Holy Wells

 

Holy Wells are one of the most common and most famous forms of Religious Site for Celtic paganism. Being adopted by later Celtic Christians with the deities of the well being substituted instead with Christian Saints. 

 Traditionally, Holy Wells were the subject of hereditary custodians, who were in the past at odds with the church. This must be understood and the custodians wishes respected if they choose to adopt Senchus or not or if they choose to follow Society rites.

 Discovering a Holy Well is easy enough, you merely need to find a well and ask. Since most wells survived the Christianisation they remained a sacred character and the local population will know well enough which are holy and which are not.

 In Roman Britain and perhaps historically, there were buildings and temples built around the well as well. Although no evidence of this was ever found in Ireland. If a fish is in the well then it must be a holy fish and regarded with awe and praise, killing a sacred fish is sacrilege and an offense against the local people and the society. If a well is owned by the society is Vandalised or the fish is killed, the society will pursue legal action against the perpetrator.

 

 The rite of the Holy Well is simple, in complete silence the person must approach the well and circle it clockwise three times. Afterwards they must give their prayer, if the custodian is there they may offer you water to either drink or splash on your face akin to baptism. After this in silence the person will leave without looking back behind them. 

 If the well is dedicated to a healing deity, a person suffering an illness or injury must allow the water to wash the infected part of the body or offer something shaped as the affected part. A person can go on a persons behalf and collect water for the injured person to bring it back.

 Wells can benefit you in terms of healing or as a mode to worship the gods. It is an important aspect of Senchus and how a member connects to the wider community and to the world.

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