Enter the Celtic world of gods, goddesses, & the cosmos, where King Arthur pulled a sword from a stone. Here, with maps & historical overviews, are some of the most powerful & unforgettable Celtic stories ever told. A dramatic series that captures, culture by culture, the information that never makes it into the history books: strange stories, mystic rites, angry gods, vision quests.
A century ago, Celtic groups descending from the famed Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn pioneered a fascinating form of ceremonial magic invoking Pagan Celtic powers instead of relying on the more commonly used Judeo-Christian names and symbols. Those groups disappeared many decades ago, and their teachings were lost. But today, their legacy has been reborn. Respected occult author and Grand Archdruid John Michael Greer has re-created a complete magical system based on the Celtic Golden Dawn traditions. This new book provides students with a complete curriculum of Druidical magic and occult wisdom, including training in ceremonial magic, meditation, pathworking, divination, geomancy, and herbal alchemy, allowing self-initiation into the three degrees of Ovate, Bard, and Druid. Structured to resemble a long-lost correspondence course, The Celtic Golden Dawn presents a series of knowledge lectures, meditations, and rituals leading to mastery of the most important magical techniques.
Queen of the Night helps readers understand the role and power of the moon in the ancient religions, folklore, and mythology of Ireland and the British isles and then discover how to tap that power in their daily lives. Queen of the Night is a journey into the world of Celtic cosmology, shamanism, and sacred animals, as well as Celtic language, art, and culture, to discover the power and centrality of the moon. Since the earliest times, from stone circles and passage graves to the rites and customs of Druids, the moon has been the symbol of the Goddess and has played a crucial role in worship and celebration. In 13 chapters representing the moon's monthly and annual cycles, NicMhacha tells the story of Celtic moon mythology, as well as touching upon Greek, Hindu, and Norse traditions. Each chapter sets forth the role of the moon in Celtic tradition and culture and includes poetry, quotes, or prayers honoring the moon. At the end of each chapter, she offers meditations, ceremonies, and exercises to help readers connect with the moon and apply its power to their lives. From the world of fairies to bards, seekers, and shamans; from the moon's role in the secret meetings of women spinners to the role of sacred animals and mythic beings, Queen of the Night is a lively, informative, and transformative book for anyone who wants to understand and experience the power of the moon.
Developed from an early oral storytelling tradition dating back to the dawn of European culture, this is one of the oldest and most vibrant of Europe's mythologies. From all six Celtic cultures - Irish, Scots, Welsh, Cornish, Manx and Breton - Peter Berresford Ellishas included popular myths and legends, as well as bringing to light exciting new tales which have been lying in manuscript form, untranslated and unknown to the modern general reader. The author brings not only his extensive knowledge of source material but also his acclaimed skills of storytelling to produce an original, enthralling and definitive collection of Celtic myths and legends - tales of gods and goddesses, heroes and heroines, magical weapons, fabulous beasts, and entities from the ancient Celtic world.
This book surveys the influence of the middle ages, and of medieval attitudes and values, on later periods and on the modern world. Many artistic, political and literary movements have drawn inspiration and sought their roots in the thousand years between 500 and 1500 AD. Medieval Christianity, and its rich legacy, has been the essential background to European culture as a whole.Gothic architecture and chivalry were two keys to Romanticism, while nationalists, including the Nazis, looked back to the middle ages to find emerging signs of national character. In literature few myths have been as durable or popular as those of King Arthur, stretching from the Dark Ages to Hollywood. In Search of the Holy Grail is a vivid account of how later ages learnt about and interpreted the middle ages.
"A history of Celtic thought and identity over the last three centuries. This book will be the first synoptic historical study of Celtic ideas in the modern era. The Celts are perennially popular in both academic and popular culture, having been the subject of several recent books--scholarly and otherwise--as well as a major exhibition, 'The Celts: Art and Identity', at the British Museum and National Museum of Scotland in 2015-16. However, attention remains overwhelmingly focused on the ancient peoples labelled 'Celts', with little interrogation of how and why they became known as such during the modern period. In addressing these questions this study will be the first to account for the trajectory of ideas of the Celts--or 'Celticism'--and how they became fundamental pillars of national identities in western Europe, especially in Britain, Ireland, and France. A transnational approach covering the period from roughly 1700 to the present day will allow the proposed volume to chart the transformation of perceptions of the Celts from those of a sought-after European ancestor to those of a marginalised people living on the 'fringes' of western Europe. In doing so it will illustrate the wider intellectual, cultural, and political ramifications of this protracted ideological shift in different national contexts. As nationalism resurfaces across Europe, this timely study will reveal the intellectual history of a prominent cultural identity and show the historical contingency of Celtic-based nations, national identities, and nationalisms"--
Award-winning author Tanner has journeyed throughout the Celtic world--from the wilds of Northwest Scotland to the Isle of Man, and from Boston to Cape Breton--seeking the Celtic past and what remains of authentic culture.