Celtic Reconstructionist Pagan Religion

Reconstructionist Paganism is an attempt to piece together remnants of pre-Christian religions and bring them into a modern context. Celtic Reconstructionism (CR) is a growing movement among Pagans who want to add authenticity to their practice.

In the context of this article, the term Celtic refers to a related set of languages that spanned from Northern Italy to the British Isles. Below is a brief look at what CR is.

The Celts consisted of many tribes, all of whom had their own beliefs and deities. Reconstructionists look to scholarly sources for Celtic mythology and archeology to help recreate the rites of the Celts as best as they can for modern practice.

Important factors to consider when doing this kind of research are the biases of the original authors and translators of ancient lore. The Celts passed down their lore orally, so much of their mythology was recorded by early Christian monks and much of the history is taken from the writings of Roman conquerors. Below are a few of the sources recons use in their practice:

• Mythological sources such as the Irish Tain and the Welsh Mabinogion.
• Early Christian writings.
• Archeological evidence which reveals how the Celts lived and practiced religion.
• Roman records of the Celts.
  

CR Paganism is polytheistic which is a belief in many deities. Unlike other Neo-Pagan faiths, these gods and goddesses are revered as independent deities, not archetypes in a Jungian sense.

While reconstructionists may study the practices and worship of the different Celtic tribes, most modern practitioners will adhere to one such as Welsh, Irish, or Scottish. Examples of Irish deities include:

• Brigid
• Lugh
• Danu
• Bile
• The Morrigan

Those used to Pagan beliefs influenced by ceremonial magic such as Wicca will find CR very different. While there isn't a set of instructions for CR practice, there are some common elements among practitioners that are based on lore which include:

• The triad of Land, Sky and Sea representing the cosmos instead of the four element system.
• Devotional rituals including offerings at shrines for ancestors and specific deities. These are set up in homes and outdoors. Spontaneous devotions without a shrine are also performed.
  
• Celebrations of the four ancient Celtic fire festivals of Samhain, Imbolc, Bealtaine, and Lunasa.  You can learn more about these in a general neo-pagan context in Pagan Wheel of the Year:  Holidays and Celebrations.
  
• Other personally devised rites based on interpretation of lore.
  

Magic isn't a huge component of CR. Rather, living in right relationship with the gods, land and ancestors is encouraged. That is not to say that CRs don't study and practice magic based on Celtic belief. Some CRs study the early Irish alphabet ogham, which is used for divination and meditation.

Shamanism has been marketed in the past as a universal practice. However, CRs will be quick to point out that shamanic practice was not evident in Celtic culture. Trance work, sacred inspirational poetic work, meditation, magic and divination are done within the Celtic cultural context as much as possible.

None of these things are set in stone and individual practice may vary greatly depending on understanding of the lore.

As stated, there is no bible to dictate laws in CR; however, practice isn't just based on mythology but on culture both old and new. Like the Nine Noble Virtues of Asatru (based on pre-Christian Northern European religion), some CRs have adopted a similar virtue model to live life by that includes hospitality, loyalty, justice, honesty, honor and courage.

The concepts of deities being all good or all evil are considered simplistic. The world is full of light and dark and the gods were seen to embody this idea.

Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism will continue to grow, though it has experienced some growing pains with some of the pioneers disagreeing on where the movement should be headed (you can learn more about its history in the CR FAQ linked in the source section). Like Asatru, it can and should be a "religion with homework" which may scare away some new to Paganism, but it will also prove rewarding for those who are looking for a link between ancient and modern religion and spiritual practice.

NicDhàna, Laurie, Vermeers and ní Dhoireann. The CR FAQ — An Introduction to Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism.  2006.

Imbas. 2000-2004.