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blackcrowing · 5 months

Text

Book Review of 'A Guide to Ogam Divination' by Marissa Hegarty

I was thrilled when I bought this book. I was so excited to crack it open and read it, I was excited to write this post and support an independent author who is out here putting in the work and turning out well researched information for budding and experienced pagans alike. It makes me incredibly sad to not be able to do that…

I found the first part of the book, here named "Theory" overly long, convoluted and mostly outside the professed scope of the book (that scope being named as divination). This criticism comes from someone who is enamored by linguistic history and therefore should have found this section as fascinating as any other. However, for example, while I appreciate the author's apparent desire to assure the reader that ogam existed prior to the overwhelming establishment of Christianity in Ireland and therefore was almost certainly a product of a pagan thinking mind as opposed to a Christian one, this point was ultimately very simple to get to and did not require as much time and effort as the author put into it (about 35 pages, taking into account the section on ogam stones which set up the section for this point, likely 10 or so would have done just fine).

I also found myself really struggling to connect with the authors take in many aspects of this section. Few points make sense to me, perhaps in part or in whole do to the author's seemingly random use of citations. Such as one point when the ages of Auraicept na nÉces and In Lebor Ogaim might be cited (though even then it is sometimes difficult to decipher exactly WHAT point is actually being cited), while elsewhere a reference is made to what is apparently a manuscript containing the earliest complete use of Ogam, yet there is no citation for this (it is, presumably, sourced later in the text but with no mention of given either at the first introduction nor at the later account). Additionally, (while it is no fault of the author's) some aspects I could not independently verify at all because the articles/books referenced are unavailable and... apparently... not referenced anywhere else...

Moving on to the second section “practice”… there was very little information offered in this section that was new to a reader who already has read “Ogam: weaving word wisdom” by ERL and “Irealnd’s Trees: Myths, Legends and Folklore” by Niall MacCoitir…

Whats worst, in my personal opinion is that I never felt like the author ever took a stance on… well anything… each time I settled in to what the author was saying about any point at all I suddenly found them either arguing directly against that point in the very next paragraph and dismissing it wholly or after expressing a conflicting idea throwing up their hands and going "either might be true". While this is often done by writers on topics which can not have definitive answers there is a way to do it without giving your audience whiplash or living them feeling like the author themselves may not know what they're talking about and this author… unfortunately did not employ any of those methods.

I can not express enough how much I wanted to like this book and how much I wanted to support this budding author… but I found the whole experience ultimately unenjoyably and lacking any individual thought or additions…

#paganism #celtic #celtic paganism #celtic polytheism #ogam #ogham #book #books #a guide to ogam divination #Marissa Hegarty #book review #pagan #paganblr #blackcrowing

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caraecethrae · 6 months

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Behold the fairy mound before your eyes;

It is plain for you to see, it is a king’s dwelling,

It was built by the harsh Dagda:

It was a shelter, it was a keep renowned for strength.

Although the name is translated as ‘the harsh Dagda’ here (which is a perfectly valid interpretation), the range of other meanings that are suggested by dúr could be interpreted as equating dúr (or duir, as it’s sometimes spelled) with dair (also sometimes spelled duir), because dúr can be given to mean ‘hard, rigid, solid,’ but also ‘firm, resolute, hardy,’ which offers a perfect complement to the hardy qualities of the oak. In the context of the Dagda having built the brug itself (using construction materials like oak), where the strength of its fortifications are emphasised, a translation of ‘the steadfast Dagda’ would perhaps be more apt, or perhaps even ‘the oaken Dagda.’

– "A Guide to Ogam Divination" by Marissa Hegarty.

#ogham #ogam #damn the links between Dair and Tinne are makingnmy brain fire on ALL cylinders #lowkey this is helping slot into place a TON of UPG #im so thrilled to have found this book #i didnt know it wss being written #marissa hegarty #Dair #an Dagda

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ceo-draiochta · 4 months

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Forgive me if this is a foolish question, but would you happen to know if there’s any sources out there on historical prayer behaviors? IE body position, gestures, etc. I don’t come from a religious background, so I struggle to know to go about praying even when I know what I want to say

Gestures and actions during Irish/Gaelic Pagan prayer.

