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For the most part the ancient Celts were foremost Shamanic pilgrim travellers embarked on a spiritual journey living a physical existence (one of many interconnected lifetimes) in an eternal sea of ever evolving sacred spiraling energy. In Celtic Shamanic traditions, the veils between the realms, worlds, and dimensions were gossamer thin, dancing about with the winds of cyclical change and the poetic rhythms of divinity. The spiraling, swirling shamanic patterns which the Celts utilized to express their spiritual connectivity with the sacred mysteries, mirrored the inspirational beauty and harmony of the Natural World. This patterning was also reflected in a wide range of Celtic artwork from small sacred objects to huge stone monuments; while, the Celtic penchant for fluidity and curvilinear design was illustrated by the 109m long, Uffington White Horse which was carved into the chalk downs in Berkshire, England. Another significant symbolic pattern or design that recurred in Celtic art, mythology, and religion was the theme of triplication or the power of a group of three. There were the Three Kindreds (ancestors, fairies, Goddesses and Gods). Storytellers told tales of Goddesses and Otherworld Beings appearing at critical life passage moments in groups of three. Triple faced; triple headed Celtic deities were venerated in various forms with the most popular being the triplicity of the Mother Goddess energy. Sometimes the three Goddesses depicted were identical; while, at other times their overall potency was heightened by showing three different aspects of the maternal role. Exquisitely crafted bracelets, brooches, cauldrons, cups, household objects, jewelry, religious statues, torcs, and weapons decorated with superbly stylized patterns flourished throughout the Celtic culture. The front panel of the silver gilt, Gundestrup Cauldron depicts deity heads; while, another panel shows a horned male, nature god surrounded by animals. There is a procession of armed men to his left.
All kinds of objects
including household items, jewelry, religious statues, and weapons were
decorated with harmoniously balanced and exceedingly complex Natural World,
shamanically symbolic patterns.
For example, the eternal or endless knot was symbolic of eternal life and flowing continuity as the soul journeyed a path without a beginning or an ending. Intricate and interlacing Celtic knotted designs expressed the limitless infinity and everlasting connectivity of Creation. Most of their artwork depicted the Celtic reverence and respect for Nature in the elaborate entwining plant (flowers, leaves, trees, vines) and animal (birds, deer, dolphins, griffins) motifs, as well as, in the dynamically intricate designs (chevrons, knotwork. labyrinthine patterns, spirals). The vibrant diversity of Celtic art permeated all areas of daily life from the stylized animal heads on the open ends of a neck torc to the swirling vegetative carvings on a the handle of a bucket. The Celts believed strongly in relying solely on the oral traditions of poetry, song, and storytelling for passing on knowledge. The Druidic clan elders were the advisors, astronomers, diviners, judges, healers, historians, musicians, philosophers, and shamans of the Celtic tribes. These Celtic Druids memorized all the knowledge and wisdom of the communal tribal groups. The storyteller, the Seannachaidh, was a popular fixture around the hearth fire especially during the wintertime. Since daylight hours were scarce that time of year and families spent a lot of time around the light and the warmth of the hearth, which became a gathering place where the Seannachaidh burning with the fires of inspiration would tell the stories of the people. The most honored and revered of the storytellers were those who told the longest and most intricate tales. Besides their deep respect and abiding reverence for the Natural World, another hallmark of the Celts was their thematic tradition of mythic storytelling about heroic quests, sacred kingships, and underworld journeys. Like the intricate, intertwining, interlacing, eternally connected knotwork of their art, the spiritual continuity of the Celtic traditions shined through their cultural mythos.
Many Celtic Goddesses and
Gods were known for their journeying, shapeshifting, and shamanic healing
abilities. Many Celtic tales focused on the ability to shapeshift or to morph or
phase from the shape of a human into that of an animal, bird, or fish for
purposes of knowledge, initiation, training, travel, reconnaissance, or escape.
The ancient Celts believed that it was possible to shapeshift back and forth
between the human and animal realms of existence...Continue on
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