Celtic Adventure

Celtic update

2008-03-18T16:07:00.002Z

Hi all Just a quick update
As you all know I used to own a Celtic website which was very successful
at providing you with specific information, as per your requests and interests.

I have been advised that this site is now up for sale at well way beyond my budget hahah, however, Much of the work I did on that site revolved around my personal history and the adventures of my family down the time line in fact most of it really,

The actual historic references were all researched and as correct as can be to give food for thought and conversation Why correct as can be ??

Well the reality of all things historic is no one was there so they cant be 100% accurate hahah
Yes Yes I know: archaeological evidence etc and this expert and that will be reeling around like sand eels now, but hey you cant please everyone hahah.

Anyway back to the point:
I am thinking of creating a new site for us all to play on which would make the presentation of information slightly better than this blog and give you a reference point were you can write to me for assistance in your research or what have you.

I know you are always looking for symbols history tattoos so I have plenty of contacts for such things of interest and more books than I care to admit so as you will guess, I love it but it is hard work doing the research for a unique site therefore If you have a comment keep it clean please hahaha if not then keep an eye out for a link to a new site.

Oh and if you are wondering I did not feel comfortable creating a new site whilst the old one was doing so well however as it is now being sold off I have no reason not to.
Take care
Ron

Celtic Questions update

2007-12-14T07:31:00.000Z

Hi Guys
Two things to update you on today regarding your questions
Firstly i have had my msn messenger off for a good while because i have been involved
in some projects that have taken my time it is not because i have become ill again
and again and agian hahahahah urrghh however i do thank you sincerely for your concern and
good wishes if you did not receive my notice i appologise on behalf of your spam filter hahaha.

Secondly: following several mails recently and comments regarding a newsletter
I am just reminding you that although i am no longer the owner of the celtic-culture site the site is still going strong under the ownership of Mike Domeck.
Mike was my Mentor when i was with a program called Nitro Incubator and as you all
Know my health took a major nose dive so in came Mike to save the day and keep
www.celtic-culture.com alive.

Mike Domeck is i think one of if not the kindest and most helpfull man it has been my pleasure to meet on line he genuinly cares about his web sites and their visitors and i am confident if you sign up for his free newsletter THE CELTIC CROW you will not be dissapointed.
I have been working on some other projects lately and all but one have now come to fruition
So i hope to become far more active in the new year and get some articles to Mike so watch this space for any news hahaha.

As you will know by now i have been left with a rather heavy heart condition however
i have returned slowly and not full time so to speak :-) anyway it was a long time before i
returned and Mike Domeck had worked very hard to keep www.celtic-culture alive therefore
even though Nitro had given me full ownership of the site i am confident you will appreciate
Mike had spent the money on the hosting the advertising and all other costs associated with
the site not to mention his time therfore i felt it would be unfair of me to take advantage of all that hard work and of Mike by returning to the site on such an ad hock basis I am a little old fashioned realy in that i hate hate haha letting people down to that end as one month i am healty the next month i am not haha until i am running on all cylinders i tend to hang off.

Oh one other thing Mike Domeck can help any of you budding website owners or home business
people through his own company the white hat guys so drop him a line, Anyway that is all over at www.celtic-culture.com.

Woosh that was a bit open hearted eh!! however you did ask :-) so
thanks again
Ronnie

Christmas Traditions

2007-12-12T22:46:00.000Z

Christmas Traditions

Christmas has been a central event on our calendars as far back as 596 A.D., when St. Augustine landed on the shores of Britain to spread the message of Christianity. Some of the more common traditions we have at Christmas, however, have a more checkered past. So how did we get to have Christmas gifts, cards, holly and mistletoe?

The giving of gifts oh Yes ;-)

How, exactly, the act of giving each other gifts at Christmas time came to have such an important role in the whole festive season is unclear. What is known is that St. Nicholas, a wealthy merchant from Italy, Greece or Turkey (depending on the version you read) went around giving gifts to children. Although this tradition now holds such an important role in our Christmas festivities, we cannot even be sure that St. Nicholas gave out his free gifts at Christmas time. What is known is that he now has the esteemed position of being the patron saint of children.

Christmas cards

Sending Christmas cards is a relatively new tradition, given the history of most Christmas traditions. The first known Christmas cards were sent in England some time during the 1840s, but the tradition didn’t really catch on until the 1860s, when the post office began to charge discounted postage prices for cards that were sent in envelopes that had not been sealed.

Today of course millions of Christmas cards are sent annually, both via snail mail and email.

Holly and Mistletoe (xx haha)

One of the more fascinating traditions at Christmas time is the role that both the holly and the mistletoe play. In fact both of these traditions pre-date Christianity and are both from the days when the Druids were laddies .

