In your hands I place my heart
Beating true to what is held dear.
And into your keeping I give my soul
Radiant with the reflection of your light.
If you should have need, I will know
For we are bound beyond time forevermore.
Your arms are my haven and my stronghold.
My body is your comfort in the storm.
Bound in a circle of fire and steel
Our spirits will find each other through the years.

~~ Source Unknown ~~

ABOUT BELTANE

Beltane is celebrated on May 1st and is one of the original Celtic
festivals, Samhain being the other one. Beltane or May Day is also known as the Lover’s holiday. Beltane is pronounced bel-tene, “a goodly fire” or bel-dine, the offering of cattle, dine to the God Bel. Though the latter is thought to somehow have been connected to the Celtic god Belenus, though this has not been proven.

Beltane is one of the four Celtic Fire festivals, and is probably the second most important festival next to Samhain. Beltane is primarily a sun festival and was performed during the day.

The most important part of Beltane was the kindling of the fires. The Irish Celts would extinguish their fires the night before and would eat a cold meal to insure that all fires were out. Then they would attend the ceremony, returning with an ember to once more start their fires. The fire festival later evolved into the Celts driving their cattle through two fires to purify the herd. This was done to insure the good health of the cattle for the coming year. Modern day pagans will jump over the Beltane fires, though very few actually know why they do so.

The Beltane role in fertility rites is not as old as some people think. They were however a natural extension of the planting season. May Day was the time when the crops planted earlier would begin to sprout. The story goes that Beltane marks the wedding of the Goddess and God, and that their coupling brings new life to the earth. The awakening of spring marks the end of winter. It is also the custom that this is the day of handfastings.

The use of the May pole also has sexual implications, the pole representing the phallus and the ribbons that are tied to it connect oneself to the Goddess. As they dance around the Pole, the wreath (the Goddess) would descend down the pole, thus consummating their marriage.

Beltane is also a Tree festival; many of the fires were lit under a sacred tree. For the Celts, this use of the Tree represents death and rebirth. The tree, appearing dead in the winter, would begin to spout new branches and leaves during this time, signifying the coming of summer. This use of the tree later evolved into the May pole festival. It should also be also noted that The Celts would also tie rags and pieces of personal articles to the tree in attempt to connect themselves to the spirit of the tree.

The other myth that is tied to Beltane is that of Shapeshifting. Beltane, like its counterpart, Samhain, has mystical implications. Once more the veil to other world is thinned and thus strange doings happen on this day. In Ireland, Hags, or witches, are given to shapeshift into hares and steal all the butter from the cattle. Even in Ireland today, the men hunt down and kill all the hares in the fields with the cattle. The epic chase of Ceridwen and Gwion, which resulted in producing Taliesin, is a prime example of the changes of seasons and consummation of the Goddess and God.

RITUAL

The following was created using poems by John Herrick and Caitlin Matthews plus parts of a Ceremony found in The Book of Druidry. This ceremony is designed to be generic and for the use of those who do not have a specific God or Goddess to call upon, but who nonetheless feel connected to the Celtic festivals. Some of the poems have been altered to fit the general concept of Beltane.

The ceremony shall be as follows:

First: All will enter from the East in honor of this beinga solar festival. All hold an unlit candle.

Second: Everyone who is participating will pick up a ribbon. Those who are playing parts of East, South, West, and North will stand in their perspective positions.

Third: The leader will open up the ceremony by lighting the fire and saying the following:

LEADER:
In the beginning gleaming fire was I
Grant, O Spirits of our Celtic ancestors, thy Protection,
And in protection, Strength
And in strength, Understanding
And in understanding, Knowledge
And in Knowledge, Knowledge of Justice
And in Knowledge of Justice, the Love of it
And in the Love of it, the Love of all Existence
And the Love of all Existence, the Love of Ourselves

ALL MOVE ONE FULL TURN CLOCKWISE
ALL SAY: MAY THERE BE PEACE IN THE EAST

EAST:
We will go as wren in spring,
With sorrow and sighing on silent wing,
And we shall go in our Ancestors’ names
Aye, till we come home again

Then we shall follow as falcon’s grey
And hunt thee cruelly for our prey
And we shall go in your good names
Aye, to fetch thee home again

ALL MOVE ONE FULL TURN CLOCKWISE
ALL SAY: MAY THERE BE LOVE IN THE SOUTH

SOUTH:
Then we will go as a mouse in May
In fields by night, in cellars by day,
And we shall go in our Ancestors’ names
Aye, till we come home again

Then we shall follow as black tom cats,
And hunt thee through corn and vats,
And we shall go in your good names
Aye, to fetch thee home again

ALL MOVE ONE FULL TURN CLOCKWISE
ALL SAY: MAY THERE BE HARMONY IN THE WEST

WEST:
Then we shall go as an autumn hare,
With sorrow and sighing and mickle care
And we shall go in our Ancestors’ names
Aye, till we come home again

