By Trebomâros Auingnos, 04-05-18
Magic 1 is the overview of the role of magicians in an Indo-European society. Students will learn a basic magical system at an introductory level and study ancient Indo-European conceptions of magic and their relation to modern magical principals. The primary goal of this course is to for the student to become more aware of the concepts and models of magic in the Indo-European world, as well as some of their modern translations and equivalents.
Exit Standards:
1. Discuss the importance of the action of the magico-religious function as it is seen within the context of general Indo-European culture. (minimum 100 words)
Within the Indo-European culture group, social groupings were used to cover needed aspects of the community and related with the world around them. Farmers and slaves produced food and goods, warriors protected the people from threats who would cause harm, and then there were specialists who covered a wide array of additional services to the community. In the early 1900s, a French comparative philologist named Georges Dumézil analyzed Indo-European mythology and came up with an analysis of sovereignty and power within those cultures, divided into three functions. (Mallory, p.130-131)
According to Dumézil, the first function of these three embraces sovereignty and is marked by a priestly stratum of society which maintained magical/religious and legal order. A wide array of community services fell within this category which included rulers, kings, chieftains, priest, diviners, mages, healers, etc. The services within this function helped round out the culture so it could better deal with the environmental, social, and political realities that existed within Indo-European cultures that were not covered within the other two functions. (Mallory, p.132)
2. Discuss your understanding of the evolution of the magician from early to late periods within one Indo-European culture. (minimum 300 words)
As different Indo-European societies developed, the figure of the magician in those societies evolved in different ways. In Greek and Roman societies, the magical function shifted away from the priestly class and moved more into the area of mystical and secret orders, unlike the Celts where the role of the magician stayed as a specialized function of the priestly class. Given the amount of information that is available within these cultures, for this question, I will be focusing on the Greeks.
The earliest writings within Greek culture involving magicians, known as Magi, occurred during the 5th century BCE. This period was the shift between the Archaic and the Classical Periods in Greek history (Magic, p. 21). Before the introduction of the Magi, there were local witch-doctors called phármakon who people would go to for medicine as well as poisons. They were also said to be able to control the weather and call forth the power of the dead for their purposes (Magic, p. 28). The Magi, who were introduced to the Greeks by the Persians, spread quickly throughout the Greek city-states. In Persia, the magi were a religious order that was responsible for royal sacrifices, funeral rites, methods of divination, and dream interpretations. They were seen as “masters of all things relating to the gods”. (Magic, p. 20) As they came into Greece, they had to adjust to the new environment as well as compete with the local competition, the phármakon. Through the 5th century BCE, the use of the word magi spread throughout Greece and the use of the word phármakon decreased, showing the people’s preference between the two groups. (Magic, p. 29)
We gain insight into how this happened when we move from the Classical Period into the Hellenistic Period (4th to the 2nd century, BCE). The Magi by this time had organized themselves into organizational structures similar to the religious mystical orders, where the phármakon had not. Never truly integrating into the mainstream religious traditions, the magi served the population by performing rites that fell outside the normal ritual practices of the Greek religious institutions. There was mistrust by the populace which caused the magi by this time period to be seen as invokers of infernal powers, lesser spirits, and the souls of the dead. (Magic, p.23) Many people, for example: Plato, felt that any religious act that fell outside the socially acceptable framework of the polis should be considered a criminal act; mainly because they saw magic as secret, private, morally questionable, and rooted in foreign religions. (Magic, p. 26)
When the Romans came into the picture and conquered Greece (2nd century BCE to the 4th century CE), the magical orders of the magi spread through the rest of the empire. They continued to provide their services to the populace, despite the Roman tendency to not trust foreigners and religious practices that were considered strange. It was during this time when the views on the Otherworld and the structure of how the gods interacted with each other went through a major shift. (Magic, p. 232) A divine hierarchical structure became presumed by the local religions (to support the newly formed empire through “divine sanction”) and mystical as well as religious orders adjusted accordingly. The practice of Theurgy became popular as an alternative option to the mystical and magical orders of the Magi. (Divination, p. 150) Theurgy was a ritual practice that developed in the 2nd century CE and claimed that their practices worked in accord with the will of the gods as well as the ultimate truth of the universe. They used their rituals to purify the soul and to drive for a utopia in the here and now. (Divination, p.150)
