In the Celtic tradition, there is a beautiful understanding of love and friendship. One of the fascinating ideas here is the idea of soul love; “Anam Cara” may sound like some new French perfume, but it actually refers to the Celtic spiritual belief of souls connecting and bonding .
In Celtic Spiritual tradition, it is believed that the soul radiates all about the physical body what some refer to as an aura. When you connect with another person and become completely open and trusting with that individual, your two souls begin to flow together.
Should such a deep bond be formed, it is said you have found your “Anam Cara” or soul friend.
Your “Anam Cara” always accepts you as you truly are, holding you in beauty and light. In order to appreciate this relationship, you must first recognize your own inner light and beauty. This is not always easy to do. The Celts believed that forming an “Anam Cara” friendship would help you to awaken your awareness of your own nature and experience the joys of others.
The “Anam Cara” was originally someone to whom you confessed, revealing the hidden intimacies of your life. With the “Anam Cara”, you could share your innermost self, your mind and your heart. This friendship was an act of recognition and belonging. When you had an “Anam Cara”, your friendship cut across all convention, morality and category. You were joined in an ancient and eternal way with the “friend of your soul”. The Celtic understanding did not set limitations of space or time on the soul. There is no cage for the soul. The soul is a divine light that flows into you and into your Other.
This art of belonging awakened and fostered a deep and special companionship. When you love, you open your life to an Other. All your barriers are down. Your protective distances collapse. This person is given absolute permission to come into the deepest temple of your spirit. Your presence and life can become their ground. It takes great courage to let someone so close. Where a friendship recognizes itself as a gift, it will remain open to its own ground of blessing….. When you are blessed with an “Anam Cara”, the Irish believe, you have arrived at that most sacred place: home. This bond between friends is indissoluble: “This, I say, is what is broken by no chances, what no interval of time or space can sever or destroy, and what even death itself cannot part”.
~ from “Anam Cara…Wisdom from the Celtic World“, by John O’Donohue
My St. Patrick’s Day wish for you is that you have found your Anam Cara. Like an ice cold pint of Guiness - everyone should have one!
I...
11:52 am on March 17th, 2006
Very nice thought!
Bob
4:32 pm on March 17th, 2006
That was a lovely post - thanks for sharing!! Happy Saint Patrick’s Day to you and yours!!
4:41 pm on March 17th, 2006
Happy Irish Day!
4:50 pm on March 17th, 2006
Ah that’s sweet… of course I’m depressed now because I don’t have one, so thanks… thanks a lot… I guess I can go hug my motorcycle…
5:51 pm on March 17th, 2006
Happy St. Patrick’s day… a beautiful idea in the Celtic tradition, hopefully an idea that manifests itself everywhere!
11:44 am on March 18th, 2006
Very cool, and yes, I did have a guiness last night!
11:00 am on March 20th, 2006
Hi there. Just a quick note to say that you’re in the running for MKE’s blog of the week. (I think you were nominated last fall, too.) Sorry to leave a comment randomly, but I couldn’t find an e-mail address for you. The blog poll voting page with more information is at ww.mkeonline.com/people/blogcontest.asp Good luck!
3:02 pm on April 7th, 2006
I know it’s a late response, but this is probably one of the most meaningful things I’ve found in a blog. THank you for sharing this!
7:35 pm on April 29th, 2006
A very nice day to you!
4:40 am on December 13th, 2007
It was a nice thought, that’s why John O’Donohue used so many of the exact same phrases in his published work Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom. If you’re going to try to pawn another person’s words off as your own you should probably try to do it in a less public manner, or at the very least use some citations for legal reasons.
Ps. Guiness is best served warm, some Celt you are.
4:55 am on December 13th, 2007
Right. Perhaps if you read the entire post, you would note the citation.
As for Guiness - I prefer it cold…unlike my visitors, I prefer them warm and friendly.
7:36 pm on February 20th, 2008
Definarely Guiness is warm!!!!!!!!
5:22 pm on February 24th, 2008
[...] fact, twice last night between the hours of 2 and 5 AM. At any rate, I have liked the idea behind Anam Cara for some time, but there was something prior to that that intrigued my brain. I don’t know [...]
6:45 pm on July 31st, 2008
Today I found the Anam Cara. First the White Hart. Second the Lady of Light. Third the Anam Cara. Who would have thought such things still could be.