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Saint Patrick’s Day

March 17

 

is a national Irish holiday

honoring Saint Patrick,

the missionary credited with converting the people of Ireland

to Christianity in the middle 400s (5th century).

He was born in 385 AD and died March 17, 461 AD.

 

Orginally in Ireland St. Patrick's day was simply a holy day

which was celebrated quietly. When this day

became more popular overseas, some ambicious people

in Ireland started to liven up the celebration.

And eventually this day came to symbolize everything Irish.

This includes wearing green!

 

Naturally Ireland did have spirituality

before St. Patrick came along with his new religion.

There were the Celts and the Druids,

the herb-nature based religions where women played important roles

as wise ones and priestesses.

 

Shamrock

 

Shamrock is the common name for any one of

several unrelated herbaceous plants with trifoliate leaves.

White clover was the original shamrock of Ireland.

People often wear a shamrock leaf on March 17th

to commemorate Saint Patrick's Day.

 

Clover

 

The word shamrock comes from the Irish word "seamrog"

meaning "little clover". However,

there are hundreds of varieties of clover.

 

Of course there are clovers with four leaves

but these are considered rare and are therefore prized

as lucky for those who find them.

And they are especially lucky

when you find them on St. Patricks day.

 

 

Shamrock as Symbol

 

The Shamrock is a three leafed clover plant

which is credited as the symbol St. Patrick

used to illustrate the three-fold aspect of God or the Trinity:

God the Father, God the son and God the Holy Ghost.

 

Although the three leafed clover is used to symbolize

the Trinity, there are other objects or drawings

that symbolize this idea. Other symbols include

the triangle, three circles intersecting,

a triangle with a circle, three designs in a circle,

and even three vesica pisces intersecting

which creates a symbol called a triquetra.

 

Point of View

 

Keep in mind that this traditional 'Catholic christian" idea

of the shamrock symbolizing a male diety,

is not the only way to think of God.

The Christian philosophy is very male oriented

having been written by men, re-written by men and edited by men.

There are other points of view that point to the diety

as a balance of male and female elements.

Many believe that the Holy Spirit is not a dove

but is, in fact, the female or woman aspect of diety.

The Hebrew word "ruah" or breath meant

to signify the Holy Spirit as feminine in gender

and that is why some think of the Holy Spirit as female.

 

Further Research

 

Upon further research I discovered the following:

 

"The Septuagint is the ancient Greek edition of the Old Testament.

This is the source of many of the Old Testament quotations

found in the New Testament. The 'Wisdom of Solomon' was included

in the Septuagint. In 'The Wisdom of Solomon'

the Holy Spirit is indicated as female.

 

The book of Proverbs declares 'God's Wisdom' is female.

The Greek 'feminine' term for wisdom is sophia;

this translates as the Hebrew 'feminine' term, hokhmah.

In the book of 'Proverbs' contained in the Bible

as well as 'The Wisdom of Solomon' contained in the Apocrypha;

It is clearly shown that the early Hebrews saw God's Wisdom

and Spirit as female. This could be a carry-over

from the religion previous to it.

 

The "Odes of Solomon" is the earliest known

Christian book of hymns or odes. It dates from before 100 A.D.

In the 'Odes of Solomon'; the Holy Spirit is again indicated as female.

 

The Hermetic writings from the first century AD reveal

 that the first century Christians

used the symbols of both male and female

to express the 'light and the life' within God.

In the Aramaic roots of The Lord's Prayer.

Jesus's original language, The words Jesus used to address God

are "Aboon Debashmaya.(Abwoon d'bwashmaya,)"

It means, the birther, the bearer,

the breather/bringer of life and light.

 It means both Mother and Father.

Also, Jesus spoke of Wisdom as female;

( Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:35)

 

The Hagia Sophia was the largest church in Constantinople

(in the ancient christian world). The historian Socrates

indicated that the church was named Sophia

during the reign of Emperor Constantius.

The name given to the church symbolized

the second divine attribute

of the Holy Trinity. Originally,

Sophia, which means "Holy Wisdom".

 

"The original tongue of the Hebrew or

Aramaic would translate 'Holy Spirit' as female.

Also, Greek would translate 'Holy Spirit'

as either female or 'neuter in reference to the subject'

and She only became 'He' in Latin and English bibles.

Yet, even Milton, in his writing of Paradise Lost,

refers to the Holy Spirit and Divine Reason

as his Celestial Patroness!"

 

Clearly, the ancient church traditions

refer to the Holy Spirit in feminine rather than masculine terms.

It is important to speak of the Holy Spirit,

the Comforter and Reconciler, with a feminine pronoun.

The mother aspect of God is very real and Holy.

If we recall that the church often placed its important Holy days

on days that were already special or

Holy to the earlier religion which christianity tried so desperately

to do away with. This would not have happened

if the church didn't in some way try to appease

those of the former religion that they still wanted to win over.

 

"Isaiah 66:13

As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you . . ."

 

The functions of the Holy Spirit as characterized

in Biblical texts are often those

which have been associated with women:

consolation, inspiration, emotional warmth,

and birth of the spirit."

 

Balanced Trinity

 

This would mean that the Trinity is God the Mother,

God the Father and God the son or the offspring

which can also be a daughter

(some languages it is written, "the child",

which is neither male nor female). By denying this balance,

we are not acknowledging our other half both

within our selves and in the outer world,

and this creates a misbalance which is what we now have

on this planet at this particular point in time.

 

Be aware that when St. Patrick came into Ireland,

there was a thriving Goddess religion that respected all of creation

and did not dictate how woman were to be or

what they were to do. It was a very peaceful,

respectful religion that did not probagate war or destruction.

 

ELOHIM

 

The very first verse in the Bible begins

with the word Elohim as God which is plural in usage.

Here it is stated and I am paraphrasing here:

We will create them in OUR image; male and female.

 

Since the word Elohim is plural,

could we not assume that perhaps these creators of humans

were indeed more than one sex?

It sounds plausable and probably,

especially because it takes both sexes to make a baby.

Blessings: An Irish Tradition

 

An Irish Blessing

 

"May your blessings outnumber

the shamrocks that grow,

and may trouble avoid you wherever you go."

 

Celtic Blessing

 

Deep peace of the running wave to you

Deep peace of the flowing air to you

Deep peace of the quiet earth to you

Deep peace of the shining stars to you

Deep peace of the son of peace to you

 

May the Moon and Stars pour their Healing Light on you.

Deepest Peace of the Light of the World to you.

 

Druid Blessing

 

"May there be peace in the North;

May there be peace in the South;

May there be peace in the West;

May there be peace in the East.

May there be peace throughout the whole world."

 

 

Enjoy St. Patrick's Day

but please don't drink and drive!

 

You may e-mail:

susan@home2b.nl

 

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