The Druid Network

Ideas for honouring the Season of Samhain:

• Plan a “dumb supper” for your ancestors. Plan a meal alone or with friends/family and make a plate up for the ancestors. Honour your ancestors with tales of family members who have passed on, or by telling a story of a famous ancestor.
• Hold a candle-light vigil. Turn off all of the lights and stand in complete darkness for a few minutes. Reflect upon those who have passed on recently and reflect on your ancestors. When ready, light the candle and dedicate it to them. Place the candle inside a jack-o-lantern and place it outside with an offering of food, to help your ancestors find hospitality. Alternately, you could place a lit flashlight in your window to help guide the ancestors.
• Think about all that has happened this past year. What have you succeeded in doing? What lessons have you learned?
• Make plans for the upcoming year. What would you like to have achieved by this time next year?

I. Samhain

The time we know as Samhain is nigh and there is so much lore surrounding it that it is difficult to know where to start! We will be looking at several aspects of Samhain: Chaos, the Wild Hunt, Closure, Darkness, Victory, what we have reaped this year and what this time of year means.

Samhain is the Irish Word for the term “Summer’s End”, but it has many other names around the Celtic world. It is also known in Irish as Oiche Shamna (Samhain Eve)

Wales – Nos Calan Geaef (First Night of Winter)
Isle of Man – Sauin Oie Houney (Sauin Eve)
Scot’s Gaelic – Samhuinn Oidhche Shamhna (Samhain Eve)
Cornwall – Nos Kalann-Gwav
Breton – Noz Kala-Goanv

Most of these words mean something to the effect of Summer’s End or the Start of Winter. They are fairly benign when we look at some of the incorrect lore that seems to circulate at this time of year. For instance, some folks believe “Sam Hain” to be an evil Celtic God or Demon that seeks to imprison the souls of the living!

I could go on forever about the origins of Samhain and how it has translated into the secular festival of Halloween over the years, but there are many excellent articles out there on this subject and my focus today is to look at Samhain as it was and continues to be and the traditions that surround it for us as Pagans.

Isaac Bonewits has written one very good article about the origins of Halloween that you may find helpful: http://www.neopagan.net/Halloween-Origins-text.html

Many say that Samhain is the time of the New Year, yet the same is said for Imbolc.

Which day is the New Year? I will present my opinions and leave the rest to you to decide!

Samhain is the beginning of the dark and often chaotic time that we call Winter, and it was certainly like this for our ancestors. During the winter in our ancestors’ time, it was likely that many folks would not survive, in particular the very old and very young. Babies, toddlers, children, the elderly and infirm fought literally for their lives as food rations were short and the likelihood of disease or exposure to cold elements was greater. Unlike today, our ancestors couldn’t just go to the grocery store and get food whenever they wished or have easy access to the doctor by driving to the hospital or local medical clinic! In fact, hospitals are not even mentioned in Celtic history until around 4 C.E. in Ireland, and even that is questionable because the story of the hospital and its founder is a legend.

When Imbolc came around, the days begin to get longer and warmer (In the Celtic countries, it really does get warmer, unlike here in Southern Alberta, Canada where it can be Winter until at least Beltane or Victoria Day!) and things begin to grow. The spirits of the people seemed to lift as animals were born and people began to get stronger. Those who lived to this point were considered to be in “in the clear” for the most part.

I believe this is why Samhain translates simply to Summer’s End or Winter’s Start rather than “New Year”. I also believe that Imbolc is the true New Year while Samhain is a time of revelry before the dark sets in.

Some folks saw the season of Winter as a time of chaos where anything could happen. Dormancy was also a theme of the winter as plants were dormant and many animals were hibernating. People seemed to withdraw into their homes and not really spend time outside unless they had to.

That is a big change for us where we are expected to keep at the same working and living pace all year! Don’t you wish you could just curl up at home with your family and friends, and only go out if you absolutely had to during the winter?

The weather was only beginning to get a little cold at this time of year and people did the last of their traveling. It is only natural that the High King of Tara would host his last King’s Council meeting of the year at this time.

Every year, the High King in Ireland would hold the “Feis Temrach”, a great feast which involved a lot of eating, drinking and revelry. It’s purpose? Perhaps the renewal of kingship and the kingdom itself. The four Provincial Kings and their people would sit in the four corners of the hall, while the High King and his people sat at the center.

Perhaps they were also protecting themselves from the forces of Chaos and the Sidhe that were running rampant at the time! We all know that the veils between ours and the Otherworld are thinnest at this time and it is very possible to interact with each other. The Sidhe was said to be at the height of their power at this time and this could be where folks got the idea that the dead would walk the earth looking for bodies to take over!

