This was a continuation of the older Druidic tradition, which was primarily an oral culture that prized memorization rather than writing. Ixcacao herself is a fertility and womb Goddess, connecting us to the roots of life, and through this sustenance and abundance we naturally blossom open our hearts. With that said, in Tantra as within Celts; there is a respect to those of a much shy nature, as such a couple is taught and encourage to practiceConscious Sexualityso they may use that energy to heal themselves or asMagickto achieve a particular goal; needless to say both partners got to be at the same wave length, meaning the sameIntention. Each morning she gets up at sunrise and runs toward the rising sun. NOW (1998). You can extend this circle beyond yourself to include your family, your community, your country, and the earth. Each tribe would have its own royal site where the inauguration would happen. In the Celtic tradition, one of the practices that aids in loving attention to daily life is blessing. It amazes me to find two completelydifferentcultures, share something so powerful in common. There is a beautiful book of Scottish blessings called the Carmina Gadelica, collected by Andrew Carmichael in the 19th century in Scotlands Outer Hebrides. The big ones. WebDepending on the tradition, ritual tools may be gifted at first menses, such as chalices and cauldrons, which represent the woman's genitals and womb. I placed an oracle card with a hare on my altar. In short, she is preparing to become a more independent member of her family and society. When I asked my newsletter readers for coming-of-age memories, the responses I received were a wonderful testament to the mother-daughter bond at menarche. And so, I decided to take it out of my dreamworld and into my awake time, creating a ritual around it. According to menstrual researcher Lara Owen, this is considered to be the most important of all their rituals because it brings new life to the tribe. You may wish to go around in circle and share from the heart while practicing compassionate listening without feedback, to draw oracle cards, to massage one another, to drink cacao, to gently and sensually dance, or simply to rest in a cuddle puddle and receive the physical coherence of community. And then I will hold you tight and hold you long and together we will stare into silence. Enter your email to receive notifications of new posts. What I cherish most about the day, though, was spending time with my mom and her talking about how this was a special time that should be celebrated. Mary Magdalene knew she was an apostle. As within so without. Giving your blood back to the earth is a powerful way to reaffirm your connection with nature, honoring that you are not separate from her, you come from her, you are her, you are her daughter. There are different types ofSexual Magickdepending on whether it is a tradition, a culture, a specific geographical area, yet their common goal remains unchangeable. Owen, Many Navaho people still practice their puberty ritual for girls, the kinaalda. Keep in mind that depending on how you were raised and where you live, attitudes about womens bodies, reproduction, and sexuality may have changed since you were a girl. Exodus 20:13. IMAGINE Celtic rites were often granted by elder women in the community due to the belief that being post-menopausal made you the wisest as you had permanently retained your wisdom blood. When I was in Italy this spring, I met my first Black Madonna in person. She was in a church (Santa Maria Assanto) in the steep cliffside fishing town of Positano. Altar a surface that has been prepared for the work of doing rituals and magick. They surrendered themselves completely to the wind and ocean and let themselves be carried to what they called the place of their resurrection, the place where they would live and work, die and be buried, and where their remains would await their resurrection on the Last Day. Beyond the grass in my back garden was a forest. WHO ARE YOU St. Brigid is often quoted as saying, Go forth and eat nothing until you get a soul friend, for anyone without a soul friend is like a body without a head; is like the water of a polluted lake, neither good for drinking nor for washing.. A dear friend of mine Hannah Dyson of Soul Seed Gathering shared with me once that an indigenous elder of the Kogi tribe of Colombia explained to her how westerners feel ungrounded and uprooted because their placentas were never buried into the earth at the time of their birth. This Celtic tradition is still observed by some minorities today. Then, from the shadows arose an enormous figure who I instantly recognised as Queen Medb. You can guide yourself through your own shamanic womb journey by listening to trance like music (I recommend listening to theta brainwaves or healing frequency tracks like 432Hz or 528Hz), placing your hands on your womb, breathing deeply into the space, and offering your deep full presence to the dark rich vastness of your womb. The sacred Mayan Goddess Ixcacao has long been celebrated for her powers to melt open the heart and reconnect humanity with the sacred dance of life. When in fact, a womans fertility is the source of her power, her ability to create life from her own body, to gestate a sacred seed in the garden of her womb, and for our ancestors who lived in the times of the womb religions, both birth and menstruation were orgasmic initiations bringing a woman through the veil between the worlds. AND PLEASE NOTICE 84, No. How does the above take place physiologically? 