Druid FAQ 1

[Mwipaiwgs]

The Solitary Practitioner's Basic FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS on
Druidism.
Version 5 December 1996
composed by Brendan "Cathbad" Myers <bmy...@uoguelph.ca>
Thanks be to Raven, Jaguar, JJ Kane, Kami Landy, Iarwain, Branfionn
Heartfire, Erynn, Anthony Thompson, Tyagi, and everyone at Nemeton-L and
Imbas-L. Special thanks to The Gods!

Copyright (c) 1994. The Fifth edition is Copyright (c) 1996.

This document is distributed on the net as a public service. It may be
copied at will, provided the authorship, versio n, and date remains
intact, and no part of the document is altered, deleted, or edited in any
way. This document may not be copied for profit without the expressed
written permission of the author. This document is not an authoritative
scholarly reference on the Druids, nor on Celtic society, though it uses
references. It is a pointer, a guide, an introduction.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
0. Charter of the Newsgroup alt.religion.druid
1. Introduction
2. Why Druidism in the 20th Century?
3. Who were the Druids?
4. What other classes existed in Celtic society?
5. What is the history of the Celtic people?
6. Can women become Druids?
7. What are the Celtic Nations?
8. What are the sources by which we can know the Druids?
9. Did the Druids practice human sacrifice?
10. What are some other common misconceptions about Druidism?
11. What are the symbols of Druidism?
12. What are the letters in the Ogham Alphabet?
13. What are the Druidic holy days?
14. What did the ancient Druids believe?
15. Earth, Air, Fire, Water; Is n't that Celtic?
16. What Gods did the Druids worship?
17. What is the difference between Wicca and Druidism?
18. Were the Druids Shamen?
19. What animals were sacred to the Druids?
20. Was Stonehenge a Druidic temple?
21. What about Glastonbury?
22. Are there any other Druidic sites?
23. What is Arthurian Druidism?
24. What is Culdee?
25. What is Romantic Druidism?
26. What is the Faerie Faith?
27. What modern Druid organisations exist?

0. CHARTER OF ALT.RELIGION.DRUID
[ From Anthony_...@brown.edu ] Quoted with permission

Alt.religion.druid exists as a forum for discussion of the
mysticism, history, archeology, and literature of druids (often related to
the Celtic peoples of northern European history: the Britons or Gauls, and
their religious or shamanic social elite). While t here is some debate as
to the historical survival of druids or information concerning them, the
newsgroup will include all manner of speculation regarding the practice
and theory surrounding druids of ancient and modern times.
As with the creation of alt.religion.wicca and
alt.religion.asatru, alt.religion.druid shall provide a forum for
discussion not already covered by existing newsgroups. Related newsgroups
likesoc.culture.celtic, alt.mythology, and alt.pagan may well include
druidic spirituality as a part of its charter, but not exclusively so.
Also, alt.religion.druid shall provide a hierarchy for newsgroups
associated with particular druid organisations to subclass from in the
future should the need arise (eg, alt.religion.druid.adf or
alt.religion.druid.keltria).

1. INTRODUCTION
I am a solitary practicing Druid, Bard, Fianna, or Celtic Pagan;
but labelling myself I find unnecessary. I don't belong to anorder or
coven, not because I feel these groups do not have merit, but because they
do not always agree, and because at the moment I prefer solitary practice.
I have Celtic ancestors. I like learning about the ancient Celts,
specifically their beliefs and practices, and I have a desire to emulate
them in a manner valid for myself and for this century. If you agree with
one or more of these statements, you could be drawn to Druidism, and so
this FAQ is for you.
This fifth edition attempts to address some new questions, and
address the previously-ignored Romantic style of Druidism. As always,
emphasis is placed upon that which is historically proven, or historically
plausible by induction from known facts.

2. WHY DRUIDISM IN THE 20TH CENTURY?
There are a number of good reasons for modern people to consider
Druidism today. Some see it as a way to reconnect, or "ground" themselves
in history, or to improve their relationship with their ancestors (if they
are of Celtic descent). Some are attracted by the relationship with the
natural world that a Druid cultivates, or by the artistic, creative
methods used to build that relationship.
There are those who choose Druidism over other forms of
neo-paganism. Perhaps a reason for that is because Druidism is not only a
branch of neopaganism, but also the subject of academic study. Druidism
is often of interest to archaeologists, historians, and mythographers who
don't necessarily consider themselves Druids, or even remotely pagan.
Thus, there is a wealth of serious academic material available concerning
the Druids, and many discover Druidism through it.
Finally, there are those who choose Druidism over moreconventional
Western religions that are more accepted and widespread, suchas
Christianity. Druidism belongs to the Indo-European set from which wein
the West inherit virtually all our other cultural practices, including our
languages, whereas Christianity comes from the middle-east. An
exploration of Druidism is for many people a revival of one of Western
Europe's indigenous spiritualities. Many seek Asatru to revive Northern
Europe's spirituality for much of the same reason. To those who feel
alienated by Christianity, and still believe religion has a place in their
lives, paganism is a viable, and healthy alternative.

