The Hallowquest

Celtic Workshop #20 - "The Hallowquest"

This workshop covers the Celtic Tarot card set and book "The Hallowquest" by John and Cai'tlin Matthews. This deck developed out of many years of study by these two Celtic scholars. They felt a need for a system that was more purely Celtic in it's nature. This transcript contains the first eleven cards and some preliminary discussions about the deck. The last eleven cards of the Greater Powers will be uploaded as HQUEST.TXT in Library 16. I will also cover some of the other lesser cards. This is all done to facilitate the discussion for next week's workshop. In the next workshop I plan to discuss the meditations, divination system and other major components of "Hallowquest" in next week's workshop.

Celtic Workshop #20 - "The Hallowquest"
_________________________________________________________________________

Wren | Hi, O'D!
Rowan | Hello? Is this the Celtic discussion? This
| is the first time I have tried this so please
| be patient.
CathyH | I thought it was the wet t-shirt contest.
O'Dubhain | yes Rowan this is the Celtic Workshop
Rhianna | Good evening, everyone!
| wet t-shirt contest???
O'Dubhain | Hi Rhianna!
| Welcome!
| Fa'ilte!
Rhianna | I always come in during the middle of
| something!
| Hiya OD! :-)
Rowan | If we will be talking about the Hallowquest I
| have a short blurb on it. Can I just send it
| on through?
O'Dubhain | sure
M&J | good evening, all.
Rhianna | MM, M&J!
Pictus | MM All
too tall | wazup
M&J | too tall?
| Deuce, is that you?
too tall | yup
M&J | gawd!
O'Dubhain | Fa'ilte Pictus!
too tall | whos deuce?
O'Dubhain | Welcome everyone
faust | hi
O'Dubhain | This is indeed the Celtic Workshop
Rowan | I don't think I can "paste" it right in, just
| tried. Maybe I should post it as a message
| for later. It's about three paragraphs,
| maybe too long for this.
O'Dubhain | maybe
| but you can paste it a few sentences at a time
Pictus | Ciad Mile Failte!
O'Dubhain | if you shorten the lines a bit
Rhianna | Hi Pictus!
Rowan | I have really enjoyed the Hallowquest cards
| and book by the Matthews. I first purchased
| the cards, which have a small book that
| goes with them, but when I purchased the real
| book, I was very impressed.
Pictus | [[[Rhianna]]]
O'Dubhain | Ta me go mhaith, go raibh maith agat!
Cygnus | Evenin', folks. Hope I'm not intruding....
Pictus | Slainte a Fhain
Rowan | However, in the last couple of months, these
| cards came up in some most interesting
| places...
| First, an Arthurian scholar friend of mine
| came by and started talking about Tarot.
| When I showed her the Matthews deck, she was
| blown a way and I bought her the deck for her
| birthday.
O'Dubhain | <G>
Rowan | She uses them for inspiration rather than
| divination.
| A few weeks ago, at the Pagan Spirit
| Gathering in Wisconsin, I attended a workshop
| on Welsh mythology and the leader of the talk
| was also employing the book and cards in a
| similar way.
O'Dubhain | Rowan>Where did you purchase the cards?
faust | rowan> have you tried medicine cards?
Wren | Rowan, do you mean the story exercises?
Cygnus | Rhianna, you wouldn't happen to be Rhianna
| Whirlwind, would you?
O'Dubhain | I've gotten the book but can't find the cards
Nancy | OD>>>>>>Kris is trying to get in here on
| DOSCIM
| Help her?
O'Dubhain | ok
Rhianna | Nope, not me!
Rowan | At the SCA's Pennsic War, but I find them in
| most book stores now.
Nancy | Help her OD? She's #27, I think.
Cygnus | Blast. she's a circle sister of mine, and I
| haven't seen her since she left Drachenwald
| in 92.
Rowan | No, I have not really looked at Medicine
| Cards, but they get a lot of good press in
| the Tarot books.
Nancy | OD...she's in now..it's ok.
faust | r> they are faboulous
Rhianna | Drachenwald??
Nancy | ust
O'Dubhain | OK
| let's get started shall we?
faust | si senor
O'Dubhain | This is a formal confrence
| so that means that there is a presenter
cherokee | kosp here
O'Dubhain | and he(me) will lead the discussion
| anyone wanting to comment should interject a !
| or to ask a question use a ?
| I'll try to track and call on you in turn
| at the end we will have a completely open
| discussion
| as well.
| Everyone ready?
Rowan | yes
Pictus | *
M&J | let's do it!
Wren | yuppers
Rhianna | Yep!
O'Dubhain | Some of this is formatted...I hope
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | it retains its appearance!:)
Trailstalker | evening one and all
O'Dubhain | "The Hallowquest"
| The Hallowquest book by John and Cai'tlin
| Matthews is an entire system of Celtic
| Mysteries centered around the images of
| the Hallowquest Deck (based upon the
| Celtic, mythical and medieval Arthurian
| Mythos). There is also a "gwddbwyll"
| board, an Arthurian Zodiac, the Four
| Hallows (Sword,Spear,Grail and Stone),
| the four estates (or enclosures), 16
| portals of initiation, four houses
| (Lothian&Orkney, Pelinor, Benwick and
| Pendragon), a number of "pathworking"
| relationships and the totem animals.
| All in all, it is a very complete and
| complicated system that requires
| meditation and study to master. Having
| said all that, I think it's the best
| single book I've ever seen on Celtic
Rhianna | .
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | archetypes, myths, legends, practices
| and divination. There are enough
| references to Celtic heroes, God/desses
| and tales to keep a serious Celtic scholar
| busy for years tracking down more complete
| information on each!<GGG> I'm sure I will
| enjoy the search!<G>
| Most Tarot decks don't really synchronize
| with my inner being. They seem to me alien
| and foreign. I don't identify with them like
| I do with the characters in the Hallowquest
| deck. I think that the Matthews must have
| had folks like me in mind when they developed
| the deck!:) Maybe they are folks like me?
| Maybe they are folks like us?<GGG>
Rhianna | .
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | The Hallowquest deck is set up along
| traditional Tarot lines with some loose
| correspondences that are basically the
| following:
| .
| "The Tarot Correspondences"
| .
| Number Traditional Hallowquest
| __________________________________________
| 0 The Fool The Seeker in
| the Wasteland
| .
| I The Magician Merlin
| .
| II The High The Lady of
| Priestess the Lake
| .
| III The Empress Guinevere
| .
| IV The Emperor Arthur
cherokee | .
| VI The Lovers The White Hart
| .
| VII The Chariot Prydwen
| .
| VIII Strength Gawain
| .
| IX The Hermit The Grail Hermit
| .
| X The Wheel of The Round Table
| Fortune
| .
| Number Traditional Hallowquest
| __________________________________________
| .
| XI Justice Sovereignty
Rhianna | .
cherokee | .
Rowan | ! I like the images and scholarship of the
| Hallowquest decks: permeating themes like the
| Cult of the Head as well as certain cards
| such as The Washer at the Ford for the Death
| card, The Flowering of Logres for the World
| card, and more. An inspired deck.
