Tay's
Response To The
Henge of Keltria
F.A.Q.
Part ][

How do you worship?

Since we consider ourselves a nature religion, the ideal place for our rituals is outdoors, preferably in the woods or another place away from cities and 'civilization'. This is not always practical, especially during winter, so we worship whereever it is convenient.

TO WORSHIP THE DIVINITY OF NATURE, ONE MUST BE "IN" NATURE. What do you mean wherever it is convenient? I am female, I go outside to worship and in Michigan it is very, very cold at IMBOLC. Try 2 degrees below. I built a need fire and stood very close to it, took warm drink and food with me. What do you mean worship inside? Our ancestors didn't, are we better than they for some reason? You cannot experience nature from inside your cozy little home with a heat pump and all it's modern conveniences. Divine suffered many indignities to become divine, the trees suffer the snapping of their very limbs to become giants that can tell the tales of time. You can't bear to suffer 1 single hour of cold for the Gods? Come on. Why do you go inside to worship as so many sheep before you? Why? The experience of being freezing cold or soaking wet, or both, only heightens the experience that you will have, it only lengthens the plateau that can be obtained. Your ancestors had no heat other than the need fire. What is the point?

The purpose of our rituals is to celebrate the Divine and have communion with the Gods and each other. We do this mainly through meditation, prayer and invocation of the Gods, Ancestors and Nature Spirits.

GO OUTSIDE!

Most of our rituals are done around a sacred fire (or sacred candles for indoor rituals).

This sacred candle thing sounds terribly wiccan to me, what makes the candle sacred? Did you anoint it? Did you consecrate it to a specific deity? What have you against a sacred fire of sacred wood?

Our rituals involve the participation of everyone in attendance. We distribute the ritual functions among several people, rather than have everything done by a priest and priestess.

I certainly hope this means you don't have priest and priestesses.

Our rituals also involve the participants through a good deal of singing and dancing.

Story telling? Games? Rites?

When do you worship?

Instead of worshipping according to the modern Calendar, we choose our times of worship according to the cycles of the Sun and Moon.

Based on what Celtic literature might I ask?

We celebrate two lunar rites. They are called the Mistletoe Rite and the Vervain rite. As mentioned before, the ancient Druids collected Mistletoe on the 6th night of the moon (roughly the first quarter). Because of this, we celebrate our Mistletoe Rite on the 6th night of the moon. Since mistletoe was known as the 'all heal', one of the themes of this rite is healing. This theme extends to healing of our community, through a sharing of food and drink at the rite. The Sun and moon are in a position of equilibrium at this time, so we also see this as a time of balance. This is when we seek to find balance in our lives.

As per Pliny eh?

Our other lunar rite is the Vervain rite. The time of this rite was also chosen from classical writings of ancient Druidic practices. It was written that vervain was gathered when neither the sun nor moon were in the sky. This occurs sometime during each night, except when the moon is full. We generally celebrate this around the third quarter. This is gives us ample time for the rite during the evening hours. It also places this rite opposite the Mistletoe Rite in the lunar cycle. Vervain was said to be of aid in working magic. Thus, the Vervain Rite our time for working magic. The purpose of magic in a Druidic sense is more like prayer. We work magic to help effect change in our lives. Druidic Magic may involve contemplation, meditation, ritual or ecstatic dance.

Please cite your resources for this quote. Let me guess, Roman or Christian?

We also celebrate 8 holidays through the year. These holidays originally come from two separate cultures. The solstices and equinoxes, which celebrate the cycle of the sun, came from one culture, and the 'cross quarters', which mark the agricultural and pastoral seasons of the Earth, came from another. These holidays were all adopted by the Celts.

Uhmmm�.. no they weren't, I'd like to remind you that the Christians adopted several and changed them to make the Pagan peoples of several differing invader cultures feel more comfortable with worshipping within their walls. The Gaels celebrated only 4 high days prior to Christianity and there is nothing in the lore to suggest otherwise. Please cite your resources again.

In our modern rites, we also relate the cycle of the year to the cycle of our lives. We choose a specific God and Goddess (Patron and Matron) to honor at each rite. These figures each represent a different aspect of our lives, from youth and vitality to old age, wisdom and finally death. As the year gets older, the Patron and Matron age as well.

This sounds extremely dualistic to me, somewhat Wiccan.

Each rite, along with a description of the major theme and God and Goddess chosen are described below:
Samhain (October 31st) celebrates the last harvest of the year. Samhain literally means 'summers end' and is the Celtic new year.

Nope, Samhain literally means "November". Samhain was the festival that began winter, and was known as the day between the worlds, a day that the ancestors and all other spirits beyond the veil find it easier to communicate with the living. It is the harvest period, a time for relaxation and rest.