At that time, holly was seen to be giving extremely good luck on the house where it was hung. As such, with the wish to offer continued luck and prosperity during the festive season, this tradition continued.

Mistletoe has an even more fascinating history than holly. Again, however, the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe dates back to the days of Druids. At that time, it was believed that mistletoe was the bestower of life and fertility – and was more commonly used during wedding parties. However, the act of kissing under the mistletoe must have been a pleasant one, as we now go to great lengths to include this fun activity in modern festivities.

take care
Ronnie

How to Make Christmas Orniments

2007-12-12T17:46:00.000Z

Make some Christmas Ornaments

Christmas ornaments made from simple pipe cleaners and cheap little beads are a bit of fun for you and the kids and more importantly easy to make. This is a good one as Older people like you and i (wink) will enjoy making this Christmas craft, which can be varied to make a number of different sparkling ornaments for your Christmas tree.You will see this following line a lot as
I can not stress it enough.

DO NOT LEAVE SMALL CHILDREN UNATENDED WHEN MAKING THINGS

Ok here we go get your pipe cleaners and colourd beads of your choice For the most sparkly and attractive Christmas ornaments, use beads in red and green the best ones are beads in translucent colorsie see through and clear. Beads can also be found in metallic gold and silver which can be used in this Christmas craft as well.

Pipe cleaners come in a huge array of colours silver gold tinsle to name a few .as i said, the best colors to use are the metallics and Christmas colors. The beads cover the pipe cleaners, but the ends will need to be twisted together and made into hangers, so they show.

DO NOT LEAVE SMALL CHILDREN UNATENDED WHEN MAKING THINGS

Anyone, even small children,(even me hahah) can string beads onto pipe cleaners.
Bend up the end of the pipe cleaner so the beads stay in place . The pipe cleaner works like a needle, making a needle unnecessary. For best results, show the children how to alternate colors when stringing, or start a pattern of three colors. When the beads are strung on the pipe cleaners, they can be bent into different Christmas shapes. An example would be, ad a red bead then a clear bead and repeat along the length of the pipe cleaner, then bendaround one end for a candy cane shape.

Or alternate red and green beads and form a circle for a wreath. Use red pipe cleaner to form a small bow to decorate the wreath. Form a hanger for the Christmas craft or simply slip the circle over a branch of the tree.

DO NOT LEAVE SMALL CHILDREN UNATENDED WHEN MAKING THINGS

If you experiment with clear beads and silver pipe cleaners, you can make some beautiful snowflake or star ornaments. Snowflake designs can be twisted of silver pipe cleaner only, without the beads for a simple but pretty decoration.Bead and pipe cleaner ornaments are a Christmas craft you will find yourself using every year. Children and their parents will both appreciate this simple yet pretty Christmas craft.
remember
DO NOT LEAVE SMALL CHILDREN UNATENDED WHEN MAKING THINGS.
Take care
Ron

Joanne Dennis (My Daughter) is Wales Singer of the Year

2007-11-06T16:10:00.000Z

Joanne Dennis (My Daughter) is Wales Singer of the Year

My daughter Joanne Dennis became the Welsh Musical Theatre Singer of the year for 2007 In front of an enthusiastic Grand Theatre audience in Swansea.

Joanne was awarded much coveted commemorative Gower Trophy and a thousand pounds cash prize towards her advancement in musical theatre.

In 2005 Joanne was awarded a scholarship to join the BBC National Chorus of Wales, having previously studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff.
The three adjudicators, Stephanie Benavente, Claire Hammacott and Rosamund Shelley praised the standard at both preliminary round and this final, where they commented that Joanne had raised their performance standards for this prestigious occasion. They also praised the outstanding support given to each artiste by guest accompanist, Jeffrey Howard.

The organising Dunvant Male Choir, under Conductor Jonathan Rogers and accompanist Hywel Evans, supported the event with items from their musical theatre repertoire and previous winner Hayley Gallivan added a classy contribution.A letter from Last year's winner Connie Fisher was included in the programme which encouraged every entrant with her motto: "Climb Every Mountain, 'til you find your dream!" Connie Fisher is now playing as Maria in The Sound of Music at the London Palladium.

From a dads Point of view :-)

Since Joanne was old enough to hold a beat she has been belting out songs from nursery rhymes to rap. Joannes capacity to adopt the presence of each song she sings has never ceased to amaze me, if I was playing Alahna Myles you would think it was her singing in the back of the car Mariah Kerry ha she was there in the car too however the point being as a small person in her car seat her voice was a joy to listen too.

Over the years she has created her own style and through hard work and difficult circumstances she is now living her dream Oh yes, in addition Joanne is an accomplished pianist and also highly graded in the guitar.

As you can see by the fact she was presented with the Gower trophy the hard work and commitment to her dream has made us all very proud.

