Anonymous asked this question on 5/2/2000:

I wish to know what your thoughts are on the origins of the Tuatha De Danaan, the "Ancients" of Faery Wiccan belief. Do you believe the mythical "Atlantian society" could have been a relative of this possible "alien" culture? Do you believe the Romans are still fighting pagans with religion and do you believe governments are reverting to the Roman ways? Are their any ancient books containing reference to the "Ancients" without altercation of the original texts by the Christian religion? I hold no grudge against the Christians or the Roman Catholics; their faults lay in the past. I am a solitary practitioner of the Faery Faith, in a sense, and I seek answers to the past wave of Invasion into Ireland from the Mythological Cycle, and insights into their present-day situation. My deep laying question is: when will the Milesian debt be paid off and the Tuathans return to the surface? (Strange questions, huh? ;) ) Any help you can give is greatly appreciated My name has been omitted to protect the innocent ones. ^_^ Blessed Be

mothergoddess gave this response on 5/5/2000:

MERRY MEET!

WOW! THIS HAS TO BE ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING SET OF QUESTIONS TO DATE... AND I AM VERY GLAD TO SAY, THAT I HAD TO GO DO SOME RESEARCH MYSELF. ALTHOUGH IRISH IN DECENT, I HAVE BEEN IGNORANT OF THE CULTURE AND TRADITIONS OF FAERY BELIEF TO SOME EXTENT. I HAVE ONLY HAD THE MOST BASIC KNOWLEGE (AND LEARNED OF MY OWN IGNORANCE TO THE VAST AMOUNT OF HISTORY INVOLVED). SO FOR THE SMALL AMOUT OF NEW KNOWLEDGE I GAINED...I THANK YOU!

MY THOUGHTS ON THE TUATHA DA DANAAN IS WHAT A WONDERFUL STORY OF THE HISTORY OF SUCH AN ANCIENT PEOPLE, AND THE TROUBLES AND GLORIES THEY HAD. i CAN'T FORM AN OPINION BECAUSE TO DO SO, WOULD REQUIRE A COMPARISON TO SOME EXTENT WITH SIMILAR HAPPENINGS/PEOPLE... AND AS I SAID BEFORE, I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH KNOWLEGE (YET :) AS I INTEND TO READ UP ON THIS) TO DO THIS...I FOUND A WONDERFUL EXPERT AND HER ONLINE RESOURCES FOR THIS: MORGAN LE FAY, E-MAIL MORLEFAY@HOTMAIL.COM...

I HOPE TO HAVE HER REPLY TO MY EMAIL, SO I CAN LEARN FROM ONE OF THE BEST FAERY EXPERTS OUT THERE. (SHE CAME HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY SEVERAL CHATTERS IN THE WICCA ROOMS ON YAHOO, MSN AND ICQ.).

WITH REGARD TO THE ATLANTIAN CULTURE... I AM CERTAIN THEY HAD KNOWLEDGE OF TECHNOLOGY FAR IN ADVANCEMENT OF WHAT THE REST OF THE WORLD HAD AT THAT TIME. TO BELIEVE THEY WERE FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE IS FEASABLE... TO BELIVE WE ARE THE ONLY OTHER LIFE FORMS IN THE UNIVERSE IS TO BE IGNORANT AND VAIN... WE HAVE NOT YET REACHED THE POINT OF INTELLIGENCE OURSELFS TO SEE THAT FACT WITH CERTAINTY...PERHAPS THE INTENTIONS WERE TO SHARE THE KNOWLEGE WITH ALL HUMANKIND, BUT UNFORTUNATELY FOR US, THEY DECIDED IT BETTER TO LEAVE US TO OUR OWN VIOLENT AND HEDONISTIC WAYS THAN TO GIVE US MORE POWER AND KNOWLEDGE TO USE FOR HARM (AS IT WOULD HAVE SURELY ENDED UP). I DO BELIEVE THEY WERE MARVELOUS, ADVANCED BEINGS, AND I CAN SAY WITH CERTAINTY...NOT OF THIS WORLD: BASED ON THE FACT THAT THEY HAD SUCH A UTOPIAN WAY ABOUT THEM, THAT MANKIND HAS YET TO ACHIEVE.

THE TIE IN TO THE ANCIENTS SEEMS TO BE A STRONG ONE.. THE LEGENDS AND CULTURE HAVE MANY SIMULARITIES... SO FAR BE IT FROM ME TO SAY THAT THEY COULD NOT HAVE BEEN OF THE SAME CLASS OF BEINGS...ALOT OF THE STORIES OF MYTHOLOGY (GREEK, ROMAN, ATLANTIAN, AND NOW THE ABOVE...) ALL SEEM TO HOLD THE COMMON THEADS OF HIGHER BEINGS, WITH GOD-LIKE KNOWLEDGE, WISDOM, APPEARANCE/STATURE, POWER...ETC. ONE WOULD BE BLIND TO NOT SEE A TIE BETWEEN THAM ALL.