Then we shall follow as swift grey hounds
And hunt thy tracks by leaps and bounds
And we shall go in your good names
Aye, to fetch thee home again

ALL MOVE ONE FULL TURN CLOCKWISE
ALL SAY: MAY THERE BE TRUTH IN THE NORTH

NORTH:
Then we shall go as winter trout
With sorrow and sighing and mickle doubt
And we shall go in Our Ancestors’ names
Aye, till we come home again

Then we shall follow as otter’s swift
And snare thee fast ere thou canst shift
And we shall go in your good names
Aye till we fetch thee home again

ALL MOVE ONE FULL TURN CLOCKWISE

LEADER:
Come; let us go while we are in our prime,
And take the harmless folly of the time.
And, as a vapor or a drop of rain
Once lost, can ne’er be found again
So when or you or I are made
A fable, song, or fleeting shade,
All love, all liking, all delight
Lies drowned with us in endless night.
Then while time serves and we are but decaying
Come, my friends, come, and let’s go a-Maying!

ALL SAY:
WE SWEAR BY PEACE, LOVE, HARMONY AND TRUTH TO STAND
HEART TO HEART AND HAND IN HAND
MARK, O SPIRIT, AND HEAR US NOW
CONFIRIMING THIS OUR SACRED VOW

ALL EXIT WEST BY JUMPING OVER THE FIRE AND LIGHTING THEIR CANDLE

FOODS

MEADE

1/2 gallon water
1-1/2 cups raw honey
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice

Heat all ingredients together over medium heat in a large pot.
As the honey melts, an oily crust forms at the top.
DO NOT REMOVE.
When it is well blended, remove from the heat, stirring occasionally as it cools.
This is the non-alcoholic version.

FARLS

3 cups real mashed potatoes
2 cups dry oats
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
Pinch of rosemary

Soak oats in warm water for 15 minutes until soft and swollen.
Mix them with all other ingredients in a large bowl.
Knead till mixture is like thick dough.
Make patties, fry in hot oil until brown.
Serve immediately.

BELTANE CREAM PIE

1 cup milk
1 cup cream
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla
Ground nutmeg
Prepared piecrust, already cooked.

Melt butter in pan over medium heat.
In separate bowl add milk to cornstarch, making sure it is
fully dissolved.
Add this and all other ingredients to pan, except vanilla and nutmeg.
Stir till mixture becomes thick.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Pour mixture into piecrust and sprinkle with nutmeg.
Serve chilled.

OATCAKES – IRISH

6 ounces Oatmeal (preferably fine)
2 ounces flour
1 teaspoon Salt
10 fluid ounces warm water

Mix flour and salt together.
Slowly add warm water.
Roll out on a floured board to 1/4 inch thick.
Cut into triangles.
Cook on a pan or griddle until golden on both sides.
Dry out in a cool oven (300º) until crisp.
These cakes are eaten buttered, with a glass of milk, for supper,
but are also terrific with wine and cheese.

OATCAKES – SCOTS

1/2 cup Shortening
1 cup Oats or quick-cooking oats
1 cup All-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 – 3 Tablespoons Cold Water

Cut shortening into next four ingredients until mixture resembles
fine crumbs. Add water, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until it forms stiff dough.
Roll until 1/8 inch thick on lightly floured surface.
Cut into 2-inch rounds or squares.
Place on un-greased cookie sheet and bake at 375º until
they just start to brown – 12 to 15 minutes.
Bake on a hot griddle or frying pan until the edges begin to curl.
Turn over and cook the other side.
Do not let the oatcakes brown; they should be a pale fawn color.
Put on a wire rack to cool.
They are delicious served with cheese.

IRISH SODA BREAD

1-1/2 cups All-purpose flour — unbleached, enriched
1-1/2 cups Whole wheat flour — stone-ground
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
1-1/4 cups Buttermilk

Set the baking rack in the center of the oven and place a
baking stone (if available) on the rack.
Preheat the oven to 375º.
In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
Mix to incorporate.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk.
Mix quickly to incorporate the milk evenly.
It may be easier to mix with the hands than with a spoon.
Form the dough into a loaf shape and place in a nonstick 8-1/2
x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2″ loaf pan.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes, until
well browned and a skewer inserted in the center comes out dry.
Remove from the oven and the baking pan.
Place on a wire rack to cool.

SAND TARTS (OLD GERMAN STYLE)

2-1/2 cups Sugar
2 cups Butter
2 each Egg, well beaten
1 each Egg white
4 cups Flour
Pecans
Cinnamon

Cream the butter and sugar together.
Slowly add the flour, working it in well.
Add the well-beaten eggs and mix thoroughly.
Chill over night.
Roll out thin on lightly floured board.
Brush cookies with the egg white that has been slightly beaten.
Sprinkle with sugar and a little cinnamon.
Press 1/2 pecan into center of cookie.
Bake at 350º for about 10 minutes.