Theurgy became popular among Neo-Platonist and among the growing Christian community. The magi orders declined as the new systems rose in popularity with many of them converting over to the new systems. By the end of the Roman Empire, the magician had become associated with devil worship, black masses, and human sacrifice to gain supernatural power from dark and infernal gods. The magi, who in Persia were considered one of the highly respected groups in society, over several hundred years moved away from their religious roots and eventually fell to their own lack of centralized unity to be replaced by the new order that called on one unified god. (Magic, p. 233)
3. Compare and contrast the culturally institutionalized position of the magician within at least two Indo-European cultures. (minimum 300 words)
When you look at the structural breakdown of how the Greeks approached their spiritual practices, we immediately see correlations with how the Celts approached religion based on both historical and archaeological information. At the base level, you have your everyday spiritual practices at temples where priests, known within the Gaulish tribes as Gutuater, would give their offerings, perform sacrifices to the gods, and participate in well-known methods of divination such as the reading of entrails. (Druids, p. 115). Next, you would have your specialists who would specialize in investigations into odd situations or for special occasions that involve the various beings of the Otherworld. In Greece, they were known as the Mantis and with the Celts, especially in Ireland, they were known as the Filidh. (Divination, p. 109; Druids, p. 124). These diviners would be trained in various forms of investigation methods including divination practices. Lastly, you have people who were considered ritual specialists who would be experts of various ritual practices and would be called upon for special situations that the community required such as war, illness, and other major events. For the Greeks, these specialists were known as the Magi and with the Celts, this is where the Druids come in. (Divination, p. 144; Druids, p. 32)
Like the Greek Magi, the Druids were ritual specialist who would be specially trained in various religious ritual practices. (Druids, p. 46) One of the biggest differences however between the Magi and the Druids was how the two cultures viewed them. With the Greeks, the Magi either were independent contractors who had been initiated into a Magi order. People didn’t get involved with these specialists unless they felt that they needed to, mainly because most of the time the Magi were considered outsiders on the fringe of society and they were called in to perform rituals that many people in the larger communities considered to be morally neutral or down-right devious. (Divination, pp.145, 173) The Celts on the other hand held the Otherworld and those who interact with it with far more reverence and respect. Instead of being independent contractors, they had Druid institutes where people would receive education and training, sometimes up to 20 years. (Druids, pp. 40-42) Druids also had important social functions within the communities, such as being mediators in legal disputes, educators of tribal kings, and ritual specialists in religious practices. (Druids, pp. 44, 45) In addition, the major temples and shrines, at least the one’s with the Gaulish tribal regions would have at least one Druid employed there all the time in case they needed one. (Druids, pp. 115, 116)
One thing that you do see that is constant between the Greeks and the Celts is the view that the practices of the Magi and Druids were used for specific reasons and was believed to fulfill a specific social function within their own cultures. (Divination, p.109; Druids, p. 44) In addition, depending on the population density of the region the Magi or the Druid were in, they might also be trained as diviners, priest, or some other profession. This was seen more in rural areas where the population was not as dense in both the Greek and Celtic regions, and since the Celtic regions were by their nature more rural than the Mediterranean areas, this type of cross training was much more prevalent with them. (Divination, pp. 95, 96; Druids, p.124)
4. Identify the terms used within one Indo-European language to identify ‘magic’ and ‘magician’ examining what these terms indicate about the position of the magician and the practice of his or her art. (minimum 100 words)
As stated in the answer for question three: the Celts referred to their ritual specialists and magicians as druids. There is some variation in the spelling of this word between the Goidelic and Brittonic Celtic languages, such as the Irish spelling Draoí and the Welsh spelling Derwydd (Ogam, p. 30; Druids, p.157), but regardless of the variation, the word druid has its root in the Proto-Celtic word *druwid, which is made up of two parts. The first part, *dru, means “oak” in Proto-Celtic, but it can also mean “strong” or “firm” like the oak. The second part, *weyd/wid, means to “see” or “know”. Traditionally, the word druid has been translated to mean “oak wisdom or knowledge”, but it is viewed today as meaning “strong/firm seeing or understanding” (Myths, p. 156; Proto-Celt, p. 107). So the druids where those able to have strong sight and firm insight into matters of the world and the Otherworld. This translation is consistent with our understanding of the role the druids had in Celtic society being ritual specialists. A specialist is someone with deep knowledge within their field and with the Celts predisposition towards groves of trees as sacred sites, this adds to the sense that they were specialist with deep knowledge and insight towards the gods and the Otherworld. (Druids, p. 18-19)