O'Dubhain | Ok
| please wait to interject such a long comment.
| Some of the tables may look strange as well
| depending on how your fonts are set up
| I will edit the transcripts to make certain
| that the alignments are proper
| Thanks Rowan...I plan to cover each card in
| detail...
| .
| XII The Hanged Man The Wounded King
| .
| XIII Death The Washer at the
| Ford
| .
| XIV Temperance The Cauldron
| .
| XV The Devil The Green Knight
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | .
| XVI The Tower The Spiral Tower
| .
| XVII The Star The Star of Prophecy
| .
| XVIII The Moon The Moon
| .
| XIX The Sun The Sun
| .
| XX The Last The Sleeping Lord
| Judgement
| .
| XXI The World The Flowering of
| Logres
| .
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | The Four Hallow Suits and Correspondences
| ____________________________________________
| .
| HQuest Tarot Cards Season Elemnt Color
| ____________________________________________
| Sword Swords Spades Spring Air Yellow
| Spear Wands Clubs Summer Fire Red
| Grail Cups Hearts Autumn Water Blue
| Stone Pentacle Diamond Winter Earth Green
| .
| The Composition of the Suits
| __________________________________________
| .
| Aces = The Sword, the Spear, The Grail,
| The Stone
| Cards
| (2-9) = The landscape of the Hallowquest
| for the Seeker's journey.
| .
| Card 10 = A castle represents a court for
| each of the Hallows.
| .
Rhianna | .
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | Court
| Cards = The Maiden, Knight, Queen, and
| King of each Hallow castle.
| .
| Please note that there are no implicit
| reversed meanings, as each of the
| Hallowquest members can be dualistic in
| nature just as Life itself is often a
| mixture of good/bad, fortunate/unlucky,
| beautiful/ugly, light/dark. The
| interpretation of the deck should be
| done on an individual basis according to
| the authors (also my experience in many
| divinations). The authors recommend becoming
| familiar with each of the archetypes and
| then performing an individual meditation.
| This is don by establish a personal
| relationship to each archetype of the deck.
Rhianna | .
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | Those who wish to read the Hallowquest
| should know the character and nature of each
| of the Greater Powers intimately and
| automatically. These cards should become
| living beings to the Seeker or the reader.
| Once one knows the players in the quest,
| their relationships and meanings should
| speak for themselves.
| .
| I will give here a brief description of each
| of the Greater Powers of the Hallowquest. I
| may also suggest other archetypes as they
| occur to me (being Irish and wanting to
| identify more closely with Irish
| Archetypes<GGG>).
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | "The Seeker"
| .
| Where to start but at the beginning? How to
| question, but with an open mind? Where to
| look , but in the lands of the High and the
| home of the Mysteries? These are some of the
| characteristics of the novice, of the
| traveler, of the Seeker. On this card is the
| rainbow bridge of many colors, many questions
| and many answers. Also there are the birds of
| Rhiannon who sing on the Tree of Life of the
| joys, the sorrows and the realms of the
| Otherworld where much of our quest awaits us.
| To start the journey requires an open mind
| (much as to start an Astral journey requires a
| meditation and a denial of the self or the
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | consciousness). To learn to walk one must be
| as a little child and boldly step forth again
| and again to attain the reward. Wisemen will
| not attempt such an arduous task easily. They
| weigh the merits in the balance of conscious
| judgements. We must be as the Serendiptious
| Fool and embark upon our journey into the
| Unknown. It is there where the answers await
| us. It is there where we are truly our
| complete selves. It is there that the Grail
| will give us rebirth and life eternal. The
| Seeker is the symbol of the trust of the
| child, the discontent of the divine, the
| power of creation and creativity, the spirit
| of discovery, the half full cup of eternity!
| .
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | "Merlin"
| .
| On this card is an image of a middle aged man
| with long hair and a beard. He looks directly
| at us and through us! He is seated before a
| table that appears to be a dolmen. Upon this
| table is a map of Britain and also the four
| hallows of the Quest (Sword, Spear, Grail and
| Stone). Above his head are the White Dragon of
| the Saxons and the Red Dragon of the Britons.
| They are interlocked in eternal struggle as a
| moebius knot, devouring each other in typical
| Celtic scrollwork fashion. In the background
| are two towers, each with a pathway leading to
| the altar of Merlin. One of these towers is in
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | ruins. It is the tower of Vortigen, the unworthy
| king of Britain. Vortigen is the maker of
| compromises with the Saxons.These are invariably
| violated and broken. To take refuge from the
| anger of the people, Vortigen attempts to build
| a tower. Three times it falls into ruin. Merlin
| tells him that the tower will not stand because
| in the cavern beneath it, the Red Dragon
| eternally struggles with the White Dragon.
| A house built upon compromise will not stand.
| Vortigen is doomed. The other tower represents
| the observatory of Merlin having 70 doors and
| windows. It is built in Celtic fashion as a
| circular all with a peaked center roof.
| Mallory
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | not withstanding, earlier works say that Merlin
| voluntarily retires to his island from which
| he observes the skies for omens and portents of
| the future. He is the guardian of Britain that
| has been given the name, Clas Myrddin,
| or Merlin's Enclosure. In this "glass house"
| upon Bardsey Island he is said to live still
| and safeguard the 13 treasures of Britain.
| According to the Matthews, the meaning of this
| card in divinations is the impulse of creation,
| mastery
| through discipline, perception on all levels,
| synchronizing to one's true life patterns and
| the ability to handle any situation through
| initiative and creativity. I believe this is
| what Douglas Monroe was describing when he
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | talked about Druidic "Authority". Merlin is
| the master by means of study, creative
| energies and realistic "seeing" IMHO!<GGG>
| .
| "The Lady of the Lake"
| .
| This is the card that has always attracted
| me the most! She is always in the background
| of the story, the Magicks, the healing and
| the Spirit of the Otherworld! She is the
| connection between the King and his Magick.
| She is the Wisdom of the ages and the guardian
| of Truth! She is depicted in this Hallowquest
| card as sitting upon a throne of reeds on an
| island in the middle of a lake. She holds a
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | sword and a book resting opened upon her lap.
| At her feet is a basket and to her right is a
| crane. She is said to be the foster mother of
| both Arthur and Lancelot by the Matthews
| (according to traditions, French and English).
| As such, she follows in the line of many
| Celtic women that took in sons and daughters
| to raise as an extended family. The sword
| represents the Sword of Power but can also
| represent instruction in the use of the sword.
| Such was custom in Celtic days and many a
| Celtic
| woman was expert in the use of the sword.
| Scathach and Aife were swordmasters and
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | instructors. This is how Cuchuallain and Ferdia
| mac Damin learned the sword feat (among others)!
| <G> The Lady of the Lake appears at the
| beginning
| of the story of Arthur, providing the Sword of
| Power. She is there during the glory years and
| takes him in charge at the end after the Battle
| of Camlan. She is the Initiator into the
| Otherworldly knowledge. She is the guardian of
| the inner wisdom. When she appears during a
| divination, her attributes can be esoteric
| knowledge, wisdom, learning, healing,
| instruction or guidance and inspiration.
| .
