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Arcanasium
Northern
In case you are unfamiliar, below is a widely accepted basic model that humankind (homo sapiens) started in central Africa, and largely started migrating around 200,000 years ago. In this map, the numbers signify 'kya' how many thousand years ago people migrated to that area.
Of course, as complex as these things get (and have always been all over the world) there is constant evidence popping up of anatomically modern humans all over the place long before the dates given.
But to try and simplify an infinitely complex process, we will stick to this one general model.
Hopefully this offers a glimpse into humankind's connectedness as well as our shared pool of knowledge. But overall, we must oversimplify a lot when it comes to these initial lessons.
To show just how complex each direction really is, the above video shows that it is never so cut and dry to say that one people or culture gave rise to these beliefs and customs. Instead, it is in each branch an amalgam of ideas shared by several cultures interacting over time.
When people think of fantasy, there is much derived from pre-medieval European lore. The common visuals of wizards, druids, dragons, elves, fairies, and several other fantasy concepts are actually rooted in ancient European thought. Much of fantasy media stems back to JRR Tolkien (Lord of the Rings) and other fairy tale works which were in turn directly influenced by European folklore. This matters because it means that there is, behind these fictional works, real places, stories, beliefs, practices, objects and people that we can explore. To us, discovering and researching the real thing is infinitely more exciting than the fictional content.
In this introduction to the Northern practices, we will only be covering 4 cultures. The Roman, Greek, Celtic, and Nordic cultures of ancient Northern Europe.
Romans
It is actually because of Roman imperialism and suppression of the universally practiced spirituality that there is less to be seen in the Northern Branch of humanity. Before the establishment of the Vatican the practice and teaching of the Arcane were found in Rome. But especially as we approached the year 0, they were much more concerned with political matters and conquest, stamping out the Arcane wherever they could.
The study and practice of the Arcane was demonized and thousands of scrolls were burned. Sometime around 13 B.C. at least 2,000 scrolls pertaining to the Arcane were burned under the orders of Augustus alone.
Then of course there was the devastating burning of the Library of Alexandria.
Many scholars, academics and intellectuals have speculated that this loss of information has set humankind back centuries both technologically and culturally. This more scorched-earth approach in their conquest has left us with tattered evidence of the ancient northern peoples. Like the mystery of the Stonehenge, we are mostly left with ruins when it comes to a once thriving and powerful culture like the Celts for instance.
Again, we have to oversimplify a little bit. Many people use the word Celtic as an umbrella term for ancient European peoples. Like the term 'Native American' is used to indicate various tribes and peoples of the Americas, the comparison between the two is quite apt.
The Celtic people, like the Native Americans were consisted of various, usually nomadic, tribes. These tribes were connected by similar language, culture, customs and beliefs. Both Native Americans and Celts had a closer relationship with the animals and spirits of nature. Also like Native Americans, they were utterly overtaken by colonialism. There is very little left of their civilization and sadly, what we are left with is fragmentary. We find only ruins and scant inscriptions of their beliefs and customs.
The Celtic territory once spread through virtually all of Europe. They were in Spain, France, Germany, Poland, parts of Russia and more. They were gradually conquered and pushed back into the British Isles during the Gallic wars. The blowback of this Roman conquest would eventually lead to the toppling of Rome when the Visigoths came back with a vengeance. This would clear the way for England to take over the position of the primary power in the world. This is one place where we have a small remnant of Celtic culture.
England was a complicated mixture of Angle, Saxon, Gallic, and Roman culture to name only a few influences. The original Celts had been pushed into the islands of Ireland and Wales, so much of the information on the ancient peoples can be found in the culture of these areas. Just how much of Irish tradition is representative of Celtic practices as a whole is hard to say. How much of it was Christianized is similarly difficult to ascertain. But if we piece together the common threads between all ancient Northern beliefs that still exist, we can begin to weave something of an accurate picture.
Greeks
Greece we know much about. They are a culture that wasn't completely destroyed, consumed by another nation or lost to time. Fairly rare unfortunately. It is still a nation today. We have a great understanding and record of their language, history and civilization. It was a nucleus for sharing ideas. A key factor that made Greece so great is that they took the best ideas from many different peoples and added them to their own.
