What is Awen? | An Exploration of Awen in Welsh Myth, Lore, and History
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- čas přidán 29. 08. 2024
- Awen is a concept which has become a foundational part of many traditions of modern Paganism. Specifically, the Awen is deeply beloved among modern day Druids. But what is Awen within a Welsh cultural context? And where do we get things such as the symbol of Awen from? /|\
In this video we look at Awen and its role in Myth, Lore, and Welsh culture. But beyond that we also explore how and why it has become so deeply intertwined with traditions of Modern Paganism, Druidry, and even Witchcraft.
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You really need to be the spokesperson for tourism in Wales 🙏🏼❤️
I agree 🎉 Mhara just has the sort of energy that captivates you and draws you in.
Welsh tourism would be so much more successful with a passionate and knowledgeable spokesperson like Mhara 🏴
A pleasure to see a new video! Welsh voices are essential to opening the doors of this ancient poetry for the rest of us. I am grateful for them.
Thank you so much for this. I have the chair my Nain received at a chapel Eisteddfod in Bangor in 1928. My great grandfather was a bard who was an ovate at the Wrexham Eisteddfod in 1876. He walked to County Durham to get work as a miner and organised Eisteddfodau in County Durham for the Welsh community. In his 20s he wrote an angry poem about poverty and hunger called Caledi yr Amser.
Thank you for this Mhara ! For me this is one of your best videos yet. It brought a new and much deeper understanding of what Awen is. I will listen to it more times, to think about it more deeply. I do believe it’s something that a Welsh person has a much better instinctive knowledge of. Your thoughts and explanations about it are alive, not just words that can be read without feeling and a deep understanding.
While you were speaking about Bards and the fact that the Bardic reality has continued in Wales, I thought this was slightly analogous to the way people often talk about “traditional” music as if it were something from the past that is just being performed today, that is, people are performing old tunes. But that’s not the case; new tunes are being written and passed around every day (my knowledge is mostly about Scottish fiddling). It’s a living thing that has never died out.
Thank you for sharing your understanding. It helps me put a name and identity onto the way I’ve been led to open myself to so many new dimensions of perceiving, experiencing, feeling and understanding through studying and starting to live Druidry. When you’re surrounded by materialistic culture and a city environment, and when you don’t have a like-minded community of friends, it’s so easy to wonder if you’re deluding yourself, or “just imagining things,” etc. Hearing this talk has given me more insight about the source of those experiences and beliefs. Thank you so much, again.
While I was watching the original movie of The Golden Compass, as she was standing there watching “the dust”… my immediate thought was, “That’s Awen!!!”
I found you on TikTok and later here on CZcams. I love your content and particular this video. I joined the OBOD last August on this video helped me a lot to come closer to deeper understanding of the Awen and the facets of it.
Diolch Mhara! Dwi'n darllen eich llyfr ar hyn o bryd. I absolutely love that I can hear the words in your voice as I read. Very authentically you and I am learning so much even in the first few chapters.
Athro ieithoedd newydd dw i (Sbaeneg a Saesneg) a dwi'n dysgu Cymraeg a gitâr. To celebrate a year of study in both I attempted to invoke the Awen and write lyrics in Welsh for a sung poem I performed at an ADF Imbolc ritual.
I can certainly see why the Cymry are so proud of the naturally cantical flow of the language. Rhyme schemes presented themselves with minimal effort. There is a beautiful depth of mean and ability for wordplay. I look forward to continuing my spiritual work in Bardcraft.
I will say coming from a Christian background it was very easy to move into Modern Druidry with its revivalist influences. The concept of Awen felt very akin to the Holy Spirit as a divine pantheistic force that shines out from the depths. Cerridwen made herself a surprise cornerstone in my spiritual practice and I hope I never stop deepening this connection.
Blessings Mhara for all you share and the inspiration🙏✨🙏. I want to share a tiny thing…I was walking my little dog through lovely open fields , listening to one of your talks and longing for Wales 🏴…my grandparents were from South Wales and I love the place. It’s a heart longing. Anyhow I was close to tears when a lady came walking towards me and stopped to share that she’d just come back from Wales and was missing it so much. Her homeland. We both stood sharing this same heart pain of missing Home. Then off she went. Amazing 🤩🥳🥳🥳🐦⬛🐦⬛🐦⬛
I love this concept. I've experienced Awen during creation of art I was skilled in (that turned out to be prophetic), art I wasn't skilled in (which was frustrating), and ritual. It's a driving reason to practice an art.
The best description of creative force I've heard before this was from Elizabeth Gilbert's Ted Talk 15 years ago ("Your Elusive Creative Genius"). That, and it seems to have the same flavor as the Holy Spirit (I'm UU; we take wisdom wherever we find it.)
Wonderful video. I'm very happy I stumbled upon it. I often viewed the symbol of Awen as / - Summer Solstice, | - the Equinox's, \ - Winter Solstice as the three dots above were usually referred to as the Sun.
Headed to Wales next week! A dream come true!
