Morgan Daimler's Blog, page 45

more NaNo

 I am once again doing National Novel Writing Month this year and attempting to write the third novel in my trilogy. I may have been a smidge ambitious this time since I only just finished the second one and am, in all honesty, a bit burned out. However I'm soldiering on to get the first draft done. In the 25 days of NaNo I've written a bit over 54,000 words towards what I expect to be between 100 - 120,000 when its done. So I'm about halfway there. It's been taking a lot of my attention though and as with last November the blog is suffering a bit.
  As usual with my novel writing I've been posting little word count & blurbs on Facebook as I write so I'd like to share them here for anyone who might be interested.
this is the synopsis for the third book from the NaNo site:
There is far more going on in the small town of Ashwood than anyone realizes, and Allie Mccarthy, like the town itself, is caught between mortal earth and Fairy, with treachery on both sides. Allie is struggling to pick up the pieces as the police investigation into a series of ritual killings contniues to wreak havoc in her life. She has lost one friend to a serial killer and seen another shot trying to protect her as the people behind the rituals work to get her out of the way. Meanwhile her own empathic gift - which may be the key to stopping the killings - is controlling her more than she controls it. In seeking training for her gift Allie may be forced to accept that defining good and evil isn't as simple as she wants it to be. Facing betrayal at the deepest level and with her own life hanging in the balance, this time Allie has to be sure that the conspiracies are rooted out and stopped, once and for all. No matter what the cost. 

Book 3
8,659 words - book 3 begins, picking up the pieces where the last book left off. My protagonist is still facing more than one challenge but she's realizing that the only person who ultimately may be able to save her is herself.
11,295 words - my protagonist is trying to convince the human and elven police to work together, because she's sure that's the only way to figure out what's really going on. Will the joint task force be re-formed?Meanwhile there's still a conspiracy afoot, a killer who has gone entirely off the rails, and trouble from the past that my protagonist definitely won't see coming.
17, 476 words - nothing complicates a love triangle like a marriage proposal from one person and the other taking a bullet for the one he loves. My protagonist's love life is starting to look like Celtic knot work, despite her best efforts to untangle it (and no this isn't that kind of story exactly, that's just how messy life can be sometimes). Meanwhile we have part of a plot uncovered - and gremlins, oh my! - and an antagonist who may be willing to do anything to protect someone she cares about, even if that means hurting the person herself.
21,144 words - negotiating with elves, take two. Has my protagonist learned anything from the results of the first attempt? Lets hope so because this time the consequences will be very personal....
24,041 words - the killer has slipped his leash and is killing now for fun as much as for a purpose, making him far more dangerous. The bodies are piling up, but can the re-formed joint task force recognize the clues when they find them?
32,200 words - my protagonist is trying to get her out of control ability under control with some training from a very interesting teacher (the great aunt of our entertaining ceremonial magician). But sometimes learning control means accepting things about yourself that you really don't like...
40,100 words - my protagonist has dodged a dagger from an unexpected source, and our intrepid kelpie has ridden to her rescue. Unfortunately she may now prove just as useful to those she trusts as bait to catch those lurking in the shadows as she does as a hound tracking the killer...
43,148 words - our killer has struck again, taking one life and ravaging another, but this time the victim fought back and thanks to some timely intervention lived to tell the tale. This could be the essential break in the case if my protagonist can stay strong...or it could trigger my protagonist's own past demons to come back and haunt her....
51,388 words - everyone has their limits. Some people hit those limits and break against them. Some people hit them and get angry enough to start fighting back.
My protagonist is done with running and letting other people get hurt for her. She's ready to start fighting back now.

more translation

I'm a bit busy but I don't want to not blog at all, so here's a tidbit of translation, Irish courtesy of Hennessey's The Ancient Irish Goddess of War, translation my own.
Fuil os chind ag eigmigh
Caillech lom, luath ag leimnig
Os eannaib a narm sa sciath
Is i in Morrigu mongliath- Cath Magh Rath
Bloody over his head, fighting, crying out
A naked hag, swiftly leaping
Over the edges of their armor and shields
She is the grey-haired Morrigu

"She Rises" A Poem to the Morrigan

she rises, in the dawn, in the darkness, in our hearts
she rises like dark birds taking flight in a whir if wings
she rises from shadow and dream and memory
her name on our lips, dripping sweet like honey
her name, flying on the wind like leaves, dancing
her name, a primal scream, tearing our hearts, echoing
the Morrigan has always been with us, inciting, inspiring
the Morrigan moves with us now, returning, eternal,
the Morrigan calls us to her, singing, shrieking, as she rises...

