#gaelic roundtable

[filmnoirsbian]

Things read in May

Essays & Articles:

Ursula K. Le Guin on Being A Man

Investigating parents of transgender youth has agency on ‘brink of collapse,’ staff warns

Five Indigenous Speculative Fiction Authors You Should Be Reading

DECOLONIZING SCIENCE FICTION AND IMAGINING FUTURES: AN INDIGENOUS FUTURISMS ROUNDTABLE

Using Dogs As A Tool of Racial Oppression

Rings of Power: The new hobbits are filthy, hungry simpletons with stage-Irish accents. That’s $1bn well spent

First case of HIV cure in a woman after stem cell transplantation reported at CROI-2022

The Trees That Miss The Mammoths

NOPE’S SCIENCE CONSULTANT REVEALS THE NAME AND INSPIRATION FOR THE MOVIE’S ALIEN

Reflections on the Poetry of Eavan Boland

The dire state of trans healthcare in Ireland

How Letterkenny Got Indigenous Representation So Right

Einstein's Parable of Quantum Insanity

Surgical amputation of a limb 31,000 years ago in Borneo

Most Transgender Children Stick With Gender Identity 5 Years Later: Study

Were you a ‘parentified child’? What happens when children have to behave like adults

Fear of a Black Hobbit

It’s a ‘Full-Contact’ Haunted House. What Could Go Wrong?

The Craft: How a Teenage Weirdo Based on a Real Person Became an Icon

Remember When Multiplayer Gaming Needed Envelopes and Stamps?

‘We’ll Never Make That Kind of Movie Again’ An oral history of The Emperor’s New Groove, a raucous Disney animated film that almost never happened.

5 Incredible Sagas of Fandom Scams and Deception

I Used to Love British Period Dramas. Now I See Them as Colonial Propaganda

Why gender essentialism is a white supremacist ideology

Liberating Our Homes From the Real Estate–Industrial Complex

You Don’t Have To Be Pretty – On YA Fiction And Beauty As A Priority

Ten Years Later, There’s Still Nothing Like Tarsem Singh’s The Fall

Tolerance is not a moral precept

Scottish Poet and Publisher Derick Thomson 'Transformed' Gaelic Poetry

Poetry:

The Universe, as in One Last Song for the Lonely Hearts by Michelle Hulan

An Ordinary Evening in New Haven by Wallace Stevens

Heaven by George Herbert

Return from Death by Derick Thomson

Coffins by Derick Thomson

Chemin De Fer by Elizabeth Bishop

Yes, It Was The Mountain Echo by William Wordsworth

The Man and the Echo by William Butler Yeats

The Most of It by Robert Frost

Eros Turannos by Edwin Arlington Robinson

Books:

The Dark Yule by R. M. Callahan

The Invasion by K. A. Applegate

The Whisper by Aaron Starmer

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

Miss Iceland by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir

[ammstify]

Alright, crazy Persona 6 concept, hear me out;

What if the Personas our team uses are based either on the Knights of the Roundtable from Arthurian legends, or figures from Gaelic and Celtic stories and mythology?

From what we know of Persona 6 so far, the game's main color is green, which is often associated with nature, growth, harmony, fertility, and freshness. It can also be related to the themes of greed, envy, and wealth, and in Japan, can also be seen as a lucky color!

The code name for the game has also been revealed to be the word "carbon", which if you know, carbon is of course a very important element as it not only helps plants produce oxygen for us, but also regulates our planets temperature!

Many of the Persona games have themed teams of Personas, with each one being related to the overall concepts of the game, such as the theme and setting of the dungeons:

Persona 3's are all themed around Greco-Roman heroes, villains, and Gods, their respective affects on Greco-Roman mythology, and if they traveled into Tartarus (i.e. Orpheus, Castor and Pollock, Cerberus)

Persona 4's are all themed around Japanese heroes and Gods of myth, primarily related to the Izanagi and Izanami myth (i.e. Amaterasu, Susano-o, Take-Mikazuchi)

Persona 5's are all themed around literature and notorious rebellious figures and Gods who have challenged the status-quo, some as outlaws, others as rebels for their own cause (i.e. Arsene Lupin, Milady, Prometheus)

My idea primarily ties with the ideas of nature and the connections that both the Knights of the Roundtable and Celtic/Gaelic mythology inherently has to them. Perhaps our group and protagonist are trying to be heroes by healing nature, or trying to help society become less dependent on technology?

Or maybe, similar to the Phantom Thieves, are trying to bring justice to some individuals by acting as "heroes" or "knights", and protect those that are in need? And our group acts as these heroes, entering whatever shadow world to fight off evil doers in the name of heroism.

But what if this also turns against them too? And forces them to make hard decisions to decide what it truly means to be a "hero" and what it means to be a "villain?"

Of course this is all silly rambles but, if you're a fan of Persona, tell me what you think! What type of Personas or theme would you like to see in the next game? Tell me down below in the notes!

[metaphysicalpistolsoraclemine]

THE RISE OF KING ARTHUR.