Way to go Jo I love ya sweetheart

Dadso xxxx

It is also My Son Scott,s Birthday today so happy birthday son i look forward to seeing you home on thursday :-) love ya

I will present Scotts also great rep here soon Scott is a Rugby man Oh yes a fine Celtic Warrior

Celtic Voice of Heaven (Be Inspired)

2007-10-30T11:15:00.000Z

Hey Guys
I missed this on TV however, a friend of mine forwarded me to this guy Paul Potts and the x factor. This Man of monster talent is a Welsh Man that worked in a mobile phone shop in Cardiff. Now everyone Knows the Welsh can sing like angels Oh yes My Daughter Joanne is one of them she trained in Opera at Cardiff ill add more on her achievements later but this guy, well just listen you will feel better for it and remember to watch him sing in the final wow.

GOOD EH !!

Celtic Business Builder Shirley Mckay

2007-10-27T20:10:00.000+01:00

Celts settled in Thrace (Bulgaria), which they ruled for over a century, and Anatolia, where they settled as the Galatians. Despite their geographical isolation from the rest of the Celtic world, the Galatians maintained their Celtic language for at least seven hundred years. St Jerome, who visited Ancyra (modern-day Ankara in 373AD, likened their language to that of the Treveri of northern Gaul.
From wilkopeidia

Welcome Back To the celtic adventure Blog.

Todays Post is about a modern Celtic adventurer so here we go :-)

There on the Right you will see a website created by one of our regular readers
Shirley McKay From Perth in Scotland. http://www.bis-perth.co.uk/

Following many years in the accountancy world travelling around the globe, Shirley made the brave choice to step out and create her own business providing information and resources for all us Celtic adventurers.

Here is an overview of a chat we had on the Phone

RonnieD
Hi Shirley
So tell me when did you make your decision to start your business adventure?

Shirley
Well in the first instance I was looking for something new that could be run from My home town of Perth Scotland but still give me the opportunity to be part of a global experience.

RonnieD
So Shirley you still have a strong bond with your Celtic roots with much of your family being of Irish and Scottish decent.

Shirley
Yes Ron as you know I have travelled extensively and it never ceases to amaze me
that where ever a have landed I have found people sharing my Celtic interests in music and the good old Pot of soup haha.

RonnieD
As we can see Shirley at your website http://www.bis-perth.co.uk/ you seem to have a passion for Bulgaria is this the only country you deal with in your business and if so why?.

Shirley
My business is not solely Bulgarian investment, we work with properties from all countries that provide good investment opportunities for our readers and in addition provide a wealth of other services in various sectors such as furniture, house sitting, pet sitting, rented villas, Holidays, Land and so much more.

I was excited to see my site link http://www.bis-perth.co.uk/ on your blog as my Bulgarian site is essentially my own personal favourite.
It is a country that has a strong link with our Celtic history and yes again especially where music and food and a friendly hearth is concerned hahah.

RonnieD
Well Shirley I know you were not expecting me to call so I will give you peace for now and let you back to work. I will put this up on the blog for people to see you for who you are not just a web link http://www.bis-perth.co.uk/

Is there anything else you would like to add Shirly?

Shirley
Thanks Ron I would simply say please visit the site http://www.bis-perth.co.uk/ there is lots of information there for you readers and I look forward to them dropping by to see us.

Well there ya go folks A Celtic Friend on the web living the adventure so go look and say hello remember a stranger is a friend you just have not met yet :-)

Ron

Are You a Celtic adventurer or would you like to see your site here please drop us a line.

The History of the Celtic Cross

2007-10-05T15:16:00.000+01:00

welcome back to part two of the Celtic cross story

It is said that the earliest incarnations of the Celtic cross were carved into stone slabs and that these slabs lay flat on the ground.

The name given to these was recumbent cross-slabs. Over time they gradually evolved into carvings on upright slabs (Erect cross-slab), sometimes depicted with a slightly rounded top.

Both versions of the cross were and are always decorated intricately with traditional Celtic patterns for eg: spirals, knot work, foliage, keys, Biblical tales and animals.

The most recent evolution of the Celtic cros is the Tall free standing, High cross, rather than being simply a carving on a slab. The cross was effectively now "freed" from the stone, hence these versions are known as Freestanding crosses. The arms of the cross were made longer, so they extended the circle, with the inner shapes between the arms and the circle being cut away. And this cross is most commonly seen in the form of gravestones in Irish churchyards or as war memorials all over Britain.

Next will be more on the meanings of the cross by a great writer v couch so drop in and see what it is all about :-)

The Celtic Cross

2007-09-28T17:05:00.000+01:00

The Celtic cross is a religious symbol seen all over Britain and in fact many places all over the globe due to its ever growing popularity.

