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Books > Religion & Spirituality > Non-Christian religions > Pre-Christian European & Mediterranean religions > Ancient Celtic religion
Fairies are a challenging subject, intertwining culture, folklore, and anecdotal accounts across centuries and millennia. Focusing primarily on the Celtic speaking cultures, with some material from adjacent cultures including Anglo-Saxon and Norse, A New Dictionary of Fairies has in-depth entries on a variety of fairies as well as subjects related to them, such as why we picture elves with pointed ears or where the idea of fairies being invisible comes from. It also tackles more complicated topics like the nature and physicality of the fairy people. Anyone with an interest in the Good Neighbours will find this book a solid resource to draw from.
Tom Cowan's latest book weaves together chapters about the interplay of soul and nature, and describes how this interplay creates mystical pathways between the human and nonhuman worlds. Each beautifully crafted chapter is a small window into the mysteries of nature and soul, a meditation on Spirit infusing our daily lives. Cowan draws on the teachings of medieval mystics, legends of fairies, Celtic songs, present-day poets and seekers, and Native American stories.
An epic saga of greed, sorcery and one man's heroic sacrifice. Ireland's legendary super hero, Cu Chulainn, stands alone against the thousands of warriors controlled by the enchantress Queen Maeve, who is determined to capture the Brown Bull of Cooley and claim the lands of Ulster for her own. Supernatural feats of strength, ferocious battles and the tragic destinies of Cu Chulainn and Ferdia are vividly recreated in this action-packed, glorious retelling of one of the most famous stories from ancient Celtic myth. This unique and powerful graphic novel brings to life the legendary figure that is Cu Chulainn.
Following on from Healing Power of Celtic Plants, Angela Paine's latest book covers a new range of Celtic medicinal plants which are native to Britain, as well as a few plants, such as Sage and Rosemary, which were introduced by the Romans. Combining the latest scientific data on the healing properties of the herbs used by the ancient Celts with recent archaeological discoveries, written in a jargon-free, easy to understand narrative style and offering a botanical description of each plant, an outline of their chemical constituents, and advice on ways to grow, harvest, preserve and use each plant, Healing Plants of the Celtic Druids is an essential guide.
Scottish Witchcraft is an introduction and guide to the magickal folk traditions of the Highlands of Scotland. Author Barbara Meiklejohn-Free, a Scottish hereditary witch, takes you on a journey through her own spiritual awakening into the craft and shares the ins and outs of incorporating these ancient magical traditions into your own life. Discover the secrets to divination, scrying, faerie magic, and communicating with ancestors. Explore herb and plant lore, Scottish folk traditions, and magic rituals for your specific needs. Filled with inspiring anecdotes, craft history, and step-by-step instructions, this book will help you begin a new chapter of spiritual discovery.
The mythologies of the world are collective cultural dreams, and as such should be analyzed first from cultural perspectives. How do myths of the ancient Egyptians or Greeks, for instance, reflect the realities of the Egyptian and Greek cultures? When compared, however, mythologies reveal certain universal themes or motifs that point to larger trans-cultural issues such as the place of the human species in creation or the nature of deity as a concept. World Mythology: A Very Short Introduction is organized around the universal motifs. Creation, the Flood, the Hero Quest, the Trickster/Culture Hero, the Pantheons, the High God, the Great Goddess. Veteran mythology scholar David Leeming examines examples of each motif from a variety of cultures-Greek, Egyptian, Norse, American Indian, African, Polynesian, Jewish, Christian, Hindu-treating them as reflections of the cultures that "dreamed" them. He compares and analyzes them, exposing their universal significance and creating a "world mythology."
The first and only Druidic book of spells, rituals, and practice.
The Druid Magic Handbook is the first manual of magical practice in
Druidry, one of the fastest growing branches of the Pagan movement.
The book breaks new ground, teaching Druids how to practice ritual
magic for practical and spiritual goals within their own tradition.
What sets The Druid Magic Handbook apart is that it does not
require the reader to use a particular pantheon or set of symbols.
Although it presents one drawn from Welsh Druid tradition, it also
shows the reader how to adapt rites and other practices to fit the
deities and symbols most meaningful to them. This cutting edge
system of ritual magic can be used by Druids, Pagans, Christians,
and Thelemites alike!
