Echoes of Creation

Reflections On
Celtic Spirituality

Part Three
Prayer and Protection
 An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality 2

Celtic Spirituality Part 3 : - Prayer & Protection

OPENING PRAYER

I Weave a Silence to my lips

I Weave a Silence to my mind
I weave a Silence to my heart

I close my eyes to attentions.

I close my mind to inventions
I close my heart to temptations.

Still me , O King of Kings

And keep me from harm
Calm me O Son of sons
As You stilled the storm
Enfold me O Spirit of all
In Your Loving Peace

In the name of God the High King

and of the Son the beloved
and of the Spirit the enfolding One
Let all tumult, noise and uncertainty
Within me cease
This day and all the days Amen

THE WORD OF GOD

Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armour of God
so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle
is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the authorities, the
powers of this dark world and the forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore, put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes,
you may be able to stand your ground. ..

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the
breastplate of righteousness in place and with your feet fitted with the
readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.In addition to all this, take up
the shield of faith which can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of
God. And pray in the Spirit at all occasions with all kinds of prayers and
requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the
saints’
Ephesians 6 : 10-18

©Peter Creagh (2005,2010) Celtic Christianity – A Series of Lenten Reflections

 An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality 3

The Deer’s Cry

( St Patrick’s Breastplate set to Music )

Participants sit and listen to music and words

This is one of the most famous ‘Lorica’s or

Caim from the Celtic Tradition. These are
prayers of encirclement or protection

I arise today,
Through the strength of Heaven:
Light of Sun, radiance of Moon, splendour of Fire,
Speed of Lightning, swiftness of Wind, depth of the Sea,
Stability of Earth, firmness of Rock.

I arise today, through God’s strength to pilot me:

God’s wisdom to guide me, God’s eye to look before me,
God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to protect me.
From all who shall wish me ill, afar and anear,
Alone and in a multitude.
Against every cruel and merciless power
That may oppose my body and my soul.

Christ be with me, Christ before me,

Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left.
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me.

I arise today

( Trans Bruno Keyer)

©Peter Creagh (2005,2010) Celtic Christianity – A Series of Lenten Reflections

 An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality 4

NOTE

This is the third in a series of five presentations on Celtic Spirituality.

These notes form part of a series of workshops with music, song,
poetry and experiential exercises, all an essential part of gaining an
understanding of Celtic Spirituality. Therefore, these notes , as do all
others, need to be read ( and used) in this context.

INTRODUCTION and RESUME

Parts one and two of this series on Celtic Spirituality explored how the Celts
retained a strong sense of Presence (Part 1) within and around all. How the
earth, the Cosmos and all that exists, lives and breathes ‘groans in eager
excitement, expectancy and awe at the Presence of God . This indwells
and enfolds all and therefore people and places are holy. Everything is
touched by the Glory and Beauty of God and the sense that certain places
assist us in feeling the ‘Presence’ more keenly, this was referred to as ‘Thin
Places’ ( Part 2).

These notes (Part 3) revisit further aspects of the Indwelling Presence, which
along with the sense and experience of God’s Protection form the twin pillars
of Celtic Spirituality. It will look briefly at Pre-Christian Celtic culture and
compare it with our own scientific/rational culture and the then prevalent
Greco/Roman culture. It will also explore how the Celtic ‘sense’ of the all
encompassing Presence is lived out in the richness of prayer and also the
wonder of the Celtic CAIM , often referred to as a Lorica or Breastplate.

But first let us reflect and share on our Journey to date and particularly on
Session 2 – Those Thin Places.

PRAYER AND PROTECTION

‘ Since we belong to the Light, let us be self-controlled, putting on

Faith and Love as a breastplate, and the Hope of salvation as a
helmet’ ( 1 Thes 5 . 8 )

The twin pillars of Celtic Spirituality are the awareness of the Power of
Presence and Protection. To understand more of this and also some of the
main differences between Celtic and main-stream Western Christianity, it is
helpful to reflect on some of the differences between pre-Christian Celtic
civilisation and that of the Greco/Roman civilisations.

©Peter Creagh (2005,2010) Celtic Christianity – A Series of Lenten Reflections

 An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality 5

The Celts were a rural, de-centralised people. For example, there were no
large settlements, or even small villages in Ireland until about the 6th or 7th
century. In fact, it was the Danes and Vikings who founded the first really
large settlements ( e.g Dublin, Wexford and Limerick)The Celts were a
loosely knit society of clans and tribes, whose people owed their allegiance
through their Chief and through him or her to a High Chief of High King.

