Customer Reviews

The Celtic Spirit: Daily Meditations for the Turning Year

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is written for all who would like a daily touchstone for their own spiritual musings. I originally entitled it 'Meditations on the Druid Path' but that was rejected as not being sufficiently marketable!!! However, most of it stems from my own walking of the Druid path. Drawing upon all aspects of the druidic tradition - from ancient to modern - each day has its own meditation and reader's interaction point where you make the material your own. One of the most important aspects of spiritual life is its habitual, daily patterns which create pathways for the soul's progress. This progress is not 'progressive' in the modern sense, but more eliptical, like Celtic tracery and knotwork which itself is a reflection of the soul's spiralling trajectory. The seasons which accompany our spiritual practice are our allies and companions. Even the most ordinary occurences are material for our meditations. The full sum of our personal experiences open up our soul's path and lead us to form our own philosophy of life. Where Celtic names and titles are mentioned, I have provided pronounciation guides.

Caitlin Matthews has done an excellent job of creating a Celtic-inspired book of daily devotions, each page including a verse, a short "sermon", and a suggested activity or subject for personal meditiation. She has also done a good job of keeping the different Celtic tribes seperate by including countries of origin with each verse or myth. (As usual, though, I haven't come across anything about the silversmith Celts in the mountains of Spain, but I believe that is probably the fault of history and not Celtic researchers. In all fairness, though, I haven't finished the year of devotions included!)

However, several of the verses seem to be excerpts from her own poetry. Having studied formalism extensively, it's apparent she is a fine writer, but I would have liked to have seen more historical verse used. (That's just my personal taste-- and I didn't take that into account with my rating.)

I only gave it four stars because so far there seems to be a little too much "peace and love and be kind to animals" propaganda in it. I am a strict vegetarian, myself, but it seems to me that such things are out of place in Celtic Reconstructionism and are better left to Primitive Reconstructionists like Wiccans. These are, after all, the hunter/herder/warriors whose strength and intelligence frightened the bejesus out of Caesar's troops. There is also a mention of the "Three-Fold Law" which seems to be a way to bring in the Wiccan crowd.

However, if you've started turning to the "Celtic Spirit" because you seem to have lost your way, or you feel some sort of daily discipline will give your life more structure, you could probably benefit from purchasing this book and reading a passage every morning. And for those of you historical purists, the historical and mythological passages appear to be accurate, and they provide a good introduction to each. In spite of my misgivings about the "New Age" nature of the work, I have continued to use it daily and am still finding it quite enjoyable.

Celtic spirituality is a vast domain, one that cannot truly be pinned down to one expression. Aspects of the Celtic spirit are, no doubt, Pagan in form and essence--involving elements of Druidism, folk "shamanism" and faery lore, while other expressions draw upon the rich tradition of Celtic-Christian mysticism. Woven in and throughout, almost as a kind of binding glue to the traditions, are the bardic traditions of verse, word, and story. Caitlin has done a marvelous job in The Celtic Spirit of expressing a footing in all forms of Celtic spirituality. This little book is an invitation, through the mode of a bardic-contemplative tool, to slow down each day, to meditate on some feature of the vast Celtic spiritual traditions, giving the reader the unmistakable sense that the Celtic spirit is not quarantined to some ancient, inaccessible past, but rather a living stream of inspiration that survives today.

I find there are so many books which explore the Celtic tradition but which don't help you relate the spiritual insights of the tradition to your daily life. Here at last is a book that does this! I love it, and recommend it whole-heartedly to anyone who wants to actually use Celtic spirituality to help them change their lives.

On a weekend with a friend at a B&B in Vermont I discovered this book on the sunporch. I found the lanaguage strangely drawing. It provided a new way to look at many seasonal experiences, including a positive way to view death and renewal. I have used phrases from this book when doing eulogies for people who have died and whose family members are struggling with acceptance...Now I have found a copy for myself. I am well satisfied (and not a pagan).

This book is an awesome resource for all looking for away to get in touch with the Druidic Path. Both Caitiln and John (her husband) are very well respected authors and historians about the druid path, and this book does carry very many druidic undertones, which is okay by me.

Where I found this helpful is the daily meditations and goal settings illustrated in the book. I found it an excellent resource for learning and exploring, prompting searches into myself and other written works for more answers. Taken seriously as a guide, this book can become invaluable to anyone who puts more then a passing effort into it, for this is more then just your typical "Daily Devotional" and to get the full effect, effort, if not dedication, IS required.

Very well written and structured, I would definitely recommend this to Anyone. Great Job!

Ms. Matthews writes beautifully. This is a gentle, daily read that inspires wonder and awareness. This is not "new age" or old age. It just is. If you are ready for quiet time and reflection this book will provide a soothing, thought-provoking beginning to each day. Take 15 extra minutes for yourself in the morning with a cup of coffee or tea and let Celit Spirit works its "magic" on your soul.

Like many others in the world, I am extremely busy. As much as I would like to spend all of my time with my spirituality, I cannot sacrifice as much time as a Buddhist monk. This wonderful little book keeps me on track. As I find a little free time in my day, I take out this book and look at the corresponding date and review the thought there. Sometimes it is just a nice thought, sometimes it is more meaningful given a current situation in my life. At the very least, it allows me a few minutes to slow down and focus on me for just a little while.

I don't necessarily read this every day, but that doesn't matter. There are days of the month listed as dates, not days, so this book can be used year after year. It is divided into seasons, and names the major holidays contained in each season. I find this format easy to follow and keeps me more in tune with the turning of the year than my busy schedule would otherwise allow.

I own a number of Celtic books, and this is my favorite, next to Caitlin Matthew's Celtic Devotional. As always, she weaves Celtic lore with practical advice for a modern seeker. The daily meditations are organized and themed around the 4 Celtic seasons, and serve as excellent meditation fodder or just plain good advice! HIGHLY recommended!

A lovely book- full of wonderful Celtic wisdom. A daily journey all must travel. I also HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book to those people that have been searching for the out-of-print " Celtic Devotional", also by Caitlin Matthews.