Celtic Gods, Celtic Goddesses

Rating:
Summary: Nice to add to the collection
Review: As a widespread tribal people, the Celts did not have a centralized, codified religion. Nor can we be exactly sure what they believed or how they practiced their beliefs at any given time & place. In "Celtic Gods, Celtic Goddesses," R.J. Stewart unveils some of this mystery for us. It is well-researched, with excellent color illustrations. Substantial excerpts from Celtic literature - mostly oral tales reflected in a Christian mirror - are included. There is special emphasis on the Celtic goddess figures, who are rather slippery to grasp with their triple aspects & mixes of fertility & warrior powers. The preCeltic origins of the Mother Goddess & the connections between Celtic & Roman myth (Minerva/Brigid) are explored.

This is not a "Bible" of Celtic religion. No such book exists or ever existed. Anyone trying to invent an easy cut & paste "pagan" spirituality will probably find this book a difficult read. But if you are looking for timeless metaphors that can help you better understand the Soul of humanity & lead you to nature & to a calendar of the seasons & the sky, "Celtic Gods, Celtic Goddesses" will be an essential addition to your library.

Bob Rixon

Rating:
Summary: Reads like a boring textbook
Review: If in reference for gods and goddesses, this is not the most informative book. I would have given it 1 star, but there were some decent illustrations, which is the only reason it gets 2 stars. It really reads like a very boring textbook, and doesn't go into too many gods and goddesses. It gives a lot of history about the ideas in celtic dieties, but not too much into specific gods and goddesses. Read at your own risk.

Rating:
Summary: Beauty in Abundance
Review: It's not the most complete tome on Celtic mythology, but it just might be the most beautiful! How could anyone look at these illustrations and not come away feeling enriched? Reviewers who have been hard on this book seem to think it walks the fence between historical record and whimsy. I submit that any study of the ancient Celts must do exactly that. The Celts remain something of an enigma because of their lack of written history. And the same people who gave us a deep and abiding love of nature and reverence for all things female were also known to lop off a few heads when angered. Let's take the best of what an ancient society had to offer and leave the brutal rest to the "scientists." This book makes a splendid introduction for the uninitiated. The worst thing a newcomer to Celtic spirituality could do would be to crack open a heavy-handed archaeological study or how-to for druidic practitioners. I can think of no gentler introduction to Celtic mythology than this one. Readers might not come away with an in-depth understanding of the subject, but they will almost certainly come away with a new love for an ancient way of thinking and a drive to seek out further discoveries. The FACTS surrounding the ancients will forever remain elusive, but the FEELING is within these pages. Feel and enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good for an occult book
Review: Most occult books on Celtic spirituality are pretty awful. Poor scholarship unites with poor writing, bad editing, and bizarre misconceptions to form literary abortions useful more as amusement than enlightenment.

This book is an exception. While not as up-to-date or accurate as the best scholarly works, it is generally a useful, comprehensive, interesting, and informative work. I have been influenced by a couple of Stewart's ideas, and do like his presentation of the kinds of general Celtic deity roles favored by such scholars as Miranda Green, although Stewart is not equal to Green generally.

Beware of some of the more bizarre of his theories. I'm not sure, for example, where he gets the whole idea of the stars within the Earth, and did not find that particular concept very useful.

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good for an occult book
Review: Most occult books on Celtic spirituality are pretty awful. Poor scholarship unites with poor writing, bad editing, and bizarre misconceptions to form literary abortions useful more as amusement than enlightenment.

This book is an exception. While not as up-to-date or accurate as the best scholarly works, it is generally a useful, comprehensive, interesting, and informative work. I have been influenced by a couple of Stewart's ideas, and do like his presentation of the kinds of general Celtic deity roles favored by such scholars as Miranda Green, although Stewart is not equal to Green generally.

Beware of some of the more bizarre of his theories. I'm not sure, for example, where he gets the whole idea of the stars within the Earth, and did not find that particular concept very useful.

Rating:
Summary: Am I too picky?
Review: Ok, maybe I am too picky but there was nothing special about this book. The illustrations were really nice, but this fairly expensive book did not offer anything more than that. If you are looking for a pantheon to work with, and want to learn more about it, this book is not going to help you, the information given is partially correct and the pantheon is not complete. If you are a serious student of mythology, believe me this book is not going to satisfy you. I agree that the author has made some research on the subject, however this book is far from being an archeological reference book. So, the main problem of this book is that the author doesn`t seem to have decided on what approach to emphasize(spiritual vs. archeologic) and he ended up with this book that doesn't address to any type of reader.

Rating:
Summary: Celtic Gods and, er, ah, other Gods and Heros
Review: The art is pretty and the section on Celtic Gods is fairly good for those it covers. However Mr. Stewart seems unable to see Goddesses as deities in their own right. He relegates Celtic Goddesses to the role of appendage to various Gods and (male) heros including none Celtic ones. There are many good books, read this one only is you have time to waste in the dentist's office.