If you recall our short description of Ying and Yang, you will find that the Greek approach to other societies was Ying-like and the Romans were more Yang-like. While Romans were forceful, wanting to convert other people to their beliefs, the Greeks were much more receptive, adopting other traditions and ideas. It is an almost guarantee that Christianity would not exist today had the Jews not shared their ideas with the Greeks. Likewise, it shouldn't be underestimated the impact that Zoroastrians, Persians and other empires of the Middle East have had on the world via the Greeks. The Greeks had settlements at spots all around the Mediterranean Sea that allowed them to receive from the Middle East, Indian and Northern practices. This cultural hub that the Greeks provided amassed all of these ideas and were philosophized upon.
Modern Turkey, the northern part of what we might call the Middle East is where much of the trading of knowledge likely took place. Mathematics, astronomy, and science at large owe a massive deal of their existence due to the preservation and building upon the knowledge that was taken in by the Greeks.
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The Hittites who once lived in what is now Turkey were only known about due to the writings in the Old Testament until very recently in 1834 when the first ruins were finally discovered academically. Before this discovery, the whole society might as well have been a fairy tale. Baking and buried in the desert, the society was so developed it has been said that it may have even rivaled Egyptian society.
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In ancient times Turkey was also home to the Ionians, one of the Greek settlements residing around the Mediterranean. It was due to the Ancient Greeks' interest in the people of the Middle East such as the Hittites, Chaldeans, Zoroastrians and Persians that we still use the word magic to this day. Words like 'Magi' and 'Mageios' transformed through Greek, Roman, and eventually medieval English culture to become the word we use and know today. Although that word has lost virtually all context and original meaning.
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Philosopher means 'Lover of wisdom'. It means learned person and they were effectively the scientists of their time. Many philosophers took part in Arcane groups and certainly kept and referenced what would be considered Arcane texts. Just like in Judeo-Christian faiths, some Arcane practices were acceptable under the name of being 'divine' while others were vilified or disparaged. This is exemplified in their literature as well as how they regarded many men of note. For instance, Pythagoras and Empedocles. Both were said to have unusual powers and both contributed to the advancement of human civilization. Empedocles among other things gave us the four classical elements:
Air, Fire, Water and Earth.
The four classical elements are something most will be familiar with, and we use it as well. For instance, the Four Fundamentals are loosely based on the four elements. This is because the elements serve as a deeper compartmentalization of all things. We will cover it much more later on and how it can be used, but one example of how you can divide all things into the four elements is:
Earth- The Physical aspect of reality.
Water- The Emotional aspect of reality.
Fire- The Mental/action aspect of reality.
Air- The Spiritual aspect of reality.
Categorization absolutely has its uses and gives humankind power. The fact we categorize all things and give each thing a name is the reason we are able to communicate and develop an understanding of the reality around us. We continue to divide all things into neat compartments. Like animals that we fit into different species, different families, different phyla, etc. Or the modern elements of the periodic table. These ancient four elements are more abstract and all-encompassing even beyond physical matter which is important in understanding what lies beyond. Consider how much we know beyond our physical senses due to numbers. The language of numbers and the categorization thereof has given us Mathematics. Mathematics has given humankind profound insight and abilities, all in a simple 10-character language.
Pythagoras is credited with a great deal of contributions to science and mathematics. Because there is debate over exactly which accreditations are accurate, we can't make any claims here. But either way, what is traditionally credited to him is not only important to the history of science and mathematics, but Arcane practices as well.
The philosophers gave rise to several different schools of thought. Much of what the philosophers have hit upon has relevance for today.
Socrates had a disciple named Plato. Then Plato's disciple was Aristotle. Aristotle taught Alexander the Great. All had such impact and have profound relevance for today. One small example is Aristotle's Golden Mean. It is a great explanation of what ethical, virtuous or moral behavior truly is. The Golden Mean is striking a balance between excess and deficiency.
Courage is the balance between being a coward and being brash or foolish.
Generosity is a balance between being a people pleaser and being greedy.
Love is striking a balance between influencing another or giving of yourself and accepting and receiving from another.