When it comes to defining the word magic in Celtic, we need to take a closer look at the division of language within the Celtic regions and the functions of magical practices. The Celtic languages are divided into two sub-groups, Goidelic Celtic and Brittonic Celtic. (Proto-Celtic, p.13) Depending on which one you are looking at, the words they use for magical practices differ. For the Goidelic Celtic languages, particularly Irish, the general word for magic is druídecht, which means “the art of the Druids”.(Ogam, 48). Despite this general use of the word today though, much of the language used that connotes magic lies in the type of magic one is performing. Examples of this includes the old Irish words Bricht, which is a magical formula or incantation and Obaidh, which also means “spell or incantation” (Celtic Britain, p. 63 and 58). In the Brittonic Celtic languages (Welsh, Cornish, and British), the general word for magic is hud, which has its roots in the Proto-Celtic word *soyto which means “to bind” but can also mean to charm or illusion (Proto-Celtic, p. 352). The Brittonic languages also have their own set of words for different magical practices such as Brith, which in old Welsh means “magical charm” (Proto-Celtic, p. 79).
When looking at the relationship between the languages used for magic and the role of the magician, the difference in the primary use of the word “magic” in the Goidelic and Brittonic Celtic make a clear distinction. The regions that spoke Goidelic Celt saw a clear connection between magic and the Druids. The regions that spoke Brittonic Celt did not, or not as much as the Goidelic regions. There is not clear reason why this is the case other than that the Brittonic Celtic regions were dominated by the Roman Empire for a long time. Given that the Romans did what they could to wipe out the Druids, the separation of the idea of magic and the druids in these regions makes the most sense.
5. Compare the methodologies of spoken word magic and spirit magic and discuss their cultural significance within at least one Indo-European culture. (minimum 300 words)
Among the Celts, there is not a hard line between spoken charms/prayers and what would be considered spirit magic. All of their religious and magical practices involved the spirits of the Otherworld. What you do see though is many people used healing and divination charms as well as votive offerings for prayer work to the gods and Kindreds to assist in every day happenings. You also see the Druids practicing ritualized practices that intensify their experiences with the gods for many of the same reasons people made charms.
Charms found in Celtic culture have various purposes. They were used for methods of divination, requesting assistance in the act of binding someone to a particular course of action, protection of individuals and property from loss or harm, to bring health and long life to an individual or group, to punish someone for violating some form of behavior, etc. (Celtic Britain, pp. 58-68). The power of these charms are found throughout Celtic lore. In the tales of the Irish, the Bards and Filidh were trained in a practice known as Fáth. (Celtic Britain, p. 60) Through their training, they were able to call on otherworldly forces to manifest good ties and fortune through their praise poetry, bring illness and bad fortune through the use of satire, or through ritual chanting and rhythm induce trance states to ramble in poetic prophecy. (Druids, p. 124). One of the most famous charms used by the Celts was a practice known as the Thumb of Knowledge. According to Irish lore, this charm was used to give someone the “second sight”. They would press their thumb on a tooth in their mouth and sing a lay called a Tenm Laida. This charm would give them the ability to interact with beings of the Otherworld for methods of divination. (Celtic Britain, p.64) Other charms would involve gestures, objects that were considered connected to the Sidhe and the Otherworld, or just objects that were common to the local farming communities. (Celtic Britain, p.61)
More specialized forms of ritual practices were used to bring forth an intensified experience with spirits of the Otherworld for many of the same reasons people practiced charms. These direct interactions were reserved for the Filidh and the Druids who specialized in these types of work. An example of this type of practice comes to us through the Irish lore, known as the Tarbhfhess, or the Bull Sleep. The Tarbhfhess was a divination ritual where a Filidh was chosen and along with four other druids, would go to a remote location where a ritual would occur along with a cow sacrifice. The Filidh would then be wrapped in the cow’s fresh hide, eat the raw cow meat, and the four druids would sing and chant to put the Filidh into a trance state. This trance was used by the druids to assess who the next rightful king of Ireland would be. (Druids, p. 19). Ritual specializations would also be used in times of war in an attempt to cause frenzies among the warriors, as well as ritual practices to heal the sick and the wounded (Druids, p. 46).
