In the terminal portion of the 20th century there were constant exhortations, publicity and projects for preservation and conservation - conservation of wild life, preservation of endangered species, conservation of natural landscape and preservation of all that be of historical importance.  At such time, however, when ethnologists were desperately endeavouring to prevent races from permitting necrosis of natural characteristics and customs, of their natural heritage in art, music, verse and native tongue, we had the incongruous phenomenon of the natural Keltic spiritual heritage having more or less gone to perdition.  Why do we say a natural heritage?

Although having made answer to this in particular terms in the opening chapters, it would be fitting to examine briefly what is natural - that is, gifted by Nature itself.

The global location of a country with its climatic conditions, coupled with the territorial constraints of the country with its topography, permit a species of human to evolve with his own unique physical structure.  The climatic hazards peculiar to a location linked with the environmental hazards of the country's terrain, together with the race needs of food, water, body covering and shelter dictated by both 'hazard' factors produce a survival pattern in the race.  The effects of this essential survival pattern direct and redirect instinctual activity which mould the emotional temperament from which is born a unique mentality.  And it is this mentality which manifests spiritual predilections, generating philosophical patterns from which arise religious concepts that issue forth into overt religious practice.

So although we in Britain reject oriental philosophy, tropical oriented dress and the dietary customs of the Arctic Continent from our daily habits, we nevertheless paradoxically embrace religious manifestations which have their roots in a Semitic heritage of Middle-Eastern origin and which were grafted to our island's history and people with an amalgam of fire and blood!

The second question we ask is: "Did the ancient British spiritual heritage really pass to oblivion?"

During the height of the persecution, many families who were sincerely involved on the ancient British Mysteries in any depth sensibly went 'underground', sometimes ceasing all religious practice or, in other cases, observing the festivals and honouring the High Gods in secret with a hard core of adult members.  Even the children would know nothing of the parental beliefs until they themselves attained an age of discretion and, of yet greater importance, until they were assessed by their elders regarding their spiritual integrity and maturity - proving themselves as worthy vessels for the maintenance of family traditions.

There was little in the way of recorded ritual or concepts as, apart from the danger of housing incriminating manuscripts, literacy was not widespread.  So traditions were usually communicated orally, i.e. from 'mouth to ear', and the instruction was handed down that as the Spirit if the faith was peculiar to these islands, with centuries of devotion to and image building of the Deities, these High Ones would remain as receptacles of the Mysteries and would, therefore, return the knowledge required to any worshipper in future generations of that family who again forged the appropriate mental and spiritual links - but only in sufficient quantity and quality for the worshipper himself as he at any time deserved and truly earned.

Much was to be lost, however, owing to the passage of time when in some cases practice ceased on the marrying of one of the family to an outsider who knew nothing of the traditions and was in no way connected.  The subsequent children of these unions would perhaps never have been told of the heritage or charged to keep it alive.

A great deal was lost in many families where the heritage remained, as that which was bequeathed orally became more and more fragmented because of the frailty of human memory over many generations.

There was no obvious remedy for this syndrome as, owing to the autonomy of each family group in religious matters, there was no standardisation to enable one to retrieve what was unique to one family group from any other source.  The contact between such families by the time the persecution ended had become minimal and it was not until the repeal of the last Act in 1951 that new contacts were to be formed.

This then was the situation in the 1960s, but in many discussions with members of the few similar families I have contacted or who themselves sought contact with me, I found that although we differed in methods of practical working, in the naming of our Deities and, to a reasonable extent, in other minor concepts (perhaps because at some past time one family had been coastal and sea oriented while another had been inland based with an agrarian centred belief), we nevertheless had the same spiritual core of broadly based principles in a natural certainty which was always more than just a religion or belief.

It was a way of life and a purposive drive in all that one performed and which could not be separated or isolated as something apart from one's daily existence.

Sometimes an old link appears which one never knew existed, as an excerpt from a letter by another family group member whom I had never met demonstrates: "You see - we are, as far as we know, the only 'family' or group that use the term '****' - that is the sort of thing that made me wonder if the link were not somewhat closer."  The term was in modern Welsh, whereas ours was in Middle Welsh, but very close indeed in spelling.