Translating the Untranslated 3 - Inciting Kings

  My third attempt at translating a normally untranslated portion of the Cath Maige Tuired: this excerpt occurs during the battle itself when the Morrigan appears to incite the Tuatha De Danann to win the battle. The Irish text is from Gray's 1983 version from the Irish Texts Society. The English translation is my own, with the usual caveat that I am not fluent but am offering my best understanding of the material. Usually it ends after "Kings, arise to battle...."

  Tánic in Morrigan ingen Ernmusa anduidhe ocus boi oc nertad Túath nDéa co fertois an cath co dúr ocus co dicrai. Conid ann rocachain in laíd-se sis: "Afraigid rig don cath! Rucat gruaide aisnethir rossa ronat feola, fennát enech, ethát catha -rruba* segatar ratha radatar fleda fechatar catha, canát natha, noat druith denait cuaird cuimnit. Arca alat side sennat deda tennat braigit blathnuight tufer cluinethar eghme ailit cuaird cathit lochtai lúet ethair snaat arma scothait sronai. Atci cach rogenair ruadcath dergbandach dremand fiachlergai foeburlai. Fri uab rusmeb renanrmársrotaib sinne fri fur foab líni Fomóire i margnaich incanaigh copraich aigid dergbandaib dam aimcritaighid connaechta sameth donncuridh ibur ferurib fristongarar."
 Next the Morrigan daughter of Ernmas came, and urged the Tuatha Dé Danann** to give battle stubbornly and savagely. So that in that place she incited them to battle chanting: "Arise, kings to battle here! Seizing honor, speaking battle-spells, destroying flesh, flaying, snaring, seizing battle ---*, seeking out forts, giving out a death feast, fighting battles, singing poems, proclaiming druids collect tribute around in memory. Bodies wounded in a rushing assault, pursuing, exhausting, breaking, prisoners taken, destruction blooms, hearing screams, fostering armies battle, occupants moving, a boat sails, arsenal cuts off noses. I see the birth of every bloody battle, red-wombed, fierce, obligatory-battlefield, enraged. Against the point of a sword, reddened shame, without-great-battlements, preparing towards them, proclaiming a line of battle Fomorians in the chanted margins, helpfully impels a reddened vigorous champion, shaking hound-killing warriors together, bloody beating, ancient warband towards their doom."
* beginning of word is missing in manuscript** Túath nDéa literally "People of the Gods" or "People of the Goddess"

tolerance and acceptance

  Last weekend I attended the Changing Times, Changing Worlds conference, an annual regional conference on metaphysics in the northeast United States. I've done workshops at the conference 4 out of the 5 years its run and I really enjoy attending. This year was no exception, with many good workshops and panels as well as excellent conversations with both attendees and other presenters.