The relationship between these charms and rituals are fairly strait forward. When looking at the Celtic nations, one of the key elements regarding religious and folk practices was communication with forces of the Otherworld to solicit assistance or favor (Druids, p. 30; Magic, p. 209). The words, gestures, postures, and other objects that were used were all important in the process of communication (Prayer, p. 17). These practices helped in fostering as sense of reciprocity among the population towards the gods and the sacred order (Prayer, pp. 10-12).
6. Discuss the existence and relative function of trance-journey magic within at least one Indo-European culture. (minimum 100 words)
Evidence for trance work and altered states of consciousness can be found throughout all the Indo-European cultures. Whether you are looking at the Greek incubation oracles (Divination, p. 90) or the practices of the Norse völva (Myths, p. 160), the practice of entering a trance state and having some form of direct experience with the Otherworld or even having a trance-like experience while you sleep is extensive. Within the Celtic tribes, we find evidence for this type of trance work in the historical documents and the legends and lore, even as recent as the 1700s. (Myths, p. 143)
One thing that is evident in the information provided is that trance-journey practices were used almost exclusively to gather information about important decisions or to gain a deeper understanding of current events such as the historical elements that brought the current situation to be or insight into how things will turn out. This form of divination was practiced primarily by Filidh or Druids, however there were accounts of people falling asleep in liminal spaces like at burial mounds and having a trance like experience while they slept. (Myths, p. 19, 143) Much of the lore does not distinguish between visionary sleep and rituals that induced visions. What the lore is clear on, however, was that it was common that either a Druid or a Filidh would be called upon to interpret what these people saw. (Myths, p. 142)
There are a few key elements when looking at the basic function of how Celtic style trance work is structured. First, it involves going to a remote location such as being out in the wilderness or some place that is removed from the boundaries of the social community and are considered to be liminal in nature. Liminal locations include wetlands, marshes, lakes, rivers, beaches, and waterfalls. Place where the dead are laid to rest and places that are considered dwellings of the Sidhe, particularly burial mounds and portal tombs, are also considered liminal in nature. (Myths, p. 152)
Second, it seems to include a wrapping or a blanket of some kind. The one item that is mentioned in Irish, Scottish, and Welsh lore is a fresh cow hide. (Myths, p. 143) Whether the cow hide was seen as something to protect the person from Otherworldly influences, environmental conditions, or as some form of tool to enhance the trance state is not clarified. In order for it to be fresh, a cow had to be sacrificed and in some cases, the Druid or the Filidh would suck or chew on the raw meat of the sacrificed animal as part of the ritual. The blood of the animal seemed to also have a role to play in this form of divination, but to what is unclear (Myths, p. 145)
Lastly, Celtic style trance work involved singing, chanting, or listening to some form of calming rhythmic sound like moving water. (Myths, p. 145, 152) Singing and chanting by the Druids or the Filidh could have been done alone or with a group of people and the rhythmic sounds seemed to drive people deeper into the trance state. In some cases such as with the seers in Wales, known as Awenyddion, through the songs and rhythmic sounds, they would enter a state where they would lose control of their bodies and speak random nonsense, similar to the rambling that you would find with the Oracle at Delphi, Greece. (Myths, p. 144; Divination, p. 40)
7. Discuss the place of alphabetic symbolism (runes, Ogham, Greek letters, etc) as part of the symbolism of magical practice within one Indo-European culture examine how this alphabet may or may not relate to the earlier sound, word and poetic magical methodologies. (minimum 300 words)
