Conair an Cheo: Path of Mist

Two posts in one day!

2007-07-24T16:28:00.000-04:00

It's shocking, I know. But in the past 5 or so hours, I've actually managed to get a good bit done, as far as the calendar goes.

I still haven't tackled any of the essays, but right now I'm looking all the ideas over and trying to figure out what I could manage to write right now. I'm leaning towards something relatively easy, like shrines. Decisions, decisions...

// Juni

---
Ritual
-translate Altú
-write Na Tinente Chnámh Mór rituals
-write An Cór rituals
-write Ceangal ritual
-write Dúthracht ritual
-write Beannacht ritual
-name life milestone rituals (7)

Calendar
-name all unnamed holidays (25)
-figure out regional An Cór holidays
~~-add all Na nDéithe Lasmuigh holidays (21)~~ 7/24

Essays (1st Drafts)
-morals & ethics
-mionn mór & geasa
-sacrifice & offerings
-nine merits
-founding a teallach
-running a teallach
-aonair practices
-multi-path walking
-shrines
-Na nDéithe Mór (14)
-Na nDéithe Lasmuigh (28)
-Na na-ainDéithe

Other
-compile significant myths
-expand on An Bhís Gealach, An Bhís Grian & An Bhís Cloch
-translate paidín prayers

The fog is lifting? Maybe?

2007-07-24T11:16:00.000-04:00

I've been in a place of serious mental fog lately, but I think it's finally starting to lift. I feel motivated today, at least, which is a step in the right direction.

Of course, staring at my daunting list of things that need to be done, some of that motivation is sliding away. I have changed the heading of "Essays" to "Essays (1st Draft)" to make it seem a little less final. I have room to leave stuff out and screw up and not be completely coherent, because there's going to be a second draft. I think I might start on an essay today.

I've also done a little bit on the Dúthracht and the Ceangal; I need to finish the Dúthracht, first, but one has given me some ideas for the other. I'm pretty sure I've got all the elements I want to incorporate, but I want to look it over again before I start writing.

So much to do, and so much to think about! At least I've got a bit of motivation, now.

// Juni

---
Ritual
-translate Altú
-write Na Tinente Chnámh Mór rituals
-write An Cór rituals
-write Ceangal ritual
-write Dúthracht ritual
-write Beannacht ritual
-name life milestone rituals (7)

Calendar
-name all unnamed holidays (~46)
-figure out regional An Cór holidays
-add all Na nDéithe Lasmuigh holidays (21)

Essays (1st Drafts)
-morals & ethics
-mionn mór & geasa
-sacrifice & offerings
-nine merits
-founding a teallach
-running a teallach
-aonair practices
-multi-path walking
-shrines
-Na nDéithe Mór
-Na nDéithe Lasmuigh
-Na na-ainDéithe

Other
-compile significant myths
-expand on An Bhís Gealach, An Bhís Grian & An Bhís Cloch
-translate paidín prayers

Thinking.

2007-06-13T11:30:00.000-04:00

I've been debating in my head whether I want to share more of what I've actually been doing (besides just a list) online, and I'm still unsure.

On the one hand, sharing it means I could get feedback and constructive criticism, both of which would be useful.

On the other hand, I'm not really comfortable with my stuff floating around on the internet, and the idea of someone else picking them up and calling themselves part of my path without my knowledge makes me really uncomfortable. Not that I think it's likely to happen- I think it's highly, highly unlikely- but remote possibilities are enough for me to be creeped out.

I've written and translated the Gealach Dubh ritual- it'll need to be double checked at some point, but I think I'm fairly close. It's really simple; just repetition, mostly. I don't think I really want to work on essays right now, but I never want to work on essays, so I should probably just bite the bullet and get it over with. Or I could start working on the dedication ritual, even though I don't need it until sometime this autumn. Hmm, decisions, decisions.

// Juni
--
Ritual
-translate Altú
-write Na Tinente Chnámh Mór rituals
-write An Cór rituals
~~-write Gealach Dubh ritual~~ 6/13
-write Ceangal ritual
-write Dúthracht ritual
-write Beannacht ritual
-name life milestone rituals (8 7) 6/12
~~-translate Gealach Dubh ritual~~ 6/13

Calendar
-name all unnamed holidays (46)
-figure out regional An Cór holidays
-add all Na nDéithe Lasmuigh holidays (28 21) 6/12

Essays
-write morals & ethics essays
-write mionn mór & geasa essays
-write sacrifice & offerings essays
-write nine merits essay
-write essay regarding founding a teallach
-write essay regarding running a teallach
-write essay regarding aonair practices
-write essay regarding multi-path walking
-write essay regarding shrines
-write Na nDéithe Mór essays
-write Na nDéithe Lasmuigh essays
-write Na na-ainDéithe essays

Other
-compile significant myths
~~-decide which life milestones will be celebrated in ritual~~ 6/10
~~-redo FAQ portions about Ancestors, Land Spirits & Good Folk~~ 6/10
-expand on An Bhís Gealach, An Bhís Grian & An Bhís Cloch
-translate paidín prayers

Actually getting somewhere!