Sources:

Bord, Janet & Colin – Earth Rites, Fertility Practices in Pre-Industrial Britain, Granada, London, 1982.
Carr-Gomm, Philip – The Elements of the Druid Tradition Element Books, Rockport, MA 1998
Danaher, Kevin – The Year in Ireland, The Mercier Press, Cork, 1972.
Henes, Donna – Celestially Auspicious Occasions: Seasons, Cycles & Celebrations, A Pedigree Book. NY, NY 1996
Hole, Christina – Witchcraft in England, Rowman & Littlefield, Totowa NJ, 1977.
Holleston, T.W. – Celtic Mythology: History, Legends and Deities, NewCastle Publishing, Van Nuys, CA 1997
MacCana, Proinsias – Celtic Mythology, The Hamlyn Publishing Group, Ltd., London, 1970.
MacCulloch, J.A. – Religion of the Ancient Celts, Folcroft Library Editions, London, 1977.
Matthews, John – The Druid Source Book: Complied and Edited by John Matthews, A Blanford Book, London, England, 1997
Matthews, John and Caitlin – The Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom, Element Books Rockport, MA 1994
McCoy, Edain – The Sabbats: A New Approach to living the Old Ways, Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, MN 1998
Nichols, Ross – The Book of Druidry, Harper-Collins, London, England 1992
Powell, T.G.E. – The Celts,, Thames & Hudson, New York, 1980.
Sharkey, John – Celtic Mysteries, the Ancient Religion, Thames & Hudson, New York, 1979.
Squire, Charles – Celtic Myth, Legend, Poetry, and Romance, Newcastle Publishing Co., Van Nuys, CA, 1975.
Stewart, R.J. – Celtic Myths, Celtic Legends, Blanford Books, London, England, 1997
Williamson, John – The Oak King, The Holly King, and the Unicorn, Harper & Row, New York, 1986.
Wood-Martin, W.G. – Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland, Kennikat Press, Port Washington, NY, 1902.

Maypole, flowers, Queen of the May
dance for us, dance for us, dance for the day

Weave ribbons and roses and daisies galore
round staffs, and young heads, then cover the floor.

The Lord, a young man, greets his lover in bloom
in fields and in forests, in every back room.

New life is sprouting in great singing bursts
the flowers, the beasties, the babies come first!

Romp in the green that nature’s become
she’s wearing her finest to court her dear sun.

Ripe and luscious, take a great bite,
then join in the chorus and enter the rite.

Beltane, the wedding, the joining of all
bring the male to the female, the courting will call.

The great earth mother lies fertile to sow
lay your seed in her womb and watch the crops grow.

Laugh with me, fall with me, roll in the grass,
warm spring has come and we’re joyous at last!

(Originally published in Oak Leaves #2)

With local gods and spirit guardians overwhelmingly the most
common form of deity for our ancestors, the deities of the local environment are still the principal focus of devotions amongst dedicated Druids today.

However, many look back to find the gods of the old tribes too and
medieval literature offers information about many of these deities, both the spirits of place and the mythical heroes. It is difficult to correlate the mythology in the literature with the archaeological finds and the Classical evidence. This also reveals the problems of working with texts so profoundly influenced by other cultures, not least the Christian. Nonetheless, Druids who now wish to work with Celtic gods other than their local spirits of place will find many books that reveal their stories. Here I offer a brief outline.

British gods

Of the key figures, one of the most commonly invoked in modern Druidry is Arianrhod, daughter of the mother goddess Don and of Beli Mawr, from whom all medieval dynasties claim descent. She is a goddess of the stars, in particular the constellation Corona Borealis. She is called the Lady of the Silver Wheel, and rules over birth and initiation. Her lover is Gwyddion, one of her brothers. He is a lord of the skies – the Milky Way is Caer Gwyddion – and a god of words, a Bard.

‘Lleu of Skilful Hand’ is a god of many skills and a favourite amongst modern Druids. Manawyddan, a god of the sea, was married to Rhiannon, the horse goddess and so also a goddess of the land. Her first husband was Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed and a lord of Annwn, the underworld. The god of the underworld is Arawn, a hunter of souls who rides his gray horse through the dusk with his pack of white hounds with alarming red ears. Bran is a guardian of the land and a god of war, while his sister, Branwen, is a goddess of love and death. Ceridwen, holder of the cauldron of inspiration and rebirth, is a dark mother goddess and possibly the most important goddess in the Welsh medieval literature.

The Irish Gods

Many of the Irish gods now revered within Druidry are of the Tuatha de Danaan, the Children of Danu, a superhuman race who at Beltane in some year of prehistory conquered the Fir Bolg and took the island as their own. When later they themselves were overwhelmed it is said that the Tuatha disappeared into the sacred hills of the Earth where they became the Faery folk, the Sidhe.