   One of the most interesting panels I saw was "When is it okay to tell someone they are wrong?". The five panelists discussed various scenarios within the pagan community where someone was either publicly lying or falsely claiming things, such as experience or titles, and how they might each deal with the situation. I was surprised by the number of responses that advocated kind private interventions and mentoring to handle people making such claims. There was also a strong emphasis on accepting that wrong didn't include different, and that we as a community needed to be more open and accepting of varieties within traditions and practices. In other words there is no one correct Wicca, no one true witchcraft, no exact Reconstruction, so it is foolish to have so-called witch wars over differences in approach and method. I found that while I didn't agree entirely with everything that was said I did walk away with a lot to consider.
   One of the nuances that I think is consistently missed in the wider community is the difference between tolerance and acceptance. Tolerance is simply being able to allow or endure the existence of something, including things we don't like and things we disagree with. I can tolerate a lot within the community because I do not expect everyone to practice, believe, and act the way I do. Acceptance on the other hand is agreeing that something is good or suitable. There are many, many things in the pagan community that I do not particularly accept. I do not accept them as either good or suitable beliefs or practices and given a chance I'll usually expound on why. However - and herein lies the crux - I can tolerate what I do not accept. More importantly I should and must tolerate what I don't accept because it is pure ego to think that every single pagan - or even every Irish recon - would or should think and do exactly as I think and do. And I fully expect others to tolerate my practices and beliefs which they do not accept.
   So then, if I am tolerating that which I don't accept when is it okay to tell someone they are wrong? Well, my short answer is usually always, at least in the sense that I think we should all be open to questioning and criticism of what we do. I don't see anything wrong with telling someone I disagree with them, nor I do think that voicing disagreement must always be condemnation or attack. It is entirely possible to say "I don't agree with doing that" in a civil manner.
     I do also think that as a wider community we do need to be willing to speak up about the things that matter, the big things like abuse and fraud, without feeling constrained by a false propriety. This idea that we don't want to rock the boat or be confrontational seems to be so misapplied to me, when we can have huge intergroup issues over someone blowing candles out instead of snuffing them but no one wants to accuse another person of an actual serious crime when they should. That kind of behavior we should never tolerate, and yet we do while simultaneously refusing to accept minor theological differences between traditions that shouldn't even be a concern. I mean why should I care that a group I don't belong to does something I find silly or pointless, or even offensive? Whereas I should obviously care if another group is hurting children or stealing money from people.
    When should we tell other people they are wrong? When they are publicly putting something out that opens up a discussion; when they are making statements of fact; when they are speaking as any kind of authority - then I think we should speak if what is being said is objectively wrong. When it is a question of personal belief and ideas, then it is less telling someone they are wrong and more about engaging in conversations and dialogue and expressing an alternate viewpoint. I'm sure there are many valid reasons for silence as well, especially when its wiser or more strategic not to speak, but I think there is too much of that in many areas. We argue over inconsequential things, but we stay silent over what really matters.
   Accept what you agree with; tolerate what does no harm and doesn't affect you; speak your truth

excerpt from my article The Witch, the Bean Feasa, and the Fairy Doctor in Irish Culture'

 The following is an excerpt from my article 'The Witch, the Bean Feasa, and the Fairy Doctor in Irish Culture' published in the Lughnasa/Samhain issue of Air n-Aithesc, a peer-reviewed CR journal available here: http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/... 

   What is particularly worth noting though is the connection between Irish and Scottish witches and fairies, something that is shared with bean feasa and fairy doctors, as all three Irish folk magic practitioners are believed to gain their occult knowledge and some of their power from the Fair Folk. While the latter two use the knowledge they gain from the Other Crowd to heal or cure magical afflictions, the witch uses her fairy-given knowledge to harm. The witch knows how to use elfshot, and does so in ways that - according to the Scottish witch trial records anyway, which we must look to given the scarcity of Irish witch trials - seem to have been an attempt to use supernatural power where social power was lacking. What we find often in the Scottish trial records is socially marginalized women using fairy knowledge to curse or harm people in higher social classes or in positions of power (Hall, 2005). Often in these trial records we see witches confessing to making deals with or consorting with fairies, going to fairies for knowledge, and going to them to obtain elfshot (Hall, 2005). In the Irish we see witches, like fairies, taking the form of hares in order to steal milk from the cows and this may indicate another connection between the two (O hOgain, 1995). So similar was Irish witchcraft and fairy enchantment that one of the reasons to call in a fairy doctor was to ascertain which of the two was the source of ill luck or other magical problems so that the proper cure could be administered.
   The terms bean feasa and fairy doctor are often used interchangeably and indeed there is at best a fine difference between the two. It is highly likely that the two terms, one in Irish one in English, originally were applied to a singular type of practitioner; however in the modern source material we do see a nuanced difference between how the two terms are used. The bean feasa is often called to find lost objects and discern through divination the cause and cure of ailments, from illness to butter failing to churn, whether the cause is mundane or magical (O Crualaoich, 2005). The fairy doctor, on the other hand, is called when fairy involvement is known or suspected, especially relating to afflictions caused by them, or when witchcraft is suspected, in order to discern the best cure (Wilde, 1991). The ban feasa was said to never teach her magic to others or preform her charms in front of people, while the fairy doctor could teach others, particularly passing her knowledge on to her child (Wilde, 1991; Locke, 2013). One might argue that the bean feasa is more of a general practitioner while the fairy doctor is a specialist, but both derive knowledge and power from their relationship with the Other Crowd.   Read more here 

