www.AvalonsTreasury.com
Celtic Birth Charms: 03 - Cwn Annwn - Pendant

The Celts were early conservationists, because they strongly believed that every part of the scenery holds its own life and should be considered as holy. They settled in Europe from 800 B.C. to 900 A.D. and their civilization has been based on the belief in a magically animated earth and its relation to the own clan or tribe.
The cycle of agriculture was vital for the Celtic culture and the festivals which were celebrated during the year were especially important to those who were born shortly before a certain festive day because they took a leading role in this particular festival. Birthdays therefore in general had a very important meaning and many Celtic legends referred to the birth of deities and heroes and the Celts were convinced that they shared the supernatural powers of these mythological beings if they had the luck to be born on their birthday. In their magic system the darkness of night brought the Celts closer to the mysterious Otherworld, where gods, goddesses, fairies and the dead exist. The natural attributes being inherent in a certain time of day or season, were respected by the Celts just as much as they observed which plants, animals and weather conditions were connected with a certain period because in that way they defined the special abilities of newborn children and predicted the future.
The Celtic birth charms of this collection can either be worn to stress your own Celtic birthday, or if another pendant is chosen, to manifest its spirit within you. In former times magic birth pendants were worn by the Celts to influence destiny and to emphasize personal traits, just as astrological jewelry is used by a lot of people today.

Cwn Annwn: People whose birthday falls between the 14th of February and the 8th of March are born under the Celtic sign of the hounds of the underworld. The tales of the Cwn Annwn are included in the famous Celtic collection of sagas "Mabinogion". The Mabinogion describes how the hounds race across the cold night sky in a wild and breathtaking pack and how they can be seen in Wales particularly on the evening of St. David, who is the patron saint of the country. People born under this sign have a very strong connection to their inner self and the magic part of life.