One story that illustrates the chaos at this time of year, along with the Feis Temrach comes from the Fenian Cycle in Irish Mythology.

In this story Fionn MacCumhail comes into his own at Tara when he solves a problem that has been plaguing Tara at Samhain for years!

The Coming of Fionn MacCumhail to Tara
As translated by Lady Gregory

And after [travelling and learning], Finn being but a young lad yet, made himself ready and went up at Samhain time to the gathering of the High King at Teamhair. And it was the law at that gathering, no one to raise a quarrel or bring out any grudge against another through the whole of the time it lasted.

And the king and his chief men, and Goll, son of Morna, that was now Head of the Fianna, and Caoilte, son of Ronan, and Conan, son of Morna, of the sharp words, were sitting at a feast in the great house of the Middle Court; and the young lad came in and took his place among them, and none of them knew who he was.

The High King looked at him then, and the horn of meetings was brought to him, and he put it into the boy’s hand, and asked him who was he.

“I am Finn, son of Cumhal,” he said, “son of the man that used to be head over the Fianna, and king of Ireland; and I am come now to get your friendship, and to give you my service.”

“You are son of a friend, boy,” said the king, “and son of a man I trusted.”

Then Finn rose up and made his agreement of service and of faithfulness to the king; and the king took him by the hand and put him sitting beside his own son, and they gave themselves to drinking and to pleasure for a while.

Every year, now, at Samhain time, for nine years, there had come a man of the Tuatha de Danaan out of Sidhe Finnachaidh in the north, and had burned up Teamhair. Aillen, son of Midhna, his name was, and it is the way he used to come, playing music of the Sidhe, and all the people that heard it would fall asleep. And when they were all in their sleep, he would let a flame of fire out of his mouth, and would blow the flame till all Teamhair was burned.

The king rose up at the feast after a while, and his smooth horn in his hand, and it is what he said: “If I could find among you, men of Ireland, any man that would keep Teamhair till the break of day to-morrow without being burned by Aillen, son of Midhna, I would give him whatever inheritance is right for him to have, whether it be much or little.”

But the men of Ireland made no answer, for they knew well that at the sound of the sweet pitiful music made by that comely man of the Sidhe, even women in their pains and men that were wounded would fall asleep.

It is then Finn rose up and spoke to the King of Ireland. “Who will be your sureties that you will fulfill this?” he said. “The kings of the provinces of Ireland,” said the king, “and Cithruadh with his Druids.” So they gave their pledges, and Finn took in hand to keep Teamhair safe till the breaking of day on the morrow.

Now there was a fighting man among the followers of the King of Ireland, Fiacha, son of Conga, that Cumhal, Finn’s father, used to have a great liking for, and he said to Finn: “Well, boy,” he said, “what reward would you give me if I would bring you a deadly spear, that no false cast was ever made with?”

“What reward are you asking of me?” said Finn. “Whatever your right hand wins at any time, the third of it to be mine,” said Fiacha, “and a third of your trust and your friendship to be mine.” “I will give you that,” said Finn.
Then Fiacha brought him the spear, unknown to the sons of Morna or to any other person, and he said: “When you will hear the music of the Sidhe, let you strip the covering off the head of the spear and put it to your forehead, and the power of the spear will not let sleep come upon you.”
Then Finn rose up before all the men of Ireland, and he made a round of the whole of Teamhair. And it was not long till he heard the sorrowful music, and he stripped the covering from the head of the spear, and he held the power of it to his forehead.

And Aillen went on playing his little harp, till he had put every one in their sleep as he was used; and then he let a flame of fire out from his mouth to burn Teamhair. And Finn held up his fringed crimson cloak against the flame, and it fell down through the air and went into the ground, bringing the four-folded cloak with it deep into the earth.

And when Aillen saw his spells were destroyed, he went back to Sidhe Finnachaidh on the top of Slieve Fuad; but Finn followed after him there, and as Aillen was going in at the door he made a cast of the spear that went through his heart. And he struck his head off then, and brought it back to Teamhair, and fixed it on a crooked pole and left it there till the rising of the sun over the heights and invers of the country.

And Aillen’s mother came to where his body was lying, and there was great grief on her, and she made this complaint: —

“Ochone! Aillen is fallen, chief of the Sidhe of Beinn Boirche; the slow clouds of death are come on him. Och! he was pleasant, Och! he was kind. Aillen, son of Midhna of Slieve Fuad.