So what is this celtic cross all about then?
The Celtic cross is similar to a regular Christian cross however with the addition of a circle surrounding the point where the lines of the cross meet in the centre. It is said it derives from the British Isles and was first used in the seventh-ninth centuries in Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

I will bring you more on the celtic cross soon or alternitivly feel free to make a comment is there one near you?

Hello Again

2007-09-28T16:54:00.000+01:00

Hi again all

I am back again hahah

As you all know i have been a bit off colour for a while now anyway long story short i ended up with heart disease which is an on going challenge hahah. Even though i have not been here in a while i have been busy on various things which i will update you on as i go.

Did you know that this blog has been on line now since 2005 so we have lasted a good few years which is realy good concidering i have been in and out of this world and the other hahah so thank you all for hanging in there. I have looked through some old posts and comments on our blog and to be honnest some of them are a bit big ie i have wittered on too much hahah. I will shorten the posts into snippets of info on various topics starting with an overview then posting info after.

if thats ok with ya all that is i am confident you will let me know also i hope you like the new look of the blog a bit of a freshener Now remember anything you want or topic to cover GIZ A SHOUT dont be shy hey photies of your celtic adventures would be nice or your family oh one more thing you see the Dog above well he is My dog and he has been by my side like a true soldier when i lost my cognative abilities and had to learn to walk again n stuff following those big ops urrgghh so he is getting his picture up for the world to see hahaha

take care catch ya soon

The gods of Wales

2006-08-01T00:00:00.001+01:00

The gods of Prehistoric Britain, also obscured by centuries of Christianity, have been handed down to us in other great manuscripts held in Wales.In Wales, the two main groups of former gods are the children of Dôn and the Children of Llyr, although any distinction of function or behaviour between the two separate groups is not as apparent to the reader as the Irish equivalent.
take care
Ron Dennis www.enteradomain.com

The gods of Ireland

2006-08-01T00:00:00.000+01:00

The oldest body of myths is found in early medieval manuscripts from Ireland.

Remember here that Christian monks wrote these manuscripts, Therefore the formerly divine nature of the characters is often not presented.
The basic myth shows a war between two apparently divine races,
the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Fomorians, and this forms the basis for the manuscripts text ''Cath Maige Tuireadh'' (the Battle of Mag Tuireadh), as well as portions of the great manuscript ''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' (the Book of Invasions).

The Tuatha Dé Danann represents the functions of human society such as kingship, crafts and war, whereas the Fomorians represent chaos and wild nature.
Scary hahah
take care
Ron www.enteradomain.com

The gods of the ancient Celts

2006-07-27T19:21:00.000+01:00

The gods of the ancient Celts

Though the Celtic world at its greatest extent covered much of western and central Europe, it is said that it was not politically unified, nor was there any substantial central source of cultural influence.

As a result, there was a great deal of variation in the local practices of Celtic religion (although certain gods; for example, the god Lugh & mdash; appear to have travelled throughout the Celtic world). Inscriptions of more than three hundred deities, often equated with their Roman counterparts, have survived, but most appear to have been local or tribal gods, and few were widely worshipped.

The nature and functions of these ancient gods can be deduced from their names, the location of their inscriptions, their iconography (models, statues or carvings etc), the Roman gods they are equated with, and similar figures from later bodies of Celtic mythology.

Ron Dennis http://www.enteradomain.com

hello again celtic readers

2006-07-26T22:14:00.000+01:00

Hi all
As you know if you have visited my old site lately
I have been out of service for a while however
this is a quick note to say i am back and i am well
Thank you to all those that wished me well :-)

I have lots to tell you like before however regretably the celtic
culture website is no longer mine so i will be posting all my news here
for you to enjoy.

Once again thanks for sticking with me ill add more tomorrow.
Take care
Ron

Are you a Proud Celt?

2006-03-19T20:15:00.000Z

As many of you already know I have been a bit under the weather lately, so i do not have as much done, as I wanted to.
Thanks to all of you who contacted me that lifted my spirits and was very nice of you.

Anyway, i am now on my final upgrade of tablets and the brain is starting to fire up

So to keep you updated, the Celtic crow will soon be changing to a new server that will put me in a better position to provide you with a monthly newsletter, rather than the current set-up. This will be all set up by the middle of next week. As you know, we have introduced several new topics to the site and i am working on converting the menu into areas of interest, as per your suggestions
Including an FAQ area.

If you have asked me a question and i have not yet returned your mail then please be assured the subject may be in the FAQ section as the volume of questions i get is growing and many of these questions are similar.

Questions are now coming in now from all over the globe, it is very exciting to see all the interest in the site however i will remind you all, this is your site too! Therefore, if you are a part of a Celtic organisation you want to tell us about or you have a story to tell, then let us all share together in the tradition of our ancestors.