This is not a foolish question at all! In fact it is a great one. Honestly finding the right words is the hardest part. There is little in the way of documented proof of how pre christian Gaels prayed so reconstruction is necessary. This makes it tricky to find authentic sources, thankfully there is a few practice's we can reconstruct with a lot of certainty. (Sources in bracketed links)

Clockwise/Deiseal movement The act of moving in a circle in a clockwise direction (deiseal) is frequently seen to be auspicious and is used in many Irish Christian rituals. Many of these practices are still done today, especially at holy wells or other pilgrimage sites such at the various stations on Croagh Patrick (link). The opposite of this is anti-clockwise or Tuathal is frequently used in curses. This is a recurring theme throughout Irish and Scottish folklore and has been argued to be partially of a pre Christian origin(Link to book containing a chapter on the topic specifically chapter 10)

This is usually done at Holy Wells while doing the rosary. The well itself or an object near it like a statue, rock or tree is encircled by the worshiper usually 3 or 7 times while reciting the rosary. (link)(link)(link). And is a still living practice.

This clockwise movement was also used in medieval rituals, with supposedly in the Book of Fenagh, an inauguration ritual is described where a bell shrine was walked around a king and his solders clockwise. (in book chapter 10).

The use of the word deiseal and its association with blessing led it in the past to be an equivalent to "bless you" after a sneeze. (link). The sunwise or clockwise direction is synonymous with blessings.

Head down, eyes up The Carmina Gadelica contains a number of prayers from gaelic scotland. Many of which follow a standard christian practice and just as many are situational in nature like to be said while washing ones hands, however certain ones stand out as being representative of a greater traditions of actions due to their unusualness.

References to raising ones eyes (link) and leaving the palms open and outstretched are mentioned (link page 290)

Both women and men were said to curtsey with men doing a bowing motion much like a curtsey in that it involved the bending of the left knee to the side and the right one straight as a show of respect (link)

To summarise with a quote:

"So the lifting of hands, raising of the eyes, and the bowing of the head are all actions that could be done during our prayers. In raising our hands we show a gesture of giving, just as we ‘give’ prayers of thanks, or blessing, or whatever other purpose we might be praying for, especially since there seems to be a since that we’re meant to raise the palms up to the sky (or moon, more to the point) instead of simply holding our hands out, palms up. It’s less a gesture that might suggest we’re asking for a handout than it gives a sense that we’re reaching out." -An Introduction To Gaelic Polytheism by Marissa Hegarty

Curse pose While not involved with worship, poets when preforming a satire, often magical in nature were said to stand on one foot, with one eye closed, holding up one hand, and sometimes speaking with one breath. This seems to specifically used for cursing however.

What to incorporate into your pagan practice I would then recommend that while praying, walking in a circle in a clockwise direction with a bowed head, eyes up, while holding out your hands with the palms skyward would be appropriate. I like to have one hand over the other. After the prayer has concluded a curtsey should be done.

If anyone else has anything to add please do so with what gestures and actions you take during prayers. I hope this answers your question and that it was at all helpful.

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sourceseth · 4 years

Video

vimeo

Habito (2017) from Nicolas Ménard on Vimeo.

I directed this TV commercial that was produced at Nexus Studios, in collaboration with agency Who Wot Why. It features a series of elegant sorting algorithms that turn graphical chaos into satisfying order; a metaphorical visualization of the brand’s powerful mortgage matching algorithm. It also highlights how Habito combines innovative technology with human expertise in order to simplify the mortgage process.

To achieve the spot, I designed a series of instructions that were turned into versatile Web apps by Marcin Ignac & Nick Nikolov. These apps allowed us to play with the number of units to sort per algorithm, and to adjust their appearance and speed.

The sound was integrated using the same approach; by writing instructions for how sound would be triggered by each algorithm. Since each algorithm starts in a randomised state, this would create an infinite number of ‘melodies’ to choose from. A real playground for German sound designer David Kamp, who crafted all the brilliant beeps and bloops of the first half of the film. After that, the spot needed a more human composition to contrast with the randomness of the machine and an unexpected collaboration took place; Habito’s founder Daniel Hegarty, who also happens to be a seasoned musician, composed the music at the end of the film.

