In this highly anticipated episode, We explore the sacredness of in-between spaces, transformation, and the wisdom of the ancients. Starting with a card pull from the Celtic Healing Oracle deck, I discuss the significance of the card 'Brigid, the Snake and Fire Goddess,' symbolizing transformation.
Dive deep into the story of Pwyll from Welsh mythology and explore the concept of the otherworld. Learn about the sacred times of dawn and twilight, the importance of solstices and equinoxes, and how these in-between spaces hold profound spiritual significance. Courtney also shares personal reflections on adopting a child and the complexities of being seen as both a good and bad person simultaneously.
Discover how to mark the summer solstice and embrace the masculine energy of the sun, while reflecting on your accomplishments and setting new goals. Whether you're a seasoned practitioner or new to Celtic spirituality, this episode offers valuable insights and practical wisdom to enrich your magical journey.
A lot of mythology in Ireland and Wales involve going into other worlds: The Mist Filled Path was the first book I remember reading more about the Celtic inspiration behind this topic. Celtic cultures are not the only, nor the first, to believe in Otherworlds and portals to them. It is the connection I take the most time to study and understand, but there are many indigenous people of every land and nation with their mythology tied to these subliminal places. Before anyone begins to think it is it all spirituality and just "Woo-Woo", consider the depth of scientific study in Quantum Physics and their findings.
In the stories of King Arthur, in Wales and all over the UK, there is reference to the Isle of Avalon. The Isle is always shrouded in Mists. Mist is neither rain nor dry. It is an in between state of weather. It signifies a thinly veiled portal to Annwn (Celtic Otherworld) or Fae worlds. These places stand beyond our concept of time and space. A person might find themselves wandering in and out of this type of place unknowingly. Arthur's sister and the Lady of the Lake are priestesses on the Isle of Avalon with the authority to part the mists. In the legend, when the King is wounded in battle, he must be taken to this Holy Isle to be receive healing. He could be gone hundreds of years and it might only seem a day. England myth has claimed he will return to rule Britain again when he is needed.
Many neo-pagans and Wiccan Witches celebrate the festivals and Sabbats around the wheel of the year. In Celtic tradition, the Beltane or Calan Mai and the Samhain or Calan Gaef are even more celebrated and sacred than the more well known Solstices and Equinoxes. Those times are busy with planting or harvesting, but the Calan Mai is marking the light half of the year while Calan Gaef is their official start of Winter. It is in the Spring and Fall seasons that the "In-between" space is held sacred. These are held as sacred moon phases too. The Full Moon and the Dark/New Moon are often talked about, but the Quarter moon phases mark the monthly cycles of healing. Â It is a transition into the Descent or Emergence phases.
On my pilgrimage to England and Wales sacred sites, I began to take note of doorways and archways and staircases. I became entranced with taking photographs of these spaces. It was an opportunity to create ceremony and ritual. When I was at the top of the Tor (the hill in Glastonbury believed to have connections to Avalon), the tower of St. Michael is all that remains of the church built more than 1000 years ago. The tower has a doorway, overlooking the countryside, Apple orchards, the Abby ruins, and the mounds surrounding Avalon (Glastonbury). It is said that you can see the mists roll in at sunrise, a ghost of the waters that used to surround the town before the levies were built. It is another sign that the area is connected to the myth of the Isle of Avalon or "Island of Apples". I set an intention of my will, speaking the words of what I prefer to leave behind and who I am set to become before I walked through the doorways of the old tower.
In this way, each doorway, archway, collection of trees, or staircase can become a significant ritual of releasing and accepting. It is an energetic cleansing of sorts and the doorways become the in-between space that provides that. Wonder why you walk into a room of your house and forget what you walked in there for? Neuroscience tells us that doorways are a significant shift in our purpose, and our brains are trained to connect and disconnect pathways when we've entered a new space. Walk back into the other space and you'll likely remember what you were seeking.
Our lives are marked by transitions and transformation. Learning to be mindful, more present, can be facilitated by noticing the sacredness of the in-between. At twilight or dawn, it is almost impossible not to stop and take notice of the changing light, temperature, and mood. As you find yourself experiencing the cycles of healing in a never-ending spiral of transcending toward enlightenment, you walk through the portals of each phase of life-death-rebirth cycle.
Mystics are keen to observe when the veil is thin between our world and other worlds and wonder in awe at the findings of those spaces. Connection to Fae folk: spirits of the land, house gnomes, or trickster creatures like the Tylwith Teg or Fairy Folk, can be felt during these in-between times and spaces.
If you use the Wheel of the Year, or if you mark time on the Christian calendar, or the Muslim prayers at sunrise and sunset, it is a practice of mindfulness to mark the seasons, cycles, and phases with presence. I have found my life to extend magical and spiritual as I've learned to honor these spaces. Certainly Grief and Death are a painful experience, but those spaces that loved once pass through and we get to experience in parallel, we can hod that as sacred as well.
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