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

by John and Caitlin Matthews

• ISBN13: 9781592285549
• ISBN10: 1592285546
• Format: Trade Book
• Publisher: The Lyons Press

Summary

The Celtic tradition is a source of inspiration to many seeking to discover their ancestral spiritual heritage. This superb sourcebook contains many new translations of seminal Celtic texts, including stories, poems, and prose pieces, some dating from as far back as the seventh century. Key ingredients in this rich cauldron of ancient lore include sections on: . Shamanic Memory, including chapters on: The Memory of the Earth--The Memory of the Trees--The Memory of Animals--and The Memory of Ancestors . Vision Poets, Druids, and Shamanic Guardians, including chapters on: Initiations--Shapeshiftingoacute;Dru . . . and Vision Poets . The Bright Knowledge, including chapters on: Prophecy and Divination--Healing and Soul Restoration-Dreams and Visions . Otherworldly Journeys, including chapters on: The Journey Quest--The House of the Sidhe. These ancient tales are accompanied by detailed commentaries, comprehensive background material, and practical shamanic insights. This wide-ranging sourcebook contains new translations of seminal texts, and is a must-have for any devotee of one the world's richest religious traditions.

Author Biography

JOHN AND CAITLIN MATTHEWS are internationally renowned for their research into the Celtic tradition. As cofounders of The Foundation for Inspirational and Oracular Studies, they teach worldwide. Their many books include The Celtic Shaman, The Encyclopaedia of Celtic Myth and Legend, Singing the Soul Back Home, and The Winter Solstice.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. viii
Introduction	p. 1
Shamanic Memory
The Memory of the Earth	p. 7
The Milesian Taking of Ireland	p. 7
Selections from the Dindsenchas	p. 16
The Memory of Trees	p. 23
On the Ogam Beithluisnin	p. 24
The Ogam Tract	p. 51
Lore of the Great Trees	p. 60
The Memory of Animals	p. 62
The Hawk of Achill or the Legend of the Oldest Animals	p. 63
The Finding of Mabon	p. 90
The Memory of the Ancestors	p. 94
Tuan mac Carill's Story	p. 94
The Settling of the Manor of Tara	p. 100
Consulting the Ancestors	p. 117
Vision Poets, Druids, and Shamanic Guardians
Initiations	p. 135
The Boyhood Exploits of Finn	p. 137
The Crane Bag	p. 145
How Finn Found Knowledge	p. 146
Finn and the Man in the Tree	p. 148
Shapeshifting	p. 150
Fith-Fath: Shapeshifting in Celtic Tradition	p. 150
The Shapeshifting Swineherds	p. 162
The Frenzy of Suibhne	p. 167
Druids and Vision Poets	p. 189
Lord and Lady of the Wheel: The Careers of Mog Roith and Tlachtga	p. 193
The Colloquy of the Two Sages	p. 207
The Three Cauldrons of Inspiration	p. 222
The Bright Knowledge
Prophecy and Divination	p. 243
The Celtic Art of Divination	p. 243
The Sovereign Prophecy	p. 256
The Tale of the Ordeals	p. 268
Healing and Soul-Restoration	p. 284
Healing among the Celts: the Children of Airmed	p. 284
The Circuits of the Soul in Celtic Tradition	p. 302
Dreams and Visions333 Incubation and the Dream Quest	p. 333
The Adventures of Nera	p. 345
Otherworldly Journeys
The Journey Quest	p. 353
The Quest as Shamanic Journey in Celtic Tradition	p. 353
The Death of Fergus mac Leide	p. 361
The Adventures of Art Son of Conn	p. 379
In the House of the Sidhe	p. 391
The Wooing of Etain	p. 392
The Fosterage in the House of the Two Milk Pails	p. 411
The Yew Tree of the Disputing Sons	p. 431
Afterword	p. 435
Notes	p. 437
Bibliography	p. 443
Resources	p. 452
Index	p. 453
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.