Indigenous European Paganism

Ravenscry Sanctuary came about out of a need for deeper understanding of the changing spirituality.

The spirituality of the world is changing .People are waking up. And it's confusing. People sense a change coming. And like some one waking they do not have a full conscious awareness, but the sleepy fog is lifting. Christianity is not enough, it's lacking big time, and people are realizing this, and no longer are they letting man made fear of "hell" bully them into submission. As is the multitude of New Age teachings lacking. They all have parts and pieces of the truth. But most has been lost and distorted with time, scattered.

And Christianity and monotheistic religions are the greatest cause of this desecration of spiritual history.

I have a drive to get as close to the truth as I can. And I have studied. I truly do strive for the factual past. I have studied contemporary Paganism, as it has survived and been recovered. I have devoured what ever archaeology has to offer. I have read what conquering societies, 1st the Romans and then the Christian's had written about the Indigenous Peoples of Northern Europe. And I feel that now is the time for Pagans to come together, Asatru Heathens, Druids, and the Wiccans. All. I feel that pre-Christian Pagans behaved and practiced their faiths different, possibly much different than they do today.

Ravenscry Sanctuary was formed as a sanctuary, a work in progress for a literal place where Pagans of like mind can gather. My wife and I are currently in process with the IRS to become a registered 501 ( c )( 3 ) non profit. Right now Ravenscry Sanctuary is located in "reclaimed" catholic church on 1 acre of land. We are looking for the perfect land to build this dream, an intentional community of Traditional (period) Pagans.

I will soon be back to explain my theories and philosophy on this Traditional Paganism.

Blessings Liam

Many modern Pagans meet in circles and this is fine for small groups. Observances and Seasonal celebrations for much larger groups present some difficulties however. For this reason, the Pagan community of Ravenscry chooses to meet within a large sacred grove, encompassing a hill and standing stones.Historical references include the Sacred Hill at Tara, Ireland and various groves utilized both by Celtic Druids and Norse Gothi / Gythias.

The process of casting a Circle creates a sacred space but those who operate within groves, the site remains sacred. During Elder times, these groves often had village, fields or a wooden hall nearby where feasts and games could take place, which often preceded and followed the Seasonal Observances.

While we at Ravenscry see nothing wrong with casting circles, we feel this is better utilized for the individual or small group practice. The central hill allows a focus where rituals or public speaking may be preformed and the outlying area provides a place for a larger group to gather.

So how do we bring so many influences, Pathways and Traditions together ? First, those who wish to see such a Pagan society develop, evolve and grow must commit themselves to that vision, Second, we must realize that while everyone is different, there are certain societal customs that should be held in common for these people to cohabit an area successfully. And third, we must have a common ground on which to meet and this common ground involves our loyalties and our ritual.

Historically, most Pagan societies utilized a fealty oath, commonly called the "Comitatus" model. A village might have a chieftain and the inhabitants of the village swore fealty to the Chieftain. The Chieftain, in turn, might owe fealty to a local King or Queen and that King or Queen, in turn , might owe fealty to a High King or High Queen. Such oaths assured the accountability of everyone, including the leader, for such oaths were reciprocal.

In our community, not everyone is a priest / ess. A proper society is made up of bakers, farmers, basket makers, blacksmiths and so on. So one may wonder now,...who are these priest / esses,,,,In looking to history,we at Ravenscry believe that the most professionally developed and widespread priesthood was that of the Druids. We know that there were both male and female Druids and that there influence ranged from Scandinavia to Greece. With the influx and blending of both Celtic and Norse cultures, these Druids were undoubtedly familiar with the various Gods of both respective mythologies. However, it seems that most modern Druid Orders have done what most other Pathways have done and have concentrated only on one culture, primarily that of the Celtic. While it is true that modern Druids can feel identity with such distant influences as Native American Spirituality or even Buddhist thought, the predominating influence is the mythologies and cultures of England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland, and to a lesser degree, that of Western Continental Europe.

But is this correct ? Of course, we know little of Druidic training and influences, other than what is documented by Roman invaders and later, often misinformed Christian theologians. Is it not reasonable to agree that with the clashing of Celtic and Germanic cultures that occurred especially in the latter half of the First Millennium C.E., that the Druids, known for their adaptation, would not seek synchronization between the two cultures ? We know from studying the Poetic Edda, that its prose is often infused with Celtic words. And whilst, at least to our knowledge, the Druids did not have a written spiritual language, can we not see the similarities between the Ogham and the Runes ? Would not Druids, reputed to know the Greek language, not seek to learn the meaning and secrets of Nordic Runes ?.

MORE TO COME ON THIS SUBJECT SOON.      Blessings  Liam