The Court of Brighid

I had the privilege of attending a ritual led by Ian Corrigan and Liafal designed to bring us into contact with the spirits in the court of the Goddess, Brighid. The rite, as you can see in the link above, was a typical ADF Core-Order, though the offerings to Brighid were copious and heart-felt.

As the rite progressed, we were led deeper into trance until we finally crossed the threshold into the place where the spirits may make themselves manifest to us. I was approached by a woman who named herself as Tsirona (sa-RON-a). I found it interesting to note that this was one of the spirits I had seen in my mind's eye during the pre-ritual meditation the day before when Ian asked us to visualize Brighid and the three "servants" he planned to call.

Tsirona appeared to me as a woman, timeless and regal in crimson robes with long, black hair and piercing blue eyes. In her right hand, she held a quill. In her left, she cradled the cup of a goblet. The vision was very real to me. She told me her name, Tsirona, though I pronounced it wrong and had to be corrected. She described herself as an agent of Brighid's who deals in the healing power of music. She takes the energy put forth in song and vocalization and manifests the healing.

She gave me a prescribed method for working with her. Begin by burning sweet herbs and focusing on the work at hand, calling her to aid us. Then, we are to use music in whatever form we find most powerful for ourselves in terms of moving energy, and she will transform our energy into healing. When our work is done, she would like a note of thanks to be written and burned for her.

She then set down her things and spoke further. She told me that she has been working between Brighid and me for a long time by my measure. She told me that if I let her heal me that she can work through me better. I nodded, and she touched the middle finger of her right hand to my chest and kissed the palms of both my hands. When Ian and Liafal asked me about the spirit with which I had been speaking, I found that I was shaking and crying.

Since the ritual, I have spoken with her twice. The first time was a wash of emotions as I realized just what work she had done through me. The second was less intense, but still quite new and powerful. I have many questions to ask of her as I get to know her, and I look forward to working with her directly in future endeavors. This was and is an amazing experience!

A Magical Toning Experience

Yesterday, our grove held our sixth night Druid Moon ritual. During this rite, I was asked to lead a toning to create a charged object for a couple of our Grovemates who are undergoing quite a large venture.

MJD handed me a pendant of a crane and asked me to lead a toning. He wanted the object to go around the circle, beginning and ending with me, so that those who were willing could charge it individually. I held the charm in the palm of my right hand as I recentered the folks briefly and began to sing. The first gentleman did not take the pendant from me when I approached him, but rather, he placed his hands such that one was above and one was below the hand holding it, but not actually touching me. I held my other hand above his, and we toned into the pendant. This was how every person added their magic to the mix after that.

I had expected them to take the charm out of my hand, but I am actually glad that they didn't, because about three folks in, I realized that I was more channeling than leading this working. About five folks in, I realized that I was listening to my voice from an objective, external standpoint. I recall thinking,"Wow, is that how my voice always sounds?" My tones were solid, and my vibrato was impressive, usually indicative of a well-trained vocalist. As I approached each of my grovemates, I was hearing the note I was to sing for them before I began to sing, and when I sang before each of them, I felt the change in the air between our hands surrounding the pendant. The two people "last" in line were the two (one by association) for whom this working was being done. I actually held their hands around the pendant, marking the pendant with their touch. Finally, I signalled the end of the working to the folk, and gave the pendant one final "charge" before handing it back.

At the beginning of this rite, I called to Brighid for Bardic Inspiration. Brighid also happens to be my Bardic patron, and I felt her arrive after I called to her. I am quite certain that it was she who was working through me, and I can't wait to see how things pan out from here!

Introduction to Taliesin

Taliesin was the name of a Welsh poet, a druid-bard who sang to Wales the glories of fine art at the courts of at least three Celtic British Kings. In legend and myth, he is often referred to as Taliesin Ben Beirdd which means “Taliesin, Chief of Bards.” Some tales relate that he was adopted as a child by Elffin, son of Gwyddno Garanhir. The later tale of his origins begins with the young lad known by the name Gwion Bach, servant to Cerridwen. Cerridwen had an ugly son, Avagddu, whose appearance no magic could cure. She began brewing a potion that would give him the gift of inspiration (Awen) and wisdom in compensation for his appearance. The first three drops of this potion would grant the one who consumed them the gifts in full and the remainder of the potion would be turned to poison. This brew had to be constantly stirred for a year and a day, so Cerridwen, who had better things to do, set Gwion to this task accompanied by Morda, the blind man who tended the fire.

