The lineage and history of the Tradition is lost in the mists of Passing Time, which is brought to re-animation through the Clan Egregore of the Ancestral Spirits, the Songs of the Time Before Time and the First Time. At the same time the words of these songs are related to the pathways that our nomadic ancestors took and the storytellers they met along that journey, in hearing those sagas they wove the words into their own stories.

It is an oral Tradition of saga and song. A retelling the journey of the lost Two Leggeds as they try to find their way back to Art-s-Wath, the Primal Forest.

It is an Animist Tradition of Shamanic Art called Pathfinding, not science; it is a Tradition of dreams not history.

As a nomadic tribe their Pathfinders observed the world about them learning from the ways of the creatures of the forest and learnt these ways in order that the community could survive.

Many tribes learnt from specific totem beasts; our Ancestral sojourners learnt from and mimicked the ancient walker of the forest; the wolf.

At it’s heart is the First Song, Mora-oa-Creon, The Great Song that permeates the whole of creation. It is song of the Fear Tintreach, Lightning and Seanamhair Cuan, the Ocean that brought the stars and earth into being through it’s singing, and how through the same song, the stars fell to earth to become the First Ancestors of the Art-s-Wath, Great Forest.

The Tribe in its journey through the seasons and the land celebrated the relationship between them and that land, and the spirits that walked with them through festivals that came out of the songs. Many of the festivals were governed by Gealach the Maiden Moon and the Totemic Beast Spirits. Alongside this the community celebrated their times of gathering together to work with the land; for our tribal ancestors the very act of living was a festival and sacred ceremony.

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This Calendar tracks that ceremonial journey through today’s conventional solar calendar (hence having two moons indicated for May). Each Moon was governed by a particular Totemic Animal and defined specific tribal tasks and ceremonies to be undertaken in that moon’s passing. These ‘tasks were both the weave that held the community together and the means by which the community managed and survived its nomadic journeys.

Neo-sgàilich Gealach	“Maiden Moon unveiled” – Full Moon Singing	Women’s Community
Gealach Sgàileachd	“Maiden Moon Veiled” – Dark of the Moon	Men’s Community
Tri-Màtair	Song of the Three Mothers, Ocean, Earth and Forest	Home
Beast salving	Honouring and blessing of animals
Turning Days	Festivals of the completion and beginning of the paths of the Wheel of Seasons through the ancient tribal lands
Fèidil Chu	Festival of the faithfulness of Chu the Dog Spirit
Epiphany of Bearch	The coming of the first woman	Rite of Spring
Caileag Caileag	Maidens Day	Rites of Passing for girls
Dadgra-Dear   Féilteachd	Day of Testing and Challenges	Women
Gearr-Gheal   Jumping	Day of the Hare Spirit	Spring fair/fools day
Comh-fhad-thràth an earraich	Spring Equinox	Women
Stone Casting	Setting of home	Councils
Maor-coille;	Forest Keeping	Honouring of Ancestral home
Féilteachd Seanair Cuan	Ocean Rolling	Honouring and blessing of the Sea
Striding the Giullan	Boys Day	Rites of Passing for boys
Binding of Doles	Marking of Boundaries	Honouring the Guardians of boundaries
Epona geall-réis	Horse Spirit Day	Racing and sports
Nights of…	Eves of preparation before the Full Moons	Vigil Rituals
Màthair-Ghuir;	Day of Heartbeat	Tending of hives & bees; Women’s Day
Grian-shamh-stad	Day of the Sun	Summer Solstice
Sluagh-ghairm Math Ireann Tathasg	Ghost Mother of the Tribe Day	Tribes Day
Seabhac Seilg	Hawk Hunting	Men’s Day
Summoning of Fear Tintreach	Festival of The Lightning	Men’s day
Miod Pilnyis Thogia	Mead Day
Sallowain	Willow day	Women’s herb day
Gaoth Singing	Wind Singing Day	Story Telling
Comh-fhad-thràth an fhogharaidh	Autumnal Equinox	Men
Mear Dao-ean Féilteachd –	Ghost Mother day	Men
An Cailleach	Soothing and Tending of Bone Mothers	Women
The Four Great Fires	November ceremonies of the Ancestral Dead	Start of The Sagh’ic ‘year’
Gar`s Hunt	The Hunt of the Solar Stag
Fear-lin Mac Tire Dormition	Ceremony of the First Ceann-Iuil
Grian-ghamh-stad Gheol	The Wild Hunt of Yule
Wassail	Winter Feasting
Lá an Dreoilín	Wren Hunting	Children

