Celtic Wisdom

“In this twenty-fifth anniversary edition, you will find John a “soul friend” on your own journey through life, offering support and solace, clarity, and consciousness—expanding narratives that invite you to experience relationships with people, nature, and even your inner world in new ways that nurture well-being and resilience in these challenging times.” —Daniel J. Siegel, MD, Neuropsychiatrist and New York Times Bestselling Author A special twenty-fifth anniversary edition of the classic work of Celtic spirituality and mysticism by beloved poet and philosopher, John O'Donohue, with a new introduction by the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, an afterword by the late author’s brother, Pat O'Donohue, and insightful material from O'Donohue's circle of close friends. In this revered classic, John O’Donohue excavates themes of friendship, belonging, solitude, creativity and the imagination, among many others. Widely recognized for bringing Celtic spirituality into modern dialogue, his unique insights from the ancient world speak with urgency for our need to rediscover the thresholds of the soul. With lyrical wisdom and fluency, O'Donohue encourages pathways of discovery to come home to the natural rhythm in ourselves in sacred connection with one another and the landscapes we inhabit. This timeless collection nourishes the heart and elevates the spirit. It is "a book to read and reread forever.” (Irish Times)

From sayings and stories to prayers and proverbs, this collection of classic Celtic wisdom reveals the authentic core of this rich spiritual heritage! Discover the stories of St. Patrick, Brigid, and the Twelve Apostles of Erin. And learn to see the Creator in the natural world with beautifully illustrated images of Ireland!--publisher.

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 Celts didn't just preserve their wisdom through words. They also danced and feasted. They costumed themselves and decorated their villages. They loved and sang and prayed their way through the wild and mysterious pageantry of heroes and heroines, gods and goddesses, conquests and tragedies that reminded them of who they were. Discover the full rich treasury of Celtic festivals and rituals, as you learn the Celtic way to welcome the seasons, honor the dead, celebrate the birth of the Child of Promise, pay homage to the Bride, clean the house, make pilgrimages to holy places, rekindle your passion, and all the other universal experiences that make us human. And then, like the Celtics themselves, create your own celebrations. You'll find complete instructions including recipes, ideas for decoration, what to wear, and ritual resources. If you like, start by changing your familiar Halloween traditions to introduce traditional Celtic Samhain versions of trick-or-treating and making jack-o'-lanterns. Or hold a Winter Solstice party, an Imholc celebration of the divine feminine, a May Queen and Green Man festival, or, for just the two of you, a Beltane rite of the renewal of passion.

Canadian botanist, biochemist and visionary Diana Beresford-Kroeger's startling insights into the hidden life of trees have already sparked a quiet revolution in how we understand our relationship to forests. Now, in a captivating account of how her life led her to these illuminating and crucial ideas, she shows us how forests can not only heal us but save the planet. When Diana Beresford-Kroeger--whose father was a member of the Anglo-Irish aristocracy and whose mother was an O'Donoghue, one of the stronghold families who carried on the ancient Celtic traditions--was orphaned as a child, she could have been sent to the Magdalene Laundries. Instead, the O'Donoghue elders, most of them scholars and freehold farmers in the Lisheens valley in County Cork, took her under their wing. Diana became the last ward under the Brehon Law. Over the course of three summers, she was taught the ways of the Celtic triad of mind, body and soul. This included the philosophy of healing, the laws of the trees, Brehon wisdom and the Ogham alphabet, all of it rooted in a vision of nature that saw trees and forests as fundamental to human survival and spirituality. Already a precociously gifted scholar, Diana found that her grounding in the ancient ways led her to fresh scientific concepts. Out of that huge and holistic vision have come the observations that put her at the forefront of her field: the discovery of mother trees at the heart of a forest; the fact that trees are a living library, have a chemical language and communicate in a quantum world; the major idea that trees heal living creatures through the aerosols they release and that they carry a great wealth of natural antibiotics and other healing substances; and, perhaps most significantly, that planting trees can actively regulate the atmosphere and the oceans, and even stabilize our climate. This book is not only the story of a remarkable scientist and her ideas, it harvests all of her powerful knowledge about why trees matter, and why trees are a viable, achievable solution to climate change. Diana eloquently shows us that if we can understand the intricate ways in which the health and welfare of every living creature is connected to the global forest, and strengthen those connections, we will still have time to mend the self-destructive ways that are leading to drastic fires, droughts and floods.

The literature, history, and thoughts of an ancient and great people THE WISDOM OF THE CELTS Proud, spiritual, artistic, scholarly—the ancient Celts were people ahead of their time, and the Celtic world, which stretched from the British Isles to Gallatia, was one of the most highly advanced in history. The Celts were the first people in Northern Europe to use and work with iron, and their art remains glorious. Theirs was a truly democratic and progressive society in which scholarship was held in the highest regard, sexuality was free and open, and women were fierce warriors. This absorbing, comprehensive guide brings to life one of history’s most progressive, vibrant societies and explores the Celts’ far-reaching impact on Western culture. Using a variety of authentic sources—ancient Celtic texts, folklore, legends, and literature from Ireland, Scotland, France, and Wales— The Wisdom of the Celts details the Celtic world from its expansion and decline to its modern revival, revealing a wealth of wisdom on all areas of life, including war, the Otherworld, King Arthur, nature, sexuality, freedom, spirituality, animals, the role of women, family, and beauty. A glorious and learned look at a remarkable civilization, this is a fascinating introduction to a people whose wisdom is more relevant today than ever.

The Celtic Wisdom Tarot draws upon the ancient oral traditions of the Celtic druids to create striking visual images that profoundly reflect the druids' deep-rooted belief in the interconnectedness of all things. This stunning book and deck set honors the ancient traditions of the Celtic peoples.

Provides an introduction to the different syles of Celtic spirituality, covering such topics as the three paths, mythology, the role of ancestors, and incorporating the Celtic life into today's lifestyles.