On it goes, but following this thinking makes for a truly great person and interestingly it is also quite Buddhist-type of thinking.
The Greek approach of philosophy, having many break-away schools of thought and constant debate is important. It is something we could use today as we currently have such a dogmatic or cult-like system. Even in our approach to science. We tend to adopt one model of thought and adhere to it until it is explicitly proven wrong.
Our understanding of Astrology is largely due to the Greeks' gathering of information. The Zodiac was borrowed from older societies but the animals, symbols, and names are very much Greek adaptations.
If you are pragmatic or religious, Astrology is more important than you might realize. At the core of all World Religions, they once practiced Astrology and it was an important science. It was only much later after the establishment of the Roman Catholic church that it began to be looked down upon. For those doubting the scientific authenticity, we cover this at length in the next Fundamental under the lesson "Astrology and the Macrocosm".
It should be noted that modern astrology (tropical) is an absolute joke. It is no longer based upon the stars. Due to the movement of the positions of stars through something called the precession of the equinox, the date of the sign that the sun rises in is quite different than the model being used. For more on this, please press this button:
On this website, we take the precession and true interpretation of the sun and planets' position in relation to the constellations into account. We take it a little more seriously, follow the way astrology was originally intended, and explain how it impacts the person or world at hand. We will cover more about how this works in the next course, but if you would like the divination of your birth, you can get your reading now by pressing the Birthchart Button.
(It does cost some money, but you would be helping the website out a great deal)
Pantheon
The Greek Gods are the most immediately recognizable versions of the Entities by most. But if you are not already familiar, the study of comparative mythology shows that these same Gods are described in arguably every culture throughout the world.
Zeus-Greek
Thor-Norse
Indra-Hindu
This is just the tip of the iceberg, but if you would like to know how this happened, look in to the Yellow Focus later on. All Entities have correspondences in every culture. Angels also have correspondences to these Entities. The collective of all of the Entities themselves, the culmination of the presences behind the cultural context or translation, is what we call the Pantheon. The studies of Comparative Mythology and Comparative Religion have been unnecessarily complicated by many individuals and schools of thought on the matter. But with deductive reasoning we can show how these Deities are all connected.
For now, we will cover eight of them corresponding to the Solar System in ancient times. You will first see the planetary symbol and then the corresponding God. We will show the Greek God and then the Roman adaptation. This is simply a beginner's introduction to the Pantheon and Association. Like Categorization as you saw in the elements, Association is very important. Forging connections in the brain leads to higher intelligence and using Association is what gives metaphor and parables power.
You'll notice that important people throughout history, true geniuses, used such connections and powers of Association. For example, Alexander the Great emulated Hercules during his life to great effect. Learning these principles of Categorization, Association and Emulation is fundamental to the Arcane.
We definitely suggest you record these symbols and corresponding meanings in your journal under the 'Pantheon' page. As best as you can, commit these to memory as we use the symbols and the corresponding characteristics later on.
Think about how important these figures have always been to humankind. They go much farther back than the Greek and Roman counterparts.
Sun
Greek Apollo
Roman Sol
The Sun is Gold. It is the bright, life-giving, beautiful progenitor that allows us to see and gives us protection from the night. The Sun is inspiring. So too is the God Apollo. The Sun God is the God of truth and prophecy. Of Healing and curing diseases. The most beautiful God, Apollo reigns over inspiration in the form of music, poetry and dance. A God of education, surely it is pretty clear how like the Sun, he allows us to 'see'. He was instrumental in averting evil and coming to the aid of people in need. This is the power of pure charisma. A person that has a beaming presence is able to convey truth in the same way that the Sun brings warmth and light to the Earth. True social, psychological, or political clout is being loved by those around you. Of course, many today are aware of the Sun symbol being associated with many religious figures and especially martyrs. The Sun inevitably comes up to bring life and light but some creatures thrive in the darkness. In matters of speech, charisma, popularity and truth, Apollo or Sol (The actual name of our Sun) is a representative of the whole ideology behind it.