6, pages 1217). CLARION CALL To Celtic magicians, these types of rituals are ideal when they are done or practiced in a group. By offering our blood we communicate, Thank you for all you give me, thank you for my life, and now I give my blood back to you. NOW Not only was it supposed to ward off Genesis 17:12. Today, modern womb shamans and tantric practitioners describe accessing altered states of consciousness through love making during times of menstruation, for both the man and the woman. Make time for contemplative walks outside in your neighborhood. These days it is considered important for girls to feel positive about their bodies so they can grow up feeling comfortable in their own skin and making empowered decisions about their sexual and reproductive health. There was a news story about Dowth Hall, a mansion built in 1760 beside the monumental passage tombs at Dowth, Knowth and Newgrange. Many of these practices have roots in desert spirituality; Celtic monks considered the teachings of the desert mothers and fathers essential wisdom. Many towns, villages, and cities across the world now offer these events and gatherings (research them in your area) and you can also create your own. Throughout the ceremony, the girl is expected to take on a new level of responsibility for herself and others. Why dont we. Chris ,read your new book in less then an hour loved it and laughed out loud many many times you are a true inspiration as well as a charactor must be the mainer that comes out in you! Saining not Smudging- Purification and Lustration in Scottish Folk God said, This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. One of the most popular options is the handfasting An Samhain: The Celtic Roots of Halloween - The Irish Place Dry and store your menstrual blood for future spells and rituals. The steam rising from my coffee, the bird singing from a tree branch outside my window, the doorbell announcing a friends arrival, the meal that nourishes my body for service all bring me closer to Gods grace. Just as God can speak through the words of the scriptures, so can we hear the voice of the divine in the elements and in creatures. M*Y*O*U*R Celtic Travelers especially faced dangers at night from thieves or wild animals with only fire and prayer as protection. CREATING Although the sexual abuse of a fewshould; according to societya common misconception; have eradicated my desire to understand the power of sexuality, life granted me a rebellious spirit, which understood my power lay not in giving in to the trauma but on rising above it and that is what I try to do each and every day. I have always said, once we start learning about life as awholeinstead of compartmentalizing, we can start to see just how much in common there is between civilizations, cultures which apparently were never in contact. SOUL BODY MIND PERSONA The Original Celtic Druids disappeared a long time ago, but their practices and beliefs were passed down generation to generation and have been rebuilt for about two and a half centuries. This is the time when her unique, inborn gifts and talents are ripe for recognition and in-depth development. As a result, much of Celtic Christianity can be characterized by a strongly incarnational theology: The natural world, in particular, reveals the sacramentality of all creation. Cameron, A. you can bring fire Here. WebMenstrual blood is perfect for charging sigils and servitors in Chaos Magick. Please use your own discernment when reading the content shared on this website. Like our moon we are feminine beings that move through phases of expansion and contraction. Then she underwent an endurance ritual in which she was taken far out to sea and left to make her way home by swimming back to land. In the absence of culturally approved vision quests, meaningful coming-of-age ceremonies, or genuine tests of physical and psychological strength, too many young teens fill the void with drugs, alcohol, dangerous relationships, or compulsive consumerism. Recognizing the unity of body, mind, and spirit, she empowers women to trust their inner wisdom, their connection with Source, and their ability to truly flourish. Creativity that feels nourishing rather than depleting can be a very helpful way to ease some of the grief and sadness that can naturally accompany the death cycle of shedding our menstrual blood. 6 celtic beltane celebration rituals fire. Search for Pregnancy and Childbirth Lore in Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Age or gender differences did not matter. I consider this a mermaid ritual, honoring the emotional self, the watery self, the lunar self. Yet, all ritual in my life had been monoreligious. There was a sense of genuine warmth and intimacy in this relationship and deep respect for the others wisdom as a source of blessing. Rubbing menstrual blood on a servitor or sigil injects a piece of your life force into the symbol. It has been my personal experience that the physical pain, emotional turbulence, and challenges many women face during their moon time is the womb communicating through her the ancestral pain we have collected in a world that has forgotten our true nature. They found their own threshold places, such as Skellig Michael, a jagged stone island jutting out into the Atlantic on which the ruins of a monastic community are still perched on top. For questions, feedback, and suggestions you can email us: EraofLightblog@Gmail.com. Otherwise, as I mentioned above you can soak your cloths in a jar of water and then offer your blood this way. Indulging in cacao during your moon time can help you invoke the spirit of Ixcacao as well as nourish your body with magnesium and antioxidants that pure raw cacao is rich in. Many Irish saints had meaningful dreams as well. Celtic menstrual stories are also scarce but they do indicate that women were more likely to be