Unlike the Roman model of absolute power, the Celts were more communal,
whose land, possessions, property etc were either shared out directly or held
in trust and used wisely by the chief and the ruling classes of Druids, bards
and chieftains. All had a duty of care to each other and to the clan. This
cultural bias was part of their spiritual belief and therefore God (often Gods
in groups of Three – a Sacred number) was seen as a caring High Chief or
Kingly Father or Parent. This was not too dissimilar to the Yahweh of the
Jews, but with a less prominent emphasis on the masculine and a culture of
acceptance of the femininity of God.

Therefore, when Christianity arrived, possibly as early as the 1st or early

part of the 2nd century, ( most probably via Egypt) the concept of God –
Trinity, Love etc was familiar. There are many similarities between early
Celtic Christianity (not to be confused with the watered-down version
enforced by Rome from the 7th century onward) and the Coptic and Eastern
Orthodox Churches. (Unfortunately, we do not have time to trace these in
this series of essays and complementary talks).

So in contrast to the hierarchical Roman Church, the Celtic Christian

Community , for it CANNOT be called a Church, was based on community
and on holy places inhabited by wise and holy men and women. It was not
until the 12th Century that Ireland developed a full diocesan system with
parishes. The Celtic Church in Wales held out until the 13th century. The
centre of spiritual life was the hermitages and the simple monasteries with
the learning and direction of holy sages.

Another aspect of difference was the Celtic sense of the super-natural,

creation, imagination, of angels and demonic powers. But above all this was
the sense of Power-Presence and Protection allied with a deep belief, not
only in the after life but, that this life and the after life were connected and
only separated by a thin veil. Hence we have the Celtic custom of celebrating
death and mourning a birth. The former is still widely practiced.

©Peter Creagh (2005,2010) Celtic Christianity – A Series of Lenten Reflections

 An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality 6

With all these elements, Celts had a vibrant prayer life. They rarely prayed in
the ‘Vocative Mode’ i.e. directly asking for temporal favours. No, Celts prayed
indirectly and with a deep Faith for blessings and protection from the eternal
struggle between Light and Darkness. Their God was a High Chief or King
and therefore a loving, caring, parental and protecting God. Also, because of
their communal life and belief in the thin connection with after-life, they
believed that all are surrounded by, and in community with, the vast angelic
and saintly host and therefore the power of God and of Light is Infinite !

They had many prayers invoking protection, prayers for all seasons, times
and occasions. A famous one is the following ancient Irish Prayer – God be
With Me. This is an ancient Irish prayer which , although it was written in
the 9th Century, is connected with Saint Colmcille and his teachings.

Now, Colmcille ( Irish for Dove of the Church) was one of the trinity of
famous Irish saints – Patrick, Brigid and Colmcille. He is known in Scotland
as Saint Columba and is credited with bringing Christianity to Scotland. He
founded the famous monastery on Iona.It was from Iona that Columba send
his disciples out across Scotland and it was his monks who founded
Lindisfarne and brought Christianity to Northern England.

Readers and participants could find it helpful to read it slowly and then
reflect on its words. These demonstrate the height, the depth, the length and
the breath of its deep and Godly Faith.

Be PRESENT to the POWER of its PRESENCE. For this prayer is a Caim –

a protective breastplate.

©Peter Creagh (2005,2010) Celtic Christianity – A Series of Lenten Reflections

 An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality 7

GOD BE WITH ME

God be with me against all trouble,

Noble Trinity which is one,
Father, Son and Spirit.

May every hurtless blessing, every pure prayer,

Every ladder which reaches Heaven, be of help to
me.

Every good saint who suffered on the face of the earth below,
Every pious disciple who believed in Christ.

Everyone meek, everyone quiet, everyone sincere, everyone

unsullied.
Every confessor, every soldier who exists beneath the sun.

Every glorious pilgrim, every rich person of goodly power,

Every destitute person, every saint who has abandoned the land.

Every tongue without fail upon which grace has been bestowed,
Every heart throughout the world who never covenants treachery.

Every modest righteous one beneath the plane of bright Heaven,

From the West where the sun sets, eastwards to Mount Sion.

From here may they protect me against the fog-surrounded demons,

these
Companions of the King’s Son from the lands of the living.

May my King guard me, may He aid me always;

May I be at every need beneath the protection of God’s hand

( Anonymous Irish 9th Century Monk)

This simple but deeply spiritual prayer from an anonymous monk clearly
expounds the richness, depth and profoundness of Celtic Prayer and Faith
( Readers and Participants may wish to pause for silent Reflection)

©Peter Creagh (2005,2010) Celtic Christianity – A Series of Lenten Reflections

 An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality 8

CAIM Presence & Protection

Arguably, Western Christianity (both pre and post Reformation) has stressed
the Transcendence of God. This a God who is seen as somehow a being who
is ‘up there ‘. Considered to be like a King on His throne in Heaven and
this ‘place’ ( often called heaven) where God dwells, is depicted as
somewhere ‘up in the clouds’. In other words , other worldly and removed
from mere humans.