When the Albion Lightbody is activated through the Emerald Order Cosmic Heart and fully awakened by the Amethyst Order Holy Father, England, Scotland, Ireland and France will be the first demographic areas to align to the King Arthur Timeline through the Rise of Arthur in Albion. This phase of the ascension timeline awakens the stasis beings that have been buried deep in the lands, and brings on oceanic waves of the God Source and the Christos-Sophia rainbow rays or roundtables to pour into the Earth grids. The Albion Lightbody is the Diamond Sun template of humanity’s world soul from Tara as the Christos incarnate masculine-feminine identity, and it holds the instruction set of the Paliadorian Covenant which is the future record and destiny of all humankind to return back to their original spiritual home. Their inner Sun-Star, which is found deep in the RA Center of the still point in the angelic human lightbody.

We have learned that the Rise of Arthur in Albion, is describing the means by which the Holy Father and Cosmic Christos Consciousness are returning to manifest into the planet. The current events have sounded the trumpet announcing to the world that the ascension timeline is here which leads to global disclosure. Currently, it appears the global disclosure timeline will commence with the topic of child trafficking and SRA practices of Child Sacrifice, made by the satanic entities ruling this world, both human and nonhuman.

Reference: from Historical Timeline Trigger Events: 1,400 YA, Invasion of UK to take over territory and 11th Stargate, kill Templar Grail King Arthur and his support team. The Last benevolent Grail King. False King of Tyranny 

(The Bkack Suns Roman Catholic Church replaces rulership.)

 King Arthur is in Stasis in UK.

*Related to the Awakening Albion and

stasis beings.

Albion

In ancient days, the oldest name for England was Albion. The names for Scotland in the Celtic languages were also related to Albion: Alba in Scottish Gaelic, Alba in Irish, and Alban in Welsh, Cornish and Breton.

These names were later anglicized to Albany, which was once an alternative name for Scotland. Many myths and legends have long existed that giants were either the original inhabitants of the United Kingdom, or were the founders of the land named Albion. The mystical significance of Albion has been memorialized through poems, stories and mythos.

Together they suggest the nature of Albion is related to collective human consciousness and the World Soul, to which we are all intimately connected.

The Albion is the androgynous human template created from the twelve spheres of the Tree of Life which, during the fall of humankind, became buried in the lower dimensional fields of the earth, waiting to be awakened.

This elemental structure of the primordial human template is located in the earth body, and is made from the Original Cosmic Blueprint. This original Blueprint records the divine plan for humanities ascension to the Silicate Matrix and holds the celestial records of humankind’s evolution throughout the Solar System.

The Awakening Albion 

occurs in progressive stages, and recent 

Sirius and Canopus star transmissions are intelligently designed to stimulate the higher mind activation throughout the Albion body in the earth.

This gently accelerates the shift in the mental body of the earth to reflect the higher mind consciousness which is reflected in the stages of Awakening Albion.

This is the divine plan of the Holy Father in compassionate action, to restore balance and unity within the eternal light of Cosmic Christos Consciousness in which all of humanity is connected to the Solar Logos and Star systems within the Albion Lightbody. We come from the stars, for we are the stars. This holds the profound meaning of the return of the benevolent and rightful Christos Solar King to planet Earth, the restoration of the beloved Maji Grail King Arthur, the resurrected Solar Michael Anointed Christ is rising to be the protector of the Holy Mother and Sophianic Grail, which is the Cosmic Heart principle of Earth.

King Arthur’s cosmic consciousness body is directly connected to the Family of Michael, who are also protectors of the 11th dimensional gates of Aveyon-Avalon upon the NAA invasion, so he can be considered the patriarch of the Michael avian genetics and Seraphim memories throughout time.

[morgandria]

Gaelic Roundtable, May 2017 - Devotionals

Does your Worship include Devotional acts? If not, why not? If so, why?

I think the majority of my worship is devotional in nature. I don’t have many fixed formal rituals or ritual actions, nor do I have any I perform on a daily basis. I enjoy the spontaneous expressions of love and honour comes with devotional acts - I feel attuned and attentive to the needs of my household Gods, and it makes our relationship feel closer, and more personal.

Even if I had a regular ritual practice, I would still be performing devotion when requested. I strongly believe in the concept of ‘a gift for a gift’ - I can’t expect the aid and blessings of the Gods if I don’t offer them what they need or desire in return.

Who is the common object of these Devotionals- or who do you find yourself performing them for the most often? Do they have a structure, or is it whatever feels right?

Gods, the Fair Folk, and my ancestors all receive devotion. Since I try very hard to attune to the season of the year, they’re often seasonal in nature: Bríd in the late part of the winter, and early Spring, in the early summer for Manannan, and Lugh often receives devotion around Lughnasadh, the Cailleach when the snow flies.

I tend to follow my instincts, rather than having a fixed structure for these acts. It really depends on the situation, location, and complexity of the devotion in question.

Do you record these devotionals? What acts do they usually include? How often do you practice them? Is it daily? Weekly? Whenever the fancy strikes?

The vast majority of my devotions tend to come in the form of votive offerings. Sometimes it’s as simple as an offering of food and drink. Sometimes I wind up sculpting, or painting. I make a lot of jewelry that end up as part of shrines. Other times I have to acquire certain objects - I have been sent on ‘quests’ for particular natural objects or materials, or something from a certain location. (Or things like tiny toy cows. For reasons.) Any time is a possible time for devotional acts - I just have to keep my ears to the ground.

[an-tarbh]

Gaelic Roundtable: Worship

For the month of April, the topic of the second Gaelic Roundtable is all about worship. Below are my answers to the questions posed. 

