Customer Reviews

The Celtic Book of Days: A Guide to Celtic Spirituality and Wisdom

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I purchased this book and followed the devotionals for a couple of weeks, then read ahead and stopped. I saw that Matthews was falling far too deeply into a modern, New Age sentimentalism that contradicts what I have seen to be Celtic beliefs for me to use it. I don't think this book is sufficiently Celtic to be called such. Some of the poetry and other materials are very good, but I could have done without the eco-politics beyond a certain point, and its lack of recognition of the political issues in the Celtic nations was a significant failure. How can this be Celtic if it doesn't deal with the issues faced by living Celts?

Contrary to the first reviewers opinion (Nov. 18, 1999), this book is not a devotional text. I think this person has gotten this text confused with "The Celtic Spirit", a devotional text by the same author.

As for the "Celtic Book of Days" it is a well laid out calendar. Not quite what I expected, it seems to be lacking depth, and some days don't have very much information or artwork at all. I truly expected more.

If you wish to use it as a tabletop calendar, why not? That's what I use if for, but as a study tool there really isn't much there, which is fine as well. The passages mainly consist of brief poems or sayings, quick history reviews of ideas and significance of days. As I said earlier... not what I expected, but not a total disappointment either.

Not much more then a starter conversational piece IMHO.

THE GOOD STUFF: This distinguished-looking hardback book, with gorgeous Celtic artwork and high-quality graphics on superior paper, is organized into a very attractive calendar format. Unfortunately, that's where the luxury ends.

THE DISAPPOINTING PART: The writing proves so disjointed. What's more, within the calendar entries, Author Caitlin Matthews repeatedly confuses the seasons. For example: under "November 26" (in late fall) she writes very weakly of Coventina, describing her as the "Goddess of the Spring" while offering no statement about how that deity relates to November, the season at hand, or this day in the Celtic calendar.

Another example, for "March 30," most of that day's message is left blank with only the following: "In the IRISH TREE ALPHABET, the letter N is represented by nuin or ash." (No further explanation or expression of meaning is offered).

Judging by other Celtic writings, I do not believe this book adequately represents Celtic lore. While the Celts traveled broadly and were open to many different ideas and philosophies, Matthews places way too much emphasis on the post-Christian era (and on the birth of Jesus Christ). Not enough focus is made on Celtic celebrations and festivals, after which this book is named.

My recommendation? Tear out the images and frame the beautiful artwork.

"The Celtic Book of Days" By Caitlin Matthews is more of a book of daily factoids than a spirituality and wisdom book. Once this fact is realized you can enjoy reading on a daily basis and seeing if you know that fact or not. If not then you have the fun of finding out more. Once in a while the snippet reads more like a Chinese fortune cookie.
Besides being split up in to daily snippets there is an over all calendar to keep you informed of the seasons, a decent bibliography, and index. This makes a great coffee table conversation book.

this book when i ordered it through mail, i thought it was a joke but it was not it was filled with so much, interesting ifo. for everyday.