The Encyclopaedia of Celtic Wisdom : A Celtic Shaman's Sourcebook

by John Matthews and Caitlín Matthews

Book Overview

This is a compendium of symbols in human psychology and civilization. With over 1500 entries and illustrations, the book explores a wealth of objects and concepts and the hidden or encoded meaning concealed behind their ordinary, outer appearance. Entries range from examples of metaphor and allegory to the symbolic meanings of numbers, letters, astrological signs, the four elements, plants and animals, literary or mythological figures, and a rich...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1852305606
• ISBN13: 9781852305604
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Element Books
• Length: 1000 Pages
• Weight: 1.39 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.7" x 9.8"

Customer Reviews

As of 1/6/01, One of the Top Three Books on Celtic Tradition

The Encyclopaedia of Celtic Wisdom is, hands down, required reading for anyone interested in the primal Celtic traditions, especially of the Irish and Scottish traditions. Where John Matthews' Taliesin and the Shamanic Mysteries of Britian addresses largely a Cymric (Welsh) and British leaning, The Encyclopaedia of Celtic Wisdom is, largely, rooted in the Irish, with some exploration of folk Scots beliefs and expressions of the shamanic (as in the case of the late and well-loved Scottish seer, Eliadh Watt). As of January 2002 I consider this book to be one of the top three books on Celtic tradition, especially the visionary tradition of primal Celtic spirituality and the field of contemporary Celtic spirituality. It is a priceless addition to one's library, along with Tom Cowan's Fire in the Head: Shamanism and the Celtic Spirit, Mara Freeman's Kindling the Celtic Spirit. For a more classical exploration of these same themes I recommend The Silver Bough, by F. Marian McNeill.

This is a book beyond most others in the field.

If you never again by any books on this subject you must have this book. Reliable source document translations that are accessible to the average reader are thin on the ground and this is one of the very best. BUY THIS BOOK! I refer to it repeatedly and it never lets me down. An excellent book and an excellent value.

A useful reference resource

"A Reader's" anonymous, academically misinformed and spiritually narrow-minded comments address this book specifically in no way; take them with a shaker of salt and that fact in mind. This book is a good reference and browsing resource for practicing Celtic shamans, though those with a reader's interest and those newer to the practice may find more practical guidance elsewhere (including, especially, Matthews' "The Celtic Shaman: A Handbook"). Overall, very useful, but perhaps later on the path.

Excellent reference material

Do not let the comment by inisglas@seanet.com impeach your view of this material. While I can't personally speak to this situation any one with any knowledge of this field will tell you that more people plagarize from John Matthews with out any reference to his work than any other author I've ever encountered. I also know from personal conversations with John (including discussing the number of reference volumes in his library) that his scholarhip is thorough and personally done. I would recommend this book highly for the person who wants to do their own exploration of the subject and isn't looking for a cook book approach to shamanism.