The Celtic Reconstructionist FAQ

[mdlbear]

From lysana, who contributed to it, comes this link to The CR FAQ -- An Introduction to Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism. If you prefer a brief, more narrative introduction, try this article.

I was particularly intrigued by the realization that the Reformed Druids of North America, founded at Carleton College in 1963, was mostly Celtic Reconstructionist at its roots, and very different from the neopaganism that many of its offshoots have become. (It differs from the CR family of faiths in being more like a pantheistic version of Unitarianism, and in Edit: not taking itself at all seriously being under no illusions about its lack of any continuity of tradition with the ancient Celts.) (See also Wikipedia: Neo-druidism.)

Note to self: self, you really need to update rdna.org. Aside to gmcdavid: hope you don't mind my ganking your icon.

Comments

[gmcdavid.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting this--I found it to be very interesting. BTW, in addition to the Sheltons and Galia (Gerre) Goodman, David and Deborah Frangquist were also at the Carleton reunion last weekend, and spent some time hanging out at Cowling with us. It was a good time.

No problem about the icon. Glad you like it. It (like the Hill) should be open to all.

[mdlbear]

Wish I'd been able to go, but between this year's travel schedule and the short notice it just wasn't feasible.

Thanks for the icon; it may come in handy.

[blackfyr.livejournal.com]

Actually, part of the reason for the FAQ was misunderstandings caused by the article on Witchvox. Of course, that was caused by Witchvox' word limitations that didn't allow for explanations of some of the touchier points.

As for the RDNA, your description of if "being more like a pantheistic version of Unitarianism" actually puts it rather far away from CR, especially because it didn't take itself seriously. I'm sure there are common elements, but that description puts it rather far long toward the opposite end of the Celtic pagan spectrum from CR.

[mdlbear]

Points taken.

It's more than a one-dimensional space, and probably non-Euclidean as well; computing distance is bound to be subjective. There really was a sincere effort at the beginning to reconstruct some of the Celtic mythology and practice, though it didn't go very far -- nowhere near as far as the CR movement has taken it. I see it as closer to CR than to the various neopagan variants that sprang up later.

My comment about "not taking itself seriously" was certainly incorrect, and I'll go back and fix it in a moment. I was really aiming more at the fact that the RDNA is under no illusions, and makes no claims, about a continuity of tradition with the ancient Celts. It's manifested in the RDNA largely as self-irony, but in CR as a scholarly attention to the provenance of ideas.

Thanks for the correction.

[chaoswolf]

You got that domain too? Why didn't you post it in domain_junkies?

[mdlbear]

I did -- you just weren't paying attention.

[chaoswolf]

But that was so long ago.......and we need to talk to johno about myfilksite.net