lJ6ascna

Annual Journal of Folklore and Ethnology

2003 Folklore and Ethnology Departmeii
Bfiascna
University College Cork
2003 Roinn an Bhdaloidis
Coli{iste na hOllscoile Corcaieh

Founded by : Luis Fernando Angosto Journal of Folklore and Ethnology

Val6rie Lidseois
Se6n 6 Duiinsht6ibhe

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ISSN 1649-2137
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prinrecl in Cork, Ireland Jenny Butler

by:
Allictl lrrirrt l.ttl., Srurh c.rk Incrustrial Esiate, Vicar's Road. Aiveen Cleary
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Yaltrie Lidgeois
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Bdascna 2 (2003):29-45

Ireland's Sacred Landscape: Neo-Pagan

Worldview and the Ritual Utilisation of Sacred
Sites

Jenny Butler

For followers of nature-based religion the natural landscape has an important

connection with spirituality. This article explores the notion of 'sacred landscape'
and outlines some of the places that are considered by Neo-Pagans to be 'sacred
sites'. Some of the reasons for the demarcation of certain places as sacred are also
outlined. Ireland's landscape, and specific locations within it, holds great
significance in Neo-Pagan Worldview and is the setting for the ritual practices of
many individuals and groups. The information presented here is the result of
ethnographic fieldwork among the Irish Neo-Pagan community.

This article is an exploration of the notion of 'sacred landscape' and

its conceptualisation in Neo-Paganr worldview. It is also a
documentation of the ritual utilisation of 'sacred sites', based on
personal fieldwork experiences.' Th. information presented here is
drawn from ethnographic research' into contemporary Neo-Pagan
culture in Ireland.
The concept of 'sacred landscape' is pivotal to Neo-Pagan
worldview. For many Neo-Pagans, a human being's spirituality is
interlinked with the relationship that one has with the land on which
one lives. Here the term 'landscaDe' is used to refer to the natural
landscape and how it is pelceived on an ideological level. This usage
of the term is similar to the definition provided by Jan Harding of
landscape as an 'ideological concept _ a representation of societies'
conceptual schemes or "world-view" [...] where space is invested
with collective meaning' (Jan Harding in Garwood, Jennings,
Skeates & Toms l99l:l4l). Within Neo-Pagan culture, the
landscape is imbued with meaning and great worth is placed on the
natural environment as a sanctified area requiring respect and
reverence. Yi-Fu Tuan (in Meinig et al. 1979) has made allusions to
the way in which landscape is interwoven with values and ideas.
These perceptions and values may be verbally articulated in the
group's worldview. Neo-Pagan worldview is composed of shared
understandings of the significance of the environment. It has been
pointed out that 'a landscape is sacred because humans perceive it as
sacred [...] there are different ways of knowing about the earth,
about sacred places, and about archaeological sites. Some of the
30 Jenny Butler

ways are scientific and some are spiritual' (Carmichael, Reeves &
Schanche 1994:7). Neo-Pagan meaning-systems entail a spiritual
'way of knowing' about our natural world.
The definition and perception of what is 'sacred' within Neo-
Paganism is intricately bound up with notions of 'sacred landscape'.
Within Neo-Pagan discourse, specific locations on the landscape are
allocated special meaning. According to Neo-Pagan cosmology, the
totality of the earth is considered to be sacred. In addition it is
believed that certain points on the landscape are special and these
places are looked upon as 'energy centres' or 'places of power'
where one can connect with magical or spiritual energies. This view
is summed up in the words of one informant:

To us the whole earth is one giant sacred site. But there are
special power centres on it. Places like the Loughcrew Range
here in Kells, Sliabh na Cailli, Newgrange in the Boyne
Valley [...] Knock na Ri, All over the country there are
hundreds and hundreds of these special areas, which are
energy centres. It doesn't mean to say they're more sacred. It
just means to say that they are special in a sacred space
(lnrerview wirh Alicer 09101102).

Even though the entirety of the landscape is conceptualised as

sacred, there are still 'sacred sites' that are 'set apart' from the
surrounding landscape and certain qualities are associated with
them. Yi-Fu Tuan states that the word sacred 'signifies apartness
and definition' (1978:84). Sacred space is space that is cut off from
surrounding space. He states that these 'intellectual procedures' of
'delimitation, definition, and keeping the categories apart' are
'primordially religious' ( I 978: 86).