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | "Guinevere"
| .
| Though Guinevere was later painted to be
| guilty
| of love for Lancelot. This is not true in the
| earlier tales. She is said to be one of the
| "three gentle golden-torqued ladies of Britain"
| in a quote from "Trioedd Ynys Prydein" as
| translated by Rachel Bromwich. It is as
| Gwenhwyfar that she upholds the integrity of
| the court of the king. She is representative
| of the "Flower Bride", a creation of the
| Otherworld and the connection between the king
| and the Land. As such, she represents the
| Goddess of Sovereignty. If she finds the king
| wanting, she appoints herself a champion to
| challenge him and to reawaken him to his duties
| to the Land. She is a barometer of the king's
| relationship to the Land. When she is forlorn
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | the king has ignored the Land. When she is
| vibrant and alive, he is One with the Land.
| Many times she is said to be the Triple
| Gwenhwyfar. In some stories, it is from her
| father that the Round Table is obtained. She
| is the archetypal Empress of Logres
| (the Inner Britain). She is the awareness
| of the Land. She is the spinner of the web
| of life. She is the connection between the king
| and the people,. She is the symbol of the peace
| and contentment of the realm. In divinations,
| this card can mean energy in creative growth,
| fertility, material and spiritual health,
| harmony (or the lack of it), beauty, abundance
| and prosperity.
| .
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | "Arthur"
| .
| Arthur sits upon a mountain top, long hair
| flowing behind him unbound. He is contemplative
| as the Dragon banner flows out behind him
| (looking like a chinese dragon kite). He has
| the sword Excalibur across his knees and a spear
| behind him parallelling the Dragon banner. A
| Cornish chough is perched in the foreground
| (this bird is a member of the crow family, but
| has a red beak and feet reminiscent of the
| Otherworld). The chough is Arthur's totem
| bird.
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | Here is a man that many know in a multitude
| of different ways. Everyone knows him and yet
| they each know a different Arthur. Is he the
| Medieval King of Knights? Is he the Dark Age
| Battle duke of Britain? Is he a Celtic
| God/hero? Is he a Romano/Britanic chieftan?
| Is he a Druid Prince? The Hallowquest
| deck attempts to portray him as a blend of all.
| He is a legend more than a man and the Heroic
| Archetype. He is primarily a man of fate and
| destiny, hence the element of Stone and Earth.
| If he attempts to depart from the role of king
| to be just a man, his fate bears down upon him.
| It is only when he is the King that the Land
| rejoices and the Goddess of Sovereignty
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | supports him. It is from the Land (Sovereignty)
| that he is born, trained, supported and
| eventually he is transported and sheltered
| to come again in the time of greatest need
| (of the land). It is no surprise that
| Dion Fortune and her group of Mages
| manifested the image of Arthur, mailed and
| upon a black stallion during their Magical work
| for Britain during World War II. In some of the
| stories, Arthur even leads his troops into the
| underworld of Annwn to rescue his Queen
| (Gwenhwyfar) and while there is empowered by
| the Goddess of Sovereignty. Arthur is the
| Emperor of Logres. He is the focal point of
| the Power of the Land. His strength and energy
| are the fate of Britain. He is the gateway
cherokee | .
Rhianna | .
O'Dubhain | for the Power of Sovereignty to flow through
| into this world from the Other. For divination
| this card means leadership, power for good,
| organization, courage, fatherhood, authority
| and dynamic energy.
| .
| I had planned to go through about
| eleven of the Greater Powers tonight
| and perhaps the other eleven next week.
| Perhaps it would be be better for me
| to upload the remaining cards so that
| we can discuss the other merits
| of the "Hallowquest" book in a timely
| manner? We seem to be experiencing a bit
| of attenuation here on attendance.
cherokee | <G>
O'Dubhain | What's the class think?
| <G>
Nancy | sure!
M&J | OK
Rhianna | Uploading the stuff sounds fine to me!
O'Dubhain | Ok Here's the plan then...
cherokee | night all
Nancy | Osiris crashed.
cherokee | im pooped
O'Dubhain | I'll paste the remainder of the first
cherokee | <G>
O'Dubhain | eleven cards in here
Rhianna | G'nigh cher!
M&J | g'night, cherokee
Nancy | Night Cher.
cherokee | wib
O'Dubhain | I will also upload the remaining eleven and
| some of the field cards as well and place them
| in the library. We will then have a common
| framework for everyone to discuss.
Rhianna | Cool!
M&J | ?
O'Dubhain | The divination and meditation techniques
| alone will make for a lengthy discussion.
| Ga M&J
Rhianna | ?
M&J | Are you suggesting calling it a night now, or
| shall we continue here
| just with more general stuff?
| ga
O'Dubhain | I have some more comments to make
M&J | good.
O'Dubhain | and then perhaps a little discussion
| then we'll see.
| ok Rhianna ga
Rhianna | Re: the minor arcana ... they are
| illustrated, not just pip
| cards, right?
| ga
O'Dubhain | That's right....they have the landscape
| of Logres on them
| amd there is more...just listen!<G>
Rhianna | Oops. Sorry ! <G>
|
O'Dubhain | (These cards were "pasted" here after
| we finished the workshop)
|
| "Taliesin"
| Taliesin, the greatest of Bards, the transformed
| one from the cauldron of Ceridwen sits in a
| firelit hall. He has a golden band across his
| brow and the feathered cloak of a master about
| his shoulders. At his feet sit two children,
| representing the future and the growth of
| knowledge. Golden links of tradition connect him
| to the children as the link pass from his hands
| to theirs. Born Gwion Bach and transformed
| through many shape changes into the infant
| Taliesin as a result of Ceridwen's pursuit.
| This tale of transformation is symbolic of
| the quests a Bard would have to undertake into
| the many levels of knowledge to be found in
| the Otherworld. Through such totemic flights
| of the "Awen", the Bard is able to experience
| all of creation and transform this gift into
| living images in the minds of his audience.
| Taliesin has been before and after. He has
| been with many warriors and many kings. In the
| 9th century "Preiddeu Annwn " he accompanies
| Arthur into the Underworld. Taliesin who abides
| in the "region of the summer stars", is also
| liked to us through his many works. These are
| mostly to be found in the "Book of Taliesin".
| Taliesin is our bridge to the wisdom of the
| Otherworld. Here is the guardian of wisdom!
| Here is one that can use the "Awen" to see
| the future or the past! Here is a teacher
| and a guide to the images that appear before
| us all! The card's meaning for divination is
| tradition, revelation, inspiration, heritage,
| counseling, the revelation of the spiritual
| within the ordinary, initiation.
|
O'Dubhain | "The White Hart"
|
| On this card we see a hunter with a sparrowhawk
| kneeling before a beautiful maiden with a basket
| or a jug. They have chanced an encounter in a
| glen of the forest as the hunter pursues the
| magical White Hart that stands in the background.