I see everyday on TV and what have you that New York has a big Celtic following i.e. fire stations police stations and Canada is prominent in Celtic circles.
Well guys if you are proud of your Celtic group lets get some pictures up of these heroes and warriors and celebrate our Celtic culture be it Scottish Irish Welsh or any other Celtic land.
Are you proud ?? Lets find out
Take care all and everything will be back to normal next week
Ron

Celtic Tattoos traditional permanent and temporary

2006-03-12T21:22:00.000Z

Celtic Tattoos have enjoyed huge revival and are seen today on many of the worlds most prominent artists.
This Celtic art form provides a wide array of mystical designs, both personal and traditional, permanent and temporary, for that special lifelong inspiration or the temporary expression of love or meaning.
if by chance you have some Celtic Tattoos, I would be happy to put your story up for the world to see.

Celtic symbol mail

2006-01-23T11:58:00.000Z

Hello Ron here
I received a mail this week about one of the symbols on my site from one of our readers
Ray as he had a slight concern about the meaning i had in place.
Below i have placed the contents of the comments and my reply for your enjoyment.
To an educational, site which gives precise archaeological evidence if you need it
I then go on to say

Like many things in history and in life, interpretations of Celtic symbols are down to the person translating them.
On this page I invite all of you to give me alternative meanings to the symbols and i will gladly add it to the site however, freedom is about choice so unless your meaning is racist sexist or otherwise (at my personal discretion), weather i agree or not with the historical basis, I will put it up. Every reader can then enjoy the site as much as i do.

Hey guys no one is perfect therfore

If you do not agree with details in the mail below then please send to me your information
however dont forget the specific dates and references like i have done below or no mention or research will be entered into and the mail will be deleted. I an confident you will appreciate how time consuming it would be otherwisw uuurrrgg hahah
so here we go with the mail :-)
Hiya Ray
Firstly, thank you Ray for dropping me a line
Now then to your comments

"The 'triple spiral' you refer to is actually called a triskele and represents death, the afterlife, and rebirth. The holy trinity references are irrelevant and incorrect, since this and other symbols were originated by the druids, well before the introduction of Christianity."

Well Ray yes I had this explanation up originally however I had a lot of mails telling me that this is only a small part of the symbol.
I therefore investigated further on this one and found that in fact, yes I was not explaining it correctly and this is why

Therefore, Ray the first part of your mail covers the triskele i.e.
"The 'triple spiral' you refer to is actually called a triskele and represents death, the afterlife, and rebirth."

Firstly, the word triskele did not exist until the 17th century AD.

Triskele is a word that is New Latin, from Greek triskel s, three-legged : tri-, tri- + skelos, leg.]

Noun 1. triskele - a figure consisting of three stylized human arms or legs (or three bent lines) radiating from a center For clarification you will see below the ages of latin

Ages of Latin—75 BC Old Latin 75 BC – 1st c.Classical Latin 2nd c. – 8th c. Late Latin
9th c. – 15th c.Medieval Latin 15th c. – 17th c. Humanist Latin
17th c. – present New Latin

As you will know Ray, the Druids were around a long time before this however,

The 18th century saw a Druid Revival in England and Wales, inspired by the writings of antiquaries such as John Aubrey (1629-1697), John Toland (1670-1722), and William Stukely (1687-1765). Aubrey was the first modern writer to put forward the idea that Stonehenge and other megalithic monuments were built by Druids. He was also the first person to make surveys of Stonehenge and Avebury. On the strength of this, some modern Druid groups whose origins lie in the 18th century revival therefore have claimed him as an Arch druid it possibly adopted the name triskele at that point.

This is why I reverted to the triple spiral name.

To the second part of your comments i.e.
"The holy trinity references are irrelevant and incorrect, since this and other symbols were originated by the druids, well before the introduction of Christianity".

Well Ray, as you will know Christianity was around long before the 17th century also and Latin is in fact the language of the Vatican City headed by the Pope, although it has its roots in indo-European language it is more localised to the areas in and around Rome historically.
I think that covers the fact that the word has some relation to Christianity however now to the Symbol.
The spiral is found all over the world in many cultures and religions however i believe new grange is the oldest representation of the triple spiral, what the future brings archeologically who knows.

You will recognise that Celtic Christianity and the great works such as the book of kells has triple spirals inside its covers
and that we now know that these great works of illumination were allegedly in many cases created by druids that converted to Christianity to save the ways and teaching of the druid sects.
It is writings of this nature that Christianity converted to use the symbolism of the holy trinity. Here in Scotland Ray there are many churches with the triple spiral markings on their entrance ways to show they were of Celtic Christianity.
Are we then to say that these Druids who created and named these great works to ensure the future of the druids after the changes and into the future are of no worth and irrelevant well that’s up to you to decide.

