| Celts are an ancient tribe that inhabited most part | | | | around it. The isolation of Ireland didn't allow |
| of the Northern Europe between 800 BCE and | | | | spreading Roman authority on it. Monasteries |
| 400 CE. Their unique culture has always attracted | | | | were the places of holly atmosphere and looked |
| attention of people. Especially interesting and | | | | just like big tribal villages inhabited by all people: |
| popular is Celtic diversity - Celtic spirituality. Celtic | | | | monks, slaves, freemen, usual men and women |
| religion is appreciated and honoured by all | | | | and priesthood. These people used to be |
| Christians: Catholic and Protestant. They are | | | | representatives from the one clan of relatives. |
| interested in different sides of this religion but it | | | | Some monasteries were situated in isolated places |
| goes without saying that Celtic culture should be | | | | and others were just the crossroads of main |
| observed and analysed.Celtic spirituality has some | | | | towns.Celts also made invaluable deposit in the |
| distinguishing features, one of them is its diversity: | | | | development and making of the educational |
| it combines polytheistic and monotheistic features, | | | | system. They took part in the spreading of the |
| earthy rituals and transcendental mysticism. The | | | | literacy among Ireland and other Celtic lands and |
| appearance of Celtic spirituality is dated back to | | | | reservation of dogmas of learning during "dark |
| first mythological mentions. Second feature of | | | | ages".Celtic liturgy started its existence in ancient |
| Celtic spirituality is its natural character, ties with | | | | times and included components that are eternal |
| earth. The Celtic spirituality is contained in sky, | | | | and won't lose its actuality with the further |
| earth, sun, and sea - in all nature. Celts believed in | | | | development of the society. Their main themes |
| sanctity of nature and tried to take care of it. | | | | are monasticism, closeness between God and |
| The third thing is mystical and relational directivity. | | | | nature, importance of the family and kinship, |
| Celtic diversity comes more from experience | | | | storytelling, love and respect of the Mother of the |
| than from theological dogmas. Celts are looking | | | | god, peace and justice, hospitality and education. |
| for the religious origins in their hearts and souls; | | | | Irish monks are still famous for their inestimable |
| they don't accept philosophical substantiation of | | | | work as educators of Europe.Many modern |
| the belief.Celts see the necessity of collaboration | | | | seasonal festivals have Celtic origin. From a lot of |
| between people and the earth, people and the | | | | sources we can find information about assemblies |
| spirits of nature and the Holy Spirit that is the | | | | of Druids but exact dates are not given. The |
| head of all living creatures and is beyond all names. | | | | building of the Imperial temple at Lugdunum was |
| Celts believe in existence of many gods and | | | | probably dedicated to the feast of Lugh. The lack |
| angels and image them as living beings, not just | | | | of dates makes it difficult to determine the origin |
| abstract creations. According to the Celtic | | | | of some traditions and feats that are rooted in |
| understanding of the world, these divine beings | | | | the Celtic culture.The invention of the Coligny |
| can communicate with people in their own | | | | Calendar is the oldest inscription in Celtic language |
| mystical way.Another interesting thing about the | | | | and gives us the flavour of the development of |
| Celts is their love to poetry, beauty and creativity. | | | | Celtic civilisation. It was invented between first |
| Celtic diversity, which combines mysticism, love of | | | | century BCE and first century CE and contains |
| nature and comes from the relational spirituality, is | | | | reconciliation between two years. According to |
| in natural harmony with beauty and poetry. The | | | | this calendar the year is divided in 12 months with |
| development of Celtic culture is the way of | | | | 29-30 days each. Every two years the 13th |
| unique, rich culture. Every religious and philosophical | | | | month has to be added. By this calendar ancient |
| doctrine can find familiar features just to itself but | | | | Celts hold their feasts and every five years had a |
| the understanding of Celtic culture needs neutrality | | | | great sacrifice. It was the first attempt to lock in |
