Further Reading

Thursday, 30 August 2007

The Faerie Faith

The Faerie Faith is an ancient Welsh and Pictish folk belief that evolved into a religion from both Druidic and Witchcraft sources around the time Christianity took root in Wales. Based on Shamanistic folk lore and myth, this religion has shaman and magickal foundations. It's priesthood evolved from Pictish Shamans and Folk Witchcraft sources . It is said that it's hierarchy are faerie doctors, cunning men, men in black or wise women. These are people who have seen and interacted with faeries and obtained the knowlege needed to see and experience them. Based on the ancient Welsh gods of Don, the teachings evolved into a oral Faerie Tradition. The Children of Don chose to stay in Wales after the invasion of the Celts, and took refuge under the hills. Faerie Folk of Wales or Y Tylwyth Teg are man sized Faeries, and supposedly the spirits of Pict heros. They live underground, in Dolmens or underwater. Of these we can derive the Heroic Faerie and the Medieval Fairie. Wales has two races, a visible race called the Cymry and the invisible Faerie People or the Tylwyth Teg.

The tradition of Y Tylwyth Teg derived from Dynion Mwyn, was named after these Welsh Faerie people of the OtherWorld.

One of the most important functions of a High Priest and/or High Priestess is a knowledge of not only the seasons and their various influences, but to know which god or goddess rules during which period of time, and being able to be a mediator between your human members of the coven and the Gods. The importance of this art and duty cannot be minimized because all knowledge flows from the gods.

The Welsh pantheon of tribal Gods consists of a very passionate, and inspired Mythology, rich in magick, enchantment, battle and wisdom. Both Gods & Goddesses are somewhat equal in the Welsh Tradition depending on their aspects, but their relationship to each other and humanity, is very complex. It is a religion of Duality, with one diety complementing the other. These Deities are called upon for different reasons because each is a particular personification of the Great Spirit and represents certain primary aspects: agriculture, weather, hunting, prosperity, love, war, etc.

By recognising and calling upon our gods, we also awaken our own intuitive and creative aspects. We re-establish a harmonic relationship with the inner reality represented by the children of the earth. Our tribal ancestors knew this secret, and included it in their religious beliefs and practices. The Earth's first children were the Gods, and their children were the heros who came after. By identifying with this ancient pantheon, we establish links with age old energy of a very powerful order. This is always done in a very creative context, since we look at each person as an individual _expression of the Gods and Goddesses. We also recognize that the stories of our heroes which occur in Triads, stories, and song, also awaken these aspects and inspire us to wisdom and knowledge. (Askyewolfe)