| This is really a card about two things, The
| Otherworldly White Hart and the lovers, Enid and
| Gereint. The story of the lovers is told in the
| Mabinogion. Gereint is a knight of King Arthur's
| court who pursues Edern ap Nudd to avenge an
| insult he has made to Queen Guinevere. Gereint
| is given arms and armor by Earl Yniwl, who is
| also and enemy of Edern. The two knights meet at
| the Sparrowhawk contest, where Gereint defeats
| all comers, including Edern. Guinivere is avenged
| and Gereint wins both the Sparrowhawk and Enid,
| Yniwl's daughter, who is has championed. The hunt
| for the White Hart has occurred during Gereint's
| absence with Arthur himself capture the beast and
| taking its head as a trophy. The White Hart is
| awarded to Gereint and Enid and they marry with
| the Queen's blessing. In the telling of the tale
| of the two lovers, the head of the White Hart
| symbolizes the call of the Otherworld to deepen
| love and commitment which happens to both as
| there time together increases. The White Hart is
| the symbolic quest of the spirit that only a
| king, a champion or a lover can accomplish. The
| hunt for the White Hart may be a precursor to
| the quest for the Grail itself. The more one
| hunts such an Otherworldly object, the more
| drawn to love one becomes. The White Hart itself
| is representative of the sexual desire between
| men and women and the deepening of the bond
| that ties, even beyond death. In divination,
| this cards means, love, sex, spiritual love,
| fulfillment of desire, friendship and the merging
| into oneness of two souls.
|
O'Dubhain | "Pryden"
|
| This card shows us the magical ship, Pryden,
| as it traverses a raging sea and serpents on
| a trip into the Underworld at Arthur's biding.
| This scene is similar to what must have occurred
| in the telling of the tale "Preiddeu Annwn" when
| Arthur journeys into the Underworld to win the
| cauldron of Pen Annwn, one of the Hallows of
| Britain. Pryden is able to journey past the
| seven towers with the cauldron. The heroes of
| the crew are able to win the release of a divine
| youth (similar to Mabon). Only seven of the
| companions return. This is similar to the voyage
| of Bran to rescue his sister, Branwen, from
| Ireland (only seven return from this journey as
| well, thanks to the Irish use of the cauldron of
| rebirth). Arthur makes other voyages on Pryden
| to gain Otherworldly treasures as well. The
| telling of the tales of Pryden and Arthur seem
| to be an immram (wonder tale) where the earlier
| tales of Bran are being absorbed into the greater
| mythos of Arthur. The archetypal meaning of this
| card is said by the Matthews to be, "so that the
| inner life becomes the basis for a sound outer
| life". It is also said to represent the rewards
| for hard work and faith in one's abilities. It
| represents the victories to be obtained by
| balancing insight and effort. In divinations, it
| means victory, focus of effort towards a goal,
| accomplishment, travel, testing and goal setting.
|
O'Dubhain | "Gawain"
|
| This card depicts Gawain standing with sword and
| shield raised (a pentagram is upon the shield!)
| He is in a pass between two mountains and a
| hawk soars overhead backlit by the Sun. Gawain
| is also called Gwalchmai. He is the champion of
| the Goddess of Sovereignty and fittingly so since
| he is also the King's nephew. He may also be
| entitled to the title of tanaiste (a pre-chosen
| successor to the king, another Celtic custom).
| Gawain is perhaps best known to us from the tale
| of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" where he has
| many Otherworldly contests and experiences
| (including being involved in the "beheading game").
| Gwalchmai means the "Hawk of May". Gawain's
| strength increases up to midday, traditionally.
| The may be tied into the wheel of the year and
| the cycles between Light and Dark as well. Gawain
| is the knight that goes into battle in the place of
| the king to see his will done. Gawain represents
| the fulfillment of knighthood, physically and
| spiritually whole and healthy. He exhibits
| strength and compassion, judgement and mercy. He
| is the epitome of balance. For divination,
| interpret this card to mean self-discipline,
| endurance, balance in all abilities, morality
| without being overly righteous and courage to
| stick to a call once a challenge has been accepted.
|
O'Dubhain | "The Grail Hermit"
|
| On this card is a bearded, long-haired man who is
| resting with his back against a menhir (covered in
| mystic runes and symbols). A dove sits above him
| and his staff has begun to develop flowers. His
| hut is in the clearing in the background. In his
| lap is book in which he is writing. This card
| shows us a being or person that is the synthesis
| of the Pagan and the Christian legends surrounding
| the Grail. In some stories this hermit is Brons
| and in others he is a line of hermits that descend
| from Joseph of Arimathea. His function is to serve
| as an information source for the questers and a
| refuge for the weary. He always knows more than he
| tells but none go away without learning more about
| the quest or themselves. He serves sometimes as the
| fosterer of the Grail winner (along with the Lady
| of the Lake), He is always mysterious and records
| the quest in his book. He is open to all, Pagan or
| Christian and is neither Druid nor priest, but
| perhaps a little of both? He warns of the dangers
| to come, assuages fears and guides the lost. For
| divination, the card means guidance, spiritual
| truth, counsel of the wisdom of the old one, a
| pause to reflect, a meditation, listening to one's
| True Will or Inner Self, Inner Strength.
|
O'Dubhain | "The Round Table"
|
| This card is a hawk's eye looking at us. Reflected
| in the pupil is the reflection of the entire
| mystery of the Hallowquest. In the depth's of the
| hawk's sight we see a henge of standing stones
| (Stonehenge restored). Above the henge is the
| Round Table , looking very like the astrological
| division of the year. This is all surmounted by
| the Grail itself , surrounded in light and
| encircled by twelve stars. This card symbolizes
| the fellowship of the knights. It is a microcosm
| of the Land and the quest. It is the sacred site
| of assembly and as such it is symbolized by a
| three fold symbol: The henge, the table and the
| Grail. When all three tables or symbols are
| present at once all of life is in harmony. This
| is another card representing the Pagan past, the
| bridge of Arthur and his knights to the future of
| Christianity and the Grail. The Round Table is an
| archetype that will manifest within every age as
| a symbol for the quest of the spirit as well as
| the cycling of cosmic laws on the wheel of
| forever. As such it represents the fundamental
| truths we must grasp by observing the patterns
| of life as they change around us and in us. This
| card represents evolution, karma, cosmic law,
| the phases of a project and the adaptation of a
| process to change.
|
| (End of cards that were "pasted in later)
|
O'Dubhain | These are the first eleven of the twenty two
| cards of the Greater Powers of the Hallowquest.
| Next time we will discuss the remaining eleven
| and the gwddbwyll board itself as well as the
| Land of Logres (or Inner Britain). The
| Hallowquest is another entire world, a Celtic
| Otherworld, if you will, where we can once
| again experience the Magicks of Merlin and
| the Majesty that was Arthur!
| In this Hallowquest adventure, I think
Rhianna | .
O'Dubhain | we will find ourselves reliving the Arthurian
| Mythos through the archetypes and perhaps
| we will play a game of fidchel or gwddbwyll?
| As the God/desses are wont to do?<G>
| BTW I will attempt to place a graphic of the
| "suggested"
| gwddbwyll board on the forum as well!:)
| As Rowan said earlier...the cards are worth
| having just for inspiration. They are great
Nancy | go mail
O'Dubhain | focal points for meditation and each one
| involves several major Celtic tales and myths.
| Getting to know the Hallowquest decjk is like
| taking a course in Celtic studies itself!
| That's it for the evening
| any questions on what we've presented this
| evening?
M&J | ?
O'Dubhain | Or should we all await the upload?
| M&J ga
M&J | I was wondering if you could discuss the
| general concept of this system
| and contrast it with the more common tarot.
| ga
Rhianna | yeah, yeah!