revered and honoured for their bleed rather than shunned. Each is a variation on wisdom for the three essential things one must do in life. Celtic religion - Beliefs, practices, and institutions | Britannica You could also simply bleed freely while swimming naked in the water and recite any blessings or prayers or invocations that come to you. She has traveled in dozens of countries across the world activating her soul journey through her relationship with land and lived for seven years in primary rainforest in the Costa Rican jungle, communicating with trees, plants, creatures, and exploring many shamanic Earth wisdom traditions. NOW who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, It could be as elaborate as wearing an all red outfit or as subtle as red lipstick or a ruby stone pendant necklace. On the other hand a healthy fantasy rises out of love, as such we can play out our fantasies with our partner, so long asLoveis the key motivation. Isnt it interesting that the liquid once considered the nectar of immortality and the blood of Christ now makes many of us squeamish? No matter how much our children look forward to them, they dont begin to acknowledge or honor the power available when your biology gives you a renewed brain, a new body, and new feelings! Dr Clodhna N Lionin examining one of the decorated kerbstones at Dowth Hall. NOW, For visiting Era of Light. What Are the Symptoms of Estrogen Dominance? And figured In one of the burial chambers archaeologists discovered the remains of six people and - a hare! There is a unique term for this wandering: peregrinatio pro Christo, or the call to wander for the love of Christ. Especially if you have children or live with a partner or roommates, its important to create a sacred private space only for you. The Celtic peoples had a love of edges and boundary places, most likely as the result of living on an island, but they also held a keen sense of the Otherworld as a place just beneath the veil of this one. Emotions are energy in motion. QUANTUM BALANCE Much of this symbology lives within the stories of the holy grail, an enlightened womb, that only a noble man arriving in true reverence and devotion could access, and there he would drink the elixir of immortality. Bran exuded a stronger sense of urgency but the creatures lurked in the shadows and I froze. While the Irish monks are known for their illuminated sacred texts, books were rare and valuable, so they would have had to learn many scripture passages by heart to be able to pray with them. In the month During this time the girl wears a traditional buckskin dress and her hair is braided in a special way. During the moment of climax our subconscious is wide open, as such it becomes receptive to reprogramming of old beliefs, healing of traumas, the developing of new patterns of behavior, and it can project our intentions out to the universe in order for them to become a reality. The monastic prayers of the Liturgy of the Hours also respects these sacred rhythms of natures rise and fall, birth and death. QUANTUM KEY While our stories and current religious paradigms have been distorted to suggest menstruation is unclean and a woman is cast out of the temples during this time, originally women went into retreat during their bleeding cycle to allow themselves to channel the highest and deepest visions for collective healing. Samhain - Traditions, Halloween, Wicca - HISTORY I used moon cups for many years until one day my yoni said no and I have since honored that through free bleeding and menstrual cloths. Pay particular attention to the signs of the seasonwhat flowers might be in bloom, whether the trees have their leaves, and the height of the sun in the sky. I AM By Kristen J. Sollee. To create a red tent gathering, invite friends and sisters you feel safe with, create a womb cocoon by draping red blankets, sarongs, and shawls over chairs (yep just like when you were a kid creating a fort) and explore some nurturing ways to connect with one another. Samhain is a pagan religious festival originating from an ancient Celtic spiritual tradition. You can plan this ceremonyor a special mother-daughter trip or eventanytime between the ages of eleven and fourteenyou dont have to wait until she gets her first period. Ones purpose is to achieve something greater, the other is meant to destroy self. WebAs far as is known, the Celts had no temples before the Gallo-Roman period; their ceremonies took place in forest sanctuaries. I could not cross the threshold. Getting your first period was a big day in our house. Celtic Rituals: The 6 Most Powerful Rituals | yogandha Receive your FREE 40 page guide filled with ritual, magic, ceremony, and feminine embodiment rituals, as gateways to reclaim the wild red river of your powerful womb, your Whore, and the pure white river of your tender heart, your Virgin, weaving yourself as the wholeness you are. The third fundamental principlelies in the acceptance that one of the most powerful forces in the cosmos is the one generated at the moment of climax; for a brief moment during sexual activity this energy, like the others, can be harnessed for magical purposes. Details a wide range of sex magic rituals that To sing medicine songs or whatever soothes our hearts. It is important here to make note that sexual magick within a group is not the same as what is modernly called swap groups or orgies. Talk with her about why she does or doesnt want to celebrate, and use this as a chance to pass on your own wisdom about having a female body. More on her website camillewillemain.com. In addition, the ritual provides stimulus for the emotions, because the mind understands rituals and parables, their emotions feel more concrete