The presence of gods was felt in every corner of the Celtic world, and influenced all areas of life in Celtic society. This fascinating book delves into these corners to examine all aspects of the gods, ritual customs, cult objects and sacred places of the ancient Celtic peoples. Miranda Green introduces the Celts and the evidence that they left behind, placing them in their geographical and chronological context, and continues on to look at Celtic cults of the sun and sky, animals and animism, mother goddesses, water gods and healers, as well as examining the influence of religion on war, death and fertility. Embracing the whole of the Celtic world from Ireland to Australia, and covering from 500 BC to AD 400, this is a rewarding overview of the evidence for Celtic religions, beliefs and practices which uses modern scholarship to bring a mysterious and captivating part of European history to life.

In this masterclass of mindfulness and spiritual awareness, Fiann O Nuallain brings old Irish proverbs to life for the present generation. Proverbs stand the test of time because, as we explore their meaning, we find they contain timeless wisdom that can help us lead happier, calmer and more meaningful lives. By Time is Everything Revealed contains fifty-two proverbs - one for every week of the year - each carefully chosen to speak directly to the worries and stresses that have become part of modern life. The author unlocks each proverb's meaning and combines it with a mindfulness exercise to offer a new set of tools for mindful living, psychological wellbeing and spiritual awareness.

In this beautifully-written guide, Chief Druid Philip Carr-Gomm shows how the way of Druids can be followed today. He explains-- The ancient history and inspiring beliefs of the ancient Druids-- Druidic wild wisdom and their tree-, animal- and herb-lore-- The mysteries of the Druids' seasonal celebrations-- The Druids' use of magic and how their spirituality relates to paths such as Wicca. This guide will show how the wild wisdom of the Druids can help us to connect with our spirituality, our innate creativity, the natural world and our sense of ancestry. The life-enhancing beliefs and practices of this spiritual path have much to offer our 21st-century world.

A practical guide to using the sacred herbs of Samhain for healing, divination, purification, protection, magic, and as tools for contacting the Spirits The ancient Celts separated the year into two halves, the light half and the dark half, summer and winter. The festival of Samhain, from which the modern holiday of Halloween originates, marks the transition from summer to winter, the end of the Celtic year, a time when the barriers between the physical and spiritual world are at their most transparent. The herbs most characteristic of this time have specific magical and healing properties that echo the darker aspect of the year and offer potent opportunities for divination, contact with ancestors and Land Spirits, and journeys in the Otherworld. Presenting a practical guide to the sacred herbs and trees of Samhain, Ellen Evert Hopman details the identification, harvest, and use of more than 70 plants and trees in healing, divination, purification, magic, and as tools for contacting the Spirits wandering the landscape at this liminal time of year. She explores the most effective plants for protection from the mischief of the "Good Neighbors," the Sidhe or Fairies, as well as herbs for releasing the Dead when they are trapped on this plane. Detailing the history, rites, and traditions of Samhain, Hopman explains how to make an offering to the Land Spirits and provides instructions for the traditional Samhain ritual of the Dumb Supper, complete with recipes for the sacred foods of Samhain, such as Soul Cakes, Colcannon, Boxty bread, and dandelion wine.

Trees mirror in many ways the life cycle of human beings: they are born from seed, they breathe and drink, they grow to maturity, reproduce and eventually die from age or disease. Their branches, roots and the veins of their leaves resemble human blood vessels, and certain species even ooze a reddish, blood-like sap when damaged.From ancient times, people appreciated the spiritual value of trees, singling out individual trees for special veneration. In Ireland the roots of tree worship reach deep into pagan Celtic religion and spirituality. Christine Zucchelli looks at these trees, from Fairy Thorns to Rag Trees, from Mass Bushes to Monument Trees. This fascinating exploration of their stories and legends reveals their spiritual, social and historical functions from pagan times to the present.

The GCC has chosen to establish what was once called a regular clergy, as distinct from a secular clergy-that is to say, something much closer to monks than to ministers. This was the core model for clergy in the old Celtic Church in Ireland, Wales, Brittany, and other Celtic nations, in the days before the Roman papacy imposed its rule on the lands of Europe's far west. Members of the Celtic clergy were monks first and foremost, living lives focused on service to the Divine rather than the needs of a congregation, and those who functioned as priests for local communities did so as a small portion of a monastic lifestyle that embraced many other dimensions. In all Gnostic traditions, personal religious experience is the goal that is set before each aspirant and the sole basis on which questions of a religious nature can be answered-certain teachings have been embraced as the core values from which the Gnostic Celtic Church as an organization derives its broad approach to spiritual issues. Those core teachings may be summarized in the words "Gnostic, Universalist, and Pelagian" which are described in this book.

Journey into Arthur's kingdom through the 22 Greater Powers of the Arthurian realm, together with the 56 Lesser Powers depicting the landscapes of Logres, the ancient Arthurian kingdom that lies outside of time. The book includes a complete meditation course leading you around the year, with the characters of the Arthurian world as your guides and teachers, along with detailed card meanings, divination methods and a wide selection of consultation spreads. By following the seasonal quest for the Hallows - the ancient treasures of the Goddess of the Land - you discover the spiritual empowerments of your soul's purpose. Meditate on the suits of Sword, Spear, Grail and Stone to assimilate the teachings of the cards and establish your own access to the realms within the timeless kingdom of King Arthur and his court.