Dagda is the father god, known as the Good God and Lord of Knowledge. He is coarser than the other members of the Tuatha
de Danaan. Dressed as a peasant, pot-bellied and dragging a vast club set on wheels, he is lord of life and death, offering abundance and rebirth from his vast cauldron of plenty. In many ways similar to the Dagda, yet younger and more refined, is Lugh, the ‘shining’ god. Lugh’s son is Cu Chulainn, one of the great mythical heroes of the Irish texts.

Danu (or Anu or Don) is a mother goddess of the land and a river goddess. She is also considered the mother of all the Celtic gods. Her name means ‘sacred gift’ and for some within the tradition it is used in the same way as the Welsh word Awen, denoting inspirational energy. Among the other Irish gods, Bile is a god of death, some say husband to Danu. Mannanan Mac Lir is the sea god. Goibhnue is god of smithcraft and beer making, similar to the Welsh Govannon.

Other Gods

Not all modern Druids who work with non-local deities honour those of the Irish or British myths. The old Gallic gods are also acknowledged in some parts of the tradition. Esus, whose name means ‘lord’ or ‘master’, is said to be god of the sacred oak. Cernunnos, a horned fertility god, is one of the most popular gods in modern Paganism, while many Druids revere the Saxon and Norse gods, such as Woden (Odin) and Freya.

An important element in the tradition is the goddess of the land, in particular through her relationship with the king. If the bond between them was strong, the goddess would bless the land with abundance, but if he dishonoured her she would cause devastation. There are many stories in both the Irish and Welsh texts of how the bond between goddess and king was made.

The connection between horses and the goddess of the land is also common. One of the best known myths is that of Pwyll who, sitting on the mound of Arberth, is captivated by the sight of Rhiannon riding past on her white mare. The ancient chalk figure at Uffington, Wiltshire, is a particularly sacred place for many Druids, its white horse symbolizing the essential power of the land.

Perfect Exchange

Relationship is the key to the way Druids work with their deities. While there is clear acknowledgement of the gods’ power, there is no sense of hierarchy between gods and humankind. A Druid will strive to enchant a deity with whom she’d like to work. Giving offerings of reverence to nature and to the ancestors, she will endeavour to remain open, listening, waiting for a god or goddess to come to her. After the connection has been made, the process is then about building a strong relationship, learning through respect to understand the divine power and learning through devotion how she can give to that god of herself. There is surrender, yet no sense of submission.

The Druid will be uncovering too, through a growing clarity and consciousness, what it is that she wants. It may be protection, love, security, freedom, healing, teaching. But more often than not, within the tradition nothing more specific is requested than simply inspiration. The Druid knows that, with the gift of divine inspiration (Awen) received, she will have all she needs: the idea or solution and the energy to make it happen.

To fully accept any gift, though, we need to have given sufficiently in return. Our relationships with the gods are built on this need for perfect exchange. We offer of ourselves, through both sacrifice and joy, giving back to the gods the creativity born of our inspiration. As our offerings are accepted, so we succeed in holding the attention of the deity, thereby nourishing the relationship. And as the relationship develops, the flow of divine energy that we are offered also grows, as does our love and trust, together with our ability to give…and to receive.

The experience of communion, of sharing energy with spirit, of opening to receive the Awen, intensifies the Druid’s perception and experience of the worlds within which she lives, because of the heightened awareness caused by the increased flow of energy. This in itself opens the mind to different levels of reality, broadening the perception and experience of life as a whole.

Embrace the purifying flame,
throw off the cloak of inhibition.
Stoke the good fires of Beltane
and let the flames fuel love’s fission.

The sun climbs high to summer glory,
unfolds the leaf and swells the bud,
delivering all of nature’s dowry
and a promise, now misunderstood.

From atom’s
heart to human heart
spring passes the vitalising flame
and in each nucleus a spark
sets passion’s ardent torch aflame.

Goodfellow lies with Queen of Mai,
the goddess smiles on merrybegot.
Fires of love join earth and sky,
reaching where men and gods cannot.

There is much conjecture and misunderstanding concerning this subject. When most of you speak of a soul mate, you are thinking of that one special individual that you will fall in love with and with whom you will live happily ever after. You may even feel as if this one special love has always been your lover through many, many lifetimes and that you are simply awaiting his or her appearance in this lifetime.

Many souls do encounter one another in lifetime after lifetime after lifetime, for they have become friends. This  friendship is based in the non- physical world, and the friendship, which in essence is co-operation, is based upon their past success in achieving the growth they are seeking. You see, you are growth- seeking beings, and all encounters, both physical and non-physical, provide opportunities for growth. Therefore, if there is a certain soul with whom you have had great success in achieving your goals, you are likely to agree to work with that one again.

