The Celtic Threes and Fours in Druidic Draíocht and Rituals.

The Gold lunula (plural: lunulae) is a distinctive type of late Neolithic, Chalcolithic or (most often) early Bronze Age necklace or collar shaped like a crescent moon.

>>seems that the favorite type of golden trinkets of the late 3rd millennium Irish were these two types of gold objects: a peculiar gold lunulae and even more peculiar gold cross discs:<<Ref. http://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2015/07/or-irelands-gold.html


Note, in Gold Disk above (coinage?):

 The Circles, use of Threes, and use of Fours, quarters or balanced Cross.

So we see enclosing outer Circles  containing a Quarters Cross whose arms are made of the staves or lines.

How very interesting as some say Druids did not or should not need or use "Binding Circles" and calls to Quarters or the Four Compass Points but only Three's (Sky, Land and Sea) in their Rituals.

While the Call to Quarters (Four Compass Points, Winds, Guardians or Watch Towers) is most often relegated to being allowed in Ceremonial Magick or Witch Craft Rituals by many Neo-Druids.


I will first make a small position on why the Ancient Druid's  may have been into the Fours as much as Neo-Druids today claim the threes.

1) One is that of Balance in the Rituals and on the Altars.

2) To me it seems reasonable that the roots of Ceremonial Magick and all forms of Witch Crafts,  emerged  as part of or parallel to the roots of Druidic Ancient Draíocht or Magick and Conjure.
And therefore should not be thrown out of our Rituals and Draíocht Cauldrons without careful study and consideration.

3) The Three Realms of the Irish, Land, Sea and Sky. An Thríbhís Mhòr (The Great Triple Spiral).


{W. Welsh; I. Irish}

The Upper World associated with Potential Reality and all Possible futures where abstract concepts dwell with the Divine. 

Nemos or Unidomagos (W. nef or gwynfa, I. neamh or Magh find / Magh Findrgat)
Sky:   (I. nem)

The Middle World, a earthy realm associated with Manifested Reality.
(W. Mediomagos, I.Magh Mide); Land: > I. talam (earth)


The Lower World or Underworld associated with the past. A watery abode beneath the Earth. The Sea and other bodies of Water.
Andumnos or Antumnos; (W.Annun,or Annwfn, I. Andomhain)
Sea (I.muir )

A far more detailed study of Irish Seanchas of the Three Realms found here: 

(http://www.tairis.co.uk/cosmology/sources-for-the-three-realms/)

I believe that much of the Three's popular  positions also stems from the monumental works of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century works of Edward Williams, better known by his bardic name Iolo Morganwg and the Edward Williams and the very wide study and adoption of concepts and ideas in the publications of  "The Barddas of Iolo Morganwg, J. Williams Ab Ithel (editor)" in 1862.

Irish sources for reference to the Three Realms:

A) Táin Bó Cuailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley, often referred to as the Táin for short), a tale belonging to the Ulster Cycle [Sky, Land & Sea]

B) Cath Maige Léna (The Battle of Mag Lena) [Shy]

C) Comthoth Lóegairi co cretim 7 a aided (The Conversion of Lóegaire to the Faith and his Violent Death) [Sea & Land]D) The poem Carmun, from the Metrichal Dindshencha [ Sky, Land & Sea]
And of Course many many more can be found, how you interpreted their importance is up to the Reader.

4) The Triads.
>>The use of the triad form (arrangement into threes) to encapsulate certain ideas is neither distinctively Irish nor Celtic, but can be widely attested in many societies over the world, in part owing to its usefulness as a mnemonic device. It does appear to be particularly popular in the literatures of Celtic-speaking areas, one notable other example being the later Welsh collection Trioedd Ynys Prydein ("Triads of the Isle of Britain").<<
Ref. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triads_of_Ireland)

Wisdom saying in three parts:
Ref. (http://www.egreenway.com/druids/triads.htm)

Druid Speak:
Ref.(http://thedruidking.blogspot.com/2013/03/ds-or-druid-speak.html)

Three sided Celtic symbols:
>>Triquetra (/traɪˈkwɛtrə/; Latin tri- "three" and quetrus"cornered") originally meant "triangle" and was used to refer to various three-cornered shapes. It has come to refer exclusively to a particular more complicated shape formed of three vesicae piscis, sometimes with an added circle in or around it. Also known as a "trinity knot", the design is used as a religious symbol adapted from ancient Celtic images by Christianity. <<Ref.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triquetra)


THE FOUR'S:

1)  The Four  Cites and Four Treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann:

In the Mythological Cycle of early Irish literature, the four treasures (or jewels) of the Tuatha Dé Danann are four magical items which the mythological Tuatha Dé Danann are supposed to have brought with them from the four island cities when they arrived in Ireland.

a) The Four Cities:

Murias
Falias
Gorias
Findias

b) The Four Treasures:
The Tuatha Dé Danann brought four magical treasures with them to Ireland, one apiece from their Four Cities.

The Dagda's Cauldron
The Spear of Lugh
The Stone of Fal
The Sword of Light of Nuada

So here we have Four ancient and (lost) Islands, each with a very High Technology City of the Gods.
Is this so different from the Four Guardians and the Four Watchtowers, or Lamps of the Art?

Along with Four Treasures. Are these not fit to be represented in our rituals and by the tools on the Druidic Altar?

Other Terms:::

D::

Draíocht - One of the three primary arts, the word is used to refer to what we would now called "magick" (in both the simple and the ritual sense). It means "the use of powers to effect ends." Spell-casting, the use of evocations and invocations, the practice of chanting, circle dancing (intended to bring about a particular end) and other arts are all considered disciplines of draíocht.  http://www.isisbooks.com/celtic-springs.asp

S::

Seanchas (I) > In the Gaelic language ‘senchus’ (pronounced shen-uh-kuhs) means “history”

T::

Tuatha Dé Danann:

The Tuath(a) Dé Danann (usually translated as "people(s)/tribe(s) of the goddess Danu"), also known by the earlier name Tuath Dé ("tribe of the gods"),

Ref. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuatha_D%C3%A9_Danann)

For more terms details see:
http://hoodoo-vodou-druido-grove.blogspot.com/2014/03/old-irish-terms-i-have-used.html


For a my study of the Fives see:
http://hoodoo-vodou-druido-grove.blogspot.com/2014/05/penta-pentacle-pentagram.html


FYI:
I myself make use of The Three Realms, The Four compass points (Lamps of the Art, Compass Points, Guardians, Watchtowers, call of Quarter. Circles, Squares and Rectangles for Nemetonic Spaces and Altars plus the Five's,  Pentacles and Pentagrams and other references to Five..

Moon Rising

Babel Risen

TDK / The Druid King


P.S. ttThis is a living Blog and may be updated at any time with new data or fixing my endless typos.
04-20-16a

Use of a Ritual Blade in Altar Work.

The Seen and the Un-Seen can be Cut.

Is not the Altar the Portal between Life (here) and Death (Summelands / Astral)? 

As is not the Blade the ancient Key to unlock Death?
She / He that holds the Key of Death holds the Power of Life.
Can there be any stronger symbology .
TDK