One of the most fascinating discoveries of my life has been that most of what we are accustomed to call spirituality would have been meaningless to our ancestors. By spirituality I mean the entire range, orthodox religion, New Age alternatives, and revival
paganism and magical arts. This conclusion did not come easily, nor was it a sudden revelation: it crept up on me over the years, as a result of research, study, and inner experience. Many of my suspicions have been confirmed through long talks with elders from tribal cultures around the world, with whom it was possible to compare contemporary ethnic practices and shamanism to the modern artificial substitutes so widely sold . In Ireland, it seems clear that the traditional wisdom of the elders, handed down by word of mouth, through songs and stories, is often radically different to “Celtic revival” modern spirituality.
Most recently I have been impressed (though not always convinced) by the writing of Ronald Hutton, a British academic who has explored many aspects of both historical and revival paganism. Hutton challenges some of the basic modern assumptions about ancient paganism and old religions in a thought provoking manner. Thus he also challenges many of the foundations of revival paganism (His books include: The
pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles : Their Nature and Legacy and The Triumph of the Moon : A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft).
In some my own books over the last 20 years or so, I have explored the practical, transformative, magical effect of working with the UnderWorld, the older spiritual traditions of the sacred Earth, and how to make such traditions vivid and contemporary for us today (These include:The UnderWorld Initiation; Earth Light; Power Within the Land; The Living World of Faery). In many ways I consider historic accuracy to be essential, but it need not be the ultimate goal. Historical accuracy in restoring old spiritual traditions is less important than effective inner transformation: if it works, well and good; if it don’t work, don’t do it.
Remember that some of the material in older traditions is totally unworkable and inappropriate; we do not have mate with a mare (as reported in the 12th century by Giraldus Cambrensis) to tap into an ancient Irish tradition of sacred kingship and fertility. We do not need to sacrifice a bull and wrap ourselves in the skin in order to gain prophetic visions (another
ritual reported in the Middle Ages) . These old practices are historically significant, but invalid or inappropriate for 21st century people. I merely cite these dramatic examples as obvious methods that are historically reported, but not necessary today. Many other lesser examples could be discussed, but we do not have the space in a short article of this sort.
Yet we do need a consistent accuracy in our understanding of ancestral history, mythology, legends. If we do not do our homework, we can easily become lost in a morass of trivia and wishful thinking. What has happened, of course, is a series of fakes, fads, and fashions, from the 18th century to the present day. Today there is so much fantasy, falsehood, and fakery in publication on ancestral
magic and pagan practices that we need rigorous application and research more than ever.
In my lifetime, and during my own career working and recording with Irish musicians, Celtic tradition and music has become ruthlessly emasculated and utterly pulverized by commercial interests. Finding accurate information is not an easy task, but the solid basics are defined in a small number of trustworthy reference sources…the rest is down to common sense and inspiration (in that order).
I should add one mildly uncomfortable fact about Celtic tradition (as the examples I quoted above come from Ireland and Scotland): there are many hundreds of ancient manuscripts, especially in Ireland, that have not been translated. There are far more medieval Irish and Latin
Texts unassessed untranslated and unpublished than there are in print. A strong voice on this subject is the Irish writer John Minahane (The Christian Druids, on the filid or philosopher- poets of Ireland ), who, like Ronald Hutton, takes a fresh look at old material, and scoffs at many of the assumptions that we have inherited. Like most modern writers, I have used the trusted translations and sources, with a lot of individual research, retranslation, and so forth. But on dark storm tossed nights, I awaken suddenly and scream “ What if…what if…all those other Irish, Welsh, and European source materials, actually tell us something different ? What if they all say that the UnderWorld was the propaganda of only a few druids in a remote part of Kerry ?” I suppose we can always assert that these new translations are forgeries, or suppress them somehow. That’s the usual method.
Some of my own inspirations and insights have come through visions while living on a powerful sacred site: others came through my early teachers at a time when esoteric training was still hidden and secretive in Britain. And, as must always be the case, I have developed my understanding through long study, research, consideration and comparison. But ultimately, in spiritual arts or disciplines, it is only the doing that counts, not the reading about, writing about, or thinking about.
We do not have to accept everything in a religion or in an old tradition to respect its inner truths.
Like many other people in Western culture, I absorbed certain typical ideas in childhood: mostly of the kind that tell us that spirit is elevated, up there, in the light. Later I found that these ideas, so ingrained in our culture, were the decadent end of a propaganda program, started by political religions, by the various branches of Christianity, but also found in Judaism, and in Islam.
Now I am not going to waste your precious reading time bashing these religions, as many people have done this, often with justification. I think that there are truths and insights in all orthodox religions, Western or Eastern, and that these truths are good, valid, and trustworthy. But… and this is the big one, we do not have to accept everything in a religion in order to respect its deep inner truths. Indeed the deep truths are often in conflict with the politicized dogma, for the deep truths are eternal, unbound by time and history, and have no connection to human power plays or politics.
Books You Might Enjoy:
Konstantinos - Summoning Spirits The Art Of Magical EvocationMalcolm Mcgrath - Practical Magickal EvocationJeffrey Spier - Medieval Byzantine Magical Amulets And Their TraditionMarcus Bottomley - Nine Proven Magical RitesMarcus Cordey - Magical Theory And Tradition
May Day or Walpurgis: Mayflies and buttercups are gathered. If farmland is not yet turned for the planting, Walburgs are made and set up. A Walburg is a scarecrow with a spade in its hand and seems to be a representation of a land-wight. A May-pole is set up, and woven with bright ribbons. Men and women alternately take up an end of a ribbon and dance around the pole. Young women are chased by young men. If they are caught they are scourged with birch twigs, as this will make them fertile. Birch is placed everywhere as decoration, and this is a festival of the birch goddess. Her procession, described above, takes place. Dancing and revelry occurs, and games. A bonfire is lit. A May-queen and May-king are chose, an bedecked with flowers and greenery so that they are almost completely hidden by it. The Sigrblot (victory blessing) was held, asking Odin's aid in upcoming struggles.
