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 …
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 …
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 …
What are the gifts of Celtic Spirituality for our age? Read More »
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 …
Spirit of the Celtic Gods and Goddesses: A New Edition for an “Old Friend” Read More »
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 …
Dreams, Songs, and Sorrow: Three Celtic Poets to Read Now Read More »
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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
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
In my last post I made several references to Holy Wells as thin places. From the Chalice Well in western England, to Tobernault in northwest Ireland, to countless wells throughout the Celtic lands dedicated to St. Brigid or other much loved saints — Holy Wells (water sources that serve as places of prayer and veneration) are icons …
I first heard of the notion of Thin Places the first time I visited Glendalough, the ancient monastery nestled in a glacial valley south of Dublin. We were there on a crisp October day, the forest filled with hardwoods dancing with autumn colors. Even as I stood in the carpark after first arriving, I could …
Thin Places: Are they Celtic, pre-Celtic, or Universal? Read More »
I am saddened to have learned of the passing of John O’Donohue, author of Anam Ċara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom, yesterday (January 4, 2008). He died peacefully in his sleep while on holiday in France. Read the announcement on his website. In 1999 I had the privilege to interview him for a book industry trade …
Brigid’s Well, Tully, County Kildare, Ireland This page features photos of Brigid’s Well in County Kildare, Ireland. This well is a lovely example of the ongoing practice of water veneration in the Celtic world. Many wells and springs are dedicated to Brigid in Ireland; this one is especially lovely because of its location, within walking …
