Kindling the Celtic Spirit: Ancient Traditions to Illumine Your Life Through the Seasons

by Mara Freeman

Book Overview

In this beautiful treasury of sacred wisdom, Mara Freeman shares the rich legacy of the Celts -- the festivals, gods and goddesses, saints, faeries, music, poetry, and storytelling that anchor this magical tradition. Discover myths, rituals, recipes, and crafts for every month of theyear. Honor Saint Brigit with a prayer in February, or ensure a merry start to May with a bowl of frothy syllabub. Come together with friends and neighbors to celebrate...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 006251685X
• ISBN13: 9780062516855
• Release Date: December 2000
• Publisher: HarperOne
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 1.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 7.7" x 7.3"

Customer Reviews

An All Season Book - Irish Decent or Not - BUY IT!

This is a book to be passed down along with its traditions and recipes. Mara Freeman makes each page one to savor, with illustrations, poetry, ancient sayings in Gaelic of the British Isles and fairy speak, that alone should make it a must for your otherworldly library. My only wish is that with the second edition there would be some pages left blank in-between to add one's own family recipe or craft into the book. BUY THIS BOOK!

Authentic as well as beautiful!

As a graduate of a medieval studies program specializing in Irish literature, I am prompted to write this review to let people know how thrilled I am to have come across a book that contributes so much to our understanding of Celtic spirituality and how to apply its teachings in a modern context. Far from being "new-agey" this book is head and shoulders above the usual Wiccan and pagan-based junk that passes for "Celtic." "Kindling the Celtic Spirit" is lucidly written, honest about what we know and what we don't know about the Celts, inspiring, and above all, offers an accessible introduction to many of the key aspects of Celtic mythology and spirituality - I particularly loved the sections about music and animals, the chapter on tree-lore and the many marvelous recipes! The author really knows her stuff and is an exceptionally lyrical writer of a caliber not to be found in most popular books on the market today. It's definitely a book to keep or to give to friends to get them hopelessly addicted to the beauty of Celtica!

Not quite reconstructionist, but still tops

I'm a Celtic Reconstructionist (for more on that see imbas.org). This book is full of good information, though I do not like the way she puts the sun holy days in prominance (not something the old Celts did.) But she does mention Sam & Gam energies of the year (basically light and dark) which is good. What I like most is the way she uses poetry and her choices of poetry. Most books on Celtic spirit tend to use poetry that doesn't flow or connect to my heart. Most of her choices, or choices of translations, are wonderful. I don't like the way she collects all her information (animal lore, myths, seasonal crafts ect) under a particular month ONLY because it's hard to reference later. Her uses of stories are also done well. She choses good stories to tell that illustrate the holy day and then tells them beautifully.The only thing I really don't like is the fact that the book, like Faery Wicca by Stepanich, is a way to gather "followers" and bring in the dough through classes, trips, workshops and divination. At least if you don't read the appendixes you won't see that part though ;o)Oh, another useful thing she does is give prononciations (sp) of Celtic words! :o) :o)

A King's Ransom of Celtic Tradition

This wonderfully researched, thought-out and laid-out book is seasoned with an abundance of Celtic lore. The authors knowledge and apparent love of all thing Celtic is felt on every page. The book is divided into twelve chapters, one covering each month. And each chapter has peppered throughout an array of Celtic history, poetry, ritual, recipes, blessings, songs, goddess and god stories, myth, bestiaries, crafts and much more.This compact book has a very reader-friendly layout and includes wonderful line-art through. The resource section is nine pages long and covers everything from Irish genealogy to Celtic music.Kindling The Celtic Spirit would make a wonderful gift for anybody who cherishes Irish/Celtic tradition or as a book to keep beside ones bed, to read before sleeps so that one may drift off and enter a magical time and place where faeries played in sacred groves, bards sang of courageous deeds, and the Tuatha De Danann lived and prospered.