Celtic Gods Celtic Goddesses

Many of the beliefs and customs of the ancient Celts persist even today, sometimes in surprising ways-and interest just keeps growing. Through illustrations old and new, this guide to Celtic magic and religion examines their enduring strength and continued relevance. It provides background on the Celts and their relationship to nature, their totem animals and mother goddesses, and the Irish Book of Invasions that supplied so much material for the mythological tradition. Individual chapters focus on such significant figures as Brighid, the sister or virgin aspect of the Great Goddess, as well as The Divine Ancestor and the Son of Light.

Most people have heard of the Celts--the elusive, ancient tribal people who resided in present-day England, Ireland, Scotland and France. Paradoxically characterized as both barbaric and innocent, the Celts appeal to the modern world as a symbol of a bygone era, a world destroyed by the ambition of empire and the spread of Christianity throughout Western Europe. Despite the pervasive cultural and literary influence of the Celts, shockingly little is known of their way of life and beliefs, because very few records of their stories exist. In this book, for the first time, Philip Freeman brings together the best stories of Celtic mythology. Everyone today knows about the gods and heroes of the ancient Greeks, such as Zeus, Hera, and Hercules, but how many people have heard of the Gaulish god Lugus or the magical Welsh queen Rhiannon or the great Irish warrior Cú Chulainn? We still thrill to the story of the Trojan War, but the epic battles of the Irish Táin Bó Cuailgne are known only to a few. And yet those who have read the stories of Celtic myth and legend-among them writers like J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis-have been deeply moved and influenced by these amazing tales, for there is nothing in the world quite like them. In these stories a mysterious and invisible realm of gods and spirits exists alongside and sometimes crosses over into our own human world; fierce women warriors battle with kings and heroes, and even the rules of time and space can be suspended. Captured in vivid prose these shadowy figures-gods, goddesses, and heroes-come to life for the modern reader.

Brings the history of these gods and goddesses to life, along with visualizations, rituals, and exercises to help make them part of the reader’s spiritual practice. Figures like Brigid, Cernunnos, Rhiannon, and the Morrigan are honored for their magic, their bravery, and their mythical deeds. Among pagans, the gods and goddesses of Gaul, Ireland, Wales, and the other Celtic lands rank with the most popular and influential of the Greek, Roman, Norse, and Egyptian pantheons. This book provides an accessible guide for readers to learn about and connect spiritually with the gods and goddesses of the Celtic lands: Learn key features of each of the major Irish, Welsh, and continental Celtic deities Discover the major myths and lore associated with each deity Create rituals and magical work appropriate for each deity Understand the psychological archetypes of each god and goddess Forge true and meaningful relationships with the deities for our time Relate the various gods and goddesses to the sabbats and holy days

This text offers a wide-ranging review of the significance of the female in Celtic myth and religion. Celtic goddesses presided over nature, animals, healing and fertility. Terrifying battle goddesses were invoked in times of war and a Mother Goddess was supplicated for the fertility of animals and crops. Goddesses were often linked with animals - birds, dogs, bears, pigs and snakes all had their divine protectresses.

Tap into the mythic power of the Celtic goddesses, gods, heroes, and heroines to aid your spiritual quests and magickal goals. Human and divine energies complement each other; when joined, they become a potent catalyst for true magick and change. Celtic Myth & Magick describes the energies of over 300 cross-referenced Celtic deities and heroic figures so you can quickly determine which one can best help you in attaining specific goals through magick—such as greater prosperity (Cernunnos), glowing health (Airmid), or a soul partner (Aengus MacOg). This guidebook explains how to use creative Pagan ritual and pathworking to align yourself with the energy of these powerful archetypes. Undertake three magickal quests to the inner plane—where you’ll join forces with Cuchulain, Queen Maeve, and Merlin the Magician to bring their energies directly into your life. This inspiring, well-researched book is written especially for solitary Pagans who seek to expand the boundaries of their practice to form working partnerships with the divine.

