Hidden Meanings in Celtic Jewelry

Whether you are looking for unique wedding rings or shopping for early holiday gifts, the beauty of Celtic jewelry might just attract you. But what do all the symbols mean? Guest blogger Justin Henderson reveals the mystery:

photo credit: greyloch via photo pin cc

There is something about Celtic jewelry that catches a person’s attention. It may be the lovely craftsmanship or the elegant knot work. It could be the mysterious touch of another time and culture, lots of wonder and mystery about the Celtic days. When you choose to wear the Celtic jewelry, you choose to wear a piece of their mystery and tradition.

Celtic Symbols

For centuries, Celtic jewelry symbols have been in existence and the meanings have changed and evolved over time. Often times, there can be more than one meaning for their jewelry symbols. One of the most ancient is the spiral. This was the first ornament that was used in the Celtic art days. Some people say that the direction the spiral is in has meaning. Clockwise would indicate the sun’s connection with Earth; counter clockwise means nature is manipulated in the form of spells. Some people say the spiral represents the Milky Way, the spiral galaxy. Others feel it indicates the life cycle of humans and animals. Today’s mystics have the belief that it symbolizes a journey inside the unconscious mind.

Three Arm Spiral

A triple spiral is also called a triskele or triskellion, which has three arms. On a piece of jewelry, this represents the number three. This is said to represent the Triple Goddess or to Christians, the Holy Trinity. Some people believe it represents the phases of life – life, death and the rebirth. Supposedly, the spiral has some mystical powers that will keep evil from crossing. This is why you so often see this on jewelry as well as in many sacred places in the Celtic world.

The Celtic Knot

In Celtic jewelry you'll often notice the elegant knot work. The Celtic knot is a sign that there is no beginning or end, that everything is like love eternal. The knots are all so very intricately woven together to show how our life is woven together with the people that surround us. The knot is a symbol of the intricacies of everything in our world. The knots are also said to keep evil out.

Trinity Knot

The trinity knot is also called the triquetra and represents how sacred things will come in threes. When a circle is around the knot, this is an indication of a combined unity of the three. Some of the representations are Land, Sea and Sky, Mind, Body and Soul, or even Past, Present and Future.

Celtic Cross 

Another Celtic symbol that is often seen on jewelry is the Celtic Cross. Long ago, it was said that St. Patrick was the one who introduced the Celtic Cross to the Pagans of Ireland. He wanted to teach Pagans how important the symbol of the cross was in Christianity by putting it together with the sun. To do this, St. Patrick combined the cross with the sun wheel. For Christians, the circle they see at the top of the cross is a sign of everlasting love that God has for humans.

All of these Celtic symbols are kept alive through the craftsmanship of jewelry today and are a symbol of old history. Wearing these as a piece of jewelry isn’t just another decoration, but a celebration in a sense of the Celtic culture that brought them about today.

Justin Henderson writes about jewelry, fashion & employment verification. 

Would you like to be a contributor to this blog about all things Celtic and Celtic music? I'll be happy to post your unique information for my readers. Contact me through my website at CelticHarpMusic.com. Thank you, Anne :-)

A Celtic Wedding!

Enjoy this lovely post from guest blogger Evelyn Reimer. And if you'd like to find out more about how to incorporate your favorite Celtic wedding traditions together with your wedding music, make sure to view "The Bride's Guide to Musicians: Live Wedding Music Made Easy and Affordable", published by Hal Leonard Books and available as a Kindle edition, too!

So you're finally starting to plan your wedding, and you are of an Irish, Scottish or otherwise Celtic background. It's very important to you to carry the traditions of your ancestors into your nuptial celebration, so how can you incorporate Celtic themes in your wedding ceremony and reception?

The Ceremony Location
Generally, a modern Celtic background is associated with Christianity, although there are some exceptions to that rule since the Celtics began in the days when paganism was popular. However, you most likely want to have a traditional ceremony in a church as many of the Celtic cultures feel that this is the appropriate place for a wedding. The exact rules are going to depend upon your church, as Celtic people can be any of a number of Christian denominations. When you are a pagan, try out some traditional pagan customs in an outdoor ceremony.

Handfasting
The Celtic handfasting is a tradition that comes out of the pagan times, when the Celtic culture was well and alive before the beginning of Christianity. Therefore, some churches may very well prohibit this tradition. However, if you are not having a ceremony in a church or if your church permits this practice, consider adding a Celtic handfasting to your ceremony. A ribbon or other such type of implement is used to tie together the hands of the bride and the groom. There are not many rules when it comes to handfastings, and couples have a lot of say here. They often choose to jump over a broom, which is also a tradition in African culture, or leap over a small fire to close out the ceremony.

The Food
How can you weave Celtic food into the reception menu line-up? Well, first check to see if your caterer has any suggestions or is even able to provide such cuisine. If you feel very strongly about having Celtic food at your reception, you must ask the reception hall about this before you book and put down a deposit. Some foods that are generally consider Celtic include Irish coffee, Irish soda bread, shepherds pie and corned beef and cabbage. Even if you can't have any of these for an entree, you may be able to have them for cocktail hour. If you're having a more casual and small reception, maybe some family members can do the cooking for you. Another idea is to locate Celtic caterers near you.

