Welcome to the Well of Celtic Wisdom, within the depths of your soul shall you find the answers to your questions. Our Celtic ancestors referred to the well as a symbol of the soul; when full the person would inspire until their inspiration was exhausted or their muse would no longer touch their imagination. At this time they entered a period of darkness ( the well ) in search of the Goddess who reigns at her strongest during the night and particularly in the winter months. Sometimes in fear of becoming a burden to their clan they would set out on a quest or journey through life collecting experiences and skills that they could share and therefore regain a place of standing with their people. Some of this knowledge, understanding and wisdom gathered over the centuries you will find within this dark space, hopefully like our ancestors you will emerge out of the darkness into the light a little more aware.
There are no bookmarks here for a reason, by reading the following text you shall encounter Bards, Ovates and Druids, the realms of Annwn, Abred, Gwynvyd and Ceugant along with a few surprises. Enter into this exploration of the self and you may turn up a hero, though you should know those of admirable exploits come in varied shapes and sizes, read on if you care and drink deeply.
First we come to the Bard who will lead us deeper into the well, the Ogham tree of the poet is the Birch seen as a symbol of new beginnings for those seeking to train in the Druid colleges and related mysteries. This period of study would often last some 19 lunar years involving the 3 grades and numerous forms of learning which we shall encounter later in this darkened place. Nowadays due to our modern education system this time frame has been shortened considerably, although in some ways you could argue it has hindered development of the psyche by conditioning our thought process from an early age and placing restrictions on what we should and should not believe.
Despite being at the forefront of the mysteries the position of the Bard was never a lowly one they were considered to be custodians of the lore, this was part of their training not only to protect history but also to write and record events of their day.
Because of their ability to recite legends in poetic form and their art of storytelling they were allowed the grace to enter uninvited into the halls of Kings and Queens, lords and ladies along with those more common people, in fact to refuse a bard entry to your abode was to invite evil and misfortune would befall upon your household, such was their standing. Their presence was announced to all by the ringing of bells tied to the branch they carried as a badge of office, this would be bronze, silver and finally gold as the master or Ollamh.
To reach the exulted position of Ollamh they would hold the knowledge of some 350 poems or tales including their own which they could recite at will. Whenever a Bard entered anywhere a hush would descend as people waited to hear their wisdom, least the Bardic master might cast a satire against them which could hold devastating results. On account of these skills it was not uncommon for them to assume the role of Ovate and Druid. During their studies attention to creative detail was paramount this helped in guiding them towards a marriage between their analytical nature and their artist side which in turn lead to a union within the self, therefore thinning the veil between the worlds and allowing them to progress through the remaining 2 grades.
In addition to the Birch tree representing the grade of the Bard, the season of spring was also regarded as their time, if we look at how Imbloc is the festival of the Goddess Brighid this holds further significance as she is also the Goddess of poets in her triple aspect form and connected with the apple tree, again a tree known to inspire the poet. Spring is recognized as a time of new beginnings when nature awakens from the long sleep of winter, likewise the Bard embarks upon his long and arduous training in the search for his true self and to find the light which shines from within.
"Still the prophets proclaim with the dead,
And of the dead they look on with weary eyes.
But with the prophets alone will they speak,
Will they guide" Jarrien Wolf 1993
The Ovates were/are the Shamans of the Celtic people responsible for conversing with the ancestors and divining the future through 3 different methods including the gift of prophecy. The training of the Ovate took them beyond the Bardic grade and with guidance they would learn to walk between the already thin veil of the poet and enter the realms of the Otherworld therefore reaching into sources of wisdom unavailable to others.
Because of this connection with the ancestors and their healthy belief that this world is only part of a long journey involving numerous reincarnations towards the light and final resting place of the Gods and Goddesses, they will often lead the celebrations at Samhuinn welcoming the spirits into our domain. Try not to make the mistake that the Ovate is preoccupied with death and holds a morbid fascination, with the knowledge gained they use the gift for healing the sick and extending life. This skill in healing was part of their training encompassing the wisdom and use of herbalism, tree lore and naturally what could now be seen as psychology through the medium of divination. In healing the mind and body we also regenerate the soul by enabling the seeker to see past their problem and view the source or cause of the dilemma/illness resolving the difficulties at the origin.
This complex and skilled art would be aided by various forms of divination similar to the Tarot reading today where the reader asks a series of leading questions before disclosing the final outcome.
You may think now that psychology is the answer to the skill of an Ovate, not so although it plays an important part in the psychological understanding "How can I know of another, unless I know of myself". The words myself and yourself have become simple expressions, some people have forgotten or lost touch with the true meaning of self often mistaking it as the ego, once an Ovate contacts the inner self or his true nature they can devine without the restrictions of the material world.
