| New Tara is not a Céilí Sídhe project; as the New Tara mission statement is inclusive of all Celtic and Celtic-inspired paths, of which Céilí Sídhe is but one. However, in the spirit of full disclosure, I’ve included this page because I am proud of being a part of Céilí Sídhe, which has both informed my perspective and has deeply enriched my life. ********* The following information has been agreed upon and approved by all the active members of priesthood and candidacy as of Clabhsúr (Sept 22) 2004. Céilí Sídhe is one of the many modern pagan traditions that honours the Tuatha De Danann and other gods of the Insular and Continental Celts. This loosely related collection of faiths includes various traditions of Druidism, Celtic Wicca, Celtic Reconstructionism, Christo-Celtic Paganism, and many eclectic paths that have a significant Celtic influence. In the last decade Celtic paganism has seen a strong rise in the attention given to historical accuracy, at least at the research level, and an equally strong push against eclecticism. At its best this has led many traditions into a pursuit of excellence, rigour, and accuracy, but at its worst has led to petty conflicts and implicit assertions that there is only one true way to practice our faith or honour our gods. Many of these conflicts have socio-political agendas, which, however appropriate to the individual espousing them, need not be considered valid to every individual in every denomination or tradition of Celtic paganism. The core of Céilí Sídhe's beliefs is expressed in the Creed and Prayer to All Gods. Together, they espouse a transcendent and panentheistic view of Danu as 'Mother-Goddess', and an immanent and pantheistic (monistic) view of Bíle as 'Father-God'. This does not necessarily require a dyadic view, as both views are simply different ways of looking at the whole, and neither view is designed to cleave the whole in two along gender lines. As well, Céilí Sídhe espouses a polytheistic view of the Tuatha De as both gods and expressions of divine Mysteries. Implicit in this is a potentially animistic view toward nature. Finally, Céilí Sídhe believes that the individual worshipper is ultimately responsible for his/her own expression of spiritual truth. Céilí Sídhe is primarily an initiatory tradition consisting of three ranks, each rank having related oaths and teachings. These ranks, Taman, Dos, and Clí, are derived from three of the filidh grades in Irish culture. The primary oath for priestly initiates is an oath of exclusive priestly service to the Celtic gods. This is not to say that they can never honour 'foreign' gods in a lay capacity, but they can not do so in a representative or priestly capacity. Before entering the rank of Taman, potential initiates should have a strong relationship with the Tuatha De and be prepared to serve them in a priestly capacity. Upon becoming a Taman, the priest/ess is responsible for developing a relationship with the Immanent God, Bíle, via mystical practices such as the Dúile meditations. For this reason, amber is the sign of the rank of Taman, as it represents the sap of the world tree and the blood of the first ancestor. Upon entering the rank of Dos, the priest/ess should have a strong relationship with Bíle and the gods. The priest/ess may run or co-run his/her own Céilí Sídhe group, which is a prerequisite for attaining rank of Clí. In addition to further magical and invocatory training, the Dos priest/ess is now responsible for developing a relationship with the Absolute Transcendent. For this reason the blackness of jet is the sign of the rank of Dos. The rank of Clí signals the end of training, though not of course, the work. ********* Some Céilí Sídhe groups may consist entirely of initiates and those training to be initiates. A second type of group may be comprised primarily of initiates, initiation-track members, and members, that for whatever reason, wish to honour the gods in a Céilí Sídhe style, but are not seeking priestly initiation. This second type of group encourages the building of community rather than a private society. A third type of group can have an ‘inner’ and ‘outer court’ thus cultivating the benefits of both an open and a closed group. With regard to our teachings, no cultural or theological information is considered secret, nor is anything which would normally be taught prior to Candidacy or which is readily available to anyone who looks for it. Everything related to initiation is secret, as is the content of teachings taught after Candidacy, with the exception of the Dúile work (after all, one can't hide the immanent). The secrecy of magical practices varies from private to oathbound depending on the material, but training magicians who have no intention of being priests is counter to our agenda. Each group must also decide how secret its membership and public profile will be, depending on the needs of it's members and the social climate they are in. The exact structure of the group is to be decided by the groups ranking priest(ess) based on the needs and desires of that groups membership. Céilí Sídhe has some Wiccan antecedents in its lineage. While much of the Wiccan theological material has been deemed either inappropriate or not relevant to our Tradition, any of its forms that are not contrary to our own theological stance, remain; some are peripheral or optional to our practice, while a few remain in the main stream of our curriculum. Just as we did not keep practices for nostalgia sake, we did not evict practices merely because 'Wiccans do it’. Furthermore, while we place a great deal of value on historical and cultural accuracy in our research, in practice we feel comfortable in drawing from a wider body of traditions so long as the adopted practices express our own axioms, beliefs, and theology, and can be expressed both in a Celtic symbol-set and in a way which honours our own gods and Mysteries. One example of this is the celebration of eight seasonal festivals even though the Celtic versions of some of these festivals may have emerged in the Christian Era. While Céilí Sídhe is a path with high academic and devotional standards for ourselves, we acknowledge that their are many different, excellent, and valid Celtic paths, both much more conservative and much more liberal than our own, just as a Catholic monastic order need not see other orders as un-Christian merely because they do not exercise their level of asceticism or their particular devotional expression. The validity of another path is not based on how closely it resembles Céilí Sídhe, but on how internally consistent it is, that is how its practices stem from its own axiomatic beliefs.