—

Client: Habito Title: Algorithms Length: 1x30”

Agency: Who Wot Why ECDs/Creatives: Sean Thompson, Matt Gooden and Ben Walker Agency Producer: Marissa Jennings Production Company: Nexus Studios

Director: Nicolas Ménard ECD: Chris O’Reilly Executive Producers: Luke Youngman Producer: Fernanda Garcia Lopez Project Lead & Compositing: Elliott Kajdan Design & Animation: Nicolas Ménard Coding: Variable.io Illustrations: Jack Cunningham Editor: Dave Slade

Sound Design: David Kamp Music: Daniel Hegarty & David Kamp Sound Mix: Parv Thind & Jack Sedgwich @ Wave Studios

nicolasmenard.com nexusstudios.com variable.io

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theliberaltony · 6 years

Link

via FiveThirtyEight

Welcome to The Riddler. Every week, I offer up problems related to the things we hold dear around here: math, logic and probability. There are two types: Riddler Express for those of you who want something bite-size and Riddler Classic for those of you in the slow-puzzle movement. Submit a correct answer for either,1 and you may get a shoutout in next week’s column. If you need a hint or have a favorite puzzle collecting dust in your attic, find me on Twitter.

Quick announcement: Have you enjoyed the puzzles in this column? If so, I’m pleased to tell you that we’ve collected many of the best, along with some that have never been seen before, in a real live book! It’s called “The Riddler,” and it will be released in October — just in time for loads of great holidays. It’s a physical testament to the mathematical collaboration that you, Riddler Nation, have helped build here, which in my estimation is the best of its kind. So I hope you’ll check out the book, devour the puzzles anew, and keep adding to our nation by sharing the book with loved ones.

And now, to this week’s puzzles!

Riddler Express

From Freddie Simmons, a guessing game:

Take a standard deck of cards, and pull out the numbered cards from one suit (the cards 2 through 10). Shuffle them, and then lay them face down in a row. Flip over the first card. Now guess whether the next card in the row is bigger or smaller. If you’re right, keep going.

If you play this game optimally, what’s the probability that you can get to the end without making any mistakes?

Extra credit: What if there were more cards — 2 through 20, or 2 through 100? How do your chances of getting to the end change?

Submit your answer

Riddler Classic

From Steven Pratt, use your econ, win some cash:

Ariel, Beatrice and Cassandra — three brilliant game theorists — were bored at a game theory conference (shocking, we know) and devised the following game to pass the time. They drew a number line and placed $1 on the 1, $2 on the 2, $3 on the 3 and so on to $10 on the 10.

Each player has a personalized token. They take turns — Ariel first, Beatrice second and Cassandra third — placing their tokens on one of the money stacks (only one token is allowed per space). Once the tokens are all placed, each player gets to take every stack that her token is on or is closest to. If a stack is midway between two tokens, the players split that cash.

How will this game play out? How much is it worth to go first?

A grab bag of extra credits: What if the game were played not on a number line but on a clock, with values of $1 to $12? What if Desdemona, Eleanor and so on joined the original game? What if the tokens could be placed anywhere on the number line, not just the stacks?

Submit your answer

Solution to last week’s Riddler Express

Congratulations to

Jonathan Hegarty

of Cedar Grove, New Jersey, winner of last week’s Riddler Express!

Where on Earth can you travel 1 mile south, then 1 mile east, then 1 mile north, and arrive back at your original location?

You can do this at the North Pole, for starters — that’s the easy one. But there is also an infinite number of other such points on the planet that allow for this paradoxical navigation. Specifically, any point that is 1+1/(2nπ) miles from the South Pole, where n = 1, 2, 3, …

Our winner, Jonathan, explained how this works. At the North Pole, after walking a mile south (which could be any direction, since you’re as far north as possible) and a mile east, you would still be exactly 1 mile south of where you started. Therefore, when you walk north, you end up at your original position.

However, you can also do something similar if you are near the South Pole. We’re looking for a place that, after walking our first mile south, leaves us in position to walk 1 mile east and have that mile be a perfect circle around the South Pole. In other words we’re looking to start in a place that makes the circumference of the circle around the South Pole 1 mile, making the radius of that circle (and the distance to the South Pole) 1/2π. Once completing this circle, you are free to walk back north 1 mile to your starting point, which would be 1+1/2π miles in any direction from the South Pole. But you’re not limited to just taking a single circle around the South Pole. What if you want to walk a half-mile circle around the South Pole twice? In that case, you would want the radius of that circle to be 1/4π, so you would be starting 1+1/4π miles from the South Pole. Continuing that logic, you can really start at any place that is 1+1/(2nπ) miles from the South Pole, where n is any positive integer and the number of times you wish to walk around the South Pole.

