Celtic Spirituality

Though the Celtic civilization has long disappeared, lingering traces of their spirituality haunt Ireland and the surrounding land. Translated from their original languages - Gaulish, Latin, Irish, and Welsh - the passages and stories in Celtic Spirituality are true artifacts of the Celts' vibrant and varied religion from both the pre-Christian and early Christian period. From a ritual of magical inspiration to stories of the ancient gods and adventures of long-forgotten heroes, Freeman has unearthed a stunning collection of Celtic work.

“If I could introduce you to ten amazing people whose influence could transform your life by energizing your spiritual quest, they would be the nine visionaries featured in The Great Search . . . plus a tenth, John Philip Newell himself. What a treasure this book is. Enthusiastically...

This new version has more than 150 pages of previously unpublished material, including illustrated guides to Celtic pilgrimage sites, study questions, and updated research. Using story, scripture, reflection, and prayer, Kenneth McIntosh offers us a taste of the living water that refreshed the ancient Celts, allowing them to perceive God as a living Presence in everybody and everything. This Earth-based and inclusive perspective suggests life-giving alternatives to modern faith practices, opening the door to a Christianity big enough to embrace the entire world. "If you want to run away to ...

Relive the magic of captivating legends and folktales in this rich collection on Celtic Mythology. In 58 BCE, when Julius Caesar – the famous Roman general – wrote a commentary on the Gallic wars, he described the “Celt” speaking people who lived in the area then known as the Gaul. These people had their own culture, gods, and beliefs – called Celtic Mythology – which were very different from the Romans. The influence of this mythology, however, was not limited to a small territory.

Although we know little about the ancient Druids, their reputation for wisdom and harmony with nature lives on. Today, Druidry is a vibrant, diverse movement with groups and practitioners on every continent but Antarctica. Spiritual rather than religious—more an attitude than an ideology—it can be embraced by people from different faiths and backgrounds. Archdruid John Michael Greer explores the history and basics of Druidry; how to perform Druidic rituals, meditation, and divination; elements of the lifestyle; and advice for placing less of a burden on the Earth.

Are you curious about the mystical world of Celtic spirituality and its relevance today? Do you ever wonder about the secrets held within the ancient forests and across the landscapes that the Celts revered? Are you interested in exploring the powerful role that women played in the Celtic tradition? If you've answered yes to any of these questions, keep reading! Embark on an enlightening voyage into the heart of this ancient tradition with A Beginner's Guide to Celtic Spirituality: An Introduction to Celtic Spiritual Mysteries, Myths, and Rituals, and explore how we can draw on Celtic ...

I have a hidden meaning. I was portrayed in a thousand different ways in the past, and I keep sprouting again and again down through the centuries. Don’t you want to know who I am? The Green Man is an ancient symbol that has gained new popularity, and yet his origins and meaning remain a mystery. Kenneth McIntosh, author of Water from an Ancient Well: Celtic Spirituality for Modern Life, offers a seldom-heard theory on the original significance of this leafy visage. With a wealth of drawings, the author traces the Green Man's family tree, revealing the deep spirituality embedded in this ...

Unlock the Secrets of Ancient Celtic Symbols! Have you ever wondered about the hidden meanings behind ancient Celtic symbols? Do you want to explore their deep connection to nature, mythology, and spirituality? Are you curious about how these powerful symbols were used for protection, healing, and empowerment? Step into the mystical world of the Celts and discover: The Origins of Celtic Symbols – Learn how these intricate designs were woven into everyday life, from warrior shields to sacred rituals. The Power of the Celtic Spiral – Uncover its meaning, natural occurrences, and how it ...

Veil of Fire: The History and Living Traditions of Samhain is an illuminating journey through the origins, mythology, and modern revival of one of the world’s most enduring seasonal celebrations. From its ancient Celtic roots to its transformation into All Hallows’ Eve and its reawakening in modern Pagan and Wiccan traditions, this book reveals the spiritual depth behind the turning of the year. Through vivid storytelling and careful historical insight, Veil of Fire explores Samhain as more than a festival of death and harvest. It examines its role as a timeless reflection on the cycles...

