echoes of-creation-pt1;- reflections on celtic spirituality

Echoes of Creation

Reflections On

Celtic Spirituality

Part One

A Powerful Presence

An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality

©Peter Creagh (2005,2010) Celtic Christianity – A Series of Lenten Reflections

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ECHOES OF CREATION

Echoes of Creation is a series five short papers/chapters primarily designed to be delivered to participants at a series of experiential days of reflection.

However, they could also be read separately by anyone interested in Celtic Spirituality and could prove both informative and helpful.

They are meant to assist people to explore and experience the spiritual

richness of the common Celtic inheritance, an inheritance native and unique to the Britain and Ireland. The sessions focus on the following prevailing

themes that inter-weave themselves through the Celtic experience of the Creator and Creation:

� A Powerful Presence

� Those Thin Places

� Protection & Prayer

� Pilgrimage :- A procession of Saints

These four themes (essentially – Presence, Place, Prayer and Pilgrimage, the four great P’s of Celtic Spirituality) form the essence of the Celtic approach to

the spiritual. They are integrated and encircled by the common Celtic practice of prayer, which is an expression of the totality of the relationship

with the Creator and the Creation.

The sessions will provide a basic introduction to the Celtic experience of God and will involve Prayer, Presentation, Practice and opportunities for further

Reflection and Prayer.



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NOTE TO READERS

For those who cannot attend the experiential sessions but are reading these

chapters, it is hoped that they will provide a basic introduction to Celtic Spirituality, a spirituality that is both unique and native to the British Isles.

Celtic spirituality is one filled with richness and one that has stood the test of time. Each session opens with a prayer to the Trinity and a reading from the Christian Scriptures which reflects the particular theme. These also have a

variety of music, poetry, silence and other symbols that are part of the richness of both Celtic and the aboriginal Spiritualities of the world. A full Bibliography is presented at the end of this chapter. Other, sources are

referred to in the text as they occur. Facilitator

The sessions and papers were both facilitated and written by Peter Creagh. Peter is an Irish Celt, rooted in Celtic Christianity and Spirituality and with a deep interest in Inter-Faith dialogue. He is a Member of the UK (Midlands

and North) Satsang Association, which is affiliated to the International

Satsang Association. He is a Trainer, with over 30 year’s experience and a Therapist who specialises in Relationships, Families , Solution Focused, Existential and Trans-personal Approaches and Cultural Aspects of Bereavement and Loss.

Peter regularly facilitates groups in personal development, inter-personal skills and professional and ethical issues. He is interested in the holistic integration of spiritual development with all aspects of human life and

creation.



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Celtic Spirituality Part 1:-

A Powerful Presence

OPENING PRAYER

In the Name of the Father – the Chief of Chiefs

Who loved us into being.

In the name of Mary’s Son – The Christ Who longs to bring us peace.

In the name of the Spirit

The breath of wind that enfolds and fills us with Joy

We meet in the name of Love-Peace and Joy In the Name of the Father, Son and Spirit

Amen

THE WORD OF GOD

In the Beginning

In the beginning was the Word

And the Word was with God And the Word was God.

The Word was with God in the beginning

Through Him all things were made; Without Him nothing was made that has been made

In Him was life, And that life was the light of all peoples.

The Light shines in the darkness, But the darkness has not understood it.

John1: 1-5



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Echoes of Creation

Why this Title? This takes us back to St John’s Gospel, a favourite, along with the Psalms, of Celtic Christians. We return to John’s opening words.

‘In the beginning was the Word’. The ‘Word’ when uttered shall not

return without giving rise to grace. The ‘Word’ when uttered is echoed back to its Source. But what is an echo? It is the sound, the vibration, the power

of energy returning to its source.

St John reminds us that all creation comes from the Word and that it is merely an Echo of the Wonder, Splendour, Majesty and Awe of the Word. So all creation, including us, echo this Word and therefore these reflections involve our awakening to, and preparation for, the meaning of the Risen

Christ , His suffering, death and resurrection, and its echoes and resulting experience and meaning in our life.