Brrr.

Solution to last week’s Riddler Classic

Congratulations to

Marissa James

of Berkeley, California, winner of last week’s Riddler Classic!

Last week found us in the factory of Riddler Rugs, where 100-by-100-inch random rugs are crafted by sewing together a bunch of 1-inch squares. Each square is one of three colors and is chosen for the final rug randomly. Riddler Rugs also wants its rugs to look random, so it rejects any finished rug that has a four-by-four block of squares of the same color. What percentage of rugs should we expect to be Riddler Rugs rejects? (Say that 10 times fast.)

Riddler Rugs will reject about 0.066 percent of its rugs, or roughly 1 rug in every 1,500.

We can arrive at that number in two different ways: a simple approximation and then a somewhat more involved one. My editor could barely stomach the former, let alone the latter, so tread carefully.

Let’s start with the approximation. Consider the fact that each of the squares in the top 97 “rows” and the left-most 97 “columns” of the quilt define an upper left corner of a four-by-four block. The squares are almost all part of other blocks, too, but what matters here is their role in the upper left of a block. (There are 97 of them because the three bottom rows and three right-most columns “start” blocks that extend off the edge of the rug, so we don’t count those.) Multiply 97 by 97, and you get 9,409 four-by-four blocks to use as a baseline for calculations.

The chances that any one of these blocks is all one color are the same as the chances that 15 of the squares in the four-by-four block match the color of the first upper-left square. With our three colors, that chance is equal to $(1/3)^{15}$. Therefore, the chance that there are no one-color blocks out of the 9,409 is $(1-(1/3)^{15})^{9,409}$, so the chance that there is a one-color block (and thus that the rug is rejected) is $1-((1-(1/3)^{15})^{9,409})$, or about 0.0006555, or about our 0.066 percent.

The other way to get at this solution is to think about the whole universe of possible rugs. To do that, we have to determine the numerator (how many rejectable rug combinations there are) and the denominator (the number of total possible rug color combinations). The latter is easy to calculate: There are ${3^{100}}^2$ possible rugs (three colors to choose from, and 100 rows and columns of squares in each rug).

Figuring out the numerator is where it gets trickier. We need to consider every possible one-color block that will cause the rug to be rejected, along with every possible rug that includes that “bad” block. To do that, consider that there are $97^2$ possible bad blocks, and three ways they each could be bad. Those bad blocks automatically make a rug a reject, but it matters what the rest of the rug looks like, since we are trying to do a full accounting of every possible rug. We can use our old denominator formula here, with one small tweak: $3^{(100^2-16)}$, with the “16” representing the number of squares we know the color of already (the 4×4 reject block).

With all that in hand, we’re nearly done. Multiply the two elements of our numerator, and divide it over the denominator, and you get a formula for the proportion of rejected rugs: $(97^2\cdot 3)\cdot (3^{(100^2-16)})/({3^{100}}^2)$. That simplifies to $97^2/3^{15}$, which is about 0.0006557, or again about our estimate of 0.066 percent.

And, as usual, you could also turn to a computer simulated approximation. Stephanie Valenzuela was kind enough to share her Python-based approach.

So how does this process scale? Riddler Rugs, I’m not ashamed to say, is in it for the money and has plans to produce way more than just one measly random rug. One rug’s not cool. You know what’s cool? A million rugs. And we’d prefer to not reject any, if we can help it.

Laurent Lessard plotted the probability of rejecting no rugs out of a million produced. With our initial three colors, we’re nearly sure to reject at least some rugs. But if we expanded our fabric palette to six or even seven colors — ROYGBIV, say — Riddler Rugs would have an excellent chance to produce a million rugs without rejecting even a single one.

Want to submit a riddle?

Email me at [email protected].

