Rating: Summary: Comprehensive -- add it to your Celtic library! Review: I absolutely love this book. I refer to it all the time. Not only does it outline some information about Celtic Traditions as we know them, which alone is a worthy read, but there is so much more. It goes through rituals, the Wheel of the Year, Esbats, and life cycle events. It even has a few sections on pathworking. Of course, my favorite part of this book is the encyclopdia of Gods and Goddesses, which I have referred to many, many times in my work and research. Extras here are recipes, ritual and spell construction and a reference section on what Gods and Goddesses correspond to what attributes or goals. I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in Celtic traditions.
Rating: Summary: OK guys, lighten up! Review: I am writing in defense of this book. As a practicing Celtic witch for 12 years and a student of Celtic culture (Irish, Scottish and Welsh ancestry), I believe that this book does what it sets out to do - provide a quick reference and intro to the Gods of the various Celtic cultures. Regarding claims that the book can be "dangerous", Edain acknowleges that care must be used when working with certain deities. This book is no more dangerous than any other dealing with witchcraft, wicca, magick, etc. As for the statement that Edain should let the reader know which deities work well with others... perhaps the practioner can figure that out for him/herself (i.e. communicate with the deities one is working with). This book is by no means an instruction manual - I do not believe that it was meant to be. Yet it is a valuable addition to one's reference library.
Rating: Summary: Hey, it's good! Review: I am writing this review to defend Edain McCoy from some of the mean reviews I've read about her book in this section. First off, let me just state that I am an initiated Gardnerian with a college degree, and that I have extensively studied Celtic history and language, ancient languages and civilizations, and world religions, etc. I am saying this not to boast but because I believe that my background should lend credence to my review. Anyway, I bought this book merely for the god/goddess dictionary, because I thought it would be another of those Llewellyn stinkpots -- you know, the usual unethical mix of fact and fantasy all put together so the author can make a quick buck. Believe me, I HATE those kinds of books. But this one really surprised me, and I think McCoy did an excellent job. Celtic history and the Celtic pantheons are very complicated and difficult to simplify into a workable and understandable whole. I think McCoy did a good job of both attempting to do that as well as explaining how difficult it is. I think she was quite honest about her limitations, which I think are limitations almost anyone would have (my one complaint is that she doesn't cite her souces). As for her spelling and pronunciation of the words, I found them to be pretty much the same as I have seen in my non-Craft related Celtic books. I found them very helpful. And yes, at first some of her entries on the gods seemed to be erroneous, but sure enough when I looked them up in other books I would find she wasn't wrong. Let's face it, there are so many forms of Celtic myth, and as I said it's a complex system; there are many different versions of the stories and the most popular versions certainly aren't the only ones. I am not a relativist, but there are some things that are in constant flux, some "truths" that are always shifting, and it seems to me that myth is an ever-evolving entity. In short, I loved this book. If you want a book that teaches you Celtic Wicca or Wicca, read books by Buckland, Cunningham, and especially Janet and Stewart Farrar. But if you are already working in or learning a tradtion and want to add some Celtic flavor, this book is a treasure. I've read so many Pagan books, it's a JOY to read one and learn things in a place you least expected. I highly recommend it.
Rating: Summary: The worst Review: I have been a Wiccan High Priest since 1994, and I have honored the Celtic Gods for longer than that, and this book makes me sick to my stomach. Like all of Edain's books, it is filled with a mish-mash of fluffy nonsense, badly written tripe, and bogus scholarship.If you want to honor the Celtic deities, you can use Edain McCoy's books to start a bonfire, and instead purchase books by John and Caitlin Matthews, Alexei Kondratiev, and Steve Blamires.
