Celtic Women's Spirituality: Accessing the Cauldron of Life - Edain McCoy 1998

Living as a Celtic Woman

The modern Celtic woman has many roles, shows many faces, has many interests, and is involved in a wide variety of activities. But in her heart she is invincible; she wears her warrior-self like a second skin. The power she has is one of power-with, not power-over. She recognizes her spiritual links to all living things, and seeks to wield her power harmoniously, not to hold it above others like a weapon. Her true weapons are her wisdom and self-confidence. Her strength is in her willingness to learn and grow. Her inner peace comes from her sense of place in creation, and her recognition that she carries a spark of the Goddess within her at all times.

This warrior woman knows when to fight like a lion and when to flee like a rabbit; when to speak, and when to be silent. The courage of her convictions is her shield, her soul is her spear, and her will is her cauldron-the limitless womb from which she can birth anything she desires.

The Celtic woman is a mother and a crone but, most importantly, she is a virgin, one who is complete unto herself, and who needs no one else to satisfactorily practice her spirituality. When she gathers with other women or with mixed gender groups to worship her Goddess, she does so to enhance those rituals and expand her spiritual horizons, not because she needs anyone else to make her rituals meaningful or to help her connect with the divine.

Making Connections

It is hard for modern people to fully appreciate the importance of community to the Celts. Today we are so focused on the strength of the individual that we often overlook the fact that strong individuals make for strong communities. It was for the sake of communal strength that the Celts fostered their young in a way that would bring out their talents-talents that could be used for the good of all.

Group or coven workings fulfill this same need in modern Celtic Paganism.

No one ever said making satisfying connections within the Pagan commu nity was easy, but it can be done. If and when you do seek contact with other women who share your spiritual interests, you will find several books on the market that can help guide your steps. They can also provide glimpses into what a good working group—coven, study circle, discussion group, network, and so on—is like. Some books I recommend are:

The Witches’ Circle by Maria Kay Simms (Llewellyn, 1996) looks at a network of hierarchical covens, their rituals, and their organization. Very interesting and entertaining book.

Creating Circles of Magic and Power by Caitlin Libera (Crossing Press, 1994) describes how one women’s study group evolved into a working coven. This book follows their group’s evolution, from first meeting to networking with other women’s groups and the community.

Inside A Witches’ Coven by Edain McCoy (Llewellyn, 1997) looks at the way one coven works, and gives extensive tips and instructions for finding, organizing, and running a coven. Also goes into networking with other groups.

Circle Guide to Pagan Groups by Circle Sanctuary. First published in 1970, this guide had been updated every few years ever since. It is far from complete, but each issue has more listings than the one before. If you have a Pagan gathering place, occult store, open circle, or similar organization, please consider being listed in their next edition. See Appendix F for the address.

Circle Network News, Summer 1986: “Group Dynamics.” As of this writing, back issues of this periodical are still available. Please see Appendix F for the address, or check out a current copy of the paper for information on ordering this back issue.

The Phoenix From the Flame by Vivianne Crowley (Aquarian, 1994) contains a whole chapter of good networking tips, and an appendix called “Pagan Resources Guide.”

Positive Magic by Marion Weinstein (Phoenix, 1981) has a chapter on group dynamics called “Widening the Circle.” This book also provides an excellent introduction to natural magick.

To Ride a Silver Broomstick by Silver RavenWolf (Llewellyn, 1993) has a chapter called “Webweaving” that focuses on ideas for making safe Pagan/Wiccan contacts. This is also an excellent introduction to eclectic Wicca.

Wiccan Resources: A Guide to the Witchcraft Community by Michael Thorn (self-published, 1992) seeks to be a guide to the entire North American Pagan/Wiccan community. Write for current price with self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) to Michael Thorn, P. 0. Box 408, Shirley, NY 11967-0408.

Women’s Rituals by Barbara G. Walker (HarperCollins, 1990) is a collection of rituals and group celebration ideas from an eclectic women’s spirituality viewpoint. This is a great book for generating fresh ideas for any Pagan group.

Casting the Circle: A Women’s Book of Ritual by Diane Stein (Crossing Press, 1990) is a collection of rituals for eclectic women’s spirituality groups. It also contains rituals for women’s rites of passage.

Also be sure to check out other Celtic, Pagan/Wiccan, and women’s spirituality journals for ads about contacts (see Appendix F). If you run your own ad, be as specific as possible about what you’re looking for while still sounding flexible. If someone perceives you as too rigid, or thinks that you might be difficult to work with, they will ignore your ad and look elsewhere.

