Happy St. Patrick's Day

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

An Irish Blessing

It is probably the most famous of Irish Blessings, certainly you see it everywhere especially this time of year. It is very typical of the Irish which is why it is so prevalent. It touches on the love of the land, of our neighbor and of God. All things important in our lives.

The great English fantasy writer J.R.R. Tolkien decried the lack of myth in English literature and traditions. The only real one they have, the King Arthur legend, was imported from the French. Tolkien felt that the traditions and literature of a people were enriched by the myths and stories that grew out of their earliest times. Ireland is very strong in myth and mysticism. Our traditions and love of land go back to the time of the Druids and the introduction of Christianity didn't alter the basic way we see life.

You hear the word "fey" about many Irish people. You hear the term "second sight". Both of these terms go back to the intuitive belief that the Irish have that we can communicate with our God in a more mystical manner. It is not practical. It is not scientific. We can not go into a classroom or laboratory and prove anything but we know in our hearts and souls that we can and do communicate on a different plane of existence.

I personally believe that this form of communication exists and that it enriches my life. It allows me the comfort of knowing that my Dad is still looking over me and protecting me. It allows me the comfort of knowing that I do have a Guardian Angel and that my angel and the others do care for us and will help us through life.

The Irish have a deep spiritual belief in the land. We consider the land a living entity that needs to be cared for properly. Conservation of our land is something that is very important to me. Mother Earth needs to be respected and cared for properly.

This strong belief in the intuitive gives me more flexibility in my acceptance of the beliefs of others. While I may not personally believe in all of the New Age creeds I do understand where they are coming from. I can and do understand science but I refuse to limit my thinking to scientific methods. I want to use the fullness of my mind and I can't do that if I insist on being literal minded about everything. The intuitive and spiritual are just as important as the scientific.

My St. Patrick's Day picture for this year is called Irish Mist. The picture is a tribute to both the modern and ancient that makes up the Emerald Island. Erin go bragh.

The real counter is 4628