It is important to understand how souls are organized. Your journeys here into the physical world are deliberate journeys. You have already mastered life on many other planes of existence, and your purpose for coming to Earth is simply so that you may broaden your experience of yourself through the Earth existence.

The ultimate goal is to experience unconditional love, that which is acceptance and allowing. For as you totally accept Earth life and accept all the aspects of it and all that exists within it, you have reached your goal. Some have called this enlightenment. You see, you didn’t come here to get better or to prove yourself worthy; you came here for the fun of it, for the game, for the challenge.

Before such journeys are undertaken, souls organize themselves into groups. You could see these as support groups. Souls organize themselves into Families, Groups, Clans, Nations, and Grand Nations. There are seven souls in a Soul Family and seven families in a Soul Group, and seven groups in a Soul Clan, and so on. Eventually, you will work with most members of your Soul Clan, that is 343 individual souls. However, for those of you who are teachers, you will more than likely reach your Soul Natio or Grand Nation, which totals almost 17,000 souls.

The majority of your relationships, close friendships, and associations will be with souls who are from your Group of 49 souls. However, this is not always the case. The more you advance in terms of acceptance (love), the more skilled you will become at working with individuals who have a different energy signature than yourselves. What we mean by energy signature is the following: each Soul Group will be working towards a particular goal.

For example, many members of one Soul Group could be concerned with communication and teaching, another with healing, another with courage, another with self- acceptance. This does not mean that each of you will manifest in the same way and lead identical lives, but it does mean that the essence of your lives will be very similar. You will have similar ideals, aspirations, likes, and dislikes. The people you are most drawn to are almost
always members of your Soul Family, Group, Clan or Nation, but as with everything, there are exceptions to the rule.

A Soul Family will work together for many, many lifetimes. Sometimes a Soul Family will regroup and different alliances will be made. This is rare, but it happens. In addition, the entire Soul Family will be involved in decision-making regarding future lifetimes and will assist you in assessing your achievements in a lifetime just past. Your Soul Family is always there for you. For the most part, not all members of a Soul Family are incarnate at the same time. Those members who are not incarnate act as spirit guides during the physical life of the one who is incarnate. They can visit you in dreams, inspire you with thoughts, or in some cases, speak to you directly during meditation.

Many of the spirit guides that have presented themselves to humans are indeed discarnate souls who are members of the individual’s Soul Family. However, many of the Master Teachers that present themselves to humans are either members of the individual’s Nation or Grand Nation and are souls whose Earth experience is complete. At times these Master Teachers can be souls that are even broader and vaster than this.

A soul mate is any soul that is a member of this broader group and anyone that touches your life. The net effect of a soul mate on your life will always be positive, even if you cannot see it at the time. For example, many have the notion that a soul mate relationship will be the ideal relationship, full of harmony and love. However, a relationship with a soul mate is likely to be challenging!

The whole point of a soul mate turning up in your life is to show you to yourself. That is the purpose of all human relationships. You learn through viewing in the mirror. The Law of Attraction works in every aspect of your life, and therefore each person drawn into your life is there through vibration, and nothing else. They are present because your vibration and their vibration are matched in some way.

As we have said before, you are growth-seeking beings. So many of you get confused when you meet the person of your dreams, fall happily in love, declare, “This is my soul mate,” and then have to pick up the pieces a few years down the road when the relationship breaks up or the person you loved turns out to have some problems or personality traits you do not care for. However, this was your soul mate, and you have many!

As you re-enter each lifetime, you make agreements with many different souls, perhaps as many as 20. You agree on what you will offer one another. These souls can be your children, your best friend, husband, wife, worst enemy, boss, business partner, any number of possibilities, and even the schoolteacher that
encouraged you with patience and kindness. However, as you, the personality, have free will, you may create a path that takes you in a different direction, and this is why you have to make possible agreements with so many. The Universe works on the principle of vibration.

Let us give you an example: There is Joe who is a fine soul indeed. However Joe, for quite a few lifetimes now, has been struggling with powerlessness in the physical realm. His struggle has led him into violence and even to developing addictions to alcohol. Mary, on the other hand, for some time now has had difficulties in valuing herself, always choosing second best, and always giving her power away. So Joe and Mary coordinate their lives and set up a strong probability to meet. Their intention is that Mary and Joe will fall in love and work towards resolving their respective issues. In her relationship with
the alcoholic Mary will learn that she must begin to make choices that reflect her self-worth. Joe, on the other hand, wants to learn that he cannot possess or control anyone, for power must come from within. However, Mary finds herself often challenged during the course of her life, and at college the establishment challenges her ideas and values. Instead of capitulating, as was her custom in previous lives, she stands up for herself and chooses to value herself. At that moment her vibration changes and therefore Joe is no longer necessary.

It could happen that she may meet Joe, but it would more than likely be a passing meeting and one in which she could share with him what she had learned. She may indeed end up being the counselor at an alcohol rehabilitation center, for example, but Mary no longer requires an intimate relationship with Joe. At this stage both Joe and Mary set up new vibrations so that they connect with their other possible soul mates.