#IFTTT #FiveThirtyEight #politics #538 #Edited by Oliver Roeder

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ryanwoolfolk · 6 years

Video

vimeo

Habito (2017) by Nicolas Ménard I directed this TV commercial that was produced at Nexus Studios, in collaboration with agency Who Wot Why. It features a series of elegant sorting algorithms that turn graphical chaos into satisfying order; a metaphorical visualization of the brand’s powerful mortgage matching algorithm. It also highlights how Habito combines innovative technology with human expertise in order to simplify the mortgage process. To achieve the spot, I designed a series of instructions that were turned into versatile Web apps by Marcin Ignac & Nick Nikolov. These apps allowed us to play with the number of units to sort per algorithm, and to adjust their appearance and speed. The sound was integrated using the same approach; by writing instructions for how sound would be triggered by each algorithm. Since each algorithm starts in a randomised state, this would create an infinite number of ‘melodies’ to choose from. A real playground for German sound designer David Kamp, who crafted all the brilliant beeps and bloops of the first half of the film. After that, the spot needed a more human composition to contrast with the randomness of the machine and an unexpected collaboration took place; Habito’s founder Daniel Hegarty, who also happens to be a seasoned musician, composed the music at the end of the film. — Client: Habito Title: Algorithms Length: 1x30” Agency: Who Wot Why ECDs/Creatives: Sean Thompson, Matt Gooden and Ben Walker Agency Producer: Marissa Jennings Production Company: Nexus Studios Director: Nicolas Ménard ECD: Chris O’Reilly Executive Producers: Luke Youngman Producer: Fernanda Garcia Lopez Project Lead & Compositing: Elliott Kajdan Design & Animation: Nicolas Ménard Coding: Variable.io Illustrations: Jack Cunningham Editor: Dave Slade Sound Design: David Kamp Music: Daniel Hegarty & David Kamp Sound Mix: Parv Thind & Jack Sedgwich @ Wave Studios http://bit.ly/2nOM3ad http://bit.ly/2E6xoSH http://bit.ly/2nMX4Zs

#IFTTT #Vimeo #Inspiration

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eduardomarin90 · 7 years

Video

vimeo

Habito (2017) from Nicolas Ménard on Vimeo.

I directed this TV commercial that was produced at Nexus Studios, in collaboration with agency Who Wot Why. It features a series of elegant sorting algorithms that turn graphical chaos into satisfying order; a metaphorical visualization of the brand’s powerful mortgage matching algorithm. It also highlights how Habito combines innovative technology with human expertise in order to simplify the mortgage process.

To achieve the spot, I designed a series of instructions that were turned into versatile Web apps by Marcin Ignac & Nick Nikolov. These apps allowed us to play with the number of units to sort per algorithm, and to adjust their appearance and speed.

The sound was integrated using the same approach; by writing instructions for how sound would be triggered by each algorithm. Since each algorithm starts in a randomised state, this would create an infinite number of ‘melodies’ to choose from. A real playground for German sound designer David Kamp, who crafted all the brilliant beeps and bloops of the first half of the film. After that, the spot needed a more human composition to contrast with the randomness of the machine and an unexpected collaboration took place; Habito’s founder Daniel Hegarty, who also happens to be a seasoned musician, composed the music at the end of the film.

—

Client: Habito Title: Algorithms Length: 1x30”

Agency: Who Wot Why ECDs/Creatives: Sean Thompson, Matt Gooden and Ben Walker Agency Producer: Marissa Jennings Production Company: Nexus Studios

Director: Nicolas Ménard ECD: Chris O’Reilly Executive Producers: Luke Youngman Producer: Fernanda Garcia Lopez Project Lead & Compositing: Elliott Kajdan Design & Animation: Nicolas Ménard Coding: Variable.io Illustrations: Jack Cunningham Editor: Dave Slade

Sound Design: David Kamp Music: Daniel Hegarty & David Kamp Sound Mix: Parv Thind & Jack Sedgwich @ Wave Studios

nicolasmenard.com nexusstudios.com variable.io

0 notes

breathingjuice · 7 years

Video

vimeo

Habito (2017) from Nicolas Ménard on Vimeo.

I directed this TV commercial that was produced at Nexus Studios, in collaboration with agency Who Wot Why. It features a series of elegant sorting algorithms that turn graphical chaos into satisfying order; a metaphorical visualization of the brand’s powerful mortgage matching algorithm. It also highlights how Habito combines innovative technology with human expertise in order to simplify the mortgage process.

To achieve the spot, I designed a series of instructions that were turned into versatile Web apps by Marcin Ignac & Nick Nikolov. These apps allowed us to play with the number of units to sort per algorithm, and to adjust their appearance and speed.