Moon
Greek Artemis
Roman Diana
If the day is a time of salvation and the Sun represents education and inspiration, what is the night and what does the Moon represent? Artemis is the Goddess of the hunt. The nocturnal animals come out to hunt during the night. So too could we hunt by the light of the moon. Our primal nature and skill come out to play. Under the cover of darkness we conquer or befriend the more subtle, darker or primordial side. What Carl Jung may have called the Shadow Self. The Goddess of the wilderness, she was associated with animals and the forest. Artemis and Apollo were twins. This is definitely another example of Ying and Yang. Artemis is a truly awesome example of the female aspect. She guarded her virginity and other virgins, tricking or killing any men or Gods who tried to taint her. Artemis was independent. Whereas Apollo was bright and popular and loved by others, he needed others for validation. Artemis could care less but is independently skilled and confident. This is the same main concept that is called into question when it comes to Ying or Yang people. Which is better? To be independent or to have the support of others? There is no right answer, but one must be able to switch modes. For matters in independence, self-assurance or self-improvement, conquering fear, skill, or instinct think on Artemis. Take note that while the Sun dispels darkness, the Moon sees you through already dark times and situations.
Mercury
Greek Hermes
Roman Mercury
The mediator between Gods and men. Between heaven, earth and the underworld. The messenger or the herald. Hermes is a guide of souls to the underworld or to the divine realms. The more astute of you may have noticed Hermes' wand or staff. Called the Caduceus, we see two serpents coiled around a scepter. The blueprint symbol strikes again. The planet Mercury was perceived to be the fastest moving planet even in ancient times as it traveled around the sky. Not only was Hermes quick physically, but swift mentally. He was witty and tricky. So much so, that he virtually tricked his way into the Pantheon in some Greek myths. But he is a very ancient God. To be 'mercurial' is to be able to change quickly or able to change modes/qualities. It is Mercury's mediator or bridge-like role across the different planes (Underworld, Earth, and Heavens) that is key here. Some symbols show winged feet representing his agility and plane traveling ability, his Caduceus representing his psychopomp nature (guide of souls to the underworld) and Apotheosis nature (elevating souls to a divine status). He also had either a cloak or a cap that could make him invisible, and an adamant sword that could cut through stone that was lent to Perseus to kill Medusa. He helped heroes and was a God for travelers, heralds, merchants and thieves alike. In times of need for mental acuity, help at a crossroads or in travel, or perhaps divine revelation and spiritual guidance, Hermes or Mercury is that guide.
Venus
Greek Aphrodite
Roman Venus
Other than the Sun and Moon, the planet Venus is the brightest natural object in the sky. Sometimes called the Morning Star, it would mark that it was nearly time for the Sun to come up. Twinkling beautifully in the sky, sometimes it was the evening star, the first sign you'd see as it approached night time. Aphrodite is the Goddess of beauty and sexuality. She is not the Goddess of love, more about the principle of attraction or seduction than true love. The feminine power of persuasion, seduction and attraction. All darker ancient history and connections aside, this is an important aspect of human nature. Besides physical beauty, attraction is an important element in the emotional, psychological and political arenas. There is found here a primary active feminine principle just as Mars the God of war is the primary active masculine principle. Whereas Apollo may have gained popularity from the beauty of truth, this is about gaining clout through persuasion, seduction, sexuality, charm or even manipulation. Attraction is about pulling others in with the gravity of the sensual presence you exude. This involves being receptive and graceful no matter what outer influences there may be. Beauty is an art. Beauty is in the things that we do not know. Seeing a sunset is only beautiful if we haven't seen it before. Being exotic, mysterious, modest, graceful and poised, or in control are all attractive. Chiefly because we look at such a person and do not know what they are really like, what they are thinking, etc. Sexuality is an art and a power as well. Cleopatra famously emulated Aphrodite.
Mars
Greek Ares
Roman Mars
Even with the naked eye, the planet mars looks ominous. A dull, reddish-orange glow hangs forebodingly suspended in the sky. Mars or Ares was the God of War. It is amazing how little humans change over thousands of years. War is still a large part of human affairs. Proficiency in war involves both force and strategy. Strategy without the force to back it up is impotent just as a large force will fail without proper strategy. This is applied beyond physical warfare and has to do with action of all types. In fact, action is a key word here.