Which Gaelic Gods do you Worship? 

I worship Brigid, the Morrigan, the Dadga, Manannán Mac Lir, and Flidais.

Do you worship your Ancestors or otherwise participate in Ancestor Veneration and related practices? 

Oh, this is a good question. Currently, I do not worship my ancestors. I know many other gaelic polytheists and irish polytheists who do and who think that this is an essential part of the practice but for me, it is not so. This is because I have conflicted feelings on ancestor veneration due to my ancestors not always being good people and I do not want to worship people who abused their children or alcohol. Another thing that has me in knots, is that I am not sure if any of my ancestors (especially recent ones) would approve of me worshipping them due to them being Catholics while alive. 

With that being said, I do think that one day I will participate in ancestor veneration. Our ancestors are very important because their decisions are the reason why we are here today. I just have to find a way that respects my feelings as well as the dead's before I begin. 

What about the Gaelic Heroes? 

I do not worship any GP or IP heroes because my feelings and beliefs towards hero veneration kinda falls into the same category as ancestor veneration. It makes me slightly uncomfortable because I look at heroes as being people. When I think of heroes like Fionn or Cú Chulainn, I think about them doing mundane tasks alongside their extraordinary feats and it takes some of their mystic away while also putting them in a more realistic/human light. 

Now, is this how I will always feel? More than likely not. My views and beliefs evolve as I learn more about the Celts. But, for now, I am content just studying about these larger than life figures.

The Fae? How long have you Worshiped them? 

Ahhh, the Fae. I respect them but, due to experiences I had as a child, I give them a wiiide berth, lol. I don’t invite them into my home, I ward my home against them, I do not worship them, and I refuse to make any deals because this is what I was taught to do as a child to protect myself. However, I do give offerings to the Sidhe occasionally. I do this to introduce myself when moving into a new place, to establish boundaries, and to let them know while I respect them, they are to not bother my kids. I do the same thing when I move out just to let them know that I won’t be around and that new people will be occupying the space. Again, for me, it’s all about respect and boundaries.

On a slightly different note, I think it is important for people following a GP or IP path to read and learn about the Fae because it is best to know what you are doing beforehand rather than trying to do things by the seat of your pants if you are interested in working with them. 

Who came first? Last? Second? How did you establish your relationships with them, and how important is that relationship to you? How integral is that relationship to your spirituality? Your religion? Your every day life?

When I first started exploring Gaelic and then later Irish polytheism, Brigid and Flidais were the first two deities to catch my attention. Each embody certain characteristics and traits that I admire or would like to have myself. An example is Flidais. She is a mother, a wife, a lover, and much more but what drew me in is how she balances all of her roles so neither completely overtakes the other. Balancing my roles is something I am still learning how to do and I look to Flidais for guidance in this area as well as others.

After tentatively worshipping Brigid and Flidais for a few months, I surprisingly felt a pull from the Morrigan. At first I didn’t understand her interest in me because she is everything I am not but it soon became clear (hindsight is 20/20) why she tapped me. Just like Brigid and Flidais, the Morrigan showed me that she is much more than the roles prescribed her and she has slowly been rebuilding me into a stronger person. 

Now, for the longest time, I worshipped just these three as I bettered myself and continued to heal. I never thought about adding or seeking out other deities but as it turns out, two more would make their presence known. 

When Manannán and the Dagda came a knocking, I wasn’t surprised. This isn’t the first time Manannán came around but it is the first time I actually felt a pull to research about him. While I am still learning about him, I am intrigued by his presence. While he hasn’t made his intentions or prerogative known, I have a sneaking suspicion worshipping him is going to be an...interesting experience.  As for the Dagda, he has settled in quite nicely and I think he enjoys being welcomed into my life/house. As I continue to learn more about him, I can see how he will shape my life for the better. 

With all of my deities, I established/am establishing relationships with them through offerings and prayers. I also tend to talk to them throughout the day and try to include them in my everyday activities. For me, it is important to have a solid foundation with my deities before I can go further in my spirituality. This involves trust, respect, and boundaries to name a few. Without these things, I wouldn’t feel comfortable calling upon them or opening myself up to their influences.

Now, this is just I how view and conduct worship. Everyone’s practice and views will be different based on an individual’s life experiences. The best way to include worship in your practice is to find what works for you and your deities. Look to lore, UPG, and SPG for insights and inspiration. Don’t be afraid to worship differently from other IP’s or GP’s.

[obeekris]

Song Tag Game Rules: Tag 5 people you want to get to know better. Answer the provided questions! Tagged by: @icantbearsedtothinkofone Relationship status: single (probably forever) Favourite colors: blue, black Top 3 ships: Uhhhhh.... I honestly don’t do a lot of deliberate character shipping, so, ummm, no idea off the top of my head. Lipstick or chapstick: I really never use either :) Spell out your name in songs: O - “One More Day Above The Roses” - Gaelic Storm B - “Build Me Up Buttercup” - cover by The Goops E - “End Of The World” - cover by Great Big Sea E - “Excursion Around The Bay” - Great Big Sea K - “Knights Of The Round Tables” - Spamalot Cast R - “Roundtable Rival” - Lindsey Stirling I - “Ireland” - cover by Brigid’s Cross (Originally by Garth Brooks) S - “Shut Up and Dance” - Walk the Moon I tag:  @autumngracy @badwolfandtimelords @darkwingatlarge @ardentesoteric @nofreetrees and anybody else who wants to do it