I am confident you will appreciate Ray that with many thousands of visitors to my site all from differing walks of life all with their own opinions on things many of whom have no family ties to the Celtic world like myself but just enjoy the cultural experience, are equally allowed to give their own interpretations of what ever they wish.

Therefore, to that end your and my first interpretation of the symbol is there for your enjoyment however there has been many many more asking for the second that i have provided for theirs.
In addition, Ray if you look a little further down that page you will find the threefold symbol which might be to what you are looking for threefold is a plain English representation of triskele.
The above are not opinions simply facts as presented through the following references
British order of Druids
Bennett, Charles E. Latin Grammar (Allyn and Bacon, Chicago, 1908) N. Vincent: "Latin", in The Romance Languages, M. Harris and N. Vincent, eds., (Oxford Univ. Press. 1990), ISBN 0195208293 Waquet, Françoise, Latin, or the Empire of a Sign: From the Sixteenth to the Twentieth Centuries (Verso, 2003) ISBN 1859844022; translated from the French by John Howe. Wheelock, Frederic. Latin: An Introduction (Collins, 6th ed., 2005) ISBN 0060784237

I will pop this on my blog also so other visitors may voice their opinion
If you require further information, visit the British order of Druids
at this address http://www.britishdruidorder.co.uk/

Thanks, again Ray for you comments if you have any other comments please
let me know, perhaps you would be kind enough to quote historical reference as above
so i can put them on the site
Take care
Ron

Appalachian Heritage

2006-01-15T19:00:00.000Z

Hello again All
I received a mail from a fellow Blogger recently advising me that he was adding an Appalachian Heritage section to his wonderful websites and Blog pages, as many of the people there have strong Scot-Irish ancestry.

MeToo :-)

If by chance you are from that area then one hundred thousand welcoms to you all and if you have been a stranger then welcome to being a friend.

This is wonderfull when you meet new people who have similar interests especialy from areas that our forfarthers decided settle, anyway to the point.

If you get a chance visit one of John's sites the list below starts with his blog then website then forums.
http://johndilbeck.blogspot.com
http://AYearFromNow.com
http://AYearFromNowForum.com
http://SuccessCooperativeForum.com

I hope you enjoy your journey i did you will find John larger than life (i think someware it says John is About the size of a bear) Thanks for your Mail John you deserve Success.

celtic symbol

2006-01-15T18:01:00.000Z

Hiya all
First of all I would like to say a big thank you to you all for your
Kind words regarding my Symbols if you would like me to put up the symbols here let me know

Now then, I received a question from Jamie one of our Celtic family specificly about a Celtic Symbol and before I put it up on the site in my own design, I thought I would let you my Blog readers have a quick glips of the question.

I have been trying to find a symbol/picture for Anem Cara, and didn't know if there was one. i can only find things with the words written...just wondered
First Name: Jamie U.S.A

My answer was as follows
Hiya Jamie

With reference to your question on Anem Cara

The actual spelling is Aman Cara, it means soul friend and there is a
saying that goes with it which was allegedly written by St Bridget.

"Is colainn gan cheann duine gan anam cara"

This translated means

"A person without a Soul Friend is like a body without a head."

The symbol looks like this

see it being used

This crest is from the seal of the bishop

at The Order of The Anam Cara (Soul Friend) this is an ecumenical
community of Monks who practice simplicity, peace and accountability
in the context of the world. The Order is a lifelong commitment to the rule of life

Well Jamie that took me ages :-) I hope I have covered your question to your
satisfaction.

So guys if you have a soul Freind or someone important in your life you know what to look for.

come back soon

Ron

Celtic Symbols

2005-11-10T18:06:00.000Z

Hi all
Following many emails asking me about Celtic Sybols and designs
I give you here a very small section from a page I put together on this very subjest and yes, i even created the artwork in section two my self so make sure and have a look at them. In addittion you will find links on the page to various educational sites that give you the opportunity to view our symbols in their origional splendor visit
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THESE ON THE BLOG LET ME KNOW i am working on perhaps another site or a little book
Celtic symbols and many of their associated imagery have given us the opportunity to use our imagination, as if connected to something of great unknown mystery for e.g.: the idea of shape shifting into different forms was shown through the creation of artefacts that would when turned in different directions, trick the viewer into seeing a number of faces or animals by seemingly transforming from one object to another or patterns that would seemingly dissolve and reorganise them selves into a pattern that bore no resemblance to the one first seen.
Many of these swirl effects are used today in items of jewellery such as a necklace or ear rings. My cousin Lesley would produce wonderful designs from silver and other metals; she was very fond of this style along with the Celtic cross and rings with family emblems and initials wound into the swirling patterns. Her explanations of the symbols were of love and friendship similar to that of the claddagh story.

