tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208539.post9061612556683968511..comments2022-01-27T14:00:57.710-05:00Comments on Amhran nam Bandia: Religion - what we make public, what we keep privateKathryn Price NicDhànahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10293181815707001620noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208539.post-88423182605425447502012-08-02T13:31:17.033-04:002012-08-02T13:31:17.033-04:00Fàilte, a Mhìcheil! My apologies for not respondin...Fàilte, a Mhìcheil! My apologies for not responding here at the time, but I realize I've been lax about that when also communicating with people in more private fora. <br /><br />What I've found when working with the traditional songs, tales and prayers, is that they are self-protecting in that people cannot really understand them without the cultural context. There is a wealth of deep, spiritual material in the Gaelic traditions, that has long been in the public domain. But unless people are willing to spend the time immersing in that river of tradition, the material will remain opaque to them. I find it's those who have not delved into tradition who are complaining that I don't just give them a word-for-word script that will enable them to do effective ceremony. There are so many things that can't be learned, understood, or utilized that way.<br /><br />What was going on for me when I wrote this was I was under a lot of pressure to post detailed scripts of ceremonies, in public. I was not comfortable with that type of sharing. One reason is the tradition of people having to demonstrate trustworthiness and good character before being entrusted with some ways. Another reason is because my groups work so much with inspiration, with spontaneous poetry and the cultivation of that talent and ability, that unless it's the inclusion of a trad piece of liturgy, it feels very weird to me to write up a script. The theater in-joke I've relied on for years with this is: Even if you aren't able to do improv, you should at least be off-book by the time of the performance. Ceremony isn't a performance, but the type of huge rituals the wider Pagan community expects from us kind of have to have some theatrical along with participatory elements to work for that large a group. <br /><br />I think the large ritual your group led was an effective adaptation of a household/small group rite to a much larger group (and I enjoyed how harmonious it was to do the parts in Gaelic). It gave me much to think on about these adaptations, as well as what we have surviving in the way of traditional community celebrations in Gaelic cultures, and how they overlap or differ from household or clergy-only rites. <br /><br />Ultimately, in terms of ceremony, I've been sticking more to using traditional material with smaller groups. That seems to work for me the best, though I also enjoy doing the larger celebrations at the cultural festivals, as well as Interfaith work with folks like you and my friends from Indigenous cultures. Right now there are so few Gaelic Polytheists, for a sense of larger community one really has to do Interfaith and cultural groups. Others find that community among Neopagans but, much for the reasons we discussed that weekend, I have a lot of serious differences with most of that community, and prefer other culturally-rooted folks. <br /><br />Again, Moran Taing for your words and your work :)Kathryn Price NicDhànahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10293181815707001620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208539.post-8529264860750657572007-10-30T11:54:00.000-04:002007-10-30T11:54:00.000-04:00Hail Kathryn!The public vs. private debate is big ...Hail Kathryn!<BR/><BR/>The public vs. private debate is big in the Germanic (heathen) community as well. I'm not sure there is a single right answer. <BR/><BR/>There's clearly value in protecting what we refer to as the innagaard (inner circle, or community of believers) from the utgaard (everyone else, literally those on the outside). <BR/><BR/>Yet at the same time, given that we <B>are</B> reconstructionist... and that we live in a cyber age... and that there are probably many people out there who sincerely want to know and would benefit from this sort of information... it behooves us to be as open as possible.<BR/><BR/>For myself, I am comfortable in a teaching role and share as much as I possibly can. I leave it to the gods to sort out the rest. :)<BR/><BR/>Wassail!<BR/>Mike H.<BR/>Two Ravens Kindred<BR/>ConnecticutMike H.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13043138706334292366noreply@blogger.com