This paper considers the possibility of that sacred place "Tara" the "Valley of the Irish Kings" the old capital of Ireland, the Ire of Initiation, being the location for the future advanced occult school as described by the Tibetan Master DK once the restoration of that ancient landmark is completed in line with the plans of the Christ. JPC.

In the West we find magic of as high an antiquity as in the East. The Druids of Great Britain practised it in the silent crypts of their deep caves; and Pliny devotes many a chapter to the "wisdom" of the leaders of the Celts. The Semothees, -- the Druids of the Gauls, expounded the physical as well as the spiritual sciences. They taught the secrets of the universe, the harmonious progress of the heavenly bodies, the formation of the earth, and above all -- the immortality of the soul. Into their sacred groves -- natural academies built by the hand of the Invisible Architect -- the initiates assembled at the still hour of midnight to learn about what man once was and what he will be.

They needed no artificial illumination, nor life-drawing gas, to light up their temples, for the chaste goddess of night beamed her most silvery rays on their oak-crowned heads; and their white-robed sacred bards knew how to converse with the solitary queen of the starry vault. On the dead soil of the long by-gone past stand their sacred oaks, now dried up and stripped of their spiritual meaning by the venomous breath of materialism. But for the student of occult learning, their vegetation is still as verdant and luxuriant, and as full of deep and sacred truths, as at that hour when the arch-druid performed his magical cures, and waving the branch of mistletoe, severed with his golden sickle the green bough from its mother oak-tree. IU1 18.

The Druids of Ireland and the Trottes of Northern Russia were esoteric schools through which the Master Jesus worked during the so-called "Dark Ages," but, dark though they were, the spiritual impulse spread, and from the standpoint of the occult scientist they were "Bright Ages" compared to the growing materialism of the last 300 years, which has increased physical knowledge immensely, but has almost extinguished the Light of the Spirit. cosmo-conception Max Heindel.

Advanced School:  Ireland.  LOM.  DK.

The word Initiation comes from two Latin words, in, into; and ire, to go; therefore, the making of a beginning, or the entrance into something.  IHS.  DK.

It is astonishing to see how the information about the Brotherhood was able to reach unexpected places. Such records can be found in Ireland, in Norway, and in Spain, where information was brought by seafarers from the East.  SmdIII.  MM.

For instance, if the school is a second ray school - such as the one in Ireland is purposed to be - teachers and pupils on the second, fourth and sixth rays will be found in it. At least one fifth ray teacher will be found in every school of occultism.  LOM.  DK.

DRUIDS. -- A sacerdotal caste which flourished in Britain and Gaul. In the West we find magic of as high an antiquity as in the East. The Druids of Great Britain practised it in the silent crypts of their deep caves; and Pliny devotes many a chapter to the "wisdom" of the leaders of the Celts.  Isis 29. 

Druids – A sacerdotal caste which flourished in Britain and Gaul. They were initiates who admitted females into their sacred order, and initiated them into the mysteries of their religion. They never entrusted their sacred verses and scriptures to writing, but, like the Brahmans of old, committed them to memory; a feat which, according to the statement of Ceasar, took twenty years to accomplish. Like the Parsis they had no images or statues of their gods. The Celtic religion considered it blasphemy to represent any god, even of a minor character, under a human figure. ... The three chief commandments of their religion were:—Obedience to divine laws; concern for the welfare of mankind; suffering with fortitude all the evils of life. (TG)  AY Gloss.

The Druids were the Masons of very ancient times ... At the head of the Druids was a woman, who bore the title of Mother of the Druids. LHR II.

The Druids had a ritual in which all those who were present had to move around the sacrificial place or altar, exactly in the direction of the sun, whereas the Hierophant himself was moving against the sun, symbolizing his superior knowledge.  LHR II.

Following the time of Atlantis, in the rites of the Druids, while all the rest walked in a circle following the dawn-to-dusk movement of the sun, the chief priest performing the rite walked in the opposite direction. In this was contained the symbol of lesser and greater knowledge. Lesser knowledge is developed by following the flow of known energies, but great knowledge, facing the current of cosmic forces, extracts previously-unknown energies from what appears to be chaos. So in the cults of the sun, the steps of human ascent were wisely indicated. As you know, these were not abstract symbols but a reflection of reality; for example, the centers rotating against the sun produce special fiery energies. AY 428.

