bean-na-farraige-agus-foraoise - Tumblr blog

[bean-na-farraige-agus-foraoise]

cemeteries aren’t creepy they’re actually devoted to memory and rest and love and humanity

[bean-na-farraige-agus-foraoise]

@mushroom-punk

I first want to take a moment to point out that historically there was never a Pan-Celtic religion. So as a reconstructionist I won’t have much to offer you from a theological perspective as I spend a lot of time fighting AGAINST pan-Celticism particularly because the notion of pan-Celticism is rooted in white supremacy.

But I digress.

I’m not really sure what you want me to tell you about Danu other than the fact that there is not a single appearance of her anywhere in Irish mythology, the woman doesn’t exist. Like if you read the myths - she’s not there. There are no myths. The CLOSEST names we have are Anu and Danand which are rather consistently named and whose names appear in the nominative case which makes it fairly likely that they are not this mysterious Danu who never appears.

Danu first begins appearing as a connection to the Hindu goddess Danu and the Danube River - but it’s far more likely that “Danann” is a genitive version of the word “dán” which means skill, as that is in fact the entire prerequisite to joining the Tuatha.

I’m really not sure what source you’re looking for when you can just read the fucking myths.

[bean-na-farraige-agus-foraoise]

Hate to be the bearer of bad news for some of you, but magic as you know it would not exist without Christianity, Islam, or Judaism.

Practicioners from these three faiths have contributed more than you'll ever know to magic thought and theory- to the point where you've probably picked up a "Witchcraft" Book and haven't even realized that a majority of the information inside is sourced from, if not taken verbatim, from their work.

Like, I'm not kidding.

These mystics and their work were foundational.

[bean-na-farraige-agus-foraoise]

❤️📖🏛🔥 for the ask game!

❤️ What’s one memory of your practice that you reflect most fondly on?

Oh DEFINITELY the first time I initiated contact with MacLir and then immediately found a yarn textured the same as his cloak from when he’d reached out to me. Just so special.

📖 Do you like the way your panetheon is most often portrayed in media? Why or why not?

Lmao uh no. It is NOT that hard to do the bare minimum and read even a singular myth, and yet????

🏛️ Do you have a favorite statue or temple to your deities?

Y’all have temples? /j - but in all seriousness I really love the Mac Lir statue in Derry.

🔥 Do you have a favorite myth or tale from your pantheon or others?

Is it a cop out to say the Táin? But the Dream of Aengus is also a favorite. Same with the Second Battle.

[bean-na-farraige-agus-foraoise]

📿 🎭 🥂 ⭐️ for the ask game!

📿 what are three things you’re grateful to your deities for?

Aiding in connection to ancestors, pushing me to try new things, increased connection to the world around me and the ways of my youth

🎭 what is an emotionally impactful or silly worship related experience you’ve had?

I got a new cartomancy/libromancy deck based on the imram tradition and the first time I used it I basically got a message of “about time” from one of my deities lol

🥂what is your favorite devotional act or offering to give?

Handmade! I’ve talked about this in the past but I find that handmade devotionals and offerings are the most impactful to my craft! I also like to write hymns and play them for my deities when I have the apartment to myself!

⭐️ what’s something you wish people outside your practice knew more about?

The Celtic Twilight, that Danu isn’t real, and that the Morrigan is a title held by 5-6 different goddesses. It would just make my life so much easier when explaining my faith lol

[bean-na-farraige-agus-foraoise]

Polytheist & Pagan Asks

🙏 - Which pantheon(s) do you actively worship?

🌞 - Which deity(ies) are you closest to/do you worship the most often?

✨ - Do you believe in patron deities? If so, do you have any that you know of?

🌍 - Which pantheons do you believe exist?

📜 - Have you ever made an oath, vow, or contract with a deity? If yes, how did it go (you don't have to share)?

📿 - What are three things you're grateful to your deity(ies) for?

🖋️ - If you could say anything to your deity(ies) right now, what would you most want to say?

💌 - What is your favorite form of deity communication?

🎭 - What is an emotionally impactful or a silly worship-related experience you've had?

❤️ - What's one memory of your practice that you reflect the most fondly on?

🥂 - What is your favorite devotional act or offering to give?

🎉 - Do you celebrate any festivals? If so, which ones?

🫂 - Do you syncretize any pantheons with one another? If so, which ones?

🔮 - Do you delve into topics like the occult or the mysteries? Do you do anything esoteric?

⭐ - What is something you wish people outside your practice knew more about?

📖 - Do you like the way your pantheon is most often portrayed in media? Why or why not?

🏛️ - Do you have a favorite statue or temple to your deity(ies)? If yes, what is it?

🔥 - Do you have a favorite myth or tale from your pantheon or others?

🧭 - What led you to your practice?

🧿 - Did you have any other spiritual beliefs before discovering your current practice?

🪽 - Do you believe in angels and/or demons? If yes, do you worship or work with any?

🪄 - Do you practice witchcraft? If yes, do you keep it separate from your deity worship?

🪦 - Do ancestors or human spirits play a big role in your practice?

🐾 - Do animal spirits play a big role in your practice?

🌱 - Does nature - plants, nature spirits, etc. - play a big role in your practice?

💀 - Do you believe in ghosts? If yes, have you ever had an experience with one?

☄️ - Do you believe in astral travel/the astral realm? If so, have you been there before?

[bean-na-farraige-agus-foraoise]

it's actually really weird to paint irish catholics as these genocidal oppressors when they've actually preserved a lot of pagan rituals that are still in practise + have suffered 800 years of british occupation & cultural suppression. who does it serve to lie about st patrick? and why are you so desperate to be oppressed ??

