I wrote the following article in 2002, when I was exploring Celtic paganism. I found it recently while looking for something in my archives and I thought it was worth…
Tag: Celtic Spirituality
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…
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….
A New Edition of One of My Older Books is Coming Out Next Summer!
In my book Unteachable Lessons I talk about how, before I became a Catholic in 2005, I wrote a number of books that reflected my interest in pre-Christian spirituality — books…
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,…
Walking in Wonder: This Book of Conversations with John O’Donohue is Everything You Hope It Would Be
“So the spiritual life is about the liberation of God from our images of him,” said John O’Donohue. This is just one of the many nuggets of wisdom that await you when you read this wonderful new anthology of interviews with the late Irish poet and mystic John O’Donohue. Walking…… Read more at Patheos
Devotional Reading for the Three Celtic Lents
Previously I have written about how, in ancient times, Celtic monks observed three “Lents” — which is to say, three forty-day periods of fasting, prayer, and sacrifice, in preparation for three sacred moments in the year: The actual season of Lent (forty days prior to Easter) A summertime “Lent” (forty…… Read more at Patheos
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
Elemental Scotland — July 21-27, 2019
A Retreat and Pilgrimage on the Isle of Mull (with visits to Iona and other sacred sites) — led by Carl and Fran McColman, Laura Imperial, and Phil Foster This retreat…
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
Thin Places: Are they Celtic, pre-Celtic, or Universal?
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…
Remembering John O’Donohue
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…