 

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November

Moon of Braddon-Fear The Salmon – Moon phase of Death – Moon Festival of the Ancestral Dead – Lunar Journey of Homecoming Fires – Tribal Name, Home Moon

1^st Sinsear Féilteachd; An chéad Dóiteáin; Oíche na Oícheanta (Ancestors day; First Fire; Night of Nights)

2^nd Tinne Cnámha; Oíche na Marbh (Bone Fire; Night of the Dead)

3^rd Tinne na Ndeor; Oíche ag fáil Bháis (Fire of Tears; Night of the Dying)

4^th Tinne Ag titim a chodladh (Fire of Dormition)

5^th Oíche ag Luaithreach (Night of Ashes)

10^th Fast Moot (Reindeer meet)

18^th Casadh ar Branòrd (Turning of the Mountain)

21^st Fiach de Gar (Gar’s Hunt)

 

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December

Moon of Fao-lin The Wolf – Moon Phase of Darkness – Moon Festival , Ghéol; wild hunt of ghosts – Lunar Jourey, Placation of the Night – Tribal Name, Moon of Darkness, 2^nd moon of Winter

5^th Oíche ag Smooring

13^th Fear-Lin titim a chodladh (Death of the Wolf)

16^th Blainnteag da dìobartan (Lullabye of infants)

21^st Grian-ghamh-stad Geol )The Wild Hunt of Ossan Gar)

25^th Oíche ag Tuiread (Night of the Son)

24^th Oidhche nan Calaigean (Night of Presents)

26^th Lá an Dreoilín (Wren Hunting)

 

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January

Moon of Iolair The Eagle – Moon Phase of Exploding Frost – Moon Festival, Blessing of Animals – Lunar Journey of Great Moon – Tribal Name, Raven’s Watch

 

 

1^st Trí Máithreacha (Three Mothers)

3^rd Bran Féilteachd (Day of the Raven)

8^th Ghoirt Sneachta (Snow Furrowing)

9^th Saothraithe Ainmhithe (Beast Salving)

14^th Oíche ag Breathnú (Night of Watching)

18^th Casadh ar Rùinidh (Turning of Misty Lands)

27^th Feidil Cü (Faithfulness of Cü)

 

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February

Moon of Béist-Dhubh The Otter – Moon Phase of Sowers – Moon Festival, Rising of Bearch – Lunar Journey, Lactation of Ewes – Tribal name, Last moon of Winter/First Moon of Spring

 

2^nd Epiphany of Bearch

5^th Ceangailteach Gealag-làir (snowdrop binding)

13^th Oíche Breithe (Night of Birth)

18^th Casadh ar Lonn Lasail (turning of Plains)

26^th Caileag Caileag (Maiden’s day)

 

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March

Moon of Feannag The Crow – Moon Phase of Sprouting – Moon Festival, Dance of The Hare – Lunar Journey, Warriors Song – Tribal Name, Crazy Moon

 

 

3^rd Dadgra-Dear Féilteachd (Day of Testing & Challenges)

5^th Ceangailteach Fanaigse (Violet Binding)

12^th Bonnagacvh Gearr-Gheol (Jumping of The Hare)

15^th Oíche Comh-Dhannsadh (Night of Dancing)

18^th Oidhche a mhonaidh (Night of Souming – marking and numbering of grazing rights))

22^nd Comh-fhad-thràth an earraich (Spring Equinox)

27^th Réitigh Cloch (Stone casting)

 

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April

Moon of Losgann The Frog – Moon Phase of Greening – Moon Festival, Binding of Trees – Lunar Journey, Greening of the boys – Tribal Name, Jumping Moon

 

 

1^st Áth Féilteachd (Day of Fording)

4^th Saileach Stiall (Willow Stripping)

8^th Cosáin Ghearradh (Path Cutting)

14^th Oíche Níocháin (Night of Washing)

14^th Maor-coille; (Forest Keeping)

17^th Lá Amhráin (Day of Songs)

18^th Casadh ar Ceardach (Turning of the Marsh)

21^st Màithar Tei Féilteachd (Day of the Earth Mother)