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Warfare, argument and debate, politics, activism, assertion and intimidation would all fall under the Ares characteristic. Ares and Mars represent the primary active Male principle. Whereas Venus is about reception and seduction, Mars is about assertion and conquering a matter through force. That force could be an argument, a movement of some kind as in a demonstration, or even athleticism or competition in general. Just remember that it is the strategy behind the force that makes for a skilled warrior. That separates the defeated from the champion.
Earth
Greek Gaia
Roman Terra
Earth has often been referred to as a mother. Mother Earth is fertile, strong, responsible, protective, patient and caring. We find providence upon Mother Earth and the myths are the same way. Gaia the Greek earth Goddess hid Zeus away before he could be devoured for instance. Being fertile and receptive is of great importance in every aspect of reality. But knowing how to nurture and cultivate what is received is of even greater importance. Think about what it means to have a fertile mind. When you have that characteristic down, consider what it means to be nurturing and caring of the ideas. To be able to nurture the other people in your life. To be a source of growth and support. These things are some of what Mother Earth embodies.
Jupiter
Greek Zeus
Roman Jupiter
Isn't it strange that the ancients would name the planet Jupiter after their King God? Not just the Greeks but Mesopotamian cultures that predate them by millennia and several other cultures throughout the world. You would think they would choose the brightest planet Venus. But no, they chose a planet that is relatively weak to the naked eye which 'just happened' to be the biggest planet in the solar system. Zeus is a storm God and rules with untethered power. His authority is unquestioned, but don't think that this means that he is beneficent necessarily. He is uncontended and acts freely, sometimes being what might be considered mischievous, immoral or at the least questionable. But no matter what, he is the powerful overthrower of the Old Order. This is one of the oldest tropes of religion all across the board. In matters of authority, overcoming corruption, triumph, justice and absolute power, Zeus or Jupiter is the personification to focus on and call upon.
Saturn
Greek Cronus
Roman Saturn
Cronus was the King before Zeus usurped the throne. Over time all things must come to an end. Two maxims that come to mind when thinking on Cronus/Saturn are: "You will reap what you sow" and "You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the enemy". Cronus himself put an end to Chaos and established his own sovereignty. With a sickle as his scepter, he reigned as the first King in the Greek Pantheon. Cronus heard a prophecy that one of his children would take over the throne. Cronus in order to maintain power went to any length necessary and swallowed his own children in order to prevent losing his authority. This may call to mind many stories including Jesus' when King Herod reacted to a prophecy in a similar manner, slaying newborn children. This is one of the most recurring themes in human history and those in power today are operating under this same mode of operation. It is also interesting to note that the Romans saw Saturn as involved with the foundation of Rome. Their holiday Saturnalia is something Christmas draws elements from. It is usually very revealing which of the Entities different cultures revere.
Cronus serves as a great example of how even the Pantheon changes from older Entities in favor of newer Entities and the implication for what it means to that society. Although Cronus is often confused with the Greek God of time, Cronus still is largely connected to time and its cyclical nature. Even today, the Grim Reaper is a personification of death and is shown with a sickle. This exemplifies the harvesting of souls, and the iconography is used in various places including the Bible (Matthew 13:30).
Obstinance, being immovable as a mountain. Perseverance, being as hard as a rock. Order from Chaos. Strength and primordial motivations. Pragmatism, rough and gross (the definition of gross, not disgusting). Necessary or logical measures. Furthering your own cause no matter the perception of others, no matter the consequences.
Obviously, we still use the Roman names for the planets. Each constellation sign has an ancient story behind it and this connotation in relation to the position of the planets is more important. But astrology will be covered in Cup of Prophecy. For now, familiarize yourself with just the surface level of a small handful of Entities. There are correlations with other cultures as you will see. The presence of the Gods and Goddesses you will build a personal relationship with later, but for now notice how these are different aspects of yourself. Different modes of being.
Meditating on these connections and building your own connections in the mind between the myths and your Self can shed light on many things. Applying these associations can be beneficial and revealing right out of the gate.