“Nine times he burned Teamhair. It is a great name he was always looking for, Ochone, Ochone, Aillen!”

And at the breaking of day, the king and all the men of Ireland came out upon the lawn at Teamhair where Finn was. “King,” said Finn, “there is the head of the man that burned Teamhair, and the pipe and the harp that made his music. And it is what I think,” he said, “that Teamhair and all that is in it is saved.”

Then they all came together into the place of counsel, and it is what they agreed, the headship of the Fianna of Ireland to be given to Finn. And the king said to Goll, son of Morna: “Well, Goll,” he said, “is it your choice to quit Ireland or to put your hand in Finn’s hand?” “By my word, I will give Finn my hand,” said Goll.

And when the charms that used to bring good luck had done their work, the chief men of the Fianna rose up and struck their hands in Finn’s hand, and Goll, son of Morna, was the first to give him his hand the way there would be less shame on the rest for doing it.
And Finn kept the headship of the Fianna until the end; and the place he lived in was Almhuin of Leinster, where the white dun was made by Nuada of the Tuatha de Danaan, that was as white as if all the lime in Ireland was put on it, and that got its name from the great herd of cattle that died fighting one time around the well, and that left their horns there, speckled horns and white.

As you can see, Finn did well for himself that day, and it won him the leadership of the Fianna!

Other great events happened at Samhain, including the landing of the Tuatha De Dannan at Eire and the securing of victory over the Formhori by the mating of Morrighan and Daghda.

On the eve of Samhain, just before the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (Moy Tura), Daghda found the Morrighan, washing herself at a river in Sligo. She had a foot on either bank and was washing her hair, which fell in nine tresses. The two had sexual intercourse and thus joined the forces of Leader of the Land and Goddess of the Land. After their mating, the Morrighan gave the Daghda all the information he would need to defeat the Formorian hosts. She also promised him that she would do her part by striking fear into the Formorian warriors.

Upon the victory of the Tuatha De Dannann, Morrighan proclaimed her prophecy, which many use today to bless groves and such:
The Morrigan Prophecy
After the Second Battle of Mag Tuired,
the Morrígan spoke a prophecy of peace and prosperity.

The original Irish text is given first,
after follows an English translation by Seán Ó Tuathail.

Fáistine leis an Morrígan

Sídh 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.

The Morrígan’s Prophecy

Peace to (as high as) the sky
sky to the earth
earth beneath sky
strength in everyone
a cup very full
a fullness of honey
honour enough
summer in winter
spear supported by shield
shields supported by forts
forts fierce eager for battle
“sod” (fleece) from sheep
woods grown with antler-tips (full of stags)
forever destructions have departed
mast (nuts) on trees
a branch drooping-down
drooping from growth
wealth for a son
a son very learned
neck of bull (in yoke)
a bull from a song
knots in woods (i.e. scrap-wood)
wood for a fire
fire as wanted
palisades new and bright
salmon their victory
the Boyne (i.e. Newgrange) their hostel
hostel with an excellence of length (size)
blue (new) growth after spring
(in) autumn horses increase
the land held secure
land recounted with excellence of word
Be might to the eternal much excellent woods
peace to (as high as the) sky
be (this) nine times eternal
Translation Copyright © 1993 John Kellnhauser
May be reposted as long as the above attribution and copyright notice are retained.

However, most people miss out on the second part of the prophecy, which is not as positive…

I shall not see a world that will be dear to me
Summer without flowers
Kine will be without milk,
Women without modesty,
Men without valor,
Captures without a king…
Woods without mast,
Sea without produce…
Wrong judgments of old men,
False precedents of lawyers,
Every man a betrayer,
Every boy a reaver
Son will enter his fathers bed,
Father will enter his son’s bed,
Every one will be his brother’s brother in law….
An evil time!
Son will deceive his father,
Daughter will deceive her mother.

Another event at Samhain is what is known as the Wild Hunt. This lore comes to us from England and Wales.

It is said that at this time, a group of spirits go on a wild and chaotic hunt to gather up lost souls and lead them home. An honourable pursuit, actually, but one that would seem downright frightening to the mortal person. A great hunter leads the Wild Hunt, such as Gwynn Ap Nudd, King Arthur or Herne.

Mara Freeman gives an interesting theory in her book “Kindling the Celtic Spirit7” at how the cries of migrating wild geese might have been interpreted by our ancestors as the unearthly yelping of the infamous white dogs with red ears that accompanied the hunters as they rode to gather the lost souls home!