2007-06-12T15:07:00.000-04:00

Well, I named one of the life milestones (that's really a technicality; I had a ritual name for something else, which I changed my mind on, and then decided to re-use the name). I also added a 4-day holiday, and a 3-day holiday that covers 7 of Na nDéithe Lasmuigh.

I keep not sticking to what I plan to do next, so I think I'll just wait and see where my inspiration takes me.

// Juni
--
Ritual
-translate Altú
-write Na Tinente Chnámh Mór rituals
-write An Cór rituals
-write Gealach Dubh ritual
-write Ceangal ritual
-write Dúthracht ritual
-write Beannacht ritual
-name life milestone rituals (8 7) 6/12

Calendar
-name all unnamed holidays (46)
-figure out regional An Cór holidays
-add all Na nDéithe Lasmuigh holidays (28 21) 6/12

Essays
-write morals & ethics essays
-write mionn mór & geasa essays
-write sacrifice & offerings essays
-write seven merits essay
-write essay regarding founding a teallach
-write essay regarding running a teallach
-write essay regarding aonair practices
-write essay regarding multi-path walking
-write essay regarding shrines
-write Na nDéithe Mór essays
-write Na nDéithe Lasmuigh essays
-write Na na-ainDéithe essays

Other
-compile significant myths
~~-decide which life milestones will be celebrated in ritual~~ 6/10
~~-redo FAQ portions about Ancestors, Land Spirits & Good Folk~~ 6/10
-expand on An Bhís Gealach, An Bhís Grian & An Bhís Cloch
-translate paidín prayers

Cleaning Up

2007-06-10T11:44:00.000-04:00

I went through the To-Do list and cleaned out all the items I did before June 1st to condense it a bit. I also marked off two that I just completed- editing the FAQ in regards to the Good Folk, Ancestors and Land Spirits, and compiling a list of life milestones to be ritually celebrated. Honestly, the list is pretty generic, and I haven't named any of them yet, but I'm working on it. It's been added to the list.

Next to do: work on Gealach Dubh ritual, work on shrine essay, and probably start working on the dedication ritual.

--
Ritual
-translate Altú
-write Na Tinente Chnámh Mór rituals
-write An Cór rituals
-write Gealach Dubh ritual
-write Ceangal ritual
-write Dúthracht ritual
-write Beannacht ritual
-name life milestone rituals

Calendar
-name all unnamed holidays (46)
-figure out regional An Cór holidays
-add all Na nDéithe Lasmuigh holidays

Essays
-write morals & ethics essays
-write mionn mór & geasa essays
-write sacrifice & offerings essays
-write seven merits essay
-write essay regarding founding a teallach
-write essay regarding running a teallach
-write essay regarding aonair practices
-write essay regarding multi-path walking
-write essay regarding shrines
-write Na nDéithe Mór essays
-write Na nDéithe Lasmuigh essays
-write Na na-ainDéithe essays

Other
-compile significant myths
~~-decide which life milestones will be celebrated in ritual~~ 6/10
~~-redo FAQ portions about Ancestors, Land Spirits & Good Folk~~ 6/10
-expand on An Bhís Gealach, An Bhís Grian & An Bhís Cloch
-translate paidín prayers

My Blogger-foo is bad!

2007-06-01T21:49:00.000-04:00

I just noticed that I had a comment on an entry, from May 7th. How did I miss it, you ask? Because I didn't have comment emails enabled, to tell me when people left me a comment.

*headdesk*

Well, it's been resolved, and Mariah, I hope I've answered your questions to your satisfaction! If not, ask me some more- this time I'll notice more promptly, I promise.

Sigh.

I'm working on the Gealach Dubh ritual right now, though I may just set it aside and think a bit more. We'll see.

// Juni

Moving onward.

2007-05-30T13:15:00.001-04:00

Two more knocked off the list!
~~-add Hero & Land Spirit holidays~~ & ~~-decide what to do about Hero & Land Spirit holidays~~

This bumps my unnamed holiday list up to 46. I can't believe I have so many holidays! I was actually talking to a friend about this yesterday (we will call him Arrow), and how the calendar is a lot bigger than I originally intended. There are 17 3 day holidays, and 38 1 day holidays, not to mention Gealach Dubh, which is every 28(ish) days, and Altú, which is every week. That means there are 51 days of Major Holidays, 38 days of Minor Holidays, and roughly 64 days of More Minor Holidays, which comes out to 153 days with some sort of special activity attached to them. That's just shy of half the year. *mind is boggled*

Next up is definitely the Gealach Dubh ritual, and I'll be mulling over some ideas for the shrine essay, and the life milestones. Gotta keep myself busy!