INTRODUCTION

This first session will look at the roots of Celtic Spirituality, its culture and

traditions and introduce the basic concepts of this ancient and non-dual

form of Spirituality. Some Roots of Celtic Spirituality

Celtic Spirituality, both pre and post Christianity, share similar roots. These are roots based on a deep and firm understanding of the Creator and Creation. This deep understanding vibrates through the six (6) centuries ( 400- 1000 a.d) when Celtic Christianity flourished on these Islands which

were set on the edge of the then known world. Whose peoples bred and nurtured a tradition of the all embracing, all enfolding and therefore all

encompassing Creator. This in turn led to a reverence for Creation, its environment and its effect on every day life. It was this deep Faith which for

several centuries after the fall of Rome, preserved, spread and re-invigorated the Christian Faith in Western Europe. The renowned and respected

historian Kenneth Clark said ‘Looking back on the great civilizations of twelfth- century France or seventeenth-century Rome, it is hard to believe that for quite a long time (in what historians call the Dark Ages)

western Christianity survived by clinging to places like Skellig Michael – a pinnacle of rock eight miles from the Irish coast, rising seven hundred feet out of the sea’



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God Intoxicated People

Celts had an intense sense of Presence, of the Indwelling Presence - of the

Immanent God who comes not just in the Immanuel that is Jesus, but is present in the whole of Creation. In short, Celts were ‘God Intoxicated

people’ (Source;- John Macquarrie – Paths in Spirituality SCM Press , London 1972).

An example of this ‘intoxication’ can be found in the following two extracts, the first is pre-Christian (1st century b.c.) the second is an early Celtic Christian Prayer of Creation.

1. Amergin’s Praise of God

I am the wind which breathes upon the sea,

I am the wave of the ocean, I am the murmur of the billows,

I am the ox of the seven combats, I am the vulture upon the rocks,

I am the beam of the sun, I am the fairest of plants,

I am the wild boar in valour, I am a salmon in the water, I am the lake in the plain, I am a word of knowledge,

I am the point of the lance in battle, I am the God who created the fire of thought.

Who is it that throws light Into the meeting of the mountains?

Who tells the ages of men Who points to the sun’s resting place, If not I ?

( Amergin- Celtic Prince early 1st century b.c.e)

From the Leabhar Gabhala – Book of Invasions



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2. The 2nd might best be said like a Psalm, with the response between each verse.

God of Creation: (Prayer in the Celtic Tradition)

I believe, O Lord and God of all the peoples.

That You are the creator of the high heavens. That you are the creator of the skies above. That You are the creator of the oceans below.


That You are He who created my soul and set its warp. Who created my body from dust and ashes.

Who gave my body its breath and to my soul its possession.


You are the God of heaven and earth

Of seas and rivers, Of sun and moon and stars.

Of the lofty mountains And the lowly valley.

I believe that You are the God above heaven

and under heaven.

Further Aspects of Celtic Spirituality – Its Roots

The central roots and tenets of Celtic Spirituality lie in the deep

understanding of, and reverence towards, the Creator and Creation. This leads to an inevitable strength of conviction in and around all that is sacred about God and Creation. Therefore both pre and post Celtic Christianity

developed many practical ways of embracing these beliefs and truths. This led to them influencing all aspects of their life and culture.



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There are many important values, beliefs and viewpoints that influenced Some of the Celts of the west. Some of the more important points to

consider are the following:

♣ A sense of the In-Dwelling Presence of the Creator in all.

♣ An embracing and positive attitude to nature and the environment.

♣ A celebration of God’s creation.

♣ Celts saw creation and people as essentially good and therefore Christ’s Atonement was essentially a defeat not of evil itself , or even less so evil people but one that defeated the power of evil in the world.