3. WHO WERE THE DRUIDS?
The main thing that can be said about the Druids is th atthey were
members of a professional class in their culture, the Celtic Nations of
Western Europe and the British Isles. (The Druids were not anethnic
group; their culture, the Celtic culture, was.) They filled the roles of
judge, doctor, diviner, mage, mystic, and clerical scholar; in other
words, they were the intelligensia of their culture, which is the Iron-Age
people of the Celtic Nations (see Nations #7) The mythologies describe
Druids who were capable of many magical powers suchas divination &
prophesy, control of the weather, healing, levitation, and shapechanging.
Their education was so rigourous that at the end of it they were virtually
walking encycopaedias. The best word for them would seem to be "priests",
yet I am reluctant to use it for two reasons: The Romans never used it,
and because Druids didn't preach to congregations as priests do.
Rather, they had a clientele, like a mystic, a shaman, or a lawyer
would have. (see Shamen #18) Caesar and his historians never referred to
them as priests, but perhaps they could not recognise them as such; the
Roman priesthood, officiating over an essentially political religion, were
primarily teachers and judges, with less emphasis on being seers or
diviners, whereas the Druids appeared to have both legal and magical
powers.

4. WHAT OTHER CLASSES EXISTED IN CELTIC SOCIETY?
Other classes in the old Celtic social order were the
warrior-aristocracy, Fianna warriors, Bards, land-holders, freeborn
labourers, and non-freeborn labourers. Celtic law included ways for
anyone, including non-freeborn labourers, to move up or down the social
heirarchy; what rights and responsibilities were due to each of them, and
what kind of punishment could be given to criminals according to their
status (for more was expected from tho se who had more). Of interest to
those studying Druidism are the Bards and the Fianna.
Bards and Fili were the primary keepers of the histories,
genealogies, laws, poetry, music and stories of the Celtic people. Their
training was similar to the Druid's t raining, and their rank in society
was second only to the King. Bards were guaranteed to receive special
hospitality wherever they went, and be free from insult, among other
rights; a breach of this would allow the bard to compose a satire-poem
that would tarnish the offender's reputation for generations to come.
The Fianna was an out-caste class of warriors, typically
adolescents and young-adults, similar to the Hindu "sadus" but more
militant and limnal than religious in nature. Still, there is a mystical
dimension to the Fianna, for many of them were accomplished poets and
seers, and Fenian myth abounds with hunting trips that wind up in the
Otherworld. Perhaps it is easier to slip into magical space when onelives
on the border of civilisation and savagery.
The Fenian cycle in Irish myth is concerned with the activities of
Fionn MacCumhall and hisband of Fianna warriors. Becoming a Fianna was an
acceptable way for people to "drop out" of society for a short time to
resolve the developmental tasks of maturity , and to earn their place in
adult society.

5. WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE CELTIC PEOPLE?
In general, it is believed by historians that the Celtic people
migrated from a common Indo-European homeland somewhere in eastern Europe
and migrated westward. The British Isles may have been visited by
pre-Celtic people as early as the retreat of the Ice Age. Here is a brief
timeline of the history of the Celtic people, focusing on the time period
which is relevant to this FAQ, and the islands of Britain and Ireland.

Era People Notes

Up to 4000 BCE Mesolithic Hunter-gatherers

4000-1800 BCE Neolithic Construction of Maes
First Farmers Howe, Callanish, and
other megalithic monuments

1800-1600 BCE Bronze Age

1000-Christian Era Iron Age

900-500 BCE Hallstatt Rise of the Celts

500-15 BCE La Tene Heroic Age Celts
Most mythologies take place
in this period

55-54 BCE Caesar invades Britain

AD 43-409 Romano-British Rome dominates Britain
south of Hadrian's Wall
(constructed AD 120)

AD 409-600 "Dark Age" Britain Final Roman withdrawal
Patrick's mission to Eire

Circa AD 450 Anglo-Saxon invasion

Circa AD 500 Arthur defeats Saxons
at Mount Baden

Circa AD 500 Formation of Dalriada

AD 563 Saint Columba arrives
at Isle of Iona.

