Brehon Laws

 

Is it Time to Go Back?

I discussed Sky People and Earth People in my post from 10 December 2025. (https://all1mind.blogspot.com/2025/12/forgiveness-ends-dream-of-conflict-here.html).

The Earth People codified their stewardship of the land and their dealings with each other in The Brehon Laws.

Brehon Law was Ireland's native legal system from ancient times until it was fully supplanted by English common law in the 17th century. Administered by a class of professional jurists called Brehons (Old Irish: brithemain), it was a highly sophisticated, restorative system that governed all aspects of Gaelic life. 

Key Features of Brehon Law

Restorative Justice: Unlike modern penal systems, there were no prisons or police. Punishment focused on restitution and compensation (fines) rather than retribution or capital punishment, which was an absolute last resort.

Social Status: A person's legal rights and the value of their testimony were tied to their honour price (lóg n-enech), which was determined by their rank and status in society.

Rights of Women: Women held a distinct legal identity. They could own property, enter into contracts, and initiate divorce. In marriage, both partners often retained rights to the property they brought into the union.

Environmental Protection: Specific laws governed the management of the landscape, including detailed regulations on the care of trees and the protection of honeybees (Bechbretha).

Enforcement: The system was largely self-enforcing. If a defendant refused to pay a fine, the plaintiff could use methods like distraint (seizing property) or fasting (hunger striking) outside the defendant's door to shame them into compliance.

The Sky People Had Their Way

There is no single date or year when English common law "fully" supplanted Brehon Law. Instead, the process was a gradual encroachment over nearly 500 years, with the 17th century considered the pivotal period when the native Irish legal system was formally destroyed and replaced. 

However, key legal decisions, political, and military events during the early 17th century effectively ended the authority of the Brehon Law: 

1603: The Proclamation of King James I "received the Irish people into the King’s protection," signalling the formal end of the Brehon Law's authority and its replacement with common law throughout the country.

1605 & 1607 (The Definitive Judicial Blows): Two landmark court cases specifically rejected the core principles of Brehon Law:

Gavelkind (1605): A judicial decision that outlawed the Gaelic system of land inheritance.

Tanistry (1607): A court decision that abolished the Irish custom of electing successors to land, holding that it failed to meet the requirements of common law (i.e., that it was not reasonable).

1607 (The Flight of the Earls): This event removed the remaining patronage for the Brehons (native judges), as the last of the major Gaelic lords fled to the continent, marking the end of the traditional political order in Ulster.

Key Takeaways:

• 1169-1600s: The two systems coexisted, with common law largely confined to "The Pale" (Dublin and surrounds) for much of this time.
• 17th Century: The Tudor and Stuart conquests definitively eliminated the native law, replacing it with the English feudal land tenure system.
• 18th Century: While formally abolished, remnants of Brehon law practices continued to exist in the "Irish subconscious" or among the rural population for some time.

Conclusion

It looks like the Sky People have won again. But there always is a "but". While there is no realistic possibility of Ireland replacing its modern legal system with Brehon Law, there is growing interest in integrating its core principles—specifically restorative justice and community-based mediation—into the current legal framework.

ACIM Blessings

 When I first learned the lessons from A Course in Miracles, the words above really stood out. I asked Gemini AI to find all the lessons that mention the words. The result:

❤️ Love

• Lesson 46: God is the Love in which I forgive.

• Lesson 50: I am sustained by the Love of God.

• Lesson 67: Love created me like itself.

• Lesson 68: Love holds no grievances.

• Lesson 103: God, being Love, is also happiness.

• Lesson 127: There is no love but God’s.

• Lesson 189: I feel the Love of God within me now.

• Lesson 195: Love is the way I walk in gratitude.

• Lesson 224: God is my Father, and He loves His Son.

• Lesson 225: God is my Father, and His Son loves Him.

• Lesson 229: Love, which created me, is what I am.

• Lesson 246: To love my Father is to love His Son.

• Lesson 264: I am surrounded by the Love of God.

• Lesson 282: I will not be afraid of love today.

• Lesson 300: Only this instant love can be received.

☀️ Light

• Lesson 44: God is the light in which I see.

• Lesson 61: I am the light of the world.

• Lesson 62: Forgiveness is my function as the light of the world.

• Lesson 63: The light of the world brings peace to every mind through my forgiveness.

