| Breandán |
Posted on: 16-Apr-2010, 09:12 AM |
Replies: 1
Views: 1,223
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I am an Irish Reconstructionist Polytheist, for about four years, and a member of An Chuallacht Ghaol Naofa (www.gaolnaofa.com).
Déithe dhuit, a chara!  |
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Forum: The Grove · Post Preview: #295815 |
| Breandán |
Posted on: 04-Jul-2009, 10:41 AM |
Replies: 19
Views: 4,897
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| QUOTE (Camac @ 03-Jul-2009, 06:34 PM) | Shadows;
If my dreams are reality; then I am truely dead and condemned to Tartarus.
Camac. |
lol
And I've been dating celebreties, and clearing forests at the same time for no apparent reason.... |
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Forum: The Grove · Post Preview: #283008 |
| Breandán |
Posted on: 04-Jul-2009, 10:39 AM |
Replies: 19
Views: 4,897
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Not so much different planes of existence, as different states of mind. I have not experienced anything that convinced me that I left my body; and so I believe that when we dream, meditate, and what have you, we are exploring different areas of our own mind, not the outside world (or Otherworld, for that matter). |
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Forum: The Grove · Post Preview: #283007 |
 Druidism (Pages 1 2 )
| Breandán |
Posted on: 08-Jun-2009, 10:47 AM |
Replies: 21
Views: 3,249
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Thank you! I missed that before.
Ireland was a rarity in how easily and peacefully it converted. |
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Forum: The Grove · Post Preview: #282248 |
Druidism (Pages 1 2 )
| Breandán |
Posted on: 06-Jun-2009, 02:41 PM |
Replies: 21
Views: 3,249
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| QUOTE (Eiric @ 11-May-2005, 10:17 AM) | | Being what ye call Neo-Druid I have to tell you that we try to practise the sabbats etcetera in the Old traditoinal way, but as you say, much is gone and we have to sort of create a new druidism. I'm an ovate, the first step in becoming a druid, and therefor I cannot say that you're right or not, but being a neo-druid means studying Celtic history, culture, old Gaulish, the celtic languages, religion, mythology, and on and on and on... |
Though I must note that from what I have seen amongst Neo-Druids, they have no problem with practicing 8 so-called "sabbats". Only four of which are definately Celtic, the other four being Germanic (excluding Midsummer, when some Manx paid rent to Mananann, and there were also celebrations at Knock Aine, I believe). |
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Forum: The Grove · Post Preview: #282187 |
Druidism (Pages 1 2 )
| Breandán |
Posted on: 06-Jun-2009, 02:36 PM |
Replies: 21
Views: 3,249
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| QUOTE (Aaediwen @ 07-Mar-2005, 02:54 PM) | Here, you are getting into where the line between real history and mythology is blurred to the point of non-existance. The Thutha de Danann were the original inhabitants of Ireland. It is they who became the Celtic gods and goddesses (Rhiannon, Brighid, Kerridwen, Bel, etc...). Where they came from is unknown. I've even heard it said that perhaps they were Atlantian evacuees. I would recommend reading the story of Brighid's Mantle at some point.
According to Celtic mythology, they were eventually replaced as a power in the isles, by the followers of Finn MacCoul (known as the Finnians). The Thutha de Danann, however, continued on. more likely known as na Sidhe, the fae. It is believed that the inhabitants of Ireland even today are descendants from the Thutha de Danann and the Finnians.
With the comming of Christianity, many of the Celtic deities became Catholic saints (St. Brigit). But what is real and what is no more than a bardic tale is unknown. I've read stories of Rhiannon where she is prtrayed as a goddess, and I've also read the first book of the Mabinogion where she is a very real person who is wife to Dyfed. Where she comes from is unknown, but he meets her when she passes on the road below while he is sitting on the hill of Tara. What I've heard of Lugh places him as a very skilled man. Daughter of an unwitting (and as of his birth very ticked off) Arianrhod.