Longlisted for the Highland Book Prize 2020 From the author of The Long Take, shortlisted for the Booker Prize and winner of both the Walter Scott Prize and the Goldsmiths Prize. 'I've long admired Robin Robertson's narrative gift . . . If you love stories, you will love this book.' Val McDermid Like some lost chapters from the Celtic folk tradition, Grimoire tells stories of ordinary people caught up, suddenly, in the extraordinary: tales of violence, madness and retribution, of second sight, witches, ghosts, selkies, changelings and doubles, all bound within a larger mythology, narrated by a doomed shape-changer - a man, beast or god. A grimoire is a manual for invoking spirits. Here, Robin Robertson and his brother Tim Robertson - whose accompanying images are as unforgettable as cave-paintings - raise strange new forms which speak not only of the potency of our myths and superstitions, but how they were used to balance and explain the world and its predicaments. From one of our most powerful lyric poets, this is a book of curses and visions, gifts both desired and unwelcome, characters on the cusp of their transformation - whether women seeking revenge or saving their broken children, or men trying to save themselves. Haunting and elemental, Grimoire is full of the same charged beauty as the Scottish landscape - a beauty that can switch, with a mere change in the weather, to hostility and terror.
A history of the cult of the ancient Druids, exploring who they really were and what role they played in the Celtic world. The author's interpretation of the facts is based on both archaeological and etymological findings. Peter Berresford Ellis sifts through evidence and, with reference to the latest archaeological findings and the use of etymology, shows that the Druids have been subject to a swaythe of propaganda and myth-making through the centuries.
This introduction to modern Druidism provides a comprehensive overview of today's Pagan religion and philosophy, whose roots go back to the Celtic tribal societies of ancient Britain and Ireland. The author covers Druidism's mythology, history and important figures and its beliefs and moral system, and describes practices, rituals and ceremonies. A gazetteer of important sacred sites in Europe and America is included, along with information about modern Druid groups and organizations.
Crushed by the Romans in the first century A.D., the ancient Druids of Britain left almost no reliable evidence behind. Because of this, historian Ronald Hutton shows, succeeding British generations have been free to reimagine, reinterpret, and reinvent the Druids. Hutton's captivating book is the first to encompass two thousand years of Druid history and to explore the evolution of English, Scottish, and Welsh attitudes toward the forever ambiguous figures of the ancient Celtic world. Druids have been remembered at different times as patriots, scientists, philosophers, or priests; sometimes portrayed as corrupt, bloodthirsty, or ignorant, they were also seen as fomenters of rebellion. Hutton charts how the Druids have been written in and out of history, archaeology, and the public consciousness for some 500 years, with particular focus on the romantic period, when Druids completely dominated notions of British prehistory. Sparkling with legends and images, filled with new perspectives on ancient and modern times, this book is a fascinating cultural study of Druids as catalysts in British history.
Why this is not another book on Celtic astrology. To our knowledge, there is no other book on the topic of ancient Celtic astrology. It is an in-depth research on what was, or must have been, the speculations and teachings of the ancient Druids on the subjects of cosmology, astronomy and astrology. Our present understanding of what was Celtic astrology is based mainly on the speculations of modern authors such as Robert Graves, et alia, and thus suffers many misconceptions. The critical review of eminent scholars such as the Vedantist Dr. David Frawley, the Celticist Joseph Monard, provided a plausible working model for ancient druidical astrology. To my knowledge, no other book has thoroughly expounded this difficult subject.
Memory and Foresight in the Celtic World delves deep into the experience of Celtic communities and individuals in the late medieval period through to the modern age. Its thirteen essays range widely, from Scottish soldiers in France in the fifteenth century to Gaelic-speaking communities in rural New South Wales in the twentieth, and expatriate Irish dancers in the twenty-first. Connecting them are the recurring themes of memory and foresight: how have Celtic communities maintained connections to the past while keeping an eye on the future? Chapters explore language loss and preservation in Celtic countries and among Celtic migrant communities, and the influence of Celtic culture on writers such as Dylan Thomas and James Joyce. In Australia, how have Irish, Welsh and Scottish migrants engaged with the politics and culture of their home countries, and how has the idea of a Celtic identity changed over time? Drawing on anthropology, architecture, history, linguistics, literature and philosophy, Memory and Foresight in the Celtic World offers diverse, thought-provoking insights into Celtic culture and identity.
The first modern study of prehistoric religion in Ireland to draw on the combined evidence of archaeology, literature and folklore to illuminate practice and belief from the earliest human habitation in the island down to the advent of Christianity in the fifth century AD. An excellent book... a highly accessible and lively assessment of continuity and change in belief and religion from pre-Celtic times through to the arrival of St Patrick. ...Afine book and to be recommended to a wide readership, especially to all those who think that Irish history started in 1601. IRISH STUDIES REVIEW DAITHI O HOGAIN was Professor of Folklore at University College Dublin.