Spirits of Places
The landscape is an ideological concept where geographical features
are viewed from a mystical or mythological perspective. The natural
landscape is presented in Neo-Pagan discourse as a terrain teeming
with spirit life. Certain places may be demarcated as sacred on the
basis of belief in supernatural entities or magical beings that inhabit
those places. These kinds of beliefs are part of a worldview that has
been defined by scholars as animistic - that the physical
environment is imbued with soul or spirit (Tylor l87l) or
panpsychistic - that all nature has a psychic side and all matter
contains an element of mind (Mautner 1999:25). Particular locations
30 Jenny Butler
ways are scientific and some are spiritual' (Carmichael, Reeves &
Schanche 1994:1). Neo-Pagan meaning-systems entail a spiritual
'way of knowing' about our natural world.
The definition and perception of what is 'sacred' within Neo-
Paganism is intricately bound up with notions of 'sacred landscape'.
Within Neo-Pagan discourse, specific locations on the landscape are
allocated special meaning. According to Neo-Pagan cosmology, the
totality of the earth is considered to be sacred. In addition it is
believed that certain points on the landscape are special and these
places are looked upon as 'energy centres' or 'places of power'
where one can connect with magical or spiritual energies. This view
is summed up in the words of one informant:
To us the whole earth is one giant sacred site. But there are
special power centres on it. Places like the Loughcrew Range
here in Kells, Sliabh na Cailli, Newgrange in the Boyne
Valley [...] Knock na Ri. All over the country there are
hundreds and hundreds of these special areas, which are
energy centres. It doesn't mean to say they're more sacred. It
just means to say that they are special in a sacred space
(f nrerview r.r ith Alicer 09101102).
Even though the entirety of the landscape is conceptualised as
sacred, there are still 'sacred sites' that are 'set apart' from the
surrounding landscape and certain qualities are associated with
them. Yi-Fu Tuan states that the word sacred 'signifies apartness
and definition' (1978:84). Sacred space is space that is cut off from
surrounding space. He states that these 'intellectual procedures' of
'delimitation, definition, and keeping the categories apart' are
'primordially religious' ( 1978:86).
Spirits of Places
The landscape is an ideological concept where geographical features
are viewed from a mystical or mythological perspective. The natural
landscape is presented in Neo-Pagan discourse as a terrain teeming
with spirit life. Certain places may be demarcated as sacred on the
basis of belief in supernatural entities or magical beings that inhabit
those places. These kinds of beliefs are part of a worldview that has
been defined by scholars as animistic - that the physical
environment is imbued with soul or spirit (Tylor lt37l) or
panpsychistic - that all nature has a psychic side and all matter
contains an element of mind (Mautner 1999:25). Particular locations
Nt'o l)agern Worlclview and the Ritual Utilisation of Sacred Sites 31
r( l,t'licvcd to serve as meeting-points between the humern world
rrr,l tlrt'rlornarin of the sllpernatural and, in some ci.lses, are even
l', lrt rt'tl Io act as gateways or portals allowing access to the
rt!lr,'rri'ollcl or spirit realms. As Phyllis Jestice points out, the term
,'. rt'tl landscape' is used 'to describe an apparent closeness
i'r rrrt't'n thc spheres of sacred and profane, or spiritual and mundane.
lt r, :rrr lrll-pervading sense of sacred presence _ a sense that the
,lrr rrrt is rrcar to everyday lives and actions' (Jestice 2000:306).
I'1,r, r',, tlurt are thought to intersect the spiritual and material worlds
il( j'r\'('n a special status and delineated as sacred sites. Various
rr.rrril:rl lc'lrtLlres, for example, some rivers, rocks and groves of trees,
,,r.i\ lrt'vicwed as places where one can make contact with the
,,rttrs lot'i (spirits of place) or where one can commune with
rr'rus tlcities. The majority of the rituals I have taken part in have
,,, , ,lr r'rl rr 'welcoming' of the spirits of place. This usurlly happens
,r rlrr' lrt'sirming of the ritual when the circle is being cast.'A verbal
, l,,rnt' is given to the spirits of place and they are invited to enter
,.r,, rlrt'sircrcd circle or to watch over the ritual. Sometimes rituals
,, l','ltl spccifically to make contact with spirits of place, as in the
r , rrl it pl'actitioner who wishes to ask for guidance or help with a
r,,,rlrr' ploblem. One informant stated that, fbr her, the tradition of
I ,rrrr,lrr rrcccssitates a deep involvement with the local landscape:
I ilorr'1 likc travelling up and down to sacred sites too much.
I lrt'licvc that what you do should be quite local because with
l)rrrirlly the spirits of place is so important. So you get to
lnr)w your own locality very well and you find a sacred
l,l:rt r'. It cloesn't have to be a stone circle. It could just be a
tr( \'()r.u corner somewhere that you find spirits very strongly.
\rrtl tlrc more you work with that the more sacred it becclmes
( llltr'r'vicw with Karen 30/01 ljD.
llr, t,r;rr'tiec of ritual may be done outdoors as a way of connecting
tlr rr;rtulc. Those who follow a pantheistic belief-system and
r,lr'r rrll of creation to be divine may venerate nature by
,,''r lrr;rpirrg certain aspects in personified form. Many rivers, lor
,, I rr( ('. lrrc considered sacred sites because of their association
rrlr , r'rtrrin cleities. One example is the Goddess Sinann, associated
,rlr llri Slrannon River. At Imbolc'2002, I accompanied an Earth-
r,, ,,1 ,l,irituality group to the 'Shannon Pot' in Co. Leitrim, where a
i rr, rl ,r ;rs pcrfbrmed. Part of this ritual involved an honouring of the
,,,,, lrl',,s Sinann, where each person gathered some water lrom the
'l,.rrrr(rr lliver in a chalice. then drank some of the water and asked
32 Jenny Butler \r'. l)1191111 worldview and the RitLral Utilisatio' of Sacrecr Sites 33