When you look back at your life, you will see there are many people who have had an impact on it. All of these people are your soul mates, and whether they know it or not on the personality level, they love you dearly for you are all working together towards one singular goal, and that is the goal of love.

“When we meet someone and an instant friendship or attraction occurs, does that mean that this is a soul mate and that we
have been together in past lives?”

What it means is that there is compatibility in vibration, and this generally means that there is a connection of sorts. Whether that soul be from your Soul Family, Group, Clan, or Nation, there is a connection, a similarity of goal, purpose, experience, and therefore vibration. However, this connection on the soul level does not automatically indicate that you have met before. You may never have met on the Earth plane, but the soul may be known to you in the non-physical world. You do spend rather more time in the non-physical than you do in the physical, for the non-physical world is your natural home. In the non-physical world you have friends in very much the same way that you have friends on Earth. Some friends are close to you, others are intimately acquainted with you, and still others are acquaintances. Friendship in the non-physical world has nothing to do with liking or not liking one another; it has to do with compatibility of goals and aspirations. Your non-physical friends also change, and they change according to your goals.

For example, you may have teamed up with a particular small group of souls to work on survival issues. Each of you has had a few lives together in inhospitable environments. You may have chosen to live in primitive cultures in very cold climates or in desert regions. Such inhospitable environments help you to become resourceful, inventive, creative, and self-sufficient. You may however, choose to return to this adventure at a later stage and not complete all of your ‘learning’ in one go. Or, you may progress at a faster pace than your group members and decide to move on. Another choice could be to remain with the group and become a leader or teacher amongst them, assisting them to progress, which in turn assists you to progress even further for there is much learning to be done whilst teaching. The possibilities are endless and the choice is yours. If you decide to move on, you will join another group, or perhaps work with one or two other souls. Your work with other souls may last one Earth day, an entire lifetime, or several hundred lifetimes. You choose all of these relationships, and each relationship is based on cooperation and the desire to progress as quickly as possible.

“Are our parents and children Soul Mates and are
they part of our Soul Family?”

They are soul mates inasmuch as you not only know them, but you have chosen to work with them for the specific purpose of achieving growth. No birth is an accident, for all souls enter this world by agreement with both parents, even if both parents are not present in childhood.

Your parents and siblings may very well all be members of your Soul Family, but this is extremely rare. Normally, one, perhaps two, members of your biological family will be from your Soul Family, but the rest will generally be from your Group, Clan, Nation, or Grand Nation.

For the creation of a physical family the younger, less experienced souls will tend to team up with souls that are very closely related to them. These souls will often swap roles with one another from lifetime to lifetime, sometimes being the child, at other times the parent, at one time the female, at another
time the male mate. The familiarity of the souls, one with another, helps each individual soul to progress more quickly. When souls first enter the physical plane, it seems to them to be a hostile place indeed. They are confused and wary of the physical body and are very susceptible to the biological impulse to survive. They are often caught up in fight or flight choices. The Universe is loving and supportive, and therefore it creates feelings of security to be surrounded by souls with whom you are very familiar. However, as with everything in the Universe, this is only general. It is not a hard and fast rule, for older souls can and do enter into these kinds of arrangements.

Many older souls choose to be born into families where perhaps only one member is well known to them, and perhaps this soul is from their Soul Group or Clan, not as closely related as a Soul Family member. They will make this choice because older souls are really concerned with introspection more than anything else. They may be preparing to teach or to become a leader in one field or another, and the experience of feeling ‘the odd one out’ will lead them towards self-examination. Instead of getting caught up with the function and duty of ‘family’ these souls will often be seen to be the ‘black sheep’ or viewed
as different or eccentric by other members of the biological family.

Although these circumstances may lead to difficult personal challenges, the lessons are almost always internal rather than external. This means that there will be an emphasis on self-acceptance. Self-acceptance is an integral part of soul development. If we were to liken the Earth experience to education, mastering self-acceptance is equivalent to studying for your doctorate. Once you have self-acceptance under your belt, you are pretty much on the home run!

“Why do so many of us search endlessly for the ‘one true love’
in the hope of finding our soul mate?”

What you are looking for is acceptance. You believe that this ‘one true love’ will accept you without conditions. Your search for that one is in fact the search for self-acceptance. Each relationship is there to provide you with a new opportunity to know yourself. It is through knowing yourself that you can then grow to accept yourself and to love yourself. The one true love is self-love; there is no other love.

The greatest secret of all, discovered by the Christ and the Buddha and many others, was the secret of falling in love with the self. When you love the self, you are in a state of acceptance, total acceptance. As you accept, you cease resisting the world and all that is in it. As you give up resistance, you allow everything to be as it is. As you allow everything to be as it is, God can work through you. It is at this point that you can say, “I and the Father are one,” for you will be at one with the source of all life. You will be at one with love!