6. CAN WOMEN BECOME DRUIDS?
Yes! The mythologies record that many Druids were women; in fact
Celtic women enjoyed more freedom and rights than women in any other
culture of that time, including the rights to enter battle, own and
inherit property, trace her kinship matrilinially, and divorce her
husband. The Irish hero Cu/Chullain was trained by a land-owning warrior
queen named Scathach, for whom the Scottish island of Skye is named. In
the Welsh myth, there is the powerful sorceress/Goddess Cerridwen, and
also Arianrhod who ruled Caer Arianrhod. (See Gods #16) In Briton,
Boudicca was a female chieftain powerful enough to lead a revolt against
the Romans in 61 BCE. Fionn MacCumhall, from the Irish Fenian myths, was
trained in poetry and magic by a Druidess.
Women were also permitted to become Fianna. (see Classes #4) Asa
(Irish for "Gentle") became Fianna and took the name Ni-Asa ("Not
Gentle"), which eventually became "Nessa", at the time she became mother
to King Conchobar. Her influence was such that her son kept her name
instead of his father's name, thus: "Conchobar Mac Nessa", or "Conor, son
of Nessa".
Thus there is no reason to believe that Druidism was strictly
and unilaterally patriarchal in ancient times, and modern Druidism
certainly is not remotely patriarchal.

7. WHAT ARE THE CELTIC NATIONS?
The traditional Celtic nations, where Celtic civilisation achieved
its height, are Alba (Scotland), Breizh (Brittany, or Gaul, what is now
France), Cymru (Wales), Eire (Ireland), Galati a (northern Spain), Kernow
(Cornwall), Mannin (Isle of Man), and Britain. The Celtic people
migratedfrom the ancient indo-european homelands in eastern Europe, to
span most of western Europe, and La Tene period artifacts, their remains,
can accordingly be found everywhere. In modern times, strong Celtic
cultural centers can be found in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, Canada,
some parts of New England, USA, and Australia.

8. WHAT ARE THE SOURCES BY WHICH WE CAN KNOW THE DRUIDS?
The main sources we have on what they did are Roman historians,
such data as archeological remains can provide, and mythological
literature recorded by monks in the eighth through twelfth century. Also,
analogies can be drawn between the Celts and such Indo-European cultures
that existed around the same time and had the same level of cultural
achievement, such as the Hindu people. The Roman historians wrote on them
as they were in the process of conquering Gaul (what is now France; a
variant of Gaelic is still spoken in Brittany) so they are usually under
stood as "hostile witnesses".
Nevertheless they were often impressed by the Druids' grasp of
mathematical and astronomical skill. One Roman author, Diogenes, placed
the Druids on a list of the ancient world's wisest philosophers; a list
which included the Magi of Persia, the Chaldeans (the priesthood of the
Babylonians) and the Gymnosophists (an Hindu sect which preceded the
Yogis), all of whom were singled out for their skill in mathematics,
physics, and philosophy. To the Romans, the Celts were the origin al
"noble savage". :)
But in my point of view, the best sources are the mythologies.
There we can read of what the Druids did, how they behaved, what some
ofthem said, and though the medieval manuscripts that preserved them were
written and edited by Christian monks, much wisdom yet remains there. In
Ireland the four chief myth cycles are the Ulster Cycle, the Fionn Cycle,
the Invasion Races, and the Cycle of Kings. In Wales, the primary myths
are contained in a book called The Mabinogion. In this century, a number
of folklore collections were made of remaining oral-tradition stories.
The problem is that the Druids were the subject of a number
ofpersecutions and conquests, not only by the Romans, but also by
Norsemen, Normans, Saxons, and Christians. Much Druidic wisdom was
censored, evolved into something unrecognisable, or just plain lost. A
modern person seeking the Druid's path must attempt to reconstruct the
wisdom based on the sources discussed above. Yet in doing so, one
discovers that despite the enormous amount of cultural data presumed lost,
the truly Celtic disposition of the sources remains strong and clear.
Much Druidic magic also can be found in the writings of the Irish Literary
Revival, with such authors as Yeats and Joyce. The Romans never invaded
Ireland, so that country became a haven for Druidic learning for a while.
After St. Patrick and St. Columcille, Ireland evolved an unique and
beautiful blend of Christianity and Druidism, called Culdee
Christianity, headquartered on the Isle of Iona, which was later to be
eradicated by the English. Catholicism eventually became an important
element of national identity in Ireland, and without it they may never
have become independent.

