The cosmology of the Celts is a reflection of the real world; it is both complex and organic. In essence Celtic cosmology is
comprised of two parts. The first of these is this world, which is made up of three main elements. These elements are Land, Sea and
Sky. The Second is the Otherworld, which is made up of a myriad of realms.
Part One: This World
The Land was very important to the Celts both physically and spiritually. It was, however, only one component
of the Celtic Cosmology. With the Land came the Sea and the Sky. These three elements make up the whole world. Fire
is also present, as in the Sun, flames, heat of the soul, and the spark of life, inspiration and so on. This cosmology represents the material
and spiritual framework that shapes thought and action, belief and knowledge. We should not make the mistake of thinking that these three
entities are different entities, each one makes the others - physically, spiritually and symbolically.
THE LAND:
Most people now no longer believe that we live IN the World; they believe we live ON it. They no longer acknowledge that the world takes a part in shaping our spiritual existence.
Our connection with the Land has been severed. In pagan eyes, the connection was severed when the prevailing metaphysic became one that objectified the world. Druids believe it essential to know the Land and not just the topography. An emotional connection must be made.
To make this connection we need to think on a smaller scale. It is a good thing to know what is happening in the world, but it is different to connect with the whole world.
Druids spend a lot of time exploring the places they live. They know the history of the place and are involved in their local community. This makes them involved with the Land and they recognize that it helps to shape them and their view of the World. They create an inner landscape that is contiguous, and later merges with the outer landscape.
The Land represents solidity, security, and a sense of belonging which also entails responsibilities.
It is where the hearth is.
THE SEA:
The Sea (by which all water is meant) has a symbolic and spiritual quality of a different order. The Sea is not our natural habitat, because it is too vast and fluid. It is not so alien as to be beyond our comprehension though.
In the case of the cycle of life, death, and rebirth this is the Sea as personified by the western Ocean across which Druids believe we all travel when our souls move from this world to the Other.
Ancestral Celts know that the ocean is but one part of the cycle. It is
water and its manifests in very small amounts that have a direct effect on our lives.
THE SKY:
The Celts regulated, when necessary, their lives by observing and working with the rhythms created by the movements of the sun and the moon. If we ignore these cycles we become distressed or disoriented. A very good example of this is jet lag.
Druids start a new day just after sunset. The Sun setting is an obvious, natural marker. It means that all major tasks are undertaken after rest and recuperation and sets a pattern whereby dark and light are not considered opposites or separate entities, but aspects of the same cycle.
Two major units of time that are important are those governed by the moon, the month and the fortnight. This also ties in with the solar cycle, adjustments being made each year (with a kind of leap year), and recognition of the coincidence of the Lunar and Solar cycles every nineteen years.
The air has symbolic qualities for the Druid. As living,
breathing creatures, our distinct material existence is defined by air
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Part Two: The OtherWorld To the Druids the soul is immortal; death is not an end, it is just a changing of place. Reborn in the Otherworld they begin the opposite life where the spirit is predominant and easily accepted. There they work towards an understanding of and balance with the material. So, when the full cycle is complete they are ready to return to this world to start on a new phase of the journey. Belief in the immortality of the soul was exceedingly strong amongst ancestral Celts. It made them strong warrior (but not reckless ones) because they were not afraid of death. The idea of personal responsibility and the immortality of the soul went hand in hand together. The Otherworld is a mirror of this one. Each one of us sees this world through their own perspective and vision and so the Otherworld is unique to each individual. The Otherworld is a place of balance, countering the world that we currently inhabit |