| and objective sensation. Celtic culture can be | | | | the changes of constant motion of nature and so |
| compared with a magnificent tree with a lot of | | | | of time. This calendar became the foundation of |
| branches. These branches got their further | | | | the modern one.Votive offerings are a kind of |
| development and now have become common | | | | Celtic worshipping that helps us to dive deeper in |
| values.The pre-Christian world was the world of | | | | Celtic outlook and understand reasons and |
| Celts, who worshiped nature. To the Celtic | | | | motives of these ceremonies. Workers and |
| outlook, the land was the main goddess, the | | | | artificers were fastened to big temples and |
| rivers were her helpers and they enriched the | | | | produced special holy souvenirs and |
| earth. Celts used to live in forests, where they | | | | mass-produced offerings. They were usually |
| were close to the nature and could learn the | | | | made from wood, later from clay and metal. The |
| language of trees and wisdom of animals. With | | | | most popular and common offerings were coins. |
| the appearance of Christianity ancient Celts didn't | | | | Special tiny coins were invented that could be |
| disturb their close ties with nature, they | | | | used just for offerings. For example, there were |
| connected their love to nature with the main | | | | coins devoted to the Goddess and were her |
| principles of Christianity. Celtic monks lived in deep | | | | properties. The number of these coins is high and |
| forests and wrote their religious works for the | | | | they can be find practically in every Celtic temple |
| gifts of nature. The most important thing was to | | | | during diggings. The next votive offerings were |
| understand the divine origin of all things and god's | | | | personal jewellery, such as rings, bracelets, |
| existence in nature. Celts saw life as a constantly | | | | earrings, pins, and necklaces. Sometimes special |
| changing circulation of life and death. Everything | | | | rites of "killing" the personal spirit of these things |
| moved in a spiral and nature's observation gave a | | | | were hold before the sacred deposition. Even now |
| possibility to find mechanism of development of | | | | we don't know the exact purposes of this |
| the world. Nowadays we have practically | | | | rite.Another type of offerings was creation of |
| completely lost the awareness of spiral | | | | anatomical models and representation of diseases |
| development and it's difficult to gain an | | | | on the statues of ancient Celtic gods. For |
| understanding of the world.Life of Celts is an | | | | example, Seguana, Goddess of the River Seine |
| integration of spirit, community and nature, and | | | | was depicted with models of eyes, limbs, heads |
| these concepts were a single whole and couldn't | | | | and internal organs. Sometimes particular diseases |
| exist separately that can be scarcely imagined in | | | | that had pilgrims were reflected on the statues |
| our modern society. The returning to these Celtic | | | | these pilgrims worshiped. |
| dogmas can help us understand who we are.Celtic | | | | Celtic spirituality is not just a form of ancient |
| Christians strongly believed in Holy Trinity. By the | | | | religion, even now it has a lot of followers and is |
| Celtic outlook the world is created by the main | | | | very popular. The number of sources, which refer |
| god who surrounds the entire world with his two | | | | to Celtic civilisation is great and you can find |
| arms of love: the left arm is the spirit and the | | | | practically everything you want to know. The |
| right one is Christ. Christ is the supreme example | | | | rebirth of Celtic culture is growing stronger and |
| of human life. Being close to the Christ means the | | | | there are a lot of groups practising Celtic religion. |
| understanding and getting of supreme and eternal | | | | One of the most popular religious groups, |
| love and wisdom. Early Celtic Christians didn't go | | | | Neo-Pagan Druids of Ar n'Draiocht Fein takes the |
| to church they preferred worshipping in small | | | | basis of the Celtic religion and combines them with |
| communities and sharing their food, money, work | | | | main features of Indo-European cultures. Another |
| with the representatives of this small group. They | | | | groups such as "Celtic Wicca", "Celtic Magic" and |
| saw Christ in their neighbour and shared | | | | others try to render Celtic culture. Such popularity |