// Juni

--
Ritual
~~-write Altú~~ 5/23
-translate Altú
-write Na Tinente Chnámh Mór rituals
-write An Cór rituals
-write Gealach Dubh ritual
-write Ceangal ritual
-write Dúthracht ritual
-write Beannacht ritual

Calendar
-name all unnamed holidays (44 46)
-figure out regional An Cór holidays
-add all Na nDéithe Lasmuigh holidays
~~-add Hero & Land Spirit holidays~~ 5/30

Other
-write morals & ethics essays
-compile significant myths
-write mionn mór & geasa essays
-write sacrifice & offerings essays
-write seven merits essay
-write essay regarding founding a teallach
-write essay regarding running a teallach
-write essay regarding aonair practices
-decide which life milestones will be celebrated in ritual
~~-decide what to do about Hero & Land Spirit holidays~~ 5/30
-redo FAQ portions about Ancestors, Land Spirits & Good Folk
-write essay regarding multi-path walking
-write essay regarding shrines
~~-write prayer beads prayers~~ 5/29
-expand on An Bhís Gealach, An Bhís Grian & An Bhís Cloch
-translate paidín prayers
-write Na nDéithe Mór essays
-write Na nDéithe Lasmuigh essays
-write Na na-ainDéithe essays

To-Do

2007-05-29T14:12:00.000-04:00

~~-write prayer beads prayers~~

One thing knocked off the list. I wanted to scratch it off days ago, but I had a few of the paidín chants left to write. The whole thing is complete. Of course, with one thing knocked off, one gets added:

-translate paidín prayers

I'm not sure what I'm going to work on next...maybe the essay about shrines? I need to keep working on naming the holidays, and placing the holidays for Na nDéithe Lasmuigh. Actually, I want to work on the Gealach Dubh ritual soon, too. I think that'll be next.

Ritual
~~-write Altú~~ 5/23
-translate Altú
-write Na Tinente Chnámh Mór rituals
-write An Cór rituals
-write Gealach Dubh ritual
-write Ceangal ritual
-write Dúthracht ritual
-write Beannacht ritual

Calendar
-name all unnamed holidays (44)
-figure out regional An Cór holidays
-add all Na nDéithe Lasmuigh holidays
-add Hero & Land Spirit holidays

Other
-write morals & ethics essays
-compile significant myths
-write mionn mór & geasa essays
-write sacrifice & offerings essays
-write seven merits essay
-write essay regarding founding a teallach
-write essay regarding running a teallach
-write essay regarding aonair practices
-decide which life milestones will be celebrated in ritual
-decide what to do about Hero & Land Spirit holidays
-redo FAQ portions about Ancestors, Land Spirits & Good Folk
-write essay regarding multi-path walking
-write essay regarding shrines
~~-write prayer beads prayers~~ 5/29
-expand on An Bhís Gealach, An Bhís Grian & An Bhís Cloch
-translate paidín prayers
-write Na nDéithe Mór essays
-write Na nDéithe Lasmuigh essays
-write Na na-ainDéithe essays

To-Do

2007-05-23T19:20:00.000-04:00

I went through my previous posts and the assorted and scattered files on my computer, and I think I've compiled a good list to start with:

Ritual
~~-write Altú~~ 5/23
-translate Altú
-write Na Tinente Chnámh Mór rituals
-write An Cór rituals
-write Gealach Dubh ritual
-write Ceangal ritual
-write Dúthracht ritual
-write Beannacht ritual

Calendar
-name Na Tinente Chnámh Mór holidays
-figure out regional An Cór holidays
-Na Treibheanna
-write Na nDéithe Mór essays
-write Na nDéithe Lasmuigh essays
-write Na na-ainDéithe essays

Other
-write morals & ethics essays
-compile significant myths
-write mionn mór & geasa essays
-write sacrifice & offerings essays
-write seven merits essay
-write essay regarding founding a teallach
-write essay regarding running a teallach
-write essay regarding aonair practices
-decide which life milestones will be celebrated in ritual
-decide what to do about Hero & Land Spirit holidays
-redo FAQ portions about Ancestors, Land Spirits & Good Folk
-write essay regarding multi-path walking
-write essay regarding shrines
-write prayer beads prayers
-expand on An Bhís Gealach, An Bhís Grian & An Bhís Cloch

As I get things done and come up with new things to work on, I'll try to work off this list, subtracting and adding as I need. Looking at it like this makes me realize how much I need to do! Sigh.

// Juni

Altú

2007-05-23T17:49:00.000-04:00

Finally, I've sat down and written the Altú rituals, to be done by someone on their own or in a group setting. Now I just need to finish my translations (as everything spoken in ritual is done in Irish Gaelic.) This is a slow process, as I have to get everything double checked by others more competent in Irish than I am.

I've been thinking about the calendar some more. I haven't played with it at all- no new names for any of the holidays or anything- but I have been debating some things. For one: Siúlóirí work with all three tribes of Na Treibheanna (Na nDéithe Mór, Na nDéithe Lasmuigh and Na na-ainDéithe) to various extents. Each of the 13 nDéithe Mór has a 3 day holiday over the course of the year; each of the deities (the number of which hasn't been solidified quite yet) of Na nDéithe Lasmuigh will have a 1 day holiday somewhere in the year. But where does that leave those of Na na-ainDéithe? I mean, they're not gods, as such (as reflected by their name, "The Not-Gods") but they're still worthy of our respect and reverence.

