Conair an Cheo is a modern, hard polytheistic pagan religion that is heavily influenced and inspired by the available historical information of the pre-Christian Irish peoples, their customs and culture and gods. Of course, taking ancient ideas, as best we know them, and trying to see how- if at all- they work in a modern setting is difficult. This path is more inspiration than historically accurate, and our intent is to develop a mutually beneficial relationship with our gods and to live the best, most positive and productive lives we can.
What does Conair an Cheo mean?
Conair an Cheo is Irish Gaelic for Path of Mist; we call ourselves this because being caught in the mist is a liminal experience, and our path helps us stay in a liminal place, keeping spirituality with us in a concrete world.
What does hard polytheistic mean?
Polytheistic means one believes in more than one god; monotheistic religions, such as Christianity, believe in only one god. Polytheists are often described as "hard" or "soft"; soft means that one believes in many gods, but believes they are facets or pieces of a greater whole, and often believe that deities with comparable qualities or attributes are interchangeable. Hard polytheists believe in many gods and believe that they are separate and distinct individuals.
What does pagan mean?
Pagan is a very difficult term to define, as very few pagans agree as to what it should encompass. The best definition I've seen reads that a pagan is not a member of the JCI religions, and self identifies as pagan. Some include being nature or earth centered or oriented, but this excludes many self identifying pagan paths.
Who do you worship?
We worship those whom we collectively call Na Treibheanna, The Tribes; we predominantly work with one tribe, Na nDéithe Mór, The Great Gods, though we do work with the other two. We do not work with any non-Irish deities in a Conair an Cheo framework, and any work a member does with a deity outside our pantheon is a separate and distinct practice.
More specifically: most, if not all, of our gods were and continue to be considered members of the Tuatha Dé Danann, or at least loosely associated with them. We have given our own modern name to them, however, because the TDD name has its own set of connotations, and we don't feel that it accurately represents the deities with whom we work. Also, Na nDéithe Mór is a limited group of 13 deities, and to continue to refer to them as TDD in our practice, despite our self-imposed limitations, would be inaccurate and misleading.
What do you believe?
The Core Beliefs- those beliefs that must be true to anyone who would join Conair an Cheo- are as follows:
a) All is sacred. There is nothing in this world or any other that is more or less sacred or holy than anything else, as everything contains the spark of the Divine. Things can only be tainted or tarnished by our own words or misdeeds.
b) All gods are distinct and real individuals; they may or may not be immortal, moral, positively inclined towards the well-being of humanity, particularly powerful or knowledgeable, but as they contain more of the Divine spark than humanity, they have a greater view of the whole and can be trusted to have a better idea of what's going on and how things interconnect than humanity can.
c) As humans our perspective is limited: incomplete cannot be infallible. Therefore we accept that if there is any One True Way or Absolute Truth, we cannot know it in its entirety, and do not claim to follow it.
d) Destiny, fate and karma are human constructs to aid persons in dealing with the unfairness or perceived inability to change life. The world is ruled by natural law, which does not answer to human morals or desires. Though the gods may lay a path for us or choose a goal, ultimately the choice is ours, and we are responsible for any and all consequences.
e) The world in which we physically exist is made up by the Three Realms of Land, Sea and Sky as opposed to the four Greek elements of earth, air, fire, and water.
f) The soul is released from the body at death, and can be reincarnated in many forms, but as a flame between candles, we are the same but changed. Souls may form bonds with others- some may reincarnate in specific groups or families, some may see themselves linked as 'soul-mates', but none are entirely permanent. Upon being released, it ventures to one of several places; we know best Teach Duinn, Mag Mell and Tir na nÓg, but they are three of many possibilities.
g) A person should honor and serve their gods, remember and respect their ancestors and the spirits local to their area, strive for physical fitness and health as well as improvement of the mind, practice the nine merits in all aspects of life, foster an accepting, open-minded community and work to leave the Earth and their community a better place than it was left to them.
Who is in charge?
At the moment, as I am the only member of this particular path, it seems I am in charge, and if I remain the only member of this path, I doubt that will change. Anything is possible.
Which is more important- believing or doing?
They are equally important, for belief is meaningless without action, and actions are meaningless without belief.
Which is more important to begin with? That is entirely dependent on the person. For some, performing the actions while learning what they mean is the best way they learn, and at some point everything falls into place in their minds; for others, finding out all the ideas behind something is the only way to get themselves to do anything. Either approach is acceptable, as long as in the end, one believes and practices.
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