O'Dubhain | hooooweeee!<G>
| That's a tall order!
| <G>
Trailstalker | planning to get out of here before about 4
| am? <GGG>
M&J | Well, how about taking a stab at the intro to
| it?
O'Dubhain | Much of the Tarot has correspondences
| with the tree of life and the Kabbala.
| This deck is based upon the relationships
| of the realms of Britain and other Celtic
| concepts such as the spiral of life
| Portals, the signs of the stars and
| the interrelationships of the elements
| the sacred Hallows or tools such as the
Rhianna | .
O'Dubhain | Sword, the Spear, the Grail/Cauldron and the
| Stone of destiny.
| Even the spreads are different.
M&J | And yet the cards you have thus far discussed
| seem to bear a close
| resemblance to the tarot cards. Sure the
| names are all different, but
| so far the overall concept appears very
| similar (I have not yet seen these,
Rhianna | .
M&J | mind you)
O'Dubhain | All in all it looks to me very like
| the kind of Tarot deck a bunch of Druids may
| have had.
| It also makes use of the "game of life" that
| is sometimes called fidchel or gwddbwyll
| from the Celtic legends. I for one have read
| about this game but never seen a board.
| The questions I have are where did the
| Matthews get their board layout?
M&J | OK, I would very much like to hear about
| gwyddbwyll/fidchel and its
| connection to this system.
O'Dubhain | Some of the other cards themselves allow us
| to travel within the land of Logres.
| Gwddbwyll or fidchel was played with dice
| to determine the moves.
M&J | really? With dice? I've not previously
| heard this!
O'Dubhain | but I think the Matthews use drawing of cards
| to accomplish the same purpose. Also a true
| gwddbwyll board has holes for the players to
| fit into. Since they are using cards...no holes
| and no silver or gold players...just cards.
| But the cards are very well wrought and
| beutiful. I wish I could scan them in!<G>
| M&J>I'm only assuming they are played that way
| (with the use of dice)
| I haven't seen this in a scholarly work though
| I have seen it in fiction by Diana Paxson
| and Nikolai Tolstoy!
Rhianna | .
M&J | Tolstoy talked about dice? It's been too
| long since I read him then.
O'Dubhain | In his book "Merlin" he has a gwddbwyll game
| going on
| where they not only use dice but discuss the
| odds!<G>
M&J | hmmm. Interesting. How about in the Irish
| stories with fidchel? Any dice there?
O'Dubhain | The ways that the Matthews suggest using this
| book is almost like an entire series of Celtic
| workshops.
| I'm not sure about that but there are pieces
| on the board to be moved and a degree of
| randomness.
| My impression (not a fact an impression<G>) is
| that the fidchel game was like chess
| and didn't have dice involved.
| Tolstoy seems to indicate differently but
| I think it bears investigation.
Rhianna | !
M&J | My impression was that the two games were
| quite similar. They are
| definitely very important.
O'Dubhain | The book by Paxson was about Fionn MacCumhail
| BTW
M&J | One of the 13 treasures was a Gwyddbwyll
| board, btw.
O'Dubhain | Ah!
| Does anyone have a list?
M&J | of the 13 treasures?
O'Dubhain | Merlin was said to guard the 13 treasures in
| his Glass house.
| yes!
M&J | I could dig one up.
| Give me a few minutes and I'll find one.
O'Dubhain | ok I'll look as well
Rhianna | I think I'd better call it a night!
| Goodnight OD, and thanks for a great
| workshop! I'll be
| looking forward to the upload. (Tarot's my
| specialty ... I
| love this stuff!) :-)
O'Dubhain | ok
| Sla'n abhaile, Rhianna!
Rhianna | Beannacht Leat OD & M&J!
O'Dubhain | J&M..how's it going?
M&J | found the book, now looking for the list
O'Dubhain | here!
| 1. The sword of Dyrnwyn of Rhydderch Hael
| 2. The Basket of Gwyddno Garehir.
| 3. The Horn of Bran Galed.
| 4. The chariot of Morgan Mwynvawr.
| 5. The Halter of Clydno Eiddyn.
| 6. The Knife of Llawfrodded Farchawg.
| 7. The Cauldron of Tyrnog.
| 8. The Whetstone of Tudwal Tudclud.
| 9. The Garment of Padran Beisrudd.
| 10 &11. The Pan and Platter of Rhegynydd
| Ysgolhaig.
| 12. The Golden chessboard of Gwenddolen.
| 13. The Mantle of Arthhur.
| At least this is the list from the Bosanquet
| Collection as given by Ross Nichols in his book,
| "The Book of Druidry".
M&J | OD: I found a copy of the list, in _Mabon_,
| which is pretty much the same
O'Dubhain | He also lists the nine achievements of the
| Cymru.
M&J | btw, the owner of the "chessboard" was
| Gwenddoleu.
O'Dubhain | but my slooooow typing is not up to it!!!!!<G>
| Well Jeremy & Marion....we will probably not
| be interferring with Northern Exposure too
| much.
M&J | Also, I find it interesting that the sword
| Dyrnwyn (white hilt) is ascribed
| to Rhydderch Hael, a Christian.
O'Dubhain | I plan to wind up these workshops in a few
| lessons.
M&J | Oh?
O'Dubhain | but we may be having some interesting guests
| soon
M&J | OH?OH?????????????
O'Dubhain | Perhaps highly placed members of the ADF?
| <GGG>
M&J | hmmm. Then I guess I'd better get to
| reading that ADF stuff I downloaded!
O'Dubhain | After Arthur there is a lot of research I
| would like
| to do....and some real "illumination" type
| work.
| I'd like to advance things a bit rather than
| just describing them .
M&J | sounds good.
| discussions are usually better than lectures,
| and workings beat either one.
O'Dubhain | I think working with the Oghams and the
| Hallowquest as well as Fionn's wheel and some
| "pathworking" will point me in the right
| direction to find some really good sources.
M&J | Oh, that reminds me of a question I had for
| you...
O'Dubhain | I'm with you my friend
| Until next time then?
M&J | Does the term "vril" mean anything to you?
O'Dubhain | Sla'n abhaile agus oiche mhaith duit!<G>
M&J | OK, until next time, nos da!
O'Dubhain | "vril?"
M&J | yes, that's what I said.
O'Dubhain | I'll look into it
| but not off the top...no.
M&J | OK, I'd appreciate anything you learn.
O'Dubhain | OK
Nan | hi folks
O'Dubhain | Nos da!
| NAN!
M&J | We have company again <G>!
O'Dubhain | Hi!
M&J | nos da, OD!
Nan | what did I miss tonight? :(
M&J | see you both next week!
O'Dubhain | not much
Nan | bye M&J
| not true
O'Dubhain | Hallowquest
| but I'm uploading a bunch of it to the library
| so we can get into the "nitty gritty" next
| week.
Nan | I'm afraid the library is how I'm gonna be
| taking this seminar for awhile
O'Dubhain | There was just too much to upload into
| the Workshop itself.
| I'm sorry to hear that.
Nan | I've got another meeting now on monday nights
| :(
| me too
O'Dubhain | Your comments always added a lot to the
| spirit of the discussions.