This lore is also known in Scotland when the spirit hunters carried hawks on their wrists (explaining the noise) and rode Westward with their catch towards Tir na h-oige (Land of Youth) and Tir fo thuinn (Land Under Waves).

Using this lore, this is a good time of year to pray for those many lost souls that we hear about and hope that they get to accompany the Wild Hunters home to rest! At your Samhain rituals, say a prayer for the Lost Souls so that they too may find their way home.

This is the time when we invite the dead to feast with us and then say our goodbyes for another year. Some ideas for doing this are via the “Dumb Supper” or a feast that is held with friends and family with an extra tale setting for the ancestors; or via lighting a candle in the window the guide the dead home.

A well known tale of Chaos told at this time of year is the Scottish tale of Tam Lin.

Tam Lin was a man who was enchanted and taken away by the Fearie Queen. His love, Janet, missed him terribly and around the time of Samhain, he found a way to contact her.

“Every seven years, the queen must pay a fee to Hell, and this year that fee will be me!” he said. “But, the Faeries will ride by tonight. Cast a circle of protection around yourself with holy water, and as we come riding by, grab me from my horse and hold on to me until they pass no matter how much it will hurt or scare you!”

Janet promised to do so and went to the place Tam Lin had told her to await him. She sprinkled the holy water around her in a circle and waited.

The Faery Host came riding by and Janet saw Tam Lin. She pulled him off his horse and held on for dear life.

The Faeries turned him into an adder, a bear and a number of other frightening things before they rode by and he was finally left a naked and trembling man in Janet’s arms. She had won back her love through her courage and had prevented him from being taken to Hell by the Faerie Queen.

At this time of year, we are also compelled to find closure. Our lovely summer flowers are dead; the spirits of our departed ancestors are with us tonight, but will be gone again soon; the days are now noticeably shorter and soon the grass will be covered with snow and ice. At Beltane, the other time of year when the Otherworldly Gates are open, we celebrate through relations with others. At Samhain, we celebrate through final communion and then closure.

This is the last harvest festival of the year and it is celebrated because all of the harvest work is done and the crops are stored away. This is a time of taking inventory of what we have reaped this past year and what we need to be rid of so that it is not eating all of our resources during the cold, barren time. Excess Cattle would be slaughtered at this time of year, so that they would not be eating the food reserved for the healthier animals.

Questions to ask yourself at this time of year:

1. What have I accomplished this year? What did I set out to do last Spring that I have reaped the results of? (Look at these things and evaluate the events)
2. What has been dogging me that I need to find closure with? Is it the death of a loved one, an argument with a friend, a bad habit, a stale relationship or even a bad job?
3. Who am I remembering this year? (Ancestors, departed friends and family, a beloved pet who has passed on, etc.)
4. What lost souls are out there who need to find their way home? How can I help them do so? (Say a prayer for them or light a candle)
5. What ideas do I have for plans for next year? What would I like to accomplish by this time next year?
6. What can I do to find peace and comfort during the time of Winter? How can I help others?


A blessed Samhain to you all! May you find closure, warmth and comfort as the winter sets in! Above all, may you have lots of friends, family and loved ones to keep you company…may you not know hunger, may you not know illness and may you not know thirst!

II. Lest We Forget…

Every November 10th an article is printed in the local newspaper that asks us in big black letters: “Have we forgotten?”

The article is usually written with regards to the lack of military history being taught in schools, especially the world wars. How many young people know what Vimy Ridge is or when Canada entered World War II ? Sadly, not many.

Everyone today is touched by the results of World War II in that we are free from living in a world that might have been if Hitler and other fascists had their way. On a smaller scale, almost all of us had a grandparent or great uncle/aunt that fought or was involved with the war efforts during WWII.

Our focus today is the cost of war and how sad it is when folks forget the sacrifices made by those ordinary men and women who were heroes in their time.

A story that seems to illustrate this in the Celtic sense comes from Welsh mythology in the tale of Branwen, Daughter of Llyr; in particular the tale of Bendegeid Vran (Bran) who was Branwen’s brother and also King.

One day, Bran and his retinue, stood upon the hills overlooking the sea, when they saw 13 ships approaching. Bran and company made their way down to the shore and greeted the ships as they came in.

“Greetings before you and welcome to our land.” Said Bran. “Who is who lands here?”

“Matholwch, King of Ireland, and his ships” replied the leader of the party.

“Please, invite your King to come onto our land and be welcome.” Bran replied.

“He comes as a suitor unto you.” The man replied, “And will not land until he has attained the boon he requests.”