♣ Male and Female were equal and women could be leaders, certainly there were many mixed religious communities

♣ A non-hierarchical approach to religion ( not focused on bishops, dioceses and parishes but on monasteries and on men and women of holiness and learning )

♣ An easier attitude towards sex, celibacy and interaction between the genders

♣ The land could not be owned but it, and its produce, was held in trust both for all and the Creator

♣ Great emphasis was placed in wisdom, learning and the arts and these were respected above all else



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The Part played by Imagination and Story The use of story and

imagination played an important part in the Celtic psyche. This ‘imagination’ was more like remembered culture. The Celtic culture had NO written

language, until relatively lately, and stories were memorised and passed down through the generations. An easy way to do this was to have powerful

and imaginary stories which contained powerful truths of the people’s experiences of their contact with God. These stories helped in the understanding, experiencing and expressing relationships between people,

their Creator and creation. Perhaps the following two stories / metaphors may help us to understand what Celts felt and meant about ‘Presence’ often referred to as ‘Felt

Presence’. The Celtic Church was often ‘condemned’ by Rome for ‘flights of bardic fancy’ – a legacy of its Druidic past. In response to a letter of condemnation from a priest from Rome about ‘Celtic fancies’ the following is a poems/prayer composed in the 12th century by an Irish poet.

To praise man is to praise The One who made him,

And man’ earthly possessions

Add to God’s mighty praise.

All metre and mystery Touch on the Lord at last,

The tide thunders ashore In praise of the High King.

(Source :- A.M Allchin, Praise Above All: Discovering the Welsh Tradition, University of Wales Press, Cardiff 1991) Or perhaps the following words attributed to St Patrick as he explained to the

High King at Tara the Mystery that is the Christian Trinity.

Three folds to the cloth, yet one napkin is there,

Three joints to the finger, but still only one finger fair; Three leaves of the shamrock, yet no more than one shamrock to

wear, Frost, snowflakes and ice, all in water their origin share,

Three persons in God, to One God alone we make prayer.

( Source:- E.Hull ed, The Poem Book of the Gael, Chatto & Windrus, London , 1912)



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Beware Over - Simplification

However, we must beware of an over romantic view of Celtic Spirituality. The

people lived in a harsh, damp climate and their culture (particularly in Ireland and Scotland) was pervaded by a strong sense of the power of evil

and dark forces and of the consequent need for penitence and austere and simple living. There are some who also over-simplify the differences between Roman and Celtic Christianity. They offer a stark contrast between a

hierarchical Rome and monastic Britain and Ireland, between unholy and holy men, differences in the tonsure and in dating Easter. But these were in many cases too simple. The main differences were more cultural and perhaps also based on the Celtic experience of a non-dualistic God, which has

similarities with Hindu Philosophy. The Non-Dualistic God.

Arguably, Roman and Western Christianity have focused both on a more cognitive view of God and particularly of the Transcendence of God. God is ‘up there’ reigning like a King/Emperor on high and we are ‘down here’ cut

off from him and needing salvation and intercessions. Celtic Christianity,

both from its pre-Christian roots and its understanding of the nature of the Creator and Creation, emphasised both the Immanence (Presence) and Transcendence of God. This meant that the Creator was present in all and to all and at all times. Furthermore, Celtic Christianity held the orthodox belief

in the central Christian Doctrine of the Incarnation – the revelation of Immanuel – ‘The God who is with us’. It is also important to note that the Celtic view of redemption was slightly

different to both the conservative Roman Catholic and the Protestant view. Rome and Protestants viewed Jesus’ Redemption as the saving of an inherently evil people from darkness. However, Celts saw creation and people as essentially good but Jesus’ Redemption saved us and protects us

from the power of evil still in the world. Christ was therefore seen as a liberator, an emancipator, in other words , a True Saviour

Many of the Mystics from all Faith Traditions ‘warn’ us of the dangers of seeking God with our intellect. The ‘MYSTERY ‘ and ‘PRESENCE’ cannot be

understood through mere intellect, it needs to be experienced through grace and love. Two of the greatest English Mystics had this to say.



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1. Julian of Norwich She spoke of ‘ Between us and God , there

is no between’

2. The Cloud of Unknowing. The author ,who is unknown, of this spiritual classic has these words to say on intellect and love.

