Astrology and the Celtic Druids Part Two

Part Two
The ancient Celtic ritual calendar and zodiac of thirteen lunar months was associated with and these tree signs form the basis for the astrological system. Each tree has its own dryad or tree spirit which, according to the Druids, was created by the first rays of the Sun that reached Earth long before human beings appeared; they represent the spiritual nature of the human character.

In astrology, the Moon is a symbol of the unconscious mind and it is a dimension of ourselves that Western-based astrological systems have tended to disregard, with just a cursory nod to the 'irrational' influences of the Moon. The lunar dimension of the Celtic zodiac contains the residual influences of post lives (reflecting the Druidic belief in reincarnation) and all the hidden agendas of which the conscious mind is largely unaware, but which are retained in what is known as our Shadow self. This is the dimension of the mind that this system addresses, it takes full account of both the Sun and Moon -- or the conscious and unconscious mind -- and thus forms a truly cohesive system, with a corresponding increase in accuracy. Why, then, did Celtic Astrology fall into disuse?

A brief history
When the Romans conquered Europe and a large part of Britain, they destroyed many of the Druidic centres of learning in a concerted effort to establish their own authoritarian regime. As part of this process they imported their own zodiac derived from the Greek version. Hence the Greco-Roman zodiac become the accepted format of astrology throughout Europe. Celtic beliefs, however, remained deeply embedded in the psyche of the people, or what Jung referred to as the 'collective unconscious'. Having been passed down through the centuries by word of mouth, they were eventually recorded in ancient manuscripts by Celtic Christian monks, who were in essence latter-day Druids and Bards. Druidic cosmology and the related philosophies are also to be found in numerous Celtic myths and poems.

Hidden wisdom
The alternation of day and night, or light and darkness, had profound meaning for the Celts; it formed the pivotal duality of life and death. Hence their ritual lunar calendar and zodiac marks the changing light in the sky with the spiralling passage of the Sun moving in unison through the cyclic phases of the Moon. A fundamental spiritual comparison can be made with the Brahmin beliefs that provide the source of Vedic karmic astrology known as 'Jyotish', the science of light.

The unconscious, or abstract, mind 'thinks' in the language of mythological symbols, which is why mythology emerges as today's psychology. In nearly all ancient myths both the Moon and Earth were identified with primeval goddesses, and their relationship with each other forms an integrated and transforming aspect of the psyche. A lunar eclipse; for example, occurs at the time of the Full Moon when the shadow of the earth slowly creeps across the face of the Moon; according to the lunar mysteries of the Druids, the Moon's own dark shadow or polarity guards a source of hidden wisdom. Indeed, this 'hidden agenda' is the key to your future growth.

Thomas O Donovan is the author of this article and is actively involved with the site below.
Irish Astrology is about bringing awareness of the Druidical astrological system that was used as early as the Vedic, Greek, or Roman systems.Click here for more info and here for our blog