Written and published by Linden Alexander Pentecost, published on the 5th of August 2025, with final updates added on the 6th of August 2025, this article was published from the UK, like my other publications, and also like in my other publications, no AI was used in creating this article. Like other articles on this website, this article was only published on this website (www.clwaideac-na-cuinne.co.uk) . My publications in other forms are also only published in their respective forms. The m- prefix of this article series on this website stands for the Ancient Egyptian concept of ma'at - goodness, a sacred word connected to the Ancient Egyptians' fundamental beliefs about spirituality, the word also being perhaps also cognate to Irish maith etc, meaning "good". The content of this article has never been published before. This article also contains 2 images showing forms of symbolic language pertaining to the subjects in this article. These drawings of symbols have also never been published before by the author (myself, Linden Alexander Pentecost), and are separate from those in previous publications by the author, for example they are separate from the magical Icelandic staves I included in my latest published article in Silly Linguistics, and from the example of the awen symbol I published elsewhere. The images in this article include one colour art image of the hannunvaakuna symbol, with detailed comments above it concerning the Americas, followed by a black and white art image of two versions of the Welsh awen symbol, again with extensive detail in the text above. The text above the images is not included in the main text. The symbols in this article have their own descriptions above them and are not elaborated on in the main text, although the use of these symbols in this article will make a lot of sense in relation to the main text, if the text above the images is read. The symbols in this article are connected to language , this is also elaborated on in the article and in terms of their connection to ancient language connections, but not with the same content nor with the same content as in the text above the images of the two pieces of artwork. This article contains no sub-sections, but to outline in brief: discusses some aspects of spirituality and romance that I have not discussed more, with relation to two sacred symbols. This article contains 3458 words and two art images, with one of the images having two versions of the same symbol, and the other, first art piece, being of the Finnish hannunvaakuna symbol. The image of the awen symbols is almost at the end of the article, the coloured image of the hannunvaakuna symbol is earlier on in the article, after the text associated with it, and before the line beginning with: "My own spirituality is, essentially indigenous.." .-  in the next section. Note that I have published other unrelated articles recently, on this website and elsewhere. The three symbols in this article were also drawn by the author (myself).

I believe that there is divinity and truth in all religions and in all indigenous belief systems. In some ways, my personal spirituality aligns with Christianity; but it’s not a Christianity of churches or hierarchy, but akin to how ancient Irish monks (I have published before how their religion may not have been “Christian” but something far older) - meditated in nature, and knew God through in that are not different, or even contradictory to more pagan beliefs in terms the divinity of nature and of creation. I have also become particularly drawn to Uralic belief systems, and to the spiritual beliefs of many other cultures. Contrary to popular belief, not all pagans or indigenous peoples are entirely polytheistic; as I have mentioned elsewhere and will again (including in my next publication for Silly Linguistics), many Uralic peoples believed in many gods, but at the same time, they often acknowledged a single deity as “the” deity and original creator. In this article, I also include, further down two symbols, which I believe do in a sense connect to me strongly on a religious and spiritual level. These symbols are also I think connected to language as well, in a symbolic way, and sometimes in ways which are difficult to understand from an analytical perspective. It is curious and interesting, in terms of the hannunvaakuna symbol in this article, how a similarity in Uralic and some Native American languages (especially Quechua, in my opinion) also seems to correspond to similarities on the symbolic level of language - although it is difficult, if not impossible to translate the hannunvaakuna into spoken sounds, in terms of what we know thus far. Similarly, the awen symbol, whilst difficult to put in linguistic terms, has similar representations across different cultures. See the sections of smaller writing above both images for more and different information on this, including with a special comment on the possible symbolic connection between the awen symbol, the word "awen" and the "Om" sound.

For me personally, the aim of spirituality is in part to transcend illusion, most specifically, the illusions that stop one from knowing their true, divine self. For I am like the clouds and sea, and my spirit remembers that. I have always remembered it, that there exists a divinity in all things, and in me. But spirituality can be deceptive, particularly when it’s misunderstood, and I feel that, unlike our ancestors, spiritual belief systems nowadays, when practiced on a collective level, can be very deceptive and cult-like. This process, I believe, often slows down one’s ability to authentically recognise what their heart most truly needs (in a way that is truly positive for them and for people, the world and its living things), and to pursue that love. Many New Age individuals I have met, are people I vibe well with, and I totally get their beliefs, and have respect for them. But I do not see spirituality in the same way as they do, oftentimes. If somebody channelled an “ascended master”, who told them particular facts about Atlantis, crystal DNA and 5D reality, that is all very interesting and cool, and I’m not saying that it doesn’t mean something. 