This book sets a new agenda for mortuary archaeology. Applying explicit case studies based on a range of European sites (from Scandinavia to Britain, Southern France to the Black Sea), 'Mortuary Practices and Social Identities in the Middle Ages' fulfills the need for a volume that provides accessible material to students and engages with current debates in mortuary archaeology's methods and theories. The book builds upon Heinrich Harke's influential research on burial archaeology and early medieval migrations, focusing in particular on his ground-breaking work on the relationship between the theory and practice of burial archaeology. Using diverse archaeological and historical data, the essays explore how mortuary practices have served in the make-up and expression of medieval social identities. Themes explored include masculinity, kinship, ethnicity, migration, burial rites, genetics and the perception of landscape.
A comprehensive and practical guide to the ancient oracle based on the alphabet of the Druids. - Describes the symbolism and mythology of the 20 "tree letters" and their magical correspondences. - Includes instructions on how to make your own Ogam divination sticks, cast the oracle, and perceive omens. - Provides historical background and bibliographic references to the Druidic mythology ruling this 1,500-year-old oracle. The ancient Ogam alphabet is a magical and mysterious script, the Celtic equivalent of the runes that can teach us about our fate and future. Named after woodland trees, Ogam's 20 "tree letters" all have unique wisdom to impart that is linked to figures and themes from Celtic mythology. The author addresses three major areas in this book: Ogamlore, the history of this 1500-year-old oracle of the Celtic Druids; Ogamfews, the meaning of the individual tree letters, their magic, characteristics, folklore, and related stories; and Ogamcasting, the practical art of Ogam divination, which includes spreads, castings, and how to create your own Ogam set. With these tools of ancient Celtic wisdom, readers will receive insights and guidance on how to maneuver through life's questions and challenges.
Exploring the mystical traditions of Scotland and Ireland, this exciting project reads like a memoir but with insight and a call to action on every page. THE MIST-FILLED PATH is about embracing indigenous wisdom and using that wisdom in daily practice. More than simply retelling Celtic stories, the book encourages seekers to act to transform their world as they heal themselves.
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.
Noted French scholar and linguist discusses the gods of the continental Celts, the beginnings of mythology in Ireland, heroes, and the two main categories of Irish deities: mother-goddesses-local, rural spirits of fertility or of war-and chieftain-gods: national deities who are magicians, nurturers, craftsmen, and protectors of the people.
Diana Beresford-Kroeger - a world-recognised botanist and medical biochemist - has revolutionised our understanding of the natural world with her startling insights into the hidden life of trees. In this riveting memoir, she uncovers the roots of her discoveries in her extraordinary childhood in Ireland. Soon after, her brilliant mind bloomed into an illustrious scientific career that melds the intricacies of the natural world with the truths of traditional Celtic wisdom. To Speak for the Trees uniquely blends the story of Beresford-Kroeger's incredible life and her outstanding achievement as a scientist. It elegantly shows us how forests can not only heal us as people but can also help save the planet. AUTHOR: Diana Beresford-Kroeger is a world-recognized botanist, medical biochemist, and author, whose work uniquely combines western scientific knowledge and the traditional concepts of the ancient world. Her books include The Sweetness of a Simple Life, The Global Forest, Arboretum Borealis, Arboretum America, Time Will Tell, and A Garden for Life. Currently she is advocating on behalf of an ambitious global bioplan that encourages ordinary people to develop a new relationship with nature and to restore the global forest.
Including works from Welsh, Irish and Scottish Gaelic, Cornish, Breton and Manx, this Celtic Miscellany offers a rich blend of poetry and prose from the eighth to the nineteenth century, and provides a unique insight into the minds and literature of the Celtic people. It is a literature dominated by a deep sense of wonder, wild inventiveness and a profound sense of the uncanny, in which the natural world and the power of the individual spirit are celebrated with astonishing imaginative force. Skifully arranged by theme, from the hero-tales of Cu Chulainn, Bardic poetry and elegies, to the sensitive and intimate writings of early Celtic Christianity, this anthology provides a fascinating insight into a deeply creative literary tradition. Kenneth Hurlstone Jackson was born in 1909. He began his career as a lecturer in Celtic at Cambridge, before becoming the first chair of the Department of Celtic Language and Literature at Harvard. He undertook war service with the Uncommon Languages section of British censorship and subsequently held professorships at Harvard and Edinburgh. Professor Jackson died in 1991. |
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