Nan | I'll have to figure out when to come on and
| just hang out and catch up
| thank you
| I really wanted to be here last week, but the
| phone system in the new house was messed up
O'Dubhain | well
Nan | I'm all set now, new phone line, new
| desk......
| <-------happy
O'Dubhain | maybe you can come next week
Nan | except for missing this seminar
O'Dubhain | after reading the uploads
Nan | I might be able to come in late.....i dunno
| how long are you running these days?
O'Dubhain | Meeting conflicts eh? till about 11 PM EDT
| usually
Nan | ( I was kinda hopin' more would be around
| when I got here tonight)
O'Dubhain | we knocked off early
| Freep had a meeting as well
Nan | sigh, my meeting is 6-8 PDT.....boo hoo
| I'll figure out some way to juggle it
O'Dubhain | booo!:(
Nan | maybe not next week, but in the future I can
| probably alternate weeks
O'Dubhain | ok
Nan | when do you think you'll have the stuff
| uploaded, and under what title?
O'Dubhain | well we'll all do what we can
| I'll probably place it under HQuest.txt
Nan | I haven't had the time yet to catch up with
| messages, I'm gonna try to do that this week
| I need to get back into my routine
O'Dubhain | and ofcourse CLTW19.TXT or is that 20?
Nan | well......I'm probably keeping you up <g>
| I've totally lost track, I'm about 6 weeks
| behind
O'Dubhain | that's ok
| I go back and reread them myself!<g>
Nan | keeping you up? or being behind? <g>
O'Dubhain | It's amazing all the ground that we've covered
Nan | you are an amazing font of information O'D
O'Dubhain | Not to mention the way our group knowledge
| tends to compliment one another.
Nan | very true
O'Dubhain | Anyway...I must hit the hay
| I get up at 2AM your time
Nan | good to see you , even if I did miss class
O'Dubhain | <GGG>
Nan | yikes
| go to bed young man <g>
O'Dubhain | Yes ma'am!
| Blessed Be!
Nan | its waaaaaaay past your bedtime <g>
| and Merry Meet again
O'Dubhain | bye
| <hug!>
Nan | hugs

 

Celtic Workshop #21 - The Hallowquest, Part Two

O'Dubhain | Shall we start?
Rhianna | Sure, OD!
cherokee | am i kosping od?
O'Dubhain | Sure Cher. Before I start let me just say that I
| was going to
O'Dubhain | put the file HQUEST.TXT in the Library
| last week but Bill Clinton came by to get
| some advice and
| I had to listen to the poor lad since he's
| having a hard time of it and all!<GGG>
Myrddin Emrys | Is this the Celtic workshop?
O'Dubhain | So....maybe this week I can finish the card
| descriptions?
| Hi Myrddin....yes it is
| We are in formal mode now
| so ask a question by typing a ?
| and ask for a slot to make a comment by typing
| a !
| here we go!<G>
| .
| "Additional Thoughts on the Hallowquest"
| .
| The Hallowquest is similar to traditional
| Tarot
| deck as we've seen from the table of
| correspondences from the previous workshop.
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | Many of you here tonight are much more
| familiar
| with traditional Tarot than I am so I will not
| spend a great deal of time going over
| traditional
| tarot operations with the Hallowquest. What I
| would like to talk about are the traditional
| celtic
| archetypes and totem animals that are used in
| the
| cards for the Hallowquest. The Matthews have
| created many triple relationships among the
| major/greater powers/arcana based upon their
| own
| intense personal meditations. These
| relationships
cherokee | .
Nancy | .
O'Dubhain | are not strictly historical but they are in
| the spirit
| of the Arthurian mythos. The totems and
| archetypes themselves are derived from
| traditional
| and historical celtic writings and tales.
| .
| If we arrange the 21 Greater Powers and/or
| their
| Totems in a circular formation and then
| connect
| them with triangles, we form triple
| relationships
| that are the basis for meditations,
| pathworkings,
| and divinations. The Hallowquest
| relationships
| are presented as follows in sevenfold
| triplicities:
| .
cherokee | .
Nancy | .
O'Dubhain | SEVENFOLD TRIPLICITIES IN THE EYE OF
| THE SEEKER
| .
| SET ONE: The Three Guardians of the Strong
| Door
| I Merlin; VIII Gawain; XV The Green Knight.
| .
| SET TWO: The Three Otherworldly Retreats
| II The Lady of the Lake; IX The Grail Hermit;
| XVI The Spiral Tower.
| .
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | SET THREE: The Three Shining Lights of the
| Island of Britain
| III Guinevere; X The Round Table;
| XVII The Star.
| .
| SET FOUR: The Three Renewing Sovereignties
| IV Arthur; XI Sovereignty; XVIII The Moon.
| .
| SET FIVE: The Three Undying Streams of
| Radiance
| V Taliesin; XII The Wounded King; XIX The Sun.
| .
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | SET SIX: The Three Dangerous Wonders of the
| Island of Britain
| VI The White Hart; XIII The Washer at the
| Ford;
| XX The Sleeping Lord.
| .
| SET SEVEN: The Three Binding Oaths of the
| Island of Britain
| VII Prydwen; XIV The Cauldron; XXI The
| Flowering of Logres.
| .
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | Triplicities are frequently found in Celtic
| tradition
| and magicks. The triangle is the most stable
| formation found in nature and is frequently
| found
| in crystalline structures. The Tarot itself
| is based
| upon the Kabbalistic Tree of Life (itself
| almost a
Nancy | .
O'Dubhain | crystal in terms of structure). Though the
| Triads
| presented here come from the meditations and
| Awen of the Matthews, they are powerful and
| solid. If we peer into the structure of the
| Hallowquest, we will find the ways are open
| for
| journeying into the Celtic Otherworld. This
| is one
| of the primary uses of the Hallowquest.
| .
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | Time does not permit a complete discussion of
| each Triad. I will select and example and
| attempt
| to show how the three elements support one
| another. The triad that I've chosen to
| discuss
| tonight is Set One: The Three guardians of
| the
| Strong Door. The first element of this triad
| is
| Merlin. This is a very appropriate choice
| since
| Britain was anciently called Clas Myrddin or
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | Merlin's Enclosure. Also, Merlin is said to
| have
| retired to his glass house of 70 doors and
| windows to safeguard the 13 treasures of
| Britain.
| Merlin is traditionally the guardian of
| Britain.
| Merlin represents the Underworld/Magical
| powers
| of this Triad. The basis of Merlin's power
| is the
| Dragon Power of the Land. He marshals this
| power to protect the right of the king to
| rule the
| land and safeguards the sovereignty of the
| island.
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | .
| The second element of this triad is Gawain.
| As
| we mentioned before, Gawain is Arthur's
| tanaiste
| or his selected successor. This is not
| unusual
| considering that Gawain is also Arthur's
| nephew
| and of his family. Also traditionally, Gawain
| is
| Arthur's representative on quests and
| adventures,
| since the person of the king was normally
| safeguarded in Celtic society. His earliest
| name
| Gwalchmai translates as "The Hawk of May"
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | which is one of the totemic animals of the
| Hallowquest. Gawain represents the
| Middleworld
| in this triad.
| .
| The final element of the Guardians of the
| Strong
| Door is the Green Knight. He is
| representative of
| the powers of Nature and the earth and of the
| Otherworld in Britain. It is no surprise that
| Gawain does battle with the Green Knight in
| some
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | of the Arthurian legends in order to
| safeguard the
| power of the king and the sovereignty of the
| land.
| The Green Knight is one of the most important
| archetypes in the Hallowquest. He constantly
| challenges the questers and the seekers to
| initiate
| them into the mysteries.
| .
| SEVENFOLD TRIPLICITIES OF THE PATH OF
| THE TOTEM BEASTS
| .