Evidence for writing systems among the Celts is sparse. According to Caesar in Commentaries on the Gallic War, the Druids thought it was improper to entrust their studies into writing because it would inhibit their practices of memorization and it would keep a close eye on who had access to the information. (Druids, p.10) Evidence among Celtic methods of writing are found in later periods, however, after the Roman Empire had spread across Europe and into Britain. Among the Celts of the British Isles, especially in southern Ireland in Munster, a writing system known as Ogham emerged in the 4th or 5th century CE. (Ogam, p. 26) Looking at the archaeology, history, and lore, it is clear that the later Celts in Ireland used ogham for uses in magical practices. The earliest found evidence of ogham has been found mainly on stones that mark funerary locations and territory boundaries, but also on bones and small stones. It is believed that the bones were used for divination purposes, such as the practice of using or throwing lots as well as the stones that were used as talismans. (Ogam, p. 26) The clearest example of ogham being used as a talisman is an amber stone that was donated to the British Museum of History by the O’Connor family who lives in the city of Ennis in county Clare. The amber stone had been in the O’Connor family for years and had the ogham letters ATUCMLU inscribed on it. The O’Connor family believed it was used for healing purposes to sooth sour eyes and to aid in childbirth. (Ogam, p. 27)
In addition to the archaeology, the history and legends of Ireland states that the ogham was used by the Druids in the pre-Christian times and it was believed that the ogham was originally created by the Irish god Ogam Mac Elathan who warns Lug Mac Ethlenn of a danger to his wife. In addition to this, in the Tochmarc Étaíne, a Druid named Dallan made four rods out of yew wood that were inscribed with ogham to locate Étaíne who had been kidnapped. (Ogam, p. 26) Even with the lack of physical evidence for the ogham before the 4th century CE as well as any use of it for magical practices prior to that time; it is obvious that by the Middle Ages the Irish saw the ogham as magical in nature with power of its own. (Ogam, p. 27)
8. Discuss three key magical techniques or symbols from one Indo-European culture. (minimum 100 words each)
As pointed out in question five: when looking at the Celts, one of the key elements regarding religious and folk magical and religious practices was communication with forces of the Otherworld to solicit assistance or favor (Druids, p. 30; Magic, p. 209). According to Ceisiwr Serith in his book, A Book of Pagan Prayer: there are six key practices that make up the act of prayer. These include, words, postures, motions, dance, music, and gesture (Prayer, pp. 17-27). Depending on the prayer or charm, these different methods will come up and be used in different ways. A good example of this is a charm from Scotland called the Frith. The Frith is a divination ritual/charm where the person performing it, the Frithear, walks sun-wise around the house with one eye closed and muttering a spell until they reach the doorstep of the house. They then make an “okay” gesture with their right hand and look through the hole between their thumb and their index finger. Based on what they saw, they would take an omen (Celtic Britain, p. 62). This magical charm/ritual involves three specific elements. The first is walking around the house, the second is muttering a spell or charm with one eye closed, and the last one is performing a gesture.
The first one, walking around the house in a sun-wise direction is prayer through motion (Prayer, p. 22). The act of motion is in itself a form of communication that is used to convey a sense of transition from one state to another. Specifically, the act of walking sun-wise is called circumambulation. Circumambulation is common among Indo-European cultures and the act always puts your right side towards the center of the space you are working in. Traditionally, the right hand is seen as the primary hand and to bring the right hand forward first shows a sense of honor and integrity. In addition, the act of circumambulation is seen as an act that builds up and establishes (Prayer, pp. 23, 24). In the case of the Frith, walking in circumambulation is shown as a sign of respect for the powers that were called on to communicate with the Frithear as well as establishing the subject that the divination would be about.
