The ancient Celts believed that everything in nature had a spirit—from the tallest mountain to the tiniest stream—and this animistic worldview forms the foundation of Celtic magical practice. In Celtic Witchcraft our relationship with the natural world is the foundation of our practice as we honour the cycles of life and connect with the wisdom of those who came before us.
We cannot perfectly recreate the practices of the ancient Celts because much of their wisdom was lost through centuries of cultural suppression. However, we can still practice Celtic witchcraft by interpreting surviving knowledge, as well our using our intuitive understanding to create contemporary practices that honour the Celtic spirit.
The Celtic View of Magic
For the ancient Celts, magic was a part of everyday life rather than something they did separately. While Celts had sacred seasons and spaces, they also incorporated magic into everyday activities. Rather than taking time out for magical practice, their whole lives were lived in reverence and appreciation of nature and the unseen forces that guide us.
From the Celtic magical worldview, we exist in relationship with the unseen forces of nature. The boundaries between our world and the Otherworld (the realm of elements, spirits, deities and ancestors) are permeable, especially at certain times of the year. Celtic Witchcraft is the art of working with these energies and relationships to create change and harmony.
Sacred Elements of Celtic Witchcraft
The Celtic Wheel of the Year
The Celtic calendar is marked by eight major festivals that celebrate the changing seasons and significant moments in the agricultural cycle. These festivals, known as Sabbats, include Samhain (October 31st), which marks the Celtic New Year, and Beltane (May 1st), which celebrates fertility and the fire of the coming summer.
Other important festivals include Imbolc (February 1st), which welcomes the first stirrings of spring; the Summer and Winter Solstices; the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes; and Lughnasadh (August 1st), which celebrates the first harvest. These festivals help us attune to the natural cycles of the earth and provide opportunities for celtic witchcraft workings aligned with seasonal energies.
Celtic Deities
The Celtic pantheon is populated with deities who oversee various aspects of life, nature and the cosmos. Some of the most prominent deities include Brigid, goddess of fire, poetry, and healing; Cernunnos, the horned god of nature, animals, and fertility; and The Morrigan, a trio of goddesses representing war, fate, and death.
Developing relationships with these deities can be a wonderful aspect of Celtic witchcraft. This might involve creating shrines or altars, making offerings, celebrating their associated festivals, or simply acknowledging their presence in your daily life and magical practice.
Sacred Symbols
Celtic symbols are powerful tools for focusing intention and connecting with ancient wisdom. The Triskele, or Triple Spiral, is one of the most ancient and powerful symbols in Celtic culture, representing “the concept of triplicity in unity, embodying the principles of birth, death, and rebirth.”
The triquetra, also known as the trinity knot, is a Celtic symbol consisting of three interlaced triangles or arcs. It represents the interconnectedness of the natural world and the concepts of eternity and unity.
Celtic knots represent the endless cycle of life and the interconnection of all things.
The Green Man is a face surrounded by leaves and is a symbol of nature’s vitality.
Brigid’s Cross is a protection symbol traditionally woven from straw, especially at Imbolc. Brigid’s Cross is believed to safeguard homes from harm and negativity.
These symbols can be incorporated into spells, rituals, meditations and even everyday items to infuse them with magical intention and protective energies.
Working with Elemental Forces
In Celtic tradition, the elements were not viewed as the four classical elements (earth, air, fire, and water) that are common in many modern magical practices. The Celts had a different relationship with elemental forces that reflected their unique worldview.
The number three was particularly sacred to the Celts, so instead of four elements, they honoured a trinity of elemental forces: land, sea and sky (or earth, water and air). This triadic approach to the elements reflects the Celtic fondness for patterns of three that we see throughout Celtic artwork, storytelling, and spirituality.
The concept of four classical elements (earth, air, fire, and water) actually comes from Greek philosophical traditions, particularly from the work of Empedocles who proposed these four elements as the root of all existing matter. These four elements became integrated into Celtic-inspired witchcraft largely through Wiccan traditions in the 20th century.
Celtic Elements
Land (Earth)
Land energy is connected to stability, abundance and fertility. Earth energy is present in mountains, stones, caves and the physical body. We can work with land energy through standing stone meditations, creating earth altars, rituals at sacred hills and mounds and bodywork.
Sea (Water)
Sea energy is associated with emotion, intuition, healing, the tides, the moon, and the cycles of life. We can connect with water energy through rituals at lakes, rivers or the ocean, working with cauldrons of water, or creating offerings to water spirits.
Sky (Air)
Sky energy is linked to inspiration, intellect, the breath of life, weather and birds. We can work with sky energy through breath work, calling to the winds, cloud-watching meditations, or rituals on hilltops.
While fire wasn’t part of the original Celtic elemental trinity, it was certainly a sacred force to the Celts, who honoured it through their seasonal fire festivals like Beltane and Samhain. You might incorporate fire as a fourth element in your practice, or understand it as a transformative force that exists within the trinity of land, sea and sky.
These elemental forces were viewed as interconnected aspects of a living, animated world. Working with them involves developing relationships with the spirits of place and the natural world rather than simply commanding or invoking elemental energies.
Building a Celtic Witchcraft Practice
Connecting with Nature
The foundation of Celtic witchcraft is a deep connection with the natural world. Take time to:
- Walk mindfully in natural settings, observing the plants, animals and the landscape
- Learn about the flora and fauna native to Celtic regions
- Celebrate the changing seasons and moon phases
- Create outdoor altars or offerings at special natural sites
The more you attune to nature’s rhythms and voices, the stronger your Celtic magic will become.
Honouring Ancestors
The ancestors hold a place of great importance in Celtic witchcraft. Whether these are your blood ancestors or the spiritual ancestors of Celtic lands, connecting with their wisdom can powerfully enhance your practice. Create an ancestor altar, learn Celtic folklore and history, or visit ancient Celtic sites if possible.
Crafting Rituals
Celtic rituals are very open and adaptable and we can use our intuition to develop practices that resonate with us. As a starting point consider creating rituals that include:
- Creating sacred space
- Invoking Celtic deities or nature spirits
- Using Celtic music, poetry, or dance
- Working with fire (cauldrons, bonfires, candles)
- Making offerings of food, drink, or handcrafted items
- Speaking or chanting in Celtic languages
Celtic spirituality is both reverent and joyful, honouring the Celtic love of creativity, storytelling, and celebration.
Celtic Witchcraft in Modern Times
While we cannot perfectly recreate the practices of the ancient Celts, we can honour their spirit and adapt their traditions thoughtfully for contemporary life.
Celtic witchcraft has significantly influenced contemporary spiritual practices, particularly modern Wicca. Many Wiccan traditions have incorporated elements of Celtic rituals, seasonal celebrations and nature reverence.
Whether you live in a traditional Celtic region or halfway across the world, you can cultivate a meaningful Celtic witchcraft practice by connecting with the land where you are, learning about Celtic history and mythology, and creating rituals that honour both ancient wisdom and your own intuitive understanding.
Celtic witchcraft reminds us that magic is found in everyday life, in the turning of the seasons, the stories we tell, the food we prepare, the symbols we craft and the relationships we nurture with the seen and unseen worlds. By respectfully walking this path we can reconnect with an ancient wisdom that is still relevant to our lives today
May the ancient Celtic ways bring magic, meaning, and connection to your life—whether you’re just beginning to explore this path or deepening a practice you’ve followed for years.
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Blessed be
Eva x