The fire of the Druids was a reminder of the maintenance of the Fire of Life. It is inadmissible to quench Fire in anything, not even in the smallest. Therefore, do not interfere with the festival of the spirit, even though its language be incomprehensible to you. That which is unintelligible to you today will become clear tomorrow. But Fire once extinguished cannot again find the same application. FW1 62.

Fires are still lighted in England and Scotland as well as Ireland for superstitious purposes; so that the people of Great Britain, it may be said, are still in some sense in the midst of the ancient sun-worship of Atlantis.  Antediluvian World. i.donnelly.

Nor were all such cyclopean structures intended for sepulchres. It is with the so-called Druidical remains, such as Carnac in Brittany and Stonehenge in Great Britain, that the travelling Initiates above alluded to had to do. And these gigantic monuments are all symbolic records of the World's history. They are not Druidical, but universal. Nor did the Druids build them, for they were only the heirs to the cyclopean lore left to them by generations of mighty builders and "magicians," both good and bad.  SD2 754.

The Archaeologists have their Stonehenge in England with its thousands of secrets, and its twin-brother Karnac of Brittany, and yet there is not one of them who even suspects what has been going on in its crypts, and its mysterious nooks and corners, for the last century. More than that, they do not even know of the existence of such "magic halls" in their Stonehenge, where curious scenes are taking place, whenever there is a new convert in view.  SD3. HPB.

Druids also called the chalice of cedar resin the chalice of life. And only later, with the loss of the realization of the spirit, was it replaced by blood. LOMG2 18.

The British or Celtic Druids were a priesthood that had features common to the Eastern Magi, and were divided into three classes denominated Bards, Ovates, and Druids.  Michaelet says that it is wonderful the analogy which the names of the gods of Ireland -- Axire, Axceavis, Coismaoil, Cabir, bear to the Cabiri.>  The evidence of Strabo is to the same effect, as he says that the British Druids practise the same religious rites as existed at Samothrace.  They cause their ancient progenitor to exclaim: "I am a Druid, I am an architect, I am a prophet, I am a serpent." 

The description of this cavern has some points very similar to the Peak cavern in Derbyshire, which Faber supposes was used by the Druids for like purposes.  The late H. P. Blavatsky asserts that every ancient and modern Initiate takes the following oath: "And I swear to give up my life for the salvation of my brothers, which constitute the whole of mankind, if called upon, and to die in the defence of truth."

The Rev. W. L. Alexander in writing upon "Iona" says that whilst the Roman armies were harrying the Druids at Anglesea there was a College of them in the Scottish islands situated 56 Degrees 59' N.L. designated "lnnis-nan-Druid-neach" -- the Isle of the Druids -- and that that priesthood prevailed over all the other islands until the year 563-4 when Colum or Columba arrived with 12 companions who were continued in that number till after ages.  It is said that there existed there certain Druidical priests who professed to be Christians in the hope of inducing Columb to withdraw, and after the settlement of Columb and his friends, the island began to he known as "li-cholum-chille" -- the island of Columbus' Cell, corrupted to Icolmkill, and we have also "li-shona" -- the holy island, corrupted to Iona. ARCANE SCHOOLS by John Yarker.

Other steps will also be taken in this department of religions and of education, over which the Christ rules, and He will move to restore the ancient spiritual landmarks, to eliminate that which is non-essential, and to reorganize the entire religious field - again in preparation for the restoration of the Mysteries. EXT 573.

Tara: Valley of the Irish Kings

The Hill of Tara, located 48 km northwest of Dublin, is one of Ireland's most important cultural icons. Dating back more than 5000 years to the neolithic age, Tara is known in both myth and history as the traditional seat of the High Kings of Ireland.

In Irish mythology, Tara was first the capital of the Firbolg, the mythical People of the Bag who settled in Ireland after fleeing from Greece, where they were enslaved and forced to carry earth in bags. The Firbolg made ships out of the bags and sailed to Spain, then to Ireland, which they ruled until the coming of the Tuatha de Danaan (Gaelic for People of the Goddess Danu). Later, Tara was the capital of the Milesians, also known as the Gaels, who are rumoured to have arrived in Ireland 1500 years before Christ was born.