Human heads have an enduring fascination. Believed to be Celtic, the carved Hexham Heads have cast a spell over all who have come into contact with them. Others have made examples in their image and those held by the author on this book cover are two such. On the left a replica created by the man who claimed to have made them in the 1950s. The other being made just ahead of a boy and his brother unearthing the subjects of this book. Since learning of the Hexham Heads and acquiring these 'archaic' facsimiles, Paul Screeton has spent forty years following what has been a QUEST FOR THE HEXHAM HEADS

James Bonwick (1817-1906), was a teacher, historian and author, who produced many books over his lifetime. Irish Druids and Old Irish Religions was written when the author was 77 years old, and was the culmination of many years of study. In it he covers a wide range of topics and opinions, from scholarly sources to the authors of the Druid Revival. While not going into great depth with any of the topics, his citations provide the reader with a starting point for further study. Which brings us to this new edition of the book, which has been re-edited, and given a new Biblography to replace the author's list of Authorities Cited, which could be vague, obscure, and provided no biblographic details. While this Biblography is by no means complete, it covers a large percentage of the citations, not only from the author's original list, but also from the main text itself which were not included on the list. This new edition is a must for any reader interested in ancient Ireland, ancient religions or the Druids.

An astonishing true story about one woman's journey to Ireland where she lived in a cottage with leprechauns. These seldom-seen beings taught her about the evolution of elementals-the race to which leprechauns, faeries, elves, trolls belong. They explained the importance of humans and elementals working together for the betterment of both of their races and the Earth. "Tanis Helliwell is a spiritual evocateur and deep seer who opens us up to other voice...other realms..." Jean Houston, author Search for the Beloved "This delightful book is not only great fun to read, but makes most interesting and intelligent suggestions about the reality and work of this particular branch of the nature world. It can help us open our minds to fascinating dimensions that do exist on the planet." Dorothy MacLean, co-founder of Findhorn and author of To Hear the Angels Sing "Opening this book opens a door in the imagination. Whether you take it as fact or fiction, this book carries a message of planetary priorities." Julia Cameron, An Artist's Way Tanis Helliwell, M.Ed., is the founder of The International Institute for Transformation (IIT). She has experienced and later worked with elementals, angels, and master teachers on other planes since childhood. Living on the sea coast north of Vancouver, Canada, she is the author of Pilgrimage with the Leprechauns, Take Your Soul to Work, Embraced by Love, and Decoding Your Destiny: Keys to Humanity's Spiritual Evolution.

The changing of the seasons, phases of the moon, even our personal experiences-all are reflections of the Divine Feminine. Create a stronger connection to the sacred world and your own divinity by welcoming these thirteen powerful Celtic and Nordic goddesses into your life. As you make your way through a transformative year, know that each goddess has a different energy and a unique lesson to teach you. Starting with the Winter Solstice, the eight seasonal Sabbats and five faces of the moon provide the guideposts along your path. Through ritual, invocation, guided meditations, and magical activities, you'll explore each goddess's unique mythology and discover her message for your life. Cerridwyn Welsh Goddess of Rebirth and Renewal Brigid Irish Goddess of Healing, the Forge, and Creative Inspiration Eostre Anglo-Saxon Goddess of Spring Freyja Norse Goddess of Love and War Aine Irish Goddess of Faeries and Fertility Danu Irish Mother Goddess of Wisdom Modron Welsh Mother Goddess of Mystery Hella Norse Goddess of the Underworld Branwen Welsh Goddess of Sovereignty Maeve Irish Goddess of Personal Power The Valkyries Norse Goddesses of Battle Magic and Soul Journey Morrighan Irish Goddess of Magic and Death Rhiannon Welsh Great Queen and Horse Goddess

This is an inspiring, magical and beautifully packaged collection of Celtic poetry compiled by a leading authority on Celtic tradition. Arranged into five thematic chapters, this anthology reflects the uniquely Celtic love of nature, history, love, myth, magic and spirituality. From the earliest times, the language-loving Celts revered their bards: they established a poetic tradition beginning in the 6th century with the intricate magical verse of Taliesin. It continued in the rich medieval works of Dafydd ap Gwilym and Rhys Goch and stayed strong in the 19th and 20th centuries with Gerald Manley Hopkins, and writers such as R.J. Stewart, Robin Williamson and Catherine Fisher. Matthews has chosen the finest works by the most diverse range of poets and translated many of the oldest for this volume. His selection will offer readers a window on to the world of the ancient Celtic peoples, celebrating their culture and the great masterpieces of lyricism and brilliance that have survived the ages.

We change and develop 'the past' with narrative, and we create 'the future' by re-mixing the stored elements in order to continue it onwards. All the verbal tenses cluster around the same mighty place, the same source of narrative and mythic significance. The people had a name for this place: the Well of Urdhr, Anglo-Saxon wyrd, one of three Norns of fate, Urdhr, Verdhandi and Skuld, who cluster around the Well. These Norns are mighty beings, beyond and above the gods, in the sense that they are eternal and know the fates, the rise and fall of the gods themselves. They are watchers of the Well and helpers to the Tree. The Tree, which contains all the worlds in present time, all the branches of the Now, is nourished at its roots by the Well's waters. 'Bright From the Well' consists of five stories plus five essays and a rune-poem. The stories revolve around themes from Norse myth - the marriage of Frey and Gerd, the story of how Gullveig-Heidh reveals her powers to the gods, a modern take on the social-origins myth Rig's Tale, Loki attending a pagan pub moot and the Ragnarok seen through the eyes of an ancient shaman. The essays include examination of the Norse creation or origins story, of the magician in or against the world and a chaoist's magical experiences looked at from the standpoint of Northern magic.' Dave Lee coaches breathwork, writes fiction and non-fiction, blends incenses and oils, creates music and collage.