Exploring Celtic Pagan Rituals: Local Gatherings and Traditions

Celtic pagan groups near me refer to communities or organizations that follow or practice the ancient Celtic pagan religion in close proximity to one's location. These groups are typically formed by individuals who are interested in reviving the ancient Celtic spirituality and customs. Celtic paganism, also known as Celtic polytheism or Celtic reconstructionism, is a modern religion that draws inspiration from the beliefs and practices of the ancient Celts. It focuses on honoring deities associated with the Celtic pantheon and observing rituals and festivals that were traditionally observed by the Celts. Joining a Celtic pagan group can offer individuals a sense of community and support in their spiritual journey. Being part of a group allows for the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and resources related to Celtic paganism.

Hell, Britain was arguably more Christianised than Rome was at one point, and was heavily involved in Christianising other parts of Europe.

Although things like Passover, Hanukkah, and Purim are seen as aspects of Judaism indeed, almost never observed outside of it , they were spread across all Hebrews, pagan or monotheistic, Hellenized or Jewish, the nomad and the cities, the peasant and the king, universally. The Hebrews originally had a religion identical to the Phoenicians, and the two languages were near identical even today, Hebrew closely mimics the long-dead Phoenician.

Being part of a group allows for the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and resources related to Celtic paganism. Members often participate in rituals, ceremonies, and celebrations together, fostering a sense of belonging and shared spiritual experiences. Finding Celtic pagan groups near me can be done through various means.

Celtic Paganism

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Rhaitus

Recruit

I am sure there have been a few threads about this already, and if so I am sorry to add to the pile. But of all the various kinds of paganism it seems to me to be a mistake on keeping the celtic pagans out of the loop. Mechanically I'm not quite sure how it would play out as I could see celtic pagans being either offensive or defensive oriented through a few historical examples. But damn it not having druids involved in the game is criminal.

DreadLindwyrm

Augustus of the North

Well, the religion *was* dead well before 769. Britain had been Christianised (quite thoroughly) for around 200 years.

Hell, Britain was arguably more Christianised than Rome was at one point, and was heavily involved in Christianising other parts of Europe.

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Rhaitus

Recruit

Oh I know. Still if you can have Aztecs raiding Europe I'm sure it can be forgiven to have a Celtic pagan revival. ;D

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PAnZuRiEL

Field Marshal

Oh I know. Still if you can have Aztecs raiding Europe I'm sure it can be forgiven to have a Celtic pagan revival. ;D

Except, Aztecs still existed. Celtic pagans did not.

If you want Celtic pagans, you can use a mod, like the Ancient Religions mod (which is included by default in CK2+). But there's zero reason to have Celtic pagans in the base game. Most people really don't like Sunset Invasion and object to its inclusion in the game, so using it to justify the inclusion of more fantasy content isn't likely to convince anyone.

"You know how the English conquered Wales? One village at a time. Because no Welshman would run to the next Welsh village to warn them the English were coming. You all went down warm in the knowledge that the next village would get it too and they deserved it for being foreign." -- William of Stonham

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heliostellar

Field Marshal

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Simmy93

Baron of Newtownards

Celtic paganism was also more of a cultural thing rather than an organized, dogmatic faith kind of thing. They'd be like Hellenic pagans, unable to do anything. Now Celtic Christianity, that's another kettle of fish.

“The only thing known to go faster than ordinary light is monarchy, according to the philosopher Ly Tin Wheedle. He reasoned like this: you can't have more than one king, and tradition demands that there is no gap between kings, so when a king dies the succession must therefore pass to the heir instantaneously. Presumably, he said, there must be some elementary particles -- kingons, or possibly queons -- that do this job, but of course succession sometimes fails if, in mid-flight, they strike an anti-particle, or republicon.” -Terry Pratchett

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PAnZuRiEL

Field Marshal

Celtic paganism was also more of a cultural thing rather than an organized, dogmatic faith kind of thing.

What does that even mean? All religions are "cultural things". Also, the Roman state religion represented by Hellenic paganism in-game was extremely organised. Its organisation formed the basis for the state Christian church's organisation.

"You know how the English conquered Wales? One village at a time. Because no Welshman would run to the next Welsh village to warn them the English were coming. You all went down warm in the knowledge that the next village would get it too and they deserved it for being foreign." -- William of Stonham

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Bernard95

Field Marshal

If you want Celtic, Hellenic, or even Kemetic (Egyptian) then I would simply use the CK2+ or Ancient Religions mod. CK2+ even has an option to change the entire map to reflect the religions of old. France becomes Celtic for example, and much of the Middle East becomes Kemetic.

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UpperLorraine

Captain

Especially the indigenous Heathen religions (Celtic, Germanic/Asatru and Slavic/Rodnovery). I can personally verify that to we Asatruar, religion and culture are indistinguishable.

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Simmy93

Baron of Newtownards

What does that even mean? All religions are "cultural things". Also, the Roman state religion represented by Hellenic paganism in-game was extremely organised. Its organisation formed the basis for the state Christian church's organisation.

