The Three Cauldrons: Celtic Myth and Spiritual Wisdom

Academic and historically based study and exploration of authentic Celtic religion, mythology, druidism, folklore, literature, languages, wisdom texts, archaeology, ethnography, ritual, poetry and visionary practices, as well as the anthropologically supported identification of shamanic elements in Celtic contexts.

  • Home
    Home This is where you can find all the blog posts throughout the site.
  • Tags
    Tags Displays a list of tags that have been used in the blog.
  • Bloggers
    Bloggers Search for your favorite blogger from this site.
  • Login
    Login Login form
Síthearan NicLeòid

Síthearan NicLeòid

Born on the eve of Lugnasad, your guide and ban-fili/ban-druí is a published author, teacher, and Celtic singer and musician. She trained in Celtic Studies through Harvard University, and has taught Celtic mythology and folklore at the university level. Her research in Celtic myth and religion has been presented at the University of Edinburgh, University College Cork, the International Celtic Congress, the Harvard Graduate Study Group for Ancient Magic and Religion, and the Ford Foundation Lecture Series.

She has served as Faculty at the Celtic Institute of North America and the Omega Institute, and her books include: ‘Celtic Myth and Religion: A Study of Traditional Belief' (McFarland), ‘Celtic Cosmology and the Otherworld: Mythic Origins, Sovereignty and Liminality’ (McFarland), 'The Divine Feminine in Ancient Europe' (McFarland), ‘'Queen of the Night' (Weiser), ‘Early Celtic Poetry and Wisdom Texts: The Three Cauldrons, The Songs of Amairgen, and other Cultural Studies’ (forthcoming) and a chapter in the academic collection ‘Celtic Mythology in the 21st Century’ (University of Wales Press).

Currently she is Director of the Eolas ar Senchais research project, which received international grant funding to research and restore authentic ancient Celtic instrumental music and vocal art forms, and historically attested Celtic ritual in socio-religious context.

She sings in many of the modern and medieval Celtic languages and is a multi-instrumentalist. Her previous musical group, The Moors, has cult status in the pagan world. She leads workshops and distance training programs, with new books, CD's and research on the way.

Posted by on in Paths Blogs

In some of the earlier posts we began an exploration of key questions like 'What is a Celt?' and 'How do we know what we think we know?' No doubt we will return to these themes as we go along, but for now, let's delve into some primal thinking about what it may have meant to 'be living as' a Pagan Celt, and how that world view is relevant in this day and age.

From the evidence of archaeology and native writing, it is clear that for many (if not all) of the ancient Celts, their religion was polytheistic (having many gods and goddesses) and probably also animistic (perceiving the living presence of the divine in the natural world). This cultural tradition is important to keep in mind if people are promoting divergent views, such as claiming the Celts worshipped 'The Goddess' (a resonant but quite modern path) or the Wiccan 'Lord and Lady.' (ditto)

...
Last modified on

One of my favourite Irish myths of all time has to be 'Cormac's Adventures in the Land of Promise.' In the story, the Otherworld goes to great lengths to get Cormac's attention, eventually luring him (or guiding him) into an Otherworld encounter. At one point he is shown a vision of a fountain with five streams flowing from it. The god Mannanàn mac Lir explains that what he is seeing is the Fountain of Knowledge, and the five streams are the senses through which knowledge is obtained. He adds that the 'Folk of Many Arts' are those who drink from both the streams (the senses) and the fountain (the source of knowledge).

In modern paganism, we enjoy the freedom to 'drink up' through the wonders of the senses, through time spent in nature, ritual, study, exploration and song. Drinking at the Source, however, can be a little tricker. How can we know if the things we are doing, sensing and experiencing are 'Celtic' or 'personal,' if the beliefs and concepts we are discussing are Celtic or from some other path (new or old), and if the ways in which we are expressing our inner experiences are in fact 'Celtic' at all?

...
Last modified on

In our society, we feel more and more the disconnection with those things that are meaningful and which truly nourish us... nature, spirit, community, wisdom traditions, and a sense of belonging. For some, connecting with the ways and wisdom of the ancestors is an important way of remembering who we are, and of reconnecting with the wisdom we once knew. But beyond an Irish grandmother or connection to a Scottish clan, those connections can seem tenuous... in place of a strong remembered lineage, it can be very easy to fill the gap with modern ideas or projections, no matter how sincere those may be.

A quick google search for 'Celtic wisdom' or 'Celtic paganism' and the like reveals a remarkable array of websites all professing to be a direct line to 'the' ancient Celtic knowledge... regardless of the fact that the information presented directly contradicts the other sites (as well as historical evidence), or that the vast majority is a blend of medieval (male upper class dominated) non-Celtic magic, Victorian perceptions of pan-European folklore, and modern occult and NeoPagan traditions. Apparently by paying for a two year program in Celtic shamanism (4-6 weekend meetings) one becomes qualified to start one's own website and proclaim oneself ready to transmit an entire ancient tradition.

...
Last modified on

Posted by on in Paths Blogs

Welcome to The Three Cauldrons, where we will explore the historical background, authentic indigenous sources, and modern application of ancient wisdom associated with the Celtic-speaking peoples. The name was chosen because of its multi-faceted symbolism, reflected in an early Irish wisdom text that scholars refer to as ‘The Cauldron of Poesy.’ In actual fact, the text is untitled, and although it occurs in a fairly late manuscript, the language of the text shows that its origins are quite early. What are the three cauldrons, and what is it that they represent?

The cauldrons are described in a text associated with the training of the Irish poet-seers, who were known as the filid (pronounced FILL-idh, the ‘dh’ is the ‘th’ sound in ‘other’; singular form fili, ‘FILL-ih’). Their name comes from a root word meaning to see; the same root occurs in the English word ‘surveillance’ (middle syllable). This learned group came into being in the sixth century, and were trained in Ireland until the early 1600’s and in Scotland until around 1750. They are believed to have preserved some of the knowledge and functions of the druids; more about these fascinating people later…

...
Last modified on

Additional information