Though men dominated early Irish society, women dominated the supernatural. Goddesses of war, fertility, and sovereignty ordered human destiny. Christian monks, in recording the old stories, turned these pagan deities into saints, like St Brigit, or into mortal queens like Medb of Connacht. The Morrigan, the Great Queen, war goddess, remains a figure of awe, but her pagan functions are glossed over. She perches, crow of battle, on the dying warrior CuChulainn's pillar stone, but her role as his tutelary deity, and as planner and fomentor of the whole tremendous Tain, the war between Ulster and Connacht, is obscured. Unlike the Anglo-Irish authors who in modern times treated the same material in English, the good Irish monks were not shocked by her sexual aggressiveness. They show her coupling with the Dagda, the 'good god' of the Tuatha De Danann before the second battle of Mag Tuired, but they conceal that this act - by a goddess of war, fertility and sovereignty - gives the Dagda's people victory and the possession of Ireland. Or they reduce the sovereignty to allegory - when Niall of the Nine Hostages sleeps with the Hag she is allegorical of the trials of kingship! With the English invasion and colonization, the power of the goddesses diminishes further. The book shows the fall in status of the pagan goddesses, first under medieval Christianity and then under Anglo-Irish culture. That this fall shows a loss in the recognition of the roles of women seems evident from the texts. This human loss only begins to be restored when, presiding over the severed heads in Yeats's The Death of Cuchulain, the Morrigu declares, 'I arranged the Dance.'

Dagda swept his fingers across the strings of the harp, and a beautiful melody started to play. It was the music of grief that had the Fomorians stop and bow their heads as they sobbed. Even the soldiers sobbed, but they drew their mantles so none could see the tears flowing... Celtic Mythology has through the ages inspired poets, authors, and songwriters alike with its ancient heritage of sagas, myths, legends, and battles. We live in a modern world that explains most myths and legends. However, there is still much that cannot be explained. To better understand who we are, it is essential to know where we came from and the cultures that were our past. Learning about Celtic mythology will help to keep these cultures alive for our future generations. Through books like this one and the interest of all its wonderful readers, these myths and legends will stay alive well into the future. And if you're looking for a collection of Celtic myths that speak to all ages then keep reading because the path to your calling has been answered with this book. Inside you will find heroic stories of gods and goddesses and epic tales of love and betrayal. Misty rolling hills, lochs, rugged mountains, and mysterious creatures form the grounds for the myths and legends. Discover heroic adventures, mythical creatures, intriguing fairy tales, magic and folklore. All This & Much More Including: > Celtics Beliefs, Ways of Worship & Rituals > The Mysterious Tombs of The Celtics & How They Aligned With The Stars > How Nature & Her Sacred Creatures Have Shaped Celtic Culture > Celtic Gods & Goddesses - including Dagda - Supreme God of The Celts, Lug - The God of Justice & Many More > The Legendary Origins of Merlin the Magician (Made Famous By Disney) > Welsh, Scottish, Irish, Brittany, Manx & Celtic Myths + Legends > Llefelys & Lludd - A Story of Dragons, Demons & A Thieving Wizard > The Leprechaun - Learn about the little green man synonymous with the Irish - but be careful what you wish for, as everything has a price. > Discover The Druids & Their Sacred Art of Healing Through Herbs > Why The Celts Were Sworn Enemies of Julius Caesar > Celtic Mythology That Has Inspired Star Wars, Harry Potter & Other Movies And much, much more… Open a door to another world…. a world of adventure, heroism, romance and magic. Celtic mythology, your calling has been answered with This Book.

“A masterfully blend of history, mythology, spell work and personal anecdote that beautifully explores the depth and breadth of ‘The Great Queen.’” —Amy Blackthorn, priestess of The Morrigan, and author of Blackthorn’s Botanical Magic “She is the spirit of fury and peace, power and destruction, joy and terror,” writes author Courtney Weber. "She is warrior, queen, death omen, mother, murderer, lover, spy, conspirator, faery, shape-shifter, healer, and sometimes the living earth itself. A captivating contradiction: a demonic female who both haunts and heals; benevolent in one moment, ghastly the next, and kind the moment after that.” The Morrigan is one of Pagan Ireland’s most famous—and notorious—goddesses. Her name translated as “phantom queen” or “great queen,” the Morrigan is famous for being a goddess of war, witchcraft and death, protection and retribution. This book also explores her patronage of motherhood, healing, shapeshifting, and the land. Classified among the Sidhe (fairies), the Morrigan dates back at least to Ireland’s Iron Age, but she is as modern as she is ancient―enjoying a growing contemporary and global following. Author Courtney Weber provides a guide for the modern devotee of this complex, mysterious goddess that encompasses practical veneration with modern devotionals, entwined with traditional lore and Irish-Celtic history.