Christmas

2005-10-09T20:58:00.000+01:00

Hiya all
keeping with the fairy theme for a moment!!!
Christmas is rapidly approaching therfore to start you thinking of the festive season i found this
poem from A fairy to a child
Christmas Greeting
From A Fairy To A Child by Lewis Carroll.

Lady, dear, if Fairies may For a moment

lay aside Cunning tricks and elfish play,

'Tis at happy Christmas tide.

We have heard the children say

Gentle children, whom we love

ThatLong ago on Christmas Day,

Came a message from above,

Still, as Christmas-tide comes round,

They remember it again

Echo still the joyful sound"Peace on earth, good-will to men!

"Yet the hearts must childlike be

Where such heavenly guests abide;

Unto children, in their glee,

All the year is Christmas-tide!

Thus, forgetting tricks and play

For a moment, Lady dear,

We would wish you, if we may,

Merry Christmas, Glad New Year!

Fairy tales

2005-09-27T16:34:00.000+01:00

Hiya all
As promised Fairy tales

The fairy has been a lifelong companion of my children and me therefore;
I will bring to you a piece of the magic that the little people have given us.

As you will remember if you have read my Old site My mother would tell me stories of Little People as told to her by her mother.

You will find the word Fairy spelt in many ways depending on who is doing the writing and the area they come from therefore, you will see some of these varied spellings on the web

As I was saying , My mother would tell tales of tinker bell the wood fairy and Finyarra the king of the fairies who would meet in the misty glens of Ireland and there tinker belle would sing songs for the little fairy people to dance to.

Throughout our history, there are Fairy talesf rom places all over the globe and many people believe whole-heartedly, in the existence of the little people, not only from their childhood fairy tales, but also from their own sightings and experiences.
I have an excellent article and lots of information on Fairys.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE FAIRYTALES OR ADD YOU OWN HERE LET ME KNOW
Go on make your children’s bed time that little bit more imaginative and pass on these stories of joy and laughter, if you be a believer or just like to make your children smile invite some fairys into your life.
Take care All
Ronnie

European vacation

2005-09-25T15:31:00.000+01:00

Hiya all I hope you are all well firstly sorry I have not posted for two weeks now however, I had a wonderful surprise three weeks ago on my wife Donna’ Marie and my wedding anniversary. A gift of two weeks in the sun on the island of Crete Oh yes it was wonderful however, the nearest working internet cafe was miles away and as my budget did not push to a car the pool and sunshine won hahah. The Celtic connection with the Greek mythology is very strong however; I will save that for the future. This was a return visit to Crete where we have many friends and most of the evenings were taken up by invites to family meals and music, much like a visit to my family in Ireland and the famous Scottish family hospitality.
Crete is also a place where the ties of family and the passing on of stories and music are an important role in their every day lives. It was truly an honour and joy to sit with my friends and their families. At one gathering, we had four generations of 1 family and three generations of another at one huge table. As you can imagine this was a fantastic way to spend an evening, I don’t even think king Arthur’s table was this big hahahh. My next post will be about the little people as requested by Conor Atkinson and his mum and dad Conor is a gorgeous wee man who loves a good story at bedtime
Take care
Ronnie

Wales

2005-08-07T19:36:00.000+01:00

Hiya
I received an email from one of our reader recently asking why I have not included Wales on in my old well the truth is I have been in and out of hospital lately and therefore have not got round to it yet.
Be assured Wales as well as many other Celtic related locations will be arriving shortly :-)

Wales has been a very big part in my life in that living in Liverpool everyone used to journey to Wales at holiday time and my auntie Brenda moved, many years ago now to sunny rhyl in north Wales and as I youngster I spent many holidays on the island of Anglesey.
The Fun thing is My parents fell so much in love with the place they decided to retire there along side my sister who owns a farm on the island.

Due to this I have many native welsh speakers in my own family mainly nieces and nephews.
I will ask them to do some translation for us as soon as I get some quality info for you to read.
The world of the Celt as I am sure you can appreciate, is a very very large topic and to that end I am always on the lookout for your personal experiences and family history so please drop me a line if you have something to say.

There are millions of us out there not just Celts but huge amounts of people with an interest in our culture history and stories over 11762 page vews on this site alone last month :-)
that's a lot of new friends I hope that we all link together over the coming months.
so where do you live ??
speak soon
Take care
Ronnie

The Romans and the Picts

2005-07-02T16:22:00.000+01:00

Before I start a quick comment. Any historical information or details added to this Blog is researched from historic reference books none of the date’s times or names used are from personal opinion or experience except where noted. Like us all, i have opinions and i also like to voice them now and then with a bit of poetic licence :-)

Between the time 80-84 AD a Roman general called Agricola, decided that the land of Caledonia - now known as Scotland, should be added to the Roman Empire.
The Romans soon moved in and defeated the Picts, who were then the native Celtic people, at a place known as Mons Graupious. The Romans made the error of underestimating the Celtic tribes of the Picts and did not really consolidate their victory therefore, in 142 AD, The Roman Emperor Antonine had no option but to build a defence rampart AKA the antonine wall, against these peoples at a point where Caledonia was at its narrowest.
The area of choice was between the river Clyde and the river Forth just down from our house :-)Antonine's wall however, was soon abandoned as the Romans were pushed further south to the new Hadrian’s wall which effectively cut Britain in half.
Hadrian’s wall became the new frontier between Roman Britain and the Pictish nations until the 5th century.
It did not stop them though….. Come back soon for the next episode.