But without the ancient, indigenous and ancestral knowledge to guide us, we might often totally misinterpret what is happening. Rather than seeing these “ascended masters” and their knowledge in terms of factual knowledge, let us consider instead, what this knowledge does to one’s perception. At the end of the day, fundamentally, most information in “channellings” seems to not be factually correct, at all, but instead its true effect and meaning can be observed in how it affects human consciousness - and I’ve got to be honest, that is what it is about, and not everyone needs or will connect to certain messages that change their consciousness; which makes it kind of difficult for individuals like me to find a spiritual “tribe”, because essentially, New Age religions can be just as indoctrinated and limiting as the outdated belief systems they claim to be moving away from.
And again it comes down to consciousness - and our own ability to see and recognise ourselves for who we truly are. And indigenous beliefs, fundamentally, by and large, achieve this far better than any New Age belief system in my opinion. And my indigenous friends also feel that New Age belief systems, whilst claiming to be connected to nature and divinity, sometimes seem to ignore the very basics and fundamentals of this dynamic. New Age spirituality can also attract some truly pretentious and egocentric ways of thinking. For some, New Age spirituality even becomes a deceptive money scheme, or a deceptive hierarchy scheme, promising personal enlightenment and spiritual growth. And sure, it can happen, but that entirely depends on the dynamic and intentions of those involved, and upon whether or not a laid-out spiritual path in a New Age religion, actually feels like the "right" or correct way for them.

Photo below: an image of some artwork I did, showing the sacred symbol, known in Finnish as Hannunvaakuna. This is a sacred, and ancient symbol of protection, which was known to the Ancient Finns and to other peoples in Scandinavia. The symbol is actually similar to the Welsh "Bowen Knot" crest, (not to be confused with the awenWelsh symbol shown near the end of this article). Furthermore, and fascinatingly, the Hannunvaakuna, or a form of it, was used by the "Moundbuilder Culture" present in the Mississipi Valley and elsewhere. The use of the Hannunvaakuna symbol in the Mouldbuilder Culture, or rather a very close variant of this symbol, is perhaps yet another example of links between Uralic and Native American cultures (see my many, many, many detailed publications about linguistic similarities and other things). Specifically the fact that this symbol was used by both the Ancient Finns and the Moundbuilder Culture, might especially tie into the content of my article on my BookofDunBarra website (not the website you are currently on), the aforementioned article being titled: 65: The Natchez language and ancient giants (but it also ties into the subjects in a lot of my other publications).To me, the Hannunvaakuna symbol feels like a truly "good" symbol, a truly good, ancient, powerful, and holy symbol of protection, writing the name of some unknown word or vibration into symbolic form. When I see examples of the Hannunvaakuna I feel as though it reminds me of something, tells me something on an unconscious level, that relates to the universe, and to the love of God. This is indeed I think one of the most powerful symbols that exists, across some different ancient cultures, pertaining to a particular ancient knowledge of divine protection, God, and spiritual wisdom. As I mention in this article, I myself am not initiated into any indigenous tribe (the indigenous people in the UK do not generally possess such initiations anymore, at least not in an indigenous philosophical way, although the Indigenous Highland Travellers, Lowland Travellers and Shelta speaking travellers may in fact still preserve such initiations into their tribe and spiritual community, such an initiation might involve dancing, singing, or saying sacred words of power and health for example. The Hannunvaakuna symbol also corresponds to my own deep felt feelings about Uralic, indigenous American, and Welsh spirituality, traditions, and language, and the distribution of the symbol itself seems to correspond to these in some way. To me, the innate symbolic language of this symbol is one of good nature, hope, and of some beautiful truth. I used blue pastel on black paper and red ochre to create the colour image below. The piece of art below was photographed outdoors after I created it. I photographed it outdoors for better affect, and the circle around the hannunvaakuna is meant to give the impression of rays of light coming out from it (the circle).

My own spirituality is, essentially indigenous, although culturally diverse and, unrefined, in respect to me not being initiated into any indigenous culture myself. I believe in the fairy folk, and in elves and other ancestral beings and spirits, with no doubt whatsoever in my mind that these things exist, even if I cannot claim to fully grasp what and who these spirits are - but that’s not the point. My spirituality is tied into the idea that nature is conscious, that rivers, mountains, trees, rocks and even the mist itself, are living and divine, and that within that divinity of God’s creation, we are not alone - there are a myriad of spirits and ancestors that we can potentially work with and have a good relationship with, and help to heal our world in the process - and often, fundamentally, this comes down to simply having empathy for nature and for life, acknowledging the presence of ancient sites, of living things and of the divinity of the world around us - this is my spirituality at its core.

Which brings me to the subject of romance - for what does it mean to be “romantic”? I would consider myself a romantic person, even though, the essence of this is only superficially connected to our more physical and black and white explanations of “romance”, many of which revolve around rituals like marriage, engagement, gestures of gifts and certain words spoken. I have realised, slowly but surely, that none of these things are truly the essence of “romance” for me. Fundamentally, for me, romance has often meant feeling alone, being in love or having romantic feelings for somebody, but it being unrequited or in a situation where love is not possible. This leads of course to a lack of romantic gestures and rituals, but it “is” romantic in the sense that it causes a sometimes dramatic unveiling of one’s own true spiritual self, which comes with a sheer sense of vulnerability, exposure, and often, connection to the divine and to God. 

