Tag: irish
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Are Fairy Encounters Physical, Psychological, or Both?
All art by Marie Spartali Stillman One specific aspect of fairylore which tends to divide those who are prepared to take it seriously are the physical versus non-physical attributes of the encounters. I understand this in some ways. By attributing sights and interactions to altered states of consciousness we can then address the phenomenon without…
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The Sacredness of Wood Continued
“Three landmarks of Erin, thou seest, are shorn of their strength, the Tree of Ross, the mighty Tree of Mugna, and the red sided Tree of Tortu.” Ogham DivinationIn Part IV of _The Metrical Dindshenchas_ translated by Edward Gwynn
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Fairy Archetypes and Mythic Consciousness
All art by Sophie Gengembre Anderson There are some very interesting fairy connections within Alan Garner’s classic novel, The Owl Service. I won’t spoil the story in case people want to look it up and read it themselves but the premise behind it is interesting when it comes to examining both fairy lore and fairies…
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The Sacredness of Wood
Beyond the listed uses of Ogham for specific woods, the ancient Celts also used certain trees for creating teine éigin (“need fires”). Sacred fire was almost always kindled from the sacred woods (sometime three different tree types and sometimes nine). According to Lewis Spence in his book, “The History and Origins of Druidism,” the Druids…
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The Sheela-na-Gig: An Ancient Goddess of Life and Death
All art by Emma Florence Harrison “Magic is the first language of the world. It was the language before words, before mathematics. Humanity can accept concepts like space travel to other galaxies, and yet magic can only be real in the minds of those who believe it, or in the imagination of children.” Rosella Testa…