Pagan Blog Project - D is for Dian Cecht

Dian Cecht

I first read about the subject of today's post in Edain McCoy's book, "Celtic Myth and Magick". Part IV of the book contains a listing of Celtic deities, heroes, and heroines. I was researching pantheons and cultural information to figure out a new magical name for myself after wanting to reflect entering a more adult stage of life (EagleWolf was great, sure, but it didn't sound like something an adult male would be called). I found this book extremely useful for this purpose although, truth be told, no one resource should be used for anything these days. While I picked Miach instead of Dian Cecht, you will soon see that they have a very important connection.

Most of my interest and research in Irish deities focuses on the Tuatha de Dannan. Not much is historically known about them but the myths and folklore are rich with stories that would make a creative writer prosperous for years. Danu, Lugh, Brigid, and Dagda are just some of the deities associated with the Tuatha de Dannan (translates to "people/tribe of Danu"); you can include the lesser known Miach and Dian Cecht among them.

Dian Cecht was a great healer. He had multiple children and the two of note for this post were Airmed, a daughter, and Miach, a son. Their king, Nuada, was injured in a great battle and lost his arm. Dian Cecht, it is said, was able to fasten Nuada a working arm made out of pure silver. His healing powers were widely known and are prevalent within mythological texts. In fact, the people of Ireland have even called upon his healing powers as late as the eighteenth century.

Miach, as I previously alluded, was Dian Cecht's son. Like his father and sister, he inherited some profound gifts for healing. Looking upon his father's healing of their king as mediocre, Miach set out to do better. After enchanting Nuada's arm with an incantation, the people of Danu watched as sinew, bone, and skin grew back over the silver limb over a period of nine days.

It is said that Dian Cecht was so outraged by this feat that he attacked Miach with a sword. Miach's ability to heal was so powerful that the wound healed almost immediately. Growing more furious, Dian Cecht struck a second blow to his son and once again the wound rapidly healed. Even a third blow, hitting Miach's brain, was healed almost instantaneously. Finally, in a ferocious fourth blow, Miach's cranium was punctured by the sword and his brain was sliced in half. Miach was unable to heal this wound and was killed.

You're probably wondering why I chose to take the name of someone who seemed to be treated so harshly by an important figure in the young man's life. His healing powers were profound and yet they were not enough to continue to save Miach's life. I suppose I liked his association as a healer, but also as someone who saw an opportunity to help another and took it. I admire that strength of character and level of compassion.

Unfortunately, the information you just read is practically everything that is known about Miach. I paired the name or "Miach" with "Rhys" because, though Welsh in origin, the basic meaning of that name is "enthusiastic." In my mind combining the two represented the phrase "enthusiastic healer." I have always had an interest in that which heals us and it just seemed to fit. And, on a shallow note, I liked how Celtic-sounding the names were.

Pagan Blog Project - C is Still for Centering

Surprise!

Ya'll thought we were done with centering? No way, Jose! There is so much to say on this subject that I wanted to give you more of my insights. In my previous PBP post I gave you a little bit of information, a breathing technique for centering, and an embedded youtube video featuring the amazing Phyllis Currott. In this post I want to combine two topics: centering (of course...) and crystals.

The crystal kingdom is full of beneficial resources for everything from grounding to enhancing dreams. What some people may not realize, either because they aren't familiar with the energies of crystals or because they haven't found an interest in them, is that crystals are also a pretty useful tool when it comes to centering oneself. For those of you that are able to afford them, you could even go so far as purchasing crystal singing bowls to help you with this process. Sound is also helpful but there is a fine balance between soothing sound and distracting noise.


One of the most common crystals, clear quartz, can be used by holding it your hands and gazing into the facets. There are times when the transparency of clear quartz helps me focus on doing the same to my mind. I think the act of focusing on something else is a great way for us to train our minds to quiet down, especially when our mundane lives are filled with due dates, deadlines, and co-workers.

I also find that calcite, specifically the blue and green varieties, are effective. While they have other uses, one of their best qualities in my mind is their ability to calm me. This is very useful in meditation and other avenues where we want ourselves relaxed and calm. Calcite is also, in my experience, useful for helping with stabilizing emotions. Calcite is useable on most of the chakras, but specifically the heart and throat chakras, in my experience.

Lastly, I want to mention Amethyst. It's association with meditation, the third eye, and soothing energies are all pretty well known. It is best used in it's tumbled form for this purpose but you may use whatever you have available. Amethyst's energies lend well to helping us gain mental focus.

The purpose of these crystals is not to excite us, to fill us with energy or passion, but to aid us in calming our minds and bodies down enough that we can center ourselves and our own energies. Just as crystals are useful in centering, so too can be burning incense or lighting a candle. I suggest that you experiment with each method until you find a couple solutions that work for you.

Cue Headache in 10...9...