Apollo for instance is a God of eloquence and poetry. When you are communicating, especially trying to teach, putting a poetic spin on your speech adds to the authority and interest gleaned from others. This does not mean rhyming. One definition of poetic is: having an imaginative or sensitively emotional style of expression. The proficiency in this art is the difference from being able to be the center of attention or not (sun-like). Being popular or not. And being able to be these things measures your ability to teach others.
All of these personas take time and practice to cultivate and learn to use. They are different Intelligences which we will cover later. They use knowledge of the Elements and other categories and associations. The more you know about the myths, the more you can relate to the Entity of the relative persona. The more connections you make and the more characteristics you emulate, the more potent your influence in that sphere of being. This is just the very surface level, but we will move on for now.
Alexander the Great conquered the 'Western World' stretching from the Mediterranean and Egypt as far east as India. It was less than 200 years later that Rome annexed Greek territory and would take its place as the leading power in the ancient world. Inheriting all of the land that Greece had attained, Rome kept pushing the boundaries further conquering ever more territory.
One culture the Romans had trouble in trying to conquer. Those pesky northerners they called the Gauls. Those 'barbarian' tribes that had long been an affront to the Mediterranean Kingdoms. Who were they though?
Celts
Romans
Celts
The feeling many have of the Celtic peoples is that they were a forest people, much like the Elves of fantasy. It's interesting because the term Elves comes from these people and there are cultures in the northern European area that still believe Elves exist. They certainly were connected to the forest and revered both animals and trees. Again, what a culture reveres is revealing. What they held in high regard is what was most important to them and something they knew on a spiritual level.
A connection with nature can be quite powerful and there are several accounts of the Celts influencing the weather among other things. Not only within Celtic myths but even in documented Roman and Christian monk reports. These reports were pragmatic, if not biased accounts. For them to admit that such things were happening means something. Accounts of warfare within Celtic stories have several instances where having nature on your side was of great importance and was granted through ritual. Tolkien's Elven language was loosely based upon Gaelic, the closest derivative of a common Celtic language. Merlin was apparently a Celt (or 'Gaul'), and probably a druid in the folk story of King Arthur. The medieval English dragon was adopted from the Celts that inhabited and surrounded the area in antiquity. The Celts possibly were the first to use iron swords and chainmail and so were the forerunner to the medieval knight. Much of what we see in fantasy pop culture is directly related to Celts.
There are many different concepts of interest that are of Irish/Celtic origin. Time is like a chain. We build a chain of memories that can be accessed (also called the Collective Unconscious). Each of us are like links in this chain. One chain that has been broken is the tradition of initiation in passing down hidden knowledge. We can choose to become new links in this broken chain and reforge the connection.
The idea of sacred places is very Celtic. These sacred places acted as bridges between our world and the Otherworld, another usually invisible plane that existed alongside our own. Some entities found on this other plane were the Sidhe (pronounced 'She'). The Sidhe are what the appearance of Elves in modern folklore were based on. Another entity of the Otherworld is the Fairy. Fairies were very powerful beings, not what we portray today as tiny creatures with insect wings but rather may have a connection to what we might call angels. There are many other entities including the gnomes/leprechaun, sylphs, and other natural spirits that are normally invisible and reside on a dimension just outside of our own but can occasionally pop into this dimension, possibly at will. It's at these sacred places that we might have access to these entities. The Sidhe were often sought for inspiration especially when it came to the arts like poetry and music for instance.
There are many things of importance in threes. Triune Goddesses, three cauldrons representing three Realms and so on. One important triune concept from Celtic culture included the Bard, the Ovate, and the Druid.
The Bard was initiated into the arts of speechcraft and music. It is said they had the power to open doors with the word. Doors of the mind, doors of emotion, doors to opportunity.
Ovates, who held the keys to the Doors of Time, were able to perform divination and see back and forth into the past and future. This ability has been called 'Second Sight'.
The Druid it has been said was a twenty year-long initiation in order to become a Druid. Two and a half Doctorate degrees of mastery just to begin as a Druid!
