Wind on the Sea

Am gaeth i m-muir (Irish Gaelic)
Om gwee ih-m mweer (Phonetic)

I am wind on the sea

~ Amergin

Above is the beginning of one of the most powerful spells ever cast, the Affirmation of Amergin. According to the Lebor Gabála Érenn, the Irish Book of Invasions, the Milesians invaded Ireland and fought against the Tuatha Dé Danann (Tribe of the Goddess Danu who previously conquered Ireland from the Fir Bolg). The Tuatha were powerful druids who turned the natural powers of Ireland against the Milesian invaders. Rather than attempting to fight the land, sea, and sky, the Milesian Master Bard Amergin stood with one foot on the shore of Ireland and the other foot in the sea, and then spoke a powerful Bardic spell that identified him (and by extension the Milesian people) with the natural powers of Ireland. In so doing, he and his people became Irish and the natural powers of Ireland stopped opposing them.

This is a powerful lesson for the modern world, as we have spent the last five-hundred years trying to conquer nature. Taking the approach of Amergin, we should identify with the various powers of nature and seek to work with them rather than against them. To conclude the story, the Milesians fought the Tuatha in several battles and eventually made peace with them. Ireland was to be shared by the two tribes, each caring for the land.

I invite you to meditate on each line from the spell.

What is it like to be wind on the sea?