“And what boon is that?” Bran asked.

“The hand of Branwen in marriage and alliance with you.” The man replied.

“Let him come onto land and we will discuss this accordingly.” Bran responded.

Matholwch and his men landed and were greeted with joy and welcome.

After much counsel and feasting, Branwen and Matholwch were wed. Evnissyen, one of Bran and Branwen’s brothers, was a quarrelsome man and decided to show his displeasure at his sister being wed without his consent by seriously injuring the horses of King Matholwch and his retinue.

King Matholwch caught wind of this and was deeply insulted. He and his retinue began to leave. Bran heard of his guests leaving in anger and called everyone together for council.

Matholwch detailed what had occurred and Bran then replaced all of the horses with his own in a gesture of peace. Matholwch accepted, but at the feasting that night, he still did not seem satisfied.

Bran then gave him a cauldron which would restore the lives of the slain if they were placed in it. The dead would be placed in and would arise the next day, fully restored but without the use of their voices.

The Irish king was pleased with this gift and eventually returned to Ireland with Branwen.

Branwen was well loved in Ireland for her generous and giving nature and in a year, she gave birth to a son, which delighted the people more. The boy, Gwern, was fostered to the best men in Ireland (as was the custom for most children).

However, in the second year, the Irish nobles began to raise a ruckus with regards to insult on Matholwch’s horses two years prior and demanded that Branwen be driven from Matholwch’s bedchamber and into the kitchens to be a slave where she was treated cruelly.

On top of that, orders were sent out that anyone coming to Ireland from Cambria were to be imprisoned immediately.

After some time of this abuse to her and her people, Branwen befriended a baby starling. She taught it to speak and taught it all about her brother, Bran, in Cambria. One day, she wrote a letter to Bran and sent it with the starling to him.

Bran received the letter from the tame bird and was deeply grieved at what was happening. He took council with the 7 territories of Cambria and they decided to go to Ireland together to rescue Branwen.

Upon their landing, Matholwch and company decided to retreat to Linion in fear of Bran, the giant’s wrath. They retreated and destroyed the bridge so that none could get to them.

The messengers of Matholwch greeted Bran and his company and informed him of the retreat.

“How will we get across?” The chieftains asked Bran. “What shall we do about a bridge”

“Let he who will be chief among them be the bridge.” Said Bran and he lay himself down across the river and allowed the hosts to cross over his body to Linion.

The messengers went to Matholwch and told them that Bran and company were coming. Matholwch sent a message to Bran via his messengers:

“For Matholwch has given the kingdom of Ireland to Gwern the son of Matholwch, thy nephew and thy sister’s son. And this he places before thee, as a compensation for the wrong and despite that has been done unto Branwen. And Matholwch shall be maintained wheresoever thou wilt, either here or in the Island of the Mighty.” (Quote from the Mabinogion – Branwen Daughter of Llyr, translated by Lady Charlotte Guest)

Bran was not happy with that for he wanted the kingdom.

The messengers returned to Matholwch and told him that the offer had been declined.

“What shall I do?” Matholwch asked his company.

“Bran has never had a house that could contain his size. Build him one that will contain him and his people on one side and yourself and your company on the other. Give your kingdom over to his will and pay him homage.” The others counseled.

This offer was given to Bran and he accepted. Peace seemed be achieved.

However, the Irish were crafty and built the great house…but placed sacks all along the sides containing an army of men to attack Bran and his people.

Bran and his people moved in and Evnissyen asked about one of the sacks.

“What’s in here?” He asked.

“Meal, my lord. The best meal for cooking!” Replied one of the Irishmen.

“Really?” He said, squeezing the sack until blood poured from it, for he had squeezed the head of the soldier inside.

He repeated this on all of the bags until all of the armed men in the bags were dead.

That night, a feast was held in the house and the boy, Gwern, was crowned King of Ireland.

Evnissyen (who is now really showing himself as quite the troublemaker!) took the boy and cast him into the fire. Branwen tried to rescue him, but it was too late, the Irish had set fire to the house. Bran grabbed her and got all of his people out.

Evnissyen noticed the Irish using the cauldron to restore their people to life so he lay down with the dead and pretended to be the same. When he was thrown into the cauldron, he stretched himself such that the cauldron was then broken. His reasoning for this was that he felt remorse for causing all of the problems from the mutilation of the horses to the killing of the boy. He died breaking the cauldron thus making himself a sacrifice.