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | SET ONE: The Three Winged Ones of Clas
| Myrddin
| I Dragons; VIII Hawks; VX Wren.
| .
| SET TWO: The Three Winged Messengers of the
| Lady
| II Crane; IX Dove; XVI Owl.
| .
| SET THREE: The Three Portents of the Empress
| III Cow; X Merlin; XVII Cockerel.
| .
cherokee | .
Nancy | .
O'Dubhain | SET FOUR: The Three Kingly Beasts of the
| Island of Britain
| IV Chough; XI Ermine; XVIII Salmon.
| .
| SET FIVE: The Three Holy Hidden Ones of the
| Island of Britain
| V Lark; XII Hound; XIX White Mare.
| .
| SET SIX: The Three Transforming Totems of the
| Island of Britain
| VI White Hart; XIII Raven; XX Eagle.
| .
| SET SEVEN: The Three Poisonous Healers of
| the Island of Britain
| VII The White Boar; XIV Adder; XXI Bee.
| .
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | THE TRANSCENDENT SET: The Three Singers
| Whose Song Binds These three Sevens Into One
| Harmony
| The Blackbirds of Rhiannon who sang to the
| Noble Company of Bran and whose song
| enchanted Taliesin in the Glass Caer. Whoever
| shall follow them into the Otherworld, shall
| understand the meaning of these triads and
| come
| to blessedness.
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | .
| The use of totems is a way in which the
| Hallowquest departs from the traditional
| Tarot.
| The totems themselves allow us to more
| efficiently and (sometimes) safely cross the
| thresholds into the Otherworld.
| .
| In a manner similar to the previous
| discussion for
| the triplicities in the eye of the seeker, I
| would
| like to discuss Set One of the Totemistic
| Triads.
| This triad consists of Dragons, the Hawk, and
| the
| Wren. The history of Britain and
| particularly of
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | Arthurian Britain centers around the struggle
| between the Saxons and the Celts. The symbol
| for the Saxons is the White Dragon. The
| symbol
| for Arthur and the Pendragon is the Red
| Dragon.
| The legend says that both dragons were
| imprisoned in a chest at the mystical center
| of
| Britain by Lludd (This location is known as
| Dinas
| Emrys in Wales, the site upon which Vortigan
| chooses to build his tower.) Merlin as a
| child
| prophesies that the fate of Britain will be
| decided
| by the battle between these two dragons. The
| dragons also have a deeper meaning
| representing
| the mystical union of the power of the
| goddess of
| sovereignty with the right of the king to
| rule. If
Rhianna | .
O'Dubhain | the king does not rule wisely, the dragons
| struggle
| and the land suffers. Such is the case with
| Vortigan.
| .
| The next totemic beast that safeguard Clas
| Myrddin is the Hawk. This is directly
| associated
| with Gawain as we mentioned previously. The
| hawk soars above the land and guards the
| domain
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | striking down challengers to the might of the
| king.
| The hawk anchors the center of this triad
| since his
| power is said to be greatest at midday.
| .
| The final element of the triad is the Wren.
| According to the Matthews, the wren acquired
| the
| title of "King of the Birds" during the
| "Battle of
| the Birds." The wren achieved success in this
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | battle because he mounted on the wings of the
| eagle to allow him to fly higher than the
| other
| birds. (Perhaps this is a veiled reference to
| Arthur
| succeeding the Roman eagle in ruling the land
| of
| Britain.) In Welsh, "Dryw" means both Wren
| and
| Druid. The wren is also said to be able to
| divine
| those of royal blood and signify the
| discovery by
| crying out. (Perhaps similar to the cry made
| by
| the Lia Fail.) The entire triad is about the
| connection between the land and its guardians.
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | Each animal corresponds to one part of the
| three
| part celtic cosmos. The Dragons corresponds
| to the underworld, the Hawk corresponds to the
| Middleworld of Nature and the Wren is the
| Mystical connection to the Otherworld.
| <a brief frantic pause at this end!<G>>
| brb
| back!<G>
cherokee | .
| yey!
O'Dubhain | .
| The Gwyddbwyll Board
| .
| In many Celtic tales, legends, and myths, the
| "Game of
| Life" of Gwyddbwyll is played by kings,
| wizards, druids,
| and gods. The Hallowquest book includes a
| Gwyddbwyll
| board layout for the Greater and Lesser
| Powers of the
| Hallowquest deck. The Hallows are arranged
| in the
| middle and are protected by the Greater
| Powers. Each of
| the Hallow Courts are assigned to a corner of
| the
| Gwyddbwyll Board with the Court Cards of
| Maiden,
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | Knight, Queen, and King being in the extreme
| corners.
| In most of the accounts of Gwyddbwyll games
| that I
| have read, the King is located in the center
| of the board
| surrounded by his court and his protectors.
| An opposing
| force, usually representing an invader
| attempts to capture
| the King by attacking the forces in the
| center. Such is
| the case in the Count Nicolai Tolstoy's book
| (fiction)
| "The Coming of the King." Tolstoy also
| mentions that
| dice are used to provide random chance to the
| strategies
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | of the board and the opposing side. Often
| the pieces of
| the Gwyddbwyll game are symbolic of action
| that is
| occurring in the real world or in the
| Otherworld. And
| Gods and mortals do battle on the Gwyddbwyll
| board.
| No dice are used with the Hallowquest
| Gwyddbwyll
| board. Randomness comes in to play through
| the
| response of the seeker or quester to the
| images of the
| archetypes as manifested in the Hallowquest
| deck. In
| fact, as in some mythical Gwyddbwyll
| games/boards, the
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | players seem to come alive and move of their
| own
| volition. The Gwyddbwyll board is only one
| way among
| many that the Hallowquest cards/book may be
| used to
| resolve conflicts and answer questions.
| .
| The Hallowquest Spreads
| .
| The Hollowquest can be used just like a tarot
| deck in
| such spreads as the Celtic Cross and the
| Zodiac.
| Additional spreads that are unique to the
| Hallowquest are
| listed below. The only traditional spread is
| the Tree of
| Life spread.
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | .
| GENERAL CLARIFYING SPREADS
| Prydwen's Anchor
| Tree of Life
| .
| IDENTIFYING WHO YOU ARE, THE REAL SELF
| Merlin's Mirror
| .
| ESCAPE FROM SELF-LIMITATIONS
| Mabon's Gate
| .
| FINDING YOUR ELEMENTAL BALANCE
| Sovereignty's Spread
| .
| UNCOVERING PAST KARMIC RESPONSIBILITY
| The Excalibur Spread
| .
