The Celtic faery path of the shaman is based on the faery faith of Western Europe.
This belief is rooted in knowing that everything–in this world and the next–is alive and possesses its own spirit or soul. It is not a new belief system, as animism has been around since long before the birth of Christ.
At one time man believed that everything had a soul; the trees, the earth, rocks, animals, everything. This included the belief they could also communicate with nature. The most prevalent belief in today’s world is that man is the only being with a soul and everything else on the planet was put here for human kind’s use which for some, gives them free rein over nature and its beings.
Fairy Faith Wants to Protect Nature
The fairy faith has little (no pun intended) to do with the tiny, light winged images of Disney fame. While some fair folk are as small as the popular Tinkerbelle, others are quite large, and not all are as cute and playful.
Contact between fairies and humans was quite common during pre-christen times, but with the crusades also came the need to demonize the fey folk. Communication was cut off or very limited; the fairies retiring to their world on the other side of the cloak, in order to protect themselves from the ignorance of humans. Today Celtic shamans are some of the only humans able to cross into this realm and they continue to seek guidance from these wise faeries.
Celtic shamans know that one tribe or clan is truly no better than the other. They follow their ancestral paths just as American Indians or Australian Aborigines follow theirs.
There has been a reconstruction of this path, as it fell into memory during the last centuries, but it has experienced resurgence with the rising of earth consciousness and today one can become an apprentice and begin to rediscover their shamanistic roots.
Celtic Shamanism Embraces All of Nature
Celtic shamanism is not a religion or a faith, it is a belief system.
With no dogma or doctrine, practitioners are free to follow their hearts and create their own belief systems within the shamanistic traditions of reverence of the earth and all who dwell upon or within it: all of nature, and all of humankind.
You are free to dance in fairy rings or mud puddles and to become a part of “The Great Work;” making, mending, helping, and healing. Most Celtic shamans are teachers, healers, or counselors and celebrate whatever holidays that they choose.
Shamanism is inclusive: Some are Christian, some Muslim, others have a strict set of faith and others have very little structure at all. What they have in common is a bond with the fairy folk in seeking answers in order to help each other and the earth. They can move between the two worlds in order to seek guidance and give thanks. This is the way of the Celtic Faery Path.
Books on Shamanism
The Ancient Art of Faery Magick by D. J. Conway is a book you might really enjoy reading if you are intrigued by Celtic shamanism and the realtionship of faeries. The publlisher states the book is a thorough introduction to faeries, including history, lore, and spells for making contact with these magickal creatures. And followers of Celtic, Faery, Dianic, and Nordic traditions will all find an abundance of knowledge valuable to their beliefs throughout this magickal faery book.
There are many books that describe Shamanism and practices that aim to raise conscious awareness of how we are all connected and how what we do impacts the earth and all its habitants.
Vanessa King says
I have some photographs of faerie souls if your interested in them.