*How long has Céilí Sídhe been in existence, and who founded it? The Céilí Sídhe Tradition was founded in 1990 by Brian Walsh and Nicky Ryborg. For more information on Brian’s credentials see the ‘Consulting’ page on the New Tara website. www.newtara.org
*Is Céilí Sídhe a Wiccan Tradition? No, Céilí Sídhe is not a Wiccan Tradition. Wicca's
'primary mystery' is sexual. For Céilí Sídhe, like the ancient Celts,
the 'primary mysteries' are sacrificial and offeratoy. This is
why sex and polarity are so important in Wicca, while offerings,
feasting, libations, and developing a client/lord relationship
with the gods are so important in ancient Celtic religion and
modern Céilí Sídhe.
*Is Céilí Sídhe a Reconstructionist Tradition? Céilí Sídhe's primary tenets are such that it is inclusive of, and not contrary to, a reconstructionist approach. Our membership includes both reconstructionsists and non-reconstructionist pagans; so the answer to this question will vary from group to group.
*How long does Céilí Sídhe training take? One must be a member of a Céilí Sídhe Circle for at least a year before aspiring to Candidacy, and Candidacy, which takes about fifteen months to complete, culminates in becoming a Taman. One must be a Taman for at least a year and a day before requesting to become a Dos, but three to five years is more typical. Likewise, one must be a Dos for at least a year and a day before requesting to become a Clí, but again, three to five years is more typical. Thus the average training period is about three years to become a priest or priestess (first rank) and about a decade to complete the whole process. Of course, even with the end of formal training, the learning never ends. Other pagan traditions offer much shorter training regimens, with much less content and much less time to internalize the teachings and practices, so if you prefer speed to depth Céilí Sídhe is not for you.
*Is there a monetary cost for membership or training in a Céilí Sídhe Circle? When teaching in the semi-private forum of a Circle, the exchange of cash would interfere with the creation of a familial atmosphere and the close bonds created by general reciprocity. Everyone contributes, within their means to equip the Circle with its ritual implements such as candles, herbs, other material components of our practice, food for the feasts, etc. When teaching in an open or public forum, knowledge, expertise, and services are traded for cash or goods; the exchange of energies, efforts or resources is mutual and neither party owes the other anything after the exchange. Neither party has any future obligation to the other, and what the client or audience member does with that information, within the bounds of the law, is their own business. This is no different from any other form of higher education in religion, culture or theology, provided one respects the credentials of the speaker. However, public and private forums allow for different approaches to oathbound material. If the Céilí Sídhe Clí chooses to found an open church, there may be membership costs associated with the maintenance of such an organization, much like the costs associated with membership of a particular synagogue.
*Can anyone join? No. Céilí Sídhe Circles are like families, which makes them semi-private organizations. Due to limited space, and the fact that traditional Circles are limited to about a dozen members, groups are usually choosy about their membership. This is to insure maximum social harmony within the group and to insure that each group creates an atmosphere conducive to both Céilí Sídhe teachings and the specific needs of that Circle. If you are not a good match for a particular Céilí Sídhe Circle, this does not mean that you will not be a good match for some other Céilí Sídhe Circle provided that you are in accord with the general beliefs and practices of Céilí Sídhe as both a theological system and as a way of living.
