Celtic Neopaganism

A group of Neo-druids from the Sylvan Grove of the OBOD at Stonehenge on the morning of the summer solstice 2005.

Celtic Neopaganism refers to Neopagan movements based on Celtic polytheism.

Types of Celtic Neopaganism

• Neo-druidism, grew out of the Celtic revival in 18th century Romanticism.
• Gorsedd Beirdd Ynys Prydain (1792), based on Druidic ritual but also containing Christian elements.
• The Druid Order (c. 1910, but claiming origins as early as 1717).
• Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD, 1964).
• British Druid Order (1970s).
• Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF, 1983).
• Celtic Wicca, loose syncretism of Wicca with aspects of Celtic mythology; the mainstream Wiccan "Wheel of the Year" syncretizes Celtic and Germanic festivals and Wicca itself syncretizes aspects of many different religions and cultures.
• Church of the Universal Bond.
• Reformed Druids of North America.
• "Celtic Neoshamanism", based on Michael Harner's controversial "Core Shamanism", focused on particular ideas of the "Otherworld"; proponents include John and Caitlin Matthews.^[1]
• Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism (CR), Celtic Polytheistic reconstructionism, who claim to form a more historically accurate and authentic tradition, claim to originate in the 1990s.

Celtic Shamanism

An assumption that the ancient religious practices of the peoples of the British Isles mirror those of contemporary Native peoples of America and Australia underlies the popularity of Celtic Shamanism, with its related books, training courses and Druidic Sweat Lodges.^[2] An underlying assumption found amongst both scholars and neopagans is that shamanism is the most ancient and universal form of religious behaviour. This subsequently leads to the identification of shamanistic elements in early Irish tales such as Buile Suibhne and the stories Finn MacCool. Thus myth and legend are interpreted as evidence that contemporary Celtic shamanism is revitalising an ancient spiritual discipline, rather than historical or archeological evidece.^[3]

Organizations

• The Druid Network is a British Druidic Order and the first pagan practice to be given official recognit­ion as a religion in the UK.^[4]

Literature

• Adler, Margot (1979) Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today.
• Bonewits, Isaac (2006) Bonewits's Essential Guide to Druidism. New York, Kensington Publishing Group ISBN 0-8065-2710-2 Chapter 9: "Celtic Reconstructionists and other Nondruidic Druids".
• Kondratiev, Alexei (1998) The Apple Branch: A Path to Celtic Ritual. San Francisco, Collins. ISBN 1-898256-42-X (1st edition), ISBN 0-806-52502-9 (2nd edition) [also reprinted without revision under the title Celtic Rituals].
• Laurie, Erynn Rowan (1995) A Circle of Stones: Journeys and Meditations for Modern Celts. Chicago, Eschaton. ISBN 1-57353-106-5.
• NicDhàna, Kathryn Price; Erynn Rowan Laurie, C. Lee Vermeers, Kym Lambert ní Dhoireann, et al. (2007) The CR FAQ - An Introduction to Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism. River House Publishing. ISBN 978-0-6151-5800-6.

See also

• List of Neopagan movements
• Stonehenge Free Festival
• Neopaganism in the United Kingdom
• Neopaganism in the United States

References

1. ^ Matthews, John O. (1991). Taliesin: Shamanism and the Bardic Mysteries in Britain and Ireland. Aquarian Press. ISBN 1-85538-109-5. 
2. ^ Bowman, Marion (2001). Contemporary Celtic Spirituality in. New directions in Celtic studies. Aquarian Press. pp. 97. ISBN 0859895874. 
3. ^ Bergholm, Alexandra "Academic and neo-pagan interpretations of shamanism in Buile Suibhne" in Studia Celtica Fennica No. II, 2005
4. ^ http://www.forteantimes.com/strangedays/misc/4612/druids_recognised_daily_mail_angry.html

External links

• Celtic Neopaganism at the Open Directory Project

This neopaganism-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · Categories: Celtic culture Neopaganism Neopaganism stubs Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР Tepeüstü 1908 Tour de France Look at other dictionaries: Neopaganism — or Neo Paganism is an umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements, particularly those influenced by historical pre Christian European pagan religions. [Lewis, James R. The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements …   Wikipedia Neopaganism in German-speaking Europe — Neopaganism (Neuheidentum) in German speaking Europe has since its emergence in the 1970s diversified into a wide array of traditions, particularly during the New Age boom of the 1980s. Schmid (2006) distinguishes four main currents: Celtic… …   Wikipedia Neopaganism in Germany and Austria — Neopaganism ( de. Neuheidentum ) in German speaking Europe has since its beginnings in the 1970s diversified into a wide array of traditions, particularly during the New Age boom of the 1980s.Schmid (2006) distinguishes four main currents:… …   Wikipedia Celtic Wicca — is a tradition of Wicca, loosely syncretized with elements of Celtic mythology, mostly, as noted by authors including Ronald Hutton, Kelly, Greer and Cooper, by way of the Romanticist Celtic Revival. Raeburn (2001) is aware of the ahistoricity of …   Wikipedia Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism — (CR) is a polytheistic, animistic, religious and cultural movement. It is an effort to reconstruct and revive, in a modern Celtic cultural context, pre Christian Celtic religions. Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism originated in discussions among… …   Wikipedia Celtic polytheism — Series on Celtic mythology Celtic polytheism Celtic deities (list) Gaelic mythology I …   Wikipedia Celtic — The words Celt and Celtic can have a variety of meanings. Sometimes a pronunciation distinction is maintained see Pronunciation of Celtic. Pronounced /kelt(ik)/Relating to the ethnic, linguistic and cultural group*Celts or Modern Celts *Celtic… …   Wikipedia Neopaganism in Latin Europe — is less widespread than in Germanic Europe and the wider Anglosphere. Italy, Spain and Portugal are traditionally Roman Catholic and according to the 2005 Eurobarometer Poll retain an above average belief in God. France is traditionally Roman… …   Wikipedia Neopaganism in Hungary — Neopaganism (Újpogányság) in Hungary has some New Age and Wiccan adherents, besides a special ethnic Hungarian branch inspired by Hungarian mythology and folklore. Szilárdi (2006) describes the movement as a postmodern combination of ethnocentric …   Wikipedia Neopaganism in Mexico — is a movement independent from other New Age movements. It has its own origin, history, and unique character. Similarities between Neopaganism and New Age exist, but are not essential and have nothing to do with their origins. Neopaganism is a… …   Wikipedia 18+ © Academic, 2000-2024 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”