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Overview
A comprehensive look at Irish, Scottish, Welsh, and continental Celtic traditions, both pagan and Christian, this guide includes the Celtic approach to shamanism, fairies, Wicca, neopaganism, magic, and Druidism. It draws a map for today’s Celtic quest, with the way of the pilgrim, honor of one’s ancestors, and the language and culture.
The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Yorkshire Celtic Wisdom helps you understand the many varieties of celtic spirituality and mysticism. In this Complete Idiot’s Guide®, you get:
• The spiritual history of the Celts, from ancient shamans to renowned druids to modern paganism.
• The magical realm of spirit—otherwise known as the otherworld.
• The mysticism of the natural world, from standing to holy wells
• Why myths and stories are so important to the Celtic tradition.
The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Yorkshire Celtic Wisdom helps you understand the many varieties of celtic spirituality and mysticism. In this Complete Idiot’s Guide®, you get:
• The spiritual history of the Celts, from ancient shamans to renowned druids to modern paganism.
• The magical realm of spirit—otherwise known as the otherworld.
• The mysticism of the natural world, from standing to holy wells
• Why myths and stories are so important to the Celtic tradition.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781440695810 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | DK |
| Publication date: | 05/06/2003 |
| Series: | COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE |
| Sold by: | Penguin Group |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 384 |
| File size: | 4 MB |
About the Author
CARL McCOLMAN is a freelance writer and spiritual teacher based in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the author of several books including The Well-Read Witch and The Aspiring Mystic. A practitioner of nature spirituality for more than a decade, he is the co-founder and former leader of a druid grove and currently is the co-leader of an interfaith pagan meditation circle.
Table of Contents
| Part 1 | Welcome to Celtic Wisdom | 1 |
| 1 | Introducing the World of Celtic Wisdom | 3 |
| The Heart of a Warrior | 4 | |
| What Makes a Celt Tick? | 6 | |
| Entry-Points to the Celtic Tradition | 6 | |
| Spirituality, Wisdom, Tradition: Understanding the Path | 13 | |
| What's in It for Me: The Benefits of the Celtic Way | 14 | |
| 2 | A History of a Proud People | 17 |
| Why History Matters | 18 | |
| Before the Celts Were Celts | 19 | |
| Celtic Archaeology: From Hallstatt to La Tene | 19 | |
| The Coming of Christianity | 23 | |
| The Six Nations: Today's Celtic World | 26 | |
| The Lessons of History | 29 | |
| 3 | The Concept of Celticity | 31 |
| Defining Celticity | 32 | |
| Real Celts and Cardiac Celts | 36 | |
| The Wisdom of Being a Marginal Culture | 37 | |
| Wisdom, Language, and Celticity | 38 | |
| Of Pipes, Whistles, and Fiddles: Celtic Music | 39 | |
| 4 | The Seven Dimensions of Celtic Wisdom | 41 |
| A Few Basic Celtic Wisdom Principles | 42 | |
| The Seven Branches of Celtic Wisdom | 45 | |
| Finding Your Path | 53 | |
| Activity: Keep a Journal | 54 | |
| 5 | The Sovereignty of Nature | 55 |
| The Secret of Celtic Wisdom: Partnership with Nature | 56 | |
| Nature: The Heart of Celtic Wisdom | 58 | |
| The Sovereignty of the Land | 60 | |
| Putting Spirituality in Its Place | 63 | |
| More About Holy Wells | 65 | |
| Walk Your Talk | 68 | |
| 6 | The Otherworld: Nature's Dance Partner | 69 |
| What Is the Otherworld? | 70 | |
| A Geography of the Otherworld | 73 | |
| Gateways to the Otherworld | 74 | |
| Denizens of the Otherworld | 76 | |
| The Psychology of the Otherworld | 79 | |
| Part 2 | The Three Paths | 81 |
| 7 | Singers, Seers, and Sages | 83 |
| "Song of Amergin" | 84 | |
| What the Classical Writers Had to Say About the Druids | 85 | |
| Celtic Quiz: Which Path Is Right for You? | 86 | |
| The Bards: Keepers of the Past | 90 | |
| The Ovates: Keepers of the Future | 91 | |
| The Druids: Keepers of the Present | 91 | |
| 8 | Songs and Stories: The Path of the Bard | 93 |
| The Quest for the Imbas: Fire in the Head | 93 | |
| Taliesin: The Quintessential Bard | 95 | |
| Other Elements of the Bardic Tradition | 97 | |
| Samildanach: To Be Talented in Many Ways | 101 | |
| Nine Steps Toward Becoming a Bard | 104 | |
| 9 | Psychic Development: The Path of the Seer | 109 |
| What Is an Ovate? | 110 | |
| The Elements of the Seer's Craft | 112 | |
| Examples of Famous Seers | 114 | |
| The Lorica: A Key to Psychic Self-Defense | 115 | |
| Nine Steps to Becoming a Seer | 118 | |
| 10 | Devotion to the Ways of Wisdom: The Path of the Druid | 123 |
| Just What Is a Druid? | 124 | |
| The Three Ages of the Druids | 124 | |
| More Than Just Priests: The Wisdom Aspect of Druidry | 127 | |
| Druids as Counselors: The Anamchara | 128 | |
| Other Pieces of the Druid Puzzle | 132 | |
| Nine Steps to Becoming a Druid | 134 | |