There is more too  |
Just so we have this straight, the Tuatha De Danann, according to the Lebor Gabála Érenn and other texts, were one of a number of invading groups. According to the pseudo-historical text (greatly influenced by Christianity) there were the group that arrived with Cessair (who is described as the granddaughter of the biblical Noah), then the people of Partholon, the people of Nemed, the Fir Bolg (who were descendents of Nemed), and the Tuatha De Danann (also descendents of Nemed, but instructed in the "heathen arts") who were said to come from the "Northern Isles of the world". Finally, the Milesians (ancestors of the modern Gaels) invaded and conquered Ireland from the Tuatha De Danann. The Tuatha De Danann are described as made up of gods and un-gods (people of art, and your husbandmen or laborers) and a deal was struck with the Milesians that they would take the "lower half" of Ireland (underground) and the Milesians the "upper half".
The Tuatha De Danann are most undoubtedly the old Gods of Ireland, but you were wrong in including Rhiannon, Kerridwen, and Bel as they are not Irish gods (but Welsh), whilst the Tuatha De Danann refer specifically to the gods of Ireland. And there are no indications that they are from Atlantis (a Greek, not Celtic, myth).
Finn mac Cumhail never led anybody called the "Finnians", though he did lead a group of roaming warriors called the Fianna. Though other than the arrival of members of the Tuatha De Danann in the stories of the Fianna, there is nothing to suggest he ever replaced them, or whatever you are trying to say. And na Sidhe actually means "the mound" in Irish, refering to the mounds that the Tuatha De Danann are said to have inhabited.
As for the Gods and Goddesses being represented in the Tales as human-like and such, there is a very different understanding of deity within Celtic cultures than in Greco-Roman or modern monotheistic cultures and therefore human-like qualities are not entirely an mere mix-up of what is real and what is fantasy. No doubt Christian scribes had a role in SOME, but certainly not all, the "demotion" of divinity amongst Celtic deities. |
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Forum: The Grove · Post Preview: #282186 |
| Breandán |
Posted on: 06-Jun-2009, 02:14 PM |
Replies: 15
Views: 5,784
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As was mine, Gaelic Polytheist. Or Celtic Reconstructionist, for a more general term.
And just for the record, Wicca was never an ancient religion (being invented in the 50's), so it doesn't make much sense adding "modern" in front of it. |
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Forum: The Grove · Post Preview: #282184 |
| Breandán |
Posted on: 07-Apr-2009, 08:58 PM |
Replies: 81
Views: 11,951
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| QUOTE (Robert Phoenix @ 05-Nov-2008, 12:04 AM) | | I don't recall God promisnig anyone a frikkin rose garden in the first place. |
I dunno if this was in answer to my post, but...okay. |
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Forum: Philosophy & Science · Post Preview: #279252 |
| Breandán |
Posted on: 01-Jan-2009, 02:23 PM |
Replies: 26
Views: 4,577
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I blame my mother....its her fault.
I started out without a religion for the first four year of my life, my family was suppose to be Catholic, though it was more a mix of loose Christian ideas and Irish superstition (i.e. Faeries and ghosts and such). I was never baptised or attended church or anything, and my mother did not follow a particular religion, though she held on to the "Christian" label. When I was about 4 or 5 I was put into Catholic religion classes and Bibles studies. I was still never baptised, but was allowed my first communion. Then when I was around 8...I think...yeah, about that age, I was taken out of Catholic religion classes because I was getting scolded for bringing up concepts I was raised with (I would ask where faeries and ghosts fit into it all, and I was scolded for believing in them at all). My mother was starting to get into "alternative" spirituality and New Age philosophy. She had a couple books on Wicca, but more books on psychic work and New Age things. When I was in 3rd grade, I started taking her books on Wicca to school to read. I don't remember how things worked out exactly back then, but eventually I started reading books on mythology, especially Egyptian. Then I shifted to Greek mythology, and then not long after I found Celtic. I ended up connecting more with Celtic Mythologies because of my Irish heritage and this is when I started looking for a specifically Irish tradition. I ended forming my own blend of witchcraft practices and Irish mythology (yes, at that young of age) and stuck with this until I was about 13. At 13 I found contemporary Druidism which I pretty much just skimmed over and that somehow led me to Celtic Reconstructionism when I was 14.
