FAQs

We are often asked similar questions by different people. We aim to list generic versions of these questions here, so that you can find the answers you are looking for. Please keep visiting this page as we add to the list of questions.

I contacted Céile Dé and did not receive a reply.
Céile Dé is a contemplative Order. This means that we spend our days as much as possible in silence, punctuated by regular meditation, chants and prayer. Because some of us also occasionally leave our solitude to go into the world to teach the Céile Dé path, we understand and welcome a necessary degree of communication with people who are drawn to our tradition. We warmly welcome any sincere enquiries via our contacts page.

However, amongst the dozens of first-time enquiries that we receive every day, we also receive many emails about subjects that are clearly not within our realm of experience, such as requests for tourist information to Scotland or Ireland for instance... and even requests for PC technical support! Out of politeness, we used to reply to all of these emails. But, a few years of experience running a website has taught us that replying to every inappropriate email can be extremely time consuming and also has an undermining effect on our inner silence. To that end, we have decided only to reply to emails that we feel to be both sincere and pertinent to our work and life as a spiritual Order.


Do you offer any kind of Correspondence Course?
I'm afraid that we don't offer any form of distance learning, such as a correspondence course. Our tradition is built around group teachings and ultimately the Anam Chara relationship - a one to one spiritual relationship. Not ideal for people who live far away, I can appreciate...but nevertheless, it is the only way our tradition works. It is and always has been very person centred.

As well as the above, we feel that there are many correspondence courses available that can take a person to a certain level of knowledge. There probably is no need for yet another one. We prefer to concentrate on what such courses cannot offer - actual physical contact and a life-long soul friendship, for those who seek that level and type of commitment.

I'm sorry if this is not the answer you were hoping for, but we remain very traditional in our teaching styles and so this is all we can offer... It is perhaps our weakness and our strength, we do not aim towards "mass-production" in any way.


I have been to one or two of your workshops and would like to pass on the teachings to my friends. Is that all right?
We are very grateful to you for having the sensitivity to ask this question. But I am afraid that we have to ask you not to pass on any Céile Dé teachings that you have received.

Within the Céile Dé Order there are certain people who are recognised teachers. If and when anyone from within the Muinntir (the committed followers of the tradition) also feels called to teach and has adequate being, understanding and skill, then they can also be ordained as teachers. Please allow me to do my best to explain why we work this way.

The Céile Dé path is not an exoteric tradition (such as the mainstream church and most religions). It is an esoteric stream. This means that it's real teachings are not resident in the words and practices, but in the energy that the teacher transmits through the words and practices. This energy "activates" the methods of inner transformation that are taught and that combination of ingredients is what produces results in people, if all of the ingredients are properly taken and applied... and can do harm if incorrectly applied or unsupported by an experienced teacher. The teachings of any powerful spiritual tradition take years of dedication to fully assimilate within one's whole being. For this reason, we only allow people who have been through this process to a certain level to pass on the teachings.

More and more, we are realising that what we have until recently assumed would go without saying (as it did in the "old days" - see also "Fonn-ed memories" on our Articles Page) now needs to be clearly stated to everyone who receives our teachings:- These teachings need to be protected by being properly taught only by a recognised tradition-bearer. We are now clearly and openly requesting this from everybody we teach at any Céile Dé gathering.

Apart from the fact that half-knowledge can only be half-taught and half-understood, resulting in an ongoing dilution and weakening of the whole tradition, until all that is left is the exoteric (outer) level, such as empty ceremony that has been stripped of all transmitted power, or limping along on borrowed time, it is also the case that any recognised teacher makes themselves available in an ongoing way to any person they have taught, should they need guidance when powerful inner experiences erupt; as they should and will do if the teachings are applied correctly and with dedication. People outside of our teaching circle would have no such support mechanism.