In addition, Western Christianity has often failed to truly emphasise the

Trinity. Sometimes seeming Unitarian ( Jesus only) or at the best two
persons – The Father and Jesus , with little reference to the Spirit. Celtic
Christianity has never fallen into this ‘habit’. It is firmly Trinitarian with a
strong emphasis on both the Transcendence and the Immanence of God –
the Indweller or Spirit and Jesus the Immanuel – the Word made flesh. God
is seen as non-dual. This is similar to the Hindu concept of Advaita ( non-
dual)

Celts lived their lives in the ‘presence’ of the Presence’, who is God. This can
be seen in the day-to day prayers which filled their life. God was both up
there and present in all things and at all occasions. So we have many
examples of everyday prayers on awakening, on lighting the fire, on eating,
on working, on smooring the fire and on going to sleep. There were prayers
about tasks, rooms in the house for travel, for every main event in life. There
are many, but the following two examples are given.

1 GENERAL BLESSING FOR ANY OCCASION

May the Love of the Father enfold us.

May the Peace and the Wisdom of the Son enlighten us.
May the Joy and Fire of the Spirit inflame us.

May the Love-Peace and Joy and Blessings of

The Father, Son and Spirit be with us.
This day and every day. AMEN

©Peter Creagh (2005,2010) Celtic Christianity – A Series of Lenten Reflections

 An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality 9

2. WELSH PRAYER

Father ,You are always more ready to hear than we are to either listen or
pray. And to give us more than we desire.

Jesus, You are more ready to heal than we are to be healed and to forgive
than we are prepared to forgive others and to be forgiven.

Spirit, You are more ready to intercede for us than we are ready to intercede
for ourselves or others.

Forgive us, Father, Son and Spirit – for our lack of faith. AMEN
( Adapted from Welsh Celtic Prayer)

So for Celts there was ‘no between’ , no gap, no separation between God
and them (Mother Julian of Norwich expressed this almost 10 centuries
later). There was ‘no between’ God and their experience of life, nor between
life and death. They were a people confident in their understanding that they
were surrounded by angelic powers and a saintly host. Goodly Powers that
helped in the fight and the struggle against evil powers. It was a sense of
Light against Darkness, Good versus Evil. But above, beyond and around all
were the Trinity of Father-Son and Spirit.

This brings us to the ‘power of the Caim’. This was, and is, a way of prayer
that Celts carried with them. It involved the Celtic cross and all the elements
of Good. This will be outlined in a moment and then we will prepare for a
personal experience of the CAIM.

Before outlining in greater detail the Caim, it is important to reiterate several

points concerning Celtic Spirituality. The first point is the Celtic sense of the
‘Presence’ of God. This can be likened to both the Hindu practice of
‘Awareness’ or the Buddhist practice of ‘Mindfulness’.

If you read and reflect many Celtic poems and prayers you can clearly see
the strong comparison between Celtic, Hindu and Buddhist concepts.. For
example, read Amergin’s famous poem ( see Part 1) and it has echoes of
some of the passages from the Hindu Upanishads and the Buddhist Sutras.
So this ‘Presence’ is in and all around us. Another great connection is the
position of the Druids. These were wise and holy men and women who were
much like the Sannyasis and Sadhus of Hinduism.

©Peter Creagh (2005,2010) Celtic Christianity – A Series of Lenten Reflections

 An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality 10

The second point is the Celtic sense of the ‘circle of life’. This involved both
this earthly life, where we live out our experiences through the body-psyche
and the next life, or life after death, where we live in the spiritual realm. Pre-
Christian Celts believed in an afterlife and had a strong sense of its
importance. In fact, for them the afterlife was a better place to be than the
present life in this world. This gave them a strong sense of the connection
between life and death. Death led to new life and life was a form of death, so
the cycle went on.

Unlike the Eastern Traditions, they did not believe in re-incarnation but in a
connection between the twin worlds of this world and the next world. The
advent of Christianity, with a Master (Jesus the Christ) whose selfless and
voluntary death brought liberation and life to us in this world made great
sense to the Celts. In addition, He (The Master) had gone before them into
the afterlife world and therefore was present as a great protector. These
truths of the Christian Faith echoed much of what pre-Christian Celts
believed.

The third and final point is the Celtic sense of Presence and Protection. This
was allied to their understanding of the constant struggle between the
powers of Light and Darkness, Good and Evil, Life and Death. Christ was, for
them, a liberator who had conquered evil and saved a basically good people
from the powers of evil. So therefore, the Cross and Light, often signified by
fire, were strong symbols of protection. In addition, because of their belief in
the connection between this world and the next, their was a sense of being
in communion with the saints and angels who had gone before into the
afterlife.