The sound was integrated using the same approach; by writing instructions for how sound would be triggered by each algorithm. Since each algorithm starts in a randomised state, this would create an infinite number of ‘melodies’ to choose from. A real playground for German sound designer David Kamp, who crafted all the brilliant beeps and bloops of the first half of the film. After that, the spot needed a more human composition to contrast with the randomness of the machine and an unexpected collaboration took place; Habito’s founder Daniel Hegarty, who also happens to be a seasoned musician, composed the music at the end of the film.

—

Client: Habito Title: Algorithms Length: 1x30”

Agency: Who Wot Why ECDs/Creatives: Sean Thompson, Matt Gooden and Ben Walker Agency Producer: Marissa Jennings Production Company: Nexus Studios

Director: Nicolas Ménard ECD: Chris O’Reilly Executive Producers: Luke Youngman Producer: Fernanda Garcia Lopez Project Lead & Compositing: Elliott Kajdan Design & Animation: Nicolas Ménard Coding: Variable.io Illustrations: Jack Cunningham Editor: Dave Slade

Sound Design: David Kamp Music: Daniel Hegarty & David Kamp Sound Mix: Parv Thind & Jack Sedgwich @ Wave Studios

nicolasmenard.com nexusstudios.com variable.io

0 notes

blackcrowing · 6 months

Text

Blackcrowing's Master Reading List

I have created a dropbox with pdfs I have gathered over the years, I have done my best to only allow access to documents which I found openly available through sites like JSTOR, Archive.org, or other educational resources with papers available for download.

That being said I ALSO recommend (I obviously have not read all of these but they are either in my library or I intend to add them)

📚 Celtic/Irish Pagan Books

The Morrighan: Meeting the Great Queens, Morgan Daimler

Raven Goddess: Going Deeper with the Morríghan, Morgan Daimler

Ogam: Weaving Word Wisdom, Erynn Rowan Laurie

Irish Paganism: Reconstructing Irish Polytheism, Morgan Daimler

Celtic Cosmology and the Otherworld: Myths, Orgins, Sovereignty and Liminality, Sharon Paice MacLeod

Celtic Myth and Religion, Sharon Paice MacLeod

A Guide to Ogam Divination, Marissa Hegarty (I'm leaving this on my list because I want to support independent authors. However, if you have already read Weaving Word Wisdom this book is unlikely to further enhance your understanding of ogam in a divination capacity)

The Book of the Great Queen, Morpheus Ravenna

Litany of The Morrígna, Morpheus Ravenna

Celtic Visions, Caitlín Matthews

Harp, Club & Calderon, Edited by Lora O'Brien and Morpheus Ravenna

Celtic Cosmology: Perspectives from Ireland and Scotland, Edited by Jacqueline Borsje and others

Polytheistic Monasticism: Voices from Pagan Cloisters, Edited by Janet Munin

📚 Celtic/Irish Academic Books

Early Medieval Ireland 400-1200, Dáibhí Ó Cróinín

The Sacred Isle, Dáithi Ó hÓgáin

The Ancient Celts, Berry Cunliffe

The Celtic World, Berry Cunliffe

Irish Kingship and Seccession, Bart Jaski

Early Irish Farming, Fergus Kelly

Studies in Irish Mythology, Grigory Bondarnko

Prehistoric Archaeology of Ireland, John Waddell

Archeology and Celtic Myth, John Waddell

Understanding the Celtic Religion: Revisiting the Past, Edited by Katja Ritari and Alexandria Bergholm

A Guide to Ogam, Damian McManus

Cesar's Druids: an Ancient Priesthood, Miranda Aldhouse Green

Animals in Celtic Life and Myth, Miranda Aldhouse Green

The Gods of the Celts, Miranda Green

The Celtic World, Edited by Miranda J Green

Myth and History in Celtic and Scandinavian Tradition, Edited by Emily Lyle

Ancient Irish Tales, Edited by Tom P Cross and Clark Haris Slover

Cattle Lords and Clansmen, Nerys Patterson

Celtic Heritage, Alwyn and Brinley Rees

Ireland's Immortals, Mark Williams

The Origins of the Irish, J. P. Mallory

In Search of the Irish Dreamtime, J. P. Mallory

The Táin, Thomas Kinsella translation

The Sutton Hoo Sceptre and the Roots of Celtic Kingship Theory, Michael J. Enright

