Ancestral Memory and Soul Recognition

כ״ד בכסלו תשע"ב
Shamash 26

I don't have time right now to write more, but I need to make note of this right now. At the end of a dream I had back in 2006 (Druid Measures), though I didn't write of it at the time, there was another portion of the dream I left unwritten.

In the following video, there is an archeological excavation scene (starting at 21:10) in Silchester, UK at the ancient Celtic city known as Calleva Atrebatum. As soon as I saw this, it triggered in me recognition! Later in the linked dream, the opened ground at the excavation is a place where I hid from Roman soldiers! I can still see it in my mind.

Calleva, I know you.



"One element of that community was Irish, evidenced by the remarkable discovery of a stone carved with ogham, a form of writing that originated in southern Ireland and that is unlikely to date before the beginning of the fifth century." [Source: City of the Dead: Calleva Atrebatum]

Ogham inscriptions have been found there - the writing of the Druids!

Pearl of the Eel of Kells

Keowulf 24

It is amazing the power unleashed within my life by simply purchasing some woad. In follow-up to my woad purchase and the subsequent dream where I, like an eel I discovered, returned to Avalon in the Sea, I've now discovered another connection of my "Avalonian eel" dream to the Celtic mysteries!

Zahir Karbani writes of the eel totem:

Celtic legends abound in regard to the Eel and the Book of Kells mentions them many times throughout, as creatures that can change form by growing legs and walking on land for great distances, only to shift back into their familiar snake like form and return to the sea.

The Elusive Eel Totem possesses the following virtues:
Shape shifting, adaptability, wisdom, inspiration, watching unseen, ability to overcome great obstacles, change, travel, fertility, stamina, and endurance.

Eel Animal Pearls are said to impart their particular magical virtues to their owner. Eel Pearls are characteristic of its host animal; they possess all the awesome characteristics that may be seen in the Eel itself; the adaptability and mysterious elusiveness of the Eel is contained within the pearl waiting for its proper owner to bestow its inner magic to that unique and fortunate individual. For century’s shamans, wizards, witches, spiritualists and practitioners of the occult have used Eel animal pearls to transfer the powerful magical energy of the Eel to themselves and to others in need of its special magic. Eel pearls are highly sought after by any wishing to absorb Eel virtues into their lives and develop stronger mental abilities such as those embodied by this snake of the sea. The owner of an Eel pearl will see their lives, spiritual energy and mental clarity imbued with all of the virtues attributed to the Eel. The Eel animal totem is a strong spirit and its magical properties are one of the most interesting of all animal totems. Adaptability, fertility, inspiration, and so much more can be integrated into the spirit of the possessor of this magical pearl and the Eel totem.

What I didn't mention in my previous post about my dream was that earlier in the day of the woad-inspired dream, I had received my DVD copy of The Secret of Kells in the mail, and that later that evening just minutes after purchasing the woad, I had watched the film! What amazing synchronicity!

And now my eel is not just any ole eel, but an eel with connections to the secret of Kells. And the wisdom coming through my dream is its pearl.

Secret Magic Tale

י"ט בתמוז תשס״ט
Faunus 20

I watched a most exquisitely magical tale last evening. It was so very well done and heartwarming - The Secret of Roan Inish. The face, expressions and spunkiness of the little girl Fiona in the film make her a twin of my eldest grandson Tyler.

Amazon review of the film, The Secret of Roan Inish, by Jeff Shannon:

As one of the most respected American independent filmmakers, John Sayles has created a body of work as distinguished in its diversity as for its consistent quality and inspiring originality. He's never been one to march to the commercial beat, but chooses instead to follow his creative impulse wherever it leads him. The Secret of Roan Inish led Sayles to the beautiful and moody West Coast of Ireland; it is a tale of a girl who discovers that her family has been touched by myth and magic throughout the years. Following the death of her mother, young Fiona (Jeni Courtney) is sent to live with her grandparents on the Irish coast across from Roan Inish, the island where her family once lived. She's told stories about the selkies--seals that can turn into humans--who have been connected with Fiona's family over the ages. At first she's not sure if the selkies are real or mythological, but she later realizes that they hold the key to reclaiming her family heritage.

What's remarkable about this film (which Sayles adapted from Rosalie Fry's novel Secret of the Ron Mor Skerry) is that it's not told as a cute fantasy for children, but as a straightforward, unsentimental story of a young girl's family history. That gives the film--which was beautifully photographed by master cinematographer Haskell Wexler--an understated charm that is completely absorbing in its atmosphere and subtle tone. There's magic as well, to be sure--you could almost swear that the seals and seagulls in the film took direction from Sayles as well as any human actor! --Jeff Shannon

I highly recommend this pagan-friendly, beautifully heartwarming, magically enchanting film which plays to the beat of a different drum.