Tips for Daily Practice & Ritual IV

Now if you prefer to follow a more Celtic/Shaman tradition I do recommend you read anything by Francesca De Grandis. Her books are structured so you can self-imitate in a year and a day and each chapter can be a month's lessons. She has extensive advice which is really good on how to follow the Third Road in Fairy Tradition. I have two of her books called How To Be A Goddess and Goddess Initiation, which are both quite good in my opinion. I have used them myself. There is a lot of good information on how to heal yourself and empower yourself. Which I firmly believe Celtic ans well as Druid traditions are heavily involved in. These folks are all about the healing arts. But they are equally involved in other arts as well.

Here is a link you could follow to learn about her and the Third Road in case you may be interested!

http://www.well.com/user/zthirdrd/francescadbrchr.html

Some of the ways to observe, perform ritual or practice daily to communicate with the Gods in this tradition or fashion are as follows (note ~ this can be applied to other traditions or pantheons as well):

1.Celebrate a special event like coming of age, growing old, handfasting, death, birth, and blessings as well as making seasonal offerings.

2. Become .familiar with the land you live on, its wildlife and natural seasonal cycles, and synchronize your seasonal festivals around the changes that happen on the land where you live.

3.Make rituals of everyday things, from purifications upon rising or before going to bed to daily renewal of food and drink offerings on our household or personal altars. Light candles in send blessings to the ill or those in need. Do healing, cleansing and protection rites.

4.Do some divination after an offering and use Oghams.

5.Look for omens and signs in sky and cloud watching or other things found in nature. Do some divination trance rites.

6.Learn some Gaelic. From my understanding Celts and Druids were very scholarly folks and through learning things they believed they were connecting with and speaking to the Gods. Study Celtic Lore, Druid Lore and history.

7.Read or write some poetry, sing a song, tell tall bardic tales. You know I was fortunate once to attend a Yule event last year at Gwyn's home off of 41 and in circle tales were told. I believe they call their homestead Dryad's Grove and let me tell you it was one of the most beautiful experiences I had in circle. Even Amanda's son did a great job in telling a tale. I got a past life transgression read to which I thoroughly enjoyed. But the tale telling is actually something deeply rooted in this tradition and well I love a good story and this tradition is a practice that needs to continue because not only is it beautiful to hear this folklore but it helps you astral and relive times past, it is very mystical to me.

8.Offer libations and offerings to land spirits and on personal alters. Use biodegradable items and Eco friendly. Love the earth. Offerings are an important part of this tradition as others and can be done daily to connect with your Deities.

9.From listening to Gaelyn's podcast on Herding Cats I agree us pagans need to adopt an area to help keep this planet clean. We owe this to Mother Earth ...and it is the least we can do after we reap the benefits from her daily.

10.Since I mentioned before that this tradition is all about the healing arts study more about plant life and healing herbs. Turn you kitchen into a sanctuary and a place to store herbs, slaves, ointments and brews. I really do believe 'kitchen witchery' derived from Celtic and other Pagan traditions. And in the same vein learn how to cook special meals for gatherings. Look for old recipes that were used with special herbs.

11.These folks were also very physical and they loved to practice fighting forms, using the bow and arrow and dueling their blades. They were warriors in practice and lives their lives like a warrior, hence if you noticed the title of my Blog “Musings of a Priestess Warrior” I adopted that from the Celtic Tradition I first walked upon!

Here is a good link to follow should you desire information on Celtic Reconstruction:

http://www.paganachd.com/faq/whatiscr.html

BB ~ Bia' Aletheia
Word Count = 685 (does not include links)

PS. I think I will leave this thread/topic and begin something new tomorrow!