The Céile Dé
Little is known historically about the Céili Dé (plural) - or Culdees - who existed in Britain and Ireland in centuries past. Ask almost any Gael on the West of Scotland or Ireland and they will say the Céili Dé walk the edges where early Celtic Christianity blurs into its Foster-Mother; Druidism - their history blurs into myth - their saints blur into Gods and Goddesses...
Some Gaelic legends say they were originally Druids who foresaw the coming of The Christ Consciousness and welcomed into the world that new Being they called Iosa Mac Dhe long before the first missionary ever set foot on British soil.
They were and are still known for their insistence on leading a spiritual life bound by only two foundational vows - obedience to their Anam Chara (soul-friend, spiritual guide) and obedience to the voice that spoke from the deepest part of their hearts... the Christ within.
Members of the present Order are part of a Spiritual lineage held both in Ireland and the Highlands of Scotland, who still practice what we call the Living Celtic Spiritual Tradition – that naturally poetic and unselfconscious mix of Celtic Christian and “Pagan” that is the hallmark of the Gaelic Soul. The work of the Céile Dé Order today is to honour their spiritual ancestors by holding, protecting, living, and teaching that tradition in a form that is not only viable in our 21st Century, but is also a potent esoteric discipline and passionate devotional life.
The vision today, that consolidated the Céili Dé Path - held for so long only by a collection of loosely-knit solitaries; often poor, scattered and for centuries without a monastery - to a fully-functioning Holy Order with a home once again, is many-fold. Its members come from differing backgrounds - some brought with them a wish to enter into a deeper relationship with the Divine in Nature - some a need to explore a deeper or wider understanding of the teachings of Christ than that which their experience to date had offered. In all cases, the Céile Dé Path exists for people who desire deep involvement in a spiritual life that is rooted in the land and in the Celtic tradition. It is for people who dedicate themselves to inner transformation through a disciplined path opening to mystical union. It is for people who understand that a spiritual life is not about having beliefs; rather it is about moving beyond the boundaries of conditioned thinking toward that infinite consciousness called Imbas Forasnai - The Great Knowledge that Illuminates.
There are three levels of involvement with the Céile Dé. Arranged according to the needs of different people, they are not necessarily progressive (see our FAQs page for further information) :-
At the first level, that of the "Caim", teaching and guidance is offered to help facilitate inner growth. The practices are given in such as way as to fit around members' everyday lives.
Then there is the level of "Muinntir" for those wishing to deepen their commitment to the tradition, carving it ceremonially upon their hearts as their chosen way in this life. The muinntir provides the mutual support of a spiritual community.
Finally, there is the level of “Aonaran” (Monk – “one who has been made One”). Full profession into the Order is for those who have found that their relationship with that Great Mystery we call God is beyond anything else they have experienced in life. They have a deep and abiding need to give themselves entirely, in a formal and unconditional way to the Love revealing itself at the very crux of their existence. ...And this to the exclusion of anything that causes them to forget, even for a moment, its Bridal Chamber in the deepest core of their own hearts.
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