Much of this is a Nature or Green focus of the Arcane. Druids seem to have had a connection with, and an influence over, nature. Weather control, communication with trees and animals, natural remedies, healing and a connection with natural spirits are a few of the things we can glean from old sources.
Similar to how we can Associate with and Emulate the Entities of the Pantheon, we can do the exact same thing with animals and even plants. The more we know about their characteristics, the more we are capable of emulating those characteristics.
Some animals of note to the Celts were the:
Cat, Dog, Wolf, Bull, Stag, Boar, Horse and Butterfly
Some birds that were regarded are:
Swan, Goose, Owl, Raven and Eagle
They were also very interested in Astronomy/Astrology and the early sciences. Whereas the Romans would call them 'barbarians' or 'savages', the Druids seem to have been fairly well-respected to most of the other cultures of their time. Seen as learned or even philosophers in their own right, Druids apparently underwent a great deal of learning.
There is something very powerful about learning from nature and the wilderness. There are many stories like that of Jesus, Moses, Buddha, Muhammad and so many others who went out into the wilderness and discovered profound truth, perhaps enlightenment if you want to call it that.
Druids it is believed learned in such a way through the wilderness of the forest, a very powerful and mysterious form of the wilderness. Anyone who has experienced considerable time in the woods knows that it gets very weird. For lack of any better term, it becomes spiritual. Sometimes it can be scary, other times peaceful. There are beings and unexplainable things out there for those who don't know the Arcane.
Another interesting Celtic quality was that in times where it was very rare, they held the female in high regards. These women of power seem to have been connected to healing and healthcare as well as divination and what would later be called magic. We have stories of the Lady of the Lake as well as the Morrigan and many others. This is a very important lineage as some European women would continue the true practice of spirituality and would later be deemed 'witches'.
One more thing of note is that the Celts had a calendar that had 13 different tree signs. Remember that true astrology also has 13 different star signs technically. If you are interested in what your tree signs could be and what it means, you can click here:
It's easy to forget that as England was becoming the leading empire in the world in ancient times, one of the greatest forces of influence was the Celtic ideology including their technology. Many of our holidays are directly descended from the Celtic festivals. Of course Christianity would overshadow this with an ever-growing eclipse until of course we had the witch trials and the near thorough abandonment of premedieval practices. Yet there they were, many having lineage of Celtic origin themselves, sitting on Celtic lands.
Celtic Pantheon
Bel
Artio
Dagda
Branwen
Nuada
Taranis
Danu
Balor
Norse Pantheon
Baldur
Skadi
Odin
Freya
Tyr
Frigg
Thor
Bor
This is just the beginning of the connections between the Deities or Entities of each culture.
There are also connections in the Asian region or the previous Eastern branch, we are just gradually getting you used to the idea of comparative myth and religion and there are indeed connections all over the world.
Nords
The Norse pantheon is likely more familiar than the Celtic to most. The Nordic or Scandinavian culture and belief system is probably the most intact representation of what all ancient Northern Europeans were like. Beside the pantheon, other concepts of primary importance are the Fylgja (Norse word for Fortune), the World Tree and Seidr/Galdr. The Yggdrasil, also known as the World Tree is a map of Creation.
Surely you know by now to take note of another instance of the 'snake on a stick' symbol in the Blueprint Page. The more astute of you will also notice that the above image depicts the symbols of the planets/Gods shown earlier. These are also representations of different realms. These are what we would call dimensions today. True practitioners know how to navigate this blueprint and access the different realms. Even some uninitiated people accidentally stumble into the higher realms sometimes through the use of drugs and see the 'Light Elves' for instance. Though they may call them Angels or 'Machine Elves'. Some through mishap peer into the realm of what they would say is Hell and see Demons, Shadow figures or even the 'Fire Giants'. Luckily for them and the rest of us, they don't know what they are doing and they don't understand such beings.
You will be taught more if you show interest and if navigating the Realms intrigues you, reach higher Levels and you will learn what this Blueprint is all about.
This Blueprint is unsurprisingly found throughout the world. The Arcane secrets of Judaism have the same outline. Called the Sephirot or the Tree of Life, all of this has been a not-so-hidden reality. You will be taught more on this as you go along and more will make sense.