The Deities of Britain

It is time to examine the common ground of all who stem from the insular traditions of Britain.  In order to do this, we can start at no better place than the level of the Deities themselves.  Most agree that beyond all goddesses and gods there is something which embraces and transcends them all - a natural essence of cosmic potency which permeates all things.  You may find that from time to time I shall indulge in modern ideological patterns and terminology but I must stress that this is not an alien approach.

There are certain valid reasons why some ancient concepts are retained but there are a number of reasons why modern analogies are equally valid.  Although our religion has its roots in former times, an epoch when human mentality was marginally developed when profiled with that of modern man, being a natural form of religion - unlike many others where on occasions Holy Writ is centred on one man and had its final full stop inserted some 1,800 - 3,500 years ago, it must, like Nature itself, be vibrant and living - continuing to change and evolve even as mankind and the cosmos evolve.

Therefore, if modern thought and parlance can assist by analysis, definition and clarification of any concept in answering the questions of the modern mind to its satisfaction, then, at such an era when rapport and understanding are vital, the techniques employed will have achieved much and proved their usefulness.  For how much more vital is the establishment of understanding and the promotion of high degrees of empathy between man and that which gave him existence?

I have used the expression 'Cosmotheism' in recent years to describe the British heritage.  This expression displays no sexualism whatsoever, as the root of 'theism' cannot be determined.  The generally accepted explanation: "the belief that identifies God with the cosmos" reveals the impertinence or the patriarchal despotism of the newer world religions which have totally blinded humanity's reasoning processes in the realm of religious and metaphysical philosophy.  One must remember that the Attic Greek 'theOS' found his pair-bonding, mating or balancing factor in 'theA', but to attribute an entirely matriarchal meaning to the word would be equally erroneous and presumptive.  The absence of the second vowel, therefore, in the 't-h-e' root imparts a singularly sublime suitability to my use of 'Cosmotheism', permitting the reader to find whatsoever bipolarity, neutrality or abstraction that meets his or her needs.

Certainly the vastness of space, often call the "Waters of Space" or "Universal Matrix", etc., alludes to an essentially femininity as space is the invisible web which is infinite and from which all things, irrespective of how tenuous or dense, manifest.  The "universal womb" analogy is, therefore, cogent.  If the infinitude of cosmos, which we may describe as 'The Absolute' has a uterine predisposition, then contained therein must be the fecundating principle underlying the creative process.  It is for this reason that the Feminine Principle in British traditions is held in greater awe and honour than the Masculine and, therefore, paramount.

This Female Potency, Illimitable Tumescent Receptor or Archetypal Cosmic Womb with the potential to bring forth into manifestation is termed the Great Mother Goddess, Cosmic Goddess, High Queen or some similar expression.  The Male Potency, All-pervading Donor or Archetypal Cosmic Impregnator with the potential of motivating its counterpart to bring forth is termed the All Father God or Cosmic God.  However we may conceive the process and the factor involved, and whether we term these 'Cosmic Forces' with appendant 'Big Bang' theories as favoured by the quantum physicist or anthropomorphically as 'Goddess' and 'God', their fusion (The Absolute) should be the prime object of worship in all religions of any worth - i.e. those where natural equilibration is of paramount importance.

Although these aspects of Creatrix and Creator in their essential forms are and always will be unknown, it is not the corollary that they remain unknowable for, as the whole of Nature is a composite picture of all their diverse degrees of manifestation and since their essence surpasses and permeates manifestation and is not exhausted by it, then it is to this picture that we must look for greater comprehension of Their natures.  That is why I previously stated that many ancient aspects of the religion (such as nature-orientation) are just as valid today.  But with contemporary man's eyes on the stars and beyond, and literally no longer earthbound, our comprehension can only expand and relinquish the parochial Luciferian pride in mankind's uniqueness in the mind of a solitary male deity to Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Many groups also retain the idea of those parts of the Great Divine to which we raise our eyes - the celestial aspects in the forms of Sun and Moon which are above us in the heavens and which have immediate bearing on our earthly life because of their closer proximity than other celestial bodies.  Nevertheless, the forms of Moon and Sun are merely symbolic of the images of Moon Goddess and Sun God and the Divine Forces behind these.

