Presenter Biography:

Brendan Myers has studied and practiced Irish Druidry for over twelve years. He holds a Ph.D in philosophy, specializing in ethics, and his articles on Celtic spirituality have been published in numerous journals and magazines in several countries. Originally from Ontario, Canada, he has lived in four different countries including Ireland. He is the author of two books: "Dangerous Religion" (Dubsar House, 2004) and "The Mysteries of Druidry" (New Page, coming in spring 2006).

Speaker Topics:

Celtic Spirituality from a Philosophical Perspective

The Celtic Spirit as we find it both in ancient literature and in the Irish Literary Revival is a romanticism characterized by the near-worship of art and music, warrior prowess, and the wildness of nature, all of which expresses of a general underlying animism. A philosophical approach to this kind of spirituality is one that seeks and expresses these root principles of knowledge, reality, and ethics, using the guidance of human reason as best we can. In this workshop, which will be more like a seminar, we will look at some of the literary sources on Druidry in search of these expressions of principle, to see how they transformed historically from the pre-Christian to the early Christian period, and again in the modern period, and to see how we can understand them and whether they can be continually revived today. The presenter has invented a nine-point "philosophical system" for Druidry based on literary sources, both classical and contemporary, which will be presented to all for discussion. Practical application of the ideas presented here will be explored through a number of meditative techniques, including the "Immramma" (a Celtic form of spirit-flight), the Three Illuminations, and especially through the use of art, music and sound. We will experiment with sound and music, discovering how it affects our bodies and our consciousness, and how it can be used as an instrument for achieving group unity, alterations of consciousness, and personal empowerment.

Paganism and Ethics

The most common statement of ethics is the Wiccan Rede. It is practical and helpful in most circumstances, yet it bears almost no resemblance to the ethical thinking of our ancient forebears in pre-Christian societies. This workshop shall explore some of the different statements of ethics which come to us from ancient sources, from the poetic expressions of the Havamal and the Councils of Cormac, to the more directly philosophical and (poly)theological statements of Plato and Aristotle. I will then suggest an alternative system of ethics for modern Paganism, and open it to discussion.