ftlr a blessing frorn the Godtless ol'lhe river. The water remaining in ,r plrrcc whcre I could go to sort out my head and I always
the chalice aTter each person had taken a drink was then poured back t,r111111 11lot of energy I suppose liom the water f...1 anct the
into rhe river lPhotograph I l. This. group. draw their insp.iration irlrole plrrcc 1...] it's quite secluded. you're in a valley
tio* it mythoiogical-story of Sinann.* The figure of Sinann is used [...1
rlrr'rt"s t;uitc high m.untains either side which are forested
"
to represenl the rluintessence of the flow of creativity in everyday ,rrrtl llrcrc's lwo lakes. For me, it's always been personal
'For
lif'e. this group the Shannon Pot is a sacred site because of its ,l',., irrl plucc [...] which recently was made more
a
association with this Goddess. significant
r(, n)t' \\lren we did a ceremony of sorts to protect a babv
The way in which Neo-Pagans relate to the natural environment
ri lrrL lr rvc'cl l.st before the pregnancy went tuit
is tied in wiih this perception oT landscape as sacred. The association term. so that
r() lr('ll.t\ llways been a place where we can do things
of'rit"r with beliefi about magical energies or spirit lif'e stimulate the like
performance of rituals at thes-e sites. The sanctity ascribed to certain rir:rt lt u,us always a very strong place for me (lnterview with
ilu..t because of their association with the !{Peifatgral puts them in K,.r rrr l-1l0 1/02)
,mystico-religious
ih" "ut"gory of sites'.' Similarly, Mutoro's
l'l
definition- clissifies i
sacred sife as 'a place which is considered r, r
" rlrrr .r'c lir'inal because of their topography are
also chosen
holy, and is partially or wholly reserved f-or magi_c_o-.religious or ' 1", r l.r rlrc prrctice of ritual. The site rbr a t-ughnasadh ritual
in
ceremonial functions; (H.W Mutoro in Carmichael, Hubert, Reeves l lr I r',k prrrt with a Druidic group was crecideiupon
" because, at
I ,r r).rrrrrl.r'sllot. we would be pdsitionecl between the different
& schanche 1994:132). The Neo-Pagan conception of particular
places as sacred sites, believed to have special magical qualities, I rrrr rrr' 'l'lrc site w-as a grass-covered hillock on a high point of
'*"unr that these places are reserved for what the above-mentioned '| ';r rlrrrrrr\' w..ds, five mires west of carrigarine, co"unty cork.
authors have called 'magico-religious or ceremonial functions'. l, rr,'.r lrir'lt point. we were closer to th; sky ancl sun, and
Informants have described to me how their most significant life- l 'lr':rllr tl.se. to Lugh. This provided the erement .f air.
cycle rituals - baby blessings, handfastings .(Neo-Pagan weddings)
I rrr'r rlre rv..cls overlook the sea at the mouth of cork harbour,
and memorial serviies - take place at these points on the landscape. ' i r(' ( l()sc t. the element of water. The earthen mound provided
'r t' ,r{ rr r| carth. Lighting a fire in the centre of this (to iepresent
l, rrrr'rrr .l' l'ire) symborically completed the list of
difrerent
' " rl r'lt'rrc'ts. one Dru_idic practitioner articulatecl that being
Selection of Ritual Sites '' rr'r111 11 the diffbrent elemental energies is a decidin!
The places that are chosen tbr ritual practice depen.d on a .variety of i ' r"r l"r lrirrr
'crwccn
whcn choosing places at which to piactice rituar, as he
factors. Some may be chosen because they are in the locality of the ' i , l lrrs u ls a tradition fbllowed by ancient tiruids:
indiviclual practitioner or ritual grollp. Quiet or remote places may
be picked owing to their relative accessibility and-the_unlikelihood r,r,lrri.,lrlly,
I points between elentental energies
of iituats bein[ interrupted by the general public. More often, ,, rr' ::ttr-c(|. So'reeting
where the mountain met the sky was rr.r.,d.
inaiuiauutr -uf t."t an iffinity to a particular place because of the r rr,.rL lllc wittcr met the shore was sacred,
they feel there or becar-ise they hav.e. an emotional where thele was a
"n"rgi"t
connlction *ith the place. The following story is illustrative.of the
l,'r ,,1
"',rr"ntent
of water would have been sacred like a
ir,rrr.rlrrll
emotional tie a person has with a place they personally consider to ol. {he seashctre on a wincly day with wave activity
be sacred: i lrrlr.rr ie w with paul l0/06102\.