9. DID THE DRUIDS PRACTICE HUMAN SACRIFICE?
The Romans recorded that the Druids sacrificed condemned
criminals. Judicial executions were no different elsewhere in Europe,
including Saxony. The Romans wrote that such victims were tied into huge
wicker man-shaped effigies and burned alive. The archeological record
does reveal a number of sacrificial deaths, such as "triple-deaths" where
the victim was drowned, stoned, and impaled on a spear simultaneously.
Some mythologies describe one person's life being sacrificed so that a
terminally ill noble would survive, thus indicating a belief in a cosmic
balance of forces. To the Celts, death was not the frightening, final
thing it is to most of us born in the 20th century (see Belief #14), and
human sacrifice may not have been so immoral. There were also some forms
of punishment deemed worse than death, such as banishment. It is
important not to impose on the ancient peoples our own cultural values.
However, there is some debate over this; it may have been
anti-Druid propaganda. Julius Caesar had good reason to make the Druids
look bad, because, after all, he was trying to conquer them. It would
fuel interest in his campaign back home if he could prove that the Celts
engaged in such barbaric practices. Yet the Romans would kill people in
gladiatorial games, for the entertainment of the people. The Druids, if
they did sacrifice people, could claim religious sanction. The
archeological record is ambiguous if such sacrifice was judicial or
ceremonial. Furthermore there is no evidence of human sacrifice in
Ireland's archeology, to my knowledge, though there is evidence of animal
sacrifice there.
Rest assured that modern Druids do not sacrifice anything at all
(though the author of this paper is fond of sacrificing an occasional pint
of Guinness).

10. WHAT ARE SOME OTHER COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS OF DRUIDISM?
Since the early Romantic Revival of Druidism, which began in
the early eighteenth century, there have been many ideas on Druidism that
owe more to imagination than to history. Here are some of the most
common:
- "The Barddas": a book of Welsh Bardic and Druidic knowledge. This
book is known to be almost entirely forged by its author, Iolo Morganwyg.
It claims as a source the "Book of Pheryllt", which is also a fictional
work. It makes good poetry, but very poor history. Distinguishing the
two is important, but almost never easy. (see also Romantic Druidism #25)
- "The Druids were Monotheists": A popular idea during the Romantic
Revival, but without historical sanction, for there were many large and
complicated pantheons of Deities, and not all were common to all the
Celtic nations. Many of Druidism's early revivers were strongly
influenced by Freemasonry and other similar fraternal orders, and
attributed to Druids the worship of an exclusively male Christian God.
Also, more recently, some hav e believed that the Druids worshipped the
Earth Mother exclusively, but while Earth-mother Goddesses are present in
the Celtic pantheons, they are not usually worshipped exclusively.
- "The Druids were from Atlantis": There are many myths of
magical islands in the Atlantic, but Atlantis was not one of them. The
earliest documented evidence on Atlantis comes from Plato, who was a Greek
and not a Celt, and was probably writingan allegory and not a history. He
wrote that the chief god of Atlantiswas Posidon , a Greek (not Celtic)
God.
- "Pumpkin Blossoms were a Holy Druidic Tree": Pumpkins are, for one
thing, not trees, and secondly, not native to Europe. The Druids could
not have been aware of their existence. The Jack-o-Lantern used at
Halloween (Samhain) would have been a turnip, but that is not a tree
either. It's function was to ward off the souls of the dead, but this
tradition owes its origin to Mediaeval times, for the Celts had no great
fear of death.
- "Samhain was a Celtic God": Samhain is the name of a festival, not
a God of the Dead, though the festival is associated with the dead. In the
Mediaeval times the fear of the dead, and of the old religion, wastaught
to the populace in order to integrate Christianity more completely.
Indeed, most of the things we typically associate with Halloween
(vampires, devils, etc.) come from this period and not Celtic myth.
- "The Ogham Alphabet was used by Druids for divination": Virtually
all the Ogham inscriptions that exist are burial monuments or landmarks.
It's not enough evidence to claim that Ogham was used as an oracular tool
by Druids, however, many modern Druids do use ogham effectively for that
purpose. Historians cannot be certain because any Ogham inscriptions
carved on wood have rotted away long ago. Each letter in the Ogham
alphabet was also the name of a tree, which had a mystical meaning
associated with each tree. (see also Ogham #12)
- "The Druids were celibate": Actually Druids were encouraged to
marry and raise families. The Irish seer Cathbhad was the father of
Conchobar Mac Nessa, for example. (see Women #6) This misconception is
another attempt to christianize the early Druids.