[tellmewhatyouheardpodcast]

Episode 1, The Banshee: sources

Banshee stories & facts including definitions:

Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry by WB Yeats https://www.gutenberg.org/files/33887/33887-h/33887-h.htm (How Thomas Connolly Met the Banshee story)

Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland by Thomas Crofton Croker  https://archive.org/details/fairylegendstrad00crokrich/page/iv/mode/2up (Mac Carthy Banshee story)

A Folklore Survey of County Clare by Thomas J Westropp https://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/folklore/folklore_survey/index.html (Lewin Banshee story)

Blúiríní Béaloidis 27 The Banshee with Patricia Lysaght 

The Banshee: a study in beliefs and legends about the Irish supernatural death-messenger by Patricia Lysaght

On keening:

“Keening Tradition” article by Phyllida Anam-Aire http://www.keeningwake.com/keening-tradition/

“No Keening Carried On Nowadays” by Henry N. Gifford https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/no-keening-carried-nowadays

Other Celtic wailing women death omens

Caoineag:

Folk Tales & Fairy Lore in Gaelic and English by John Grant https://digital.nls.uk/early-gaelic-book-collections/archive/79221659

Carmina Gadelica, Vol 2 by Alexander Carmichael https://archive.org/details/carminagadelicah04carm/page/n319/mode/2up?view=theater&q=Caoineag

Bean Nighe:

Superstitions of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland by John Gregorson Campbell https://www.gutenberg.org/files/61730/61730-h/61730-h.htm#CHAP_VII_SEC_25

Carmina Gadelica Vol 2 by Alexander Carmichael https://archive.org/details/carminagadelicah04carm/page/n319/mode/2up?view=theater&q=Caoineag

Gwrach y Rhibyn & Cyhyraeth:

Welsh Folk Lore by Elias Owen https://www.gutenberg.org/files/20096/20096-h/20096-h.htm#page302

British Goblins: Welsh Folk-lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions by Wirt Sikes 1889  https://www.gutenberg.org/files/34704/34704-h/34704-h.htm

[nameless-shrine]

Gaelic Polytheism Roundtable:  I believe in god (but that only encourages it)

Yay, it’s time for this again! @gaelicroundtable <3 this is the longest post ever, and I’m sorry. 

though it’s not exactly a part of the prompt, i’m feeling happy and excited about worship rn so i’m going to take time to be excitedly multitrad <3 i’m honoring both gaelic and Heathen gods and it’s super nice and Freyr is my pal and i love His family, and Sif’s been really sweet when I have anxiety attacks. so that’s nice. 

but actually this is related because i’d forgotten what it was like to be flailing around in the dark meeting new deities, as those in my practice have been more or less set for a good several months. so i’m confused all over again.

 at this point i honor eight? i think? irish/gaelic gods, and some of that worship is seasonal. but the full list, as I have it on my witchy blog, is

Brigid* (and i worship her in triplicate)

Aengus Óg

Manannán mac lir*

Áine (during the spring and summer)

Grian (during the fall and winter)

Flidais

Lugh

The Morrígna (a collective- Badb, Macha, Anand?)

And, I mean, there are others I sort of wave at time to time- Fand, the Dagda, Ogma, Tailtiu, and I’m thinking about reaching out to Caer Ibormeith out of courtesy since Aengus has done a lot for me lately. But relationships with Them aren’t consistent. 

The asterisks, by the way, denote “primary” deities. I don’t use the word devotee, for reasons, but Brigid and Manannán get more regular offerings, and I feel I’m emotionally closer with them. Pronoun use is intentional. Since I feel my relationships with my more consistent deity presences have become more intimate, I don’t have a need to capitalize their pronouns, or their names in a lot of cases. when I don’t know a deity, however, I try to capitalize Their name and pronoun out of respect, a general gesture of goodwill.

*

As I mentioned, Brigid was definitely first, and the rest just sort of followed. Some have faded in and out (I’m not as close with Airmed as I used to be, for example), and others’ presences have grown more pronounced (see: the Morrígna making me face my fears in a series of nightmares after I admitted they scared me). My latest addition is Grian, after a post by @goneintheriver about the summer and winter suns brought me to actual tears. It’s all massive UPG, but thinking about winter survival means a lot to me as someone with depression and general struggles to regulate my moods/do self-care. 

My practice is mostly made up of the gods, though I feel like at some point, when I’m more stable and not learning how to juggle pantheons, I’d like to honor my queer and neurodivergent ancestors. They are the heroes I relate to, more, really, than the Gaelic heroes. And the Good Folk are there, and They get offerings at the fire festivals and solstices, but always kind of at arm’s length for what I assume are obvious reasons. At any rate, Worship is a lot of things. I am a huge fan of e-shrines, as you can tell, because they’ve helped me get to know my gods, and because tagging things for my friends on tumblr has always been a show of love and devotion- all their tags are carefully curated. Why not do the same for my gods? I see no reason that’s not rooted in technophobia, and I’m over that. I offer stuff- food when I can because I associate it with hospitality, activities when appropriate, poetry often. 