In the past few years, since we began to teach the tradition more widely, a few people have passed a few bits of the teachings on here and there... usually because they find the tradition so "wonderful" and they want to share it with people whom they think it would "help". Some people even believe they are helping the tradition in this way, by "getting it out there", so that it is more widely known. As a result, we have already seen some dilution of the tradition. What this actually means is difficult for anyone on the outside to understand, I appreciate that. But the "it" that has "got out there" continues to get passed from person to person, until eventually the "teachings" that result bear more resemblance to processed fast food than to the home-grown organic produce, lovingly cooked and individually served according to your individual nutritional needs, that it once was.

It takes years for the teachings to take root inside of you. And they can only grow in direct proportion to the increase in the quality of your inner being. This being-development (called "growing a soul" within the tradition) also forms a part of our deeper teachings and is the work not of a Céile Dé teacher, but of a teacher who is also an Anam Chara.

This infinite inner voyage, accompanied all the way by a guide who cares more for your inner life than you do yourself, is far from the part-teachings that may be passed around in a casual way, that are not only potentially damaging to people, but will through time, there is no doubt, strip the Céile Dé tradition forever of its power and meaning.

This stripping of meaning is a fraught issue for Céile Dé at the moment.. So many of our sacred terminologies are being put "out there" and have been misapplied. Sacred words are containers of great transformative energy. But only whilst they are kept sacred by people... Hence the ancient and often misunderstood laws against blasphemy or the utterance out of context of sacred words.

Céile Dé have all but lost the power and meaning that our ancient term "Anam Chara" once held for us because it has fallen into wide and common use. It is still hanging on in there though, perhaps because, by and large, people have not disrespected the word overmuch. Perhaps because it has a lot of power to lose, it will take a long time to go... Perhaps if we hold the rest of the tradition relatively intact, it will survive this "spiritual fast-food age".

Céile Dé has survived for a long time. We are placing a great deal of trust in the people we teach, in the hope that it will still be here for the future.

So... do forgive us if we appear at times to be cautious... The reason the tradition affects you so deeply is BECAUSE it still possesses its power. For centuries many dear souls have held the chants, the practices, the teachings intact within their hard-won, brim-full hearts, allowing the power to do its work in that innermost sanctum. What would it say about us in this age... how would we be remembered by the future... if we were to strip it all to nothing within the space of one generation?


Why do you do so many workshops in the USA and hardly any more locally, or where I live, in England?
..."If you build it, we will come"...

The Céile Dé Order chooses not give over too much of our energy to actively seeking out new areas in which to teach our tradition. We like to hope that if people are truly interested in learning from us, they will give some of their own energy to helping us to introduce teachings in their area. For the last two years, we have a given a fairly uniform response to anyone, anywhere, who asks us if we would come to teach in their area... We say, "If you are able to help us set up a teaching event in your area, then we will come." It has been our experience that the people who act on our offer are mostly located in the USA. If we had an offer of similar local support in England, then we would be more than delighted to come and teach in your area.

Despite how it appears on our events page, there are frequent local Céile Dé gatherings. Please remember that what you see listed on our events page does not include our regular teachings for group members in Scotland. Group members in this country can easily meet, both as a group and individually, with a Céile Dé teacher whenever they request to do so. The USA events you see listed represent the only times (twice every year) that a Céile Dé teacher visits the USA. These events are always organised by enthusiastic people, living in the USA, who want to bring the tradition to their areas.

We have almost reached the point where we are unable to take our teachings into new countries, until we have produced more teachers from within the Céile Dé Community. Because of this, we now, sadly, have to turn down invitations to bring the tradition over to the more far-flung areas of the Globe. England is still within our reach. We are ready and willing to teach in England... if we are invited.


Do you have a Céile Dé group near me?
We are a very small Order with limited teaching resources.

We have groups that meet frequently in Scotland, where most of us are based. There are also four new and vibrant groups recently formed in the USA... which we are very excited about. They meet every week - and a teacher travels there from Scotland to teach them as often as possible, usually about twice a year.

(Please contact us for more details about any of our groups or public events)



What are the Levels of Commitment or involvement within the Céile Dé Tradition?
There are three levels of Commitment to the Céile Dé for those wishing to deepen their knowledge and spiritual life within the tradition.