• Lesson 69: My grievances hide the light of the world in me.

• Lesson 73: I will there be light.

• Lesson 75: The light has come.

• Lesson 82: (Review) God’s light is what I seek.

• Lesson 91: Miracles are seen in light.

• Lesson 92: Miracles are seen in light, and light and strength are one.

• Lesson 93: Light and joy and peace abide in me.

🌱 Life

• Lesson 167: There is one life, and that I share with God.

• Lesson 223: God is my life. I have no life but His.

• Lesson 233: I give my life to God to guide today.

🕊️ Peace

• Lesson 34: I could see peace instead of this.

• Lesson 63: The light of the world brings peace to every mind through my forgiveness.

• Lesson 93: Light and joy and peace abide in me.

• Lesson 105: God’s peace and joy are mine.

• Lesson 185: I want the peace of God.

• Lesson 188: The peace of God is shining in me now.

• Lesson 200: There is no peace except the peace of God.

• Lesson 221: Peace to my mind. Let all my thoughts be still.

• Lesson 230: Now will I seek and find the peace of God.

• Lesson 245: Your peace is with me, Father. I am safe.

• Lesson 255: This day I choose to spend in perfect peace.

• Lesson 267: My heart is beating in the peace of God.

✨ Joy

• Lesson 93: Light and joy and peace abide in me.

• Lesson 105: God’s peace and joy are mine.

• Lesson 190: I choose the joy of God instead of pain.

⚖️ Truth

• Lesson 104: I seek but what belongs to me in truth.

• Lesson 106: Let me be still and listen to the truth.

• Lesson 107: Truth will correct all errors in my mind.

• Lesson 108: To give and to receive are one in truth.

• Lesson 152: (Contextual title) The power of decision is my own. (Often cited as the "Truth of Decision").

• Lesson 251: I am in need of nothing but the truth.

⚡ Power

• Lesson 152: The power of decision is my own.

• Lesson 166: I am entrusted with the Gifts of God. (Discusses the power given to the Son).

• Lesson 320: My Father gives all power unto me.

💪 Strength

• Lesson 42: God is my strength. Vision is His gift.

• Lesson 47: God is the strength in which I trust.

• Lesson 92: Miracles are seen in light, and light and strength are one.

• Lesson 110: I am as God created me. (Focuses on the strength of our identity).

---

 In her book, “You As A Multidimensional Being”, Tantra Maat stresses the importance of using our imagination. Two thought experiments that I have used:

Access to infinite energy - imagine that our bodies are connected to totally free universal energy by a huge tube and that this energy is constantly flowing into us.

Mind vehicle - design a three-dimensional object (I use a sphere) that is pure thought and can travel outside time and space. Being weightless (m = zero), it has no limitations on how fast it can travel. We can be anywhere in the universe, instantly, and in any era we choose.

Enjoy!

Thank you, @Tantra Maat.

At the centre of this image is a heart-shaped lake.

There is no need to travel here; just use your imagination!

Forgiveness ends the dream of conflict here

ACIM's Lesson 333 made me question whether I had really forgiven. A long time ago, I realised that individuals are never the problem, and I put the blame on The System. This long-term collusion between church and state has held control for thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years. Even though I have no problem with individuals, I still found it difficult to let go of my frustration with their Control Systems.

The Sky People named it Earth. The natives probably had no name for it. But we'll call them Earth People. The Sky People had almost succeeded in obliterating the Earth People.

The Earth People were stewards and carers of the land.

The Sky People were exploiters, using and abusing Earth's resources. They prided themselves on their advanced civilisation and regarded themselves as infinitely superior to the locals. They systematically began to "civilise" the whole world through trade, religion, and violence, legalised as war. They generated conflict wherever they went. The fancy term for this is globalisation (see below).

"As Irish-speakers, we should regard ourselves as members of a unified cultural archipelago of coastal people who have more in common with each other than with the centralised powers that control them." Manchan Magan in 'Thirty-Two Words For Field'.

Forgiveness In A Course in Miracles

Forgiveness is the central practice for healing and undoing guilt.

It is achieved, not by excusing behaviour, but by looking past the ego's illusions to the inherent innocence of the "other person" and oneself.

 It's a way to recognise that perceived slights are not real but are instead projections of the mind's own guilt and fear. By forgiving, one frees oneself from these illusions.