A little aggressive but alright, there was of course celtic paganism, there is a celtic pantheon as well, as with many faiths. My point was that celtic paganism was small, it was not organized and its traditions varied from county to county, village to village. It wouldn't be practical to represent it in CKII, especially as by the earliest start most vestiges had faded away.

“The only thing known to go faster than ordinary light is monarchy, according to the philosopher Ly Tin Wheedle. He reasoned like this: you can't have more than one king, and tradition demands that there is no gap between kings, so when a king dies the succession must therefore pass to the heir instantaneously. Presumably, he said, there must be some elementary particles -- kingons, or possibly queons -- that do this job, but of course succession sometimes fails if, in mid-flight, they strike an anti-particle, or republicon.” -Terry Pratchett

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Rationalsanity

Field Marshal

Unless we get an even earlier start date (please gods, no), there is no justification for Celtic Paganism to have a place in this game outside of mods and the history files.

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KlinkerFyren

Major

I would rather have Celtic Christianity than Celtic Paganism.

Makes more sense. Given the time period.

I would recommend the Ancient Religions mod, for ancient religious revivals.

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killerbee256

General

Unless they push the timeline back I don't see Celtic paganism being added, even then you would have to go back to the 500s for it to still exist.

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UpperLorraine

Captain

Unless they push the timeline back I don't see Celtic paganism being added, even then you would have to go back to the 500s for it to still exist.

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Kapitalisti

Field Marshal

If the Saxons and the Norse have the same religion in the game, surely those different flavors of Celtic paganism would also be lumped together.

When you reduce a family tree to a family bush, you can't hide as much underneath.

Trying to reason with a Scotsman is like trying to geld a wildcat with your teeth.
- Uhtred of Bebbanburg

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UpperLorraine

Captain

If the Saxons and the Norse have the same religion in the game, surely those different flavors of Celtic paganism would also be lumped together.

EDIT: I agree on the grounds that mainland Druidism and Brythonic Druidism are close enough to be lumped together. We and the Norse shared the religion even closer, the biggest and arguably only notable difference being the preferred place of worship (we at the Irminsul or under a fitting oak, they in stave temples).

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Dakilla TM

Field Marshal

Use the Ancient Religions Mod or CK2+ mod if you want some Celtic pagans. The others before me have pretty much said why Celtic isn't in this game.

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Sigebryht

Captain

Well, the religion *was* dead well before 769. Britain had been Christianised (quite thoroughly) for around 200 years.

Hell, Britain was arguably more Christianised than Rome was at one point, and was heavily involved in Christianising other parts of Europe.

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Karlingid

Lt. General

As pointed out before, Celtic paganism was moribund if at all existing during this period, and was largely replaced by the somewhat syncretic Celtic Christianity.

For reference, Semitic paganism would be more sensible to add due to "mentions" of continued practice in Yemen into the 19th century, mention among certain nomads by Persians in the 16th century, and the known majority population of Harran being pagan in the CM start date. Hellenism has the Mani peninsula, which currently lacks any holding representative of it (no barony, no church, and no city), and was still pagan in the CM start date.

Especially the indigenous Heathen religions (Celtic, Germanic/Asatru and Slavic/Rodnovery). I can personally verify that to we Asatruar, religion and culture are indistinguishable.

I cannot 100% verify the invalidity of this, not being an Asatruar myself, but I'm not entirely certain this is the case, given the multicultural Germanic presence, as well as certain aspects having little secular value. This is, however, not to discount the large impact of traditional beliefs on such cultures, which have largely shaped them and still do today, regardless of the Abrahamic dominance in said regions.

I'd say Judaism is perhaps the best example. Almost all of the holidays and festivals within it are representative of historical (or believed historical) events. Passover, for instance, celebrates the return to Canaan, rather than the divine occurrence associated with it. Hanukkah deals with the victory over the occupants and the supposed miracle of long-lasting oil, not of divine interference in said war. Purim celebrates an escape from potential extinction at the hands of a malicious Persian.

Meanwhile, all of the practices likewise hold secular origin representative of preislamic, especially Canaanite (Phoenicians and Hebrews), with clear cognates in Akkadian and Egyptian practice. The Kosher diet, for instance, is about maintaining health. Many of the things forbidden by Kosher are so because, in ancient days, they led to potentially fatal sickness and parasites. Many of the rituals in Judaism are about cleanliness and sanitation, from when you can pop a baby into a lady to circumcision, the whole lot is about staying clean and healthy. This is where Egyptian cognates are the highest, as the Egyptians likewise had a very strong cultural emphasis on cleanliness (and, when one lives in the desert, it is to be expected. Sand everywhere, ugh.) Other rituals, practiced in the past and today, represent ancient concepts like tribal taxation, tribal dominance, and other such political mechanisms.