To go on a slight side note- I need to redo part of the FAQ, I just realized, as I didn't initially include Na na-ainDéithe as part of Na Treibheanna, so all the references to work done with the Ancestors, Good Folk or Land Spirits need to be rewritten. Oh boy.

Back to the calendar- the question becomes: how do I honor them within the year without overwhelming my already stuffed calendar? (It's pretty full, honestly, if you consider the weekly Altú and the monthly Gealach Dubh rites. [Which, speaking of, I haven't written up anything for Gealach Dubh either, and I'm not sure if I should. Maybe a basic beginning and ending to make it more uniform and put one in a reflective and ritual mindset, and leave the middle bit open for the reflecting? I think that'll work.]) Members of Na na-ainDéithe fall into one of four categories, basically: Ancestors/Beloved Dead, Land Spirits, Good Folk, and Heroes. I suppose I could do one holiday for each of the four categories? That would keep it simple.

If I go off that model, then I essentially only need to add two holidays, as my calendar as it stands has Lá Bealtaine as the day of the Good Folk and Oíche Shamhna as the night of the Beloved Dead/Ancestors. Those two are UPG extrapolations from the Celtic and Wiccan holidays of Beltane and Samhain. But what to do for the Land Spirits and the Heroes? When in the year is an appropriate time to honor them? I'll have to think on it some more.

I think I'm going to wander through my files and previous entries and put together a bulleted to-do list, as I'm much better at accomplishing things when I have them laid out that way.

// Juni

Personal Practice vs. Conair an Cheo

2007-04-18T18:39:00.000-04:00

I've been rereading the last post, involving my to-do list- for one thing, it's changed a bit, and for another, I realized that I don't want to include stuff about my personal practice here. This blog isn't concerned with my shrines or the personal prayers I need to write. So, I've set up another blog with Blogger (because I'm not really interested in flooding my website with religious posts). You can find stuff that is specifically mine at The Spiritual Babblings of Juni.

I've figured out the calendar! Well, part of it. This is a big step. Each of Na nDeithe Mór, The Great Gods, has their own 3 day 'festival', pretty equally spaced through the year. The rest of the gods, Na nDeithe Lasmuigh (The Outer Gods), that we don't work with that much, will have a single day holiday somewhere in the year. I'm not as worried about getting those dates worked out just yet. I still need names for most of the holidays, but it's a start.

I haven't started writing the Altú yet, but I've been thinking about it a lot, and trying to figure out what I want to incorporate and what's not as important. A lot of "why?"'s are popping up. My main struggle is not to make it so elaborate that it isn't practiced (after all, it's supposed to be done every week) but not so laid back that it can't be distinguished from one's daily practices.

I still haven't started writing the deity essays. I almost did- actually, I keep almost starting, and then not. I wonder if I'm approaching this the wrong way. I think I'm still being too....what's the word...strict? about it. I think I need to stop envisioning what they should be and just get going on them being anything.

Back to the calendar- I've started charting the weather every day, mentioning what season it feels like. I'm not particularly in tune with my environment, so this has been a little difficult. I need to figure out what spring or summer looks like for CT, before I can work on holidays/rituals to celebrate it.

I've been thinking more on life milestones/rites of passage. One thing I had decided previously was not to do anything really related to marriage; I can't remember who had said it, now, but someone on TC had mentioned their irritation with pagan paths that included marriage/handfastings just because the mainstream religions they were used to included marriage. But- Conair an Cheo is meant to be a 'family' path, and marriage is not only creating a new, tiny family but bringing two others together. I'd like to recognize that. I think, though, that anyone marrying a non-member would be encouraged not to have a religious wedding, because god oaths and other such symbolism and practices wouldn't make sense for a non-member to do.

There's too much to think about! I don't know how HeartShadow does it.

// Juni

The To-Do List

2007-04-05T12:29:00.000-04:00

I have a lot of things I need to get done, both for the path and for my own religious practice.

I want to write a basic, standardized Altú, which is a weekly, sort of two part thanks-giving ritual. At the moment I only have a vague idea of what I want for it. I'll do a single person version first, and then work on adapting it for more than one person.

For me personally, I want to work on specific deity prayers, and a prayer to say before bed.

I want to get started on writing my deity essays. I know that I've not started because I'm waiting to read more and know more, and completely ignoring the fact that once written, they are not in stone. They can be edited and changed, and they have to start somewhere.

The calendar needs a lot of work. A painfully large amount of work. An Cór always celebrates the four solar holidays (the solstices and equinoxes) but also has holidays that are situated based on the locale; ie, the holiday for the beginning of summer would be different depending on if one lived in Maine or Pennsylvania, and someone living along the equator probably wouldn't have a beginning of winter holiday. Also requiring my attention are Na Tinente Chnámh Mór, which encompasses the deity specific holidays. I have all the deities placed, so to speak, based almost entirely on my own UPG, but I'm worried that I've been more focused on balancing the year than placing the deities' holidays where they are most appropriate. I'll have to work on that as I go through and name them, as well as lock down specific dates.

