Courtney Davis
Celtic god of lightning
and thunder
Lord of the Wheel
Taranis, whose name comes from the
gaelic meaning 'thunder', was one of three pan-celtic gods forming the
great triad. With Esus and Teutatis, Taranis was worshiped especially by
the continental Celts, although there is widespread evidence of his pan-celtic
worship.
The great thunder lord shares
attributes with other Northern European Sky gods, Thor, most notably and
several similarites with the Roman Jupiter. After the Roman incursion into
Celtic lands, this great god was worshiped as Jupiter-Taranis.
An interesting aspect of the
worship of Taranis was his association with time. He was seen as the Lord
of the Wheel of the seasons, which he controlled through his ritual mating
with the feminine spirit of the sacred Duir, the oak tree. The Duir
was the most sacred of trees held holy by the Celts. They worshiped in
its groves, feed off of the acorns it produced and noticed the fondness
of the Thunder Lord for striking it with his blasts of lightening. This
act was itself the vehicle for the mating of the Sky Lord with the earth
bound oak. Pieces of lightning blasted oak are still carried by modern
Celts as an amulet of protection granted by Taranis.
Ritual acts to Honor
Taranis
Carry a piece of lighting blasted
oak on your person or in your car.
At Ritual Gathering weekends,
begin your celebrations by offering a ritual libation and burnt offering
to Taranis for good weather. At the conclusion of the Gathering, be sure
to offer another libation and burnt offering in thanksgiving.
Honor Taranis with a ritual on
his sacred day, 7 July. The Caledonii celebrate Taranis with three days
of festival, 6th, 7th, and 8th of July. It is the traditional time of Consecration
for the Draoi of the Caledonii.
When thunder and lightning threaten,
light a candle and offer a simple prayer to Taranis reminding him that
you and your household honor him.
Ritually harvest the sacred Mistletoe
on the first quater of the Moon closest to Samhain, Mean Geimhraidh, Bealtinne,
and Mean Samhraidh. Keep these in a place of honor and in the eves of the
roof to protect from lightning and to honor Taranis.
Courtney Davis
Celtic god of the Seas and Navigation
Host of the Feast of the Dead