The Caim So a combination of all these points led to an extremely strong

sense of the protectiveness of God, the Angela and Saints and on the
capacity of all to call down this protection. This ancient belief in NOT
superstition but is a deep and living sense of awareness of the Presence of
God.

The Caim is an ancient symbolic ritual that calls down the power of God’s
protection. It is almost certainly pre-Christian. It involves drawing a circle,
normally with the index finger of the right hand, around yourself and what
and who it is you want to protect. Until relatively recently, in the Hebrides,
new-born babies were passed around the fire (a sign of the Light of Christ) in
a circle. This was to bless and protect them from the powers of darkness and
evil.

©Peter Creagh (2005,2010) Celtic Christianity – A Series of Lenten Reflections

 An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality 11

In a gathering, the group would sit in a circle, the perfect figure, and each
lights a candle so that a living circle of light is formed. No power of darkness
or doubt can break through this circle of good and therefore prayers of
protection are invoked for all.

NOTE. In the experiential Workshop accompanying these notes,

participants experience the power of the Caim , allied to the powerful
symbolism of the Celtic Cross. ( See Part 2 – Those Thin Places – for
a description of the meaning and power of the Celtic Cross)

FINAL PRAYER

As with all these short notes, each theme is set in the context of both
opening and closing prayer. One of the great gifts of Celtic Spirituality is its
sense of prayer at all times and for al occasions. Celts saw NO distinction
between secular and holy. All was and is holy. Therefore, God, and the sense
of God’s Presence is in and around us at all times and therefore we mark this
with prayers suitable for all times. The following is a typical Celtic prayer
before going to sleep.

It is said in two parts. Part 1 in normal print, part 2 emboldened

A PRAYER ON LYING DOWN TO SLEEP

I lie down this night with God, and God will lie down with me.

I lie down this night with Christ , and Christ will lie down with me.

I lie down this night with the Spirit , and the Spirit will lie down with
me.

( Said by all ) God and Christ and the Spirit

Be lying down with me.

(Carmina Gadelica – An Anthology of 5 Volumes – Collected by Alexander

Carmichael Published by. Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh )

©Peter Creagh (2005,2010) Celtic Christianity – A Series of Lenten Reflections

 An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality 12

NOTE

Participants spend time sitting in silence , with the trinity of candles lit.
Music plays and as it fades the following prayer is said after which all leave
quietly

O lord we pray
That you will be the Light in our darkness
That we might sleep well this night
And awake tomorrow more aware of your all pervading and enfolding
presence
That we might awake tomorrow and live our lives in confidence And great
joy.

©Peter Creagh (2005,2010) Celtic Christianity – A Series of Lenten Reflections

 An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality 13

BIBLIOGRAPHY

The following are some of the main sources which support all chapters/short papers
in this series on Celtic Spirituality. Other sources are quoted in the text as they
occur. In addition, many of the opening and closing prayers have been adapted
and/or compiled or written by the author (Peter Creagh) in the ‘style’ of Celtic
Spirituality.

Adam, David,(1987) The Cry of the Deer , London, Triangle/SPCK

Adam, David,(1985) The Edge of, London, Triangle/SPCK

Glory Backhouse,H & Pipe,R ( Eds)( 1987) Revelations of Divine Love – Mother Julian of

Norwich , London, Hodder & Stoughton

Bamford, C & Marsh,WP (1986) Celtic Christianity – Ecology and Holiness, Edinburgh, Floris

Bradley,I (2003) The Celtic Way, London , Darton-Longman-Todd

Cahill,T (1995) How the Irish Saved Civilization - New York, Doubleday

Beresford-Ellis,P (1992) Celtic Inheritance – London, Constabl

Lleelyn,R (1990) The Dart of Longing Love – Daily Readings from the Cloud of Unknowing,

London, Darton-Longman-Todd

Matthews,J & C (1993) The little Book of Celtic Wisdom, Dorset, Element

Matthews,C (1994) The little Book of Celtic Blessings, Dorset, Element

Matthews,C (1989) THe Celtic Tradition , Dorset, Element

McKinney,D ( 2004) Walking the Mist- Celtic Spirituality for the 21st Century, London ,

Hodder& Stoughton

O Fiannachta,P (1988) Saltair – Prayers from the Irish Tradition , Dublin, Columba Press

O Malley,B ( 1998) Celtic Blessings , Norwich, Canterbury Press

O Malley,B ( 2002) A Celtic Primer , Norwich, Canterbury Press

Streit, Jakob (1977) Sun and Cross, Edinburgh, Floris Press

Tobin, G (1999), The Wisdom of St Patrick, New Yourk, Ballantine

Toulson, S (1993) The Celtic Year, Dorset, Element

Vardey,L (1996) God In All Worlds, New York, Vintage Books

©Peter Creagh (2005,2010) Celtic Christianity – A Series of Lenten Reflections