Every individual is in search of peace and belonging. Although peace is attainable through various ways and practices, there is always a longing in your heart for true peace through a more spiritual exposure. Everyone is in the search of God or meaning towards life and religion, whether they are aware of it or not. This usually happens when the world seems too small or minute to give you the answers you are in search of. Celtic Spirituality and nature is a way to connect God and spirituality with various natural characteristics.
This form of spirituality has been followed religiously by the Celts for over centuries. They have derived true peace by linking their quest for God and religion through nature and its bounties. While searching for answers, rays of light and hope were discovered in the darkness. These signs acted as wisdom and language bestowed by God onto the Celts. The way they lived their lives by adopting a love for nature is what gave them a true sense of belonging and identity. There are certain lessons we can learn from the way the Celts had lived and adopt them in our lives today for a more calm and soothing life.
What Is Spirituality?
Spirituality is a search for belonging, meaning and answers. Being present and in oneness with life itself. It is a universal experience shared amongst all species. A form of connection that every being is on the lookout for. Although the modern definition of spirituality revolves around being a sense of connection or a link, with a being that is higher in rank than we are, the traditional definition differs. Various individuals have different ways of being spiritually connected. Some individuals find peace in spirituality through the meditation they carry out while others look for a religion to follow.
The definition of the term spirituality has evolved with time. However, the most traditional meaning defines it as living our lives the way we feel our true self and transcend our ego, in order to find peace, harmony, and calmness within. Living in the way we find our beliefs to show through. This is the true essence of spirituality. However, spirituality in its nature can be a link between the various forms people adopt on their own.
It is an approach or path towards living life differently. A way that allows for us to be the best form of beings. It can even be interpreted as the mindset or mentality an individual holds towards living their life. The way they eat, speak, think, breathe, etc. – all these actions fall under a reflection of spirituality.
Who Were The Celts?
The Celts were people from among the times of the BC. The term Celt is derived from ‘Ceilt’, which means an act of concealing or covering something. The Celts can be known as people who were neighbors to the northern part of both Greece and Rome. A few of these people had also fled from south of the Black Sea to a more modern part of Turkey. These people were always on the move and followed a more tribal outlook. These individuals were however different from traditional Christians and Catholics in Rome at that time, in the way that they did not follow a book, rather their own rules. They didn’t report to any institution but rather used their own rational to figure out life.
Celtic Spirituality
To understand and feel true spirituality, it is important for us to acknowledge the various types of spirituality that exist or existed in the past. These include Celtic spirituality, monastic spirituality and the stream of contemplation. The reason behind this being that, all forms of spirituality are linked towards a divine center. In one way or the other, the spirituality we choose to adopt draws on an older or different stream of spirituality which may have once existed. It is where our roots and inspirations for the search of God have been derived from.
In the Celtic spirituality teachings of Christianity, it is recognized that there is no correct way to reach out to God. Any form of connection or link that we feel correct to adopt is a good way to express our search for the divine being. It is important to respect the various forms and ways different individuals adopt to connect with God. There is no need for showing arrogance or thinking of ourselves as better than the other, as any form of arrogance is not appreciated by God.
The word Celtic is often misunderstood and interpreted in the wrong manner. People do not understand the past and struggle behind this longing for spirituality and find it alright to ridicule it. It is clearly misunderstood due to which it is not adopted. People need to be open to understanding that spirituality can be adopted in any form that one wills.
Various biblical and ethical prominences that have been followed previously by the Celtics are very similar to those which we follow or wish to adopt through our lifestyles, too. They have been embedded into our hearts through God.
The Characteristics Of Nature And Celtic Spirituality
The link between nature and Celtic spirituality is great. Celts have a great longing and love for nature. The reason behind it being the chance for them to show their true devotion and an awareness towards the creator of this nature. They express true devotion and love towards nature as a means to thanking and expressing their gratitude towards the divine being for putting in so much details and efforts to make the perfect world.
The Celts have a firm belief in the following statement, “If you wish to understand the creator, first understand his creation.” In this way, as the Celts search for the answers they are looking for towards spiritual completion, they wish to do so through appreciating and understanding nature thoroughly.
It is often misunderstood that, like Pantheism, the Celts worship stones. This is not true. They aim to admire and understand the various creations God has bestowed on us through nature, as a means to finding a connection with God. They have strong love and possess immense respect for all of Mother Nature and the Earth.
At that point in time, the Celts possessed great understanding for creations to cross-over each other as a means for different creations to form. Another way they showed their love towards nature was through showing extra care and respect towards various animals. This was done as a means of redemption and showing appreciation towards God.
The Celts had a very good understanding of the land. They understood what it meant to have a certain connection with a specific area due to having roots from there. Apart from this, they understood the meaning of identity and connection with a specific area, too. The Celts could also understand and interpret the need for a Holy land and had specified areas for such.
The way they respected and loved nature was a means to them affirming of the true creator and their belonging. They believed that, although they were a species in such a great world, there were also various other creations that were not to be disregarded. They were to be silently cared for so as to show devotion towards the divine being.
What Can Be Learnt From The Celts And Celtic Spirituality?
In today’s world, there is almost no true sense of religion or peace. Spirituality is usually frowned upon or discouraged. The world is moving at such a quick pace that people tend to keep their spiritual needs at last priority. For this reason, it can be clearly seen that the world is moving towards a more chaotic sort of environment on its own. People are rushing against time, willing to make money as a means for calmness and satisfaction. However, once people reach this point, only then do they find that this satisfaction is not enough. There is a great longing people have in their lives for finding answers to a more profound and deeper meaning of life.
This is the search for spirituality which most people are missing in today’s world. The need to understand the true purpose of life and for being born into the world we are today. Looking for answers to the questions that have remained unanswered.
If we were to take away some lessons learned from the Celts, they include the following: It is important to prioritize spirituality, no matter which forms we choose to adopt it in. The need to give back to our surroundings is huge. A major reason for the situation the Earth is in today, such as global warming and climate change, and even amongst mankind itself through division and hatred that is often too common in our current society, is due to the inability we humans possess to give back to the environment. Our search for true spirituality will not only provide us with inner peace, but will also fulfill the voids of mother Earth and our surroundings, and enable us to unite with the universe and nature and awaken into a new awareness.