Nowadays the harsh nature of this materialistic society has caused our spiritual beings to retreat within over the centuries, hence we meditate to reach the point when we can cross over into the otherworlds, until such a time when we become strong enough to tolerate the ways of mankind. The self is not cruel, but kind and loving with a will to share, reaching out to others seen as brothers, sisters and kin from afar, you could almost say the opposite of the world we live in today. So it becomes difficult though not impossible to maintain this state at all times without suffering some pain and misfortune not by the hands of nature, sadly from our fellow man.
Three methods of training are still undertaken and mastered by the Ovates,
Augury - predictions based on signs and omens such as weather witching, cloud watching, bird flight, animal behavior and the elements. Divination would take the form of pebbles, stones, sticks, drum skins, scrying with water or metals and more recently the Ogham. The third gift which I have already talked briefly about and for which they are well known was prophecy, here they would open themselves to the spirit world and allow their creative nature to flow, this is how they prophesize.
The Yew tree represents the Ovate grade symbolising the gateway between worlds, life, death and of course re-birth.
The natural progression from Bard to Ovate finally leads to the Druid whose role it is to advise royalty, act as judge, teacher and philosopher for the people. In addition to this they also preside over ceremonies having learned their skills from the previous 2 grades and taken this deeper in their role as Druid.
Celtic society was bound by a elaborate system of laws laid down by the Druids who in turn were guided by their ancestors along with the Gods and Goddesses. To break with these laws would result in a punishment fitting the crime, ultimately a soul wound or losing face was considered to be the most severe punishment that could be dealt, causing the criminal to become social outcasts and shunned by the rest of the clan who would turn their backs upon them and refuse to communicate with them, in extreme case they would be exiled. Death was often considered release of the soul into the spirit realms and with the belief in reincarnation they could return without learning from their mistakes, hence the soul wound was far more effective.
As learned people the Druids held sophisticated skills in various arts, they are responsible for many of the stone circles found within the British Isles, Ireland and Brittany. Each circle is aligned with the elements, perfectly symmetrical and calculated to monitor the movement of the stars. This is still demonstrated to this day with the rising of the Sun and Moon at certain sites during the Summer and Winter solstices, an accomplishment which today even with modern technology people would find difficult to replicate.
Another art closely linked with Druidry is that of the Alchemist who would turn lead or base metals into gold. Today we see the lead as our un-nurtured self and the gold as a reunion with our spirit self. The art of the Alchemist was brought together by the working of metals by the Druids into items such as swords or cauldrons through the elements, Fire and Water is known as a union of the Alchemist and a balance of the psyche, this was used to mould the metals, the Earth gifted the ore from which the metal came, and Air is required for the fire to burn amongst other things.
The Oak tree represents the Druid grade who like them stands as guardian between the worlds, in essence defining their aims. A Druid is the result of many years of training and soul searching, still they practice their art and learn from their mistakes attempting to unite all that has gone before, with the present and the future. Bard and Ovate stand as one with nature along with the otherworlds within the Druid for they alone have mastered the art of poet, divination and philosophy, the spiritual and the material worlds.
Over the years and centuries the image of the Druid acts as a guide for those whose quest is to find and contact their inner light within the Celtic path. Perhaps with their Druidic/Celtic beliefs the early pupils have become reincarnated into present day sages of the arts, although I feel the master is never truly a master in their own minds and the eyes of their mentors. Each new step we tread upon the stairway leads back to the Birch tree and fresh paths, learning, and mistakes which should be studied caefully to avoid repetition and assist movement forwards, such is the way with study. Instead of continually going round in circles look upon it as a spiral upwards towards the goals you seek, then aspire towards an enhancement in self knowledge, wisdom and spiritual awareness and enjoy the gifts that accompany them.
The realms of Annwn, Abred, Gwynvyd and Ceugant
To reach the stage we are at today the soul has traveled many through domains and experienced different forms of life starting with mineral, plant, then animal until our final manifestation as man. It is as man that we are reborn continually until such a time when our knowledge, wisdom and understanding is such that we can travel to the next state cleansed of pride and sin, I will try to explain for you, to continue this study the worlds are explained in-depth within the Barddas although the writings are ancient and at times confusing.
Psychologically there are three stages of existence Annwn, Abred and Gwynvyd, the fourth Ceugant we shall touch upon later each realm is represented by a circle working towards the center. Many scholars have disagreed with the interpretations of the Barddas over the centuries but there seems to be a general understanding as to the worlds or life stages laid down in the text and the conversations between master and pupil.
The first stage of existence is the realm of Annwn to which Arthur Pendragon set sail to recover the hallows or treasures of Britain. Annwn is the beginning, a place of the dead where dwells every form of evil and goodness together without harmony nor conflict. It is a stage of preparation for the journey towards Abred, outside the realm of the spirits Annwn can be seen as our present state when we aspire to learn and encounter set backs causing hardship to befall upon ourselves, this is when we enter the dark realm once again until such a time when the soul has rejuvenated itself and again prepares to migrate.