and elevated; adding more energy which makes the spirit feel good and stimulates the imagination helping picture in detail the goal at hand as if it was a real thingall this works as a great bridge of additional energy which adds power to the ritual and therefore to the goal at hand. RITUALS AND FESTIVALS - THE CELTIC RELIGION 12 Celtic spiritual practices for modern times - U.S. Catholic There are many sacred places in Ireland and Wales with the word dysert or disert in the name. The purpose and intent of this is anchoring higher light and activating the Ascension Timeline on Earth now. Do deeper desires come through more strongly? When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, Moses, Moses! And he said, Here I am. Then he said, Come no closer! (Vancouver, BC: Press Gang Publishers). Walking in a circular manner helps to move us out of linear ways of thinking and to open our hearts to receive Gods grace. These rituals use the intentional use ofthought frequencyand the forces of nature and the cosmos; which in this particular case, is the energy generated by the sexual act. Down the passageway and into the burial chamber. Choosing to simply be enough, as you are already, is a radical act of feminine empowerment at this time in our herstory. Maev and the High King by Courtney Davis. Celtic traditions were the guiding forces of a mystical rescue of neo-pagan femininity, which for a few years has influenced the feminization of the neo-Indian and neo-Mexican movement known as Red Path (Camino Rojo). This ritual came to me many moons ago while creating our divine feminine mentorship course Whole Woman, and I was delighted to discover it months later in the book Ixchel Wisdom channeled by Shonagh Home. As women our energy is cyclical and needs to be honored this way. and to walk humbly with your God? Psalm 91:12, A central Celtic practice at sacred sites, such as churches, graves, crosses, and holy wells, is known as walking the rounds.. Medb is a Banlaoch, a Warrior Queen, a sovereignty goddess, the ultimate representation to me of feminine power. A womans ability to bleed without dying was considered a magical power and it was understood that her oracular senses heightened during this dark moon time, when the mystical stem cells encoded with the wisdom of creation had peaked in their fullness and were being shed from her body to be offered back to the Earth for the well being of the entire community. What follows is an exploration of 12 Celtic Christian practices for modern Catholics daily spiritual lives, along with scripture passages for meditation. He later had another dream in which he heard the Irish people calling out to him to return to the land of his enslavement and help Christianity flourish. At first ritual, seemed exotic and something other peoples and cultures did. Then a month after that on October 14th, one day before my husband and I were to leave for our Hawaii trip (which has been planned for a year AND 10/15 happened to be our actual 25th), my father, who had been on Hospice due to renal failure, died. ; Amulet an object that deflects negative energy. I planned to keep them all in a special envelope or booklet and wait for the time to share them. In the pre-Christian tradition there are significant feast days aligned with the equinoxes and solstices. If it speaks to you and you feel supported and safe, explore receiving your beloved during this time as a powerful act of reclaiming the sacred red river and opening to what deep wisdom your menstrual blood wishes to awaken within you. Cranes were the sacred birds of the druids, kept as royal pets, and revered for their mystical characteristics. NOW Rituals were the space holders in rites of passage to help us to transition through these liminal times, and to experience deep transformation in the process. On the last night, all the people, led by their shaman, stay up all night praying for the girl and her family. I thank you for your continued efforts in teaching all of us the joys that can be had in our lives if only we take the time to learn how. I soon realised I had been practising ritual my entire childhood spent going to mass in a Catholic church. This isolation was later skewed to say that a woman was exempt because she was unclean when really a woman was honored in how powerfully she was open for channeling and receiving guidance from the divine. So, with much hesitancy, we did. Every Sunday at 11:00am EST/New York. To cook ourselves nourishing foods as an act of self love and self care. Modern science is now beginning to prove what ancient cultures already knew, that menstrual blood contains healing stem cells that can rejuvenate our energy and heal disease. All the mundane activities of the day are opportunities to witness grace at work. Turn off any notifications from your phone or computer and ask others in your house not to disturb you. Three is a sacred number in the Celtic tradition, and often the saints expressed their own desires or commitments in terms of the number three. Juniper burning, which formed part of the New Year rituals in some parts of the country, seemed to have a dual purpose. The preparation indicates several activities, for example it is the period in which the objective is clarified and the enchantment is formulated; the construction in word of the intention you want to achieve through the magick ritual. We were never meant feel separate or cut off from the Mother, Gaia, our earth, and yet many of us may ache from this wound. This time the creatures were nowhere to be seen, and so I followed the hare. The deeper underworld and upperworld self is communicating with us loudly, and great transformation and rebirth can occur when we listen. Samhain