Sure, I seek romance with another. But if I project that and think of it in terms of those rituals and gifts - these things do not mean much to me, if the true essence of romance is not experienced or known. And what is that essence? In my opinion, the true essence of romance is to know God, or, to know one's true purpose and spiritual self as an expression and facet of the whole creation. Because when a person falls in love, deeply and beautifully, with the right person, it feels, or has for me felt, like the entire world is unveiled. The beauty of God and of the ancestors becomes visible and felt around me, in all of my interactions. One knows their connection to God and to the divine, because to be truly loved, and to truly love romantically, breaks that barrier between the ego and God, and causes a huge change in our consciousness, self-perception and in how we see the world. This is at least my experience.
But as I mentioned, this for me has often come with a sense of loss. And sometimes, this divine connection, and loss, are so interwoven into each other, that a person loses somebody they truly love, which causes this change in consciousness, a connection to the divine, and knowing one's true spiritual nature - and this is the flip side of that connection, the connection with God is beautiful, but the journey to it, and to releasing those layers of ourselves which hide our true feelings and wishes, can involve loss and be very difficult, but ultimately, love, leads us towards the divine.

But this is not to say that romantic love is meant to be about loss. There is this idea that one cannot truly love another, until they truly love themselves. And on a superficial level I agree with this. But on the other hand, I would not say this is the essence of love. And sometimes, when people say things like this about loving oneself, I feel that they misunderstand love. Because love, to me anyway, does not mean gifts, or following a certain path or a certain set of rituals - things that we can do for ourselves. Love is I think, something that only another spirit can truly give us, and which we can only give away. This contradicts greatly with many New Age ideas of divine love, but I am confident about this. That love was never intended by the Great Spirit to be something that we keep and use for personal growth. I believe that love is something that can only be shared. And that even though, romantic love can be painful, and involve feelings of loss and sadness, this does not take away that romantic love truly can be a connection to the divine and to the Great Spirit. Love, I believe, was meant to be shared, and given. I do not think that love was intended to heal us as individuals (without us also giving love to others and to nature), as this contradicts with the nature of love, for it to be wielded in such a way that means we as individual egos are the only benefactors. No, true love, is something we can only give away. And without giving, without feeling love and empathy for the world outside of us, love cannot be true. Love is something greater than our mind and ego, and if thinking in terms of mind and ego, and isolation, we cannot self sustain. Everything in our essence and world comes from somewhere, bigger than us, what I would term God or The Great Spirit or Great Mystery. So for me, the essence of true romantic love is recognising how powerless we are in many respects, but that the power of love, empathy and kindness, opens the door to our true spiritual being. 

And no, I do not believe it is a matter of “one must suffer in love for so many years before they are worthy, one will find a less intense but more long term, less exciting and less spiritual, and that is true love”. This is an idea perpetuated a lot in Western Society, but, I think, in essence, it is not true, and that it is not a question of not being worthy, and not a question of needing to choose a less spiritual love, is it is rather a question of - when do we recognise that we are like the clouds and the ocean, and like the moon and the stars? That the essence of divinity already exists within us, and that The Great Spirit, I believe, urges us to pay attention to this.

Note, I also updated the description of this site and its author (myself, i.e. Linden Alexander Pentecost) today, in which I also touch upon a few of the concepts above a tiny bit, but in different words and in a different context. Note also that my terms such as "God" in this article are not meant to diminish the validity of many indigenous beliefs that there is no one, single God. It is my belief however that my idea of "God" here can also be translated to mean a general goodness and empathy for life and for all spirits.

Photo below: two versions, older version on left, the newer on right, of the Welsh awen symbol. This possibly-ancient Welsh symbol is used in Modern Druidism and was used by its founders to signify the awen, the poetic or magical force that permeates all life and creation, and is also the bard or druid's source of poetic wisdom. I refer to the awen in various places and have included a completely separate example of another example of this symbol in an unrelated book published last year. On this website, I refer to the awen in the poem titled: The stars over Y Berwyn, on the page titled: p1. First page of poems in English, available from the following URL: https://www.clwaideac-na-cuinne.co.uk/poetry-pages-includes-pages-for-poems-in-other-languages-p1-to-p18/p1-first-page-of-poems-in-english . The awen, like the hannunvaakuna, is I feel a symbol that invokes for me only positive and very spiritual feelings. Therefore like the hannunvaakuna I feel that I connect with this symbol in a wide way, especially as it, and its shape, bare similarity to other symbols of a similar nature. From what I understand of this symbol, the three lines represent the spiritual radiance of energy and life from the creator or from creation. It may also be interpreted by some for example in terms of an upper world, middle world and lower world, as is common in many Eurasian and some other indigenous belief systems. I would not be surprised if this symbol had an equivalent in the Americas, in some form. It shares some similarity for example to a protection symbol I included a copy of in my recently published article for Silly Linguistics, titled: On non-Norse language in Iceland, and Icelandic magical staves - a mysterious symbolic language . Could the awen symbol also represent a sound, like the "Om" sound, similarly to how one of the Icelandic staves in the aforementioned article for Silly Linguistics - as I commented in that article, resembles in some ways the "Om" symbol of Hinduism, with its symbolism of the number three? Was awen the ancient Welsh equivalent of "Om"? The art below was photographed outside in daylight after I, the author, drew it, hence the shadows for affect.