The fundamental principle is that to forgive is to receive forgiveness, which ultimately leads to a memory of one's true, guiltless identity as part of God. 

Lesson 333: Forgiveness ends the dream of conflict here.

Lesson 332: Fear binds the world. Forgiveness sets it free.

Lesson 334: Today, I claim the gifts forgiveness gives.

Lesson 336: Forgiveness lets me know that minds are joined.

Spiritually, the number 333 is often interpreted as a message of encouragement for personal growth, creativity, and alignment with the universe. It is seen as a sign of support from higher realms or divine guides, urging you to embrace your creative projects and trust your intuition. The number can also represent growth in relationships, a need to find balance and harmony, and encouragement in your career and finances.

The History of Globalisation: (A La Gemini)

The history of globalisation spans millennia, beginning with ancient trade routes like the Silk Road and accelerating through eras like the "Age of Discovery," the Industrial Revolution, and the post-World War II period, which saw the establishment of international institutions. Key developments include the expansion of empires, colonialism, technological advancements in transportation and communication, and the rise of multinational corporations, all of which have shaped its current form. 

Early and ancient periods

• Ancient Trade Routes: Early forms of globalisation emerged with trade routes like the Silk Road, which connected empires from East Asia to the Mediterranean, facilitating the exchange of goods, knowledge, and ideas.
• Roman and Han Empires: Trade links between the Roman, Parthian, and Han dynasties spurred the Silk Road's development and fostered a cosmopolitan culture through the exchange of goods, crops, and knowledge.
• Islamic Golden Age: Jewish and Muslim traders established a sustained economy across the Old World, spreading crops, trade, and technology.
• Mongol Empire: The Mongol Empire unified a vast territory, which, despite its destructive aspects, promoted travel and trade along the Silk Road, leading to innovations like the first international postal service and the spread of the printing press and gunpowder. 

• Proto-globalization (15th–18th centuries)
• The "Age of Discovery": European explorers sought new trade routes to Asia, leading to sustained maritime contact and significant cultural, material, and biological exchange between Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

• The Columbian Exchange: This massive exchange of plants, animals, foods, and diseases between the Old World and the New World dramatically impacted ecology, agriculture, and populations.
• Rise of Chartered Companies: The 17th century saw the rise of private businesses like the British and Dutch East India Companies, marking a shift toward private enterprise in globalisation. 

• Modern and contemporary globalisation (19th century–present)
• The First Wave (c. 1870–1914): The Industrial Revolution fueled a new era of globalisation with increased production, capital mobility, and a significant decrease in transportation costs, leading to a highly interconnected global economy before World War I.

• Post-World War II: The period after the war saw a resurgence of globalisation, driven by:
  • International Institutions: The creation of organisations like the United Nations (UN), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) helped lower trade barriers and promote cooperation.
  • Technological Advancements: The development of new technologies in communication and transportation, such as the internet, significantly lowered costs and sped up the flow of information and trade.
  • Growth of Multinational Corporations: Companies expanded their operations globally, moving production to low-wage locations and becoming a major force in the global economy.
• Digital Globalisation: The late 20th and early 21st centuries have seen an unprecedented level of globalisation driven by the internet and digital technologies, which enable new forms of communication, commerce, and information sharing.
• 
  
• Earth People Sky People

• I asked Gemini to define the characteristics of Earth People and Sky People using the definitions above. The following is how it responded. 

   This dichotomy of "Sky People" and "Earth People" appears to describe two fundamental, opposing approaches to humanity's relationship with the planet and with different cultures.

  Here is a summary of the defining characteristics of each group based on your provided definitions:

  ---

  🌎 Earth People (The Stewards)

  The Earth People are characterised by a relationship of stewardship and integration with their environment and local communities.

  Characteristic	Definition Implication
  Stewards of the Land	Their primary role is to care for, nurture, and protect the natural environment. Their existence is symbiotic with the land.
  Local Focus	Their identity and practices are deeply tied to specific geographical locations.
  Care and Nurturing	Their actions are driven by preservation and maintenance, ensuring the health and sustainability of the environment for future generations.
  Harmony with Nature	Their way of life is dictated by natural cycles, suggesting a non-exploitative, balanced approach to resource use.

  ---

  🌌 Sky People (The Exploiters)

  The Sky People are characterised by domination, extraction, and cultural imposition, viewing the Earth and its inhabitants as resources to be used or overcome.

