like cast iron for certain kinds of foods that we’ve all really come to love – fried hamburgers, omelets cooked with flavor, and seared and browned steak. With cast iron ware, you find it everywhere. You’ll find it at every kitchen ware department, and you also find it at a few camping stores. Taking care of cast iron though is a different matter – it’s the product of a different age, and it needs a certain amount of user care. And that’s something that might be in short supply to someone in today’s world of intelligently designed minimal-care equipment.

A particular problem with the kind of cooking you would prefer to do with cast iron cookware is that it tends to build up grease on the surface. The great thing with iron though is that you can subject it to almost any kind of punishment – all manner of cleaning. Use fine-grained sandpaper attached to a power tool to sand the surface to perfection. If you don’t want anything quite so crude, try soaking your cookware in water mixed with a bit of vinegar overnight. You’d be surprised how well it loosens up grease buildup.

Here is a cool trick to try with cookware. Cast iron takes any kind of beating. You could leave it in your oven, and turn on the self-cleaning cycle. Your oven will certainly clean itself, and it will clean the iron pan inside too.

Each time you put your cast iron pan through anything that rough though, you will strip it of its smooth oiled surface that gives it its non-stick qualities. Every time you give your pan a thorough cleaning like that, you’ll need to build the non-stick surface up from scratch, in a process that’s called seasoning. To season your iron pan, coat it with bacon grease all over, inside and out, and heat it up in your oven for a short time. Once you wipe it off, you should have a nicely seasoned article of kitchen ware that will do great with any kind of deliciously fried foods.

Information and reviews on the hottest new home appliances in your kitchen

Author: Olga Fogleman
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
News of Solar Power and Alternative Engery

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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.

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 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.

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.
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Mermaid, The Book of Kells Pic:Live Internet

One of the illustrations in the Book of Kells depicts a mermaid (more precisely a merhermaphrodite) swimming up the centre of a genealogy.This lovely figure may refer to Iona and to Columba himself by means of a complex linguistic pun.The word, Iona, includes the Greek word for dove;Columba is Latin for dove and the mer-creature makes the island link. Although strange it is a relatively secure reference, since St Columba’s biographer makes the same pun and the Kells manuscript was probably made to celebratan anniversary of Columba’s death. If nothing else the illustration is testament to the popularity of the mermaid image.Sea dwelling creatures, half human and half fish, are common in European and Near Eastern folktales. As these people have immigrated throughout the world, traditions about these mysterious beings have travelled with them.

Mer-folk are rather like fairies in that they are supernatural, but not completely divine or immortal unlike, say angels.  As such they live in an ‘in between’ world. Their lives and actions under the sea, an environment alien to humans, parallel the human world, and they often interact with their human counterparts.

Mermaids are more popular in European folklore than mermen (the males are very popular in Eastern tales however). Marriages between a mer-creature and a human are the most common form of interaction in folktales.

In Irish stories a fisherman will steal the mermaid’s salmon skin cap and the ‘merrow’ i.e. mermaid, will then marry the human. They have children and are happy together, but one day she findsher salmon skin cap and returns to her own world. Usually the children of these marriages have a special characteristic inherited from their non-human mother.

Sometimes they are good fisherman, but other times they have red hair which marks them off as temperamental or fey. This may be where the Disney animators got Ariel’s red hair or it may be coincidence. Sometimes the offspring of these human mermaid marriagesare haunted by the sound of the sea and cannot sleep at night or are unable to speak

The most famous mermaid tale is that of Mélusine, a French Mer-creature and the ancestress of the Counts de Lusignon. Mélusine appears to the young Count as a beautiful woman (with legs).

Mer-creatures usually are able to walk on land and only have fins while in the sea. (Rather a convenient trait in these marriage tales). Mélusine promises to marry the count, as long as he attempts to see her bathing on a Saturday. Of course eventually he does just this, and realises that she is human from the waist upwards but a sea serpent from the waist down. She then disappears through the window with a screech and is never seen again. But she is heard crying on the battlements before a death in the family.

The merman story is much the same. A human woman marries a merman and lives with him in his beautiful underwater world. After a while she wants to return home to visit her family. She is warned not to overstay her visit and not to attend church services. Naturally she forgets and cannot go back to the sea. Coleridge’s poem, The Forsaken Merman is based on this story.

To read more of the facsinating article By Dr Juliette Wood  visit Here

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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.
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Kilkenny Castle Pic: Wikipedia

Margery Brady of the Irishtimes.com reports that : This spring offers the first opportunity see a copy of a number of pages of the Book of Pottlerath, an illuminated manuscript which dates back to the 15th century, in its native Kilkenny. Although the book does not contain as many ornate illustrations as the Book of Kells, many of the letters are highly decorated. The original is now housed in the Bodleian library in Oxford, but it arrived there by a long, circuitous route.