all my life, even before I got
One place, which 1'or me,
very special to Inc' wns
involved in Paganism was
Glendalough in Wicklow, which is quite close to whcre I
come fiom in Kildare. In my early teens I used to trave I there
quite a lot and maybe spend the night in front of the lakc
there which was a place where I found a lot of peace I"'l It's
" l'r'.rr ritu.l practice involves the utilisation the dift'erent
r 'r' rrl.rl ('rcl.gics. The Neo-pagan u\uge of the terrnofelement
relates
rrr' 1,r111 11111s[rIllents ()f all lif'e _ earth, air, flre and water
l' rr rrr,.'rc'lrl crl'rcspondences. In vivianne crowley's definitrr-rn, and
r, I rll('lrls 'r'cl)r'esent e.nergy in diff-erent states' ioc;gg:2si.). Each
| ", ,r lrrs tcrt,ir.r magical properties associated with it. Crowley
34 JcnnY Butler \r'. w.rldview and the Ritual Utirisation of Sacred Sites 35
I)1191111

also clescribes e lerrrerrtrtl.r its 'conscious beings who inhabit the r" rl' rl rrc-qalithic monuments and other ancient sites as.rituar
etheric energy fields of the four elements - Earth. Air, Fire and rrr rs rr.r rhe centrar issue in Ne'-pagan criscourse. wt,r,t'-i, ,nort
Water' (1989:257). The geographical positioning of the ritr-ral site is Ir, r.rlt rl. r'utlrer. is the notion that conte-mporary people can connect
therefore significant because of belief in the influence of diff'erent ' rrtr rtrr' sPi'irual and magicar energies
ui,tiev,io'to [".r!ut""tn"r"
magical energies and of diff'erent supernattlral entities inhabiting r'|r( rrr('\ 'l'hc rationale that accom-panies
Neo-pagal-ui"r,i, or trr"
each of the fclur quarters. ,,,, ,' rlrar.;rcople who inhabited
I this lancl in unii"nt ti,r"r'*.."
l''lql..'"
'rl krr.wledge that lecl them to mark out .".tuin':"n.rgy
' 'rr( " ,rr sPcciar praces on the land. These ancient p"opi",
r,, lr,n,t. lrrrilt permanent monuments oi. rr"ra
Ritual Practice at Heritage Sites to mark these'"""ign Joo,, o,
' r"t srrt's .r which
Prehistoric structures, rnegalithic nlonLll'nents in particrrlar, are given
pre-eminence within Neo-Pagan culture. Stone circles are among the
l' lt'r.r. " l.'r somethey then honourecr ttr. c,r,t-r'Ei
Neo_pagans, megalithic sites
ifre" ora
-rnJ-
ott.,".
1'r' lrr'r,rrt sircs are sacred bec.auie they iniicate that
ilost corlmcln sites chtlsen by Neo-Pagans in Ireland for ritr-ral , , ,t'l, rr t.rr' ltractitioners of the same
these'ancestrat
practice. This is partly because many of these strLlctLlres are to be nature_based ,"tieltn u,
1'' r' r.r"r'rl r.tliry. The perception of these sites u.' io.utionlr'r"rJo
found on the trish landscape. br"rt notably because they are circular in to,
shape ancl this fits well with Neo-Pagan cosmology. Many believe 'r'rl r'|rrrtrir'c irr ancient times makes them sacred sites in trr" ot
rr" \r'. l'rrgans and is an important aspect "u!, r.
that the site 'holds' the energy raised during the ritual - sometimes ur tn"ii ia"",itrl'rr.
called the 'cone of power'- that the energy is sotnehow encapsulated
within the space enclosecl by the stones. Cyclicity is an important
I , i:,'llil.'J:.11,1"i#lj;JiiJgonance
ot pe pre''
-,i"i.,ion'
symbolic part of Neo-Pagan culture: the passage through the seasons
\\ ltol concepts of the .sacrcd, rernain unchanging.
lrt.tlrt'r. ()r
o1-the year is viewed as cyclical. as inclicated by the phrase 'wheel of
the year' used by practitioners; the paths tlf the sun and moon in the rr'\t'r. s.credness is ascribed at any pafticular
r lr,
rnornerrt,
heavens are Llnderstood ttt be cyclical, and also, the huntatn lif-e-cycle |'()\\('r'rrrr e r.r.ti,l.rs and attitudes are involved. There is
no
itself is part of the wider cycle of 'bilth-death-rebirth'. These cycles 1', rrrrt in rnyonc dcnying the importance
of special locations
of human and a-ericultural lif-e are ima-tles that intersect in the Neo- rr, 1l11y1g active Iy. and believingly,
involved in thcir
Pagan understanding of the universe. Circles, whether physical stone rr )r rr.r)r'rilrc ('c.rrec-t') managemcnt ('treatnrcnt'
) at anv given
circles or psychological constl'Llcts, are what Turner (1967) calls rrrrr, sirrrltly by arguing that their meaning,.,.,uy
'dominant symbols' in Neo-Pagan worldview. huu."b._..n