Irish mythology is like crack; I love to get my hands on it but when the effects wear off there is major sickness. Okay, not in the literal sense, thank goodness. I just feel like there are times when the myths turn into circles upon circles with no clear answers. Part of that has to do with the way the Ancient Irish conveyed information. It also has a little to do with how Christianity swooped in and started taking over (really, I'm not bitter).

Don't even get me started on Danu and the Morrigan and how they're the same deity in some instances and different ones in others. Unless you call her Anu instead of Danu. Mostly.

Gotta love all the hard work this path gives us, huh? End of rant.

The Thing About Labels is that Sometimes They Stick

In this day and age, we have names for everything. Wicca is no exception to this. What magickal labels do you give yourself? For example, I am an eclectic, Wiccan, Witch. What do your call yourself? A Wiccan? A Witch? Pagan? What makes one a Wiccan and not a Witch? Or in order to truly understand how magick and force of will works...are you automatically a Witch as well, even though you may not cast circles? Where do we draw the lines with the labels? Why have you chosen the labels you claim?

In this post I will be tackling another of the Pagan Blog Prompts. I find this an interesting one because there seem to be two types of people in this world: those that abandon the ideas of using labels for ourselves and, by contrast, those that peel and stick to themselves (um, metaphorically...) whatever labels they can come up with. To begin, I don't think either one is necessarily wrong. After all, we're each individuals and should have the autonomy to decide for ourselves what we share about who we are.

For me, labels make everything easier. You just have to go back to your biology class days to know that classification by phylum, order, and species make the scientific world function. There is no shame in that. I think the hesitation of labeling oneself for some is the fear of not being able to escape those classifications down the road, and perhaps that is justified. Quite simply, I also worry at times that to certain people I look more as the labels themselves rather than using them.

I call myself a Celtic Pagan. I sometimes use the term Celtic Wiccan, though there are a few aspects of Wicca that I don't agree with. Those concerns sometime make me wonder whether or not I am a Wiccan in the sense that I do not subscribe to the plausibility of he threefold law and Wiccan Rede in my practice. Science tells us that there is an equal and opposite reaction and yet we are to assume that a negative deed will have three times the repercussions just because we are Wiccan and not Catholic or of some other denomination? I don't buy it, but that is a topic for another post entirely.

I associate with other labels as well. I am an American, a writer, a human, gay, alive, and caring. I am actually more than each of those individual things, although combining all of them into one category does give another a closer idea of who I am. The words that we choose to associate with ourselves are powerful, much more than the words that others would choose to classify us with. The label system works because we embrace those labels and discard the terms that we aren't comfortable with. To some I would be called a sinner. Since my spirituality has no concept of sin I would denounce that label. What we choose to associate with who we are is the key, not what others try to push onto us.

Just real quick...

Wishing everyone a Happy Imbolc!

Re: Pagan Blog Project 2014

It seems I am already caught up. I surprised myself with that one! The posts for the project will be posted every Friday. There will be other posts throughout the rest of the week as well. Thanks for your support!

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Pagan Blog Project - C is for Centering

Grounding and Centering. It's one of those things found in nearly every Wicca 101 book. It is also a very useful practice, especially when preparing the body and mind for ritual, spell, or energy work. The purpose of this post is going to be on centering. I might cover grounding in a later post if it is something that people are interested in.

Centering is most easily explained as a method in which to quiet the mind and body. Grounding is all about energy while centering is about calming in preparation of ritual activity. As an insomnia suffer, there are times when I will even center myself prior to bed in an attempt to help me fall asleep faster. It doesn't always work but I am able to notice a difference in my demeanor at the very least.

There are a dozen or so methods of centering. There is one method in a linked video at the end of this post that you should check out. I have used that method before but I have found an easier way to do it and I would like to share it with you. As always, each of us are different people and some of us are on different paths. What works for me may not work for you and there is nothing wrong with that. However, I think almost anyone will be able to use this method.

Are you ready? Okay, here it is. My tip is to breathe. Just breathe in and out with your body's normal rhythm; there is no need to force yourself to stretch out breaths uncomfortably or breathe so rapidly that you become on the verge of hyperventilating. Focus on your breath as it goes in and out. It is just that simple, folks.

This is essentially Mindfulness Meditation, a technique that I have been using to try to help me with my anxiety. I find it powerful that I can utilize the same technique for a variety of applications, both mundane and spiritual. This is something that you can perform all on your own and without the use of crystals, incense, chants, or even having to find a spot to sit down. I have even gone into restrooms at department stores to perform this technique, at times going even further to perform shielding (a technique of energetic protection using energy and visualization).

Centering is like giving yourself a jolt of focus; it can be done quickly while waiting for a bus or even on a lunch break. Some ground and center prior to daily devotionals. If you attempt this technique please let me know how it works for you. And, of course, if it makes you feel more witchy to have incense burning and an oversized rose quartz wand in your hand, go for it.