Post by KittyLane on Jan 30, 2007 0:35:43 GMT -5
The Celtic Connection
The Cwmry
The Cwmry, or Celts, are a collection of tribes that descended from a fair-skinned People who survived the Great Flood on the western slopes of the Himalayan Mountains. They spoke a common language that is the root of many dialects native to Northern Europe, of which Gaelic and Welsh are prime examples. In the Age of Capricorn, following the Great Deluge, it is told that certain of them remembered the Ancient Wisdom. These teachers began to teach the people how to live together in harmony with Mother Earth and Father Sky, worshipping with music and dancing. The heavens guided their spirit and the Earth guided their bodies to know which foods would sustain and heal them. When asked who they were, the teachers replied, "We are Pan," meaning "We are all of one mind," for this is the meaning of the name. These bearers of ancient Wisdom are commemorated with the head of a goat and the pipes of music to remind us of the age when the Old Wisdom Religion was first introduced to the Celtic people.
After about 2,150 years, the Sun moved into alignment with the stars of Sagittarius and the Celts befriended the horses who had multiplied and flourished in the mountains. They provided the Cwmry with the means to explore farther lands, and they rode down out of the mountains to the west, into the lands of Greece. The Greeks were astonished at the skill with which human and horse moved as one being, and referred to them as Centaurs, or the Horse-Men. The leader of these equestrian travelers was a great teacher and healer named Chiron. His perceptions of the universe inspired many of the Greeks to learn the ancient wisdom and magical arts that he freely shared with them.
Among them was one named Aescalapius, meaning "the man-teaching serpent." He traveled throughout Greece, teaching the Wisdom of Chiron and founding the ancient mystery schools of that land. These schools of wisdom later produced the great teacher named Hermes, who summarized the basic concepts of the universe into what is known as The Hermetic Principles. He later traveled to Egypt and brought these teachings to the early pharaohs in the Age of Taurus. These same teachings were thus learned by Mosiah, who led the Israelites out of Egypt at the beginning of the Age of Aries.
By the Age of Gemini, about 8,500 years ago, the Celts had migrated across the European continent. At that time a new priesthood of Wisdom arose to lead the tribes of Cwmry (the traditional name for the Celtic people). With their guidance they entered into a time of peace and prosperity that lasted for nearly 6,000 years. This priesthood worshipped in Sacred Groves, the temples of Nature, where the powers of Father Sun and Mother Earth manifest their glory. They were known as Druids, from the root word "dru," meaning "tree", and "wid" , which means "knowing." The Druids instructed their tribes to plant fruit and nut trees everywhere they traveled, until all of Europe became a beautiful garden providing for all the needs of the people as they followed the seasons.
The Druids of each region met annually at the Summer Solstice to renew the laws by which the tribes could maintain their alliances. Every seven years they would have a Grand Council for the Druids of all tribes to share their visions of how to keep the nations in harmony with the Divine Will of the gods and goddesses who guided their destiny.
The Druids were the teachers, historians, physicians, counselors, musicians, seers, artisans and warrior chiefs of their tribes and villages. Each profession had a patron god or goddess whose powers guided their skills and teachings. There were essentially three grades of Druidic priesthood. Those in the apprenticeship grade were called Bards. A part of their general education required a memorization of the ancient triads of history, lore, legends and mythology. The study also included genealogy, storytelling, singing, and music. This remained an oral tradition, with a written outline preserved in stone and wood in the carvings of Ogham script. In the 1200's this tradition was translated onto paper in such bardic writings as the Red Book of Hergest and the White Book of Rhydderch. These surviving legends were later compiled into a work called "The Mabinogion."
Those of the next grade of Celtic priesthood were called Ovates, or seers. This level of study concerned the practice of magic, herbalism, healing, alchemy, divination and weather working. The highest grade of the Order was the Druid. This study was concerned with learning to communicate with the cosmic mental world and the Gods and the practice of "high magic" through application of Hermetic principles of physics to influence the events of the mortal world. They functioned as clergy, teachers, mediators and judges to their respected tribes.
Information about the preservation of Celtic culture is presented by the Clannada na Gadelica.
