Post by wren on Nov 8, 2006 18:11:30 GMT -5
by Searles O'Dubhain
In families, spirit streams through lifetimes and ages. It manifests itself in generation after generation. It influences countless family members and inspires others. In Celtic families, this phenomenon is embraced and acknowledged. Celts believe that humans are spirits inhabiting bodies. When a person dies, their spirit is considered to leave the dying body and to go to another life in another body.
This rebirth is normally considered to occur in another place or world, though it can also be a stream of rebirths in this world. When a person dies in the other world or place, they are thought to be reborn in this world again. In Celtic families, this rebirth from another life and world seems to occur in alternate generations or even across several generations. I think this might well be because of overlapping between adjacent generations. With people living longer, even the grand parents generation overlaps and sometimes that of the great grandparents. Such overlaps encompass a derbhfine (three generations) in ancient Irish Celtic traditions.
In string theory, the cause of creation or existence is seen to be due to many additional dimensions in reality that is beyond the usual 3 or 4 that most folks consider to be "all that is." These extra dimensions don't necessarily take a lot of "space" but their "size" is no measure of their influence on reality and existence. Mathematics and science have shown that the possibilities favor 3 dimensional and 7 dimensional realities. Some of the extra dimensions are incredibly small while others are infinitely large. Physics in these dimensions is adjusted for the extra dimensions as are the possibilities that other beings exist within them. Nine dimensions is the current upward limit on the number of probable string theory dimensions.
Think about an existence where the normal 3 dimensions are very, very small. In such a universe, other dimensions and considerations would become predominant. The importance of form would similarly diminish while perhaps thought and spirit would be elevated in importance. If this were so, then another life in another "body" and another world would not only be probable but likely. Energy (as in life force and spirit) does not disappear at death. Life and spiritual energies become hidden in other forms and other places. Opening one's mind and spirit to these other possibilities sometimes gives a person more than a glimpse of such things and places. Sometimes a person is "taken" or "away."
In most of these cases of being spirited away, a person's body remains behind (dimensions, strings and forms; remember?). One's awareness does not cease but continues in other places and ways. These experiences can influence a person greatly and if they return to this world and their body (or another body), these new outlooks sometimes manifest as powers (called Siddhis in Hindu practices). Near Death Experiences (NDE) are the seen as giving people healing and sometimes magical powers. Death experiences and Otherworldly journeys are seen as providing Shamans and Druids with such powers as well. One should recall Nede mac Adne's description of the powers he possessed from his initiation as a Druid (see the _Making of a Druid_ by Christian J. Guyonvarc'h). Nede said that he was able to become:
1. Very small.
2. Very large.
3. Very hard.
4. Very brilliant.
5. The ardor of fire.
6. Fire of words.
7. Sound of knowledge.
8. Source of wealth.
9. Sword of singing.
This matches well with what other magical practitioners describe from their initiatory and enlightenment experiences:
The Eight Great Magical Attainments (Tibetan version) also called "eight powers of the Lord" as associated with Siva:
1. To become as tiny as one wishes.
2. To become as light as one wishes.
3. To become as large as one wishes.
4. To become as heavy as one wishes.
5. To transport one anywhere.
6. To have one's wishes fulfilled.
7. To subjugate anything one wishes.
8. To dwell in the delight and power of the god.
The Eight Great Magical Attainments (Indian version according to Nagarjuna):
1. Invincibility with the sword.
2. Dominion over the treasure of the underworld.
3. Invisibility.
4. The elixir of youth.
5. The ability to shape oneself into a tiny ball.
6. The ability to walk in the sky.
7. Swiftness of foot.
8. Magical eye ointment.
One can see that becoming very small implies being able to exist in a very small universe, even nothingness, while becoming very large says that one can exist in the infinite and "all that is." These alternative states of being and existence fit well with the migration of spirit and life energy between dimensions and worlds, lives and existences. The Druids of old understood this and taught it so widely that even the classical historians remarked about it in their writings about Celtic cultures.
If one wishes to touch, communicate or be with others in different forms of being, then one must open to the possibilities and become "very large or very small through spiritual and mental disciplines. Some of these disciplines require fearlessness in approaching leaving the body or "dying" that is much greater than the fear of release that many people experience in the more normal forms of such phenomena: love, sex and empathy.
One must know the self and the ways of worlds along the Druid way to be able to achieve communion with other spiritual beings. The alternative to this choice is to become locked into a static and stale form/body/way of seeing things. Getting imprisoned in such cages becomes a life of despair and loneliness. The fortress becomes the prison and the possibilities become non-existent. All life force and energy are put into maintaining the walls at that point in a person's development.
Fortunately for most, death releases us from these prisons whether we struggle against it or not. When the spirit flies free to once again experience the infinite and the limitless, it rejoices. Unfortunately for many, the mind and consciousness forget the lessons of a life wasted and repeat the cycle over and over again. This is why death practices and rituals are very important in religions. These practices assist loved ones and beings in retaining their wisdom to make informed choices at death and birth as well as in future lives.
As Druids, we should investigate and offer to others these forms of life and living that go beyond the safe cages of many philosophies. We should teach and testify to the wonders that are beyond one string, stream or dimension and open the doors to many woven strings of fabrics and interlinked potentials in being that are beyond the norm and very much Otherworldly. Developing new and expanded ways of seeing and being are two of the first things I teach any of my students. The magic and mystery of being is that we have an awareness of ourselves and the worlds at all. Let's learn to use these characteristics and gifts so that we can regain ourselves from the void. We are lucky that the spirit streams of families bless us with this continuity of life, love and being. ~ www.summerlands.com
In families, spirit streams through lifetimes and ages. It manifests itself in generation after generation. It influences countless family members and inspires others. In Celtic families, this phenomenon is embraced and acknowledged. Celts believe that humans are spirits inhabiting bodies. When a person dies, their spirit is considered to leave the dying body and to go to another life in another body.