Excerpt from “Omni Reveals The Four Principles of Creation”, © John L. Payne 2001; published by Findhorn Press, Scotland. http://www.findhornpress.com

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires,
let these be your desires:

To melt and be like a running brook that sings
its melody to the night.

To know the pain of too much tenderness.

To be wounded by your own understanding of love;

And to bleed willingly and joyfully.

To wake at dawn with a winged heart and
give thanks for another day of loving;

To rest at the noon hour and meditate love’s ecstasy;

To return home at eventide with gratitude;

And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved
in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

~~ Khalil Gibran ~~

A cosmology is a belief structure that explains the soul’s existence and can be heard of in a story that explains the origin of creation. There is a map of a universal flowing spirit in the Celtic cosmology; it is in a vision of a tree where
there are three worlds that exist together within. There is a surrounding circle that symbolizes the oneness. The oneness in Celtic cosmology means that all that exists within is of one spirit.

Since any written record of how the ancient Druids practiced ritual is not available, scholarly Druids of today have to put a considerable amount of effort into discovering the ways of the ancients. What we have to work with for creating Druid rituals is the Celtic cosmology or way the ancient Druids perceived order in the universe. The only resources that have been left for us to ponder are from a few various accounts made by Julius Caesar or Pliny, the old lore mythology, archeological findings, scholarly research, Celtic stone circles and carvings. Most of the old lore was written or recorded by Christian monks. Some scholars and historians speculate that a number of the ancient Druids may have entered the Christian monasteries in disguise to preserve their lore and art. During the process of recording it Christian elements were added probably for safety precautions. These old stories were originally told in an oral tradition.

There are no facts left for us that tell if the Celts had a belief system that had lore concerning how they believe the living Earth’s creation occurred. We can only speculate that the Celtic tree cosmology is related to the great creation of life. The tree cosmology is present in practically every story. Drawn from the old mythological lore, the order that the Celtic Druids perceived the cosmos or universe was very well established. Even in the older lore, the stories of the pantheons of the gods and goddesses was a well-established concept of the cosmology of the three worlds in the world tree.

In reading and studying the old lore you will find continual reference to the Otherworld and Underworld. In fact, most of the old lore revolves around the Middleworld or Earth and the relationships that happened between the gods and goddesses from the Otherworlds with humanity. Good evidence shows that the ancient Celts viewed the inhabitants of the lands they conquered as people who were originally from the Otherworld.

In Cymreag lore, the Pretanic old tribes are the pantheons of Cymreag gods and goddesses.

The cosmology of the Celtic Tree unfolds in all directions. When you do a tree meditation the roots are first developed, then the trunk, and then the branches. The three worlds of existence are contained in the world tree. The Middleworld contains four centers and a sacred fifth. The center symbolizes the core or heart spirit. The outer circle that surrounds the three worlds is the unity of all spirits and oneness – it is called Ceugent. When all realms are in harmonious balance the three worlds connect straight down through their centers with the energy of Nwyfre. Nwyfre is a bright energy that runs through the centers of the worlds. When it flows clearly then we have a scepter of light that goes straight down and up through the center of the tree. The scepter runs energy through and between the three worlds, and this energy exists in the outer circle that surrounds the whole cosmology.

In the Tree cosmology, the Otherworld and the Underworld are two different worlds. The Otherworld is above and of a higher dimension. It is the canopy of branches and leaves on the tree. Access to the Otherworld is usually located through portals on Middleworld (Earth) in areas where there is energy concentrated, such as ley lines and power spots, hills, stone circles and the like. The Underworld is more distant from this world than the Otherworld, and is usually located through water, the sea, or places that reach deep water. The world tree roots are in the Underworld along with the past, our ancestors, our mind.

The trunk exists on Earth, the Middleworld; it is our nature and earthly relations, our physical bodies, here and now.

The Middleworld is not only the center in the world tree; it is also this present moment. Druids remain on this Abred (Middleworld) during ritual. The “Between the Worlds” that Druids refer to is this Earthly plane, or Abred, Annwn (the Underworld) being below, and Gwynfyd (the Otherworld) being
above. Instead of transporting ourselves to deity, as many other Pagans do, Druids open a door between the worlds and create a pathway for the spirits to cross over into our Nemeton to the tunnel that connects the three worlds sending energy and spirit up and down through the center of our Nemeton, this
is also where we have the fire pit. The world tree branches reach into the Otherworld, the world of spirit and deity, and into the future. The roots dig deep and touch the cauldron of rebirth, our past, and ancestry, the trunk is where we are, Earth, the Middleworld.