The Moon reminds us by its rule over the waters of Earth of the tides of womankind or menstrual cycle with all the psychological (and psychic) implications.  This airy symbol, image or force is directly concerned with everything on a concrete mental level.

The symbol of the Sun from which the image of the Sun God springs reminds us by its warmth, light and healing rays of similar forces in the cosmos.  This fiery symbol, image or force is directly concerned with enlightenment, spiritual uplift, strength and growth of will and all that is ethically desirable in addition to healing with its allied emotion of compassion and, therefore, altruism - in short, all the gifts that are bestowed by the Cosmic 'Christ-Force'.  But, as we have have called the symbol 'fiery', bearing in mind the Sun is the root of fire, we have the fiery sword of the warrior upraised to defeat injustice and defend the wronged.  This is the second face of the Sun God Who is the Lord of Battle.

Similarly the forms of Earth and Sea and their allied images of Earth Goddess and Sea God are symbolic of the forces and manifestations of Divinity at a level which is our earthly habitat and where we may literally reach out and make physical contact.  Here we are concerned with Divine Force at material and instinctual strata respectively.

The Corn God image, Child of Earth Mother and Sun Father Who dies that his people may have life, is concerned with Divinity at a very earthly (may I say combustible  and physiological level), which is similar to that of the Sun God but at a lower octave.  The Fish God, He Who is sacrificed that coastal peoples may live, is similar.

We have left an important aspect of Divinity until last, as it requires more detailed explanation.  He Whom we consider the Firstborn of The Absolute can have various names - The Lord of Death and Resurrection, Lord of The Hunt and Lord of the Gates etc..

When a new urban development is required for the modern living standards of a growing population, the slums of yesteryear with their unsanitary conditions must first be torn down.  This, however, is a necessary preparatory stage of development and is most decidedly not wanton destruction.  So it is with vegetation which must die on a annual basis that life return to the earth the following spring, and so it is with man that he be cut down in death at the end of his allotted span and be freed from the restrictions of an aged earthly frame to continue on his ever upward path of personal development.  The Lord of the Hunt, therefore, is simply he Who clears a path for the advancement of cosmic evolution.

Death is merely a term coined by humankind in an endeavour to describe a state which, when profiled with the positivity of earthly consciousness, appears to be totally negative - i.e. the subjectivity of existence v. the objectivity of non-existence.

One object of religion, and I include the British form in this statement, is to refute the negative totality of oblivion in death.  The point of cessation of earthly consciousness is considered a metamorphosis - a transformation from one level of existence to another.  This transmutation is usually viewed as a liberation of the individuality or spirit from a constricting vehicle of dense matter to an even greater and incomprehensible plane of true reality and state of cosmic awareness - somewhat similar to passing through a castle gate to the panorama of the surrounding realm, a realm only seen from within as sectional restricted glimpses through the arrow-loop of a tower.  Such a glimpse may be perceived during trance or dream states which are the nearest approach to spiritual liberation in incarnate life.

When considering the opposite transition of the individual nucleus from discarnate to earthly incarnation, we see that the converse applies - birth to the lower realm in a dense body confers death to the higher realm of spiritual reality.  This gate of change, therefore, has essentially the same function no matter from which side it is approached, causing death to be implicit in birth and birth in death.

The Lord of the Hunt, the Porter of this symbolic gate, we now understand to possess a second role - He Who confers birth at the moment of death and is, therefore, the Power behind fecundity.

Here I impress upon the reader, although it must already be abundantly clear, that there is no connection between this natural Divinely created force and process which is essential to evolution and the Hebrew Sheitan, Christian devil or the concept of evil.
 