*Is Céilí Sídhe an ethnic religion? Does one have to be of 'Celtic stock' to be Céilí Sídhe? No, ethnicity is not a factor. While we encourage everyone to explore the beauty and sacredness of their own ancestral traditions, if someone feels more attuned to the Celtic gods, for whatever reason, they are welcome to public groves and temples. Private Circles are closed groups and may have very discerning criteria for membership, but being of a particular background would never be one of them. The Celts integrated many ‘non-Celts’ into their tribes by marriage, adoption, fosterage, etc. and being Celtic is a cultural, not a ‘racial’ designation. There is no race of people called ‘Celts’, there are cultural groups called 'Celts' – Celt is in the head, not in the genes.
*Does one need to speak Irish to be Céilí Sídhe? No, though the amount of Irish used in ritual is gradually and steadily increasing. Just by our studies and practices, a modest familiarity with the language will develop - though this will hardly yield a conversational fluency without considerable extra-curricular effort on one's own part. Céilí Sídhe is an Anglo-Celtic tradition, though learning Irish is greatly encouraged, and teaching Irish is considered a devotional act. We leave the amount of Irish our members choose to learn up to the individual, based on their own desires, aptitudes and time constraints, as we refuse to buy into certain socio-political agendas which surround this issue. Having said that, members who do learn Irish or Scottish or Manx, are praised for their efforts and become valued resources to the community. We see culture as means of growing closer to our gods, not the other way around.
*Why do Céilí Sídhe initiates take an oath to only serve the Celtic gods? It's a matter of devotion and vocation; another tradition might be more appropriate for someone who does not want to dedicate the whole of his/her spiritual life into the service of the gods we honour. Breadth is sacrificed for depth, as the priest/ess can devote his/her studies to exploring the richness of one pagan faith rather than gaining a shallow and possibly mis-informed understanding of many. A Céilí Sídhe priest/ess is a specialist, with a particular relationship to particular gods, not a generalist. It's hard enough getting intimately acquainted with the many gods of one pantheon let alone assuming one has done so for ten or twelve pantheons. Getting a cross cultural view is encouraged, but we are devoted to a particular 'family' of gods, believing deep relationships yield deep results, while shallow relationships yield shallow results. This oath serves not only to concentrate resources, time, and efforts, on increasing particular relationships and expertise, it stops us of from scattering such efforts on too broad an area - "If you were sharing out $10,000 Would you rather give a penny to each of a million acquaintances, or a five hundred dollars to each of twenty friends? Which has more impact? Which will bring more joy? Which will yield more reciprocal benefit?" Our time and efforts are also limited resources - we want to make contributions that count.
*Does that mean an initiate can't worship 'foreign' gods at all? Céilí Sídhe initiates can worship whomever we please. We simply can not serve or represent 'foreign' gods in a priestly capacity, as such efforts are better used in relationship with own gods. As laity however, we may honour any gods we come in contact with - we simply do not erect shrines for them, write ritual to them, officiate at their rituals, represent them, or wear their symbols in preference to our own, nor do we make excessively great offering of time/resources/effort which should be spent 'at home'.
*Do I have to take that oath to practice with a Céilí Sídhe group or in a Céilí Sídhe way? No, to be a laymember of a Céilí Sídhe Circle you do not need to take this oath, but to be a Céilí Sídhe priest you would.
*What is the Céilí Sídhe creed? The Céilí Sídhe's Creed is a short affirmation prayer given by In Dagda to our Tradition, at an invocatory ritual held around the time we were moving from being a Wiccan group to a Celtic Pagan group. Thus, it espouses a transcendent view of Danu as 'Mother-Goddess', and an immanent and pantheistic (monistic) view of Bile as 'Father-God'. This does not necessarily require a dyadic view, as both are ways of looking at the whole and not designed to cleave the whole in two, on mere gender lines. It goes on to espouse a polytheistic view of the Tuatha De as both gods and expressions of divine Mystery, and the responsibility of the individual worshipper for his/her own expression of the truth. Implicit in this is a potentially animistic view toward nature.
