Order of Paladins Lesson : 17 The Nine Mysteries copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Warrior’s Admonition Your body is your temple: Care for it! Do not engage in useless activity. Listen to the Goddess. Help thyself. You create your own reality. The Warrior’s path is creativity. A serene path to enlightenment. Know thyself. Master thyself. Create your own reality. Nurture the ability to perceive the truth in all matters. Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye. Learn from your mistakes. Teach thyself. Create your own reality. Do not be negligent, even in trifling matters Grace and guilt do not exist: Strive for responsibility. Honor thyself. Create your own reality. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

13 Precepts: 1.Know thyself. 2.Nurture the ability to perceive the truth in all matters. 3.You create your own reality. 4.Develop a sense of Right Action. 5.Do not be negligent, even in trifling matters. 6.Your body is your temple: Care for it! 7.Minimal appearance, maximum content. 8.Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye. 9.Power with. 10. Who dares wins. 11.The Gods cannot help those who will not help themselves. 12. Be creative! 13. Do not engage in useless activity. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Code of Chivalry:  All members of the Order of Paladins must live according to the principles of chivalry, which include:  Sincerity.  Courtesy.  Compassion.  Perseverance.  Industriousness.  Justice.  Loyalty.  Courage.  Self-Discipline.  Humility.  Largesse.  Truth.  Honor copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Hint:  Refer to the notes pages in this Power Point presentation for more in-depth information on the subject of each slide. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

The Nine Mysteries A Triad of Ireland: 3 candles which illuminate every darkness: Truth, Nature, Knowledge. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Order of Paladins Circle Casting You will recall from Lesson 8 that there is a line in the Order of Paladins Circle casting ritual:  “Three from me of five alive by nine makes Mine. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

“Three from Me of five alive by nine makes Mine” TTTThe numbers refer to several other mystical principles. I also mentioned in earlier lessons that the 3, 5 and 9 in this statement have all sorts of correspondences. This lesson will focus on other correspondence relating to the 9 Mysteries.

Correspondences TTTThere are 9 members in a Commandery, a number which reflects the number of original founding members (which is the same number of founding members as the Knights Templar).

The Nine Mysteries  In Druidic practices, there are nine mysteries… copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

The Nine Mysteries 1.The Mist of Manannan 2.Earth and Sky 3.The 3 Realms 4.The 4 quarters 5.The Center 6.The Adventure of the Hero 7.Magick 8.The Otherworld 9.Immortality copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

1: Mist of Manannan IIIIn Celtic mythology, mists over the ocean or over the land were magick that the Gods conjured to conceal themselves and an opening into the Otherworld where they resided.

Mist of Manannan IIIIn Celtic myth, thresholds between the mundane and otherworld exist at doorways, shorelines, riversides, bridges, dawns, twilights, etc., especially on holy days. This is where you will find the Mist of Manannan. In a place that is neither one place nor another: Neither day or night, neither land or sea, neither one world or the other.

Féth Fiadha FFFFéth fiadha (“art of resembling”), called “fath fith” is an ancient Druidic practice. It is a similar concept to the Indian concept of maya (illusion). Remember my joke about the 10 people in the field all looking at the same thing but describing it differently? That’s féth fiadha

Mist of Manannan SSSSome of you have experienced difficulties in trying to get to Dûn Scáthach or to Eilean a' Cheo. Others seem to have difficulties doing divination or psychic challenges. In order to achieve access to the Otherworld, you have to think differently. You need to look at the world without expectations. You need to remember féth fiadha.

Mist of Manannan  Thus divination is basically seeing through the Mist of Manannan. It is like dreaming without expectations, yet being able to direct what you see. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

2: Earth and Sky  This concerns flaith (‘sovereignty’). copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Earth and Sky TTTThe Greek term, Heiros Gamos (“great marriage”) refers to the ancient ceremonies in which the king was married to the land

Earth and Sky IIIIn our context, it refers to a marriage between YOU and the earth and sky. Remember that I told you: Thou Art God/dess? This is about marrying YOURSELF to the land. It is about environmental connectivity and stewardship. You give to the earth and sky and they give back.