Above all, use common sense about when, where, and how you meet people for the first time. Don’t put yourself in danger. Don’t rush, and don’t push. Trust that, with effort, the right women will make themselves known to you. Then enjoy whatever relationship develops.

The eight women with whom I explored facets of Celtic women’s spirituality all came together almost by accident. No one ever expected that we would really meet again after our first contact. My friend Avi and I had placed an ad in an alternative publication seeking women interested in exploring women’s spirituality in an eclectic setting. We got one response from a woman named Pam; we met her for the first time at a well-lit coffee shop. Though she was then practicing as an eclectic solitary, Pam had once been part of a Celtic coven and had taught herself to read Irish Gaelic. This fit in nicely with both my Irish focus and with Avi’s Scottish one. Needless to say, the three of us got along great, and agreed to meet again.

Pam was so enthused about our second meeting, at which the three of us talked until nearly dawn, that she asked if we wanted to meet some other women she knew-not with the idea of starting a coven, but just to have a women’s network for the benefit of us all. Avi and I agreed and, three weeks later, the other five women met with us on a sunny Sunday afternoon in a northeast San Antonio park.

Like Avi and myself, three of the other women were already involved in another coven. To our delight it turned out to be the very large, active coven that had grown out of the one in which Avi and I had been initiated seven years before, and we found we knew several people in common. The other two women had previously worked only with one another and weren’t really interested in changing that pattern. They had lots of experience in Paganism, but had been hesitant about meeting with others, and came to Pam’s impromptu gathering very reluctantly.

As we all began to talk about our spiritual backgrounds and current interests, a decidedly Celtic theme began to emerge. The two hesitant women, Cheryl and Karen, had been defining themselves as general Goddess worshippers who had once focused on Middle Eastern and Polynesian Goddesses, but had recently been looking into the spiritual traditions of their Celtic heritage. The other three, a mother and daughter and the mother’s best friend, were part of an eclectic coven, but were centered on the Celtic in their personal practices. The mother, Donna, was a Priestess of Cerridwen. Her daughter, Tracey, was only seventeen, but was impressively knowledgeable about the Arthurian traditions. Donna’s best friend, Joanne, had Rhiannon as her patron Goddess.

Though we never developed into a fully working coven, we got along great and enjoyed exploring women’s spirituality with a Celtic focus. We had no fights or ego wars, we respected each other’s traditions, and we always remained free to work within our own covens.

Those seven women represented some of the best attributes of the modern Celtic woman. They were self-possessed and giving, curious and wise.

Questions About Groups for the Celtic Woman

The following questions are among the many you should ask of yourself before seriously looking for a group or coven to work with. After a group is contacted you will think of many more questions to ask yourself—questions that should be dictated by common sense rather than your deep-felt desire to be a part of a group. Being part of the wrong group can be a hellish experience, even when there is nothing inherently wrong with the women you have connected with, or with their spiritual philosophy. Sometimes energies just don’t blend well; this is no one’s fault. Paganism differs from most religions in that one person is not asked to carry the ritual load. Everyone must do her part, and this requires a consensus from all concerned, a commonality of belief and a similar view of the purpose and meaning of what is being undertaken. Think carefully before taking this step.

Do I classify myself as a Celtic eclectic, or is there one special Celtic tradition in which I am most interested?

Is there a special cultural focus I lean toward? Irish? Scottish? Welsh?

How would I feel if the women in my group or coven decided they wanted to open the group to men?

How many women, at most, would I feel comfortable working with in a group?

Do I want a group that is egalitarian, or do I prefer a hierarchical structure?

What do I want to contribute to a group?

What do I expect a group to give to me? What do I expect to get out of our efforts?

How often do I want to meet with these women? Do I want coven-mates I see once a month, or do I want deeper connections with them?

How would I feel if a woman in the group was a lesbian? Straight? Polyamorous? A mother? A grandmother? A teenager? A transsexual?

What do I know about covens? Have I been in one or known someone who has?

What are the basic ingredients I feel I must have in a group in order to be happy with it? On what issues do I feel I can compromise?

Would I feel the need to start a new group if I cannot find one in which I can be content? Do I know how to go about doing this safely, effectively, and for the good of all concerned?

The Celtic woman walks in peace, but unobtrusively carries her battle weapons; she sees herself as part of the web of all creation, but also as a unique individual of great worth. She loves and respects her family, friends, and community, but also finds inspiration in her solitude. She is a leader, but knows when it is time to let others show the way. She strives to learn and to teach, to share and to keep secrets, to change and yet to remain herself, to be human and be Goddess.

The planet needs more Celtic women, whose bottomless cauldron of inner strength serves as a womb from which a new and better world may be born.