Bran was mortally wounded with a poison dart in the battle, and as he and seven others ran towards their escape from Ireland, he bade them to cut off his head and bring it with them. Upon their arrival home, they would then need to bury it at the white mound in what is now London, facing what is now France.

They did as they were told and brought the head with them on their voyage home. It took quite a long time for them to return, but Rhiannon’s birds sang to them the whole time and Bran’s head kept them happily entertained with stories, song and wisdom.

Branwen looked upon Ireland and her own land and despaired. “What cost this war? What damage has been done to both lands because of me!” With a loud groan, her heart broke and she died.

The head was buried on the white mound as Bran had requested and there it was until King Arthur apparently had it dug up. He realized all too soon that that was a bad move when misfortune fell upon the land. He had it placed there again and peace was restored.

It is believed that the head of Bran is still there, where the Tower of London is now. Like the ravens that live on the Tower, the British believe that if the head is removed, then great misfortune will fall upon the Isle of Britain and it shall be destroyed.

This story has a few elements that reflect upon today’s topic:

• The nice beginnings of an international friendship which ends when one country’s people are abused by the other
• The troublemaker and how much damage he does and how he dies at the end by his own means (Showing that the ones who instigate the wars usually don’t end up surviving them…if someone else doesn’t kill them, they usually kill themselves)
• The hero who allows himself to be the bridge that his people can cross and whose legacy remains a positive force on his land, even after his death. His memory and the honouring of his wishes is what protects the land. The dishonouring of his memory threatens destruction.
• Above all else: the pain and loss suffered by all in times of war

This story, and many more in Celtic legend (the Tain Bo Culaigne comes to mind – a fight over a bull), shows me that war contains many of the same elements throughout history.

War is a seemingly ongoing event in humanity. There is usually some sort of war going on in the world at any given time. When will we learn that war benefits no one in the end?

By remembering the elements of war: the good, the bad, the sacrifices, the pain, the heroes and the villains; we may be able to take the steps we need to stop the little wars that go on in our own lives.

Perhaps one day, the memory of those who lay down their lives every day in service to their countries, will incite people to stop the waste of many lives that war brings at a far greater level. It is when mankind reaches this realization that I think we will finally know peace on a global level.

Until then, may we never forget…



Darkness and Light

Today’s focus as we find ourselves in the dark time of the year is the balance of dark and light. Like all things in life, there must be a balance. It is easy to get caught up in the dark at this time of year (or even in the light as we try to compensate for the lack of it) and we often find ourselves feeling overwhelmed by the lack of balance that we feel.

Throughout time immortal, man has contemplated the presence of darkness and light in the universe. Over the years, people have equated light with good and dark with evil.
This equation could have stemmed from when early mankind would wonder about the world around him; how during the day, it was warm and everything was in plain view, making for good hunting and such; while night was cold and dark and he could not see what was making those sounds in the wilderness that scared him. He then discovered fire, which brought warmth to the night and made things more visible to him. Light was not scary, but the dark was and so through the ages, the concept of light being good and dark being evil was probably born.

In modern times, we have come far in technology. We have electricity, cars, computers, gadgets and toys galore, but many people still equate light and dark with good and evil.
In this article, I wish to examine light and dark and why both are important to our spiritual well being. As a Druid, I believe that balance of all things within the universe is important to the working of the universe and to our own spiritual growth and development.

Light and Dark: A Basic Explanation

Before continuing, I would like to clarify the definitions of light and dark as well as good and evil as so many people seem to use the terms as meaning the same thing. Below are the definitions of the terms as defined in the Oxford Dictionary of Current English.

Dark 1. With little or no light; of deep or sombre colour; with brown or black complexion or hair; gloomy, dismal, obscure, secret, mysterious 2. Absence of light. Evil 1. Bad, harmful 2. Evil thing, sin, harm. Good 1. Having the right qualities; adequate; untainted. 2. Well 3. Profit, benefit, well-being 4. Skillful in. Light 1. The natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible. 2. Well provided by light, not dark; pale 3. Set (lighting a fire); burning; give light to;

As one can see, there seems to be no correlation of light with good or dark with evil. Of course, the symbology of light and dark to people would make these terms interchangeable. .From this point forward, I shall be examining these terms in the symbolic view.

Light and Dark in the Cosmological Sense

Many Indo-European cultures believed in the “three-world” cosmological concept of upper-world, middle-world, and under-world in some form or another. The terms may not be exactly as I have stated them, but the concept is similar.