Rating: Summary: WONDERFUL! Review: I know there are a great deal of people who hate this book. I don't know why! I am not a Llewellyn fan, because I feel that they rush anything into print, whether it's written or researched well, as well as putting out books that don't even skim the surface of a subject. This book is the exception, and believe me, I've read an extensive amount of books on Celtic myth and spirituality! So I at least have something to go on when I say that this book is a gem! It's well researched and so comprehensive, that you really don't even need any other book if you want to learn about Celtic magick. GRANTED, we really don't have a lot of information on what the Celts did or why, because they didn't write any of it down, and the Christians destroyed as much evidence as they could. BUT, this book does not claim to teach you THE way of Celtic spirituality. It gives the Wiccan/witch/Pagan a treasure trove of information on every possible subject so that you can add Celtic influences into your rites/philosophy. It is beautifully written, endlessly helpful and wonderfully practical. So it may not be suitable for scholars or people who MUST have things EXACTLY as history dictates. But if you are exploring Celtic spirituality and need a place to start, or if you are a practiced Celtic witch/Pagan, you will value this comprehensive volume for it's invaluable reference material and never-ending inspiration.
Rating: Summary: Who Can REALLY Claim to be an "Expert" on the Celts? Review: In regards to those who "bash" this work: Nowhere in this book did I read that Ms. McCoy claimed an expertise in the area of the Celts nor their mythology. Rather, she openly states that much of their information is "lost forever", unknown, and/or misunderstood. She also cautions that much of the Celtic mythologies are really a potpourri of Welsh, Gaelic, and British sources, and no one Celtic source is infallible or 100% correctly understood and interpreted. However, I will also say this...This book is perhaps one of the better sources of getting to know the Celts and their mythologies available today, and on that basis alone, it's well-worth the small pricetag.
Rating: Summary: WONDERFUL! Review: Just curious, I obviously didn't read all the reviews. I read every book now from cover to cover. Apparently, an Edain basher didn't bother to read 'about the author,' in referring to Edain as "HE." If the basher had rEALLy read the book, they would have noticed that SHE! does not propose that this book is a Grail-source of tradition. imho, this is a great book, for basic history of the pantheon, gallery and glossary of gods and goddesses. It's a very helpful tool. One of many when dealing with myths - as she even says in the book - to paraphrase, 'the thing about myths and history is that they sometimes become intertwined - you should read a lot about the myths/history of (anyone) from the BCE years, then draw your own educated conclusions.
Rating: Summary: Good Book Review: This book has alot of good information on celtic deities but i do agree way the listed them could have been alittle better only this i think is lacking in this book is fact some of deites magickal imfomation was left out and talk nothing about fay which for a celtic tradion i was surprised since the fay are a part of mythology the reason it did not score higher and get magick 5 star is some of infomation which was left out in parts mostly in gods section mainly still not bad book overall and art was nice but not a end all on celtic wicca. Blessed Be:
Rating: Summary: Let me tell you my story... Review: This book provides a good overview of how one can integrate elements from Celtic traditions into their own spiritual/magickal practice. I recommend it to beginners who are inclined toward being eclectic and eclectics who are looking for some really basic reading material. This book doesn't really adhere to a specific Celtic/pagan tradition which I think is why it has been the most suitable beginner's book for me (both to Celtic spirituality and pagan rituals in general). Having been raised to honor Christian and pagan tradition (yes it does work or my family wouldn't exist), and being quite happy already with my own Christian eclecticism, it's taken me a while to find an intro to Celtic paganism that isn't too fluffy or too specific (i.e. Druidry, Wicca). I personally don't need a book to tell me how to be a Celtic Wiccan/Druid/Faery Wiccan/etc. at this stage, so I don't find those types of books as the most useful. This one provides just the right overview of the Celtic pantheon and practical pagan ritual. When I want to read about the history of the Celts I go read history books! (For crying out loud, the title of this book is "Celtic MYTH and Magick"). I also have to note that guided meditations in here are absolutely wonderful. I thank the author for writing them and sharing them with her readers.
Rating: Summary: Yes, it DOES matter Review: Those of you who don't think that there is anything particularly wrong with just how much McCoy errs in this book dishonour the very people that you only claim to honour. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves...but not half so much as McCoy for tossing out this rubbish just to make a quick quid by riding the newest wave of 'Celtomania'.
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