Customer Reviews

Irish Celtic Magical Tradition: Ancient Wisdom of the Battle of Moytura

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

 

 

Steve Blamires provides a wonderful well research and theoretically sound book on Irish Celtic magick. Unlike other pagan authors who based their research on second hand translations or other non-myth books, Blamires goes directly to the source and uses direct translations from the Irish Text Society. He connects the tradition directly to the myths. This book is a must for anyone interested in Celtic Magick.

I first read this book 9 years ago and undertook the journeies within the texts with great determination, mystery and enthusiasm. This book though read many times since still hold the same magic for me thatit did that first time. The journey to sovereinty - that of the All Mother - is truley the most beautiful and emotional journey I have ever had - each time it is taken it is no less magnificent. Much like the book - Steven Blamires has put forth an exceptional work of the Celtic Pagans and their basis of belief. this book is an absolute MUST HAVE for any student of that tradition. No magical library is complete without it!

One hopes this book will be reprinted. In it, the author takes the old Irish classic The First Battle of Moytura as the model for his exposition of magical workings. My reservations about it are these: Blamires' style of magic is really patterned on the Hermetic model, and his path workings I find completely unnecessary. One doesn't need path workings to visit the four cities. One needs rather to learn astral projection to find out what they are like. As for the Hermetic model, it is perfectly good, if not old Irish. Considering the corrosion to which the Druid traditions were subjected over the centuries however, one really cannot expect much better than this. One thing that is certain is that Blamires' methods work and do give a beautiful basis for exploring and working with the still potent Irish deities. Blamires' other book Glamoury, based on some of the Duanaire Finn, is similar to this. It brings the reader into another dimention of the magical possibilities of working with the Irish deities. They are quite remarkable.

Much of what was Celtic life and Druidic wisdom has been lost to us. The Battle of Moytura has been save and translated in this wonderful book. I say wonderful because not only does the author do a great job translating the story but he also gives a great commentary that is truly magickal and he also give practical exercises for the beginning student of magic.

Among the exercises are meditation involving the the cities of origin where the Tuthaa De Dannan learned their magic. There is is also meeting with Deities, setting up your magical space and consecrating your magical weapons. The four weapon of magic are the sword, wand, chalice and the stone. This magical system is easy to comprehend and follow. Thumbs up.

The Fir Bolg were the original inhabitants of Ireland according to myth. The Tuatha De Dannan came over on boats along with the Fomerians conquered Ireland and ended up blending with the Fir Bolg population. In mystical philosophy there are three realms; spiritual,mental and physical. Tuatha De Dannan were spiritual and the Fomerians were mental while the Fir Bolg were physical.

As the Tuatha De Dannan came over they burned their boats leaving no way for them to flee. The Battle was intense the King Nuando lost his hand and had it replaced with a silver hand. What remained of the Fir Bolg united with the Tuatha De Dannan and the Fomerians. However not all of the Fir Bolg remained on Ireland. Several managed to flee to surrounding islands. There were also Fomerians on these islands as well. As a result of being injured Nuando had to step down because an injured or flawed king could not rule the land lest it bring bad luck to the land. The Celtic kings were not absolute rulers the people chose their king and by common consent could have the king step down. Nuando had a silver hand affixed to his wounded arm.

Later in time a Fomerian king would swim across the ocean in silver form and mate with a Tuaatha De Dannan princess. The result would be Bres who would eventually lead the Tuatha De Danaan. He did a bad job as a leader and the people of Ireland had to pay tribute to the Fomerians. Eventually he was asked to step down and Lugh took his place. Bres traveled to the outlying island and got help from the other Fomerians. This would spark Fomerian invasion against Ireland.

The Tuatha De Dannaan fight a pitched and bloody battle aided by strong magic. They were aided by Dagda and his cauldron, the war Goddess Morrigan and Lugh's strong magic.

Later