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366 Celt: A Year and a Day of Celtic Wisdom and Lore

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"The Celts are, and always have been, a people with one foot in the otherworld, and thus are governed by the enigmatic conventions and customs of that spiritual realm: where time is meaningless, love is forever, and dancing just might never end." - Carl McColman

Part meditation book and part mystical curriculum, 366 Celt - A Year and a Day of Celtic Wisdom and Lore explains Celtic traditions and concepts in brief one-page essays for each day of the year. Drawing on the lives of saints, myth, folklore, symbol, druidism, and poetry, McColman provides an engaging overview of the key themes of this ancient spiritual tradition. Weaving his way through 40 different "paths"-each one consisting of 3, 9, or 21 meditations-the author demonstrates by example how the Celts value humor, storytelling and riddles over dry facts and matter-of-fact descriptions.

A few of the 40 "paths" include:

*The Path of the Bard

*The Path of the Seer

*The Path of Mythology

*The Path of the Saints

*The Path of the Fairies

*The Path of Anamchara

*The Path of Hospitality

*The Path of the Gods

*The Path of the Goddesses

*The Path of the Otherworld

*The Path of the Warrior

*The Path of Meditation

*The Path of Sacred Animals

*The Path of the Grail

*The Path of the Ogham

Rather than ascribe a particular date to a meditation, McColman numbers them from 1-366 so you can digest them at your own pace: one every day or many at a single sitting. 366 Celt covers a nice slice of Celtic terrain with reflections on sacred sites, holy days, ancient treasures, stories of fairies and heroes, flora and fauna of Celtic lore, and more. This book also includes a bibliography and index.

An example of one of the reflections is Meditation 64 under the Path of Neart:

"The Celtic tradition has a reputation for being optimistic. Certainly Celtic Christianity is a remarkably positive expression of the Christ path, and Celtic paganism (with its emphasis on the beauty of nature, the nobility of the hero, and the immortality of the soul) has its clear positive orientation as well. I rather think this upbeat characteristic of the Celtic path begins with the reality of neart. If we live in a universe pulsating with power and abundance, then ultimately our problems our solvable, surmountable-there's nothing to fear. It's reminiscent of Jesus' overarching message: Be not afraid. How sad that so many of his followers are wracked with fear, fear of offending God, fear of damnation, fear that others will be lost just because they live or think differently!

Optimism is a choice. It's the product of faith, for it requires a hopeful approach to life. Faith says "I believe in neart", while optimism says "I'll experience its blessings most any day now." They go hand-in-hand for those seeking to live a life of spiritual wisdom."

Whether you're looking for an introduction to Celtic spirituality or a daily reminder of the path you've followed for years, 366 Celt - A Year and a Day of Celtic Wisdom and Lore provides tasty morsels sure to nourish the soul.

In a small volume just slightly larger than pocket size, Mr. McColman gives us all we ever wanted to know about Celtic wisdom and lore, past and present. Bite sized pearls of wisdom grace the pages of this book. Each of the 366 essays of the book is only a page long.

Mr. McColman packs a wallop into each paragraph. The book is divided into sections with such headings as "The Path of the Fairies", "The Path of the Night" or The Path of Sacred Days" with each section focusing on information reflective of the heading title. Although the information does overlap in numerous places, the author does such a good job in his collection of daily meditations that the book never becomes repetitive.

Mr. McColman also avoids the all too familiar format of daily meditation books by not placing a date on each page. In his brief but very informative introduction, he explains that he wants the reader to enjoy the bits of wisdom on whatever day they may choose to read them instead of being forced to read certain passages in a prearranged progression. Spend a year and a day in any order you like, but make sure to not miss a single page. And for the avid reader who wants more there is a bibliography in the end matter as well.

The author takes us through all forms of Celtic wisdom and lore. This book crosses religious boundaries and historic ages. This book is an excellent introduction to the many facets of the Celtic mythology and culture. Even experienced students will find tidbits of interesting facts and wisdom to sink their teeth into. The past is explained in relationship to the present. Saints are given passages alongside mythic heroes and Gods and Goddesses. While it's main audience may well be a Pagan one, a person of any religion will find much wisdom in its pages. Another winner from Mr. McColman!

W. Lyon Martin Author/Illustrator of "An Ordinary Girl, A Magical Child"

366 Celt by Carl McColman is a daily meditation book that is all about Celtic wisdom and lore. It covers many different aspects of the Celts that are highly interesting, and will have you reading more than one day.

366 Celt is the perfect introduction into Celtic wisdom and lore. If you are interested in the Celts and know nothing about it, or have read about it before, this book is really a must buy for your bookshelf.

It is written so that you could read just one page a day, or perhaps one section a day (or more). I warn you though, once you start reading, you will want to read more than one page or one section at a time!

These sections or "paths" include: Approach, Sovereignty, Druid, Nature, Bard, Mythology, Seer, Neart, Saints, Fairies, Warrior, Otherworld, Shaman, Night, Meditation, Gods, Hospitality, Devotion, Anamchara, Goddesses, Dreams, Sacred Sites, Community, Sacred Days, Virtue, Sacred Animals, Faith, Brigit, Storyteller, Magic, Three Noble Strains, Grail, Romance, Spiral, Imbas and Awen, Sacrifice, Future, Diaspora, Ogham, and the Mystic.

The book is written in an easily flowing way that makes you want to keep reading, and I did. I ended up reading the book in about 2 days. My favorite paths were about the fairies, mythology, romance, and about the Goddesses.

McColman really brings you into the ancient Celtic world with 366 Celt, and inspires you to want to learn more about it, even after you've finished the book. Overall, I extremely enjoyed reading this book, and will read it again. I highly recommend this book to everyone who wants to learn about the ancient Celtic world.

* Thank you to the publisher of 366 Celt, Hampton Roads Publishing Company, Inc., for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.