Upper-world (sky, sky-world, etc.) – On a worldly level, this realm would be representative of the sky and all that are associated with it, such as the Sun, the Moon, birds, flying insects, etc. On a more basic, black and white spiritual level, this would be the realm of light as it is where the “celestial lights” of sun, moon and stars dwell. Heaven, the dwelling of the bright deities, angels or whatever a person would associate with this level.

Under-world (graves, underground, caves, etc.) – On the earthly level, this realm is representative of what’s under or hidden away from the land, such as caves, underground caverns, bodies of water, etc. Spiritually, this realm would obviously be the dark, being completely removed from the light, but supporting life of its own, such as worms that keep the soil fresh by burrowing through it. This is the realm of underworld type deities as well as the dead in many cultures and practices. It is believed that life springs from here and it is here that souls return upon the death of the body. The underworld can also symbolize the regenerative power of the womb.

Middle-world (earth, land, etc.) – On the earthly level, this is of course representative of the land and all associated with it such as people, animals, plants, the elements of fire, water and earth, stones, etc. On the spiritual level, this is the realm that would be the balancing point of both the light and dark realms as it contains within itself a model of the three realms: upper-world = our sky, the sun, the moon, the stars; middle-world = our earth, water and such; and under-world = underneath our earth, underground caverns, water sources, graves, etc. The occurrence of night and day also serve to incorporate both light and dark. The same goes with the seasons as the sun rotates around the earth. We have our “dark” and “light” seasons.

We can see just by looking at the middle-world that light and dark are well balanced within itself. Being a perfect model of the cosmological three realms, it shows that the Universe also balances the two and that one cannot overtake the other lest it cause terrible disruption to how things live and grow.

Eternal darkness would cause plants not to grow and thus starve many of the herbivores that are eaten by the carnivores. The food chain would be damaged as such. Animals that are active in the day would face extinction if they could not adapt.

Eternal light would also pose the problem of overheating. The plants and such, without the balance of night and day with a hot scorching sun always upon them, would probably wither and die as well. Nocturnal animals would face extinction if they could not adapt, such as a bat. This would in turn cause similar problems as in eternal darkness.

Light and Dark in Druid Belief

The idea of balance in all things was and still is an important factor in Druidic belief and practice.

The most apparent form of awareness of this balance would be in their celebration of the seasons. Four major festivals were observed: Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnassadh and Samhain.

Samhain was most definitely a festival that celebrated the dark and all of its aspects both basic and spiritual to their fullest. It marked the beginning of winter when the days were very noticeably shortening and the weather was growing colder. On this night, people believed that the gates to the Otherworld were open and the dead and the living could mingle. This was a time for people to honour their beloved dead and ancestors. Meals would be left out for the dead or the dead invited into the home to feast with the living. Bonfires were lit and the cattle driven between them to bless them for the upcoming winter so that they might survive the cold dark season.

Imbolc was the feast of Brighid, Goddess of healing, birth, inspiration, poetry and smithing. This festival would have marked the beginning of spring when life was just beginning to stir after the long dark winter. Ewes began to lactate, snowdrops and other small wildflowers were beginning to show through the snow and the days were slowly beginning to lengthen. This was a time for people to come out of their winter hovels and begin seeding for the upcoming summer and subsequent harvest. People would ask Brighid’s blessing upon their homes and would light candles in her honour to chase away the dark. They would clean their homes, air them out and leave a bit of soot on the hearth in the hopes that it would be disturbed by the next morning signifying Brighid had visited their homes and blessed them.

Beltane was a celebration of light at its fullest and most potent aspect. This was a time of sexuality, youth, and vigour and enjoying the life that was blooming in abundance. Fires were lit and the gates to the Otherworld opened again. Young lovers were wont to sneak of into the fields and make love. The sun was reaching its zenith and the light half of the year was in full force.

Lughnassadh was instated by Lugh, the bright God of all trades upon the death of his foster mother, Tailtiu. This was the time to celebrate the first of the incoming harvest as well as to allow the warriors to play out their energy before the end of the battle season. It was a time to start preparing for the upcoming darker half of the year as the leaves slowly began to change colour and the days began to get shorter in length.

Druids understood the importance of the healing power of the dark in many of their practices.

Young Bards in training would lie in a completely dark room with a tartan on the belly and a stone on top. The task was to allow inspiration or awen to flow freely without the distraction of the light and other sensory stimuli. In this time, the student bard would be expected to create poetry. The teacher would come in with a candle and ask the student to recite what he/she had come up with.

One initiatory experience is when an initiate would spend the night in a dark place, such as a cave to meditate. He or she would come out of the dark place into the light of day either mad or enlightened.