NOW THE FUN PART... "ARE THE ROMANS STILL FIGHTING THE PAGANS..." THE CHURCH AS IT ONCE WAS, IS NO LONGER THE GIANT WHO CAN INTIMIDATE AS IT DID BEFORE... WITH THE SEPERATION OF CHURCH AND STATE, AND THE DECLINE AND DEMISE OF MONARCHIAL (KINGS AND QUEENS) SOCIETY, THEIR GRIP ON INDIVIDUALS HAS LESSENED... WE NO LONGER HAVE TO WORSHIP WHO THE KING DOES...(OR ELSE...)

THE ROMAN CHURCH WAS A MONEY/POWER HUNGRY MACHINE, THAT USED IT'S SELF ORDAINED INFLUENCE OF THE KING TO CONTROL THE PEOPLE...BY FEAR AND INTIMIDATION, IT GRABBED UP OVER A THIRD OF THE WORLDS RICHES. THOSE WHO WOULD NOT BEND TO SERVE THEM WERE EXECTED IN THE NAME OF GOD AS HERETICS. MANY GOOD PEOPLE DIED BRANDED AS WITCHES ALTHOUGH THEY WERE NOT... MERELY THAT THEY PRACTICED A FAITH THAT DIFFERED FROM THE ROMAN CATHOLICS. (THAT APPLIED TO MUSLIM, BUDDHIST, HINDUISM, AND OTHER BASIC PAGAN BELIEFS). ARE THEY STILL FIGHTING? NO, THEY ARE TOO BUSY BEING ON THE DEFENSIVE, RATHER THAN THE OFFENSIVE SIDE... HOLDINGS AND FOLLOWERS HAVE FALLEN, THEY CAN NOT CONTROL THE POPULATIONS ANY MORE. AND THEY KNOW IT... THIER GAME IS NOW ONE OF MERE SURVIVAL, NOT SWALLOWING UP THE WORLD AS THEY ONCE DID...ARE THE GOVERNMENTS USING ROMAN BELIEFS? MAYBE, BUT IT TOO IS FUTILE... I THINK PEOPLE HAVE EVOLVED ENOUGHT TO KNOW THAT THERE IS A BROADER AXPLANATION TO LIFES' MYSTERIES... I THINK THEY REALIZE THE ANSWERS ARE NOT IN DICTATED DOGMA, BUT IN OUR CONNECTION TO A GREATER PICTURE...ACCEPTANCE OF THIS HAS LED TO A MAGNIFICENT INCREASE OF PAGAN IDEALS... THAT THERE IS ROOM IN THIS WORLD FOR THE CONCEPTS THAT LIFE AS WE KNOW IT IS GOVERNED BY MORE THAN ONE OMNIPOTENT BEING... THAT THERE ARE TIES TO ANCIENT WAYS THAT WERE RIGHT TO BEGIN WITH...THAT WE HAVE A DEEPER TIE TO THE NATURAL ORDER OF LIFE. I THINK WE ARE ALL REALIZING THAT RELIGIONS HAVE BEEN A GAME OF TELEPHONE, SO TO SPEAK... (THE GAME YOU PLAY WHEN SOMEONE WHISPERS A SENTENCE INTO YOUR EAR, AND YOU WHISPER IT TO SOMEONE ELSE DOWN THE LINE...AND BY THE TIME THE LAST PERSON SAYS IT... IT SOUNDS NOTHING LIKE THE ORIGINAL MESSAGE) THAT THE FIRST MESSAGES WERE CLOSER TO THE TRUTH...THAT TIME AND MAN MESSED UP THE MESSAGES AND THEY GOT ALL TWISTED UP...

IF WE LOOK BACKWARD TO THE FIRST RELIGIONS, WE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE OUR FUTURES...

AS FAR AS THE REST OF THE QUESTIONS YOU'VE ASKED... WELL, I WILL HAVE TO REFER YOU TO THE EXPERT... (SMILES) BECAUSE... I REALLY DON'T KNOW...(I LOVE TO SAY THAT...)...

YOU CAN EMAIL MORGAN AT THE ABOVE ADDRESS...SHE HAS A WONDERFUL SITE AT GEOCITIES TOO... I AM SURE SHE CAN GIVE YOU A RUN FOR YOUR MONEY ON THIS TOPIC...YOU HAVE WONDERFULLY IMPRESSED ME WITH YOUR THOROUGH KNOWLEGE ON THIS YOURSELF...

I BOW TO YOU!

THANKS FOR THE LESSON...

MERRY PART AND (PLEASE) MERRY MEET AGAIN...

WITH LOVE,

BETHANY

The average rating for this answer is 5.

Anonymous rated this answer a 5.

I thank you for being so sincere and open to new things! You're most welcome for opening another doorway of wisdom. Your knowledge of the Roman society is expansive, and although you mentioned you knew little about the People, as we sometimes refer to the De Danaan, you took the time and researched an answer. Your answer opened my eyes a little as well. As I was perusing through the experts in wicca I found many solicitors of the Christian religion in full "conversion" throttle (no offense meant), and I happened to wonder how the experts here dealt with it. I must say I highly respected your response and the manner with which you presented it. Good journeys to you on the roads of the Fay; may they rise to greet you and may the wind be at your back. ^_^ LadySofia