Celtic habits -- a different form of New Years resolutions

Celtic habits that you could try at least as a mindgame ...

(Something other than New Year's resolutions)

Everything animated

For the Celts, everything was divine and every thing was ensouled. Every river had its deity, every forest its god. This didn't stop the Celts from eating meat or cutting down trees, but they certainly did it with a different attitude and humility than we do today.

Clan liability

Clan liability has a negative connotation today, but for the Celts it was quite natural that the clan stood for the deeds of the individual and everyone was dependent on everyone else. How would you act if you knew that your parents, siblings and friends would also be held accountable for your actions?

"One for all, all for one" we thought was great in The Three Musketeers. Today we like to think, "Let the state take care of it" - but who is the state if not all of us? The unemployment payment that someone receives is not paid by the state, but by you, your neighbor, Mr. Smith in Hintertupfing ...

We live in the illusion of independence. For the Celts it was quite clear that everyone is part of the tribe and lost without his tribe. Every man knew that the pants he wore were made by his wife/sister/daughter in weeks of work. How would you handle your garment if your sister had made it and not a Bangladeshi seamstress you don't know? How would you thank your sister for her effort?

Outdoors

The life of the Celts took place outdoors a lot, summer and winter. Animals had to be cared for, water fetched, fields cultivated. Inside it was dark, outside there was light. How much time do you spend outdoors every day? Are there activities in your daily life that you could do outside instead of inside?

Rebirth

The Celts were convinced that when they died they would be reborn in the Otherworld, and when they died there they would come back to the world here. Now the belief in rebirth is not something that can be turned on or off so easily, but purely as a thought experiment (should you not believe in rebirth): If you knew that in fifty or eighty or a hundred years you would come back into the world here, what kind of world would you like to find for your next life? Can you do anything for it now?

Regionality

Yes, the (rich) Celts loved wine from the south and adorned themselves with necklaces from distant lands - yet most of them lived very regionally. They ate what grew in the area. Barley, millet, herbs, cabbage, broad beans, apples, nuts, cheese, meat ... Today we are used to getting tomatoes, peppers, bananas all year round. How would you feel if you ate only regional products for a while? How would you feel if you left out everything that only came to us with the "discovery" of the New World? Would you miss something or would you discover new tastes?

Offerings

Life was strongly determined by religion and faith. To achieve one's goals or out of gratitude, sacrifices were made to the gods. And if a sacrifice did not bring the desired result, then one just sacrificed to another god, gods there were enough and one of them was hopefully responsible for your desires ... You do not have to throw grandma's inheritance jewelry in the nearest river, but purely as a thought game: What am I willing to sacrifice for my goals? And how can I express my gratitude for achieved goals, health, child blessing etc.?

Fire

Fire was necessity and danger in one. Many a house fell victim to it, and yet there was no other way to cook food. If possible, the fire in the hearth was not allowed to go out, it was guarded and watched over. In the evening, people sat in the light of the fire and told each other stories. Fire has character, it is like a being of its own. Food cooked over fire tastes different from food cooked in a microwave oven. Have you ever cooked over an open fire? Can you make fire? Can you make fire without tools like a lighter or matches? When was the last time you spent an evening around a campfire looking into the flames? Or at least let your mind rest in the sight of a candle flame?

Animals

Animals were part of the everyday life of the Celts. Horses for riding, pigs, cattle and sheep for food, leather and glue. (By the way, our word capitalism comes from the word caput, the head of cattle. He who had many cattle was rich). But also the wolf, fox, bear belonged to the life. The tame animals were herded, the wild ones were kept away from the settlement by thorn hedges and palisades. Many Celtic words that have come down to us refer to animal species. How many wild animals can you name? Which ones would you recognize tracks from? Do you know how to shear a sheep? How rough a cow's tongue is?

Head cult

Well, it's a habit we probably don't want to try - chopping off our enemies' heads and keeping them as trophies. But in a figurative sense, it can be done:

Why not take pride in overcoming adversity and put a reminder of it on your shelf? Even if you didn't kill the enemy warrior who raided your settlement, you can be justifiably proud when you finally conquered your inner bastard and, for example, lost weight / cleaned up your apartment / passed an exam. Be proud and remember your accomplishment, whether it's with a photo on the wall or an object you associate with it. Celebrate your successes, no matter how small.

Beauty

Dark were the houses of the Celts, primitive and crude when we look at most Celtic museums. We have no idea how they lived, for at best we find a few post holes in the ground. But when we look at their grave jewelry, the elaborate necklaces and bracelets, the richly decorated bronze mirrors, beak jugs, swords, clay pots, scraps of cloth - there seems to have been no object that they did not lovingly and artistically decorate. They loved beauty and they loved to surround themselves with beauty. It makes a difference if your coffee cup gives you eye cancer every morning or if the sight of it delights you. Surround yourself with beautiful things. It doesn't have to be anything elaborate or expensive. Dried flowers from your last walk. The printout of a pretty picture on the workbook you pick up umpteen times a day. Striped socks, a colorful hair clip ...

The world is beautiful, bring beauty into your world!

Maybe you'll like to try some Celtic habits in 2023.

Feel the heartbeat of the Celts in you and see what it does to you.