I've been here since your first Awen video and it's been fun seeing your channel grow and develop over the years! I'm so grateful for all the content you share over here and on your other socials. It really makes me want to visit Cymru again!
Great video Mhara, loved it! Absolutely OBSESSED with the Awenyddion now 👀 deffo wanna hear more!
Thank you, Mhara.
This is brilliant, Mhara! I love the way you put this together, and I'll definitely be recommending it. I especially liked the last few minutes, that the Awen isn't just an exercise in channelling, it's more like the yeast in the bread, or something. Except - very special and magical yeast.
Haha I adore that! Special magical yeast! 😁💖 thank you Kris!!
Thank you for the video! Really enjoyed your book.
Really lovely video. Thanks!
There is a similar connotation between inspiration and breath in norse mysticism, but it also has connotations of madness or frenzy...
I see the awen in my life as I get overcome with an urge to create. It's like I have a picture or concept in my head that won't let me think of anything else till I make it (Mom and I called it being crafty) the drive led me to learn to make chainmale as well as bookbinding both soft cover and hard cover journals with leather.
When is the Mhara Starling Netflix original series coming out?
I plan on buying your book soon too! 🙂🧹
Hi Mhara! I’ve read your book on Welsh Witchcraft and just enjoyed it so much. I’ve also wanted to study and learn Welsh for a long time and your book and pod and social have inspired me to finally do it! This vlog is wonderful! I am wondering if you can help me find a source for understanding the grammar rules (are there any??) for Welsh! You’re fantastic. Thank you for all you are offering!
Love your description of the symbiosis of a person and the awen to create. We all spice the soup we're in! Thank you!!!
This is an amazing video! I particularly loved the ending- how you interact with the Awen. I have learned so much 🙏🏻
I did a year and a day with OBOD and I found this to be incredibly fascinating. It’s a different concept than what I learned. Thank you so much for the valuable information. I love hearing you talk about your craft and the nuance you bring. Have a delightful day!
ohhh what a wonderful video! Thank you! I've surely heard the word Awen before but not known its meaning. I think I have experienced it though, many times. For me it is this particular breeze that comes over me that is full of spirit. Sometimes it happens when I do magic, and often it happens when I play guitar and sing. Your beautiful explanation of Awen makes me realise I've even written a song about it. I'm so happy to have found your channel.
Thank you. That was so interesting and the best explanation of the Awen I've come across.
I'm so happy I found your channel I love good channels that talk about the supernatural Arts in their Origins. Have you read Candlenight by Phil Rickman? It's about a haunted Welsh village.
Wow, this was exceptionally informative. I came to this video from your one on Nwyfre, and I came to that video when googling about the association between Nwyfre and Chi.
After watching your video, it came to me that while you say that the Awen has a strong connection to air, voice, and spoken word, especially in regards to Welsh poetry and the Bardic tradition, I couldn’t help but also make connections to other concepts, such as the Sacral Chakra, which is associated with inspiration, creativity, the creation of life, and the element of water. The element of water is also connected with the notion of “flow” - the inspirational state where the conscious and subconscious dance together in a blend of autonomous and voluntary creative wonder.
Thank you Mhara .
I've just had your book arrive and looking forward to reading it
Diolch Mhara! Da iawn. I can really take to this.
Very interesting. I am in the US but have some Welsh heritage, and I am an OBOD member. It's good to hear an in-depth Welsh perspective on Awen.
thank you
This is a great video! I identify or align mostly with Druidry (stopping at the point where it becomes church), and I thought Awen was a Druid (only) symbol. Thank you so much for clarifying and educating me about the roots of Awen!!!
As a Grey Witch i love, and use, Welsh/Celtic witchcraft 🖤
Thank you for this wonderful video, Blessed Be 🌜🖤🌛
Diolch 🏴 gracias
what resources would you recommend for learning about welsh history and witchcraft? love your videos!
I think the Awen was at work when I gave my youngest son the middle name Taliesin, because a couple years later I began my transition and couldn’t quite settle on a new middle name. Then there was Cerridwen staring me in the face the whole time.
Seems to be a few obod members on here ❤ would love to hear you talk on druidcast oops see you already have
I don't have wisdom, lol, but I do a question. Is that symbol strictly Wales? I'm an American and don't know many druids, but I haven't seen it before?
Are there Druid orders in south Wales too?
Amser am fideo newydd!
/|\ there is only peace have some salmon lol Pysgod cysgodol God😏
How does one become apart of a Druidic order
I don't use the awen symbol precisely because its only source is Iolo Morganwg.
Hey Mhara! I was subscribed to you, but I think I was automatically unsubscribed. You might want to let people know this and ask them to double check their subscription to your channel. CZcams is suggesting 2 or more regular videos a month to grow a channel twice as big. They had announced they were shifting some attention away from larger channels, towards smaller channels. Right now I am noticing 5x the growth for witchy channels (Conversion of views to subscribers - Average 1% views (1/100 views) , Witchy 5 % (5/100 views) or 5 times as many!
Mor ddiddorol! Edrych ymlaen i glywed mwy am yr Awenyddion. Fidio gwerthfawr, diolch yn fawr