| everything with him.Celts had a lot of traditions | | | | is explained by relevant and eternal principles of |
| and cults that were directly connected with | | | | this religion.Sometimes modern follows can have |
| nature, animals and different gods and spirits. | | | | nothing familiar with Celtic spirituality except of |
| Every family had special rites aimed to protect all | | | | names of the gods. The best method of finding |
| the members of the family from evil spirits. | | | | your place among numerous religions is to follow |
| Feasts and banquets were one of the | | | | the summons of your voice. You choice can be |
| components of ritual including special food and | | | | based on knowledge about different religions and |
| atmosphere. During a feast a minstrel usually sang | | | | but it's important to make own you conscious |
| songs about deeds of famous warriors. After the | | | | choice. Just basis on your own experience can |
| minstrel's songs his listeners began to boast of | | | | lead you to all mysteries and wonders of religious |
| their own brave deeds. As they all had drunk too | | | | world. Following ancient kind of religion, for |
| much, they began quarreling and fighting and even | | | | example Celtic one, is a very important and |
| some men could be killed. | | | | meaningful choice. You should research and |
| Early Celtic spirituality is characterised by animal | | | | understand Celtic worldview.All the religions are |
| divinity. Even now we can find statues of horses, | | | | good and unique. I think that religion is very |
| bears, birds created by the Celts. Only later with | | | | personal choice and it should be made individually. |
| the influence of Mediterranean culture it took | | | | The religious freedom is guaranteed by the |
| anthropomorphic element. Not all animals were | | | | Constitutional law and can't be limited or neglected. |
| thought sacred and this explains specific sensitive | | | | The main aim of the Church is to unite people, to |
| attitude to horses and cattle.Celtic hierarchy of | | | | bring peace to the earth. It's very painful for me |
| Gods combined Christianity and Greek religion and | | | | that sometimes exactly religion is the reason of |
| at the same time developed its own peculiarities. | | | | wars and conflicts. I have a strong determination |
| Cernunnos is the god that is responsible for | | | | that religion mustn't judge the representatives of |
| money and grain and is correlated with variety of | | | | other confessions.Celtic religion gained its popularity |
| both domestic and wild animals. There are also | | | | among people because of its generality and |
| such Celtic gods as Jupiter Taranis, Sulis Minerva, | | | | eternity. It advocates main principles of humanity: |
| Lenus Mars, Rosmerta, Mercury, Epona and other. | | | | love and respect for family and kin; love of |
| Celts were polytheistic, so believed in many gods. | | | | nature, poetry and other kinds of art. Celtic |
| They thought gods to be inhabitants of the | | | | spirituality assumes communication with god and |
| thickest and darkest parts of the forest. Such | | | | spirits that are closely connected with nature. It |
| plants as mistletoe and oak-tree were considered | | | | combines natural and supernatural and pictures the |
| sacred. There is a big group of historians that | | | | god as a supreme human being with perfect |
| think that the Celts were headed by a class of | | | | intelligence and power.The esoteric traditions of |
| priests called Druids. Stonehenge was the temple | | | | Celtic spirituality allow us develop our inner |
| of Druids. Druids' way of worshiping was rather | | | | capacities and contact many resources for healing |
| cruel and proposed sacrifices of human beings to | | | | and wisdom. We may develop a relationship with |
| get god's pardon. The Druids put the men in huge | | | | Brigit, who used to be a goddess of the abundant |
| baskets and burned them in the presence of | | | | earth and life-giving sun, later a Christian saint; or |
| people. But this historical opinion isn't still improved | | | | Morgan of the Isle of Avalon, known for her skills |
| or disapproved.So, to sum up, Celtic spirituality is | | | | in herbal medicine. Celtic spirituality is the way to |
| characterised by love of nature, art and poetry; | | | | open supernatural powers for those who believe |
| relationship between saints and gods; respect for | | | | in this. |
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| Celtic historical motherland is Ireland and territories | | | | |