Thoughts on a documentary and its influences in my path.
(Image description: A photo of a holy well in Scotland. A wide, dirt path leads up to the well. Trees are to the right and left of the well, which are covered in white and some colored clooties tied to trunks and branches.) Credit: By F Leask, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13141865
During my most recent flamekeeping shift, I watched a documentary presented by Cailleach’s Herbarium about some of the folk practices surrounding Scotland’s healing wells and other bodies of water. A few folktales associated with various wells (including a mention of St. Bride and the Nine Maidens) are told by storytellers.
A couple parts that I founded especially meaningful within the documentary was on the subject of offerings. During her portion of the video, Rhiana Laws swam in a body of water and offered a plait of local plants to the water she connected with, while Scott Richardson-Read noted the preferred options of water or diluted, honeyed milk in the guide of correctly working with the holy wells. It doesn’t have to be overly complex to build relations with the waters surrounding one’s home.
The proper way of approaching the realm of the water with respect through appropriate offerings is shown, instead of assuming any human-made objects are suitable to give to these special places.
Now, while I would absolutely love to visit at least one of these wells, I can only absorb what I learned and apply it to my practice. Also, given that I honor a couple deities with strong ties to the water, it makes sense to figure out how to perceive the Sea more fully within my practice.
As a syncretic Polytheist, my view of the Three Realms might be a bit more fluid (pun intended) than some. In continental Europe, this was most likely seen as one part of the World Tree, with Sea being associated with the roots. In Irish and Gaelic areas, the Realms seem to be more immersed in the landscape. It feels like a vertical model versus a vaguely horizontal one.
However, I don’t think it has to be so cut and dry. The water cycle influences all parts of the World Tree in the clouds, the nourishing rain on the Earth, and its eventual return to the oceans. Chances are that the water in Scottish holy wells have passed through creeks, streams, rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans all over the world, so that inherent sacredness follows it on its journey. It knows no boundaries and links with all living things.
The points I have reached within this post might seem quite obvious, but after watching the video, it felt right to explore the themes and how they affect my religious practice. To see the waters as sacred is usually a given in Celtic Polytheist communities, but seeing how to actively apply these concepts is not always apparent. It allows for a more nuanced understanding that is integral to a monastic practice. Being able to contemplate the simple, yet deep bonds of the Sea can help bring me closer to the deities and other possible spirits along my spiritual path.
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