Is there a religious aspect to Judaism? Of course. There's multiple texts written about the religious aspect, although it is hardly a static aspect. The Hebrews originally had a religion identical to the Phoenicians, and the two languages were near identical (even today, Hebrew closely mimics the long-dead Phoenician). Later, they began to worship the king of the gods, El, while recognizing the existence and powers of others. This henotheism would continue well into the Roman age. Some time in the early iron age, the name "Yahweh" began to appear. It has its origins as an Arabian (specifically from Midian, later known as Nabataea) deity associated with El. Due to the frequent trade and similarities between the two deities, both "El" and "Yahweh" were used by the Hebrews to refer to the same deity. It was not until the Middle Ages that Judaism reached a form of true monotheism, and even then it was not universal.

My general point is that the rituals and festivals in Judaism can be seen outside of it. The ties to historical events and secular culture, with clear cross-cultural and cross-religious cognates, demonstrates within Judaism a very close tie to religion and culture. Although things like Passover, Hanukkah, and Purim are seen as aspects of Judaism (indeed, almost never observed outside of it), they were spread across all Hebrews, pagan or monotheistic, Hellenized or Jewish, the nomad and the cities, the peasant and the king, universally. The festivals of Judaism transcended the religion and stuck within the secular culture, as their festivals had little, if anything, to do with their religion. It is only after the diaspora that such practices stopped, as the Hebrews warred with Rome multiple times and ultimately lost, losing their homeland and having many of their people killed. The Hebrews became almost exclusively Jewish at this point, as the ones left behind abandoned their culture in the 5th century in favor of the Greeks, becoming Christian Palestinians, and then to the Arabs just a couple centuries later.

And so the diaspora essentially ceased the existence of non-Jewish Hebrews. If they converted, they usually adopted the local culture to a much higher degree than non-converts as well. However, the modern state of Israel is allowing for a return of multireligious Hebrews. Atheists, Buddhists, Pagans, Jews, Christians, Muslims: all exist now among the Hebrew population, and given that they exist as ethnic Hebrews, they almost always follow the celebrations of Judaism.

Here we see multiple faiths taking up Jewish religious practice. Judaism took the way of life of preislamic Canaanites and gave it religious justification, rather than incorporating religious practices into the culture of the locals. This, my friend, is the mark of religion and culture becoming near indistinguishable.

As pointed out before, Celtic paganism was moribund if at all existing during this period, and was largely replaced by the somewhat syncretic Celtic Christianity.

One way is to search online for local pagan or Celtic pagan communities. Social media platforms, online forums, and pagan directories can all be useful resources for connecting with like-minded individuals and locating groups in the area. Attending pagan events, gatherings, or festivals is another way to meet individuals who may be part of a Celtic pagan group. These events often host workshops, talks, or rituals that cater to different pagan traditions, including Celtic paganism. Networking and engaging in conversations with fellow attendees can lead to discovering local groups or communities. Local metaphysical or spiritual shops may also be a helpful resource for finding Celtic pagan groups near me. These establishments often serve as hubs for the pagan and spiritual community, providing information, resources, and connections to local groups or events. When joining a Celtic pagan group, it is essential to approach with an open mind and a willingness to learn and respect the beliefs and practices of others. Each group may have its own specific focus, rituals, and guidelines, and it is important to familiarize oneself with the group's principles and expectations. Overall, joining a Celtic pagan group near me can provide opportunities for personal and spiritual growth, as well as the chance to connect with others who share similar beliefs and interests. By actively seeking out and participating in these groups, one can gain a deeper understanding of Celtic paganism and forge lasting connections within the pagan community..

Reviews for "Walking the Path of the Ancient Celts: Joining Local Pagan Groups"

1. John D. - 1 star

I did not have a pleasant experience with the Cektic pagan group near me. Firstly, the members were not welcoming or open to newbies like me. They seemed exclusive and cliquish, making it difficult to engage in conversations or participate in rituals. Additionally, the group lacked organization and structure during their gatherings, which made it hard to follow along and understand their beliefs. Overall, I felt unwelcome and confused during my time with this group.

2. Sarah H. - 2 stars

As someone who was interested in exploring pagan beliefs and connecting with like-minded individuals, I was disappointed with the Cektic pagan group near me. The group lacked a sense of community and seemed more focused on promoting their own personal agendas rather than creating a supportive environment for spiritual growth. There was a lot of infighting and disagreements among the members, which made it difficult to find common ground or learn from each other. I would not recommend this group to anyone seeking a positive and inclusive pagan community.

3. Mark R. - 2 stars

My experience with the Cektic pagan group near me was less than satisfactory. The group seemed disorganized and had a lack of clear leadership, which resulted in chaotic and confusing gatherings. Additionally, there was too much emphasis on dogma and strict adherence to certain beliefs, which made it difficult for individuals with diverse pagan backgrounds to feel accepted. The group could benefit from fostering a more open and inclusive environment for individuals to explore and share their spiritual perspectives.

Embracing Celtic Wisdom: Joining a Local Pagan Community