,trll(.r(.nl in thc past, or may shift again
Within Neo-Pagan discourse, strong associations are made in the fltr-rre. At any
r) rrr( lrrir' rro'llcnt such places are vested with
between prehistoric sites. megalithic rronuments especially, and the identity. an
,,t, ntrt\ which involves both the
notion of pre-Christian Pagan relrgion. One prevailing belief is that supcrnatural sphere ani the
the ancestral peoples of Irelancl built these monllments fbr their own t,,,\\, r .l s,cial se,ll'_definition ancl personal self_identity (p.
J.
('urrlichael, Hubert, Reeves
ritual purposes and that they had the ability to identif'y power points ',,,,,,,; ',, & Schanche 1991:
or energy currents flowing thror"r-qh the ground. There are t.uany
allusions in Neo-Pagan cliscortt'se to this notion of monuments built | | rrr' I rrrt'!irlithic
as markers of ley linesr" or power points. Despite sparse evidence tlf .rnonuments r'ay have rost their original
r':' t' :rrd r.r,y have
the rituals practiced by the Celts or by the earlier inhabitants of t 'i 'r r'r()'r)\ .f' pe'pJe.had
'ri dift'erent uses througr, it. uv
It'eland. sorne Neo-Pagrtn practitioners persist in rnlking correlations
,,1,,",,,.,',, t's,rl u dynallic religion.
"i.",
but today they are the roci tirr"iituat
between these ancient sites and ancient ritual practice' I r.|il1.
They are, to use Jane Hubert,s
Reinterpreting Ireland's historical past. lrtd folrnttlating new il\|l)gsltd\.
|
rneanings relevant to contemporilry times, is part of the process of '|'{l ',lrcritage sites
are deepry imprinted onto olrr curtural
irJentity construction ol modern Pagans. lt is inlportant to many Neo- ' |,r'i ,!,, llrt.-y .rc syrnbols that have survived tio.
Pagans to establish links with their ancestors who lived on the same
| '11"r rr'"r(r rrs that peopre who existed befbre ut rrrJ o,,.-Jiriont
prr*"r-
land upon which they now live. Whether it is historically correct to
,,,, lrl) tr) tllis lalldsc-ape_and a particular worldvi.i*--oUor,
"
r' ', kn()$, very little. Carpenter has macle the point
that
36 Jenny Butler
\t', I),gan worldview and the Ritual utilisation of Sacred Sites 37
'contemporary Paganism represents t- synthesis of historical
rrr( lr(licates that the area is kept as a saf'e place where people
tr r , tlrr. llccdom to perfbrm rituals:
while rhe aurhenricity of
,"rpir"iii" ona p.""r.ni-doy .'r"otiuity. questioned'
historical claims can certainty be such claims
n"u"titt"i"tt provide inspiration'for current evolution of new \\'t. r'ult a Pagan centre here ostensibly which is about
-the in Lewis 1996:47)'
;;';.; ;i ;piiituality' (Dennis- D'. carpenter provide the impetus
I'rovitlin-s saf'e space for people to come and do ritual if they
\\ilrt to. Also providing [...] a safe, caring gateway
ira"oning, aie drawn'from the historical past and for
i;;;i;;;;;tice of modern spiritual tradiiions. Within the Neo-Pagan lrr.oplc to explore their own possibilities (lnterview with
there is ieceptiveletl.. tu these ancient sites as
;;;i"'g-;y.stem, example is the
I J(.n tiuni n 06106/02).
r,uuing i rituat purpose or mystical significance' One
of
g,f i Tara in bo.' fuf.utt, *hi.fl is tliought to have been the seat l,r\ r)('()l)lc choose to perfbrm rites of passage at these rituar
"T is also associited with'the sacred fire of , ( )rre area of land.owned by an Earth-based spirituality g^rup
li;g;l"ancient ti-".*, und "rr(
,-fr"b*lat' (Smyth tggO:166-7)' Tara is.the mounds site of many Neo-Pagan ,, r ,, lt'itr-int regularly holds baby blessings and handfastingr. fn-e
guiGringt, and-ritualsiuke piut" on-1" and around the ,, r,rl l:rrrd is viewed as sacred space, and in the words of sdmeone
i;;;t;;ii;n.. tr'" titi rtiitor 'Stone .f Destinv' lPhotograph 2l' rr' ' lrr r's rrt this Earth-based spirituality centre,
it provides 'the
Certain u,"u, of the landscape have taken on a special .r( \\()rk. thc structure, the space, that wb seek to allow for people'
particular l r rr 11'11 rvith Elise 03/02/02). people can design rituals that are
,ienifi"un"" in the eihos of many N'eo-Pagan groups and said that
;?;til;;';;i";' are attribuied to them' It could be nreaningful to themselves and perform ihese rituals at the
, '1s,1111':

