Hello friends! I currently have a course on Celtic spirituality running through Spirituality and Practice (it’s not too late to sign up for it, if you’re interested, click here). We had a zoom call the other day which gave me a chance to interact with participants in the course, and of course during our time together several books were mentioned; people asked to recommend a few books...
Explore Celtic Spirituality with “Spirituality and Practice” Online Course — Starts August 8!
Hi friends, I’m happy to announce that my Celtic spirituality course through the Spirituality and Practice website will be running this August — August 8 through September 2, 2022! To register for the course, click here. The course will include a Zoom call with me on Thursday, August 18. Here’s the description and enrollment information from the S&P website: Celtic Spirituality...
A Celtic Perspective on Abundance
A few days ago I posted the transcript of a talk I gave at a Celtic spirituality conference at Southern Illinois University, way back on May 1, 1999. Today’s post comes from that same conference — this is a reflection I shared at the Catholic Mass that evening. It was, to the best of my knowledge, the first time I ever spoke in a Catholic setting. The readings were from 1 Peter 2:4-9 and...
What are the gifts of Celtic Spirituality for our age?
Here is a blast from the past: a talk I gave at a Celtic spirituality conference at Southern Illinois University, way back on May 1, 1999. Public speaking was still really new to me at the time, and I was scared to death. Back then I only had one book published (Spirituality, which came out in 1997) and my (pre-blog) website was devoted to Celtic spirituality, which is why the organizers of this...
Spirit of the Celtic Gods and Goddesses: A New Edition for an “Old Friend”
If you are interested in Celtic mythology — and curious about how to integrate the ancient wisdom from the Celtic people into your spiritual life today — then The Spirit of the Celtic Gods and Goddesses might be for you. I co-authored this book with a good friend, Kathryn Hinds; the first edition was published in 2005. It’s been out of print for a while, and Kathryn passed away after a...
Dreams, Songs, and Sorrow: Three Celtic Poets to Read Now
Ireland is a land shaped by myth, story, and poetry — and her sister countries in the Celtic world, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, and so forth, all share in their affinity to eloquence and incantatory language. Names like William Butler Yeats, Seamus Heaney, Robert Burns, Dylan Thomas, R.S. Thomas (no relation, I believe) and countless others testify to the enduring place of poetry in the hearts and...
Celtic Spirituality, Celtic Prayer, and the Promises of the Heart: Three Contemplative Online Courses
It’s March, and that means St. Patrick’s Day is just a few days away! This year, instead of (or, in addition to) enjoying a pint of green beer, why don’t you observe St. Patrick’s Day by enrolling in a Celtic spirituality e-course through Spirituality and Practice? These courses are available “on demand” — which means you can sign up, and receive the course...
White Supremacists use the Celtic Cross as a Symbol of Hate. But True Celtic Spirituality is Anti-Racist.
According to the Anti-Defamation League’s website, the Celtic Cross — particularly when rendered as an equal-armed cross — is used by white supremacists as a symbol of their racist beliefs. The website says: The white supremacist version of the Celtic Cross, which consists of a square cross interlocking with or surrounded by a circle, is one of the most important and commonly used white...
Miann: The Ardent Desire for God
I’m preparing for a retreat I’ll be leading in Scotland next month, and so I’m reading a book called Island Spirituality: Spiritual Values of Lewis and Harris by Alastair McIntosh. In the book, he tells of a conversation he had with a Free Church (Presbyterian) pastor named Rev. Calum MacDonald. We sat down over a cup of tea in their living room. Calum was in his rough and ready...
Thin Places, Contemplation, and Discernment
Recently I led a Celtic spirituality retreat through the Copper Beech Institute in Connecticut. During the retreat we talked about such topics as the spirituality of holy wells, thin places, and the concept of “the edge of waiting” as a Celtic way of contemplating. One of the participants sent me an email after the retreat ended with a few questions that came to mind: How do thin...
An Invitation to Celtic Wisdom: Mystery, Spirit, and Compassion
November 1, 2018 marks the publication date of my new book on Celtic spirituality, An Invitation to Celtic Wisdom . Click here or scroll below to order your copy! If you have been looking for a cup to dip into the deep well of Celtic spirituality, you have found it…... Read more at Patheos
Read a Sample Chapter of “Invitation to Celtic Wisdom”
This fall my new book, An Invitation to Celtic Wisdom, will be published. You can pre-order it from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or IndieBound (independent bookstores), — just click on the retailer’s name to order it). If you would like to read a sample chapter of the book, click here. An Invitation to Celtic Wisdom…... Read more at Patheos