‘He ( God) cannot be comprehended by our intellect, or any man’s – or any angel’s for that matter. For both they and we are created

beings. But only to our intellect is He incomprehensible, not to our love’

Celts did not fall into this trap. They were a people who were aware of both the Immanent (Indwelling) God and the Transcendent God. They lived a life constantly aware of the Presence and Protection of God in all they did and at every moment of their daily life.

Further papers/chapters will develop this theme. But now we conclude this first look at Celtic Spirituality with an ancient hymn to the Sun – seen as Jesus. The Celts loved nature and particularly the Cosmos, the moon, the

Sun and the Stars. Many prayers and rituals to the sun were part of their life.

A Ghrian ( To the Sun)

Jesus, You are Lord and You are Light.

Enter our heart and fill us with an awareness of Your Indwelling Presence.

Hail to thee, thou sun of the seasons.

As thou traversest the skies aloft; Thy steps are strong on the wings of the heavens,

Thou art the glorious mother of the stars.

Thou liest down in the destructive ocean. Without impairment and without fear;

Thou risest up on the peaceful wave crest.

Like a queenly maiden in bloom.

I am in hope, in its proper time, That the great and gracious God

Will not put out for me the light of grace Even as thou dost leave me this night.

( Translated from the Gaelic )



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Final Prayer

As the hand is made for holding and the eye for seeing,

Thou has fashioned me for joy. Share with me the vision that shall find it everywhere.

In the wild violet’s beauty; In the lark’s melody;

In the face of a steadfast man;

In a child’s smile; In a mother’s love;

In the purity of Jesus. ( Source :- A Maclean, Hebridean Altars, Moray Press, Edinburgh, 1937)

And so, we end this session with these final words

May the blessings and love of the Father,

The compassion and peace of the Son And the companionship and Joy of the Spirit Be with us all this night and every night.

Amen

This first session and these notes have introduced some of the main concepts of the Celtic approach to Creation and its Creator. Further sessions will deal with these in greater detail.



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BIBLIOGRAPHY

The following are some of the main sources which support all chapters/short papers

in this series on Celtic Spirituality. Other sources are quoted in the text as they occur. In addition, many of the opening and closing prayers have been adapted

and/or compiled or written by the author (Peter Creagh) in the ‘style’ of Celtic Spirituality.

Adam, David,(1987) The Cry of the Deer , London, Triangle/SPCK

Adam, David,(1985) The Edge of, London, Triangle/SPCK

Glory Backhouse,H & Pipe,R ( Eds)( 1987) Revelations of Divine Love – Mother Julian of

Norwich , London, Hodder & Stoughton

Bamford, C & Marsh,WP (1986) Celtic Christianity – Ecology and Holiness, Edinburgh, Floris

Bradley,I (2003) The Celtic Way, London , Darton-Longman-Todd

Cahill,T (1995) How the Irish Saved Civilization - New York, Doubleday

Beresford-Ellis,P (1992) Celtic Inheritance – London, Constabl

Lleelyn,R (1990) The Dart of Longing Love – Daily Readings from the Cloud of Unknowing,

London, Darton-Longman-Todd

Matthews,J & C (1993) The little Book of Celtic Wisdom, Dorset, Element

Matthews,C (1994) The little Book of Celtic Blessings, Dorset, Element

Matthews,C (1989) THe Celtic Tradition , Dorset, Element

McKinney,D ( 2004) Walking the Mist- Celtic Spirituality for the 21st Century, London ,

Hodder& Stoughton

O Fiannachta,P (1988) Saltair – Prayers from the Irish Tradition , Dublin, Columba Press

O Malley,B ( 1998) Celtic Blessings , Norwich, Canterbury Press

O Malley,B ( 2002) A Celtic Primer , Norwich, Canterbury Press

Streit, Jakob (1977) Sun and Cross, Edinburgh, Floris Press

Tobin, G (1999), The Wisdom of St Patrick, New Yourk, Ballantine

Toulson, S (1993) The Celtic Year, Dorset, Element

Vardey,L (1996) God In All Worlds, New York, Vintage Books