Celtic witchcraft heritage refers to the ancient traditions and practices of witchcraft that were prevalent among the Celtic peoples who inhabited areas of Western Europe, such as Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and parts of England, during the Iron Age and the medieval period. Celtic witchcraft is deeply rooted in the spiritual beliefs and customs of the Celts, who held a strong connection with nature and revered the natural world. It is believed that Celtic witches possessed a deep understanding of herbs, plants, and their healing properties, and they were known to create potent potions and charms for various purposes, including healing, protection, and divination. The practice of Celtic witchcraft often involved the worship of various deities and nature spirits, with a particular emphasis on the Goddess. The Celts believed in the interconnectedness of all things and viewed the Goddess as the ultimate source of life, fertility, and creativity. Many rituals and ceremonies were conducted in nature, such as in sacred groves or by bodies of water, to honor and commune with these divine forces.
Inevitably, the accused women were each outcasts in their own way: they were visually unappealing, drinkers, smokers and with various disabilities. On March 31st, 1711, the eight women were found guilty of bewitching Mary Dunbar – but the precise nature of the sentences and the punishments was not recorded.
Florence Goody Newton was a beggar whose crime was to call to the house of John Pyne, a Youghal nobleman, during Christmas 1660 to ask for a piece of beef out of the powdering tub. She confessed, was flogged through six parishes and burnt at the stake in Kilkenny on November 3rd, 1324 the first person to be burnt for heresy, as witchcraft was not yet on the statute books.
Many rituals and ceremonies were conducted in nature, such as in sacred groves or by bodies of water, to honor and commune with these divine forces. Celtic witches were also proficient in divination and were known to use various methods for accessing the spiritual realm and gaining insight into the past, present, and future. These methods included scrying with mirrors or crystal balls, reading the patterns of smoke or flames, and interpreting the messages of birds or other animals.
Irish-American Witchcraft: ‘Celtic’ Paganism and Ancestry
I’ve seen a noticeable uptick in the last several months among US-based Celtic* pagans (in particular) of the idea that ancestry is in some way essential to a Celtic pagan spirituality. I’m going to be honest: I find that idea concerning, so I decided that I’d write about it today and try to dig into the concept. I feel strongly that this is an issue we, as a community, must face head on, now, to avoid much more significant issues later. In this case it is too easy for things to slide – slowly or quickly – into a place of white supremacy and that is not a place I will stand by and watch my spirituality go to.
Near Aasleagh Falls, Connemara, Ireland. Public Domain photo by Finn Terman Frederiksen via Wikimedia.
Caveat Lector
I’ve never been subtle with my opinion on this, and anyone who has ever read my other writings should be aware that I’m very strongly against racism or xenophobia in spirituality. I believe that Celtic language-speaking cultures are not genetic but learned, meaning that anyone with enough effort and acceptance from the culture can belong. Modern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland (for some examples) are diverse places and that diversity needs to be appreciated and respected; the idea that a person having a different ethnicity or skin colour being disallowed from so-called Celtic spirituality is, in my opinion, nonsense.
Finding Spirituality Through Ancestry
What I see more and more often is people who clearly establish their ancestry or ancestral connection to a Celtic language culture in order to justify or explain why they are choosing that path. And to be clear there is nothing wrong with seeking spirituality by looking to where you or your family has come from. However, I encourage people to really think about why they are doing this. Are you seeking to connect to spirituality through the guidance of ancestors? Or are you using ancestry as a way to feel entitled to a spirituality? Is that ancestral connection a stepping stone forward for you, or is a shortcut to a sense of belonging?
Most importantly, do you think that people with no ancestral connection can still follow a Celtic language-speaking paganism?
People ignore 90% of their ancestors in order to focus on a single one, often many generations back. Image by suju, Pixabay.
I have seen people ignore 90% of their ancestors in order to focus on a single one, often many generations back, as if having that one ancestor was a key to accessing a spiritual path. and I always wonder, what about the other 90%?
For myself, I think that in the United States we need to – and I mean need to – acknowledge and integrate all of our ancestry and our wider cultural history even if we don’t choose to incorporate all of it into our spirituality. This can be a painful and messy process especially as it inevitably means acknowledging the mistakes and pain inflicted by various groups on each other. But we cannot pick and choose here because ignoring one group that we find distasteful to focus on one we like inevitably creates problems for us on deep levels. My own ancestry comes from various groups which killed or oppressed each other over the last several hundred years, but I can only heal that within myself by acknowledging it.