1. The Céile Dé Order - Living under the Rule of the Céile Dé. A deep and abiding commitment to a growing relationship with God, within the vehicle of service that is the Order.
2. The Muinntir - The Community of committed followers of the tradition that surrounds the Order.
3. The Caim - People who share similar spiritual ideals as the Order and Muinntir, but feel no need to commit specifically to the Céile Dé Path. This is almost always the first level of entry into the tradition for us all.

The Céile Dé Order
To become an Order member, one must first be a muinntir member. Then, after a total of 3 years training as an Anruth (novice), an entrant formally dies to their old life and is reborn into a new life; total commitment within the liberation of the Vows and Rule of the Order.

The period of time as an Anruth allows the entrant to experience and be prepared for how life will be when they make their final commitment to the Order. During this time, an Anruth is closely watched by his or her Anam Chara (spiritual mentor) in order to ascertain their readiness for this major step on their spiritual journey.

Entry to the Order involves an initiatory ceremony. The Anruth becomes an Aonaran (a solitary, related in meaning to the ancient term used by the Desert Fathers and Mothers - Monachai - from which we derive the modern word, monk). As well as taking the vows, the Aonaran is given a new name.

From then on, every aspect of life reflects this commitment. Leading a contemplative life, alongside active work for the Order, takes precedence over all other aspects of life.

As the Order is unfortunately not self-supporting at this time, members are required to work, over and above all necessary Order work, to make a living, according to their calling and abilities. Whenever possible, this work is ideally in direct service to the Order, in roles such as teaching the tradition or administrative work, etc. If this is not possible, then each Aonaran is asked to mindfully chose to make their living in work that is -

1. In harmony with the ethics of the Spiritual and contemplative life.
2. Not in conflict with the needs and the Rule of the Order.
3. Permitting the necessary time for both the contemplative life to breathe and for any necessary work to support the running of the Order and the Muinntir.

In practice, most Order members in the latter position chose to work as little as they need to in order to earn enough to lead a simple life.

All Order members pool any excess financial resources into the group purse.

The Muinntir
This is the Community of the Céile Dé akin to that of a lay order or "sangha" or "third order" in other traditions. Those wishing to join the Muinntir ceremonially commit to making the Céile Dé spiritual tradition the core of their lives.

Most committed Céile Dé group members are also in the Muinntir. Muinntireachs take their Spiritual discipline to the next level - which includes committed one-to-one Anam Chara teachings.

Joining the Muinntir grows out of a desire to further ones own spiritual growth and to deepen the transforming process of the tradition, as well as the wish to be a part of a like-minded community.

There is a twelve month trial period for anyone who aspires towards the Muinnntir. During this time, the aspirant lives exactly as though s/he were a part of the Muinntir. This means adhering to the guidelines of the Muinnitr and engaging in an Anam Chara relationship. At the end of this time, the situation is reviewed from both sides. If it is clear at this point that the aspirant, the Muinntir and the Order will all benefit from welcoming him or her as a permanent Muinntireach, then the date of the entrance ceremony will be set.

Part of belonging to the Muinntir involves not only receiving, but also giving support; both to the Order and to the Muinntir as a whole. An important part of our sense of spiritual community is centred on mutual giving. A Muinntireach also follows a set of guidelines, called a "Seol" (Gaelic for way, method). The Seol, originally complied by both Order and Muinntir members, includes a few of the rules of the Order as well as a few other guidelines. It is expressly geared towards helping a Muinntireach to live a fairly committed Spiritual life whilst also managing a full time job and/or a family.

Muinntir members need not live in close proximity to each other or to the Order but in practise, many people prefer to live close to at least their Anam Chara.

The Caim
This is the minimum level of commitment. The Caim is made up of all the interested individuals that surround the Order and Muinntir. They are people who hold the same inner perspectives of the tradition, but are still seeking the path, if any, to which they wish to wholly commit. As individuals, they are known in the tradition as an Iarradair (a seeker).