Archeological evidence suggests that certain portions of Tara are at least 5,000 years or older, indicated neolithic and bronze age activity. Its principal monuments are a neolithic passage tomb, a cursus or linear earthwork, a hillfort, a pillar stone known as Lia Fail which is believed to be the inauguration stone for the Kings of Tara , and other enclosures of unknown origin.

The hill of Tara is actually a low-lying ridge located half way between Navan and Dunshaughlin in Co. Meath, but it commands a stunning view of 40% of Ireland. Unfortunately, all that remains of the original site is the Dumha na nGiall (Mound of the Hostages) and a stone of destiny where druids still celebrate midsummer. But Tara has a fascinating mythical history which paints a glorious picture of its past. The following excerpt is from The Story of the Irish Race:

"The greatest structure there was the Mi-Cuarta, the great banqueting hall, which was the Ard-Righ's own dun. There was also the House of a Thousand Soldiers, the ancient poets tell us. Each of the provincial Kings had, on Tara, a house that was set aside for him when he came up to attend the great Parliament. There was a Grianan (sun-house) for the provincial queens, and their attendants. Another was the Star of the Bards--a meeting-house for the poets and the historians, the doctors and judges. This hall, the Mi-Cuarta, wherein at the great triennial Feis, all the kings, and chiefs and nobles, the Ollams or doctors, the Brehons or judges, the Files or poets, and the Seanachies or historians, were seated according to rank."

The Feis or fair, was held at Samain (Hallowday) and lasted for three days before and after that day and thus covered the space of a week. It was proceeded by the Aonach or great fair, which was a general assembly of the people. From this and from the following we get an idea of the event's importance. Again, from The Story of the Irish Race:

"At this Feis the ancient laws were recited and confirmed, new laws were enacted, disputes were settled, grievances adjusted, wrongs righted. And in accordance with the usual form at all such assemblies, the ancient history of the land was recited, probably by the High-King's seanachie, who had the many other critical seanachie attending to his every word, and who, accordingly, dare not seriously distort or prevaricate. This constant and continual repetition, down through the ages, of the ever lengthening history--repeated too, almost always in the presence of many critics--fixed the facts of the past story, and familiarized them to all the people."

Of all stories associated with Tara, one of the most renowned is the dramatic account of St. Patrick lighting the Paschal fire on the Hill of Slane, which led to Patrick's confrontation with King Loegaire and the druids of Tara. This story is contained in the 7th century biography of St. Patrick written by Muirchu moccu Machtheni.

As we see, Tara was very important indeed to the Irish people as a seat of law and of history. Its importance was such that it was considered the heart of the kingdom. Five great roads radiated out from Tara in ancient times to all parts of the country. The commanding site also gave the people a visual spot on the horizon to look to for guidance and assurance.

Tara was also considered a gateway to the Otherworld and passage tombs dot the surrounding countryside. Many of these are considered the burial places of the Kings, and give the nickname, "Valley of the Kings", to the site. In another ceremony that took place every Oíche Shamhna, the King and his warriors would gather to protect this world against attacks coming from the Otherworld. The Sidhe (passage tombs or mounds) are also considered by legend to be the home of the Tuatha de Danann or the Fairy Folk.

Tara remained the capital of Ireland until the sixth century when King Diarmuid broke sanctuary of a local church to attain a prisoner who was then executed. In response, the Abbot of the Church, St. Ruadan of Lorrha, cursed Tara, making the spot "unholy" forever. When the King died c. 565, the seat of the country was moved. It is at about this time that the Stone of Scone was supposedly moved to Dalriada or Scotia Minor. There it became the Palladium of the Scots under Fergus Mor Mac Erc and his descendants.

Important events have continued to take place at Tara over the centuries. In 1798, the rebels of Meath County were defeated at Tara. Later in 1843, Daniel O'Connell held a great meeting attended by nearly one million persons where he called for independence from Britain. Although Tara is no longer a political capital, it remains a spiritual and mythical one for Ireland to this day.

by BW, February 2000 www.irishclans.com

At the head of the Druids was a woman, who bore the title of Mother of the Druids. LHR II. AY.