[bean-na-farraige-agus-foraoise]

a concerning amount of witchblr will be like "um actually new years was stolen by europeans from the ancient god scroobus mcdoobus" and then you actually try to research scroobus mcdoobus and it turns out he was invented in the 1940s by a conspiracy theorist who powdered every meal with ketamine and thinks that queer people are reincarnated fish

[bean-na-farraige-agus-foraoise]

You may have already covered this somewhere on your blog, but I've seen posts of yours about ancestor veneration and I'm very intrigued but also uncertain. I don't know much of anything about my family background/ancestors names/where they lived and when/etc. I don't have access to this information. Is there still a way I could possibly reach out to my ancestors? And (this might be a stupid question) how can you be sure youre talking to an ancestor and not connecting with a malevolent spirit?

Hi! This is not a stupid question at all and is something I am HAPPY to go over again.

Within the Gaelic tradition ancestors don't have to be those of blood. Ancestors of place and ancestors of spirit are just as valuable and important. You ancestors of blood may very well reach out to you in this process, but you don't have to start there- it's just as important too imo to ask ourselves "What kind of ancestor will I be?" (This is a question that stuck with me after a summer of working closely with Richard Josey who founded Collective Journeys- I was working with him in a museum-based context but much of what we discussed and still discuss to do this day is applicable in all contexts).

Now in my practice, I find that confidence in my own abilities and discernment as well as particular care into how I perform the rituals for my ancestors has allowed me to know that I am not connecting with a malevolent spirit. But I'm also coming from a Braucherei folk magical background and one in which I was often dealing with and exposed to malevolent spirits, which gave me quite a bit of experience in identifying and sussing them out in my craft. It's an experience thing and finding what works for you. I can't say for certain what will work for you, but I do think that attention to detail when it comes to your ritual is going to likely prove particularly helpful.

[bean-na-farraige-agus-foraoise]

Been wanting to make more work based on Irish paganism and its stories (sort of a blending of jobs hahaha), so I started with an obvious option for me.

Lugh, master of many skills! The "many skills" bit comes in handy for work and an endless sea of special interests, for sure.

[bean-na-farraige-agus-foraoise]

Manannán mac Lir getting ready to remove someone's head.

[bean-na-farraige-agus-foraoise]

"Inspiration is one of the roots of Celtic worship. No scripted rites are necessary for the worship of Celtic Goddesses. Poetry is their preferred form of invocation."

The Well of Five Streams: Essays on Celtic Paganism by Erynn Rowan Laurie

[bean-na-farraige-agus-foraoise]

"Private worship and public ritual played a central role in early Celtic life, and for Celtic Reconstructionists they are also important. When we are connected to our deities, they can guide and teach us through dreams and visions, as well as through the ancient tales and traditions. Creating and maintaining healthy relationships with our Gods and Goddesses gives us firm ground to stand upon as we create the ethical basis of our lives."

The Well of Five Streams: Essays on Celtic Paganism by Erynn Rowan Laurie

[bean-na-farraige-agus-foraoise]

"It is apparent from Celtic texts and statuary that the Celtic peoples believed in the actual existence of their deities. The Gods were thought to have a real, worldly influence in the lives of individuals, in the workings of the tuath, and over the fate of nobles and kings. Divination was done to ascertain the will of these deities, and sacrifices were dedicated to the Gods, not to a set of internal psychological concepts or abstract archetypes. These deities could and would hold a person to their oaths, ensure victory or defeat for a warrior, or validate the sovereignty and right of the king to rule over the territory."

The Well of Five Streams: Essays on Celtic Paganism by Erynn Rowan Laurie

[bean-na-farraige-agus-foraoise]

"The...pre-Christian Celts were [a] diverse [society] of human beings just like us, capable of fault, cruelty, ignoble behavior and mean-spiritedness, along with their better and more noble qualities. If we wish to follow a Celtic Reconstructionist path with integrity and honesty, we must own this history, for it becomes our history."

The Well of Five Streams: Essays on Celtic Paganism by Erynn Rowan Laurie

[bean-na-farraige-agus-foraoise]

"There is a great deal of romantic folklore surrounding the Celtic peoples and their Gods. Some starry-eyed folk believe that the Celts were noble knights, others that they were a pure, matriarchal society suppressed by the Pale Patriarchal Penis People, or by the Early Christian church. Richly attired faerie rides from Victorian illustrations, and billowy Celtic Revival poetry contribute to an image of an impossibly pure and upright people with sage philosophers and Arthurian kings of great moral depth and mythically perfect stature. I have even heard it asserted that the Celts were a peaceful people, and that they and their Gods never fought battles or participated in any violence. Although it may be nice to think so, none of these "noble savage" or "lost golden age" visions are accurate."

The Well of Five Streams: Essays on Celtic Paganism by Erynn Rowan Laurie

[bean-na-farraige-agus-foraoise]

i cannot say it enough: RESEARCH IS WORSHIP RESEARCH IS WORSHIP RESEARCH IS WORSHIP RESEARCH IS WORSHIP RESEARCH IS WORSHIP RESEARCH IS WORSHIP RESEARCH IS WORSHIP RESEARCH IS WORSHIP RESEARCH IS WORSHIP RESEARCH IS WORSHIP RESEARCH IS WORSHIP RESEARCH IS WORSHIP RESEARCH IS WORSHIP

research your ancestors, research your gods, research the land you come from, listen to the stories told by your family, your community, your elders and take notes. research research research.