Celtic Reconstructionism clicked for me. I am now an Irish Celtic Reconstructionist (I usually just say Gaelic Polytheist) and am 17. I am a part of a couple organizations, and am active with a group called Neimheadh an Srutha in Minneapolis, MN.
The end....well kinda.  |
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Forum: The Grove · Post Preview: #271402 |
| Breandán |
Posted on: 28-Nov-2008, 04:57 PM |
Replies: 8
Views: 1,284
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Very well stated, both of you.
Just a sidenote...I do tend to be a bit wary when bringing up the subject of UPG. Because it is that, Unverified Personal Gnosis. But as you, Stormeil, said what are community rights and traditions but a collective of UPG's, or rather SPG, Shared Personal Gnosis. I agree with you completely.
And on another, entirely unrelated, subject...where else have I had the pleasure of running into you, Ross? |
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Forum: The Grove · Post Preview: #269029 |
| Breandán |
Posted on: 21-Nov-2008, 06:40 PM |
Replies: 8
Views: 1,284
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Hello Ross,
I understand where you are coming from, and definately agree with you on time's affect on our understanding of ancient cultures and their spiritualities.
Though I would just like to point out a few things about Reconstructionism.
First, Reconstructionists are not working to leave the entire modern world behind to go back to a time that is long gone. As a Reconstructionist, I work to integrate what we know into a modern context (I am on a computer, after all).
Second, yes, much of what we have has been twisted and changed to fit the agendas of the individual passing the information on. But that is why we look to more than just one source. If we need something to be validated, we will not only look at a text, we will look at living and dead folk traditions (as not all Celtic cultures are dead, though all have changed quite a bit), archaeology, other histories, and the possible needs of the people from which the information may have originated. And then, of course, there is always UPG (Unsubstantiated Personal Gnosis) from which we can always fill in holes with our personal "revelations", so to speak.
As for the understanding of divinity, yes this is something I have been contemplating as of late. What makes deity within a Gaelic/Celtic culture?
I have heard a couple of different theories as to who the Gods were (things like powerful nature spirits, to ancestors). I have my own understanding of deity, though none of the perspectives of deity within CR I have heard are anything like the idea of what constitutes a god within Judeo-Christian religion. What we do seem to be sure of, especially from mythologies and traditional stories, is that the Gods are not perfect in any sense of the word. They have flaws, desires, personalities which we humans can relate to. They are not all-powerful, they are individuals (not part of something), and are not entirely beyond us.
As for community rites and rituals, that is something that I personally believe will have to form organically and over time, according to the traditional practices, views, and needs of each group and household.
Meanwhile, I will continue working to live in harmony and in contract with the Gods, because that is where I feel I should be at the moment. Whether with historically traditional methods, or my own UPG, I feel that the Gods will guide us when necessary and that Gaelic/Celtic Polytheism can again be a valid, living, and thriving way of life.
I feel there is definately more to Reconstructionism than what many people I have been speaking to seem to think. It is a valid, working, and meaningful spirituality, and not void of true spirituality as some seem to be assuming...
But we are still big history nerds...can't help it.
~Breandán |
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Forum: The Grove · Post Preview: #268480 |
| Breandán |
Posted on: 10-Nov-2008, 06:37 PM |
Replies: 8
Views: 1,284
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Most certainly. I think thats a fine idea. |
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Forum: The Grove · Post Preview: #267505 |
| Breandán |
Posted on: 05-Nov-2008, 09:34 PM |
Replies: 15
Views: 871
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Haha, I hope to learn Gàidhlig one day, as well, but til then:
Tá mé go maith, go raibh maith agat.
Conas ata tu? |
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Forum: Introductions · Post Preview: #267132 |
| Breandán |
Posted on: 04-Nov-2008, 09:02 PM |
Replies: 81
Views: 11,951
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I believe in a number of Gods. I am a "hard polytheist" as some would call me.