Humanity/Divinity - The Interface

There, then, is a description of the Deities that may be found within the framework of the ancient British traditions.  "But why so many", we may ask, "when all we need do is have faith in or pray to the two at the summit - that which most people term 'God'?"  Our approach is this, bearing in mind our concept of Divinity as being cosmic energy, albeit omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent.

We require energy to perform certain tasks to meet our requirements, so to direct a river through a dense mountain range one could utilise fissionable material.  But to quarry slate from a hillside it would be, to say the least, unwise to use the same source of power - we should prefer medium yield high explosives.  Similarly, when domestic heat is required, the most sensible and optimum power is electricity.  So it is when working with Divine power or force.

Another reason why a plurality of Divine images is found to be practical is the reliability of specialised functions.  When I speak of images I refer to a mental image, not a figurine fashioned by hand, although these may have some limited rudimentary value in preparation for exercises in mental concentration.

An illustration will make this abundantly clear.  When we are making use of a power such as electricity, the satisfactory result will depend on the type of form we present to the source.  Therefore, if we wish the benefit of sonic entertainment we do not present the material image of a lamp to the power supply, we connect a tape deck.  Similarly, although a lamp will provide light, it will not generate adequate heat - in this latter case an electric fire is the proper form.  Again, when a meal is required, these three forms will be totally impracticable as the specialist apparatus is an electric cooker.

So the golden rule would appear to be that if we procure the correct manufactured image or form, the power or force will perform the task perfectly.  And so it is when humbly seeking benefit of Divine Power.  After all, the Qabalist has ten sephiroth or spheres of Divine function on his Otz Chiim or 'Tree of Life' and even the Roman Catholic Church has a battery of saints who are intended to mediate at the correct departmental level and negotiate an answer at the next meeting of the Divine sub-committee!
 

Image Building

I have made mention of manufactured images so it is opportune to elaborate now on the technique, within certain limits.  It is relatively difficult for the mind to appreciate or picture an abstraction, so how do we attempt to visualise Divine power - as a rushing wind or the music of celestial spheres?  No.  The human mind that must manufacture or build the mental image of Father Christmas to make oneself think easily of the abstractions of benevolence and generosity, those of Britannia to represent the Spirit of the British nation and Uncle Sam to represent the Spirit of the U.S.A., and that, indeed, accepts the many brand images poured out by the advertising industry on the commercial front , usually must have an athropomorphic image which can be filled with personality, qualities and attributes of various kinds.

So being human and the highest for of sentient life, or so we believe, on our planet, we make mental images of deities in what to us is the highest possible form - the human structure, although the less evolved ancient tribes throughout the world all at one time used grosser forms such as totemic animals.

Let us look at the mechanics of image building.  When a number of worshippers of sincere intent are banded together in any form of ceremony and the emotions of all are heightened, the emotions of all agglutinate and are concentrated.  If all are visualising the same type of image in their minds, the flow of emotional, mental and spiritual energy from all fashions itself into an inner plane replica of each individual's image, but in a hypertrophied form.  No if this 'group image' is symbolic of a natural force, that force will be presented with a channel by which it may manifest in a more localised and concentrated way than is its norm.  When this intensification of manifestation occurs, each worshipper should see his own mental image become more vibrant and concrete and he will literally feel the increased flood of power invoked.

If this technique has been performed regularly over a great period, the group image thus built remains on inner plane levels in much the same way as habit tracks are formed in the human mind by constant repetitive experience of the same movement, sight, smell, sound or tactile stimulus.  The natural force then remains concentrated in the group image conceived for a length of time governed by the efforts of the worshippers and the number of years or centuries of regular worship.  Now we see the rationale of the instruction to forge again the appropriate links with the Deities who were receptacles of the family traditions when it became safe to do so.
 

Religious Concepts

The second area of common ground between the various family groups is the theory of reincarnation.  We believe that there is a divine nucleus in each human which has its source in the Great Unmanifest primordial Sea of Cosmic Power.  It is this nucleus, together with the predilection for a particular spiritual path and certain basic typifications that pass from incarnation to incarnation until, like a child leaving school, it has become refined - learned all that is necessary, assimilated all desirable qualities and sloughed off the undesirable stains to make it ready for eternity beyond.  The body and mind with its instincts, emotions, intellect, memory and personality we consider transient - lasting only one life on earth.