Now it came that one day, Gwion was splashed with three drops as a bubble from the pot burst. The hot liquid caused Gwion to instinctively place his thumb in his mouth, instantly granting him great powers of wisdom and creativity. His first wise thought was to run, for Cerridwen would certainly murder him for this! It was not long before Cerridwen’s fury echoed through the land. Gwion turned himself into a hare to run faster, but Cerridwen turned herself into a greyhound and gave chase. He turned himself into a fish and leapt into a river, but Cerridwen turned herself into an otter and swam after him still. Gwion jumped from the water and turned himself into a bird, but Cerridwen turned herself into a hawk and was right on his tail feathers. Finally, exhausted from the newfound art of shapeshifting and the pace of the chase, Gwion turned himself into a grain of corn and rested peacefully on the ground. Cerridwen, who misses not, turned herself into a hen and ingested the corn, thinking she had rid herself of the evil boy who stole her potion.

Soon after, Cerridwen found she was pregnant, and once she realized it was Gwion, she resolved to kill the boy once and for all upon his birth. However, when the child was born, he was so beautiful that she could not follow through with the task. Still wishing to be rid of him, she tied him in a leather satchel and threw him into the sea.

It is said he was discovered by Elffin while fishing for salmon. When Elffin uncovered the babe, he was shocked at the whiteness of the boy’s brow and cried, “Dyma Dal lesin!” which means, “This is a radiant brow!” He was further shocked to learn the boy could already speak as his voice burst forth in poetic form. Elffin took the child into his care.

At the age of thirteen while visiting King Maelgwn Gwynedd at court, Elffin proclaimed his Taliesin to be a far better bard than anyone the king had at court. Maelgwn imprisoned Elffin for his insolence and demanded Taliesin be brought forth to prove this claim, and when he arrived, his words were unmatchable for they rendered the king’s bards to speaking in only babbling tones as those of a baby. Elffin was released from prison.

Over time, many tales exist regarding the verbal prowess of the magnificent Taliesin, and a myriad of works refer to him for his great skill. He is called today in our Druidic rites that he may grant us the powers of Wise Words and Awen that Cerridwen had granted to him—though with a little more “direct action” and none of the angry chase scenes!

Bibliography

Ford, Patrick K. The Mabinogi and Other Medieval Welsh Tales. Berkeley, CA, University of California Press: 1977. Print.

Koch, John and John Carey. The Celtic Heroic Age 3rd ed. Malden, Mass, Celtic Studies Publishing: 2003. Print.

Lugh as a Deity for Inspiration

Happy Lughnasadh, Everyone!

Lugh is the God of All Arts and is often hailed for his mastery of all crafts. His name, Lu, has been linked with Apollo (Apaliunas) and indirectly with the unnamed Gaulish God Julius Caesar refers to as the Gaulish Mercury, Inventor of All Arts. Lugh possessed a magic hound that was said to turn a spring into mead or wine by bathing in the waters. This association with mead and the battle strategy and wit he shows in such tales as the First and Second Battles of Magh Tuireadh have led many to associate him with Odin and Wodan, Gods of both Warcraft and Poetry through mead-inspiration. It is particularly useful for musicians to call on him to aid them in mastery of their skill.

Invocation to Lugh as Bardic Inspiration

Lugh of the Long Hand, known master of the spear,
Hailed Warrior and Battle Leader,
We call on you today as Ildánach, Master of all arts and crafts.
Skilled Smith, we call you to guide our hands.
Skilled Harper, we call you to guide our music.
Skilled Poet, we call you to guide our words.
Skilled Historian, we call you to restore our memories.
Skilled Sorcerer, we call you to guide our magic.
Grant strength to our talents and skill to our words.
Bring Light and Worth into this rite and into our lives!
Lugh! We honor you!

Ogmios, Gaulish God of Words

According to Lucian, Ogmios is the “Gaulish Hercules (Herakles).” He personifies the power of speech and eloquence and is often depicted as large-boned and wielding a club or a bow. He is often seen as old and balding, a symbol of his wisdom. His skin is darkened by the sun, indicating that perhaps a similar human figure of great renown had once traveled through the Gaulish lands from perhaps a Persian area (speculation, of course).

Also a Deity of binding, Ogmios is said to draw men happily after him tied to his tongue by thin, gold chains at their ears. The people were drawn to him in joy and were depicted doing their best to be as close to him as possible. His utterances are “sharp and well-aimed, swift to pierce the mind” (Green 165-166). Ogmios would use his words to bind people by the power of persuasion and lead them into the Underworld, so the argument has been made for calling to him as a psychopomp Deity. He was known to create defixiones, tablets with a curse written on them. Two such tablets have been recovered from Bergenz, Austria in which Ogmios is invoked to curse a barren woman that she may never marry (Lucian 63-67).