The Cwmry
The Cwmry, or Celts, are a collection of tribes that descended from a fair-skinned People who survived the Great Flood on the western slopes of the Himalayan Mountains. They spoke a common language that is the root of many dialects native to Northern Europe, of which Gaelic and Welsh are prime examples. In the Age of Capricorn, following the Great Deluge, it is told that certain of them remembered the Ancient Wisdom. These teachers began to teach the people how to live together in harmony with Mother Earth and Father Sky, worshipping with music and dancing. The heavens guided their spirit and the Earth guided their bodies to know which foods would sustain and heal them. When asked who they were, the teachers replied, "We are Pan," meaning "We are all of one mind," for this is the meaning of the name. These bearers of ancient Wisdom are commemorated with the head of a goat and the pipes of music to remind us of the age when the Old Wisdom Religion was first introduced to the Celtic people.
After about 2,150 years, the Sun moved into alignment with the stars of Sagittarius and the Celts befriended the horses who had multiplied and flourished in the mountains. They provided the Cwmry with the means to explore farther lands, and they rode down out of the mountains to the west, into the lands of Greece. The Greeks were astonished at the skill with which human and horse moved as one being, and referred to them as Centaurs, or the Horse-Men. The leader of these equestrian travelers was a great teacher and healer named Chiron. His perceptions of the universe inspired many of the Greeks to learn the ancient wisdom and magical arts that he freely shared with them.
Among them was one named Aescalapius, meaning "the man-teaching serpent." He traveled throughout Greece, teaching the Wisdom of Chiron and founding the ancient mystery schools of that land. These schools of wisdom later produced the great teacher named Hermes, who summarized the basic concepts of the universe into what is known as The Hermetic Principles. He later traveled to Egypt and brought these teachings to the early pharaohs in the Age of Taurus. These same teachings were thus learned by Mosiah, who led the Israelites out of Egypt at the beginning of the Age of Aries.
By the Age of Gemini, about 8,500 years ago, the Celts had migrated across the European continent. At that time a new priesthood of Wisdom arose to lead the tribes of Cwmry (the traditional name for the Celtic people). With their guidance they entered into a time of peace and prosperity that lasted for nearly 6,000 years. This priesthood worshipped in Sacred Groves, the temples of Nature, where the powers of Father Sun and Mother Earth manifest their glory. They were known as Druids, from the root word "dru," meaning "tree", and "wid" , which means "knowing." The Druids instructed their tribes to plant fruit and nut trees everywhere they traveled, until all of Europe became a beautiful garden providing for all the needs of the people as they followed the seasons.
The Druids of each region met annually at the Summer Solstice to renew the laws by which the tribes could maintain their alliances. Every seven years they would have a Grand Council for the Druids of all tribes to share their visions of how to keep the nations in harmony with the Divine Will of the gods and goddesses who guided their destiny.
The Druids were the teachers, historians, physicians, counselors, musicians, seers, artisans and warrior chiefs of their tribes and villages. Each profession had a patron god or goddess whose powers guided their skills and teachings. There were essentially three grades of Druidic priesthood. Those in the apprenticeship grade were called Bards. A part of their general education required a memorization of the ancient triads of history, lore, legends and mythology. The study also included genealogy, storytelling, singing, and music. This remained an oral tradition, with a written outline preserved in stone and wood in the carvings of Ogham script. In the 1200's this tradition was translated onto paper in such bardic writings as the Red Book of Hergest and the White Book of Rhydderch. These surviving legends were later compiled into a work called "The Mabinogion."
Those of the next grade of Celtic priesthood were called Ovates, or seers. This level of study concerned the practice of magic, herbalism, healing, alchemy, divination and weather working. The highest grade of the Order was the Druid. This study was concerned with learning to communicate with the cosmic mental world and the Gods and the practice of "high magic" through application of Hermetic principles of physics to influence the events of the mortal world. They functioned as clergy, teachers, mediators and judges to their respected tribes.
Information about the preservation of Celtic culture is presented by the Clannada na Gadelica.
Heres Searl's work on the subject...You should read it too Kitty.