This would appear reasonable, as one life no more prepares one sufficiently for eternity than can one year at school be satisfactory training for an adult productive life.  One may compare, for example, the short span of a life of concentrated crime in a young man with the life long contribution to society of a skilled surgeon and judge for oneself the validity of this hypothesis.

The third common concept is the idea that each person forges his own destiny by thought, word and deed.  My family uses the Keltic term tyghet, while most people are aquatint with the expression used by eastern race - the Law of Karma.  Every action, like a stone thrown into a pool which causes ripple after ripple to proceed shoreward, sets up a series of reactions which affect others.  If the action has been of good intent and another benefits in some way, then the effects of the encounter will rebound eventually on the doer and he will reap good spiritual rewards.  If, however, the action was of ill intent and another was harmed and suffered in any way, the effects of this will also wing back to the perpetrator but to his spiritual detriment.  This, however, does not mean that one must lie down to the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" throughout one's life.  There are also natural instincts and self preservation is the highest of these resulting in the defence of self or weaker brethren.  This is where retribution can be a valid and viable option.  This we consider to be as efficient a cosmic law as that of gravity and any debt accumulated must be repaid eventually.

If linked with the concept of reincarnation we see how escape from this law is impossible.  Nevertheless, how the actions of one individual can cause suffering to a completely different individual in another life, albeit sharing the same spirit, to me is a controversial issue somewhat akin to a bad cosmic joke and certainly requires further thought and discussion.
 

Practicalities

In reviewing the practical aspects of any branch of the British heritage in religion, the first step is to ruthlessly excise from our minds the word 'magic'.  Even the creation of the cosmos in all its wonder and complexity, which could be termed the ultimate in magic, is simply a natural phenomenon brought to fruition by the omnipotence of the Ultimate in Creative Power.  All within the cosmos, therefore, is simply NATURAL and nothing more.  The 'supernatural' cannot. then, exist as nothing can be above or greater than Nature itself!

Mankind describes many events as 'magical', but what is really implied is the experiencing of a high degree of wonderment when the intrinsic elements of the event cannot be readily understood.  The Welsh have a term for this state of mind, the word hwyl - a healthy and respectful awe at some event in Nature's panoply with a resulting spontaneous joy or spiritual uplift.  Indeed this is experienced when falling in love, walking through a winter countryside or holding a new born child.  As living individuals we are constantly encapsulated by Divinity where'er we be and house it as a motivating energy in the depths of our being.  The wording from one of my family ceremonies makes this constantly ignored truth abundantly clear:-

"Yet in th'enfolding darkness of that cloak of time and space; in mystic smile of distant star; in moon-shine pale that water mirrors 'neath our gaze; in summer's hall of green, bedecked with myriad colours bright and clear; in lover's smile; the mirth and tears of childhood brief; in leaping hind; in nest of lapwing, vole and speckled wood, She is ever there!"

Worship, then, may be performed in any place and at any time and practical work such as healing and the assistance of others via religious practicalities is simply human understanding working within the framework of Nature's laws.  Indeed the same is true of acupuncture, homeopathy and surgery - even coal mining, steel manufacture and weaving.  There is no such thing as 'magic' as it is usually envisaged!

When we wish to be apart from the mundane and to raise our consciousness deliberately to a higher stratum, we, like the Christian who enters his church or the Hindu his temple, mentally enter an enclosure.  Our symbolism, however, is entirely Keltic.  Desiring the strength of the Deities in a more concentrated stream with consequent increase of personal strength (whether psychic, mental or spiritual), it is natural to build within the mind an image of security and power.  We and similar families of Welsh traditions use the image of the Castle, while some Gaelic groups prefer the dun or hill fort.

The remainder of the book illustrated the concepts of my family heritage alone, which, although similar to others, in no way reflected or refuted the validity or the effectiveness of others.  It simply revealed "that which is right for us as a family at this time".