11. WHAT ARE THE SYMBOLS OF DRUIDISM?
Druidism probably did not have one universal symbol to represent
itself, since it was differentiated between seven different Celtic
nations, and divided further into many tribes within these nations. Some
of the most commonly used symbols are:
- The Triskele: a rounded spiral with three arms radiating from a
central point, turning coun ter-clockwise (unlike the Nazi swastika). It
stands for any one of hundreds of Triads in Celtic literature, but
typically is understood as standing for the land, sea, and sky, which
composed the foundation of the Celtic cosmology.
- The Spiral: Neo-lithic monuments typically have spiral patterns carved into
the
stones. Being pre-celtic, we have no clear idea what the Spiral meant to
the people who carved them, although it is reasonable to believe they
stood for the cycles of seasons, of day and night, a nd of life and death.
A famous spiral in Newgrange has three spirals connecting each other,
which is thought to stand for the Irish triple-goddess Banba, Fodhla, and
Erin; but as with the triskele, it could stand for any Triad.
- The Awen: Three upright bars, with the tops of the outer two bars
leaning toward the top of the center bar. Its first appearance in
Druidism appears to be in the Bardass. Sometimes the Awen is draw with
three stars above it, and the whole enclosed in three circles.
- The Circle : As with many indo-european sun symbols, the Circle
is the simple geometric shape we all know and love. The Sun and the Earth
are all round as circles, so the shape is a natural symbol for
enviro-centric religion. It makes up the pagan part of the Celt ic Cross.
Circles are also the shape that many megalithic monuments are constructed
in, which is why we call them "stone circles" and "round barrows".
- The Celtic Cross: A Christian Cross with a circle surrounding the
point where the vertical and horizontal lines of the Cross intersect. It
is the essential symbol of Culdee Christianity, and is commonly used as
monuments, grave markers, and landmarks indicating holy sites. The
largest Celtic Crosses are carved from stone blocks and stand at Culdee
monastaries, such as at Iona and Aberlemno. (see Culdee #24)
- The Druid Sigil: A circle intersected by two vertical lines.
There is a photo of a Romano-British building located at Black Holmes,
Thistleton, Leicestershire, with this symbol as the foundation; other than
that, this author knows of no ancient origin for this symbol.
- The Egg: The Druid's Egg was described mythologically as a small
object formed from the spittle of serpents, and possessing healing
qualities. Pliny (a Roman historian) said he was shown one of t hese
objects by a Druid from Gaul, which he named as "anguinum". Existence of
eggs in Druidic mysticism causes some scholars (and new-age fiction
authors) to believe that the Druid's creation-myth was the same as the
Sumerian creation story, in which the world was hatched from a divine
primordial egg.
- The God with the Horns: An image of a male God with horns on his
head, usually stag antlers but sometimes small bull horns. Though this
symbol probably represents the God in the image and not Druidism as a
whole, it is used quite commonly by modern pagans. The stag antlers
represent tree branches, and thus stand for fertility; the bull horns
stand for power-- in a culture where the measure of one's economic
affluence was the size of one's cattle herds, bull horns clearly
symbolises power. Goat horns were not used, nor introduced into Horned God
images until the Christian period, and at this time the probably stood for
subservience, domesticity, and also sin & evil (hence "Scapegoat").
- The Crescent Moon : A symbol probably introduced into Druidism by
the Romantics, it stands for the divine Feminine principle of fertility,
corresponding by opposition to the God with the Horns.
- The Tree: The primary symbol of Druidic thought, however, each
species of tree known to the Druids had a meaning of its own. There
probably was no one symbolic meaning applied to all trees.
- The Head: Heads definitely had mystical
significance. To the Celts, it was the seat of the soul. Mythologies
report many heroes beheading their enemies to ensure they stay dead (not
an unreasonable precaution in this time period) and numerous excavations
of Celtic buildings have niche holes carved to hold human heads.
- Long White Beards: Romantic period depictions of Druids in art
and in caricature typically showed them with long white beards, long white
hair, and long white robes. Your author thinks they look ridiculous. :)