Dating the Holidays

    Probably the single most consistent debate you can count on seeing in the Celtic Pagan community is about the dating of the four Fire Festivals. Like all such debates each side tends to hold its own view quite passionately. There are three main arguments: the dates of the celebrations were set astronomically; the dates were set using a calendar; the dates were based on agricultural signs. Each side has merit, but the truth is there is not enough solid evidence to ever know with certainty how the ancients timed their celebrations.     The astrology argument is based on setting the dates exactly midway between the solstices and equinoxes. This usually puts them roughly six weeks after the previous holiday and six weeks before the next one. In some cases people suggest using a specific marker such as a constellation being at a certain point in the sky or a sign of the zodiac at a certain degree. The ancient stone circles and mounds which are aligned with certain times are also used, so that when the light of the sun hits a certain point or illuminates the interior of the mound it would indicate that the holiday should be celebrated. This argument naturally hinges on two premises: that the ancients celebrated the solar holidays as well, and that they were aware of the alignments of the ancient neolithic monuments. There is also a related argument that uses lunar dating, based from what I have seen on the second full moon after the solar event*.
    The calendar argument dates the celebration on the first day of the respective months they occur on: February, May, August, and November. We have references in the mythology dating back to the 11th century of Lughnasa, Bealtaine, and Samhain being on the 'kalends' (first day) of those months and we know historically they were celebrated on those days in folk practice. This is somewhat complicated by the fact that the calendar system switched from the Julian to the Gregorian and when that occurred the dates shifted. When the calendar shift occurred in the UK in 1752 it moved everything back 11 days, meaning what was the first of November is now the 12th. Even a hundred years ago in several areas people were still celebrating Imbolc and Lughnasa in particular on the 12th of February and August respectively because they were using the old dating. What this means in practice is that when we see older references to the days being celebrated on the first we need to understand that they are equivalent for us today to the 12th of that same month. A Celtic Reconstructionist who wanted to use the calendar dates could, I think, choose to either go by the first of the month still or use the older dating and celebrate on the 12th.    The final method of dating the celebration of the holiday is based on observation of agricultural markers and the idea that each holiday is agrarian at heart and depends on certain conditions being met. Imbolc is a celebration of the return of fresh milk and would be celebrated when the lambs were born or the sheep came into milk. Bealtaine is the beginning of summer, a time when the herds are moved to summer pastures, and would have been celebrated when the people were confident winter had passed; this is often said to be marked by the blooming of the Hawthorn and indeed many Bealtaine traditions require flowers. Lughnasa was the beginning of the harvest - nothing could be harvested before the proper time by longstanding tradition - and of the harvest fairs, and would have been celebrated when the grain crops were ready to be gathered. Samhain was the beginning of winter, when the herds were brought back in from the summer pastures and extra stock was butchered. It also marked the end of the harvest and gathering anything after Samhain was prohibited as everything left belonged to the daoine sidhe. Many people say that Samhain would have been celebrated after the first hard frost; there is a certain logic to this as frost would ruin any crops left in the fields**.  This method of dating is the least rigid and most changeable of the three, and also can prove difficult for people who are far removed from the farming cycle.   Each of these approaches has merit, and each has problems. No one is a perfect solution or can be proven beyond question to be the historical method. It is up to individuals to decide which method they prefer and learn how best to apply it within their own practice. 