marked the end of the harvest season, and the beginning of winter. The hand fasting or is it that our subconscious knows there is more to the story? something beautiful and powerful meant to help us transcend when properly used. In this ritual, the goddess would offer the king a wedding libation (liquid or grains poured from the cup of a deity) to indicate her approval of the marriage and the kings legitimacy to rule. Christ beneath me, Christ above me (Freedom, CA: Crossing Press), 35. We all walk at our own pace, for me sexuality is something beautiful, sacred (not in the religious sense of the word) and healing; something to be honored while utilizing it (we honor sexuality by our motivation) not something to be hidden, separated from spirit or demeaned. Exodus 3:45. whether external or internal, in group or as a coupleWouldnt it be possible to perform Sexual Magick without the need for a ritual? How To Reverse Insulin Resistance At Midlife, 13 Habits to Protect Yourself from The Dangers of 5G Radiation. Yes! and what does the Lord require of you In the Celtic monastic tradition, a lorica is a type of prayer seeking protection, invoking the power of God to safeguard against darker forces. While walking the rounds, you might say traditional prayers like the Hail Mary and the Lords Prayer, but any prayers of the heart are welcome. This is the immense gift, honor, and privilege weve inherited as women at this turning point in humanity. A marriage between the king who represented people and culture, and the sovereignty goddess who represented nature and the land. If it feels right for you, you can begin to place small drops of your own blood (when it is fresh and a bright red color) under your tongue like taking a homeopathic medicine (which you are.) Ask to be guided, to enter into the deeper realms of your womb, and then simply trust and allow what you see. When my older daughter (now sixteen) turned eleven, I started thinking about how we would punctuate her coming of age. You may also enjoy receiving a massage from a trusted healer, friend, sister, or lover, honoring yourself as the Goddess you are. In the Celtic monastic tradition, wandering was a powerful practice inspired by the biblical story of Abraham. Reflect on the three things in your own life you count as most essential. Much like facial steams help clear skin, open the pores, release tension, and leave skin feeling supple and revitalized, yoni steams offer cleansing, healing, and revitalizing for the womb, vulva, and vagina (yoni). Find a holy place to walk around. Worthy. For more on this, and instructions, click here. I was studying Medieval Irish and Celtic Studies at the time and so, began to recognise that any exposure to the rituals of our pre-Christian, Celtic ancestors were not alive in my body. The function of the sexual act during the magick ritual is to provide the energy necessary forIntentionto be carried out, to come true, and achieve the desired change. Halloween has become a childrens Temair is the Irish word for Tara and is thought to mean site of great prospect, sanctuary or sacred space. In recent decades, there has been a burgeoning in the reclamation and reimagining of the rituals practiced by our ancestors. I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. In ancient times dreams were respected as signs from God. Owen. What many of us may forget in the busyness of our lives and the normalcy of menstruating monthly, is that each time we bleed it is a birth. However, when working with Sexual Magick, there is no fantasizing over outside influences or erotic situations you would like to experience. Then the dream happened again. QUANTUM MAGNIFICENCE It There, I called to my dreamworld and Bran came. Pause at each of these and offer a short prayer of gratitude. You may enjoy this womb meditation that supports that connection, which will be very powerful to do while bleeding directly onto the earth. LOVE MASTERY Ask yourself what season your own soul is in right now. Blessing and anointing yourself with your menstrual blood is a powerful way to reclaim what has been deemed dirty and impure as exquisitely divine. Today we focus on the Celts, ancient peoples who lived in Europe more than 2000 years ago. She is a DANCEmandala facilitator, breathwork facilitator, yoga teacher, and student of many paths of love. Ritual is a conscious act or performance that transitions us from everyday life into a world of possibility, where the limitations of the everyday can be renegotiated and MATERIALIZE As we are. Celtic Wiccan Wedding Rituals: Handfasting: For many Wiccans, handfasting is an essential part of the marriage rite. According to menstrual researcher Lara Owen, this is considered to be the most important of all their rituals because it brings new life to the tribe. This practice is rooted in the precarious sense people often have of our own existence. Make a commitment in the coming days to spend time in nature and be present to it as a place of revelation. When she arrived onshore, she was greeted by her entire village. Preparing for your flow with a yoni steam during the week before your menstruation will help release stagnation to support a more easeful bleed with less cramping and discomfort. I invite you to spend some time seeking out a soul friend. It is filled with blessings of the days unfolding. You may already have one in your life: a spiritual director, a wise guide, someone you can turn to when things feel challenging and to whom you entrust the secret desires of your heart. And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous. For the high kings of Ireland, this ritual took place at Hill of Tara. I needed to uncover its message.
celtic menstrual rituals