I believe that the Gods are distinct personalities here and in the Otherworlds, and often show their prescence in the form of natural phenomena. They are not the perfect beings often described when people discuss deity, and they are not the "Creators" nor are they always loving and kind. They simply are. They are the conscious beings behind the natural forces that govern us. m(Just explaining, as my definition of deity is a bit different from many views)
So, I do not believe in God, though I do believe in Gods. |
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Forum: Philosophy & Science · Post Preview: #266996 |
| Breandán |
Posted on: 04-Nov-2008, 08:43 PM |
Replies: 660
Views: 74,027
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*goes flying after Leelee*
Running off to the heavens won't help you.
*snatches prize again and bolts back down to Earth* |
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Forum: Fun N Games · Post Preview: #266993 |
| Breandán |
Posted on: 04-Nov-2008, 08:30 PM |
Replies: 8
Views: 1,284
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I figured I wouldn't have to go too far into a Celtic site and find pagans.
I was wondering if we had any Celtic Reconstructionists here? I consider myself a Gaelic Reconstructionist Polytheist, or sometimes I'll just say Irish Celtic Reconstructionist...both are a mouthful...
I have been an Irish Polytheist for about three years now, though I was pagan for most of my life before that (studying witchcraft and modern Druidism, looking for an authentic "Celtic" polytheist spirituality), as my mother had introduced me early on in my life. My mother is now a liberal Christian, and I have taken my religious studies quite a bit away from Christianity. I am a member of the Gaelic Reconstructionist Polytheist organization An Chuallacht Ghaol Naofa, as well as a member of the GRP temple called Neimheadh an Srutha here in Minnesota.
But yes...that's me. Am I alone, or do we have some among us here?
If you're interested, you can check out the CR FAQ here: http://paganachd.com/faq/
Or Gaol Naofa here:
http://www.gaolnaofa.org/
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Forum: The Grove · Post Preview: #266992 |
| Breandán |
Posted on: 04-Nov-2008, 08:12 PM |
Replies: 660
Views: 74,027
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*grabs hold of carpet and takes win from Leelee, then lets carpet take off*
I play this on other sites. Totally gonna win.
*runs off with win* |
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Forum: Fun N Games · Post Preview: #266989 |
| Breandán |
Posted on: 04-Nov-2008, 07:58 PM |
Replies: 15
Views: 871
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Go raibh míle maith agaibh go leir, for your kind greetings! |
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Forum: Introductions · Post Preview: #266988 |
| Breandán |
Posted on: 03-Nov-2008, 11:22 PM |
Replies: 8
Views: 2,604
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Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe -Hilda Roderick Ellis Davidson
It includes a study of Scandanavian cultures as well, but there is a lot of valuable scholarly info about the Celts in it.
I also recommend Celtic Gods and Heroes -Marie-Louise Sjoestedt
Great introduction to Celtic (especially Irish) mythology. |
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Forum: The Celts · Post Preview: #266826 |
| Breandán |
Posted on: 03-Nov-2008, 11:06 PM |
Replies: 15
Views: 871
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Go raibh maith aga, a chara. I'll look into them. |
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Forum: Introductions · Post Preview: #266824 |
| Breandán |
Posted on: 03-Nov-2008, 10:59 PM |
Replies: 15
Views: 871
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Unfortunately, it is not the actual spelling of my name. It is Brandon.
Though on forums and whatknot, I usually use the Irish spelling. I have been trying to learn Irish since February, so I often use that form of my name when I go on forums that include Celtic cultures as a subject.
Plus it really does just look cooler that way. 
Thank you for your kind greeting.
Sláinte! |
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Forum: Introductions · Post Preview: #266822 |
| Breandán |
Posted on: 03-Nov-2008, 10:25 PM |
Replies: 15
Views: 871
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Hello everyone!
I am Breandán and I am 17 years old. I live in Minnesota and I have always had an interest in Gaelic cultures, mostly because of my family members, many of whom also share this interest (My family is Irish American, Sweeney's the name).
I love Irish and Scottish music, though I have not had the chance to explore many groups, so I hope this place will help in introducing me to some more. I especially like sean nós singing, though I have not been able to find much among the bands I often look to. Some groups I like are the Wicked Tinkers, Enya, Altan, Clannad, and some others, though none so specifically Celtic as the ones I mentioned.
Anywho, thank you for having me, I look forward to meeting people here.
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Forum: Introductions · Post Preview: #266819 |
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