I need to write about the various life milestone and path milestones; I need to write about offerings, sacrifice, geasa and mionn mór; I need to write about the seven merits and talk more about ethics and morals. I need to write more about non-Irish practices being done in conjunction with Conair an Cheo. I want to pull together a list of all the myths that are of importance to us, and their various interpretations; I may or may not write my own interpretations- I was playing with the idea, but I'm not sure it's something I want to take on quite yet.

And I forgot that I need to work on my shrine designs, so I can get the materials and start building.

I have too much to do!

// Juni

Conair an Cheo FAQ

2007-04-02T14:51:00.000-04:00

Introduction to Conair an Cheo

What is Conair an Cheo?
What does Conair an Cheo mean?
What does hard polytheistic mean?
What does pagan mean?
Who do you worship?
What do you believe?
Who is in charge?
Which is more important- believing or doing?

Are you...

Are you Celtic Reconstructionists?
Are you Druids?
Are you Wiccans?
Are you Shamans?
Are you Rennies/SCA members?
Are you Satanists?
Are you Witches?

Beliefs

What do you believe the Divine is?
What do you believe the gods are?
Why do you think we're here?
Do you have a creation story?
What do you think happens when you die?
What is the ethical basis of Conair an Cheo?
Where do the ancestors fit in?
Where do the land spirits and fairies fit in?
How important are offerings?
Do you have hard and fast rules about hot topics?

Practices

Do you use magic?
Do you have a holy book?
What kind of groups do you work in?
How do you worship?
Are you all priests?
Do you worship the Lord and Lady?
Do you create sacred space?
What holidays do you celebrate?
What kinds of rituals do you have?
Do you have to be a priest/ess to perform a ritual?
How do I make offerings?
Do you perform sacrifices?
What kinds of practices are involved daily?
Where does nature fit into your practices?
Do you take special names?
Do you have a Book of Shadows?
Do you work skyclad?
Do you have familiars?

Membership

How can I join?
Do you have to be Irish to join?
How old do I have to be to join?
Can I be a member of X and Conair an Cheo?
Are initiations necessary?
What books are good for someone new to Conair an Cheo?
Do I have to pay to join?

Miscellaneous

Why did you create Conair an Cheo?
Is Conair an Cheo a path, or a religion, or what?
Why do you use Irish Gaelic phrases and words?
What is this "thwapping" business, and is it important?
Why doesn't x match with what I read in book y?
How are alternative lifestyles viewed?
Are you all feminists/vegetarians/vegans/pacifists?
How much can you teach a child?

Miscellaneous

2007-04-02T14:47:00.000-04:00

Why did you create Conair an Cheo?
I created Conair an Cheo to fill a hole in my heart that I couldn't fill anywhere else. More precisely: I spent many, many years learning about various polytheistic religions and paths- often, my studies were very superficial, because I learned very quickly that they weren't the right path for me. All the while, I had a feeling that I can only describe as an aching heart. I languished, practicing little or not at all, as I found myself unable to perform ritual or do much else of a religious nature without a solid religious reason behind it.

I hesitate to call my motivation desperation, but certainly for a deep seated need I set out to figure out exactly what I believed, to make religious study easier and more precise- allowing me to say I wasn't a member of religion X because of reason Y, not because of some poorly articulated gut feeling. In doing so, I realized I was well on my way to creating my own path- after all, I had these beliefs, now I just needed a practice based on them- and so I started codifying them into a path that I could share with others, if others were so inclined to share it.

So, to concisely answer my own question (seems a little late for concisely, anyway): to give myself a religious framework in which to practice my beliefs and honor my gods, with the added bonus of being able to share it with like-minded persons.

Is Conair an Cheo a path, or a religion, or what?
Though I frequently refer to Conair an Cheo as being religious in nature, I myself will never call it a religion- for me, it will always be a spiritual, religious path that I walk, and am willing to share. I will not say whether my path fits other people's definitions of "religion", but since I'm currently the only one walking it and I'm the one creating it, it doesn't fit my own definition of a religion. To me, a religion is something that must be shared by a community, and it must withstand the test of time without significant change. If by the time I have great-grandchildren, Conair an Cheo is still around and the same in all the important ways, maybe I'll think about calling it a religion, but certainly not before then. That being said, others may call it whatever they please!

Why do you use Irish Gaelic phrases and words?
Conair an Cheo attempts to work within an Irish Celtic world-view and culture; language, we feel, is one of the greatest ways to understand a culture's values, ideas and mindset. There are some concepts in Irish that simply cannot be fully translated to English without losing one meaning or another, and so we prefer to present these and other things in Irish Gaelic. While fluency in the language is in no way necessary, basic pronunciation is useful.

Something important to note is that I myself am a beginner level speaker- my Irish is still weak and there may be inaccuracies. Feel free to point them out if you see them!

What is this "thwapping" business, and is it important?
If one lurks and lingers in the pagan world long enough, the phrase "being thwapped", or something similar, will inevitably come up. Also known as being "god-bothered", it refers to a person believing they have direct contact of one sort or another with a deity. This concept is not restricted to paganism, but I personally see it most prevalent here. Often, being "thwapped" is described as an almost physical sensation (the term clue-by-four springs to mind), and frequently implies that the deity doing the thwapping has made some kind of claim on that particular person.