Antonine wall

2005-07-01T15:50:00.000+01:00

I recently visited this famous wall and the site of one of the larger fortresses.
I have to say the Romans knew how to make something look good. As we walked along the antonine wall we came upon a huge causeway once trod by legions of roman soldiers, its banks were smooth and curved outwards towards the sky at the bottom of this causeway was a large hill on top of which, once stood a large Roman fortress.

LIKE MORE ON THIS THEN LET ME KNOW I HAVE LOTS

Whilst the area was now baron of buildings, it is guarded by a presence of power and opulence. At its gates and perimeter we found large hidden pits where once was hidden great spears which spelt death to any would be assailant, In to these Pits the enemies of Rome were thrown onto the spears as a lesson to others. What has this to do with the picts you ask I will let you know in the next episode?

Scotland My Home

2005-06-30T15:46:00.000+01:00

Starting as promised with Scotland.
Scotland’s history is to say the least very confusing at times, I live here and have easy access to records however, it can be difficult to unravel the truth from Caledonia’s misty past. Little is known of the early stone to Bronze Age inhabitants mainly because there is no written form of history available until the time of the Roman Empire.
Therefore, in the next instalment we will check out the Picts and the Romans.

take care

Celtic who what where

2005-06-26T13:47:00.000+01:00

My reason for writing the following snippets of information was born, when I recently read on a Celtic associated forum the question Q I was born in south west England therefore can I be Celtic? The answer given was A if you are born in England you can only be Anglo Saxon not Celtic.
I can only surmise that someone did not look this up before answering the question.
Therefore, let us state for the record. Your place of birth is totally irrelevant when it comes to tracing your bloodline or ancestry.
Britain, including Hibernia (Ireland) was Celtic long before the Anglo Saxons arrived in the east of Scotland, as was nearly all of Europe. Yes even the Great Rome was once Celtic as was Germany, France, Turkey, Spain parts of Grease and beyond therefore, even the Anglo Saxons will no doubt have some Celtic connections oh yes

The last of the Free

2005-06-25T03:41:00.000+01:00

Over the next few instalments we will look at the times and Celtic connections of the peoples of Britain and from there we will work outward around the world. you will see the Celtic historical timeline pre Christian as we go along IF YOU WANT MORE LET ME KNOW

If you be a Stranger Welcome to being a Friend

2005-06-12T06:26:00.000+01:00

Hello there and welcome.

In this blog we will be taking a journey together through the ins and outs of Celtic history art places and people.

Or more rightly, into the places and people with a bit of history thrown in for good measure. :-)

If you have come here through our website you will know that it has been compiled to give us all including me when I research and write the content, an opportunity to learn about the Celtic culture through its Arts crafts songs and historical stories and facts.

I am confident you will recognise that when building an information website it is all to easy to write about the things you love however, in doing this I may miss something that you love about the Celtic ways and as this is our journey please drop me a line and let me know what you want to see Celtic or otherwise.

Now then if like me you have a large circle of family and friends,
I know you have stories to tell and pictures of them all, they could be weddings, holidays, pictures of your Celtic group or simply a fun get together,
I guess your smiling just now thinking of a fun occasion.
What would your Mary or your Mum say if she saw her picture on a web site being looked at by potentially thousands of strangers?

It is a safe bet that it would be !!Aaaaarrrrrrrggghhhh!! what did you use that picture for a hate that one, hahahah.

The point here being, the Celtic culture has been passed down through the generations by word of mouth through stories and songs.

Families and friends would come together around the hearth and together, they would learn laugh and cry growing stronger through that experience.

The modern Celt has progressed enormously over time and for many of us, our families and friends have migrated to locations throughout the world therefore, getting around the hearth can be a bit of a challenge to say the least :-).
Because of that we miss out on some of the bonds that have given us great joy fun and laughter.

relight the hearth and get the family wedding or just a good giggle in your heart.
I will soon give a listing of the site for your ease of reference and update you on any changes or additions to the site.

Come back soon for details of the places of Ireland and Scotland you never know it may be a place you know or a family homeland of your own.
Take care
Ronnie