Welcome to the Mackay School of Celtic History 10! We’re glad you could make it! This is the tenth group in the ever expanding Mackay School constellation. You know, of course, that this group is not just about Celtic history, but also the literature, culture, magick, and mythology. Celtica forms a large portion of Europe, taking in what are now parts of Switzerland (La Tene), Spain (the Milesians), Italy (the Titian redheads), Austria (Hallstatt, the Danube), France (Gaul and Brittany), and the British Isles (Ireland, Scotland, Man, Cornwall, Wales). Abbott’s Inn Aura of Love Celtic Romance is a sister group to this one.
The Celts were one of the three waves of Indo-European tribes that came out of the Indian-Iranian region starting about 1500 BCE. The other two groups were the Teutons and the Slavs. The Celts were always a diverse people, more a loose confederation of tribes than a united people or nation. The Greeks gave them the name by which we know them today, the Keltoi, which means “artisans” in Greek because of their sculpture and metal work All three waves made their way across Europe, mingled with the native peoples, and became the Europeans we are descended from today, that is, those of us with European blood. You can’t tell who is European and who is not by the color of our skin, for there has been much mingling of blood over the centuries. If any of you have anything to offer about these origins, feel free to post here. For example, I did not mention the Doric people, who may be a fourth wave of Indo-Europeans. Were the Scythians part of this western movement? I do not know. If you have better knowledge, please do post here. I tried to find my book on the Indo-Europeans, but was unsuccessful.
The Celts gave a name to the Danube, which was Danu, cognate to the Welsh goddess Don, and the Irish river goddess Anu. Hallstatt in Austria was a Celtic center from the 8th century to the 5th century BCE. The La Tene site in Switzerland was a center from the 5th century to about the 2nd century BCE. The Celts were united only by a division of the Indo-European root language related to Sanskrit, their customs, their religion, a curious sort of one-in-many polytheism, and their use of a mysterious class of priests, magicians, diplomats, judges, lawyers, bards, genealogists, scientists, and physicians known as the Druids.
In comparing Celtic and Norse mythologies, there are similarities even though they were sworn enemies such as the many attributes of both Celtic and Norse deities. They both used herbs. But I protested, “But everybody used to use herbs!” “The Celts and the Norse both had systems for using their herbs,” “But everybody had systems for using herbs!” “Hey, I’ve got one! The Celts and the Norse were both sea raiders.” That one I could accept. They were both very warlike peoples. They also both employed the most advanced farming methods of their time. The number 9 was very important to both cultures. They were both patriarchal cultures, unlike many of the often matriarchal or egalitarian peoples they conquered. Stephen doesn’t believe that they were patriarchal peoples, but I do. Plainly he hasn’t done the reading I have. Sure, there were a few queens, mainly among the British Celts, but by and large the men were in charge. Stephen feels that there were more opportunities for women that there were among the Norse. One difference was that in the Celtic culture there was more respect for women than in the Norse. If you can think of any other ways in which these two cultures were similar, please post them here so we can discuss them.
Of course, who here doesn’t like Celtic music? My first exposure to Celtic music was thirty years ago when I was exposed to the Chieftains. I loved it at first listening. Since my guild mostly does Scottish games, I get many opportunities to listen to live Celtic music. We get the Jolly Tinkers, the Molly Browns, and other assorted bands too numerous to mention. Stephen’s first exposure to Celtic music was also the Chieftains. The album of theirs I want to get on Rhapsody is one they did of Spanish Celtic music. Stephen also promoted Horslips for several years, and was exposed to Celtic music that way. I went to Rhapsody today, and downloaded scads of Horslips. Man, was that good. It’s evocative of Grateful Dead, the Chieftains, Country Joe and the Fish, and John Entwhistle. Stephen thinks they sound like no one but themselves , but they remind me of other groups all mooshed up and spun out..
Literature is replete with Celtic names such as J.M. Synge, James Joyce, Eugene O’Neill, W.B.Yeats, and Oscar Wilde. Two more are Lady Gregory and Bram Stoker. One of my personal favorites is Robert Burns, but that may be just because I share my birthday with him. John and Caitlin Matthews have contributed much to Celtic culture. Actually, they’ve done much to promulgate Celtic culture, especially in the realms of mythology and legends, religion, divination, and Celtic shamanism.