It is a time of endings, when the last harvest is completed. It is also a time for beginnings; we set goals which we will track through the coming year.

This sounds somewhat anglicized. New Years resolutions and all.

The Dagda and The Morrigan are the Patron and Matron of this feast. The Dagda represents the bounty of the harvest, and the Morrigan represents the ending of the year.

I understand the Morrigan as she is the Goddess of Death and Dark Sexuality, and Dagda in his role as God of Death, Father of the Gaels, Keeper of the Cauldron of plenty and so forth, but it seems that you are forgetting some very formidable Gods, the Fomorii. This is their time as well.

Yule or Winter Solstice (December 21st) is a time of new beginnings. The sun is at its lowest point, about to begin its renewal as the days will start to get longer. The Dagda continues as the Patron of this rite, his cauldron of Bounty sustains us through the Winter. Bridget is the Matron of this rite. She is a bringer of light and represents the rebirth of the sun's light and the fire that burns in our hearths (or fireplaces!)

Yule is not a Celtic holiday. Period. The Celtic Christians celebrate Nolliag.

Imbolc (February 2nd) is still a time when we feel the cold of Winter. The Celts saw the first signs of spring during this time. The ewes began to give milk and the Celts were able to take the first of the Earth's gifts that year. As the fire of the sun continues to grow, Bridget continues as Matron for this rite. Angus Og, the God of Young love, comes in as Patron.

Brighid in her aspect of the fire in the heart of all women. Her name and it's meaning 'Firey Arrow'.

Spring Equinox (March 21st) is when the sun is at the midway point between winter and summer. The Earth is waking from its winter slumber. Depending on our climate, the snow may still be melting, or new plant life may just be starting to grow. We relate the spring with love as the mating season starts, Angus Og continues as Patron. Boann, who represents fertility and growth becomes the Matron of this Rite.

The Gaels didn't celebrate the Spring Equinox. The sheep and cattle are already in their spring pastures and have been for some time now. Much work, nothing to celebrate just yet with exception to everyday living.

Beltane (May 1st) brings planting of the new crops. By this time the plans we began at Samhain and refined though the winter should start taking physical shape. Boann continues as Matron. Bil�, for whom this rite is named, comes in as patron. Bil� represents the increasing fire of the sun and fertility.

Beltaine was not named for Bile. Bile translated means, "Sacred Tree". The Beltaine festival is named for Bel and the Bel fire. Boann is the goddess of the river Boyne. You have to recognize her as a goddess of both the land and the river, but you have to remember where she was most recognized. You are forgetting the maiden aspect of the summer festival of Beltaine (Bee al tin nuh) in which one should be recognized such as Blatant (Little flower) or as some in the Welsh recognize Blodduwedd (Flower face) and Lugh. As it is a season of sun, why not Griane as the Sun herself.

Summer Solstice (June 21st) is the time when the sun is highest in the sky. At this time the sun is at a balance point. Since the Winter Solstice, the sun has been climbing higher and the days have been getting longer. Now the sun reverses itself, and begins to get lower in the sky, until it returns to its lowest point at the Winter solstice. It is a time of ripening, when the fruits start to ripen. Bil�, represents the glory of the sun at its highest point. Danu, the all mother, comes in as Matron. She represents motherhood, pregnancy and nurturing.

Again�. The Celts did not celebrate the Summer Solstice. And Why would you typify Bile as a solar deity? He is "Sacred tree", roots reaching into the underworld, trunk in this world, branches reaching into the otherworld.

Lughnasadh (August 2nd) is the time we start to notice the sun is losing its strength. It is also the time of the first harvest. Danu continues as Matron. Lugh, who this festival is named for, comes in as Patron of the rite. Lugh represents the harvest, and the sun.

Actually Lugh's mother would have been Patron of this festival as Lugh named the day as her day.

Fall Equinox (September 21st) is celebrated when the sun is half way between Summer and Winter. The plans we made last Samhain should be near completion. Lugh continues in his role as Patron, representing the declining sun. The Morrigan starts her role as Matron now, and continues into Samhain.

One more time, the Celts didn't celebrate the Equinox. Why would you have the master of Crafts and such a fine warrior and shining example of all that is Celtic, represent the declining sun???

Again, I mean you know disrespect in pointing these errors out to you, it is just that it seems that so much of your so called F.A.Q., stems from far too much reading of non-scholarly material. I think what you are trying to accomplish is admirable, but I think that your study system needs a total revamp. I looked at your resource list and you have in the neighborhood of 5 really good works listed on there. Throw out Marion Weinstien and Valiente and Cowan and several others and go to the back of Ellis, Cunliffes' and Ross' books and use their bibliographies as a guidline for your study. That is where I started, or in all actuality, I started with Piggott and Sir James George Frazer.