Celtic Music
Incorporating Celtic music into your ceremony and reception is one sure way to really enhance the vibe. At a church, you may be limited to the type of music you can use. However, if not-and for the reception-call different musicians in your area and search for reputable musicians online. You want to find musicians who truly understand and appreciate the sounds of the Celtic culture.

Some weddings tend to venture outside of the box, yet so many others are sticking with tradition. Incorporating these Celtic elements into your wedding shows love and respect for your ancestors' traditions that you plan to carry on into the new generation.

Evelyn Reimer writes about Irish culture, event planning & finding the best life insurance quotes.

Interested in being a guest blogger on this blog? Contact me for more info.

photo credit: MightyBoyBrian via photo pin cc

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Celtic Harp

My good friend, Eliseo Mauas Pinto, has just published a wonderful free e-book, simply entitled The Celtic Harp. Eliseo describes it as, More than a compilation of useful information for all those interested in the magical world of the Celtic harp, this book is almost a labour of love..."

Download your free edition of The Celtic Harp here. Eiseo Mauas Pinto is also a gifted Celtic harper in his own right. Visit his wonderful blog for more information.

Money-Saving Ideas for Your Wedding

You're in that time crunch. You know you've got to hire your wedding services, but you've only got so much money to spend. Can you get everything you want for your wedding day, even with a tight budget? Yes!

Here are just a couple of ways to save money:

  Any day except Saturday

Saturday is the most popular day to tie the knot. Choose a weekday to get married, and not only are all your services likely to be available, but you may also receive midweek discounts. 

  Be a "morning person"

Morning is the best time of day to get married, for a number of reasons. First of all, most couples have evening weddings, so your musicians and other services are more likely to be available in the morning (and may even offer you discounts). Your guests and musicians will be able to find parking earlier in the day (some musicians and wedding vendors charge extra when no suitable loading zone or parking is available adjacent to the wedding site). One more note: People won't drink as much in the morning hours, so you'll save money on the bar tab at your reception. 

Read more ideas on my website. And if you want to receive detailed budgeting ideas, including wedding budget worksheets, you'll find them in my book, "The Bride's Guide to Musicians: Live Wedding Music Made Easy and Affordable", published by Hal Leonard Books. It's available at my website (where I'll send you a signed copy), and all over the Internet. It's even available as a Kindle edition on Amazon.com!

I'd love to hear your thoughts about my book, so if you've read it and put the ideas I've offered to use, please post a review on amazon.com to help spread the word.

(Musicians: If you are looking for ways to make wedding performances happy, easeful experiences, check out my book, "The Musician's Guide to Brides", also published by Hal Leonard Books. Find it at my website, as well.)

For Valentine's Day and Beyond

Today, Valentine's Day, I received a few articles and links about love, so I thought I'd spread the love and post them here for you to peruse. Don't forget to read through to the bottom of this post, so that you can try out my hubby's wonderfully decadent Two-Tone Guinness Brownies!

• The Harp Connection's Romantic Harp Music Albums for Valentine's Day and Beyond! View all of their recommendations, including my Haste to the Wedding CD, filled with traditional Celtic love songs.*

• It's never too late to send an e-card to your sweetheart. You could send a silly card from RubberChickenCards.com loaded with fine dating advice (get a free six month subscription right here). Or some Hunny Bunny e-cards or the little-bit-naughty Bunny Burlesque e-cards from the folks at BanjoBunny.com. Or head on over to my other blog for special ways to say "I Love You".

• Acupressure Point CV17, for Healing Your Heart Emotionally. Stressed out because you are head-over heals for a certain someone? Or are you getting over a relationship? Check out this link.

• Does Dark Chocolate on Valentine's Day Help Your Heart? You bet it does, according to RealAge.com. But did you know that not all chocolate is healthy for you? For it to contain the maximum amount of antioxidants, the chocolate needs to be cold-processed--Healthy Chocolate! Join and make income while enjoying the benefits of high antioxidant chocolate.






Speaking of chocolate, here's that special recipé from my hubby, "Mr. Bakerman", for Two-Tone Guinness Brownies:

Ingredients for Bottom Toffee Layer: 
Cooking spray
6 Tbs. softened unsalted butter
1 1/2 C. packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking power
1/4 tsp. salt
1 C. chopped pecans or walnuts

Ingredients for Chocolaty Top Layer:
3 oz. finely chopped unsweetened chocolate (or you could use 3 Healthy Chocolate Power Squares if you cut back a bit on the granulated sugar)
4 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 C. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 C. Guinness stout
1 C. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 13 x 9" baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Prepare the bottom layer by combining butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. With a wooden spoon, stir in flour, baking powder, salt and nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake 20 minutes and remove from oven.
3. Prepare the top layer by placing chocolate and butter in a double boiler. heat gently and stir until chocolate is melted. Stir in sugar, then add eggs, vanilla and Guinness, stirring until well-combined. Whisk in flour and salt until all ingredients are combined. Slowly pour over partially baked bottom layer.
4. Bake 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan, placed on a wire rack, before slicing.
Serves 24 (or more, if you slice them into smaller squares). Serve within 2 days.


Sending loving thoughts,
Anne :-)

* Purchase my Haste to the Wedding Album all over the Internet, including at my website, where you can request an autographed copy. Or download it from CDBaby.com, amazon.com, and iTunes.