i{;;_p;g;" worldview involves a cerrain 'reading' of the landscape. | 'rlr lrrrst'tl spiritLralitycentre, surrounded by nature and a special
'the is a manttscript on which ,
3"r" i;f,"f"r, ruintoin that landscape
some traces of the
I'lr,.re. The site contains a stone circle, a labyrinth and a grove
is written the culturai hirtoty of the area' althoLrgh ' :rll c..structed by the Earth-based spirituality group, wtricrr
can be read' and
;;ri ;;; t;t. on.oo"iPip"ii-iq9arf
.no.".rini tn"n'others' This manuscript
q7). The Neo-?agan 're.ading' of
,1 ,':r'rriluble to other Neo-Pagan groups or individuals fbr ritual
irs messages
the Irish landscape it'o pott*odern one' Fragments
of historical \ I,rrrr .llrcr Neo-Pagan groups have constructed stone circles or
information ur. .otbin.O *ittt mythology and notions of the ' ' r'r,'lristrlric structures on their own rand for ritual use. one
to
;;;;;;;i;;;1, and bi;;A.J together" in NJo-Pagan world.view
landscape and of how
| ,)rsl'.ctcd a stone circle in their back garden fbr rituals that
;;ate a particular understandin-g of lreland's to
' r' rr,r))c(l at home [Photograph 3]. At the ritual centre
i"-i"i"ir^.t with it. The cultiriation of a spiritual connectiontn" 'rl,'.rl lry Benjamin above, there is a reconstruction of
iunJr.up. is a constituent part 9t N9o--e-1sii Y::ldll":, .,rr llcnjanrin explained why a souterrain was reconstructeda
;;;;id. attributecl to the natural magic
landscape are part :f, i-11il:l
and supernatural
I r i,rrtl: 'The souterrain was built as it's like
, r1,, r rlrir( [wo people can just about comfortably sita in.
womb_like
trr"onin!-tyttem involving beliefs in .entltles' And all
G i-ermlnotogy
i;.cluster, of Hinnerz (1992), Neo-Pagan worldview is a ,'rrrrl";ut'srrbdued and it's just a wonderful place to go and sit
or .inventof," ,in-,"onings anJ notions-of sacred landscape of ',, lrl.rlr" ( lrrterview with Benjamin 06/06102)
are constituent paiis of ttrit'iollective cultural inventory I lrr r t't .rrstruction of megalithic monuments reflects
the
meanings' (Hannerz 1992:1 )' ' , ' .rilrrbrrtecl to these structures by Neo-pagans. Megalithic
",,,,, nr , rrr.e cultural symbols and the rebuildine of them with
Sites ,r r:rtr'(l rrrcunings is expressive of the c.eaiiue impulse at
Ritual Centresl2 and Reconstruction of Megalithic I rrlrrrr \e'-l)agan culture. This process of re-interpretation of
to be ritual
In Irish Neo-Pagan culture, certain places are deemedowned by- a , ' , rrr llte icon.ography of landscape has been noted by
centres. Ritual centres are located on- property fbr .rrrtl l)lrriels ( 1988) who state that .the post_modern
by other practitioners
;;;;iri;";; tnat nel.trte allows to be used I l' , r(,r ()l tlrc world emphasises the inherent instability of
ritualpracticeoraSaplaceto.goonspiritualretreat'Aparticular
and kept only ' ,,rrr .rlrility ttl invert signs and symbols, to recycle them in a
field, for example, *"V'U. consiiered a sanctifled area r , rrr , (,rr('\r lrnd thtrs transform their reference' (cosgrove
such ritual &
for meditation o, ott,"i rltual activities. The owner of one i , ,, I l,rsti :7 g ). Re_interpretation of the past
ano the
 , r, l';1,,'111 Worldview and the Ritual Utilisation of Sacred Sites 39
3tt JcnnY Butler
tlt..
icltt :ymbols.in thc prodtrcti()n ol' ncw
meanings
int'o|ltrt|1tliott ol lttte
rellgron' r rr. \'r', l'tr,qtrtt is used here to ret-er to contemporairy nature_based
is nari ol'thc clytlanlic process of ltvtng
,,i I',r.rlrrrr is an umbrclla term for a broad spectrum of spiritual
Conclusion , i, 'ri lrr tlris cxploration of Irish Neo-paganism, I fbcus on the
how significant Ireland's ,'l \\'itc. and Druidry. I usc the tcrms Ner.,-prtganisrn
ln this article I have,ttempted to convey and to iclentify some of Eurth._
natural landscape i, in'x""t'-"pui""
*"ira"iew ;' t t t r r r, r I i I y i rrterchangeably throughout. ^ncl,