*

And I frequently go on walks, taking in the land around me, so I’ve always considered my relationships to the gods to be very local cultus-esque (Southern California is not exactly the same climate as an island in the North Atlantic). So I get Brigid in much needed spring rain and late-summer wildfire, and Manannán in LA highways and San Francisco fog, and Flidais in remote parts of the desert- in chapparal and sagebrush fields, and I treat Áine and Grian as my landladies because if this part of the country belongs to Anyone, it is theirs. 

I’ll actually be traveling to Galway in the fall, and I’m super excited to see how the “feel” of the land affects how I view my deities. Does it make them more rugged? More shadowy? Sometimes I sort of feel like a heretic or outcast, because I see Flidais, for example, in coyotes far more than deer. I wonder if my perceptions are right. And then I feel like I don’t mind as much. I like being solitary, and nothing’s felt glaringly off so far. 

The cool thing about connecting my worship so intimately to the place I’m living is that anything can make me think about my gods, and spark praise or an offering. As such, though I’m not a ceremonial sort, it’s a big part of my life, as are these relationships, tied to the area I inhabit. I’m really happy with where I’m at with it, and hope to continue developing personal associations alongside my explorations of lore and tradition for a very long time, wherever I wander. <3 Nothing has brought my closer to my Powers than that. 

[thepaganstudygrouppage]

So i'm new to the pagan religion and don't know many good beginner Celtic or Norse or Scottish gods that would be good to start. Also I saw a few posts about some Halloween decorations that are pagan/ Wicca symbols that are being used as Halloween decor. Sorry if these are dumb questions I don't know a whole lot yet. (PS. I love your blog.)

Not dumb questions at all, though we have answered some of them before.

There is no one pagan religion.  A Celtic polytheist looks different from a Heathen from a Kemetic from a Wiccan, and a fair number of people choose to differentiate between polytheism and paganism on a fundamental level anyway.  Scottish, or Gaelic, polytheism falls under the general “Celtic” umbrella.  I would recommend looking through our religion-specific tags, particularly “heathenry,” “gaelic polytheism,” and “celtic polytheism,” as well as our list of polytheism links to get a better idea of the differences.  

Personally, I dislike the idea of “starter deities.”  It implies a hierarchy to me based on power and human elitism (”I worship this particular god!” - “Pff, that god is for newbies”), but to be fair, some deities can be more forgiving than others.  Manannán mac Lir and Brighid are popular choices for beginners in Gaelic or Irish polytheism, but that should never, ever be used as a reason to think they’re any less powerful or can be any less terrifying than other gods.  Check out our “beginner” tag as well as the relevant roundtable posts found here.

I’m not sure what your question is in regards to Halloween decorations.  The only symbol I can think of off the top of my head that gets commonly used is the pentagram or pentacle, which doesn’t belong exclusively to any pagan or Wiccan path anyway.  Sometimes you’ll get alchemical or astrological symbols plastered all over stuff, but those are things that predate contemporary pagan practice.  Their associations with horror and malicious magic also predate contemporary paganism.  The problematic imagery of Halloween tends to fall largely in the continued sensationalism of Voodoo and other African diasporic/derived traditions as ~evil~ and the anti-Semitic nature of the hook-nosed, conical-hatted witch.

- mountain hound

[unfetteredwood]

The Gaelic Roundtable for May: Devotionals

{Artwork Corax by Stephanie Lostimolo}

This is my third post participating in The Gaelic Roundtable blogging project, May's subject is Devotionals. The Roundtable asked:

"Does your Worship include Devotional acts? If not, why not? If so, why? Who is the common object of these Devotionals- or who do you find yourself performing them for the most often? Do they have a structure, or is it whatever feels right? Do you record these devotionals? What acts do they usually include? How often do you practice them? Is it daily? Weekly? Whenever the fancy strikes?"

I feel that I have touched on a lot of this already in last month's post, so for this month I will share devotionals that have become a staple within my own practice. A few I have come up with or adapted myself, and many others are created or adapted by others.

It may be noticed that one of the biggest sources of inspiration is Carmina Gadelica, and it will also probably be noticed that some of the versions I am sharing are not adapted. The adapted versions I have previously shared online I will linked to, and for the rest, the originals will be shared.  

In general I work within an outline so I don't get sidetracked when doing my devotionals, but as I have become more comfortable in my religious practice I will do spontaneous devotionals as well.

Daily

Upon rising in the morning I light a candle, make a small offering and say a prayer. Sometimes I will add to that prayer, do divination or do a meditation.

Togail an Teine/Kindling the Fire

Toirt Taing/Thanksgiving

Urnaigh Èirigh/Prayer at Rising

Before bed I will relight a candle for an evening prayer and sometimes a meditation.

Smaladh an Tein/Smooring the Fire

Coisrig Cadail/Sleep Consecration

Monthly

While a little more than monthly, every 20 days I will participate in a Brighidine flamekeeping vigil and a water blessing. I am not comfortable sharing the ritual outline as I don't feel it is mine to share, however, some of the prayers I use can be found below under the "Prayers and Praxis" section.