James, 4th Earl of Ormond, known as the White Earl, had a great interest in archaeology and history, and it was he who initiated work on the manuscript. When he died of the plague in 1452 he left it to his nephew Edmund Butler, who was building a castle at Pottlerath, Kilmanagh, Co Kilkenny.

In 1453 Edmund decided to enlarge the manuscript, incorporating the earlier work, and he commissioned his scribe Sean Buidhe O’Cleirigh, with his fellow scribes, to continue work on it. It was completed a year later, in 1454 and was called The Book of Pottlerath. It is interesting to note that the earlier part of the manuscript is today in better condition than the subsequent part.

During the War of the Roses, in 1461 James, 5th Earl of Ormond was beheaded and his head was displayed on Tower Bridge. His brother and heir returned to Ireland and summoned to arms Edmund of Pottlerath, with the local Butlers in Kilkenny and Clonmel. Thomas, Earl of Desmond, united with the Earl of Kildare to oppose the Butler insurrection. A battle took place in Pilltown, south Kilkenny, and the Butlers were defeated, with a loss of 410 men. Edmund was among the prisoners. Part of the ransom demanded for his release was The Book of Pottlerath. It was to take some years for the book to return to the Butlers.

It is thought that The Book of Pottlerath came back to the family as part of the dowry of Joan FitzGerald (daughter of 10th Earl of Desmond) when she married James the Lame, 9th Earl of Ormond and eldest son of Piers, in 1532.

From there, the manuscript went into the hands of Sir George Carew, president of Munster, who had the book bound in leather. He died in 1624, bequeathing his collection to Sir Thomas Stafford. Stafford either sold or gave it to William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury and Chancellor of the University of Oxford, who in turn gave it to the University for the Bodleian Library in 1636, with the condition that it would not leave Oxford; so it cannot be loaned to any Irish museum. A copy could be made for display in Ireland.

To read more about the journey of this fascinating manuscript click here

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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.
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Hawthorns in blossom Pic: Tom00la

Marking the dawn of the Celtic pastoral year, the vernal equinox celebrates the Otherworld in the moment of balance which occurs as the sun crosses the celestial equator. For the Celts, the solstice and equinox observations may have enjoyed less celebrity than the festivals of Samhain, Imbolc, Beltine and Lughnasadh. However, the semi-annual equinox was carefully noted, as it also brought increased visitation from the Otherworld.

On the equinox, when day and night are momentarily equal, the busy activity  which keeps the human and Otherworld separate momentarily subsides. In that time of suspended activity, the conduit between the worlds yawns, the “veil becomes thin.” As the contents of both worlds mingle, the resulting tumult offers an opportunity for a renewed relationship with the unseen.

An open mind is required for transacting with the Otherworld. As Yeats writes

“If he is sceptical about them, and would fain reduce them one after another to
the rules of probability, this sort of crude philosophy will take up all his
time.”

Keep in mind that such meetings occur in a fleeting instant — longer dalliances in the world of mythos can lead to madness. It must be noted though, that those singular moments of insight can last a lifetime.

Whether one believes such encounters are an external journey or an internal experience, they can be considered similarly. In both instances the contents and symbols of the Otherworld are approaching the individual from without or within.

The equinox is just such a time when an association between worlds can be broached. By engaging in a simple ritual, perhaps a few minutes of silence, the frenetic conversations of everyday life recede, consciousness is reduced and the underlying song of the Otherworld has an opportunity to be heard.

The symbols which cluster around the Celtic observances of the vernal equinox and St. Patrick’s Day are particularly evocative in creating associations which are as useful to us as they were for our ancestors.

Through symbols like the leprechaun and the magic shillelagh, one can visit the fairy kingdom of the Tuatha De Dannan. Wise and giving, lusty and tempestuous, they offer their myths and enduring company. The snake and the trefoil shamrock give evidence of the presence of the Goddess, wrapped in her verdant cloak of Spring.

The four-leaf clover reminds us of the later solar worshipping invaders of Ireland, just as the leprechaun’s pot of gold recalls the educated, priestly class of Druids who controlled the gold trade routes connecting Erin to continental Europe.

T. L. Markey writes

“In the so-called primitive stage of many societies, websof associations, highly symbolic in nature, are frequently woven between periodsof the day, cardinal points, seasons, colours and social-spiritual values.”

The “primitive” dialect of symbols which was created by our ancestors stillexists in our unconscious minds. These symbols are composed of both personal and universal matter, and it is our association with those symbols which allows us
to hear the language of our soul.

Tending to those associations tends to the soul and renews the ligature that binds mortal to mythos. This year as you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day or the equinox, take a moment to enjoy the multi-layered experience of our ancestors.

Source

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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.