Call and quest

[Boduos]

hello forum.


i work on some stuff on my page after being...hm...asleep maybe for a couple of years. two of my kids are now in their teens and i asked myself how initations and quests to find ones personal meaning were in history and in present.

how get one the call, how accept one a quest, how masters one the obstacle, slay the dragon?

if you like i would have a discusion here with you about initation, growth, challenge, myth and belief.


boduos

[Sean R. R.]

I'm not that knowledgeable in Celtic tradition, but if you're talking of symbolically taking a quest, and slay a dragon (as in confronting our inner demons), you might want them to start reflecting on their own personality traits, qualities and flaws as a person.

[anunitu]

That moment of clarity thing can be a tough one.

[Heka]

That moment of clarity thing can be a tough one.

And might take yeara and years to come 'clear'.

[Boduos]

hm. yes, its about facing yourself, but not only.

we got an asatru hearth nearby (its good ro live in Widukinds land ^^ ) and they got some initation cycles for manhood (for i would prefer adultry) i connection with the vigvisir. i try to make contact actually.

it is also about personal growth. gaining strength and wisdom and empathy, reaching new levels of beeing alive, getting insights.

[Sean R. R.]

Celtic traditions and Asatru are not the same though. In my experience Asatrù are not that inclined towards an acceptance of ecclectisism. Its like sending your Christian son to a Muslim mass or gathering. Can have its benefits, from a open-mindness and flexibility of thought stance, but I don't know if it would serve your goals.

[anunitu]

A lot of these traditions(beliefs,customs) were melded(Not always by choice) when groups clashed. It might be hard to say perhaps that a tradition was a "Native" conception,or came about from a mixing of cultures.

[monsno_leedra]

Just off the top of my head but I'd have to ask just what aspect.

I recall Celtic society was broken down somewhat by a caste or layered system. As such the rites a youth underwent also pertained to the class he would be growing up in. So for instance someone growing up in the Bardic / Druidic orders would be different than say the warrior or artisan class. Though to be honest what many call Celtoi is probably more accurately described as Irish Celtic as Celtic is a language group not a cultural group. When people tend to discuss Celtic in my experience they almost always are referring to Irish mythology, lore and divinity history. While some European lore is thrown in, such as Cernunnos it seems influenced again by Irish perspective in my opinion.

Figure for instance a warrior might have to face a certain task or foe while a druid had to gather mistletoe from a sacred oak tree on a certain night. Each might have to gather certain items and create a special instrument or weapon to prove they had mastered a skill. Equally difficult task's but each designed to test against a different skill set and knowledge base or realistically a different psychological dragon. Consider as a hunter one of the first test as an individual is to claim your first kill alone and bring it back and be blooded in its blood and recognized as both a man and a hunter. You prove your skill, ability, worth as both a hunter and potentially solider / fighter.

I know there is some melding of Teutonic and Celtic lore in the Germanic regions but as to how much I really do not know. But probably similar to the same melding that occurs with regards to Teutonic and Nordic when you compare some of the lore such as The Volsunga Saga and the Ring of the Nibelungs. Basically the same tales with different slant on the tale and some players as to who did what.