12. WHAT ARE THE LETTERS IN THE OGHAM ALPHABET?

Letter Name Tree
B Beth (BETH) Birch
L Luis (LWEESH) Rowan
N Nionn (NEE-uhn) Ash
F Fearn (FAIR-n) Alder
S Saille (SHAL-yuh) Willow
H Huath (HOO-ah) Hawthorn
D Duir (DOO-r) Oak
T Tinne (CHIN-yuh) holly
C Coll (CULL) Hazel
Q Quert (KWAIRT) Apple
M Muin (MUHN) vine
G Gort (GORT) Ivy
Ng Ngetal (NYEH-tl) Reed
St Straiff (STRAHF) Blackthorn
R Ruis (RWEESH) Elder
A Ailm (AHL-m) Silver Fir
O Onn (UHN) Furze, or Gorse
U Ura (OO-rah) Heather
E Eadha (EH-yuh) Poplar
I Idho (EE-yoh) Yew

On the archeological artifacts where Ogham has been found, the
letters appear as horizontal strokes and slashes across a vertical base
line, which is typically the corner edge of an upright standing stone.
They do not appear as the arabic characters we use in modern Indo-european
languages.

13. WHAT ARE THE DRUIDS' HOLY DAYS?
There was a series of fire-festivals, occurring at approximately
12-week intervals, and spaced between the seasonal festivals of solstices
and equinox (thus, a festival roughly every six weeks.) These
fire-festivals would last three days, beginning at sunset on the first
day, and would be the best time for sacrifices and divinations. They are:
- Samhain (1st November: pronounced SOW-win) Feast of the Dead, and
beginning of the new year. Death came before Life in the Druidic cycle,
because before new growth can occur, there must be room for it. On this
day the boundary between this world and the Otherworld is thinnest, and so
it is a time to remember and respect all those who died during the year.
Games, feasts, and bonfires were held in honour of the Dead, and often the
Faeries would hold revels of their own, and invite mortals to join them.
- Imbolc (1st February: pronounced IM-volk) The Return of Light.
The ewes begin lactating around this time of year, and it is a sign that
winter is coming to an end. Perhaps divinations were cast to determine
when spring would come (from this practice we might have got Groundhog
Day.) Imbolc celebrates the coming springtime and preparations for the
planting season are begun. In Anglo-Saxon and Wiccan culture, Imbolc is
sometimes called Candlemas.
- Beltaine (1st May: pronounced BEL-tain-yuh) The Fires of Bel.
Spring has arrived, and the people give thanks. This was a day of
fertility and life, often the choice day for marriages. This is the
beginning of the summer half of the year, and the mid point of the
seasonal cycle. Fairs, dances, and marriage divination games were held at
this time of year, and often there would be a minor baby boom nine months
later... :)
- Lughnasad (1st August: pronounced LOO-na-shav) The Feast of Lugh.
The essential harvest festival, to give thanks to the Earth for Her
bounty. The name is a reference to the Irish god Lugh of the Long Hand,
son of the Sun, who defeated Balor and won the knowledge of animal
husbandry. Lugh is said to have instituted funeral games for his
foster-mother Taltiu who died in the battle against Balor. In Anglo-Saxon
and Wic can culture, this festival is called Lammas, or "loaf-mass", as it
celebrates the end of last year's harvest and the beginning of the current
harvest.
I understand that Australians who practice these festivals do it
in reverse order, because these dates are for northern-hemisphere seasons.
It would make sense for them to celebrate Beltaine on November 1, for
example.
In Wales, there was an annual festival called the Eisteddfod,
which was a bardic musical and poetry competition. It still exists,
alternating between North and South Wales.
During these festivals, great bonfires were built on hilltops and
kept burning throughout the whole of the fire festivals. By day,
there would be carnival-like celebrations, and by night, serious rituals.
Cattle were driven between bonfires to purify them, and couples would
runand leap over the flames, often completely naked, also for purification
(and it was fun!) Some sites were centers for the "perpetual chant", where
Druids in rotation would chant incantations without stop; during festivals
the entire community would join the chant.
Astronomical celebrations (the solstices and equinox) have only
passing reference in the source literature (i.e. the myths, Caesar, etc.),
and so would appear to have less importance in the Celtic cosmology, but
astronomical alignments are found everywhere in the archaeology. There
are hundreds of stone circles, round barrows, menhirs, etc. with solar,
lunar,and/or stellar alignments. Perhaps the most impressive is New
Grange, Ireland, where direct sunlight penetrates the inner chamber only
on Midwinter morning.