Another monthly practice is a new moon ritual, which I used to do monthly but have been lax on for the last bit. I would like to incorporate it and make it a monthly devotional again. A' Ghealach Ùr/The New Moon { A ritual outline I like to use can be seen over at the Gaol Naofa website.}

Seasonal Observances

A'Ghrian/The Sun {Midwinter & Midsummer}

A Bealtaine Blessing

An Beannachadh Strùain/The Blessing of the Struan {Lughnasadh & Michaelmas}

Duan Callaig/The Song of Hogmanay

Glass úar errach {Latha na Caillich}

Song of Summer {Bealtaine}

Song of Winter {Samhain}

Summer Has Come {Bealtaine}

Summer is Gone {Samhain}

Tha Mi Dol Dachaidh Leat/I Am Going Home With Thee {Samhain}

The Feast Day of Bride {Imbolc}

Prayers and Praxis

These are some of the devotionals that I use as needed, while making offerings, doing certain tasks or when asking for aid with something. By no means is this an exhaustive list, but these are some of my favourites.

A Prayer to Macha for Safety

An Coisrigeadh Sioil//The Consecration of the Seed

An Deiseal/Sunwise Blessing {to open a ritual, by Annie Loughlin}

An Invocation of Macha {by Morgan Daimler}

An Liuthail/The Lustration

Beannachadh Buana/Reaping Blessing

Brigit Búadach/Victorious Brigit

Coisrigeadh na Seilg/Consecrating the Chase

Prayer for Peace {Gaol Naofa}

Prayer to Flidais Foltchaoin {by Morgan Daimler}

Sian Bhuadha/Charm of Grace

Sian/Sain {I have my own spin on this now, but Annie Loughlin's version is what I started out with}

Sloinntearachd na Brighd/The Descent of Brigit

The Lament of the Old Woman of Beare

To Airmed {by Fieldstones}

To Flidais {by Fieldstones}

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Sláinte!

Laurel

[morgandria]

Gaelic Roundtable, April 2017 - Worship

Which Gaelic Gods do you Worship?

My home is open to the entire Irish pantheon - anyone can show up on my doorstep and be welcome. That being said, I have deities that I have a more personal relationship with, and they’ve grown in number over the years.  The Morrigan, Bríd, Manannan Mac Lir, The Cailleach, Lugh, and The Dagda all have shrines in my home. (As do Danu and Bíle, which I understand would be debatable for some as to whether they even existed, but hey.)

Do you worship your Ancestors or otherwise participate in Ancestor Veneration and related practices?

I do. In the fall of 2016 I decided to do a major adjustment of shrines and energies in my home, and part of what came out of this is a permanent ancestor shrine. Prior to that point I would erect an Ancestor shrine around Samhain, but after clearing some of the clutter I had room to make it permanent. I feel like the older you get, the more ghosts you carry through your life. Maybe it’s just become more important to me than it used to be.

What about the Gaelic Heroes? The Fae?

The Fair Folk and I repaired a really broken relationship last year. I leave them offerings and a small space, so we can co-exist in peace. Aside from acknowledging their presence, I mostly leave them alone unless they specifically want or need something.

As for heroes? Not really. Sometimes, in the summer, I feel like I hear and sense echoes of Cuchulain in the world around me - maybe possibly kinda related to my long relationship with The Morrigan. I’ve never explored in that direction, though.

How long have you Worshiped them? Who came first? Last? Second? How did you establish your relationships with them, and how important is that relationship to you? How integral is that relationship to your spirituality? Your religion? Your every day life?

The Morrigan came first - the latest was The Dagda. If there’s a rhyme or reason for the order in which I have built my relationships, I don’t know it.

I’m pretty basic when it comes to establishing relationships, whoever or whatever it is. I have to figure out who it is, first. Sometimes it’s clear, others...not so much. I’ll play the game to a point - but I admit to being of limited patience and I don’t like being jerked around with vague signs. If I hit my limit, I’ll just out and out ask who is knocking on my door and to please stop if they’re just being a jerk.

Whatever way it comes about, I will usually introduce myself casually with a quiet offering and wait to find out what else I might need to do. That’s SOP for everyone - whether or not it’s going to be just a brief visit, a friendly occasional working relationship, or a more intimate long-term personal one. While we may end up with more formalized interactions, to start out I’m pretty much just playing everything by ear.

It gets complicated when I start trying to pull the threads of spirituality and religion from each other. If you ask me what my religion is, I’d probably tell you Wicca. I am an initiated Wiccan, and the majority of my religious expression gets done in circle. I feel like religion strongly involves and needs community, and I’ve never found community with other polytheists, so it’s maybe not religious?

At home, things are more casual, and much less ritualized. I believe the Tuatha De to be the foundation of my spirituality at home, but as to whether that’s religious for me, I don’t know. The Gods of my household are always present. They’re an integral part of my daily life. I feel comforted and happy to share my life with them, especially when they share Themselves through the beauty of the world.

I’m totally eclectic, and yet...not. I don’t cross the streams - I think mixing pantheons is a poor practice and disrespectful, and I strive to keep all my practices in their proper context. I am a traditionalist in a Wiccan sense, but when it comes to polytheism I’m not interested in a strictly historically-accurate “proper” form of worship. The streams all have to live in my head at the same time. Life is messy and I’ve given up trying to keep everything strictly in their own boxes up there. I’m a Wiccan. I’m an Irish polytheist. I’m a witch. I’m Native. None of this is contradictory to me.

[an-tarbh]

How I became an Irish Polytheist

I want to thank The Gaelic Roundtable for asking me to participate in this month’s roundtable. 