In wholistic perception we are each a holograph of the cosmology’s entirety. These three worlds are our divine connection to being open to Otherworldly guidance and inspiration when they are in balance and alignment. It is from within that our truer form will emerge. To know the truer form of our innermost selves allows one to see the truer form of what is without. Within our physical bodies there are places that have direct connection to these three worlds. They are the cauldrons of existence – they are energy centers. Our belly is connected with the Underworld, our heart is connected with the Middleworld, and crown when it is open, is connected with the Otherworld. They are similar to the chakras of Hinduism but when we see them within us, we see three cauldrons. Each of these three cauldrons represents the three worlds from the cosmology. These energy centers also carry the energy of the three worlds within us when they are clear and open.

It would help one to understand the cauldrons of existence more by doing the tree meditation first. The state of union we gain by doing the tree meditation and using its desired effects (which is a state of being merged with the Awen and all of existence) will assist in clearing any blocks and open our energy centers, our cauldrons of existence, and then we can anchor our scepter of light (Teyrnwialen).

The scepter of light comes down from the crown through the center of you and anchors into the Earth mother as a tree grows roots. It is a tool with which we gain a clearer awareness of the energies around us. Imagine the three cauldrons of existence that are within us as being direct outlets to the knowledge and spirits of the three worlds. The cauldron of warming is in your belly area and is facing up when it is healthy and open. The cauldron of vocation in your heart is facing forward when balanced in giving and receiving. The cauldron of knowledge in your head and crown facing up in the open direction when we are spiritually mature.

In the center of each cauldron or energy center there is a power spot that is activated or charged when all three cauldrons are in proper alignment. When attuned to alignment, balance, and unity, it opens a ray of light that goes straight down through the crown of your head and is anchored straight down your spine where it branches off at your legs and is connected with the Earth energy. This scepter of light when it is anchored opens new awareness of what is around you, energy wise, the sometimes invisible world.

The tree meditation is simply a tool to get to this place, this awareness, but once you learn to recognize this state of alignment in your being you can go there anytime, anyplace at will, and see/read the energy of what is without.

Once we have attained this state of being, in tune and in alignment with those three worlds we can learn to see who we are and our connection with the divine energies around us. From this whole awareness, sensing or seeing those energies is possible. Meeting your otherworldly guides happens. You may get visits from the Ancestors. Try merging in a coffee  shop sometime after you get familiar with the process. We also call this *merging with Awen* or *attaining Gwynfyd*.

Most people’s cauldron of knowledge is on its side or upside down because they have not yet reached Gwynfyd/Otherworldly knowledge, or have not become spiritually mature enough to reach this point of growth.

When the cauldron is facing up it is open to attaining Gwynfyd. Love is definitely a big part in the process of merging, the love of life and *all* existence.

Some seekers understand this and some of them don’t. Some can be helped if they seek the knowledge, you know, they ask questions and return to the Nemeton for gaining more experience. Much of these lessons come with continual practice, if the seeker continues to come back they will eventually learn by the way of the teaching that is in the rituals and meditations. Guidance in a seekers path is earned with their continual work and integration of wholeness and removal of energy blocks. If they become lazy and do not keep up with their work, then guidance slips away from them and they will have to re-earn its gifts by getting back on track within themselves.

It can happen that a seeker attains Gwynfyd knowledge and afterwards they have an event happen in their lives that causes more energy blocks and their access to Gwynfyd’s guidance gets cut off. The cauldron of knowledge in the crown tips sideways and is facing outwards so it is then not open to Gwynfyd. To repair this the seeker will need to deal with the blocks and clear them to re-gain Gwynfyd and adjust the cauldron of knowledge to it’s open position, facing up.

Another cause for a seekers misalignment can exist in their other energy centers, the cauldron of warming, and the cauldron of vocation. For to have access to wholeness, all three cauldrons must be balanced and aligned in their correct positions. If the cauldron of Gwynfyd is open, and one of the other two are closed it can cause for an unhealthy relationship to develop with Gwynfyd and can even lead to schizoid behaviors, not Otherworldly guidance. Because that seeker is not grounded in their cauldron of warming they have a tendency to leave their being through the cauldron of Gwynfyd in a twisted way. Their block serves as a starting point from which they gather all their energy above the block and move it up, twisting it out of their crown and escape life. This causes delusional behaviors because the seeker receiving Gwynfyd is not grounded in their being and they there for can not correctly interpret what they experience when they are outside of them selves, they end up with paranoia towards real life.

This is just one of the ways that a seeker will end up from an open crown and imbalance below. That imbalance will eventually manifest in their crown cauldron as well. The flow of energy discussed in the cosmology is the same as the flow of energy in our Nemeton (sacred space). Therefore as we work with the Celtic Triad Spirits, the spirit of Nwyfre flows through us. Nwyfre just opens and clears the way for the Awen. It is then not only us performing the ritual and meditative actions. As an equal mature relationship, we work with the spirits, and they work with us, at the same time the Awen begins to flow through us, guide us, and unify us.