Celtic Warfare, Giola Canestrelli

Pagan Celtic Ireland, Barry Raftery

The Year in Ireland, Kevin Danaher

Irish Customs and Beliefs, Kevin Danaher

Cult of the Sacred Center, Proinsais Mac Cana

Mythical Ireland: New Light on the Ancient Past, Anthony Murphy

Early Medieval Ireland AD 400-1100, Aidan O'Sullivan and others

The Festival of Lughnasa, Máire MacNeill

Curse of Ireland, Cecily Gillgan

📚 Indo-European Books (Mostly Academic and linguistic)

Dictionary of Indo-European Concepts and Society, Emily Benveniste

A Dictionary of Selected Synonyms in the Principle Indo-European Languages, Carl Darling Buck

The Horse, the Wheel and Language, David W. Anthony

Comparative Indo-European Linguistics, Robert S.P. Beekes

In Search of the Indo-Europeans, J.P. Mallory

Indo-European Mythology and Religion, Alexander Jacob

Some of these books had low print runs and therefore can be difficult to find and very expensive... SOME of those books can be found online with the help of friends... 🏴‍☠️

library genesis might be a great place to start... hint hint...

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blackcrowing · 5 months

Text

Blackcrowing's Book Review Masterpost

Irish Paganism: Reconstructing Irish Polytheism, Morgan Daimler

The Book of the Great Queen, Morpheus Ravenna

The Druids, Peter Berresford Ellis

The Horse, the Wheel and Language, David W Anthony

Celtic Cosmology and the Otherworld, Sharon Paice MacLeod

The History of the Vikings: Children of Ash and Elm, Neil Price

A Practical Guide to Pagan Priesthood, Lora O'Brien

God Against the Gods, Jonathan Kirsch

A History of Pagan Europe, Prudence Jones & Nigel Pennick

A Guide to Ogam Divination, Marissa Hegarty

Polytheistic Monasticism, Jann Munin

Ireland's Immortals, Mark Williams

A Circle of Stones, Erynn Rowan Laurie

This is a growing list that will be added to as new reviews are made

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blackcrowing · 4 months

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Hey, i hope you don't mind, but I was just wondering what your opinions on Steve Blamires are? I really enjoyed his book on the irish pagan magical system, and I was thinking of reading his book on Ogham, but I'm not really sure if he is a good source for that stuff. It seems you've been researching and working with Ogham for far longer than I have, so I thought I'd ask. Thanks :)

I've never actually read any of Steve Blamire's works. I've seen them but always found his choice of cover to be off putting (they look to me like the kinds of covers used by 'Celtic Shaman' types) so I've never picked one up myself.

From what I've been able to find about him he seems to have been very prominent in revivalist circles since the 80s, so clearly he resonates with people walking that particular path. As a hard reconstructionist I can't say that I think I'd enjoy his works myself, but for a revivalist he does seem to put in an admirable level of scholarship (which is MUCH MORE than could be said about most cir. 1980-2000s pagan authors!).

Lastly, I'm always INCREDIBLY leary of any author who discusses Ogam as a tree alphabet, since linguistically this is definitively not the case and yet is a concept that continues to circulate through pagan circles.

So my personal opinion is, its not for me and I myself would not recommend it on my own, but if his ideas and concepts resonate with you he does seem like an author with a healthy respect for the facts that are avaliable to us, even if he frames them in a revivalist light.

For a better understanding of Ogam based around the actual translations of the letter names I would recommend Ogam Weaving Word Wisdom by Erynn Rowan Laurie and A Guide to Ogam Divination by Marissa Hegarty. I have my personal reservations when it comes to each, but they are the two best candidates (in my opinion) for learning Ogam in the context of divination available on the market currently

#Ask #ogham #ogam #books #pagan #pagan authors #divination

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caraecethrae · 5 months

Text

Blessing of the Three Realms

Bendacht nime nél-bendacht

Bendacht tíre torad-bendacht

Bendacht mara iasc-bendacht

Bendacht gréine grád-bendacht

Bendacht ésca ord-bendacht

Bendacht latha lón-bendacht

Bendacht drúcht daithen-bendacht

Bendacht gaile gaísi-bendacht

Bendacht air aurith-bendacht.

Arub ceantaib ciallatar.

