The 21 Lessons of Merlyn: A Study in Druid Magic and Lore (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Young Arthur looked down into the sea..." (more)
Key Phrases: constructive imbalance, elemental kingdoms, golden pipes, Newais Mountain, Bear Cub, King Uthr (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

King Arthur would get advice from his magician, Merlin, in the mythic stories. The real Arthur (who lived over 500 years before the period of the mythic Arthur) was trained by a Druid bard and poet named Merlyn. The result was an unprecedented period of peace that lasted for twenty years.
In Douglas Monroe's The 21 Lessons of Merlyn, you'll read delightful stories based on the historic Arthur and Merlyn. Each one is followed by lessons based on the never-before-published 16th century manuscript entitled The Book of Pheryllt. In a metaphoric sense, you'll see how Arthur learned his lessons. In a practical sense, you be learning the same sort of lessons that Arthur may have learned.
This is truly a complete course in authentic Celtic Druidism and magick. Filled with lore, philosophy, wisdom, rituals, and more, you'll be able to apply many of these concepts to improve your life.
If you are looking for accurate information, this is the place to start! Douglas Monroe has studied magick since he was ten years old and has taught in the United States, Britain, and South America, and is the founder of the New Forest Centre for Magickal Studies. His own illustrations and charts fill the book and clarify the deep teachings of the ancient Druids.
From learning about Stonehenge to the Rite of the 3 Rays for protective purification; from learning the four herbs that will aid in conserving male sexual energy to discovering the secrets of calling the Dragon (the power of the ley lines); this book is like a full course meal in a cafeteria of magick.
If you are really interested in gaining a thorough understanding of the real tradition of the Druids — what they believed, what they practiced and how to incorporate it into your life — then join with 120,000 other people. Get this book today!

From the Publisher

There is a great deal that has been written about the ancient Celts. This is especially true among the Pagan community because many find that the myths and legends of the Celts strike a chord that rings true.
Sometimes, however, it is possible to see things backwards. By that I mean that because you do something a particular way today, you assume that the ancients did it either the same way or in a similar fashion. Ah, if only it were so!
That simply isn't good history. You have to get good information, not make assumptions. That's why I am very enthused with Douglas Monroe's The 21 Lessons of Merlyn.
When you read this book you will see that it was written by a person who is both a scholar and a bard. He instructs by way of stories, making the purpose and method of the philosophies, exercises, and magical rituals crystal clear and easy to apply, yet not limiting his brilliant research and scholarship. In fact, the teachings in this book are based on a manuscript which is now in the private collection of the Albion Lodge of the United Ancient Order of Druids of Oxford.
One of the things I really like is the traditional Druid triads, concepts that are broken down into thee short sentences. For example, the Three Virtues of Wisdom are to be aware of all things, to endure all things, and to be removed from all things. The three spiritual instructors of mankind are mastery of self, master of world, and mastery of unknown. You'll learn many of these and be able to discover how they are spiritually and practically meaningful in your life.
There is so much great material in this book that I can't say enough about it! Already, more than 120,000 people are using this book. If you want to find out what the Druids really did, and put it to use in your life, get this book.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications; 1st edition (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875424961
• ISBN-13: 978-0875424965
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (172 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #185,061 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A religious con-artist exploiting newbies, April 1, 2001

By	Isaac Bonewits "One of two profiles here at A... (Nyack, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'll keep this brief and simple: Douglas Monroe is grossly ignorant about almost everything he discusses in his books. What he knows of genuine history, mythology, Celtic languages and customs, herbalism, treelore, archeology, etc. wouldn't fill a thimble. I'm not talking about someone making an occasional mistake here. Monroe gets almost everything he says about the ancient Druids wrong!

Yes, he plants a few lovely fantasies in the manure pile. Yes, he proves once again that almost *anything* can be used to generate magical energy (which is often mistaken by beginners for a spiritual experience) if people really believe in it. But Monroe's books are gynophobic, dishonest, New Age nonsense -- not "authentic Druid spirituality." The ancient Druids *were* the intellectuals of their tribes and they would not have accepted the idea that scholarship "doesn't matter."

Readers wanting details can see the earlier reviews here by myself, Ian Corrigan, and other scholars. Or visit the websites of "adf.org," "keltria.org," "druidry.org," or "summerlands.com." You'll see that we often disagree with each other about details, but are united in our contempt for this con artist.

124 of 153 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Sexist and Historically Inaccurate, January 3, 1999

By A Customer

"The 21 lessons of Merlyn" tells a good story, but is historically inaccurate. For starters, the Druids came from Ireland in 1000BC...not from Atlantis in 400BC. Easter and the Yule Log are Germanic, not Pagan AND the kissing under the mistletoe tradition is Scandinavian. Also Ogham is not a symbolic magical alphabet. The druids did not practice celibacy to achieve new heights. There were many powerful beings (Mohammad), who had many wives and children.

The fact the many people see this book as a genuine resource on druidism is what bothers me the most. This book is based on the works of Iolo Morganwg (The Book of Pheryllt) which are proven forgeries. To those people, I must say...read more reliable books. There are many books available at Amazon.com that give a more accurate view on the history of the druids and Celtic lore. Look for resources that do not refer to the book of Pheryllt or "The Lost works of the Druids". Such things don't exist. Druids wrote very little about themselves. They didn't beleive in writing down their beleifs (especially magick spells and medicine).

The authors view of women is also very disturbing. Yes, women were druids AND female druids could achieve just as much as male druids. The author puts female Celts in a negative view.

I neglected to give this book 1 star because the author tells a very creative fictional story of Merlyn and Author. Monroe managed to keep this book interesting throughout. He just needs to find more reliable resources. I hear his second book "The Lost Books of Merlyn" makes up for this one by being more historically accurate, however, I make no claims since I have not read it.

I can not recommend this book because it is sexist content and inaccurate views of druidism.

45 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars entertaining tripe, January 9, 2001

By	S. parker "Ian Corrigan" (Madison, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

21 Lessons Of Merlin is the biggest hindance to the revival of Celtic Paganism and Druidry out there today. The book is historically inaccurate in almost every detail, and spiritually innacurate in ways that make it a real danger to honest students. Once you've read a half-dozen good books on celtic ways you might want to give this a look. The author *does* manage to craft some interesting rituals, but the basis for them, and the theology behind them, is just horrid.

Ian