Invocation to Ogmios

The Children of the Earth call to Ogmios!
God of strength and eloquence!
Might by arms and by tongue!
Remind us this day and all days of the power of words!
As your words flow like sweet honey
from your lips to the ears of your follower’s eager ears,
May we be inspired to choose our words carefully—
For so, too, do our words bind us to those who hear them.
Guide our speech, Ogmios, that our words be well-chosen,
inspired and pleasing to the Kindred.
Teach us the power of words,
Inspire our hearts and minds as we speak and listen!
Ogmios! We honor you!

Bibliography
Green, Miranda. Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend. Thames & Hudson, London: 1992. Print.

Lucian. The Works of Lucian: with an English Translation by A.M. Harmon I. Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press: 1913. Print.

Vac, Vedic Goddess of the Voice

Vac literally means “to speak,” but to the Vedic Indians, Vac embodies much more than mere speech. Vac is centered around speech as well as song (sung word) in connection with a sense of “calling forth,” of “raising.” Vac has been used to refer to the roaring of animals, the rustling sound of a blazing fire, the sound of flowing Soma (the song that Soma utters), the thundering of the clouds (the sound of Soma pressing stone) and personified in a glorious Goddess, Vac. In short, Vac is the divine embodiment of sound.

Vac is always named in the process of creation, including the creation of the world. She has been noted for her interaction with Sarasvati, Agni, Soma, Prajapati, Brhaspati and Usas. She was created for the performance of sacrifice, and from her sprang forth the Holy mantras, for when her name is added to a prayer, it becomes a charm, a spell. Her presence will transform the words that they may be given to Agni and carried to the Gods. She is said to control the tone, meter and speed of the spoken words as well as their cessation when silence is necessary.

Vac is sometimes looked upon as a cow capable of yielding all desired things equating the powerful and sacred nature of words with the divinely revered animal. She has given the voices to all the creatures, including humans, through her breath.

Pingle, Pratbha M. The Concept of Vac in the Vedic Literature. Sri Satguru Publications, India: 2005. Print.

Who was Orpheus?

Orpheus is one of the premiere bardic figures from Hellenic times. He was a spinner of tales, a poet, a musician, a lyricist and a well-respected performer. He was also a highly proclaimed scholar and religious innovator.

His listed parentage varies. In one version of his story, his father is Oaegros, King of Thrace and his mother is Kalliope, the Muse of Music. In another, his father is Apollo himself. Some say he invented the lyre, though this invention is typically attributed to Hermes, who offered it to Apollo in restitution for stealing his cattle. One thing is clear no matter his lineage: his musicianship was beyond measure. According to lore, his talents landed him a place among the Argonauts on their journeys during which his music and quick moving wit kept the Sirens from destroying them (Kerenyi, Heroes, 253-256). His music and words were so powerful that the plants, animals and even the nymphs were set to dancing by his playing. So great was his talent and the emotion he instilled in his listeners that he set the very Queen of the Underworld to tears and convinced her to allow his deceased wife, Eurydike, to return to him from the Land of the Dead. Unfortunately, he looked back upon her before she was fully returned to the realm of the living, and she vanished back into the Underworld forever.

It is said that after Orpheus lost his beloved Eurydike a second time he kept the company of only men, particularly satyrs and adolescent boys. He is also the founder of a mystery religion, teaching the lessons he brought back from the Underworld with him. Over time, he grew callous, judgmental and intolerant. He began to criticize the ways of those who did not follow his own, denouncing such acts as animal sacrifice, which flew in the face of Civic Law. Eventually, he went so far as to spurn Dionysos and his followers for their lascivious ways, resulting in his destruction. Dionysos set his Thracian Maenads to destroy Orpheus—which they accomplished by tearing him limb from limb while he yet lived. (Kerenyi, Heroes, 279-286)

Orphism, ironically, was later called the Reformed Dionysianism, a more intellectual and controlled form of practice seeking immortality through divinity. The Orphics tended to view the body as profane, tainted, while the soul was divine, and only through bodily purification could one attain salvation. The soul would be required to pass into another form, and another, and another upon death until purity was obtained—the main reason the Orphics are considered the first advocates of reincarnation. Followers were vegetarians, including egg and bean, who abstained from all sexual activity—a far cry from the predecessors who followed the orgiastic ways of Dionysos! (Orphic Religion, 2010)

Today, Orpheus is often called in Hellenic rites for Bardic Inspiration. Whether as a Deity, Demigod, Hero appointed to Deity status, or even as an Ancestor, Orpheus and his talents are still inspiring the world.

Bibliography

Encyclopedia Britannica. "Orphic religion" Encyclopedia Britannica Online: 2010. 21 Feb 2010 http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/433191/Orphic-religion Web.

Kerenyi, Carl. The Heroes of the Greeks. Thames and Hudson. London: 1959. Reprint: 1997. Print.