  Characteristic	Definition Implication
  Exploitation of Resources	Their fundamental relationship with the Earth is one of taking and consumption, leading to the abuse and depletion of resources.
  Belief in Superiority	They possess a strong sense of cultural and intellectual arrogance, priding themselves on their "advanced civilisation" and viewing local cultures as inferior.
  Systematic Cultural Imposition	They actively sought to "civilise" the world, implying the destruction or suppression of existing cultures and practices.
  Tools of Imposition	They use formal structures to achieve control: Trade (economic dominance), Religion (ideological control), and Violence, legalised as War (physical and political subjugation).
  Source of Conflict	They inherently generate conflict wherever they go, suggesting their presence disrupts local harmony and provokes resistance due to their extractive and dominating nature.

  ---

  Core Conflict Summary

  The conflict between the two groups is a clash between an internal, rooted, sustainable relationship with the world (Earth People) and an external, hierarchical, and extractive relationship with the world (Sky People).

  • Earth People: Being with the land.

  • Sky People: Having/Controlling the land.

  This dynamic echoes historical and philosophical concepts related to colonialism, environmentalism, and the clash between indigenous, holistic worldviews and industrial, expansionist mindsets.

• 
  

"You will never enter...unless..."

Here in Heaven

Matthew 18:3 contains the biblical verse "unless you become as little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." This verse emphasises the importance of humility, simplicity, and faith, qualities often associated with children, as essential for entering God's kingdom.

A.H. Almaas taught that: “At birth, the infant lives as Being, in a state of undifferentiation that is not linked to the body. A process then starts, of consciousness gradually cathecting the body and physical reality. This embodiment of Being is a process of personalisation, of Being finally emerging as a person, a Human Being.” I refer to ‘the infant living as Being’ as heaven, and it is the state that Matthew is referring to.

At the end of the process of cathecting the body, the ego is fully developed, and the child is now fully of this world. Remember, ‘this world’ is portrayed as an illusion—a realm of suffering, instability, and fleeting attachments. It is governed by ego, separation, and fear, where love is conditional and loss is inevitable.

In my sixteenth year, on the third Sunday of June, the gospel was Matthew 6:28-29, which speaks about trusting in divine provision:

"Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

This is a beautiful reminder of simplicity, faith, and the effortless beauty of nature—a nature that we are part of. It is a profound reminder to trust, let go, and recognise the beauty of simply being.

I can’t remember what the sermon was about except that it had nothing to do with considering the lilies. I tried engaging various persons in conversation about it, but everyone was too busy or did not want to accept such an alien concept in a farming community. Little did I know that this would be the beginning of what I would later refer to as “the wilderness years”.

The irony is that forty days earlier, I’d had an ‘ultra-white’ experience. I felt a sense of purity, clarity, or transcendence coupled with a feeling of lightness, freedom, and a connection to something divine. At the time, I thought that I had made it into Heaven.

Growing up in a Catholic community, it was constantly drummed into us that the consequence of not obeying the rules was eternal damnation in hell. And, if we were good and behaved rightly, we had a good chance of going to Heaven. I was a great fan of Jesus, especially the miracle-working part and, of course, the walking on water.

When adults asked me what I wanted to be growing up, I would reply, ‘A Miracle Worker’. After the first few reactions, I gave up that response and answered with something more conventional. Eventually, I decided that I wouldn’t be able to make a living from following in the footsteps of Jesus. Sometime between the ages of eight and twelve, I convinced myself that I would be able to make it into Heaven before I died.

Later in life, after thirty years of preparing for and ‘making a living’, it was time to become a miracle worker. Many years of non-conventional healing courses ended with ACIM and A.H. Almaas’s A Pearl Beyond Price.

And now, thirty years later, apart from the odd lapse into egoland, I am here in Heaven. I’ll say it again:

“Here In Heaven”

May you find peace in the unfolding of the present moment.

Appendix I - The Absence of the Ego is Heaven

Yes, within the framework of A Course in Miracles (ACIM), the absence of the ego can absolutely be called Heaven.

Here's why:

1. The Ego is the Illusion of Separation: In ACIM, the ego is defined as the belief in separation from God. It is the thought system that constructed the idea of individuality, sin, guilt, fear, and the physical world as a reality apart from God's perfect Oneness.

