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You do NOT need to be a Druid and go through all the initiations to follow the Celtic path.
The Celtic Path varies slightly from the True Druid path in that it is the basic Foundation of how the regular people percieved their lives, community and universe.
Wherein the Druid Path is that of the priest of the Celts. And therefore has more training and levels of initaition to be of that cast.
Read on:
The Basics of the Celtic way:
A: Basic Moral / Ethical Code:
· Respect for Nature and all its creatures
· Honour (as defined by the community)
· Truth
· Service to the Community
· Loyalty to: Leader, (Grove) , family, friends, and local community
· Hospitality
· Justice
· Courage
—-
Respect for other living things is a key element of Modern Celtic Paganism, and is self-explanatory.
Honour means conducting yourself within and without your community in a way that garners other's respect for you.
The other elements that follow help guide you, as well as the examples of the Gods and Heroes of the Celts as found in Celtic Mythology.
Community was the probably the most important thing to the ancient Celts. Therefore, as modern Celtic Pagans, how you help your community and how the community views you are very important in your self-perception and should shape your self-conduct.
B) Their Basic Cosmology:
Celtic Pagans see their cosmos as being comprised of the Three Realms: Land, Sky and Sea.
There are also the three planes of existance: This World, the Otherworld, and the Underworld.
There are other sub-systems (called the dhuile) in addition to this which are all interwoven and connected, much like a Celtic knot.
As you can see by these examples alone, the way Celtic Pagans view their universe is much more complex than "Earth, Air, Fire and Water", and these "four elements" could never hope to encompass the Celtic viewpoint.
To Celtic Pagans all matter is seen as being interconnected in some fashion, so that the Divine can be said to be inherent in all things.
The Three Realms, "dhuile" and others are ways for a person to help understand aspects of the cosmos and their place in it.
Celtic cosmos and most aspects of the religion are triune in nature ( based on threes) or rely on odd numbers as models of balance. Even the Celtic Pantheon is divided into three:
The Gods of the Upper Realm (sky), The Gods of the Middle Realm (land) and the Gods of the Lower Realm or Underworld (related to the sea).
C) The Dieties:
Celtic Pagans believe that each deity is different and individual, and should be respected as such. They are not associacted with specific functions per se like "love" and "healing" and "creativity" but some dieties will be better known for some aspects over others. Many Celtic dieties span many functions, making it difficult if not impossible to "classify" for one attribute of function. Most Celtic Pagans honor three types of dieties in their practices: Personal Dieties (ones that provide special inspiration and guidance),
Tribal Dieties (when working in a groups),
and the Dieties and Spirits of the land they live on.
Ancestors and land spirits are honored as separated entities and are an integral part of Celtic Paganism.
D) On Rituals:
Celtic Pagans recognise that sacred places are found, and not created. Therefore most Celtic Pagans will conduct their rituals in a natural setting, or will conduct no such casting of a "circle" in order to pray, meditate, or conduct other religious practices.
Because Divinity runs throughout all things, there really is no need to find a "sacred" place to hold a ritual in, although most prefer a setting that will be appropiate for a spiritual activity. Celtic Pagans also know and respect that some places that are sacred are not meant as places to hold rituals, large or small. Places for ritual are found and selected beforehand, and honor is given to whatever spirits inhabit the place.
Celtic Pagan ritual can incorparate many of the same elements found in the Wiccan ritual, such as meditation, visulization, group singing and dancing to attune to one another, and special time to honor the dieties of the group. The focus of the ritual is not a specific material outcome, but is more directed at re-focusing ourselves and our community with our gods and Nature in order to better understand and work as a part of our universe.
The belief in "magic" and the practice of spellcraft are not a part of Celtic Paganism in its basic form. Most Celtic Pagans do not cast spells, and it is not a prerequisite of being a Celtic Pagan.Though there are some Celtic pagans who believe in it and will use it as an enhancement in ritual. Or believe that it is a naturally occuring phenomenon of nature itself.
E) Individuals, Family and Community:
The Celts did indeed place a high value on individualism, but it was tied very closely to their duty to their families and tribe. Their individualism was allowed to flourish *because* of the safety and comfort of their close-knit communities,.
Thus the importance of the survival of the "all" was greater than the importance of the self.
The very foundation of Celtic culture was the home. The hearth was the cornerstone of the spirituality of the people. In Celtic religions great emphasis is placed on the sanctity of the home, and strength of the family.
Families, to Celtic Reconstructionalist folk, include people who have adopted each other in the context of that culture. The individuals are encouraged to walk in strength and to fulfill their responsibilities to their "families".( IE: the Grove or religious or spiritual community).
In Basic Celtic religion the only requirement you need is to have a connection with the Celtic culture through family or study, and to be dedicated to the betterment of your "tribe", with very few other initiatory elements.
You did not need a "cord" or the title of "priest" to have access to the greater mysteries of life.
The mysteries of the universe are found in the lessons of the Gods, the order of Nature, and within ourselves.
We learn about ourselves and our place in the universe through our study of these things.
And this includes understanding our place in and how we affect our global community.
F) Life lessons:
In Celtic religion life lessons are taught through mythological stories which are a central feature of the oral tradition of the culture.
In Celtic religion, the requirement to break past the cycles of rebirth can be clearly and concisely stated, that being: to fulfill one's duty, to always be honorable and to stand for the truth come what may, and while understanding *why* what is honorable is considered so.
A close tie to Nature and the Spirits of same would give you greater wisdom and knowledge of the world , the universe and your place in it.
G) The Cycle of life:
In the Celtic Religion The people felt very strongly about the Cycle of life and death. They felt that it was the same as the cycle of the seasons, and death is only a resting point in a long life.
When You died here in the green world , You went to another land of your own choosing in the "summerlands", Where you would be reborn again. and then if you chose to, you could be ( at a later time ) reborn back into a new form in the green world.( this world)
There was no judgement day at the time of your death and there is no retribution for deeds done in life from An almighty Being Sitting on a high throne watching over you. Where you go and how long you stay is a matter of choice.
It is said that many of the islands of the summerlands intersected with the green world, and people , if the had the time and money , could visit the islands in their lifetime and hence choose where they would like to go before they died.
H) In Respect to the One GOD:
The Ancient celts did have a faith in one god, but that god was more closely related to the ever flowing devine spark of life and creativity that flows within all things in the universe. And so they held sacred and cherised all life as being a part of the Divine spark - GOD.
Their Pantheonic Dieties were revered for their wisdom, skills and prowess in given areas of life and trades. and made it easier for the regular people to work with higher beings and ask for the help they needed
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