Troubled persons would often go to the Druids for assistance and would be instructed to bathe, chew on a piece of raw pork and lie upon the hide of a white bull to sleep uninterrupted. It was believed that the person would be able to dream of the answer and the Druid would interpret it upon the person’s awakening. This ritual was also noted as being performed to divine the next ruler.

Druids, like many Native Americans, made use of “sweat lodges”; dark chambers filled with steam and maybe even certain herbs to provide a relaxing, womb-like experience wherein one could meditate or just rest. Here a person could be healed, receive divine assistance or become enlightened.

Light and Dark: A Psycho-Spiritual Point of View

Deep within everyone is a “dark” side, just as there is a “light” side. The dark side is that side of a person that just has to see a little bit of blood at the car accident, or laughs inwardly at funerals. It is the side of a person that comes out when negative things happen and helps that person cope (it’s the “either I laugh or I scream” instinct).

In shamanic practice, it is important for one to reconcile with his or her dark side in order to progress or achieve a goal. In the technique of “singing the soul home”, the dark side of a person is called upon to retrieve shards of their shattered souls in order to achieve wholeness again. A soul could be shattered by a sudden trauma and the pieces would need to be “called back” by the dark side.

Many people believe that this side is not welcome in the psyche and should be destroyed or kept at bay. Light should be the only thing allowed in the psyche, in their opinions. This belief is held by many of the more prominent religions, the most prominent being Christianity, where good and evil are in a constant state of opposition and good should always prevail. Darkness must never be allowed to “win”.

Having tried that approach for myself, and suffering greatly for it, I learned that one should not overcome the other, but should be kept in a reconciled and equally important balance. I found that when I was completely trying to vanquish my dark side, I could not cope with anything! The news would disturb me, my boss giving me crap about something drove me to tears, movies were out of the question…basically anything would disturb me and I got to the point where I could not even leave the house.

When I finally came to the realization of how unbalanced I was and reconciled again with the dark side of myself (that I always used to love as much as my lighter half), things improved drastically. I was able to keep my head in difficult situations and I was able to help calm people who were in stressful situations.

Achieving balance is a difficult process, especially if one is drastically causing an imbalance in his or her life, leading to drastic illnesses. My imbalance almost killed me or could have at least landed me in hospital with a nervous break down. Denying the dark side can lead to problems with breakdowns and panic as it is the dark side that copes with and handles these situations as they arise.

One’s light side is that part of people that melts at the sight of little babies and wants to take home each one of those starving little children, standing next to a very well-fed blonde spokeswoman, home to feed them. The light side shows care and compassion for the downtrodden and loves all life in general. This side is that positive, perky side that denies that anything could possibly wrong with anything or anyone.

Oddly enough, like the dark side, some folks wish to hide this side. Why? Perhaps they feel that they will be too good for others, or that others will see them as too good. Perhaps they have been told in their past not to be so boastful…who knows.

Turning completely away from this side of oneself is also just as harmful as turning away completely from one’s dark side. A person engulfed with his or her darker aspect is visibly a miserable character. One can see that dark cloud that hangs over them a mile away. These people blame others for their misgivings and refuse to take any responsibility for themselves or for others. They may take pleasure in pain and may go out of their way to see that, i.e.: inflicting it.

This can be detrimental as relations with beneficial people are almost non-existent while associations with similar people run high (if they even choose to socialize). Their antisocial behavior can wind up in them not being able to get or keep jobs or friends, not being able to maintain a relationship, thus ending up old, alone and bitter. On the most extreme, a person like this could end up committing crimes or even committing suicide.
Like Yin and Yang, light and dark are vastly different, but they compliment each other perfectly. Balancing the two leads to a more harmonized existence. When troubles arise, the dark side steps in and helps with the coping while the light side congratulates and sees the good in the negative.

As with everything, light and dark need not be an opposing duality, but a balanced and vital part of existence that brings about harmony within a person and throughout the universe.

Questions to ponder in the dark or in the light:

1. Take a little inventory of yourself and write down your dark and light aspects.
2. Take a deeper look at your dark and light aspects. Do you see them personified? If so…who are they? What do they look like? Who are they to you? What do they inspire within you or cause you to do?
3. How can these aspects be of benefit to you right now? How have they been of benefit to you in the past?
4. Have you ever experienced a time when you have been seriously out of balance? How did that affect you in your life (physically, in your career, in your family, etc.)
5. How did you regain your balance?
6. How can you attain balance in your life today? How can utilize your dual aspects of dark and light?