*there may well be variations of this**different crops have various tolerances to frost, and this is somewhat dependent on the severity and length of the frost as well, however it seems safe to say that our ancestors would be highly motivated to get all the crops in by the time they started seeing frost and would consider frost a sign of the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter. 

Celebrating Samhain with a Complex Child

Canann Badb. 
feannóg guth
Garbh agus amh. 
Canann Badb.
Tagann an gheimhridh 
i sioc agus scáth.
Canann Badb

"Badb speaks
a crow's voice
rough and raw
Badb speaks
winter arrives
in frost and shadow
Badb speaks"

I wrote the above poem this morning as I listened to a crow calling to me, perched on a tree outside my window. Today is the beginning of my three day celebration of Samhain, and tonight belongs especially to the daoine maith, the Good People. I've written several times over the years about how my family celebrates Samhain and about the history of the holiday so today I decided I want to tackle a more personal topic, that is celebrating this holiday with a child who has complex medical issues.
  One of the walls I often crash against in the wider pagan community is the inaccessibility of events and rituals for children who have issues, from autism spectrum disorders to physical mobility issues, that require accommodation. We are a community that prides itself on inclusivity, and yet I often see a lack of it towards children in general and specifically towards children who have behavioral or physical challenges. The biggest argument against it seems to be that something important will be lost if we change what we are doing to make it easier for children with different needs to attend. I disagree, and below I will explain how I have modified my own practice to accommodate my daughter. 
     What frustrates me is that it doesn't have to be this way - while it does require compromise and reworking it is not impossible to accommodate families that need it. And I will never believe the Gods, ancestors or spirits are offended by the actions or needs of a child who is doing their best in the moment and only wants to be part of a spiritual celebration. 
   So, to begin with: food. feasting is a big part of most reconstructionist faiths as well as other pagan religions. Allergies are things both adults and children deal with and should not ever be something that is treated lightly. Just because peanuts are your favorite treat doesn't mean it will kill you to skip bringing them to a group celebration, and being around them might just kill someone else. And that's not hyperbole. Let me fill you in on something all parents know - kids don't care about whether eating something will make them sick, if it tastes good they will eat it anyway. My daughter for many years was not allowed to eat gluten, soy, or dairy because of a congenital immune deficiency disorder which made her digestive system very touchy, and chocolate was something she could only have in very small amounts. That never stopped her from overeating things she shouldn't have when she had a chance with predictable results . Kids with allergies are not going to police themselves, especially younger ones, and I get really irritated when adults complain about how unfair it is that they have to skip out on a food they like or are complain about being expected to cater to someone else's allergies. On a related side note, its super frustrating when there is only dish at a pot luck or similar event that a child can eat and everyone else is taking huge servings of it, not leaving enough for that child to eat very much. Shouldn't this be common courtesy? 
   Accessibility. No one ever thinks of this one, and honestly I can only imagine the frustration of parents with children in wheel chairs who are faced with hikes or trips over uneven ground. My daughter is ambulatory but due to a heart condition she tires easily and doesn't have the stamina for long walks, never mind hikes. I can't tell you how often I end up carrying her (luckily even at 6 she's very small, so carrying her is still an option). When we trick or treat on Halloween we plan carefully so that she isn't exhausted by the end. It shouldn't be that difficult to find a suitable site that is easy for people with mobility issues to access. At the Morrigan Retreat this past June we had to change our ritual location to accommodate such a situation and there was no complaining about it ruining things or blaming people for putting everyone else out. We came together as a community and made it work for everyone, once we knew there was an issue. I have a friend who is a sign language interpreter and we have discussed several times the huge challenge that deaf pagans face in trying to find even basic accommodations at rituals and workshops. Whether we like to acknowledge it or not public ceremonies are designed, almost exclusively, for people with 5 functional senses, full mobility, and normal stamina. We really need to start asking ourselves where this leaves all the people who don't have all of those things. Is it that difficult to make what we do truly open to everyone?*
  Finally behavioral issues; this is the one that has caused me to stop bringing my children to most events, in all honesty. I'm not talking here about kids who are destructive or violent and really shouldn't be expected to handle being in a ritual setting without disaster ensuing. I'm talking about kids who can't act their age or who can't focus or stay quiet or still through a ceremony. People have expectations for the behavior of children at certain ages and when your child isn't conforming to that not only is the child assumed to lack discipline but the parent is criticized for being too lenient. And in my experience even explaining that the child in question has a medical diagnoses makes no difference. People come to a spiritual gathering or ritual expecting a moving experience and they do not in any way want to deal with a child who can't be still or quiet. My daughter has a sensory processing disorder that means she is sensory seeking (she touches everything) and also that loud noises and crowds upset her. She has been in occupational therapy since she was a toddler and behavioral therapy since first grade, but these are not things that will ever go away, they are part of who she is. When she was small people were pretty tolerant of her quirky behavior, but as she has gotten older the tolerance has largely evaporated, especially with people who don't know her. I find it unfair to put that expectation of perfect behavior on any child but especially those that have extra challenges with conforming to behavioral expectations. This one is a double edged sword though because I have also had problems with judgment from people (not necessarily at pagan events, but in general) when I have to leave early because my daughter has hit her limit and is on the verge of a sensory meltdown. Children and parents who deal these issues shouldn't feel unwelcome. 
    As a reconstructionist I do not believe this is how our ancestors would have reacted to people who had different needs, not when community was the center of celebration. Babies cry, women need to nurse during rituals (see point one), children fuss, kids need to use the bathroom at inopportune times, and so on. It seems natural that children who have behavioral issues would also be understood as part of the community and while - obviously - extreme disruptions can't be allowed minor disturbances and less than perfect behavior would be tolerated. The community would find ways to make sure everyone possible attended ceremonies, I think. And while food issues may be a more modern thing I know our ancestors made sure everyone, even the poor and beggars, had something to eat on ritual days. 
   