If we do decide to focus in on one specific aspect of our heritage then it’s important not to see that genetic connection as a free pass. What makes you a Celtic pagan, of any flavour, isn’t who your great-grandmother was but how much you work to understand that culture and its Gods & spirits. Connection to these cultures takes effort and a willingness to be open minded and to learn.
It’s about how much you work to understand that culture and its Gods & spirits. Image by PDPhotos, Pixabay.
What the Mythology Has to Say
I generally don’t like to lean on mythology or textual references for these topics because so often they are twisted to support agendas. However in this case I do want to point out that in Irish mythology – the Lebor Gabala Erenn specifically – when humans first came to Ireland in the form of the Milesians they acknowledged and respected the Irish sovereignty Goddesses despite having their own deities beforehand. There is a scene where the sons of Mil meet each of three sovereignty Goddesses in turn and make deals with them to secure Ireland for themselves. When one of the Milesians, Donn, argues that they should not do this because they have their own Gods already, the elements turn against him and he is drowned. After this battle, when the Milesians have secured Ireland, they must make a pact with the Dagda in order for their crops and cows to flourish. All of this says to me that it isn’t where you come from or what Gods you worshipped before that matters, but whether a person is willing to enter into a relationship with the Gods of Ireland.
Seeing the Bigger Picture
Many people seek spirituality by looking to their own heritage and there is nothing wrong with that, but that heritage is not in any way a prerequisite to Celtic paganism. There is, and should be, no proof of ancestry required, no judgment based on appearance, no need to justify your interest. The world is an ever-changing place and diversity is a strength, not a weakness. If your ancestral connection does matter to you then seek to nourish and expand that, certainly, but never fall into the trap of seeing it as necessary to who and what you worship in a Celtic context.
You don’t need a DNA test to be a Celtic pagan. You just need a willingness to learn and connect to the specific culture.
*I personally do not like the term Celtic, which is often misused in paganism, but in this instance I am using it because it is the term that the community itself uses. My own usage would lean more towards Celtic language-speaking with an understanding that each individual culture within that is unique, rather than the widespread use of the word as an umbrella term for one unified culture that never really existed as such.
Furthermore, Celtic witchcraft placed a strong emphasis on the power of the spoken word and the use of spells or incantations. Words were believed to hold a sacred power and witches used carefully crafted spells to manifest their intentions and desires. These spells often incorporated elements of nature, such as herbs, flowers, or stones, to enhance their potency. Despite the passage of time and the influence of Christianity, some Celtic witchcraft traditions have managed to survive and continue to be practiced to this day. Modern practitioners of Celtic witchcraft often draw inspiration from the ancient Celtic customs and beliefs, adapting them to suit their individual spiritual practices. In conclusion, Celtic witchcraft heritage encompasses a rich and ancient tradition of magical practices that were intertwined with the spiritual beliefs and customs of the Celtic peoples. The legacy of Celtic witchcraft endures, offering modern witches a connection to their ancestral roots and a deep reverence for nature and the divine..
Reviews for "The Magical Tools Used in Celtic Witchcraft Heritage"
1. Emma - 1/5 stars: I was really disappointed with the Celtic witchcraft heritage. I found the book to be extremely superficial, lacking depth and genuine insight into the topic. The author seemed more focused on painting a romanticized picture of Celtic traditions rather than providing any practical information or historical accuracy. The information provided was vague and lacked any real substance, leaving me feeling like I had wasted my time and money on this book.
2. Liam - 2/5 stars: I found the Celtic witchcraft heritage to be a confusing and poorly organized read. The book jumped around from one topic to another without any clear structure, making it difficult to follow along and understand. The author also made some questionable claims without providing any evidence or sources to support them. Overall, I was left feeling unsatisfied and unconvinced by this book.
3. Sarah - 2/5 stars: I had high hopes for the Celtic witchcraft heritage, but unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations. The writing was dry and uninspiring, lacking any real passion or personal connection to the topic. The book also focused too much on theoretical concepts and historical information, neglecting any practical guidance or advice for those interested in practicing Celtic witchcraft. I found it to be a frustrating and unengaging read.