Abred is the learning process both material and spiritual met along the paths in our journey towards enlightenment, here we gather the sciences so that progression towards the world of Gwynvyd may be possible. From here at times we may descend back into Annwn and the darkness until such a time when the mistakes we made causing our fall are ready to be discovered again. They are there for a reason so that if dealt with correctly we can progress towards the next stage, if not then naturally we are not ready. Again this can be seen in the material realms, at times I have thought of going round in circles until the situation is look upon carefully, then the cause becomes separate from the problem revealing the solution.
Gwynvyd is the domain of the spirit and plentitude, during meditation you could say that we enter the realm of Gwynvyd. To reach this stage we have cleansed ourselves of all sins and pride allowing our natural state time and space within our world, this is not the final echelon there is another without which the others would not exist. Likewise as we may fall from Abred into Annwn we can fall from
Gwynvyd into Abred or Annwn only those in their purest form may enter the next realm. Try to think of it as a hierarchical structure with different stages of learning and spiritual awareness, each circle has their own creation to which we aspire, this becomes clear when the Celtic belief in reincarnation is looked upon and we continually traverse the planes until a final level is achieved then we may move onwards.
The ultimate stage is that of Ceugant only by walking the final phase of Gwynvyd can we reach this point, Ceugant is known as the domain of the God and Goddesses, unless pure in spirit and having perfect knowledge no man may traverse it. Here resides infinite knowledge, love and power without which the circles of Annwn, Abred and Gwynvyd would cease to exist. The scholars refer to this cycle as the Circles of Ceugant it is here that the confusion becomes apparent, do we begin in Annwn or Abred, as Annwn is a state of non-existence although our beginning it cannot be included, therefore we must say that Abred is the first circle to be encountered. However just to confuse things if you refer to the material world you could debate that some people walk in Annwn, not by choice but through necessity. I would suggest that you unearth the Barddas and draw your own conclusion, or conciliate yourself with the fact there are four not three circles, only the fourth remains hidden from our sight as with many things in life.
Read on and drink more deeply from the well.
Circles of Ceugant and the Awen.
Good verses Evil
Ultimately there are two paths one good the other evil although in constant battle for supremacy like the Circles of Ceugant one cannot exist without the other, if we no longer had Evil how would we be able to define what was Good. This is a simple understanding of polarization and only one of the many forms it takes though possibly the most extreme, we all have encountered evil or wrong doings during our journey indeed sadly some have chosen this as their path. Evil is the easy route to take as it does not call for an exploration of the self which can be at times painful but when guided correctly wields positive results, again if you take
Good as positive and Evil as negative you can see how they balance each other. Does this mean that it is alright to cause hardship upon another definitely not, when we do this either intentionally or otherwise we have taken a step backwards towards Annwn and are further from Abred. In life there are different levels of understanding and people are at differing stages in evolution or manifestation, this should be remembered as often when hardship befalls us it is ourselves who carry the misfortune forward at times unconsciously, instead of learning we dwell on the fact that harm or evil has visited us. To quote from the Bible a habit I am not accustomed in doing, it states simply "Love thy enemy" I puzzled over this for many years what does it mean, how can you love someone who causes you ill.
There are two solutions to this firstly they have caused us to look at ourselves therefore in time bringing us closer to the spirit and secondly by looking at their actions we can learn not to make the same mistakes as they have, hence in their ignorance they have granted us greater understanding and wisdom once the situation is resolved within our psyche.
Those who have chosen to follow the path of evil are unfortunate souls who dwell in the realm of Annwn until such a time as they are ready to progress onwards, but as I have already said this is a place in which the light shines within the darkness it only has to be found. At times these people are unable to search within for the solutions to their actions or are unwilling to at this time, choosing to dominate others and basking in the false illusion of power while seeking self gratification.
The more they walk down this road the harder it becomes to find the self and the stronger the ego becomes, there is a fine line here between trying to enlighten these people and causing damage to an already fragile spirit. Usually the hardship they have enforced upon others will in time befall upon the perpetrator, at this point they may be willing to realize with guidance the realm of Abred, becoming the hero instead of the villain and in every sense become reborn from the circle of Annwn.
The Black Knight
See the path shimmering over there
Few would pass I know to dare,
For beyond the sight of that rocky crag
Stands a Knight who walks with the mad,
Tall and proud in his black armored suit
With sword by his side and shield held on arm.
They say that his weapons he uses not
By his mind are travelers caught,
For truth and justice are held within
That black suit knows not of sin,
Honor and virtue are arms by his side
With candor and devotion he claims the hides.
Unless your way is honest and right
Hold not that path within your sight,
For around that crag just over there
Waits one for whom the Gods take care,
Should the pass hold where your journey begins
Then for sure you will meet
A black knight who shines from within.
Text and poetry Copyright © Jarrien Wolf 1994
