Tuatha Dé Danann Sean Ciall
Tuatha Dé Danann Sean Ciall
Where the Old Ways Come Alive.
Where the Old Ways Come Alive.
We aren’t like you. We come from the same races. We laugh and love, grieve and cry. We have hopes, dreams, regrets and bitter disappointments. We feel the same things you feel, but we aren’t like you. We are the guardians of the guardians of the realms. We are power. We are the blood.
The Sean Ciall presented in this website is not the Sean Ciall that I learned in the United States. It has been modified to the area that I currently live and has been hopefully adapted back to how the Irish Celtic ancestors practiced it.
Sean Ciall means "old faith". Practitioners can be known as Duine nan Sean Ciall or "the people of the old ways".
Sean Ciall, as it is currently practiced in this time and place, is back to the way our Irish Celtic Ancestors did. We believe, in the immanence of personal divinity, and that the nature of that divinity is revealed to each individual in the way that individual is best able to understand it. we Primarily work with The Mhorragu and Bridigt (once a year). If there is an all-encompassing divinity beyond the dreams of mortals, it is presumed that such is essentially infinite, and hence all finite things (such as human consciences) are, by definition, equidistant from it. No individual or entity can be more or less "spiritually evolved" than any other, as no finite thing can be closer to or more distant from the infinite than any other. All entities, and all acts, are equally sacred; there is no hierarchy, only continuum.
There is no "good" and there is no "evil" in the world. Every act of creation is of necessity also an act of destruction, and every act of destruction is of necessity an act of creation. In order for a human (or any other organism) to exist, they must kill many things every day. Every act of killing, whether of a plant or an animal, changes the world in some way. Being aware of the changes one is manifesting, and minimizing the manifestation of undesired changes, is the ethical responsibility of every practitioner of our line.
As the English language was specifically and methodically used as a weapon of oppression against the Gaels (as language has been used as a weapon of oppression in all times by many peoples), out of respect for our spiritual forbears we do not speak that language in formal circle, although it is used in teaching circles, of necessity. Beyond this consideration for our spiritual predecessors, however, it is also understood that one cannot learn the essence of the magick or spirituality of any given culture without first understanding the essence of that culture itself. The first humble steps toward understanding any culture are through learning the language, music and poetry of that culture. To this end, in circle, we immerse ourselves in the language and music of the Gàidhealtachd, for without this, we can never understand what it means to be a Gael, what it means to be the "Duine nan Sean Ciall, " the People of the Old Way. Throughout time, it has always been the Irish Gaelic language which defined Gaeldom, for the Gaels were a people of no common ancestry, and no common faith; today we are descended from peoples from six continents, and our personal spiritualties are equally diverse.
Central Organization
Central Organization
It is separated in to three equally important Circles known as the Triuir Cearcall or "Three Circles". There is also a fourth circle kept for the Draoí. The interaction of the circles is what makes the magic happen. The body, mind and spirit being one creates the magic.
The Sword Circle or Cearcall a Claidheamh is in the realm of the body. Training is on the physical. The leaves of the mighty oak are it’s symbol. It is also the warrior/ hunter class and is represented by black.
The Song Circle or Cearcall a Oran is the realm of the mind. Members of Song Circle are the bards. There training is acting and music. The leaves of the holly tree are it’s symbol and blue is it’s representational color. They are knowen as Seanchaí
The Circle of Spell or Cearcall a Druidheachd it is in the realm of the spirit. The focus of Spell Circle is energy and magical training. The leaves of the mistletoe are its symbol and is represented by white.
To be among the line active practitioner is to wear a cord of blue, white, black for one year. When one meets the requirements of the specific circle they are learning they then were the tri colored cord as well and a cord made of the color of the circle.
Role of Clergy
Role of Clergy
The final circle is the circle of the Draoí or Crearcall a’ Leannanachd. These are the people that bring the circles together in ritual and also lead. They were a silver cord for woman and gold for men. Sean Ciall Draoí are not "spiritual leaders" or "spiritual teachers" in any sense of that, for we consider the notion of one individual teaching another individual how best to attune themselves to their own divinity to be preposterous.
The requirements for initiation into the Fourth Circle are rigorous, but as with the other Circles one may well study and work with a given Circle without initiating. In order to initiate into the Fourth Circle one must first be an initiate of all of the other three Circles, The duties of the Draoí in Sean Ciall are ceremonial and mystical (as opposed to magickal); the priests and priestesses of Sean Ciall are also expected to train and perform as healers, Councilors, as well as Ceremonial duties. The ceremonial duties of the Fourth Circle include coordinating and directing the rituals of the Fire Festivals and other religious celebrations, weddings, funerals, rites of passage and initiations for each of the Circles. Mysticism, especially the inner path workings and ultimately the sacred union of the self and the divine, is the special sphere of work of the Draoí of this line. Healing, in all and any of its forms, is also integral to the path of the Draoí and is the only aspect of this path for which the Draoí may accept money or other compensation for their Craft; as such, those who chose to integrate their professional lives and their spirituality would likely be physicians, acupuncturists or some such.
They also wear The Torc Silver for both Men and Woman.
Holidays:
Holidays:
The religion of Tuatha Dé Danann Sean Ciall is of the Olds ways of our Irish celtic ancestors. There are four major Fire-Festivals, at Samonios, Brigid, Bealtaine and Lúnasa. Very roughly (and starting out of order) Brigid is the celebration of the Goddess and birth; Bealtaine is the celebration of the union of the Goddess and the God and also the union of all things living; Lúnasa is the celebration of the God and death; and Samonios is the celebration of the union-in-dissolution of the Goddess and the God and also the union of all things living and unliving.
Standards of Conduct:
Standards of Conduct:
Sean Ciall, at least as it is practiced in the North, is open to all who are willing to undertake this rigorous course of study. Due to the use of ritual nudity and the fairly intense nature of the magicks practiced, minimum age is 18 years. No monetary or other compensation is allowed for teachers or practitioners of this Craft, or for materials distributed in class or in Circle. All participation on any level is strictly voluntary.
Possession of firearms at our events is also prohibited except when Sword Circle is specifically doing small-arms training. As much of our work is sky-clad, a "concealed" weapon is generally an unattended one (and, frankly, a person who feels the need to bring a gun to church might well consider finding a better church).
Ways of Worship:
Ways of Worship:
Throughout the year, the separate Circles of Sword, Song and Spell practice their respective arts by their own lights.
The three Circles come together at the 4 fire festivals.
We try at Lúnasa to create a three-day festival and ritual celebrating the sacrifice of the first harvest.