In follow-up to my previous two entries (Sanctuary Of Delight and Consummate Life To Enliven), where it is brought forth that even as the Gates of Prayer are closing and the Gates of the Temple are opening, I further note that connected to these Yom Kippur Gates of "closing" and "opening" are two Gates of the Celtic New Year, Beltane (now closing) and Samhain (now opening).

The Gate of the Celtic New Year is opening (as are the Gates of the Temple), becoming fully open at Samhain. Samhain is the Gate to the dark half of the year (corresponding to Essential consciousness). Beltane, the Gate to light half of the year (corresponding to emanated awareness), is closing (as are the Gates of Prayer).

The two Gates of the Year, represent a time of consummate interinclusion among the worlds (of both witchcraft and kabbalah) where worlds unite - symbolized by the Great Rite ritual (the originally "hidden" divination card) - to bring forth that which is greater than anything in the worlds alone - an experience of Essential Being.

Related to the metaphysical concept of soul-friends as discussed in previous entries (Anam Chara - Reyah - Soul Friend and The Blessing Of Rejection) is the concept of natural Archetypes and their importance to soul craft, magic and mysticism.

Scottish magician R. J. Stewart (The UnderWorld Initiation) distinguishes Archetypes as they pertain to esoteric traditions from those of modern psychology:

We are not discussing an archetype in the modern psychological sense; an Archetype is a Matrix or key Image which gives shape and direction to energies arising out of the Primal source of all being.

Modern astronomy has shown us the physical expressions of such Matrices in the vast spiral shapes of distant galaxies, while physics reveals patterns upon the most fundamental atomic levels. These material reflections of Archetypal Matrices (long understood by the ancients in the pure shapes of the Platonic solids) offer us exterior clues to our interior consciousness; and in non-scientific cultures an equally perceptive model of both macroscopic and microscopic Nature was found through Inward cognition.

We can understand from this description that Archetypal Matrices also give shape and direction to the structures of consciousness with which we are formed, to construct our inner Nature. Religions and mystery traditions which project alien Archetypes onto the psyche (to the exclusion of one's natural Archetypes) can be harmful and even poisonous to one's inner Nature.

While the danger may be abrogated when working at levels beyond the Archetypes, the danger does exist when working at the Archetypal level. Not only can working with alien Archetypes harm one spiritually, doing so can prevent the individual from accessing his or her true keys to the mysteries. For these reasons, it is usually best to work with the Archetypes of one's known Ancestors and with those to which one has a clear spiritual predilection as opposed to working with Archetypes not clearly native to one's own spiritual construction.

Related entry - Investing In The Craft

Given the metaphysical reality of soul-friends as discussed in my previous entry (Anam Chara - Reyah - Soul Friend), it becomes clear that each of us, in our search for a coven or other esoteric group in which to belong, the concept of soul friend bonding is very important and consequential to successful shamanic magical mystical work. Necessarily then, to be 'rejected' from core membership into any particular coven or esoteric group should be understood through this concept.

Each of us needs to find our true place, the unique coven or esoteric group which will support Divine consciousness among the collective blend of soul friends. Finding our true soul friends takes time, commitment to pathwalking, exploration, iterative self-evaluation and patience. Likely, we will be rejected and we will reject others many times upon this quest. These rejections are not value judgments, but steps upon the way toward finding our true group of soul friends.

I give thanks for the those times I have been rejected, for they have sped my way toward finding my soul friends as opposed to being held back by remaining where they are not.

We can learn from many people, but few are those who are greatly blessed to learn among soul friends in the metaphysical sense, made of the same 'soul-stuff', as described by the terms anam chara and reyah.

In follow-up to an April entry (Reyah - A Friend Like Me) on my older blog Walking On Fire, I've discovered the Celtic term which describes the concept of soul-friend (as does the Hebrew term, רֵעַ reyah). The Celtic term is anam chara.

Oonagh Rodgers explains the Celtic concept of anam chara:

Anam Chara is a Gaelic word meaning soul-friend. Anam - soul, Chara- friend. The concept derives from an ancient Celtic tradition and is still a popular practice in many spiritual traditions in Ireland today. The anam chara acted as mentor, teacher, companion and spiritual guide. The emphasis was on spiritual companionship and direction as opposed to today's romantic notion of the 'soul-mate'. The relationship was much deeper and often lasted a lifetime.

The Celts believed the anam chara was joined in an ancient and eternal bond with his/her friend of the soul and this bond could not be broken, even if the friend moved away and there was a great physical distance between them. The Celtic understanding did not set limits of time and space on the soul nor was there any split between the sacred and the mundane. All aspects of life were manifestations of soul.

Many ancient Celtic philosophies or perspectives passed into the Irish Christian Celtic tradition and in spite of many attempts in the past to 'Romanize' Irish Christianity, these remnants remain. There has been a surge in interest and an urge to reclaim the wisdom of our Celtic spirituality.

However, the danger lies in approaching the tradition as another fashionable and exotic spiritual programme. The anam chara reminds us that spirituality or soul work demands commitment and the willingness to embrace the light and the darkness of our life's journey and allow it to be.

"In everyone's life there is great need for an anam chara, a soul friend. In this love you are understood as you are without mask or pretension. The superficial and functional lies and half-truths of acquaintance fall away. You can be as you truly are .... The anam chara is God's gift..." John O' Donohue

In Jewish Kabbalah, one's anam chara is called a reyah. King David had a reyah, an anam chara - Jonathan.

Edain McCoy discusses the ancient Celtic concept of the anam chara (soul friend bonding) as it exists within the context of shamanic traditional Celtic Witchcraft in her book, Celtic Women's Spirituality: Accessing the Cauldron of Life.

Scottish magician R. J. Stewart (The Spirit Cord) writes of the Cord of Individuality, the mystical "middle cord" of life:

During our lifetime, we are supported and enabled by a cord. This is, of course, the spinal cord without which nothing could happen in our manifest existence. While the cord of the womb gave sustenance before separation, the cord of the spine gives individuality and operational potential, and the practical ability to move in the individual's separate and manifest life. The Cord of Individuality manifests with the spinal cord as a central core. From there it manifests through the many associated cords and connections of the body that all link into the spinal cord from which they receive their complex instructions that enable life to function in time, space and movement. There is another aspect to this Cord of Individuality, which is transpersonal, and may arise over many lifetimes. We will return to this when we explore ideas about the Cord of Continuity, and the concept of continuity between lives. In this preliminary outline we can recognize this transpersonal quality of intense individuality when we see, or live, dedicated lives that seem to have a strong direction, be it in the arts, sciences, spirituality, or any other field of activity.