25^th Féilteachd Seanamair Cuan (Ocean Rolling)

29^th Gàmagach Giullan (Boys Day)

 

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May

Moons of Bö and Muc, The Cow and The Sow – Moon Phases of Maiden and Mother – Moon Festivals of Dance of Cear-Lin and Wheying & Curding – Lunar Journeys of Birthing of Bö and Blossoming of Gealach – Tribal Names, Maiden and Mothers Moons

 

 

1^st Teorainneacha Marcáil (Binding of Doles)

3^rd Muc agus Bö Féilteachd (Day of the Cow & Sow Mothers)

6^th Foghairt de gealbhain (Sparrow Chasing)

10^th Àis Níocháin (Milk Washing)

13^th Oíche Saodachadh (Night of Driving)

18^th Casadh ar Mórcoth (Turning of Ocean)

21^st Bradán a Leanas (Salmon Following)

26^th Rollta an Cáis (Cheese Rolling)

 

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June

Moon of Art The Bear – Moon Phase of Lovers – Moon Festival, Dancing the Wheel – Lunar Journey, Baying of Foxes – Tribal Name, Honey Moon

 

 

 

3^rd Art Féilteachd (Day of Mother Bear)

11^th Oíche ag Casadh timpeall (Night of Turning)

13^th Màthair-Ghuir; Mil Féilteachd (Day of the bee and honey)

18^th Casadh ar Bruail (Turning of Mire)

21^st Grian-shamh-stad (Day of The Sun)

27^th Sluagh-ghairm Math Ireann Tathasg Féilteachd (Tribal Day of the Ghost Mother)

 

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July

Moon of Epona The Horse – Moon Phase of Far Away – Moon Festival, Blood Fire – Lunar Journey, Hunt of The Hawk – Trbal Name, Grian’s Moon

 

 

 

4^th Seabhac Seilg Féilteachd (Hawk Hunting Day)

7^th Sedhe Fear Tintreach (Calling The Lightning; Blood Fire Day)

11^th Oíche Ceangailteacha (Night of Binding)

13^th Miod Pilnyis Thogia (Mead Day)

18^th Casadh ar Géibhis-glois (Turning of the Green Valleys)

24^th Epona geall-réis (Horse Spirit Day)

 

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August

Moon of Damh, The Stag – Moon Phase of Blood – Moon Festival, Placation of Mear dao-earn – Lunar Journey of The Hunter Blood – Tribal Name, Killing (Hunters) Moon.

 

 

 

3^rd Damh Féilteachd (Day of The Stag)

5^th Úlla ag Casadh (Apple Turning)

9^th Oíche Íobairt (Night of Sacrifice)

11^th Máthair Tei Buíochas (Thanking The Earth Mother)

14^th Sùisteadh Figheadh (Threshing & Weaving Day)

20^th Cuallachadh (Herding day)

26^th Brù-dhearg Eunachadh (Robin Hunting)

 

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September

Moon of Faol-chon The Falcon – Moon Phase of Harvest – Moon Festival of Harvest Gathering – Lunar Journey of Surrender – Tribal Name, Gathering Moon

 

 

 

2^nd Sallowain (Willow day)

5^th Cnónna coill a Bhailiú (Gathering of Hazelnuts)

7^th Oíche Cuchair (Night of the Hunter)

12^th Gaoth Seinn (Singing to the Winds)

15^th Brón Féilteachd (Day of Sorrows)

18^th Fós ina seasamh Yrggriddia (Standing Still day)

22^nd Comh-fhad-thràth an fhogharaidh (Autumnal Equinox)

24^th Oíche ag canadh leis na Réaltaí (Star Singing Night)

 

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October

Moon of Corr The Heron – Moon Phase of Farewell – Moon Festival of Wind Singing – Lunar Journey of Keening for the Dead – Tribal Name, Weeping Moon.

 

 

 

1^st Mear Dao-ean Féilteachd – Ghost dancing

7^th Oíche Caoineass (Night of Keening)

9^th Saileadh (Salting)

13^th Seanair Féilteachd (Elders day)

18^th Casadh ar Bhàs (Turning of the Land of the Dead)

27^th An Cailleach Seimheachadh (Soothing of the Bone Mother)

30^th Comh-Chaoineadh Féilteachd (Day of Weeping)

31^st Turas Baile; Aisling (Journey Home; Dreaming Day)

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