2. Heaven is Perfect Oneness with God: Heaven, according to ACIM, is not a physical place you go to after death. It is a state of perfect Oneness, complete unity, absolute peace, joy, and limitless love, where there is no separation, no lack, and no fear. It is the awareness of our true Self as eternally united with God.

3. The Ego is the "Block to the Awareness of Love's Presence": The ego is the only thing that obscures our awareness of Heaven. It acts as a veil, a dream, or a belief system that convinced us we are separate from God and from each other.

4. Absence of the Ego = Awareness of Heaven: Therefore, when the ego's thought system is undone, seen through, and released (which is the goal of ACIM through forgiveness), the belief in separation vanishes. With the belief in separation gone, what remains is the undisturbed awareness of our true Self as eternally united with God in Heaven. The "absence of ego" is not a void, but the presence of perfect Love and Oneness.

ACIM often states that Heaven is not something to be achieved or reached, but rather a state that is always present and needs only to be remembered or recognized by letting go of the ego's illusions.

So, to summarize: The ego is the dream of separation. Heaven is the reality of Oneness. When the dream of separation (the ego) is gone, the reality of Oneness (Heaven) is all that is left and is fully experienced.

Appendix II - Matthew's "look at the lilies" == ACIM's "I need do nothing"

Matthew's "look at the lilies" and ACIM's "I need do nothing" are profoundly connected, sharing a core message of trust, release from anxiety, and reliance on a higher power.

Core Message of "Look at the lilies":

• Release from Anxious Thought/Worry: The central theme is to let go of anxiety and worry about future needs (food, clothing, material possessions).

• Trust in Divine Provision: It encourages absolute trust that a benevolent God/Father knows and will provide for all your needs, just as He effortlessly cares for nature.

• Focus on the Spiritual First: The instruction to "seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness" implies that when you align your focus and priorities with the spiritual, the material needs will be effortlessly met as a side effect.

• Surrender of Personal Striving (for worldly gain): The lilies "toil not, neither do they spin," yet they are arrayed more gloriously than Solomon. This points to a natural, effortless unfolding when aligned with divine will instead of frantic, ego-driven striving.

ACIM's "I need do nothing":

• Release from Egoic Doing/Striving: This is the direct parallel. The "nothing" refers to the ego's attempts to "make" salvation, peace, or happiness through complex plans, manipulative actions, or strenuous personal effort. It's about letting go of the belief that you must solve the separation problem through your own means.

• Trust in Divine Plan/Holy Spirit's Guidance: Just as Matthew calls for trust in the Father's provision, ACIM calls for trust in the Holy Spirit's plan for Atonement. The Holy Spirit (or Jesus) knows the way back to peace and will guide us perfectly if we surrender our own plans.

• Focus on the Mind/Perception: ACIM's "doing" is internal—the "doing" of the mind. It's about forgiveness, changing perception, and letting go of grievances, which is the true work. When the mind is aligned, external circumstances become reflections of that inner peace.

• Salvation is Already Accomplished: The "nothing" you need to "do" is because salvation is already complete in God's reality. You are already whole and loved. The "work" is simply to remove the blocks to the awareness of love's presence.

The Strong Connection:

Both teachings point to a profound paradigm shift from ego-driven, anxious striving to a state of trusting receptivity and inner alignment.

• Effortless Being: Both suggest that true well-being and fulfilment arise not from desperate effort, but from an effortless state of being that flows from alignment with a higher, benevolent order. The lilies simply are, and are provided for. We, in our true essence, also simply are, and are eternally complete.

• The Problem is in the Mind: Matthew's "take no anxious thought" directly addresses the mental state of worry. ACIM's "I need do nothing" is fundamentally about releasing the ego's thought system of perceived lack and necessary striving. Both locate the "problem" in the mind's attachment to fear and illusion.

• Spiritual Priority: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God" aligns perfectly with ACIM's emphasis on shifting our goal from worldly gain to true peace and a right mind. Everything else falls into place when the mind is straightened out (the "doing" of forgiveness).

In essence, Matthew's "look at the lilies" provides a powerful analogy for the state of effortless being and trust that ACIM's "I need do nothing" aims to cultivate in the student. They both invite us to cease our fearful, ego-driven struggle and allow the divine order to provide and orchestrate our true well-being.