Poetry comes from the quiet mind and from behind closed eyes. In the Celtic bardic tradition, poets were the carriers of blessing and inspiration from the gods. A poet, it is said, would lie down beside a river in a dark forest, holding a rock upon his belly, in that place of the soul, so that his spirit would not fly away and he could take his dreaming inward.

This old Celtic blessing for protection and grace was probably inspired in just such a way. Today, no matter what spiritual path we follow, these are still words of comfort and beauty. Read the blessing here:

The love and affection of the angels be to you,
The love and affection of the saints be to you,
The love and affection of heaven be to you,
To guard and to cherish you.

May God shield you on every steep,
May Christ aid you on every path,
May Spirit fill you on every slope,
On hill and on plain.