the locations Neo-eagan' tun'ld"t

to be sacred sites' I have outlined r |,,'rl rrrrs torrrluctecl bctween January 2002 and March 2003.
of prehistoric monuments
here some of ttre reaion' ftn' th" selection w^hile briefly describing r' t.rr,lr l'rs hccn carried or-rt with the support of a Government of
and cerrain narurirl tb;iil; "r-rit"oL
sites , | ',, lr,'l;rrslrip awardecl by the Irish Research Council for the
meaning-svstem of Neo-Pagan
their significance within thean.importint'symbolit p11-?l)"o- "r,, .rrrtl S.ciul Sciences from thc year 200 l-2003. Thanks are due
cliscourse. Sacred 1";;;;;p"
-irlshis cleep meaning for tt'' tl\S lo|. llris funcling.
pagan culture uno in" lanclscipe_ holcl.s
religion' rr,.r, rtrrrr irrlirrrni-rnts are taken directly from transcriptions of tape-
contemporary practttioners of nature-based I rrr( r\ it'r's conducted by the authclr. The grammiir and syntax of
i r, \\r'( \ llrvc not bcen changed in any way, althoLrgh non_verbiil
L,L l)( ('rr ontittecl to tacilitatc reading. Three dots in the text
r lr.rr l)rt'sc. All narnes have been chan-eccl thro'ghout to protect
'ri r,l rtl,ilnunts and pseudonyms havc been adopted in their
,rr rl ol Illrec alc called by various nantes including ,clernentals,
rrr,, ol lhc watchtowcrs'. It r-nust be noted that beliefs in the
l,rrrrr,l spir-its.f place and.ther magical e'tities vary between
,,r \rr irr,tlcpth cliscussion of clifferent Neo_pagan beliefs
, rlr,. .,prrit r.vorlcl is beyoncl the scope of this article and nry
,rr r lrr' rr'srlictc'cl {o the lleldwork data unclcr consideration here.
l( r\ rr tcchniciil tcrm in Neo-paganism (Lewis 1999:41). A
rrt
rl,r *rrll'irg ar'Lrncl in a cl.ckwise direction and cither rnarking
, i rr ,1r.qq1'()n thc ground with a stick, rope or other irnplcment or
rr, ,r r ur.lc ar-olrncl the spiice ancl ,drawing' it in the air with a
r, r rlurrl krrilc) or other ritr-ral tool.
r \,.. l)11g1111 t'estival that firlls on February l',/2''.r. There are
,,' l';r!lrr lL'stivals. fbllowing the scasonal cyclc or,Wheel of
, rrrrlr:rin (October 31"' / November l',), Winter Solstice
'11 ,r 'l'' ). Spring Ecluinox (March 20,h l2l"). Beltanc (April
, ()rnrrcl Solstice (June 20,r,/2 l',), Lughnasadh (August l.'
l';rrrrr,,r tSt'plr'r1hcr ltt" 72 1',.
r r 1'( r:rtr'(l with the Shannon River tells how Druids had put a
' ,rr .r 1,,r.1 .l watcr. When Sinann attempts to pick hazclnuts to
r, ilrt. this enchantecl pool and she plunges her hand
rrrrlr lrrlls
r, r(, rr'rrit'r't' it. This .ction unleashes the water-spirit of the
' -fhc
, r r(.,, lrt'r. watcr-spirit catches Sinann and absorbs her
40 Jenny Butler
'\' r Worrdview and the Rituar Utirisation of sacred
r l';1u11;1
Sites 4l
spirit into itself. Thus, Sinann is transtbrmed into a wltef spilit a1d the rl';rr" rr l'rrrL'. 'Sucred
Beriefs ancl Berief.s of Sacredness' in David. L.
river is named atier hcr (Scott 199 I : 33-39)'
i llrlr( lrrt'1..1. Hubert, B. Reeves. & A. Schanche (eds.),
q
Jackson & Henrie suggest a typology tor categorising sacred space at
, , \ \,/{ /(,(/ l'lttce.s, London and New york: Routledee. 1994, Sctcretl
9_19.
three broad levels: rnystico-religious. homelands and historical. These
| "rr li ll rrrrtl R. Henrie, 'perception of Sacred spu..'. Jourtrctr ..f
, trtttrt,tl ( )r'rt,qrtt1tht,,3 (19U3), 94_10j.
categories can be 'recognized on the reasons for assigning sanctity ttl
them'
(1983:95). ll ' l'lrr llis (i.. 2000, Enct,clopeditt d. Irish Spirituctlitv,
Califbrnra,
irr tn" term /e.,, was coined by Alfred Watkins in l92l and originally t,,1.r.rrlo :rrrtl Oxlbrd: ABC_CLIO.
rel'errecl to the alignments of ancient sites (Heselttln 1995: 107). Ley
lines r Lrrrt s lt. (ccl.), 1996, Mttgic,l Religion trtt. Moclern
Witchcr(tlt,
are straight lines connecting three ()r more ancient sites. and afe associated ' ll'.rrri \trrtt' I lrriversity of New york press.
by some with supposed cuments of energy running deep in the earth' l\)\)\). Wit(hcnji Toclal.: An Enct.t.lopeclicr tt.Wicccut
untl
,i Whut is held to be pre-Christian Paganism is sornetimes referred to, in .,' !,, t,', r t I, l i i n s, Califbrnia,
r t t Colorado and Oxford; ABC_CLIO.
r