  So, how do we celebrate with my youngest daughter? We start by talking a lot ahead of time about the holiday, because she is very into routine and unexpected things can throw her off. On the first day of Samhain we go trick or treating and when we get home we leave out an offering for the Daoine Eile. The children each choose something to offer from the candy they have gotten. On the second night we honor the Gods by lighting a fire in my largest cauldron. Because my daughter is phobic of the dark we do not do turn out all the lights, although I used to do so before to mimic the ceremony at Tlachtga. I tell the children stories of different events that have occurred in myth on Samhain and often we end up talking more generally about different Tuatha De Danann that interest them. We have a ritual to an Morrigan and an Daghda and make offerings to them, and divination is done for the year to come. Sometimes my youngest daughter stays for the whole ritual, sometimes she doesn't. On the third day we honor our ancestors. An extra place is set at the table and water and food are set out at dinner. We light white candles on our ancestor altar and we tell stories about our beloved dead. My youngest daughter struggles with expressing her emotions so she enjoys the stories of the older dead who she never knew but will usually leave when we talk about the more recent dead. We offer coffee on the altar and leave out something on the doorstep for the wandering dead.   And that's it. The biggest accommodations we make for my daughter are letting her come and go as she pleases during ceremonies, and letting her sit or play during the ceremonies if she's having trouble focusing, and making sure nothing is too dark or too loud. We also keep each focused ceremony short and to the point because that's easier for her to handle. It's not that hard and while it has changed how I conduct rituals and the flow of my ceremonies I do not in any way feel that I've lost any substance. In a situation where I feel compelled to do something really complex or drawn out I do it by myself but honestly that's very rare. My religion is part of the legacy I want to pass on to my children - all my children - and its important to me that she be and feel included. 

*I do acknowledge that the issue of having an interpreter available is complicated because it is not a common enough skill. Maybe we should all try to learn a little sign language to bridge the gap. 

Translating the Untranslated - the Morrigan's prophecy

So here's another translation from Old Irish, this one is the Morrigan's prophecy from the Cath Maige Tuired. The Old Irish text is from Sean O Tuathail's version. The English is my own, as always with the caveat that I am not fluent but am offering my own understanding of the material based on the way I personally translate it.