In practice, people will naturally first present themselves as a Caim member, as they are feeling their way with the tradition. As all the Céile Dé groups that meet regularly take for granted a level of commitment higher than that of "spiritual tourism", it tends to follow that those who do not ever wish to progress beyond the level of Caim tend to fall away after a period of time. This is largely because the subtleties of the more advanced practices do not reveal themselves unless the practices are adhered to with a greater dedication than a long term Caim member may be able to manifest.

However, it is recognised that we were each of us an Iarradair once! And their stage on the Great Journey is to be respected and nurtured for as long as their paths cross with ours. The concern of Order members for the well being of all should be such that they would go so far as to try to help an Iarradair discern which path may more readily suit their needs and temperament.


I have been a member of a Druid Order for several years. Now I would like to join your Order as well.
We receive a great deal of communication from people who have done one or more of the modern Druid courses available. It is perhaps understandable that when they see our website, and read terms such as "Celtic spirituality" and sometimes even "Druid" and, of course the word, " Order", they come to the conclusion that we must be another modern Druid organisation that functions in much the same way as most do.

You will have seen elsewhere on our FAQs page that we do not offer a correspondence course. Neither is the Céile Dé Order a Druid Order. Many of the excellent Druid courses available today offer courses that may last up to three years or more, at the end of which one becomes an "Order Member". Joining the Céile Dé Order however is more comparable to becoming either a Buddhist or a Franciscan monk. For a Céile Dé, Order membership entails a dying to the old life and a rebirth to the new, a marriage to the Divine. For a little more information about Order membership see our FAQ - "What are the Levels of Commitment or involvement within the Céile Dé Tradition?"

At this stage in time there are only full Order members in the UK. Because of this, it would only be possible to join the Order if you were already a Muinntireach and were willing to live near an Anam Chara in the UK, for at least the duration of your three years of training for the Order. The only compromise could be if you were willing to travel frequently and spend long periods of time in the company of your Anam Chara, perhaps travelling with them on teaching trips, which would be rather like the training was often given in ancient times. This would be necessary because training requires constant contact with and assessment by your Anam Chara.

We appreciate that it requires a great deal of selfless dedication to achieve this. It is nevertheless exactly the lifestyle undertaken by many people, such as Buddhists or Catholics who may also be asked to move to another country to fulfil their calling. Both a willingness and an ability to leave the country in which you live, or to be away for extended periods of time to undergo your training, are a timely and effective litmus test... if you feel you are unable to meet these demands, then it is clear that you are already rooted in a life that you would not be able to leave behind, when the time came to cross over the threshold and become a Céile Dé Aonaran (monk/nun).


I've heard alot about Anam Charas and believe that they are a part of your tradition. Can you tell me something about the Anam Chara?
Anam Chara is a Gaelic term, meaning "Soul Friend".

The main focus of an Anam Chara relationship within the Céile Dé tradition is always Spiritual growth and soul-nourishment .

For people who are deeply committed to using the Céile Dé tradition as their Spiritual vehicle, an Anam Chara relationship is at the heart of their spiritual lives. A good Anam Chara relationship grows and deepens very quickly, as each Anam Chara is trained to share equally their own stories of the ups and downs of their inner lives, when it is appropriate and helpful to do so. Very soon, a personal language begins to develop between the pair, with its own spiritual or psychological terminologies that only these two soul friends will understand!

Not every Céile Dé Order member is an Anam Chara. To become a Soul Friend within our tradition, you need first of all to be a trained teacher. Then more training is given to attain the level of Anam Chara. Vows are taken by every Céile Dé Anam Chara. They include, amongst other things, an oath of absolute confidentiality and a dedication to listen deeply and nurture at all times the growing soul of every living being who sits before them, whilst actively discouraging that which is unreal, always according to the vulnerability or capability of the person concerned.

