Vanessa Hammond

“Let us adore our Creator,
Maker of marvelous works
Bright heaven with its angels
And on earth the white-waved sea.”

“Let us adore our Creator,
Maker of marvelous works
Bright heaven with its angels
And on earth the white-waved sea.”

As I write this my heart and mind are full of anticipation for a rich day of Celtic Spirituality at First+Metropolitan Church, 932 Balmoral St., Victoria on April 22nd and then our Sacred Ireland  pilgrimage August 16th to September 5th. The link between the two is earth-awareness.

April 22nd is Earth Day, a wonderful opportunity to explore the fascinating heritage of earth-awareness in the Celtic lands. When our pre-Celtic and Celtic ancestors first settled in Ireland many thousands of years ago, a journey of one day’s walk, or going beyond the ridge of the next mountain was the limit of many people’s experience of the world.

There were no global maps, no continent-wide weather forecasts, no understanding of the vastness of our globe or the whole universe, no concept that there might be one divine presence, no concept of global religions.

But there was a depth of spirituality, a sense of the sacredness of all life that is still, thousands of years later, visible throughout the landscape. We can adopt, even in our 21st century urbanized technical society, our own version of ancient Celtic earth-centred spirituality. In doing so we enrich our lives.

How can we become earth aware like our ancestors? Imagine you are taking a walk. Even better, go outside in comfortable shoes, carrying no cell-phone or camera, no wallet. Just you.

As you step outside, feel the contact of your feet with the ground and know whether it is unyielding or soft and alive. Close your eyes and be aware of the moisture in the air, the movement of the breeze, the scents, the sounds. Be totally aware of the physicality of the small space around you. When you open your eyes, stand still and take into your eyes and your mind every detail of what you can see.

Be aware of the relationship between hill and tree, the world of nature and structures added by us. Turn slowly and repeat the process of absorbing the view in detail. Start now to name every feature of the landscape.

Imagine walking for a day, seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling and doing this throughout your life. This was the life of most people before the advent of the car, before ordinary people had the use of a mule or horse. The world consisted of what could be sensed directly. All else was hear-say, myth and wonderful story. But the awareness of that walking-distance world was detailed, able to predict exactly when the blackberries would ripen, when the deer would be at the spring bubbling with clear water, when the salmon would return to the stream. And each place would be named:  Green Lake, Bridgit’s Well, Water Meadow.

The awareness was intimate, knowledgeable and loving, not romantically, but with full respect for the power of the elements. It is not surprising that our ancestors’ earliest feeling of something beyond the immediate, something divine, was embodied in mountains and rivers, waterfalls and trees.

We have lost much by distancing ourselves, dulling our senses, losing contact with the earth. Even a daily awareness walk can start to restore our connection with the earth that supports us. Our ancestors wove rituals and spiritual practices of earth-awareness into their lives.

On April 22nd we will explore some of these, and take home a reminder of each and our own version of at least one of these enduring traditions.  You can register at www.firstmetvictoria.com or call,  250 388-5188 or talk with Leanne Benoit at 250 388 5188 ext 225 or Vanessa.  The suggested cost for the afternoon (1-5pm) is $10. Bring a small flat stone, a piece of ribbon and a photo!

In this year’s Sacred Ireland pilgrimage we will see where our Stone Age ancestors 7,000 years ago created huge ritual sites that show a detailed awareness not only of the seasons, but also of the cycles of the sun and moon. 
    As we walk and touch these ancient monuments we will seek to emulate their motivation and to gain, in small measure, their understanding that our wholeness comes from the interplay of earth and heaven, rocks, soil, rain and sun. We will see this echoed in the sacred sites selected by our Celtic forbears.

In Celtic times it was demonstrated through respect for places of water and, as still shown in the frequency of Dara (oak) as a component of place names such as Kildare and Caldragh. We will also see evidence of the unique relationship between these ancient spiritualties and Christianity, arriving less than 2,000 years ago.

Although Christianity spread throughout most of Europe as part of the advance of the Roman Empire, Ireland and much of Scotland were spared this invasion. As the Empire’s armies were unable to invade these areas Christianity did not arrive with Roman legions but gradually, gently, through trade and travel.

Perhaps this is why Christianity in Ireland retained much of its early “small scale” character.  Perhaps this is why we see, in the landscape and literature, a blend of tender love of springs and oak groves and a humble, reverence for the might of the universe.

Perhaps this is why Celtic spirituality blends the immediate and intimate with soul-filling gratitude for the wonders of creation, and brings them together in a relationship with the divine that is both loving and awe-struck. 

For more information visit www.wix.com/islandpilgrim/journey-to-ireland or contact Vanessa at islandpilgrim@shaw.ca 250 586-8910 or 250 415-9272.