Back to Celtic Spirituality
I was asked to lead the prayer section at a recent Variety Church service. I learned a new and yet ancient form of praying and it has helped me to deepen the spirituality of my own prayer life.
Casting a Caim or Ring of Protection
Casting a Caim is a technique which was used by the Christian Celts, both Protestant and Roman Catholic, and it is still valid and helpful.
To a Celtic Christian, a circle was a sacred space. It was a replica of the cosmos and symbolised the Celtic belief that time was circular, rather than linear. God was the Creator and he inhabited the centre of the cosmos and of time. This belief carried over into one of their prayer expressions – The Caim Prayer.
First you draw an invisible circle around yourself by pointing towards the ground and turning clockwise. As you do this, become aware that you are safe and encompassed by the love of God and that you are encircled, enfolded and protected.
You don’t have to ‘draw’ the circle, but it does help to do so. It also makes a deeper and more meaningful way of praying for a person or situation by putting the name of the person, place or situation, in the place of ‘me’.
I sometimes use this as a bedtime prayer.
Circle me Lord
Keep protection near
And danger far
Circle me Lord
Keep light near
And darkness afar
Circle me Lord
Keep peace within
Keep evil out
Circle me Lord
Keep hope within
Keep doubt without
May You be a bright flame before me, May You be a guiding star above me, May You be a smooth path below me, And a loving Guide behind me, Today, tonight, and forever.
The Caim, or circling prayer, was powerful to the Celtic Christians.
Ninian is the first known to have used it. I love this story...
One day when he had to leave his young community, he feared for their safety. He gathered all the livestock together and paced out a large circle around them, marking it with his staff. He prayed that all inside would be kept safe and that all evil would be kept out. The story tells that when bandits came, they went into fits when they touched the circle and their leader almost died. When he returned, Ninian prayed to restore their health and used it as a teaching moment. There was no longer any need to steal in the land, he said to the terrified bad guys, since pilgrim centres like his would feed any hungry person.
Last Saturday, in our Prayer Group, we prayed that the BNP and EDL would be restrained from the evil of stirring up trouble against Muslims in the wake of the horrible killing of drummer Lee Rigby. There was trouble, but no disaster. In the next Monday’s Independent the following appeared, ‘A lacklustre EDL march on a mosque in York on Sunday was met by a show of solidarity by the community. When about seven EDL members turned up they were approached by mosque members and invited in to tea and biscuits. Four accepted.’
Dorothy Battye