It is thought by some that the private confessional of the Roman Catholic Church grew out of the Celtic Anam Chara tradition, which in turn, some believe, grew out of the mentoring relationship between a Druid and his/her pupil. However, there is far more to Anam Chairdeas (Soul Friendship) than the notion of confession or even the concept of spiritual teacher. It seeks, above all, to foster a depth of relationship that is both mentoring and sharing. Both challenging to the False Self and encouraging the emergence of the True. It is most often a relationship for life and can often endure beyond death.

These days, some people who are not following the tradition also seek out occasional Anam Chara talks. If such a talk were to be useful for you, it would be because you have something happening in your spiritual life that you would like to talk about, in an atmosphere of deep, sanctified sharing and utter confidence. Or possibly you feel something on your path is lacking or needs development, clarity or direction. It could also be because you would value the opportunity to ask a Céile Dé Order member some questions about the tradition, in a space outside of a group gathering or workshop, that will not have you concerned that you are "hogging the teacher" !

Anam Chara Conversation is not life coaching. It is not about focussing on or solving issues in your everyday life; job; relationships, etc... although, of course, these problems can sometimes tangle up our relationship with the Spiritual.

Anam Chara conversation is mostly about finding new ways, or strengthening old ways of realising our Spiritual dimension as our centre of gravity and source of Selfhood.

Because Anam Chairdeas is rooted in the Céile Dé tradition, it is natural that teachings from the tradition are also woven into these conversations. The difference between Anam Chara teachings and group teachings is clearly that these one to one exchanges would be entirely addressing the requirements of the individual. The level of the conversation will be pitched directly to where you are within yourself, so the teaching at this level can be more intense. It is also implicit within the vows of an Anam Chara that they seek at all times to address your needs, not your wants. This can be challenging for some... as it encourages you to have the ability to discern the difference between your (surface) wants and your (deeper) needs. It is often the conflict between these two that can cause dis-ease in our lives.

St Brighid of Kildare is famous for having said, " A person without an Anam Chara is like a body without a head..".




I thought the Order of Céile Dé was founded in the 8th century by St Maelruan of Tallacht?
St Maelruan founded a movement that is now commonly known as the Céile Dé Reformation. His aim was to return back to an earlier, simpler spirituality that was more Irish in flavour. The result seemed to be an incredibly severe form of asceticism that bares very little resemblance to the life of our Céile Dé Order.

Perhaps the only similarity that the current Order shares with the Céile Dé Reformation is that of being called to manifest a vision inspired by an earlier form of Celtic Spirituality. But in the case of the current Order, that form was never entirely extinct, so there was no need to "reform" it. It has always been a living inner flame held by a few stalwart souls throughout the centuries. We have merely sought to blow new life into the ever-glowing embers of the tradition and feed and be fed by its fire.

The term Céile Dé is often used with reference to a time before the 8th century. It is mostly used as a term for holy men and women who lived in solitude. When they occasionally were moved to live together in community, these monasteries were formed and held together by a founder, or Érlam. The Érlam is and always was an individual who felt inspired to draw people together to live under his/her vision. Each community or federation of communities had their own Rule, which was either written by the Érlam or was passed on or adapted from the Rule of another community. (see the Rule of the present Order on our Articles page).

One might call St Maelruan an Érlam, but he is not our Érlam.

In Scotland particularly, the term Céile Dé - or Culdee - has been used by the people for centuries to denote either a religious hermit or an older expression of Celtic Christianity. The name of our Order is related to this usage, rather than to St Maelruan's Reformation.

It is impossible to know when the term Céile Dé was first used, history dissolves into Mythstory very quickly in all things Celtic! It is interesting to note that "Céile Dé" is Irish rather than Scots Gaelic. There must be a reason why the Irish linguistic form was always retained here in Scotland, eventually corrupting or anglicising itself into "Culdee". For certain, the term is much older than the 8th century and was used in very early times to single out those who experienced the One God as opposed to the many. Ancient Céili Dé (plural) often also called themselves Mac Bethad or Clan Bethad - the Sons of, or the Children of Life... as indeed we still do today.