Fáistine leis an MórríguSídh go neimh
neimh go domhan
domhan fo neimh
neart i gcách
án forlán
lán do mil
míd go sáith
sam i ngram
gae for sciath
sciath for dúnadh
dúnadh lonngharg
fód di uí
ros forbiur beanna
abú airbí imeachta
meas for chrannaibh
craobh do scís
scís do ás
saith do mhac
mac formhúin
muinréal tairbh
tarbh di arcain
odhbh do crann
crann do thine
tine a n-áil
ail a n-úir
uích a mbuaibh
Boinn a mbrú
brú le feabh faid
ásghlas iar earccah
foghamar forasit eacha
iall do tír
tír go trácht le feabh ráidh
bíodh rúad rossaibh síoraibh ríochmhór
sídh go neimh
bíodh síornoí.


Prophecy of the Morrigan

Peace to sky
sky to earth
earth below sky
strength in each one
a cup overfull
filled with honey
sufficiency of renown
summer in winter
spears supported by warriors*
warriors supported by forts
forts fiercely strong
land of sheep
healthy under antler-points
destructive battle cries held back
crops [masts] on trees
a branch resting
resting with produce
wealth of sons
a son under patronage
on the neck of a bull
a bull of magical poetry
knots in trees
trees for fire
fire when wished for
wished for earth**
getting a boast
proclaiming of borders
borders declaring prosperity
green-growth after spring
autumn increase of horses
w troop for the land
land that goes in strength and abundance
be it a strong, beautiful wood, long-lasting a great boundary
peace to heaven
be it so lasting to the ninth generation


*scíath means shields but also "fighting man, warrior, guardian". The usual translation here is given as shield, but I prefer the imagery that comes with warrior, however it may also be taken as "spears supported by shields, shields supported by forts"
** alternately "wished for by flesh"

A more poetic and less word-for-word version might be:

Peace to sky
sky to earth
earth below sky
strength in each one
a cup overfull
filled with honey
fame enough for everyone
summer in winter
spears supported by warriors
warriors supported by forts
forts fiercely strong
a land full of sheep
healthy with stags
war cries held back
trees full of acorns
a branch resting
resting covered in fruit
a  wealth of sons
a son under patronage
on the neck of a bull
a bull of magical poetry
knots in trees
an abundance of firewood
fire when wished for
wished for by people
much to boast of
proclaiming wide borders
borders declaring prosperity
green-growth after spring
autumn increase of horses
a war-band for the land
a land of strength and abundance
be it a great boundary, long lasting, a strong, beautiful wood
peace to heaven
It shall last to the ninth generation


Reference:O Tuathail, S., (1993). The Excellence of Ancient Word. Retrieved from imbas.org/articles/excellence_of_the_...

Why Worship the Gods and Spirits?

