Celtic Neopaganism refers to Contemporary Pagan or contemporary polytheist movements based on Celtic polytheism.
§Types of Celtic Neopaganism
- Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism (CR) â€" Celtic polytheistic reconstructionism.
- Celtic Neoshamanism â€" a kind of neoshamanism based on Michael Harner's "Core Shamanism"; proponents include John and Caitlin Matthews.
- Celtic Wicca â€" a loose syncretism of Wicca and Celtic mythology.
- Faerie faith- a kind that focuses on the existence of fairies
- Neo-Druidism, which grew out of the Celtic revival in 18th century Romanticism.
- Ãr nDraÃocht Féin (ADF), formed in 1983
- Church of the Universal Bond
- Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD), formed in 1964
- Reformed Druids of North America (RDNA), formed in 1963
- The Druid Network, the first contemporary pagan organization to be recognized as a charity in the United Kingdom
- The Druid Order, formed c. 1910 but claiming origins as early as 1717
§Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism
Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism (CR) is an umbrella term for Polytheistic Reconstructionist traditions which are based in one of the specific cultures of the Celtic-speaking peoples (such as Gaelic Polytheists or Welsh or Gaulish Reconstructionists). Celtic Reconstructionists strive to practice a historically accurate and authentic tradition, based on the folklore and living traditions in the Celtic Nations and the diaspora as well as primary sources in the Celtic languages. They reject the eclecticism and cultural appropriation of the broader Neopagan community.
§Celtic Neoshamanism
Celtic Neoshamanism is a modern spiritual tradition that combines elements from Celtic myth and legend with Michael Harner's core shamanism. Proponents of Celtic Shamanism believe that its practices allow a deeper spiritual connection to those with a northern European heritage. Authors such as Jenny Blain have argued that "Celtic Shamanism" is a "construction" and an "ahistoric concept."
§Celtic Wicca
Celtic Wicca is a modern tradition of Wicca that incorporates some elements of Celtic mythology. It employs the same basic theology, rituals and beliefs as most other forms of Wicca. Celtic Wiccans use the names of Celtic deities, mythological figures, and seasonal festivals within a Wiccan ritual structure and belief system, rather than a historically Celtic one.
§Neo-Druidism
Neo-Druidism is a form of modern spirituality or religion that generally promotes harmony and worship of nature. Many forms of modern Druidism are Neopagan religions, whereas others are instead seen as philosophies that are not necessarily religious in nature. Arising from the 18th century Romanticist movement in England, which glorified the ancient "Celtic" peoples of the Iron Age, the early Neo-druids aimed to imitate the Iron Age Celtic priests who were also known as druids. At the time, little accurate information was known about these ancient priests, and the modern druidic movement has no actual connection to them, despite some claims to the contrary made by modern druids.
§See also
- List of Neopagan movements
- Neopaganism in the United Kingdom
- Neopaganism in the United States
§References
§Further reading
- Adler, Margot (1979) Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today.
- Bonewits, Isaac (2006) Bonewits's Essential Guide to Druidism. New York, Kensington Publishing Group ISBN 0-8065-2710-2 Chapter 9: "Celtic Reconstructionists and other Nondruidic Druids".
- Kondratiev, Alexei (1998) The Apple Branch: A Path to Celtic Ritual. San Francisco, Collins. ISBN 1-898256-42-X (1st edition), ISBN 0-806-52502-9 (2nd edition) [also reprinted without revision under the title Celtic Rituals].
- McColman, Carl (2003) The Complete Idiot's Guide to Celtic Wisdom. Alpha Press ISBN 0-02-864417-4.
- NicDhà na, Kathryn Price; Erynn Rowan Laurie, C. Lee Vermeers, Kym Lambert nà Dhoireann, et al. (2007) The CR FAQ â€" An Introduction to Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism. River House Publishing. ISBN 978-0-6151-5800-6.
§External links
- Celtic neopaganism at DMOZ