So, onto March’s topic:

Tell us a little bit about your practice; what kind of Gaelic Polytheism do you practice? Is it Historically Oriented or Eclectic? Are you a member of an Organization like OBOD or another one? Do you follow the Irish, Scottish, or Manx beliefs- or maybe a combination of the three? And more importantly, how did you wind up at Gaelic Polytheism? What drew you to our faith and made you start practicing? 

Answer:

I first became aware of something like Irish Polytheism (IP) back in the late 1990′s. At the time, my mother was highly interested in other religions and spiritualities and never shied away from my questions as she explored and created her own practice. Some deities like Brigid and the Morrigan became vaguely familiar to me because those were the deities she loosely worshipped (though she did/ does still calle(d) the both of them “The Triple Goddess”). However, as I grew up in a very religious part of the South, my interest in my mother’s spirituality rapidly declined after my parents split. This was in part due to threats made to my family concerning my ‘unhealthy interests in the occult’ and constantly being harassed by various family members who told me they wouldn’t hesitate to burn me (nevermind the fact that what I was interested in was distinctly different from the Craft I was being taught). 

But, I digress. 

After about 15 years of me trying out every Christian denomination and even (albeit briefly) studying Islam, and not finding where I felt comfortable, I started looking up various paths of spiritualities. I even took the BeliefNet quiz which helped me narrow down my possibilities and led me to briefly joining OBOD. A couple of days passed before I discovered Tumblr. Immediately, I created an account and was amazed to see so many other polytheists available to learn from and have discussions with.  

Initially, I described myself as being an Gaelic Polytheist (GP). However, after a few months, I found myself questioning whether or not this felt right. So, I began searching again (at this point, I’m a pro at wandering but not quite being lost). I start exploring other polytheist practices related to GP and that’s how I found IP. 

When I found IP, I knew it was for me. For the first time, it felt right and everything in me was telling me I had finally found my home. I immersed myself as much as I could and followed any blog I could find that offered even a morsel of guidance. 

That was almost 2 years ago and I still rely on the Tumblr community to learn from and grow as I continue my own studies. I will say that back when I first started practicing, I tried to keep my practice in the strictest sense of being historically oriented. I refused to listen to my intuition and I wouldn’t acknowledge any unverified personal gnosis (UPG) unless a handful of longer practicing polytheists also confirmed it (shared personal gnosis or SPG). Today, however, my practice is a mix of historical and UPG. For example, my offerings are pulled from lore (when it’s possible) but I tend to associate Flidais with foxes (UPG) even though most people associate deer with her due to her chariot and her supplying deer milk to an entire army (see The Driving of the Cattle of Flidais). 

Anyway, before I make this post even longer, I’m gonna stop right here. If there are any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask or message me! 

Once again, thank you TGR for asking me to participate and allowing me to share how I became an IP!

[morgandria]

Gaelic Roundtable, March 2017 - Journeys

Tell us a little bit about your practice; what kind of Gaelic Polytheism do you practice?

I identify as an Irish polytheist. Kinda. I don’t really know if the label fits, some days. I tried being a reconstructionist for a while in the early 00′s, but I didn’t have a lot of success. What I practice now is not as dependent on historical accuracy - I live here and now, so my practices do, too. 

Is it Historically Oriented or Eclectic?

I believe my practices are both. I look to the past as something to root my practices in, if possible,  I always strive to be respectful of the past - I don’t believe in altering things until they’re radically out of context from their origins. I won’t cram something into a construct that it obviously doesn’t fit it. That being said, I’m not afraid to move towards a more eclectic approach if it suits my need better - practicality is important to me. I just try not to remove things too far from their source, lest they become meaningless and disrespectful.

Are you a member of an Organization like OBOD or another one?

No. I’ve considered joining a group in the past, but it’s just not something that panned out. I haven’t had a terribly good experience looking for community online, so I’m hesitant to try again.

Do you follow the Irish, Scottish, or Manx beliefs- or maybe a combination of the three?

My leanings are mainly Irish. There might be a dash of Scottish in there, in how I interact with The Cailleach.

And more importantly, how did you wind up at Gaelic Polytheism? What drew you to our faith and made you start practicing?

I suppose I came into polytheism in a roundabout way. My first direct contact came from The Morrigan; it was a profound and life-altering experience. It’s so personal - it’s still too raw to share with others, even though it’s been more than 20 years since. What I will share here is that during this encounter She said to me “I place upon you the mantle of my people.” I felt like I was being brought into a new family - connected to something vast and vital.

Initially I was only working with The Morrigan, but eventually other deities from the Irish pantheon knocked on my door. It only seemed natural to honour them as the gods of my household after a certain point.

It hasn’t been a smooth road - lots of trial and error, lots of UPG. Once I gave up caring if what I was doing was ‘right’, or if anyone else would approve, I got a lot happier, and the bumps smoothed out. I’d say 90% of my practice is simply tending shrines and making offerings as appropriate. I don’t often celebrate holidays with rituals, but this is slowly changing now that I’ve found a ritual format that works for me.