   Recently John Beckett wrote an interesting blog about why he worships the Gods, which reminded me of my own recent guest blog on the Raise the Horns blog about why I worship the Morrigan. John's post was part of a larger conversation in the blogosphere about the reality of the Gods and their ability to effect people which I have been following in bits in pieces. I find the conversation fascinating, as a so-called "hard" polytheist because it is offering insight into the different viewpoints that exist within today's wide array of pagan faiths.
   I thought today I would expound a bit on my own personal theology, although given my view of deity it might be more accurate to call it cosmology. You see so far the discussion that I have seen has centered on deity: are the Gods real? Do they have agency? Can and will they adversely effect people? I think that is a bit limiting in that the conversation should really include all the Powers - are our ancestors real and do they effect people? Spirits of place? Spirits of the Otherworld? Because you see if we are going to ask ourselves these questions about deity then it follows we should ask them as well about the other spirits. If we believe the Gods are not real in the sense of beings that do not exist in anyway beyond the human mind, and that those beings effect us only in the sense that we create what we expect to conform to our expectations, then isn't that also true of all supernatural beings? However if we believe - as I do - that the Gods do exist beyond the human mind, as beings separate from and more powerful than humans, beings who can and will interact with and shape our lives if they choose to, does it not also follow that we need to at least consider the reality of ancestral spirits, land spirits, and Otherworldly spirits, and that they too can and may effect us?
   Why do I worship the Gods that I do? Simply, and echoing what John said, because the Gods I worship have been good to me. They are the ones I have a reciprocal relationship with, who I offer to and who have blessed me. Flidais may have literally saved my life, and certainly blessed me by reuniting me with my son during a difficult time. Macha, Morrigu, Badb, and Nemain have made me a stronger person and have given me a community I never could have expected but which is truly a blessing in itself.  Wodan has blessed me in more ways than I can count, although he challenges me as much as he blesses me, which is why he's my fulltrui. My Gods are good to me, even when things are difficult and challenging, and I never doubt that they are worth honoring and offering to. Do I believe they have agency and the ability to directly influence things? Oh yes, indeed. And that is a blade that cuts both ways; yes they can act in helpful ways that benefit me but they can also act in ways that are harmful. They are Gods after all and have personalities that include both good and bad; at least in my theology there is no such thing as an all benevolent deity who only ever hands out candy and kisses. Sometimes you will get smacked because you deserve it or because a smack is the most helpful thing in that moment. Or quite frankly because you've done something that you deserve getting smacked over. Gods have expectations of us especially where we have promised certain things, whether that's regular worship or a specific item, and if we blow those duties off there will be repercussions. In Heathenry there is a concept of weregild to pay for a broken oath or an unfulfilled promise and I have seen people do that both with groups they belong to and to the Gods when needed. But if responsibility isn't taken for your actions, then a divine smack upside the head is an option.
    There are Gods I do not or will not worship, but I still respect them, because they are Gods. Just because I choose not to honor them doesn't lessen their power or ability to effect me - although who I do honor may influence that last. I never forget that a deity I don't like or want to have anything to do with can still influence my life, especially if I give it the opportunity to or a reason. So polite respect and strong allies are a big thing for me, and knowing how to respectfully say no without offending a deity. Because if they Gods I like, who bless my life, are real and have agency then it follows the Gods I don't like also are real and have agency since my likes or dislikes have nothing to do with their existence, or for that matter their abilities.
    What is true of the reality and agency of the Gods is also true of the reality and agency of other spirits. As an animist I firmly believe that the world is full of spirits of all kinds and that these spirits are everywhere. They are real, whether or not they are corporeal, whether or not they are significant to our lives. There are disembodied human spirits, ancestral spirits, spirits of place, house spirits, and Otherworldly spirits of an enormously wide variety. All have agency and personality, and each will have the ability to effect us to varying degrees. To what degree can range from nearly-as-much-as-the-Gods (don't piss off the alfar, for example) to barely noticeable, and I tend to use this range of influence, of Power, to decide what a spirit is and where it ranks in my worship. A powerful enough Good Neighbor is little different from a God, which is in fact where the Gods of Fairy Witchcraft came from, because if its as powerful as a God and able to influence me like a God, then for all intents and purposes its a God. However even those spirits that are clearly not deities can still help or harm us and are still important. Our house spirit is an important part of our home and should be given respect and offered to and if treated well will help to nurture a happy environment and give the home luck. Our ancestors can and will protect us and are worth remembering and honoring, and many feel they are the most strongly motivated to directly intervene for us, since we are their legacy.
   What does all of that matter? Well we ask why we worship the Gods, but why do we honor the ancestors and Otherworldly beings? I'd argue for many of the same reasons: because they are worth honoring and they are able to help and bless us, and ultimately if we create the right relationship with them they will be good to us and our lives will benefit. The more immediate spirits on our lives, the ones in our homes and home-places, the ones in our family are the ones who have the greatest motivation to intercede - for good or ill - in our lives because they are intimately a part of every day we live, whether we see them or not, whether we honor them or not.
    And so we honor all these Powers - Gods, ancestors, spirits - because such reciprocity is what creates the relationships that nurture positive things (luck, blessings, health) in our lives. We give to them and they give to us, from the greatest God to the lowest spirit of place. For me that is the essence of firinne (truth), to live in right relationship with the seen and unseen world.