The second one is muttering a spell or charm with one eye closed. Unfortunately, the example did not give a clear indication of what charm was being verbally uttered, but the act of doing so with one eye closed shows something. In the Táin Bó Cúailnge, Queen Medb of Connacht, in order to defeat the hero Cú Chulainn, took the six children of Cailitín and had a “magical mutilation” performed to them, removing one leg, one arm, and one eye so they could be trained in war sorcery and turn the tide of battle in her favor (Druids, p. 100). Obviously, the removal or at least the closing of one eye has some relevance with the Otherworld, but the specifics as to why are not clear, just that they are connected with magical practices.
The third and final point is a prayer through gesture. The invocation and the request has been performed and this last element is the act of return. Gestures are specific motions of the hands that have their own meanings in the act of prayer and charms (Prayer, p. 27). Gestures where the hands are still and do not move communicate a sense of stillness and welcoming. Moving hands and gestures conveys other types of messages (Prayer, p. 28). One thing to keep in mind is that communication in prayer and charms and communication in everyday life follow the same rules. If a particular gesture is everyday life is seen as rude or disrespectful, it might also do so in relation to communication with the gods and spirits (Magic, p. 210). In this particular example, the gestures being used as a focus point for the spirits to direct their communication so the Frithear can understand what they are being told.
9. Discuss the relative place and methodologies of magic within your personal religious/spiritual practice. (minimum 100 words)
My personal relationship with magical practice has changed over the years. When I first started on my druid path, I was heavy into trance work. Celtic Shamanism was a popular thing at the time and though I found the works of DJ Conway and John and Caitlin Matthews at the beginning to be inspiring; I later found it to contradict the historical lore and- though their writings got me started- they were not able to go beyond that. Despite this, however, I performed my weekly trance meditations and I went out into my local area (La Crosse, WI) and got to know the spirits of the land as well as the local folklore of the Upper Midwest. I eventually chose to retire from my magical practice for personal reasons, but I could not step away from my spiritual practices. I still gave offerings and prayers, although not as much, and I would still have spontaneous interactions with the gods and spirits that I grew to know in my shamanic days.
Today, all my magical practice revolves around my home shrine and my family’s hearth. The items on our home shrine are charms that are imbued with properties of being anchor points for the spiritual energies we invoke so they can more readily come into our space. They also work as mediums for the gods we honor as well as spiritual beings that we interact with to communicate what they need to tell us. We also use our home shrine as a center point, much like a doorway, for welcoming the Kindreds into our home to celebrate in fellowship. In addition to working at our home shrine, I also perform land walks, where I explore the local area (usually with my son), to get to know the spirits of our local river, forest and mountains, giving votive offerings in fellowship. This is done on a regular basis when the weather is nice, not so much in winter. I do perform divinations with my chosen tools to get a deeper understanding into the things I am dealing with, mainly life, career, and family concerns and I rarely use trance work anymore. Many of the tools I used for my spirit-walks, excluding my staff, I no longer have. Once and a while, I will have a prophetic style dream when someone wants to make a point, but I this is not something I actively seek out anymore. Any spirit work that I do is directed towards living with a quality relationship with my local environment, connecting with the land and the community in a way that is friendly and beneficial to all involved.
10. Into which basic categories would you divide magical arts and how do you see those categories functioning within the context of ADF? (minimum 300 words)
After researching the nature of magical practices with the Celts, Norse (even though I did not reference them much in this work) and the Greeks, it is obvious that magic was seen above all things as a gift and a tool to commune with the Otherworld because that interaction is what brings forth what we call magic into this world. Like with all gifts however, it is up to us to decide how to use them. The nine virtues of the ADF provides a guideline for proper behavior for members of the ADF community, not just between each other, but with the Kindreds and the gods. With that being said, I would break down the practice of magic by its practical function in relation to the values of the ADF. By doing so, we provide a genuine purpose to our practices.