not r, ,,i' I llr,,rrtrs (ctl.l. The penguin Dit.ti'rutrt, philo,utph-y,

Neo-Pagan terminology. as the oful Religiott.It is irnportant to note that of London,
all NeoPagans consider what they practise and believe to be a religion. '. \,,r l, \'it.tolia & Ontario: penguin Books.
Many inlbrmants define the Neo-Pagan tradition that they fbllow as a
,, I ) \\ tctl. ). et ul.. 19j9, The Interpretution
ol. Ordirturt.
spiriiual path or lif-estyle rather than a religion' On the other hand' many . ,/,, r (i,'t,,qt.ttlthit,ttl C.r.r,.r..s. New york and Oxlbrd:
I Oxford
infilrrlants explicitly state that Neo-Paganism is a religion and some rr , r llt l,tt,ss.
traditions. Wicca in particular, have a clergy of Priests and Priestesses. ' lt\\ "l'he Mi.jikenda Kaya as a Sacred Site, in David.
L.
I use the term rituul (.entre to identify places that fircilitate open ritual ,
', lr,rr.t l. ll'bc-r... B. Reeves, & A. Schanche (eds.), 1994,
', part of Neo- ', t, r,,l
Sctcretl
events and spiritual retreats. I have not fbund this tet'm used as I'lttt.r,.s.l_ondon and New york: Routledge,
132_139.
Pagan discourse.
lrr r ( l\)()1. Sucretl Worlcls: An Intrrrluction to Geogrctpht,
anrl
.,,r l .rrtlon lnd New york: Routledge.
References cited: r' rr'r' I rr)t)r.'r'rtc River Gocrs, wicklow, Irerand: Rear
lreland.
r, l' 'l.l,,lr I()9(r. A Guitle to lrish My,tholog.y, Dublin:
carpenter. Dennis D., 'Emergent Nature Spirituality: An Examination of Irish Academic
it. tvlojo. Spiritual Contours of the Contemporary Pagan Worldview' in , rrr \.rt.retl Space: Explorations of an ldea, in
James R. Lewis, (ed.), 1996, Magicctl Religion and Modern Witchcruft' Karl
t't ',t, l)1111a,11.eiotr.s of Human Geography, Chicago: The W. Butzer
Albany: State University of New York Press, 35-72' University
, | )(.1)iu.tnrcnt of Geography, g4_99.
Cosgrove, Denis and Stephen Daniels (eds'), 1988, The lconttgrapht'
o't'
of |lr,,rrr,lrl rrrrrl Landscape: The Eye and the
Lttncl.sc'ape:Es.srl.t'.s on the Slntbolit' Representution' Desig'n and
Use Mind,s Eye,in D.
ity Press'
I rrr,' r(.(l ). (,1 ul., 1979, The Interpretotion of Orclinart.
P tr s t E ttv i r r t m e n t s. Cambridge : Cambridge Univers
t t
' I t, ,,,1t,11t11i1.q11 l-.r.r.rr.r..s. New york and Oxlbrd:
Crowley. Vivianne, 1989, Wicc:tt: The Old Religion in the New Age' Oxforrl
L<-rndon and Califbrnia: The Aquarian Press'
' ,r I'r, ,s li() l0l.
l,,r t,)(r l. l ltt, [:rtrc.t,t .t'' Sv-mbol.t:
Hannerz' ulf' 1992' Ctt!turttl Compleritl': Stuclies in the srrt'ltt/ | ,,rrrll1. ('rlr.rrcll !niversity press.
,,1
Aspects of Ndembu Ritual.
()rgtutizatitm o|.Metnin|, New York: Columbia University Press. ri rr I tlrrrrrr.l. l\j l. l,ritrritit,e Ctrllure.
Harding.Jan'.UsingtheUniqueaStheTypical:MonumentsandtheRitual London: John Murray.
(eds')'
Landr.ape' in P. Carwood, D. Jennings, R' Skeates' and J' Toms
lggl.Sttc,retluntlPro'fctne:Prot:eedingso.|,ctCott.|.ercttceon
Art'htteolctgt', Rituul ttnel Religion, Or.t'ord /989' Oxford: Oxford
University Committee for Archaeology, l4l- l5 I '
Heselton, Philip' |995, Eorth Ml:sIeries, Dorset, Massachusetts &
Queensland: Elernent Btloks.
42 Jenny Butler N., l'11g1p11 worldview and the Ritual Utilisation of Sacred Sites 43
college Cork
Jenny Butler did her BA in Folklore and Philosophy in University
andiscurrentlyaPhDStudentthereconductingresearchonNeo-Paganculturein
Ireland. Her research interests include contemporary Paganism, new spiritual
movements, alternative healing practices and vernacular religion'

\ lrlt'ssirr" to Shinnan: returning water to the

Shannon pot
irr honour of the Goddess.
 5
5

photograph 2: Druids descending the Hill of Tara after an earth healing

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a

eV

=
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ai
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Photograph 3: Stone circre built by Druidic Grove

fbr ritual use; altar in
the southern quadrant with a sun symbol
representing the erement of fire.