Once in a Blue Moon a book comes along that truly opens your eyes. Pagan Portals: Irish Paganism by Morgan Daimler and published by Moon Books is just such a book. It is a short book that covers a lot of ground in explaining Irish Reconstructionist Polytheism with one foot firmly planted in solid research and the other in personal spiritual experience. Celtic Reconstructionism (or C.R.) is one of those “hot potatoes” in modern neo-pagan circles with heated arguments and misunderstandings being tossed back and forth with great passion. This book is one of the few books on the subject that faces these issues head-on and stands out as a well-thought out, well-written and cooling breeze that makes the subject clear, vibrant and exciting. As far as we are aware this may be the first introduction and reference work for reconstructing Irish Paganism as a modern day study and practice.
The author, Morgan Daimler, is renowned as both a scholar of Old Irish and the ancient Irish texts as well as a modern priestess and devotee of the Irish Gods. Her relationships with the Morrigan, Brighid and the Sidhe (the Fairy Folk) have lead her to write excellent introductory texts on each (see the links below) and this book is a very informative introduction to the world of Irish Paganism. Morgan Daimler has given us an excellent, honest approach to reconstructing Irish Paganism, dispelling common misconceptions and explaining the path in simple easy-to-read terms.
So What Is Reconstructionism?
In the words of the author:
Reconstructionism is a methodology that uses a variety of sources including archaeology, anthropology, mythology, folklore and historical texts to reconstruct what an ancient belief or practice, most likely would have been.
In this first section of the book, Morgan explains the challenges facing those who pursue this task. They have to seek out the underlying material beneath the overlays of subsequent cultures, foreign influences and come to terms with the differing academic views about the sources (such as they are). She talks about the necessity for study, learning the Irish language (she, herself, provides constant examples throughout the book in modern Irish, with Old Irish equivalents in the appendices). As she quotes:
Tir gan teanga, tir gan anam. (A nation with a language, a nation without a soul.)
She tackles some of the common myths about Reconstructionism with great care and consideration. One of the common misconceptions that we have met is that Celtic Reconstructionists tend to be very critical of any views or beliefs that don’t fall within their remit, and the author guides us skillfully to a position of balance and acceptance with these issues. She explains how many of the false beliefs surrounding Reconstructionists have arisen and that they are just as much “seekers on the path” (my quotes) as the rest of us.
The Beliefs of Irish Paganism
The next section of the book goes into details about the most well-known Gods of the Irish pantheon, complete with beautiful quotes, references and a summary of the beliefs associated with them. She explains that Irish Paganism is both a polytheist and animist belief system. The Gods, mostly those from the Tuatha De Danaan, are accompanied by Otherworldly spirits, the spirits of the land and ancestral spirits.
She goes on to explain how the aos sí (or the daoine sí), the people of the Hollow Hills, those we know as the Fairy Folk. Ms Daimler is widely regarded as something of an expert in this subject and her knowledge shines through in this section as she explains something of their nature and how it is important to honour them in our daily lives.
The author also talks about honouring the ancestors and how necessary it is for our well-being:
Our ancestors have a vested interest in our well-being and so are more easily motivated to intercede for us and also are more closely connected to us.
As well as discussing the belief in the immortality of the soul, she also discusses Irish cosmology.
The Practices and Holy Days of Irish Paganism
In the next two sections, Morgan tells us of her own experiences in her personal rituals, offerings and daily practices. She gives some examples that we can include into our own routines. Most importantly, she makes it very clear that none of her suggestions are to be taken as dogma and performed by rote – each of us has to choose our own path.
She goes into some details about the Holy Days. The fire festivals of Samhain, Imbolc, Bealtaine and Lúnasa are the most commonly celebrated she explains, although there are some Reconstructionists who also celebrate the solar cross-quarter days – the equinoxes and the solstices. Each of the festivals is dealt with exhaustively with supporting material in Old Irish and guidelines for practices that can be continued today.
The Practice of Magic
The subject of practicing magic in Reconstructionism is one that again attracts a wide variety of thoughts. Ms Daimler puts forward a strong case for the existence of Sorcerers, Druids and Witches in the ancient texts, before going on to explore the usage of spoken spells (rosc) and cursing. Cursing is a controversial subject, although definitely one encountered within the Old Tales, and the author discusses the variety of curses encountered without any kind of prejudice or moral censorship.
More Hot Potatoes
The last section of the book addresses some more of these ‘political’ hot potatoes. The questions of Race and Cultural Appropriation are always so prevalent in discussing the usage of the term ‘Celtic’ today and Morgan deals with them all sensitively and yet fairly. She also discusses the issue of homosexuality in ancient Ireland.
Conclusions
The book is completed by several comprehensive appendices covering the pronunciation of the Irish names both in Modern and Old Irish, a recommended reading list, a superb bibliography and all of the End-notes giving references used in the book.
As a general statement, it is true that throughout the book she has to be congratulated on clearly delineating between facts derived from research and her own translations of the original Old Irish, and her personal opinions. That on its own, makes this book one of the most worthy reference works for practical purposes that we have seen.
The book is rounded off through out be many of the author’s own personal experiences which are enlightening and stimulating. It is refreshing to see information presented to us that is academically solid and also the living heart of a spiritual practice.
If you want to read a general summary of the beliefs of the ancient Irish, or a guide to starting your own studies in Reconstructionism, then this is the book for you. If you are seeking some examples of practices to include in your own observances, then look no further. This book, small as it is (weighs in at around 90 pages), is worth every penny charged for it. We think it is a must-buy for your book-shelves.
It can be found at Moon Books or Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk
Other Books by Morgan Daimler include:
- Where The Hawthorn Grows
- Pagan Portals: Fairy Witchcraft
- Pagan Portals: The Morrigan
- Pagan Portals: Brighid (Forthcoming)
She also has many others available on Amazon.
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