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | REVEALING UNCONSCIOUS POTENTIAL
| The Three Worlds
| .
| My favorite spread is The Three World Spread
| because it
| represents the Celtic Cosmos. Using this
| spread one can
| quite often reveal a hidden meaning or a
| surpressed
| desire. The spread consists of three times
| three cards
| plus one additional card which is called The
| Key. This
| key shows the way to proceed through the
| three worlds
| of the other nine cards.
| .
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | The Matthews also use the archetypes of the
| Hallowquest
| in constructing rituals. Familarity with the
| deck and
| meditations upon the Arthurian mythos will
| allow you to
| construct your own rituals, journeys, and
| pathworking
| experiences. A suggested method would be to
| select
| randomly among the Greater and Lesser Powers
| of the
| deck and to perform a guided meditation upon
| each card
| in sequence. One should interact with the
| archetypes on
| a one-to-one basis, asking questions,
| receiving answers,
| and being guided to the next area of the land
| of Logres
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | or to the next mystical experience. The
| Hallowquest can
| be an entire mystical way of life and a
| powerful tool for
| revealing the answers to lifes challenges in
| this world and
| the next.
| .
| There are a lot of other spreads
| and card descriptions that can be done.
| This is a brief exposure to the Hallowquest
| itself.
cherokee | .
O'Dubhain | I am not an expert on the Tarot but I know
| many of
| you are very accomplished with it.
| Any comments?
| ga
| Ok
| I will make a few more comments then!<G>
Nancy | really?
O'Dubhain | yes'm
| :)
Osiris | Stop with that face O'D!
Nancy | <G>
| :)
Osiris | <>:]
O'Dubhain | ];-]>
cherokee | +:)
Nancy | LOL! Chilren, PLease!
O'Dubhain | :P',',',',',','
| now now
cherokee | p'og nanct
| lighten up!
O'Dubhain | I say that the Hallowquest is an excellent
| example
| of how to take the ancient texts
| and make something new and useful
| for Celtic rituals.
| I also like to make faces!
| ;9
| <G>
Osiris | Anything you say peaches!
O'Dubhain | Does anyone have an Arthurian Tarot deck?
Wren | I do
Rhianna | Nope ... I wanted to buy it but it costs $30,
| and I don't
| have a job! :-(
O'Dubhain | yuck
| I may scan them or create a similar set
| just to see what they look like on the
| computer screen
| (of course)<G>
Rhianna | Cool!
O'Dubhain | But I'll have to check the copyright first
| (of course)
Wren | Use the pictures in the H'quest book, OD
O'Dubhain | That's really all I was prepared to discuss
| tonight.
| We started with the ancients
| worked through the Druids and the Saints
| into the Arthurian Mythos
| and now we are almost to
| the present day with the Hallowquest.
| Perhaps next week can be a roundrobin
| where we alldiscuss how we put this
| information
| into practice with our own personal practices
| and rituals
| ?
Rhianna | That sounds good!
O'Dubhain | Who all here does Celtic ritual
| or uses Celtic flavorings in their practices?
Rhianna | I do ... but not always. My coven members are
| really
| eclectic!
Wren | I do, as much as I can
O'Dubhain | Would anyone have a problem
cherokee | im a mutt od
O'Dubhain | with bringing an example
| of your work to the
Rhianna | Celtic flavoring? But isn't all Wicca Celtic,
| OD? <VBG>
O'Dubhain | workshop next week?
cherokee | no prob od
O'Dubhain | Rhianna><shhhhh!. Big secret!<G>
Rhianna | I'd be happy to share what I've done
| Oops. Sorry, OD! <g>
Nancy | it is NOT.
O'Dubhain | I would also like to cover the major Celtic
| groups
Rhianna | heh heh
Osiris | I would love to O'D.......but I must seek
| permission first.
O'Dubhain | Keltria, ADF, OBOD, Druidactos and others
cherokee | the celts had a corner on
| druids not on wicca
Nancy | How about Catholic?
O'Dubhain | <-------only kidding
cherokee | wicca is universal
O'Dubhain | Sure Celtic Catholics are ok!<G>
Osiris | Universal Catholic Church!
cherokee | <G> p'og i know od
Nancy | oh good.<G>
| sure, whaddoye think Catholic means?
O'Dubhain | UCC!!!!
Rhianna | I was kidding, too! <just stirrin' up
| trouble!> <g>
Nancy | goes well with WCWC,doesn't it?
O'Dubhain | Catholic is that like when one gets really
| really tired?
Osiris | Ha!
Rhianna | No comment.
| <g>
Nancy | you guys...now...I'm not so bad am I? really?
O'Dubhain | Or is that what we say when we say
Osiris | I think it has something to do with
| cannibalizm.
O'Dubhain | Wicca is Universal?
Rhianna | Nancy ... WE LOVE YOU!
O'Dubhain | Wicca is Catholic?
Rhianna | Come on ... don't you know that???
cherokee | yes od
Rhianna | <g>
Nancy | Thomas, that newsletter will take you only so
| far!<G>
O'Dubhain | We do love Nancy
Nancy | I know you do, Rhi, but some of these men!
| really!
O'Dubhain | we do
cherokee | yes we do
O'Dubhain | we do!
Osiris | ROFL.......wish I had a cookie to choke on!
cherokee | white out and all
O'Dubhain | <G>
Nancy | now you sound like dwarves.
| thank you all...thanks...I'll hush now.
| LOL
cherokee | <G>
O'Dubhain | Anyway folks...next week
Nancy | feel much better
cherokee | yes oh master <G>?
O'Dubhain | Celts and (catholics) of the present
Nancy | oh yes.
O'Dubhain | and How they Practice
| !!!!!!
Rhianna | Yeah!
Nancy | sounds good to me.
O'Dubhain | As an added feature
Nancy | yes it does.
cherokee | ta da!
O'Dubhain | I will also check Nancy's place out really
| well
Nancy | ohmigod
cherokee | gggg
Nancy | So long as you have Deb with you.
Rhianna | heh heh
O'Dubhain | to see if we can allsneak over there on Samain
Nancy | Otherwise......
O'Dubhain | to have a Circle in her back yard
Rhianna | COOL!
cherokee | for long leggedy beasties'
| od ?
Nancy | my back yard is by the woods you all.
O'Dubhain | Kinda Suburban Wiccan/Catholicism!
| <G>
Rhianna | Well, I'm gonna fly ...g'night everyone!
| Thanks OD! See
| ya next week!
cherokee | <G>
Nancy | As I said...so long as you bring
| Deb......<G>G>G<G>
| night RHi.
O'Dubhain | Deb is right here
| wouldn't leave home without her!<G>
cherokee | the american express wwc
| dont leave home without her
| !
O'Dubhain | SHe is Expressly forbidding me to go
| otherwise!<GGG>
Nancy | well, guys.
| should go to the bar.
| I could use a vodka and tonice
| tonic.
O'Dubhain | yes
Nancy | I have sworn off WHite Russians youknow.
O'Dubhain | see you guys in the VB&G
Osiris | Vodka and Tonic..........is what my mother
| drinks.
O'Dubhain | got mine right here though
Nancy | you poor, poor man.
| W R I T I N G ON T H E W A L L
cherokee | ggod move nancy
Nancy | co 4
cherokee | less dropped sens
O'Dubhain | Sla'n agabh!