*What are the core values of Céilí Sídhe? Our core values are piety, courage, and generosity, as well as honesty, integrity, and commitment, both in one's religious work and in all other aspects of one's life. To this, are added what we call 'tribal values' which are meant to express our obligations to family and community. Of course 'family' is not restricted to blood relations, and ‘community’ is the whole community in which one finds oneself. We believe that in developing an enlightened social interest we make the world around us a better place, and it reflects well on both Céilí Sídhe and Celtic pagans in general.
*Are there official Céilí Sídhe stands toward various social and political issues? Beyond being pro-diversity, pro-community, and pro-family (in all its diverse forms), most issues like abortion or capital punishment are up to individuals to decide for themselves. There may be tendencies toward certain opinions, and there may be historical or Brehon precedent on how to approach various issues - but these are not used to 'preach' a particular social agenda, each person is free, indeed encouraged, to use their own judgement and conscience in such matters.
*The primary objective in Christianity is Salvation or Redemption; what is the primary objective of Céilí Sídhe Celtic Paganism? Instead of seeking salvation, we seek deep participation in life. This process requires us to fulfill as much of our potential as we are able, and to do so in the context of developing deep meaningful relationships with the sacred Mysteries, the Celtic gods, the cycles of Nature, our ancestors, our community, and ourselves.
*In the Céilí Sídhe cosmology where do we go when we die? The short answer is that most of us will go to the House of Donn, eventually to be born again into this world, while very very few of the truly exceptional among us will go to Tir na nOg forever. While Tir na nOg is definitely paradisal and heavenly, the House of Donn is also pleasant. Donn is a generous and hospitable host and seeks to make his home a place of peace and abundance; however, much of one's experience there is determined by the state of one's own nature on arrival. After one's spirit moves on, one's shade will rest in to House of Donn forever.
*What is the typical Céilí Sídhe approach to 'traditional' vs. 'innovative' forms in theory and ritual? We are continuously search for traditional forms to incorporate into our practice. At the same time we can appreciate new and creative modes of expression, so long as they express traditional themes in a new way or new themes in a traditional way. In this way we can be both respectful our cultural heritage while still being forward focused.
*Does Céilí Sídhe practice in a quartered circle? Yes we usually do, citing Tara, with its four doors, and the Belgic temples with their five pillars (four around a central one) as precedent. The division of Ireland into four plus one provinces is also sited as precedent. As well, we have no objection to practicing in a square or rectangle, as this was the shape of certain nemetons, or a circle divided into five, which is based on an Uisnech model. However, a tripartite circle with a 'direction' devoted to the realms of Land, Sky, and Sea, is never used. Although it does express a traditional division of the cosmos, it does not accurately express how those realms relate to each other or how they are arranged in the world or on a horizontal field. We would sooner call Sky above, Land below, and Sea around.
*Is Céilí Sídhe a magical tradition? Yes, but it is devotional first, not only because we request the aid of the gods in any magic we do, but because much of our magic takes the form of prayer. The majority of our practice is devotional and celebration, and while blessings are sought, the value is found in the transformational value of participation rather than 'spells' for particular purposes. We also believe that the all too common pagan practice of asking gods for favours, via magic, without first developing a real relationship with those particular gods to be particularly arrogant and rude.
*How does Céilí Sídhe view 'totems' and Celtic 'shamanism'? Unlike some Celtic-inspired systems of magico-religious practice, we have avoided large scale borrowings of Native American Traditions. It leads to misunderstandings of the true nature of Celtic spirituality, and is not respectful of the Culture from which such ideas are taken (usually without credit, so as to appear more 'Celtic'). Having said that Céilí Sídhe does have some ecstatic practices, but we tend not to label them as 'shamanic' as this term brings with it assumptions which may not be relevant in a Celtic context. Animal symbolism is an important part of Celtic spirituality, and certain animals can be associated with one or more gods, but this does not make such animals 'totem', nor are they honoured in and of themselves in the same way as North American totems. So while there are loose similarities , this is also a term which might be misleading.
*Where can I find a Céilí Sídhe Circle, and how can I contact you? Currently, the only active Céilí Sídhe circle is based in the Greater Toronto Area, although Céilí Sídhe has initiates in the United States and England. We can be reached through ceilisidhe@newtara.org.
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