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www.shamansociety.org33TheImmramaProjectInCelticmythspeoplesetoutonpersonalorspiritualjourneysknownasechtraejourneysoradventuresorimmramaliterallyarowingaroundtodifferentOtherworldislandsandloca-tions.InmanycasestheyareguidedorluredawayfromtheknownworldandintotheunknownrealmsoftheDivineinaveryshamanicexperience.TheyencounterOtherworldbeingsspiritsinhumanoranimalformaretestedandsometimesgivengiftsofwisdomorskill.Insomecasesthespiritsformallianceswithhumanbeings.ThisisoneofthemostimportantaspectsofCelticreligion.TheOldIrishwordsdisoftentranslatedasfairybutreallymeanspertainingtotheCelticOtherworldparticularlyasitwasaccessedthroughancientmoundsorbodiesofwater.Itcomesfromarootwordmeaningseatasintheseatorabodeofthegods.ItwasalsousedtorefertotheinhabitantsofthespiritworldtheSabhratheoldestwordwehavefortheSpiritsinCeltictraditionortheAsSdepeopleoftheSdrealmsOtherworld.Butinaddi-tiontoreferringtotheOtherworldandtothespiritswholivetherethewordalsohasathirdmeaningpeace.ThisisnotaguaranteedorperpetualconditionbutreferstothepeacethatcanresultfromestablishingandmaintainingrightrelationshipwiththeOtherworld.Thisisthefocusofanewresearchprojectandprogramforshamanicprac-ticewhichseekstostudypreserveandtransmitauthenticaspectsofCelticprac-ticeandbeliefliketheexamplesgivenabove.TheImmramaProjectwillexploreanumberofjourneysintotraditionalCelticspiritualandshamanicbeliefsandtechniquestakendirectlyfromwisdomtextsintheoriginallanguageswhichisnecessaryforanyculturallyspecifictraditionaswellaslivingtraditionbearers.Itsgoalistorestorethisrichindigenoustraditionintoanaccessibleformformodernpractice.Afterstudy-ingthehistoryandcultureoftheCeltswhichisstandardpracticeforexplor-inganyculturalformofshamanismpractitionerswillexplorenativeCelticformsofpracticesymbolsandtraditionsincludinglearningthebasicsofOldIrishandMiddleWelshtoexploretheuseofchantingintheoriginalnativelan-guagesforinducingalteredstatesofconsciousnessexploringtherelatedconceptsofpo-etryprophecyanddarknesssleepdreamingusingcoreshamanictechniquestore-trievenativepracticeslikethetarbfeisandthevisionarypracticesoftheawe-nyddionrestoringthethreetypesofdivinationlearnedbythefilidlearningmodernCelticlanguagestounderstandandmakeproperuseofprayersandcharmsfromthefolktra-ditionforhealingguidanceandotherpurposesmaintainingfolkformsofshamanismincludingthetaghairmthefrithandelasjourneyingtodruidsandfilidtounder-standcomplexnativeconceptsrelatedtodivineknowledgeandvisionlikeimbasdnawennatrcoireintheirculturalcontextTheprojectisalsofocusedonorga-nizinggrantresourcesinordertomeetwithCeltic-languagespeakingeldersandtraditionbearersintheCelticcountries.Theyarethelastflamesofthistraditionandexistwithinsmallcommunitiesaprivateworldofhealersandseerswhodonotadvertiseandarenotvisibletopeopleoutsidetheircommunities.Therearestillalsosometraditionalpoetssingersandstorytellersaswellaslittle-knownguard-iansofsacredsiteslikeholywells.SomeofthesepracticesarealreadybeingrestoredandincorporatedintothedailylivesandpracticesofCelticshamanicpractitioners.Forexamplethereareseveral8th-centuryprayersinOldIrishbelievedbyscholarstoincludeaspectsofdruidicbeliefandinvocation.Newandupdatedtranslationsoftheprayershavebeenprovidedtoworkinggroupswhousethemintheirpracticeandreporttheirexperiences.Oneoftheprayersisforlonglifeandissopowerfulthatwehavestoppedusingitforthetimebeingmorejourneyingtothespiritsisneededtoascertainunderwhatcircum-stancestheprayershouldbeusedandifanyofferingsorprecautionsareneeded.Theotherprayerhowevercallsupontheelementsofthenaturalworldtoprotectthepersonusingitandpractitionersreportfeelingmorestrengthintheirphysicalandenergybodieswhentheymaintainthispracticeonadailybasis.Theyallreportamarkedshiftintheenergyoftheroomandtheritualandaprofounddeepeningofspiritualexperi-encewhenrecitingtheprayersintheoriginallanguage.AnotherrewardingaspectisweavingGoldmodelofaboatIrelandearlymedievalperiod