Philosophy Now Forum

In the Celtic tradition, there is a beautiful understanding of love and friendship. One of the fascinating ideas here is the idea of soul-love; the old Gaelic term for this is anam cara. Anam is the Gaelic word for soul and cara is the word for friend. So anam cara in the Celtic world was the “soul friend.” In the early Celtic church, a person who acted as a teacher, companion, or spiritual guide was called an anam cara. It originally referred to someone to whom you confessed, revealing the hidden intimacies of your life. With the anam cara you could share your inner-most self, your mind and your heart. This friendship was an act of recognition and belonging. When you had an anam cara, your friendship cut across all convention, morality, and category. You were joined in an ancient and eternal way with the “friend of your soul.” The Celtic understanding did not set limitations of space or time on the soul. There is no cage for the soul. The soul is a divine light that flows into you and into your Other. This art of belonging awakened and fostered a deep and special companionship.

Nick_A wrote: ↑Sat Jan 04, 2020 8:13 pm John O'Donohue wrote:

In the Celtic tradition, there is a beautiful understanding of love and friendship. One of the fascinating ideas here is the idea of soul-love; the old Gaelic term for this is anam cara. Anam is the Gaelic word for soul and cara is the word for friend. So anam cara in the Celtic world was the “soul friend.” In the early Celtic church, a person who acted as a teacher, companion, or spiritual guide was called an anam cara. It originally referred to someone to whom you confessed, revealing the hidden intimacies of your life. With the anam cara you could share your inner-most self, your mind and your heart. This friendship was an act of recognition and belonging. When you had an anam cara, your friendship cut across all convention, morality, and category. You were joined in an ancient and eternal way with the “friend of your soul.” The Celtic understanding did not set limitations of space or time on the soul. There is no cage for the soul. The soul is a divine light that flows into you and into your Other. This art of belonging awakened and fostered a deep and special companionship.

In modern times philosophical expression is dedicated to argument for the sake of prestige.

Nick_A wrote: ↑Sat Jan 04, 2020 8:13 pm Philosophy can be a means to reveal what we are and because we are as we are it must be rejected with a passion.

Nick_A wrote: ↑Sat Jan 04, 2020 8:13 pm Anam Cara is a rarity and possible only for those who can give as well as receive such being sincerity.

Nick_A wrote: ↑Sat Jan 04, 2020 8:13 pmthe dominance of arguments expressing negative rejection assures that the experience of anam cara will remain only for a small minority who have transcended the drive for self importance which modern philosophy encourages