This rebirth is normally considered to occur in another place or world, though it can also be a stream of rebirths in this world. When a person dies in the other world or place, they are thought to be reborn in this world again. In Celtic families, this rebirth from another life and world seems to occur in alternate generations or even across several generations. I think this might well be because of overlapping between adjacent generations. With people living longer, even the grand parents generation overlaps and sometimes that of the great grandparents. Such overlaps encompass a derbhfine (three generations) in ancient Irish Celtic traditions.
In string theory, the cause of creation or existence is seen to be due to many additional dimensions in reality that is beyond the usual 3 or 4 that most folks consider to be "all that is." These extra dimensions don't necessarily take a lot of "space" but their "size" is no measure of their influence on reality and existence. Mathematics and science have shown that the possibilities favor 3 dimensional and 7 dimensional realities. Some of the extra dimensions are incredibly small while others are infinitely large. Physics in these dimensions is adjusted for the extra dimensions as are the possibilities that other beings exist within them. Nine dimensions is the current upward limit on the number of probable string theory dimensions.
Think about an existence where the normal 3 dimensions are very, very small. In such a universe, other dimensions and considerations would become predominant. The importance of form would similarly diminish while perhaps thought and spirit would be elevated in importance. If this were so, then another life in another "body" and another world would not only be probable but likely. Energy (as in life force and spirit) does not disappear at death. Life and spiritual energies become hidden in other forms and other places. Opening one's mind and spirit to these other possibilities sometimes gives a person more than a glimpse of such things and places. Sometimes a person is "taken" or "away."
In most of these cases of being spirited away, a person's body remains behind (dimensions, strings and forms; remember?). One's awareness does not cease but continues in other places and ways. These experiences can influence a person greatly and if they return to this world and their body (or another body), these new outlooks sometimes manifest as powers (called Siddhis in Hindu practices). Near Death Experiences (NDE) are the seen as giving people healing and sometimes magical powers. Death experiences and Otherworldly journeys are seen as providing Shamans and Druids with such powers as well. One should recall Nede mac Adne's description of the powers he possessed from his initiation as a Druid (see the _Making of a Druid_ by Christian J. Guyonvarc'h). Nede said that he was able to become:
1. Very small.
2. Very large.
3. Very hard.
4. Very brilliant.
5. The ardor of fire.
6. Fire of words.
7. Sound of knowledge.
8. Source of wealth.
9. Sword of singing.
This matches well with what other magical practitioners describe from their initiatory and enlightenment experiences:
The Eight Great Magical Attainments (Tibetan version) also called "eight powers of the Lord" as associated with Siva:
1. To become as tiny as one wishes.
2. To become as light as one wishes.
3. To become as large as one wishes.
4. To become as heavy as one wishes.
5. To transport one anywhere.
6. To have one's wishes fulfilled.
7. To subjugate anything one wishes.
8. To dwell in the delight and power of the god.
The Eight Great Magical Attainments (Indian version according to Nagarjuna):
1. Invincibility with the sword.
2. Dominion over the treasure of the underworld.
3. Invisibility.
4. The elixir of youth.
5. The ability to shape oneself into a tiny ball.
6. The ability to walk in the sky.
7. Swiftness of foot.
8. Magical eye ointment.
One can see that becoming very small implies being able to exist in a very small universe, even nothingness, while becoming very large says that one can exist in the infinite and "all that is." These alternative states of being and existence fit well with the migration of spirit and life energy between dimensions and worlds, lives and existences. The Druids of old understood this and taught it so widely that even the classical historians remarked about it in their writings about Celtic cultures.
If one wishes to touch, communicate or be with others in different forms of being, then one must open to the possibilities and become "very large or very small through spiritual and mental disciplines. Some of these disciplines require fearlessness in approaching leaving the body or "dying" that is much greater than the fear of release that many people experience in the more normal forms of such phenomena: love, sex and empathy.
One must know the self and the ways of worlds along the Druid way to be able to achieve communion with other spiritual beings. The alternative to this choice is to become locked into a static and stale form/body/way of seeing things. Getting imprisoned in such cages becomes a life of despair and loneliness. The fortress becomes the prison and the possibilities become non-existent. All life force and energy are put into maintaining the walls at that point in a person's development.
Fortunately for most, death releases us from these prisons whether we struggle against it or not. When the spirit flies free to once again experience the infinite and the limitless, it rejoices. Unfortunately for many, the mind and consciousness forget the lessons of a life wasted and repeat the cycle over and over again. This is why death practices and rituals are very important in religions. These practices assist loved ones and beings in retaining their wisdom to make informed choices at death and birth as well as in future lives.
As Druids, we should investigate and offer to others these forms of life and living that go beyond the safe cages of many philosophies. We should teach and testify to the wonders that are beyond one string, stream or dimension and open the doors to many woven strings of fabrics and interlinked potentials in being that are beyond the norm and very much Otherworldly. Developing new and expanded ways of seeing and being are two of the first things I teach any of my students. The magic and mystery of being is that we have an awareness of ourselves and the worlds at all. Let's learn to use these characteristics and gifts so that we can regain ourselves from the void. We are lucky that the spirit streams of families bless us with this continuity of life, love and being. ~ www.summerlands.com