Land, Sky, Sea

BodhiSeed

I've given up trying to find a spiritual group, and have decided to allow the earth to be my teacher. However, in tracing my roots back to their Scottish source, I have have become enamored with the Celtic idea of "land, sky and sea." I feel much more of an affinity for this philosophy rather than the Greek's system of elements. Perhaps it is because they seem to intertwine with each other like a braid, even though they are separate (if that makes any sense). For instance I saw a great blue heron the other day, and I immediately linked it to land, sky and sea because of its flight, nesting and hunting habits. And these three fit nicely with the body, spirit, and thoughts/feelings - again separate yet as one. For those who follow a Celtic path, what does "Land, Sky and Sea" mean to you? I have read plenty of books on the idea, but I guess I'm looking for your personal view of it. Thank you!:heart:
 

Tuilirose

I have also given up trying to find a Spiritual group, and I don't follow a Celtic path, per-se. However, to me, what you are asking goes back to an old, old discussion about the nature of "god-head", or Universal Power, (or insert any other name that you like or use).

Forgive me for digressing, but I don't know any other way to explain how I got to thinking about this.

I tried Unitarianism, and I am still quite fond of Unitarians, because so many of them are thoughtful people, who are well read, and who actually give thought to what comes out of their mouths.
Unfortunately, where I live, the local Unitarian meeting place has become so tolerant (maybe that is not the right description, but I can't think how else to word it), that, to me at least, it has become such an "anything goes" group, that any person with "odd ball" ideas uses it as a Forum to push their own agenda.

I learned something there though, when I took a class on the history of Unitarianism, that I had not been aware of during my long past association with the Unitarians.
I learned that Unitarians are the product of a school of thought that goes back to the beginning of Christianity.
Some say that the "Universal Power" source is 'ONE'.
The Nicene Council, which sought to unify the theology of the Christian religion in the year 336, mandated that the concept of a Trinitarian God be a cornerstone of the Doctrine.
Now, not everyone believed in this Trinitarian concept, including the Bishop who baptised the Roman Emperor Constantinople into Christianity.

Some say, that, since Christianity had been declared the "official" religion of the Roman Empire, the Romans wanted to make Christianity more attractive to the multitudes of Roman subjects who had been Pagans.
Paganism, in its myriad forms, often has a 'triune' type of god concept.
Examples, such as Maiden, Mother, Crone, or, Land, Sky, Sea, and other "three in one" concepts like this, can sort of be tied to the Trinity, in the 'form' of "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost".
In other words, creating a concept of the Trinity, in the official Roman religion of Christianity, made it easier for former 'pagans' to swallow, since they were used to "three in one" god concepts.

I still am sorting out my thoughts about this "Trinity vs Unitarian" concept of god, Universal source, Higher Power, (whatever), but I guess, since it is such an old discussion, that no one has been able to resolve, except in the privacy of their own hearts, minds, spirits (hey, that sounds trinitarian, now that I write it!), so I guess I am in good company.
 

BodhiSeed

I think the ancient tribes used the "land, sky, sea" idea long before the Christians made their mark on them. They didn't see this as a god thing, but as an element thing, much like the Greeks had the elements of fire, earth, water, air, spirit. Of course it did make it convenient for others to use this trinity to sell their ideology, such as Christianity with the Trinity and Wicca with the maiden, mother, crone idea.
 

Milfoil

Land, sky and sea also correlate to the three worlds (typically shamanic) of upper (sky), middle (land) and lower (sea). Manannan Mac Lir, an older Celtic deity is seen as God of the sea, a psychopomp (one who leads the newly departed to the land of the dead) and who's most noted skill is the ability to use mists and concealment in order to protect.
 

BodhiSeed

Thank you Milfoil.:) I had known about the three worlds, but had not heard of Manannan Mac Lir; seeing how we've had several days of pea-soup fog, his mention is very timely!
 

Tuilirose

BodhiSeed, when you said you would, "allow the Earth to be my teacher", it put me in mind of a Post here on AT a month or so ago.

The ATer offered "reading" based on what they encountered on their daily walk. I cannot remember the name of the Thread, unfortunately, so I cannot provide the link. However, the Poster took the question, and, for reply, interpreted not Tarot cards, or Oracle cards, or Runes, but whatever they happened to encounter during the walk...birds, plants, the happenstance of other hikers walking by them.

I thought that was so cool, and a true example of "letting the Earth be the teacher". The process that Poster used put me in mind of how I remembered looking at the world as a child, before logic and 'formal' learning made my mind rigid.
(Tarot is helping me SO much with reconnecting with that 'inner certainty' that 'signs', and by that I mean simple Earth-based things, I see about me in the world really DO often mean what my intuition says they mean.)
 

BodhiSeed

BodhiSeed, when you said you would, "allow the Earth to be my teacher", it put me in mind of a Post here on AT a month or so ago.

The ATer offered "reading" based on what they encountered on their daily walk. I cannot remember the name of the Thread, unfortunately, so I cannot provide the link. However, the Poster took the question, and, for reply, interpreted not Tarot cards, or Oracle cards, or Runes, but whatever they happened to encounter during the walk...birds, plants, the happenstance of other hikers walking by them.

I thought that was so cool, and a true example of "letting the Earth be the teacher". The process that Poster used put me in mind of how I remembered looking at the world as a child, before logic and 'formal' learning made my mind rigid.
(Tarot is helping me SO much with reconnecting with that 'inner certainty' that 'signs', and by that I mean simple Earth-based things, I see about me in the world really DO often mean what my intuition says they mean.)
(((Tuilirose))), that is basically what I'm doing!:D Just paying attention as I live day to day, to see what nature and life show me, and what I can learn from it. No dogma or rules, just being aware. And you are right, tarot helps work my intuitive muscle!
 

Milfoil

It's a wonderful thing to do and many call it a 'medicine walk' but to be honest, there are hints of this kind of activity from antiquity all over the world. In the UK the Druids and Vikings we recorded as reading augurs.
 

Tuilirose

Hi Milfoil. You lost me on that one. What in the world does that mean, "reading augurs"?