Pagan and Christian Join Hands within Celtic Spirituality Long ago, the story goes, Brigid flung out her mantle over the world. Beneath its shelter, the Earth and its people could find healing, insight, and growth. This legend, shared by both Celtic Pagans and Celtic Christians, makes the point that a mantle is not a box, a small rigid container meant to keep some things inside while excluding others. Instead, a mantle is wide, flexible, inclusive. Using this as their central metaphor, the authors—one a Pagan healer and the other a Christian minister—engage in a dialogue that is ...

One of the best-known collections of W. B. Yeats' prose, The Celtic Twilight explores the old connection between the Irish people and the magical world of fairies. Yeats, by traveling the land in the early 20th century and talking to the common people about their experiences with the creatures, yielded a colorful overview of Celtic fairy folklore.

Step into the rhythm of the seasons and discover how ancient traditions can bring meaning, balance, and joy to modern life. Celebrating the Wheel of the Year: Modern Pagan Holidays, Traditions, and Rituals for Every Season is a complete guide to the eight Sabbats - Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas, and Mabon - and the practices that surround them. Written for both beginners and experienced seekers, this book shows you how to honor nature’s cycles with rituals, seasonal crafts, family-friendly activities, and mindful reflections that make every celebration your own. ...

Christine Valters Paintner, best-selling Catholic author and online abbess for Abbey of the Arts, uses reflections, stories, guided activities, prayer experiences, and a variety of creative arts to help you patiently and attentively listen to God's invitation. Everyone wants to understand God's will for their lives. Christine Valters Paintner shares one of the most ancient paths to understanding from her study of monasticism and immersion into Celtic spirituality while living in Ireland.

If you want to study Paganism in more detail, this book is the place to start. Based on a course in Paganism that the authors have taught for more than a decade, it is full of exercises, meditations, and discussion questions for group or individual study. This book presents the basic fundamentals of Paganism. It explores what Pagans are like; how the Pagan sacred year is arranged; what Pagans do in ritual; what magick is; and what Pagans believe about God, worship, human nature, and ethics.

Nature can be a very powerful ally in magic. Since ancient times, Celts have known how to unlock the secrets of this world and the realm beyond it. With the help of their magic, you can learn to do the same.

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,for through him God created everything. . . . He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. —Colossians 1:15–17 Like a vast, ever-growing Tree of Life, Christ—the expression of Divine love—expands endlessly throughout the universe. This is the perspective of ancient Celtic spirituality, and it is this concept that Ray Simpson reveals in his poem-prayers. Inspired by the traditional Celtic style of prayer, he gives words to our individual ...

In this revered work, John O’Donohue excavates themes of friendship, belonging, solitude, creativity, and the imagination, among many others. Widely recognized for bringing Celtic spirituality into modern dialogue, his unique insights from the ancient world speak with urgency for our need to rediscover the thresholds of the soul.

Explore a marvelous world of glamoury: the Celtic Otherworld of shadow and Sidhe, a realm where everything that ever was, is, or will be, exists right now. The Celts had a life-affirming, mystical way of viewing and living life, in tune with the forces of Nature and magic. Magic of the Celtic Otherworld presents techniques for becoming attuned to the life forces of the Green World through seasonal rituals, visualizations, and magical workings. Learn how to find your way around the Otherworld and gain an understanding of how each of us constantly shapes the land on which we live.

In this unabridged audiobook of Walking in Wonder, John O’Donohue’s friend and frequent collaborator John Quinn collects a series of talks and essays from the poet-philosopher on humanity’s relationship with the land, the ache of absence, our place in an often mysterious universe, and the great adventure of death itself.

Learn more about the two main pantheons of gods, the Aesir and the Vanir, and the Jotnar. Discover how the Norse world was created and the fascinating history of each god through archaeological and etymological sources.