Blessing of heaven, cloud-blessing

Blessing of earth, fruit-blessing

Blessing of sea, fish-blessing

Blessing of sun, rank-blessing

Blessing of moon, honour-blessing

Blessing of ale, food-blessing

Blessing of dew, light-blessing

Blessing of valour, wisdom-blessing

Blessing of plough, [grain?]-blessing.

[(It is) on their heads that they are meant?]

– An Introduction to Gaelic Polytheism by Marissa Hegarty.

#its Dillon's translation arranged by Hegarty #blessing of the three realms #land sea sky #gaelpol

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blackcrowing · 1 year

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An Introduction to Gaelic Polytheism by Marissa Hegarty is a really incredible book for anyone wanting an alternative to Lora O'Brien and co. It just came out last year, and it's the only source I've found on Gaelic paganism that I recommend without hesitation.

Extensive footnotes, sources for every claim, a "further reading" list, a pronunciation guide, outlines for prayers and rituals, tons and tons and tons of information on the history and culture, includes info from all three Gaelic nations, and pushes back on misinformation while still managing to avoid any dogmatic pagan nonsense about there being a "right" way to practice. And the author is inclusive. Highly recommend.

Thanks Anon! I'll have to check them out when I get some more book money

For those interested, their books are extremely affordable

An Introduction to Gaelic Polytheism $15

Saining for Gaelic Polytheist $8.99

A Guide to Ogam Divination $16.99

They are all recently published (2022) and carry one 5 star review on Amazon each. I can't find any additional information about the author.

#books #recommendations #gaelic paganism #gaelic polytheism #anon #ask

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caraecethrae · 5 months

Text

Dúrachd

Feart fithich dhuit

Feart fiolair dhuit,

Feart Féinne.

Power of raven be yours,

Power of eagle be yours,

Power of the Fiann.

Feart gaillinn dhuit,

Feart gealaich dhuit,

Feart gréine.

Power of storm be yours,

Power of moon be yours,

Power of sun.

Feart mara dhuit,

Feart talamh dhuit,

Feart nèimhe.

Power of sea be yours,

Power of land be yours,

Power of sky.

– An Introduction to Gaelic Polytheism by Marissa Hegarty.

#gaelpol #blessing #charms #prayers #land sea sky #idk which format makes more sense so i did one of each lmao

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caraecethrae · 5 months

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Obscurity and confusion would appear to be at the fore for Muin in a reading, then. Not only is the meaning of the letter-name difficult to discern, but the gloss from one of Mac Ind Óc’s copies of the Bríatharogam would hint at camouflage and thickets, which — combined with our ‘variegated’ colour here — only serves to reinforce this whole feel. It may also be worth noting here that the dathogam itself gives the colour as mbracht (not simply brecht); a cosmetic initial m- has been added (cosmetic in the sense that it’s linguistically unnecessary here) so it will fit the letter, and this initial m- results in the sound of the ‘b’ in brecht being silenced (or obscured, as one might say…). The potential for confusion between brecht and bricht would also reinforce this sense of confusion and obscurity, but it might also suggest a magical (if not a spiritual?) undercurrent, too."

– A Guide to Ogam Divination by Marissa Hegarty.

#ogham #Muin

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caraecethrae · 6 months

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Perhaps more to the point, though (as Kelly also notes), the fact that the apple was so highly valued also explains why this tree was so prominent throughout the myths and the literature as a whole. More often than not, the tree is depicted as having close associations with the otherworld, with perhaps the most obvious example here being Emain Ablach, the legendary ‘Emain of the Apple-Trees’ (where emain can refer to a fairy fort or region), an otherworldly region that’s described in idyllic terms in the story of Immram Brain (‘The Voyage of Bran’), and said to be ‘the Tara of Manann[án], without disgrace,’ in a seventeenth century poem that also insists:

The apple Emhain of the yews,

Smooth, top-coloured are its trees;

A new place under the black thorn,

In which was nursed Lugh, descendant of the poet.

These traditions clearly suggest that Manannán is the ruler of this realm, where the idea that Emain Ablach was also home to Lug as a child is referring to a tradition (that developed at a relatively late period) whereby Manannán was his foster-father.

— A Guide to Ogam Divination by Marissa Hegarty.

#int er est ing #the quotes mention of yew and blackthorn has some wheels turning #Ceirt #aball #Ogham #Ogam

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