If you’re interested in joining in, visit The Gaelic Roundtable blog,

[unfetteredwood]

The Gaelic Roundtable for August: Personal Gnosis

This is my fifth post participating in the The Gaelic Roundtable blogging project, and August's subject is Personal Gnosis. The Roundtable asked:

"How important is Personal Gnosis to your practice? What emphasis do you place on it when reconstructing, reviving, or generally creating your faith? Do you enjoy hearing others’ Personal Gnosis, or tend not to seek it out? How does hearing others’ Personal Gnosis hinder or help your faith? And finally (if you are willing to share), what is some Personal Gnosis that you hold that is considered “unconventional” to the greater Gaelic Polytheist community?"

{For those who may be unfamiliar with what gnosis is within the polytheist context, I recommend checking out this short but very informative article: Vision: UPG, SPG, and CG.}

Both personal and communal/shared gnosis are quite significant in my own personal practice, as I find that it helps to answers questions left by the gaps in lore, myth and customs. It would probably be fair to say that its importance is secondary to those latter-mentioned influences, but plays a strong role nonetheless.

I very much enjoy hearing gnosis of others and I have found it extremely helpful in validating some of my own personal gnosis, as well as guiding me when I was inexperience and in a blind spot. One example of this is when I was first establishing a rapport with An Cailleach, there were some devotees to her that gave extremely helpful insight on things such appropriate approach and offerings to helping me understand some rather odd experiences I had that I attributed to her.

While I don't know if it would be considered "unconventional" there is one sliver of personal gnosis that I don't recall seeing others talk about before. While two of the elements of what I call The Cosmology of Three Triads seems to be widely accepted, I am not sure if the third element and how I have grouped them would make sense to others or not.

The first triad is the Three Realms {widely accepted}:  Nem/Sky, Talam/Land, Muir/Sea

The second triad is Na Trí Naomh {widely accepted}: Gods, Spirits/Good Folk, Ancestors

The third triad is the Three Gifts: Fír/Truth, Aicned/Nature, Ecna/Knowledge

The third triad is inspired by Trecheng Breth Féne/The Triads of Ireland:

"Trí caindle forosnat cach ndorcha: fír, aicned, ecna."/"Three candles that illume every darkness: truth, nature, knowledge."

I see the interaction of these Triads in the following way:

Nem/Sky>Gods>Fír/Truth

Talam>Spirits/Good Folk>Aicned/Nature

Muir/Sea>Ancestors>Knowledge

I am not going to delve deeper on this particular personal gnosis in this post as it will probably end up making it a novel. I may go further into it with another post in the future.

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Sláinte!

Laurel

[nameless-shrine]

gaelic polytheism roundtable: recalling my beginnings

*taps mic*

am i doing this right? @gaelicroundtable

this is a side blog but i don’t feel like sharing my main. i like being a different person here than anyone else. my faith isn’t this overt in other spaces in my life (i spent the last week and a half procrastinating on offerings, and got nudged hard for my pains), but here i can just focus on what i hold sacred and that can be all there is for me in the world at the moment. 

i’m an irish polytheist who learns about cultural contexts but has fuck-all ability for academic research. most of my practice is built on a foundation of upg, “gut feelings,” and local cultus, which sometimes feel like dirty words in recon circles, so that anxiety and my more solitary nature as a non-neurotypical person have made me wary of seeking religious community. rather than joining an organization to further my faith with others, i try to take hospitality, justice, and sovereignty out into the world whenever i can. and though there are more values on this path than those three, they figure most prominently into my life. 

as for what got me here…

brigid was involved early on, and i remember reading the tuatha dé danann wikipedia page and getting chills, but other than that it’s a bit foggier. i’ve got a few theories for what sparked that interest (listed from least to most intriguing). none of them are certain, so take all of it with a grain of salt. 

i needed to develop relationships with gods i didn’t already know about, to avoid making judgments as i got to interacting with them. worldwide folklore and mythology was a special interest of mine in elementary school, and i devoured greek, roman, egyptian and norse mythology as much as i could. the lack of concrete detail in irish mythology has allowed me to build my own practice, rather than asking someone else what to do. from the beginning, my offerings were guesswork. 

the roots have been there for a long time. i was fascinated with the Good Neighbors in elementary school and onward, which led to a fascination with celtic cultures and folklore. it hung out dormant for a while, but when i started doing witchy stuff everything bubbled up to the surface. see also: a love of the ocean; a love of nature; talking to crows growing up; rekindling my interests in cooking and writing (both of which which i associate with brigid) after a looong spell of depression. 

is it all in the family? i found out a few months ago that i have a lot more irish blood than i thought- my dad’s whole family. this is coming together at a time i realize my mother’s siblngs are toxic to my continued well-being/safety, maybe it was time to find myself and my gods came knocking???

my love of nature led me to explore neodruidry when i first got into witchcraft (domino effect with friends, including my now-partner). there’s a huge amount of misconceptions about the irish gods in such communities, from what i’ve seen. i’ve wondered if this piqued the gods’ interest somehow? 

my favorite but perhaps least likely theory is that i got Someone’s attention in a roundabout way, through offering my time. i remember my first imbolc, learning about the wheel of the year and feeling sad/disappointed that people celebrated holidays like imbolc or lughnasadh without necessarily acknowledging brigid or lugh. i said that i was going to practice witchcraft and work within the calendar i knew, i wanted to honor gods like that who have been forgotten a bit. and sure enough, they came knocking. 

it’s probably a combination of all of the above that have led me to irish polytheism, but regardless of the story i choose to tell, i know i’m in the right place now, and i look forward to more growth over this next year.