It is not our place to say whether the religious (or perceived religious) experiences of a person are valid, possible, or anything else, but being god-bothered or thwapped by any deity isn't important for a member of Conair an Cheo. One's relationships with their gods is between them and their gods, and in the end the gods will know the truth of one's relationship, faith and heart.

Why doesn't x match with what I read in book y?
That would be because there is no definitive book on Conair an Cheo, so anything one finds in a book may or may not be applicable to this path. Also- reading this website, or information on Conair an Cheo anywhere else, does not qualify anyone to call themselves one of us. I'm not trying to be mean, I promise, but this is a family centered path, and someone claiming to be part of your family when they've just read your family site is a little weird!

How are alternative lifestyles viewed?
The same way as the so-called "normal" lifestyles. Everyone is wired a little bit differently, and one's sexual orientation or preferences, or other such "alternative" mindsets, matter as little to us as their preferred color. As long as one walks the path with honor and integrity, how they walk it or who they walk it with is irrelevant.

Are you all feminists/vegetarians/vegans/pacifists?
No. We believe in equality and being responsible with natural resources, but we are not necessarily feminists, nor vegetarians or vegans. As one of our major deities is considered a goddess of battle and war, we can hardly be called pacifists.

How much can you teach a child?
The only limit to what a child can be taught is what the child can comprehend; there is nothing in our lore that is considered "adults only".

Membership

2007-04-02T14:44:00.000-04:00

How can I join?
Email Juni.

Do you have to be Irish to join?
Absolutely not; ethnic or racial heritage is absolutely irrelevant to Conair an Cheo.

How old do I have to be to join?
For legal reasons, we will not train anyone under the age of 18 (or their country's age of majority), unless their legal guardian is a member.

Can I be a member of X and Conair an Cheo?
Possibly. If the core beliefs of X do not conflict with the core beliefs of Conair an Cheo, then there is no reason that it cannot be done. Such things should be carefully considered before undertaking, however, as walking two paths is a considerable commitment.

Are initiations necessary?
Yes. There is a dedication, where the seeker pledges to study and learn for a minimum of one year, and a "welcome to the family" sort of initiation, where the seeker becomes a full member which takes place at their mentor's discretion.

What books are good for someone new to Conair an Cheo?
At the moment there is no set "reading list"; one should familiarize themselves with the myths and the culture. The CR FAQ's reading list is very knowledgeable and quite comprehensive, and would be a very good place to begin.

Do I have to pay to join?
There is no membership fee; one's teallach may collect dues, but they are only for necessity- food, location rental, etcetera.

Practices

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Do you use magic?
Some members may choose to use magic; it is not prohibited by Conair an Cheo, but it is in no way necessary.

Do you have a holy book?
It depends on how you define "holy". We look to the stories that have survived for guidance and precedent, but we do not see them as a final authority (especially as many are contradictory, as well as written long after Christianity had settled in the Celtic lands).

What kind of groups do you work in?
Members of Conair an Cheo work in a family-like setting; 2 or more members can come together to form a teallach, or hearth. Each teallach is their own entity, and generally one does not answer to any other; all members are like family (though not necessarily related), however, and loyalty to one's teallach is loyalty to all. Each teallach is led by the teallach-coimeádaí or hearth keeper. Members can also work individually, if there is no teallach near them to join.

How do you worship?
Worship is a personal thing, and though we all have similarities we have as many differences. Offerings are held to be very important and integrated into all rituals, but a person's devotional acts are very specific to the person.

There is, though, a practice that connects all members, which is called An Triscéil Beatha, the Triskele of Life. Every member walks all three of Na Bhísí Beannaithe, the Sacred Spirals, that make up An Triscéil Beatha, to some extent. The Sacred Spirals are An Bhís Gealach, The Moon Spiral, which is personal to each member and is very introspective and focused on self improvement; An Bhís Grian, The Sun Spiral, which is a community oriented spiral, bringing members together in celebration of the gods and the milestones of life; An Bhís Cloch, The Stone Spiral, which focuses on the world outside Conair an Cheo and often includes charity and environmental work.

Are you all priests?
No. The definition of priest can vary considerably depending on the source; in Christianity, a priest is most often a guide of the laity, and in many pagan religions, a priest is considered a servant of a particular deity, and we are neither. Though some members can be religious guides and advisers to the laity, many will lead a ritual and most consider themselves servants of their deities, we are not priests. Knowing the gods and being connected to them does not make one a priest- it makes one a functioning member of a particular religion. All life paths, all jobs, are divine and godly in their own way, and these do not make us all priests.

Do you worship the Lord and Lady?
No. We are not focused on dualities or balance; many of us are in the service of multiple deities. Also, we are not soft polytheists, and so do not condense all our female deities into one overarching Lady, and all our male deities into one overarching Lord.

Do you create sacred space?
No. We believe that all space (and all of existence, for that matter) is sacred all on its own.

What holidays do you celebrate?
A lot! Each branch of An Triscéil Beatha has its own set of holidays; some mark the changing of the environment around us, whereas some are dedicated to a particular deity.