I mentioned before that the name Keltoi from which we get the name Celts means artisans. A case in point is the Gundestrup Cauldron, which far from being Germanic or Nordic as most people think is actually Celtic in manufacture. It features the God Cernuunnos, beloved Horned God of many Wiccans (I own a statuette of him as he appears on the cauldron), surrounded by animals, and on the other side, Ceridwen, beloved Goddess of the Cauldron of Inspiration. One of the reasons most people think that it is Norse is that it was found in a mostly Norse area. But it was captured, and is not indigenous to the Gundestrup area where it was found. The Norse didn’t have cauldron Goddesses, but the Celts did. It was found in a bog, where it was probably thrown as a sacrifice as a substitute for a human being. But it was more than likely taken in a raid by the Norse against the Celts. They were deadly enemies. Celtiphiles are pretty pissed off that the Celts are not given credit in most places for the cauldron. Two authors—authorities on Celtica who agree with us are Proinisias MaCana and Duncan Norton-Taylor.
If you know anyone who wants a fairly cheap housing situation with two congenial Pagan magickal housemates in an ethnically mixed neighborhood in Sacramento, contact me at tezra.reitan@gmail.com or Stephen at abbottsinn_school@yahoo.com or Stephen at his phone number 916-455-2267. Also, we desperately need donations to keep Abbott’s Inn International School of Magick afloat. You can send donations of any size to either Stephen’s Paypal account at abbottsinn@gmail.com or abbottsinn_school@yahoo.com or my Paypal account at tezra.reitan@gmail.com. If it’s for at least $32, you’ll get either a reading or a class from our vast collections of divination decks/methods/tools or for the class, pick a topic from our vast repertoire in the field of magick. For $60, you can actually have both a reading and a class. I don’t have my webcam hooked up yet, or my mic, but with Stephen you can have sound and video on Yahoo IM, Windows Msgr or Skype. With me for a short while, it’ll be just phone or typing on Yahoo IM or Windows Msgr. Thank you for using and disseminating Stephen’s Zodiac referral number 1-800-280-8496. Stephen1580. It helps ever so much when you use it instead of the regular number because you don’t pay any more, but he makes three times as much. We’re both on SSI, thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger drastically cut both of our checks, and Keen isn’t coming up with the paying calls. I haven’t made one cent since signing on with Keen. My clients all demand free five minute readings, and refuse to go over that five minutes for a paid reading. In fact, it’s cost me money to bid so altogether, Keen has been pretty much of a total loss for me. If you need money, kids, mow lawns or babysit, don’t join a psychic reading service, because it’ll just suck in what little money you do have.
Do check out the PaganRadioNetwork.net It’s free, although they certainly do accept donations. Doesn’t everyone? Seems like everyone has his hat out nowadays, and we’re sorry to be part of that, but the situation is dirt. We almost lost our power yesterday. In these times of smaller SSI checks, a bankrupt state, and practically non-existent paying KEEN calls, the prices just seem to be rising all the time for less and less service or quality.
In order to keep his computer alive, or perhaps get a new computer, Stephen needs a new battery and Windows 7, because Vista is just too unreliable. Vista is the worst operating system since 98. But first Stephen has to pay off his rent, and so do I. Don’t buy a Dell or do business with Wells Fargo. They’re both ripoffs.
If you’re ever in Sacramento, look up Walter Rhoads and Julie Maahs. Together they own Gallery 14 at 14th St. and 60th Avenue. We’re promoting them big time. Walter Rhoads has a very interesting and different approach to art. He compares himself to the late great Jackson Pollock but there are two main differences: Rhoads is still drawing breath with a healthy 98.6 degrees temperature (except when he’s sick, in which case it’s somewhat higher) and I think Jackson Pollock was gay, and Rhoads is, like us, hopelessly hetero.
We certainly hope you’ve enjoyed this post. Sorry about my negativity up there, but I’ve been very depressed by this economy lately, and wishing I were with Doc in the Summerland.
Tegwedd ShadowDancer
Stephen Abbott
Inky my BFF (BoyFriend Forever)
Little (Big)Boy
Oreo (the Mouser)
Bailee Beasley Beastly
Frikki & Frakki
Dr. Livingston I. Presume aka Prince Henry the Navigator
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