This Blueprint of reality is true on many different levels.
You may recall Hercules, Buddha and Christ's association with the snake and find it interesting that Zeus battled and overthrew Typhon a great monstrous serpentine giant. Though we have scant details from Celtic religion, Lugh is often depicted holding two serpents and Thor is supposed to battle and overthrow the World Serpent Jormungandr. Of course this is represented in the Bible as Satan the adversary of God being the Serpent or Dragon.
Not so long ago, European women exhibited considerable spiritual power. Many innocent women were imprisoned or burned alive at the stake out of that old fear. True power could potentially be able to overthrow governmental, fabricated power. Some were never brought to the stake due to the power they possessed. Some could not be burned; not even the fire could consume them. These were some truly awesome women and their stories are seldom known because there is still so much stigma attached.
It's pretty sad that even to this day it can still be a controversial subject for people to look into and research objectively. People go their whole lives without realizing what some of these women were capable of. This was not too long ago. Again, remember that witches were discouraged and shunned greatly in those days so accounts that a witch had such power, authority and courage would have been frowned upon or hidden so we are lucky that such accounts found their way down to us through history.
Women do have a natural disposition to practice spirituality thanks to how the female brain is wired. Women basically have a head-start in being able to use several regions of the brain simultaneously and make connections that are more subtle or ethereal if you will. This is why in several ancient societies many of the female deities were more 'magically' oriented (Saint Lucia, The Morrigan, Hecate, Yemaya, Kamala and many more).
Women today may imagine what it would be like to have a more matriarchal society. From what we can glean from what the Celts held sacred this was likely just such a type of Matriarchal society that would come into conflict with a more Roman, Patriarchal system of belief.
Hence what would become the witch trials.
But just think. Here was England not only surrounded by the Irish Celts and the Scandinavian or Nordic people, but most of them were descendants from these peoples. They were surrounded by, and steeped in ancient spiritual practices that were now deemed 'magic' even though that word only originally meant the practices of the Magi.
In reality these people were just performing the rituals of the true spirituality of the Northern Europeans. In fact, this is a good time to bring up Seidr, Galdr and Runes of the Nordic practices. It's frustrating to say the least that even to this day people would deem these practices 'magic' even though this is just simply how all spirituality was performed all over the world once upon a time.
Seidr involved rituals and had more to do with the use of materials and other ritualized practices to achieve a desired effect. It's speculated that this was a more feminine practice and the females of Nordic culture would use this form of spirituality.
Galdr on the other hand involved something we call Incantation. These are spoken recitations in order to achieve an effect. Likely the more masculine use of spirituality, this form is a poetic art similar to that used of the Bards. Called Galdralag the voice or the Word could be used to great spiritual effect.
Runes are the Nordic version of the powerful use of symbolism. We see symbols used in spiritual affairs all over the world as well. Runes were carved into talismans, amulets or the weapons of Vikings to imbue the respective runes' characteristic into the material.
Because even by the medieval times the people of Romanized England were surrounded by these ancient spiritual customs, for almost a thousand years the Arcane teachings weren't entirely stamped out even in imperial medieval England. The greatest intellectuals of that time practiced alchemical, astrological, tarot, Platonic, Kabbalistic, Hermetic and all manner of Arcane Arts. These intellectuals include the very forefathers of science as we know it such as Isaac Newton but so many more from the Middle Ages.
England to this day is home to many sites of interest. England, like Greece, wound up being a kind of hub for northern Europeans. Whether Anglo, Saxon, Norman, Gaul, Scandinavian, Irish Gaelic, Germanic, Baltic, or many of the other intermingling peoples in England, they could likely trace their lineage back to what we would call a 'Celtic' tribe. And though they may have thought Christianity so different from the beliefs they were banning and burning, Christianity was ultimately rooted in the same ancestral thoughts.
The Northern branch still has so much to offer and like any of the other branches it is really just skimming the surface of these cultures. But what they taught will be explored more thoroughly if you continue. As always, if anything piqued your interest you can do some research of your own or ask us any questions you might have. Feel free to jot down any thoughts in the comment section below and please take the quick quiz before moving on to the Southern lesson.
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