What kinds of rituals do you have?
The same kinds as any other religious or spiritual path would have, I imagine- ones that honor the divine, ones that mark milestones in life, etcetera.

Do you have to be a priest/ess to perform a ritual?
No.

How do I make offerings?
Offerings are traditionally left in a body of water, poured or buried in the earth, or burnt. Of course, we do not advocate littering, so offerings should be made responsibly in appropriate places, and when burning offerings, they should be carefully supervised with appropriate precautions taken. Offerings are usually given with prayer, after ritual or contemplation, and should be prepared with awareness and care.

Do you perform sacrifices?
All offerings are a form of sacrifice- giving up something of importance. If animal sacrifice is performed, it is with proper training and equipment, and attempts to be as painless as possible to the animal involved. Most importantly, the animal's life is never wasted- it will be consumed and used in the proper way. Generally speaking, though, animal sacrifice is not performed, as many do not have the training nor the stomachs to do it properly.

What kinds of practices are involved daily?
This is entirely dependent on the practitioner, and cannot be satisfactorily answered in a general way.

Where does nature fit into your practices?
This is a tricky question to answer. In one sense, it is inherent in all our practices, as nature is inherent in all of us and everything we do. We do not consider ourselves to be earth or nature centered or oriented, as some define pagan practices to be, however. The natural world is probably addressed most in An Bhís Cloch, The Stone Spiral, and one's attentions to the land spirits.

Do you take special names?
Some do, some do not; it is a personal choice and is not necessary. Those that do often feel a disconnect to their given name but do not wish to change it, are "in the broom closet" and have no desire to be outed as a pagan yet, or feel a strong pull to a particular name often for 'spiritual' reasons they cannot quite articulate.

Do you have a Book of Shadows?
Though some members may choose to keep a religious or spiritual journal, we do not have a Book of Shadows or grimoire.

Do you work skyclad?
No.

Do you have familiars?
No.

Beliefs

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What do you believe the Divine is?
We believe that the Divine is an essence that pervades all things on Earth and within the universe as we know it. The greater amount of Divine essence within a thing, the greater the thing’s awareness of itself, its surroundings and the universe. Without the Divine essence, existence as we know it would cease to be.

What do you believe the gods are?
We believe that the gods are beings who have considerably more of the Divine essence within them than anything in existence on Earth, allowing them a greater intellect and understanding of the universe and existence. In our belief, all gods exist; historically, they have frequently been placed into groups, and though we find They generally work within those paradigms, They are not restricted to them. We do not find any gods to be omnipresent, omnipotent, infallible or all-knowing; though Their perspective is less limited than our own, they are capable of action and therefore capable of mistake. In our experience, though, They are less prone to mistake than misjudgment what a particular person will do. The Gods have no natural physical shape like humanity, nor do They fully reside within our plane of existence. They are capable of existing within a physical shape at Their will, which may or may not be human in appearance. They do, generally, have a form that They prefer, that humans have come to associate Them with.

Why do you think we're here?
This is a question that we feel can never be satisfactorily answered. It is our belief that our existence is one of three possible circumstances: the first, a cosmic project, the second, a cosmic experiment, or third, a cosmic accident. If, assuming that we are a project of some kind, we feel that no doubt we were created to fulfill that purpose instinctively. Therefore while some thought into a greater purpose may give us temporary direction, overall it matters little. If, assuming that we are an experiment, we feel that forcing ourselves into some supposed purpose will be directly against the nature of an experiment, and so contemplating a greater purpose or reason is not only wasteful of time but completely against the point. And finally, if we assume that we are an accident of some sort, then we are free to create any sort of purpose we desire, and fretting over a purpose is entirely useless. In any case, living our lives as best we can and honoring our Gods does not distract us from any greater reason, nor does it require knowledge of a personal or overarching reason of existence, and so we attempt to content ourselves with our own lives, and let the cosmos sort itself out on its own.

Do you have a creation story?
Quite simply, no. There is no existing pre-Christian Irish Celtic creation myth that's been found to date, and I'd feel awfully silly making up my own!

What do you think happens when you die?
We believe that when the body dies, the soul is released and may go on to any number of places. I personally think a good metaphor would be a very long hallway of doors, and those who follow Conair an Cheo would be inclined to go through only a few. The most common place our soul would travel to would be Teach Duinn, the House of Donn. It is from there, on the days and nights when the veils are thin, that souls come and wander our world for whatever purpose. After a time, the soul is released and returns to this world for a new incarnation. Those who were remarkable in life travel to Mag Mell, beneath the seventh wave, and under Mannanán's watch enjoy a period of rest and the rewards of their existence before passing on to their next one here. Another place a soul might travel to, though it would be remarkably lucky to do so, is Tir na nÓg. It alone is a land that can be visited by the living or dead; it is a place of Heroes and Greats, ruled by Niamh, and is eternally beautiful and joyous. The souls that go to Tir na nÓg might never reincarnate, or might return to the land of the living to find that time has quite outstripped them. In any case, the journey that soul endures to and from this world irrevocably changes it, and so the soul that lived once can never truly live again; as a flame between candles, it is the same but changed.