Earth and Sky AAAAncient Celtic ruler had to be without blemish. In our Order we strive to be without blemish of character: Our code of chivalry. This helps us to connect with the divine. As you embody the divine you shift out of the ordinary and live half in the spirit world.

Earth and Sky TTTThis concept of joining earth and sky is represented in Celtic myth by the sexual union of various deities. For example the coupling of the Morrighan (“great queen”- goddess of war, of sex/fertility, and of sovereignty) with the Dagda (known as the Dagda Eochaidh (Horseman), known as the “good god”, “father of all”, and Dagda owner of the undry cauldron (Coire an Dagda) from which no one ever leaves unsatisfied).

Earth and Sky IIIIn the previous example, the Morrighan represents the earth, while the Dagda represents the sky. What you give to them they give back. Again, this is about Stewardship.

The Morrighan copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Daghda Eochaid copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

3: The Three Realms The Welsh Druid who is one of the founders of modern Druidism, Iolo Margawyg, listed the 3 Realms thus:  Annwn (AH noo in) realm of the dead  Abred (EH breth) terrestrial realm  Gwynfyd (GOO in fith) celestrial realm of spirits, including Ceugant (GOY gant), the realm of the Gods. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

The Three Realms HHHHere the mother/father of Earth and Sky becomes mother/father/child. This trinity is yet another of the correspondences. IIIIn Celtic myth this represents heaven, earth and underworld, another trinity. It represents the cycles of nature and maturity.

4: The Four Quarters FFFFrom 3 we advance to 4: The Four Quarters represent the solstices and equinoxes, cross quarter days, and the quarters of the Circle

The Four Quarters It also represents the four Seasons of the Order of Paladins (lesson 9):  Shield Season: This is winter, a season of earth, starting at Samhain and including Yule, the winter solstice.  Sword Season: This is spring, a season of air, starting at Imbolc and including Eostre, the vernal equinox.  Spear Season: This is summer, a season of fire, starting at Beltaine and including Litha, the summer solstice.  Cauldron Season: This is autumn, a season of water, starting at Lughnasad and including the autumnal equinox, Mabon. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

The Four Quarters TTTThere is also a correspondence with the four levels of initiation within the Order of Paladins

5: The Center TTTThe Four Quarters intersect at a fifth place: The Center. The Center is the point which is nowhere yet everywhere, intersecting all of the others, uniting them, the axis mundi.

The Center  Here is yet another of the correspondences: 4 quarters plus the center makes 5. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

6: Adventure of the Hero TTTThis is about your personal journey, going from the mundane to the supernatural.

Adventure of the Hero TTTThis represents your journey to Caer Paladin to receive training and become a Warrior/Knight.

Adventure of the Hero TTTThis is also about stepping away from the familiar. It reflects the Knight’s journey to Eilean a' Cheo (Lesson 11) to face their fears.

Adventure of the Hero TTTThis is also about the Master committing to a quest in order to qualify to become a Paladin.

7: Magick MMMMagick in Irish is Draiocht (literally “what druids do”). Most commonly in Celtic myths this refers to feats of precognition and prophecy (sacred truth).

Magick MMMMagick is at the center of all of our activities and training in the Order of Paladins. Its about making the energy move and directing it with your will. Our successes in magick cultivate a sense of wonder within us.

8: The Otherworld IIIIn Celtic myth the Otherworld is Tir Na n-Og (“land of youth”).

The Otherworld TTTThis is all about immersing yourself in divinity, connecting with it, entraining with it. It also is about reverence for our ancestors, the spirits, and the divine.

The Otherworld  It also is about reverence for our ancestors, the spirits, and the divine. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

9: Immortality TTTThe essence of what you are is indestructible, and your essence is what you express in your: Song of Paladins (Lesson 7)

Immortality IIIIt is this ninth mystery that brings us back to one of our key precepts, which is the basis for our definition of a Warrior: Know thyself.

Lesson 17 Assignment  See if you can come with other correspondences that match up with 3,5,9  Go to Eilean a' Cheo and practice divination on the astral. copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Order of Paladins Be Glorious! copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain