An Rian Faisneach

An Rian Faisneach is a Pan-Celtic mystical Druidic Tradition (Beul-Aithris) guided by Prophecy.

History:
It is believed that the Tradition that would eventually be called An Rian Faisneach was brought over from the British Isles by two brothers, William and Richard Cantrell ( Richard was born on 1636 in Blakewell, Derbyshire England. He died May 1753 in Philadelphia, PA, USA.), who left their homes fleeing The Great Plague of 1665.
The Cantrell brothers arrived in the American Colonies in 1666 where Richard met a woman named Alice, settled down and raised seven children.
The Tradition was passed along the family for several generations, changing and adapting, occasionally skipping a generation, eventually to be influenced by Cherokee family members as well as a separate branch of Druidism as taught by Harold Preece.

Core beliefs:
Ours is a contemporary Tradition firmly rooted in the ways of the ancient Celts (Rian Sinnsearach).
We apply the lessons of that Tradition to learn about the spirits of Land, Sea, and Sky in the lands we live in.
Thus we interact with the native spirits of our Diasporan lands without stealing from native spiritual cultures.

We believe that our ancestral gods are literally our ancestors who became gods through pursuing the Path of True Action (Dedmâ), and achieving a state of Dìreadh (pronounced "jeeruh").
We hold the Gods and Spirits of our Ancestors as well as the spirits native to our host lands as Sacred, and we believe that we can commune with spiritual and divine beings via observation and revelatory or mystical experience.


All fully trained Druids are equal, except in the performance of their offices.
However, one generally honors their teachers and spiritual lineage.

We believe that there are concepts and experiences beyond the capability of words to describe.
Because of that we believe that An Rian Faisneach can only be taught person to person, face to face.

Role of clergy:
1) To teach.
2)To perform rites of Passage (such as handfastings, birth blessings, and funerals)
3)To perform ceremonies for their Tuatha or Clan.

Organization of groups

We are a Tribalist, Co-Operative, Confederation.
There are several words in Old Irish that are translated as "Tribe," but all of them also mean "People."
In one sense, the Scottish "Clann" is basically the same as the Irish "Tribe".
"Tribe" (Corcu) is a more extended Family, whereas "Clann" is Family that has closer ties.

Cooperative is the economic description of a Tribe. The members of the Tribe all work together, cooperate, to help each other, and the Tribe as a whole, to accomplish things that need to be accomplished.

Confederation means that we have, relatively autonomous Tribal groups within the whole, and that they send their own elected Elders to the Tribal óenach (senate/assembly), and that the Tribes will all be essentially independent, but banded together in a confederation for their common good.

Holidays

Much like our Ancestors we celebrate the 4 fire festivals of Samhuinn (Samhain), Imbolg, Bealltainn (Beltain), and Lunasduinn (Lúnasa). We also celebrate the Solar Festivals of the Solstices and Equinoxes.

Standards of conduct

Our Clergy are expected to abide by the same Professional Ethics
which are expected of Physicians, Counselors, and the Clergy of other Religions.