Manitonquat
It appears that the earliest creatures we call human lived in circles. This way of life conformed to what our elders called the Original Instructions for human beings. The community, the tribe, the village, was the center, the heart and spirit of human life. It was a circle. That is, each was an equal part of the whole. And they understood that this whole included the earth and the larger unknown circle of spirit beyond. They cared for all their beloved children as the children of all. Together they cared for the old ones who could no longer care for themselves, the grandmothers and grandfathers of the community. Together they cared for the injured and the sick. Each relationship was guided by a spirit that was part of the spirit of the tribe: between adults and children, between friends and lovers, within families and clans. The important thing passed down to us from the old ones is that the Original Instructions are for human beings to live in a circle. The circle provides elements that people require in order to stay human.

John O’Donohue
The Celtic mind was never drawn to the single line; it avoided ways of seeing and being that seek satisfaction of certainty. The Celtic mind has a wonderful respect for the mystery of the circle and the spiral. The circle is one of the oldest and most powerful symbols. The world is a circle; the sun and moon are too. Even time itself has a circular nature; the day and the year build to a circle. At its most intimate level so is the life of each individual. The circle never gives itself completely to the eye or to the mind but offers a trusting hospitality to that which is complex and mysterious; it embraces depth and height together. The circle never reduces the mystery to a single direction or preference. Patience with this reserve is one of the profound recognitions of the Celtic mind.

Beannacht,
Judith – judith@stonefires.com