Invocation: This is where you call on a god or spirit to be present for an event or to assist in some form of work in life. What became obvious through the research is that when one interacts with the gods, their presence causes certain physiological and psychological effects to people including clairvoyance, spontaneous healing of others, the ability to speak in tongues, etc. All other forms of spirit work involves this. Inviting a being into your home is first and foremost about hospitality. Being a proper host is key in this. It is also about piety and integrity. Being honest in your intentions and showing the proper forms of respect to your guest are key to building positive and functional relationships.
Pilgrimage and Gift Giving: In this case, this would be the opposite of invocation. Instead of calling the gods to you, you go to where they dwell and make contact there. How you approach these places and the prayers/gifts we come with involves a sense of hospitality and piety. Doing so can take courage depending on where you need to go, especially if it involves traveling overseas to remote locations.
Divination: Divination is communication with beings of the Otherworld. This can be done through tools like tarot cards and rune stones, or if you need more of a direct interaction, the use of trance and vision. Divination can also involve the use of trance to have a god choose to possess an individual to speak directly to them. Vision and integrity come up as key elements regarding communicating with the divine. Seeking knowledge is by its nature something that is done to broaden your perspective and being genuine in why you are approaching the Kindreds is also important. Fertility is also an element with divination in that you need to be creative in how you interpret the omens that come to you and you must take the information that they send to you and use it in a way that produces positive growth and development in your life and the lives of the people around you.
Health: Spells and charms that bring health and healing is a major factor among the ancient pagan practices. Today, our understanding of medicine, psychology, and how the body works is far better than it was 2,000 years ago. We also understand that certain items that our ancestors used for healing and medicine, like mistletoe, are actually quite poisonous and should not be used in healing rituals. This growth in understanding is shown through with the virtue of wisdom. Perseverance and moderation are also key elements in practicing healing. Even when invoking the gods, the work we do to heal ourselves and others can take time and sometimes we need to take a break so our body, mind, and soul can recover from what we are going through.
Protection: Invoking a spirit or a god to assistance in the act of binding someone to a particular course of action or the protection of individuals and property from loss or harm are fundamental things that help with our overall lives. We just have to make sure that the act of binding is done not to cause harm to others, but also to prevent harm to all. Having the wisdom to see and understand this is key. Also, having the courage to act when needed and call on the gods or spirits that you need to is needed. Sometimes though, you need to be creative in how you apply these protections. This is where fertility comes in. Being creative in how you adjust to situations as well as creating a space that is safe, productive, and just to the people who live there adds to the safety and security of all.
Prosperity: There is a taboo in modern Neo-pagan culture about performing money rituals and performing services for financial compensation. Our ancestors had no problem with this, although there were compromises that needed to happen to keep the systems moving forward. Performing charms and ritual acts to bring forth prosperity, good luck, and financial fortune was not looked down on as long as in doing so, you did not take from the wealth of others, causing them harm. In order to do so, you need to show integrity, wisdom, and moderation. We live on a planet with limited resources and right now, there are people who are hoarding vast amount of goods and every culture that has existed where this was the case has fallen (wisdom). That type of hoarding also shows a lack of trust and integrity towards others and shows an excessiveness in appetites. The blessings of prosperity should be done with the genuine intention of improving the way of life for you and your community. By acquiring prosperity to share prosperity, we honor ourselves, our communities, and the gods who provided the way towards success.
Resources:
- Davidson, H.R. Ellis. Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe Syracuse University Press. Syracuse, 1988.
- Graf, Fritz. Magic in the Ancient World Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1999
- Green, Miranda. The World of the Druids Thames and Hudson. London, 1997
- Johnston, Sarah. Ancient Greek Divination Wiley-Blackwell. West Sussex, 2008
- Laurie, Erynn Rowan. Ogam: Weaving Word Wisdom Megalithica Books. Stafford, 2007
- Mallory, J.P. In Search of the Indo-Europeans Thames & Hudson. London, 1991
- Matasović, Ranko. Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic Koninklijke Brill. Boston. 2009
- Serith, Ceisiwr. A Book of Pagan Prayer Weiser Books. Boston, 2002
- Spence, Lewis. The Magic Arts In Celtic Britain Dover Publications, Mineola, 1999
Nemeton Dumnonantu 