| 11 | Rituals and Tools: Supplies for the Celtic Wisdomseeker | 141 |
| Your Personal Altar | 142 | |
| The Virtue of Asking | 146 | |
| What Is Ritual? | 147 | |
| A Sample Ritual | 150 | |
| Part 3 | Mythology and Lore | 155 |
| 12 | Storytelling: The Waltz of Remembering | 157 |
| The Role of the Shanachie in Celtic Wisdom | 158 | |
| The Monks and the Myths: Preserving the Stories | 161 | |
| Overview of the Mythic Sources | 163 | |
| Common Themes and Motifs in Celtic Myth and Legend | 166 | |
| Making Your Own Connection with the Lore | 168 | |
| Storytelling for the Future | 169 | |
| 13 | The Irish Tradition | 171 |
| The Four Cycles of Irish Myth | 172 | |
| Key Themes in the Myths | 174 | |
| Meet the Characters of Irish Myth | 175 | |
| Where to Go for Further Study | 183 | |
| 14 | The Welsh Tradition | 185 |
| The Main Stories and Themes of Welsh Tradition | 186 | |
| The Poetry and Triads of Wales | 188 | |
| The Legacy of the Welsh Tradition: The Arthurian Cycle | 188 | |
| Who's Who in Welsh Myth | 189 | |
| Where to Go for Further Study | 194 | |
| 15 | Archaeology, Folklore, and the Living Tradition | 195 |
| Archaeology: Every Picture (and Artifact) Tells a Story | 196 | |
| Folklore as a Source of Wisdom | 197 | |
| The Power of Place | 198 | |
| Modern Interpretations of Celtic Deity | 200 | |
| A Who's Who of Other Celtic Deities | 203 | |
| Comparative Mythology: The Ultimate Research Adventure | 204 | |
| Where to Go for Further Study | 205 | |
| Part 4 | Further Steps Along the Path | 207 |
| 16 | Quest for a Disciplined Mind | 209 |
| Please Pass the Elbow Grease | 209 | |
| The Disciplined Mind of the Druid | 210 | |
| Elements of a Disciplined Mind | 212 | |
| Unleashing Your Inner Druid | 217 | |
| 17 | Reaching Out to the Otherworld | 219 |
| The Path of the Celtic Shaman | 220 | |
| What Is Shamanism? | 220 | |
| Entering the Otherworld: The Quintessential Shamanic Activity | 222 | |
| Contacting Otherworld Guides | 223 | |
| What Is the Purpose of Shamanism? | 224 | |
| Key Voices in Celtic Shamanism | 225 | |
| Tree and Landscape Meditation | 226 | |
| 18 | Revering the Ancestors | 229 |
| Honor Your Father(s) and Mother(s) | 230 | |
| The Concept of Worship | 231 | |
| How to Honor the Ancestors | 233 | |
| Celtic Reconstruction: One Way to Honor the Ancestors | 237 | |
| The Ultimate Honor: Living an Honorable Life | 238 | |
| 19 | Befriending the Good People | 239 |
| Where Do Faeries Come From? | 240 | |
| What's Unique About Celtic Faeries | 241 | |
| The History of Faery Contact | 243 | |
| Sites Associated with the Faeries | 245 | |
| What's So Wise About the Faeries? | 250 | |
| Faery Protocol | 251 | |
| 20 | Celtic Spirituality and Christianity: Cultivating the Heart of Holiness | 253 |
| The Story of the Coming of Christianity | 254 | |
| How Celtic Wisdom + Christianity = Celtic Christianity | 257 | |
| Brigid: Christian Saint, or Goddess Makeover? | 259 | |
| Christianity and Hostility | 261 | |
| Christopaganism: A Celtic Possibility | 263 | |
| Key Voices in Celtic Christianity | 265 | |
| Cultivating the Heart of Holiness as a Celtic Wisdomseeker | 266 | |
| 21 | Mastering the Magical Arts | 267 |
| The Controversial Concept of Magic | 267 | |
| Celtic Magic 101 | 269 | |
| Celtic Witchcraft?! | 273 | |
| Wicca and Celtic Magic | 275 | |
| Magical Ethics: The Wiccan Rede and the Law of Three | 279 | |
| Key Voices in Celtic Wicca | 280 | |
| 22 | The Quest for the Grail | 281 |
| The Grail Tradition | 282 | |
| Key Themes of the Grail Quest | 288 | |
| Embarking on Your Own Grail Quest | 291 | |
| Key Voices in the Grail Quest | 292 | |
| Part 5 | Applied Celtic Wisdom | 293 |
| 23 | Divination: The Theory and Practice of Spiritual Guidance | 295 |
| The History of Celtic Divination | 296 | |
| Celtic Divination Today | 297 | |
| The Tree Ogham: A Modern Celtic Oracle | 300 | |
| Commercially Available Celtic Divination Systems | 306 | |
| 24 | The Cycles of Time | 309 |
| The Real Reason Why Clocks Are Round! | 310 | |
| The Wheel of the Year | 310 | |
| Samhain: Roaming Spirits and the Chill of Death | 314 | |
| Imbolc: Bridget's Milk and Pregnant Ewes | 315 | |
| Beltain: Blossoming Hawthorn and Nighttime Revels | 316 | |
| Lughnasa: Sporting Games and a Harvest of Grain | 317 | |
| Solstices and Equinoxes | 318 | |
| The Dark Comes First: The Symbolism of the Cycle | 319 | |
| The Cycles of Time and the Nature of Human Existence | 320 | |
| 25 | Practical Celtic Wisdom: Living the Celtic Life Today | 321 |
| A Nine-Step Process to Living the Celtic Life | 322 | |
| By Yourself or with Others: Living the Life of a Wisdomkeeper | 328 | |
| Celtic Spirituality in a Group Setting | 329 | |
| Honoring the Path of Wisdom: Celtic Ethics | 331 | |
| The Virtues of Brigid as a Template for Honor | 332 | |
| Appendixes | ||
| A | Bibliography | 335 |
| B | Online Resources | 345 |
| C | Timeline of Celtic History | 351 |
| Index | 357 |
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