What is the ethical basis of Conair an Cheo?
Conair an Cheo's ethics come from traditional Celtic values, which we feel should be embraced and wholly integrated into one's daily life. We believe in the Nine Merits of an Honorable Life: honesty, justice, loyalty, courage, community, hospitality, strength, gentleness, and equality.

Where do the ancestors fit in?
Remembering and appropriately honoring our ancestors is an important part of Conair an Cheo. Whether they are related to us by blood or not is not of the utmost importance; they are our dead, those who passed before us, and we remember their lives with love. The most important thing is to honor them in a way they would appreciate- one's Christian grandmother would probably not appreciate libations and offerings, and these things must be taken into account. Without the past we can have no future, doomed to repeat the same mistakes and failures; without the teachings of those who have gone before us, we have little to pass on to our children.

Where do the land spirits and fairies fit in?
The land spirits and the fairies (whom we prefer to call the Good Folk) are not always the same thing; in native Celtic countries such as Ireland or Scotland, calling all the land, nature and other varied spirits the sídhe may be appropriate, elsewhere the spirits of the land have their own cultural names, and to refer to them as the sídhe or Good Folk or to assume that they have similar natures or desires is misleading, inaccurate and possibly dangerous. The spirits of the land should be honored and respected in whatever way seems most appropriate for the locale; the Good Folk are generally given offerings to keep their good will. While neither of these practices are specifically necessary to Conair an Cheo, they are both commonly integrated- thanking the land spirits for their hospitality, and the Good Folk for their beneficial behavior.

How important are offerings?
Offerings are a major way to connect to the gods and show them that we appreciate their gifts and guidance; they can also be used to honor land spirits and the Good Folk, and to remember our ancestors. They are an expression of honor, worship, devotional attention and love.

Do you have hard and fast rules about hot topics?
Generally speaking, no. We do not endorse or support discrimination of any sort, as we believe in equality; thus we support gay rights and minorities, from the standpoint that no person should be denied the right to marry or adopt because of their sexual orientation, the color of their skin or any of the number of ridiculous, divisive reasons many persons support. There are other topics- the death penalty and abortion, for example, that we do not say one way or another; one must examine their own conscious, look to the gods, the heroes and their lore and decide for themselves. On all "hot topics" one must look at their own conscious as well as the beliefs and ideals of Conair an Cheo and be sure that they are in alignment.

Are you...

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Are you Celtic Reconstructionists?
Though we hold historical accuracy in high regard, we are not trying to restore, reconstruct or recreate the religion of the pre-Christian Celtic peoples, so no, we are not CR.

Are you Druids?
As we are not associated with any modern Druidic groups, nor do we use the title Druid for any member at any time, no, we are not Druids.

Are you Wiccans?
We are definitively not Wiccans, either Traditional Initiated Wiccans like BTW, nor mainstream eclectic wiccans. We do not hold to the Wiccan Rede, we do not ascribe to the Law of Returns, we do not work with a Lord and Lady, we do not focus on dualities, we do not observe the Wheel of the Year or participate in the Great Rite; these and many other things make us very much not Wiccan of any stripe.

Are you Shamans?
Though we may at times employ rites and practices that are shamanistic in nature or history, we do not consider ourselves shamans.

Are you Rennies/SCA members?
Some of us may be Rennies or belong to the SCA, but we may also be college students or parents or construction workers; none of this has anything to do with our religion.

Are you Satanists?
Though some of us may acknowledge the existence of Satan, as with any other deity or creature outside of our pantheon, we do not work with Satan nor worship him, nor belong to any groups that do.

Are you Witches?
Some of us may be witches, but being a member of Conair an Cheo does not make one a witch.

Introduction to Conair an Cheo

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What is Conair an Cheo?
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.

About Me

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I've never been particularly good at describing myself, but I figure knowing a bit about me might be useful for anyone wandering through this blog.

I have several names; in the pagan community (which this site is aimed at (sort of) and part of (ish)) I'm mostly known as Juni, which is short for Juniper, which is half of Juniper Deirndeithe. You can call me any of the above, or by my real name Katrina (or Kat).

I am a hard polytheist that honors the pre-Christian Irish deities in a modern way; some would call me eclectic, but only because I don't belong to any existing path. This blog is my own way of remedying that fact: here I will be posting stuff about the path that I am building.

One thing that I feel I should mention is that I'm not setting out to be seen as a guru or leader or whatever funny name someone would give me. This path (Conair an Cheo) began as a way for me to organize my "eclectic" tendencies into something workable. After some consideration, I decided that I would share it, in case someone wandering like me could find some use in it. I don't know everything about anything, not even this path. I am not much of a scholar, and make use of my UPG (unverified personal gnosis) widely. (Of course, I always label my UPG as such- no "ancient wisdom that cannot be cited" here.)

So, this is me. This is the home of my path. Take it or leave it.

// Juni

Edited to add: You can read my personal, non-path babblings at The Spiritual Babblings of Juni.