I recently came across this paper written by Rick probably in the late 70s and wanted to share his unique insights. Why the Irish Fight for Ulster A magical/psychological explanation of the turmoil in Northern Ireland Introduction There have been to date many books published whose purpose is the evaluation and explanation of the fighting in Northern Ireland. The reasons given are diverse and varied, yet I feel that all of them, though true at a certain level, are too shallow to explain the awful bitterness and great strife that has taken the lives of so many noble and beautiful souls on both sides of the Irish question. In order to present my case, I must first lead into it with a description of the class system that divided the Celtic people and the Emerald Isle herself. The 5 Functions of Celtic Society The Indo-Europeans, a root race from which the Celts evolved, had a peculiar vision of reality. Because of this vision, they were able to divide the functions of their Gods, and hence their people and society, into five basic categories. First, the function with the most responsibility and priviledge was the priestly function. In the case of the Celts, this position was filled by the Druids, who were charged with maintaining harmony and balance within the society and Cosmos through the careful reenactment of sacred ritual. The second function was the function of government, which wasd filled by the kings and princes of the nobility. The third function was that of the warrior class, who were the enforcing arm of the ruling aristocracy. The fourth function was filled by the learned poets, harpists and historians. The final function was that of the common man, the farmer and laborer. We can arrange these 5 functions in the form of a wheel with a center and 4 spokes. We can now designate one of the 4 worldly functions as corresponding to each of the 4 spokes on the "Cosmic Wheel". The otherworldly function of the Druids would then correspond to the center of that wheel. (Here is drawn a circle with a cross-hair inside of it. At the intersection of the cross-hair is a zero, representing the Druids. Numbers 1 through 4 start at the top of the circle and continue clockwise around.) These 5 functions are a representation of the 5 aspects of the mind of man, collectively and individually. It is also a process, for all things are born in the womb of the unconscious - the Zero or unmanifest source of all existence. This is the central stillness about which all movement maintains itself. Movement depends upon there being an object or "something" that can thusly be affected. In the realm of the unmanifest, there is non-existence only and therefor no movement. But born out of this "akasha", this most subtle of all elements, there arises the first movement which manifests as thought and corresponds to the governing function and the element of Air. Now, to perceive of something we must necessarily perceive of its opposite as well. For 1 of itself would remain hidden to our consciousness, as we become aware through contrast. This perception of duality creates conflict which is resolved by either choosing one aspect over the other, or by transmuting and uniting the two opposites to obtain an even higher state of conscious awareness. But all this is dependent upon dynamic action which corresponds to the will and the element of Fire. This is the function of the warrior and is representative of the #2. Between the warrior function and the function of the laboring class there is the fourth function which corresponds to the poets, musicians and historians, as well as the #3 and the element of Water. It is here that the outflowing arc of objective awareness is partially reflected back upon itself. From the 4th function arise our subjective, intuitive faculties, our understanding of relationships and the perception of an "inner" reality. Now, the perception, action and feeling generated by the secret source of all existence finally achieves its ultimate form when it manifests through the 5th function corresponding to the element of Earth, the 4th and the laboring class or farmers. The last function is paradoxically the lowest and the highest. They are the lowest because it is their labor which supports all the other classes. Yet they are the highest, because without their existence none of the other functions would be. It is interesting to note, when looking at our "Cosmic Wheel", how the entire can be divided into a masculine half (air and fire) and a feminine half (water and earth). The masculine qualities then become perception and action and the feminine qualities are conception and feeling. The objective nature is outward directed (the masculine) and the subjective faculties of the feminine are inner directed. The masculine reaches outward into the future while the feminine gazes deep into the past. He is the bringer of ideas (evolution), She is the keeper of tradition. He is the Child of Wonder, She the wise mother. It is the idea that the 4th function merely reflects the 3rd and 2nd that the idea that Woman is merely the reflection of Man arose in some cultures, whereas Man receives his existence directly from the divine. It is the Indo-European concept that the feminine (4th and 5th functions) serve the masculine (2nd and 3rd functions) and all of these serve the 1st, divine function. There is a host of symbol correlations I could make here, but I must return now to the main concern of this paper. I believe the reader will be able to realize manhy of the correlations on their own with careful reflection and analysis. The Division of the Land of Erin In pagan Ireland, the land itself was divided in such a way as to correspond to the 5 functions of Celtic Society. This division was as follows: Connacht - the priestly function; Meath - the governing function; Ulster - the warrior function; Munster, the artistic function; Leinster - the laboring function. Each of these provinces had their own priests, their own king, their own warriors, their own artists and their own laborers. So there were divisions within divisions. But in this paper I will and must devote myself to the main divisions and the primal concept behind them. Psychological Implications Since the division of the Land and their society is deeply rooted in the unconscious of its people, I think it obvious that the holding of any portion of Ireland by an outside force would necessarily have grave psychological consequences within the psyche of all Irish men and women. Considering that it is Ulster (the Will) that is being held under control of an outside force, the psychic wound is felt even more sharply. I tink, now, the reader will agree that "Erin must be free, from the mountains to the sea," in order for Her process of individuation to be complete. Last Words I said earlier that it was the Indo-European concept that Woman was merely a reflection of man and derived Her nourshment from Him, whereas Man took his nourishment directly from the divine. Basically, all the Indo-European eminations believed in the "principle". Some, such as the Leuvites (Levites), who conquered the "Goddess" worshipping Hebrews, were fanatical enough to destroy the concept of the "Great Mother" by force of arms, murder and rapine. However, to the credit of the Celts, Woman was not conskidered inferior. For they recognized the ability of Woman to conceive and give birth (5th function) as being closest to the divine (1st function), which also brings forth out of itself that which is not itself. In fact, each function is an aspect of "Mind" - a concept which, in pre-historic times, was synonomous with the word "Mother". ----------- 0 (center of the Cosmic Wheel - the Magic Circle) function: priest aspect of being: unman. self element: akasha cardinal point: outside of time and space 1 (top of wheel) function: government aspect of being: thought element: air cardinal point: east 2 (right side of wheel) function: warrior aspect of being: will element: fire cardinal point: south 3 (bottom of wheel) function: artist aspect of being: feeling element: water cardinal point: west 4 (left side of wheel) function: laborer aspect of being: sensation, physical existence element: earth cardinal point: north The above is both a table of correspondences and a diagram representing the magic circle, the expansion and contraction of the Cosmos which is the breathing of the One eternal being of which we all are a part. Bibliography and Suggested Reading Celtic Civilization - J. Markale (Garden and Cremonesi Publishers) The Story of the Irish Race - Seamus MacManus (The Devin-Adair Company) Celtic Heritage - Alwyn and Brinley Rees (Thames and Hudson) The White Goddess - Robert Graves (Noonday Press) When God Was a Woman - Merlin Stone (Harvest/HBJ)
Posted on: Wed, 17 Jul 2013 14:59:25 +0000
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