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Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom
Discover the Celtic Circle of Belonging
John O'Donohue, poet, philosopher, and scholar, guides you through the spiritual landscape of the Irish imagination. In "Anam Cara, " Gaelic for "soul friend," the ancient teachings, stories, and blessings of Celtic wisdom provide such profound insights on the universal themes of friendship, solitude, love, and d
...morePaperback, 256 pages
Published
October 8th 1998
by Harper Perennial
(first published 1995)
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Catholic Scholar John O'Donohue has a warm sense of humor and an incredibly lyrical prose style. He looks at the pre-Christian Celtic tradition and breathes a new life into spiritual awareness. This is a great book for people struggling to create a working spirituality for their lives and it offers amazing insights into our relationships with the sensual world, the world of soul and our interpersonal relationships.
This small book by the Celtic priest John O'Donohue is a staple in my bookcase. I've lost three copies, one to mold, one to formaldehyde and one to water damage. I quickly bought another. This book will change your life. It is not a religious dictate. It is far beyond that. I'm going to give you the first few lines and you can decide for yourself:
It is strange to be here. The mystery never leaves you alone. Behind your image, below your words, above your thoughts, the silen...more
It is strange to be here. The mystery never leaves you alone. Behind your image, below your words, above your thoughts, the silen...more
I love this book. It is a bible and a guide for living a truly deep life and recognizing our belonging in the universe. It teaches love in the deepest sense: encountering the sacred in others and in ourselves. Every paragraph and every reading reveals another gem, which is why this just might be one of those books to carry everywhere: it is multifariously deep. There are times I am impatient and look for a practical guide to help me 'get there'. At times like that I may be too impatient for this...more
If you're not spiritual or religious, this book is probably not for you. The Anam Cara, or “soul friend” is a Celtic/Christian concept, and that fusion of Celtic mysticism and Christian theology is at the core of O'Donohue's writing.
I wanted to like this book more, but I just couldn't get into O'Donohue's writing style. He tried way too hard to be “poetic”, and it just didn't work for me. I also thought that he used too many quotes from other authors, didn't work those quotes into th...more
I wanted to like this book more, but I just couldn't get into O'Donohue's writing style. He tried way too hard to be “poetic”, and it just didn't work for me. I also thought that he used too many quotes from other authors, didn't work those quotes into th...more
This is one of the best books and best written books I've ever read. Two months after I met the author, he died in his sleep at age 53 while on holiday with his fiance in Avignon. The whole world cried when John died. There was no one like him and there never will be again. John had a brilliant mind that was married to a wide open heart.
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I thought this was mostly drivel.
However, there are some wonderfully marvelous blessings, like "Blessing for the Senses" and "Blessing of Solitude".
Actually, the whole chapter (section?) 3 - "Solitude is Luminous" captivated me.
However, there are some wonderfully marvelous blessings, like "Blessing for the Senses" and "Blessing of Solitude".
Actually, the whole chapter (section?) 3 - "Solitude is Luminous" captivated me.
Anam Cara is a pure delight -- touches the soul like no other. As a Celtic at heart, I discover something new about life & about myself with each read. I love this book -- it's too bad it's author, John O'Donohue, passed away in his prime; he is truly missed, but his soul lives on and continues to fill our hearts & spiritual longings with the gift of his words & insights. Along with so much more, this book helps me to see that we are truly spiritual beings experiencing a temporary physical exi...more
I remember thinking, years ago when I first read (for months) Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now, thinking, "Oh, so that's what's meant by someone being a *Master*." Tolle writes from an Eastern perspective. So now I have had my first experience with John O'Donohue, and think again: "So here is another *Master*." However, O'Donohue writes from a Celtic spiritual perspective. This book is not a quick read because Mr. O'Donohue is a spiritual master and a philosopher. He conside...more
Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom is truly a work of art. Over the past three years, I have been working on discovering myself through self-help books, 12-step programs, religious study, and personal introspection. This book summed up everything I have learned (the hard way) during this time, and presented it in a beautiful package that was invigorating and thought-provoking to read. It was a pure joy. I began reading it in January, and have only just finished it last night, because each sentan...more
There were parts of this book that really spoke to me. A passage would leap out at me in an almost Biblical way, and I would think, "That was really good." It took me quite a while to get through the whole thing; I read it in fits and starts. It was kind of spooky that a phrase would be exactly what I needed for encouragement or clarity in the exact moment that I happened to pick the book up and read a few pages. Mostly it was just okay. I found myself rereading sentences, wondering if...more
One of my all time favorite books! I can't believe I didn't add this sooner! I can't remember what year I read it, though.
This book is beautifully written and I carried around with me for almost that whole year.
I love all things Irish and stumbled across this while browsing Amazon years ago. I'm not sure how I ended up finding it, bu I'm thankful I did. I want to re-read it now so I can write a "proper" review.
This is one book I consider a favorite ...more
This book is beautifully written and I carried around with me for almost that whole year.
I love all things Irish and stumbled across this while browsing Amazon years ago. I'm not sure how I ended up finding it, bu I'm thankful I did. I want to re-read it now so I can write a "proper" review.
This is one book I consider a favorite ...more
I picked this up for a reading challenge. It took me three days to get to page 9 and I decided it shouldn't be this painful to read when there are so many great books out there.
I had to keep rereading passages to try to understand what O'Donohue was trying to convey. He also kept quoting other sources such as Aristotle and I figured if he is just going to quote others maybe I should be reading their works instead.
I had to keep rereading passages to try to understand what O'Donohue was trying to convey. He also kept quoting other sources such as Aristotle and I figured if he is just going to quote others maybe I should be reading their works instead.
This is not a book one reads just to check off a list. It is a book of very deep reflections, invoking the reader to slow down, be mindful. It is a book about the human soul, love, spirit, wisdom, relationships and more. I refer to this book several times a week, just to re-read a few pages or a chapter. It's always on the table, next to the sofa, for quick reference and solace.
--lynda
--lynda
Anam Cara is a Gaelic phrase that means "friend of the soul". This friendship is an act of recognition and belonging in an ancient and eternal way, a shared consciousness so to speak. Not necessarily a romantic relationship but someone you feel a near immediate kinship with. The first part of the book is a beautiful description of this relationship...how rare and special, especially if it turns intimate. As Euripides says, "two friends, one soul". The rest of the book has lit...more
Just recently introduced to this author and his words immediately wrapped around my heart. Donohue is a wonderful breath of Irish poet/priest/artist. (Tears came to my eyes when I found out he died in his sleep last year at the age of 52.) He loves the land and beauty as much as I and makes me think it is and Irish-ism and not a quirk of 'my' character.
this book is true. It was given to me by a very special person, one of my favorite friends, and is rich in thought and compassion. Very deep and good to have and hold again from time to time. I am a bit unfamiliar with celtic spirituality, but I found that it is a warm perspective. Religious/ spiritual people would probably dig this book.
I love this resource. The fusion fusion of Celtic Wisdom and Christian philosophy speaks to me with a truth ...a way of being in the world with gratitude for all of the world. One quote I love is "Human presence is a creative and turbulent sacrement, a visible sign of invisible grace" . The book is deep and rich.
Not a religious book but very spiritual and up lifting. There is an affirmation on every page. His perspective is simple and an easy way to live life. I keep it to read only a few pages at a time and then give myself time to think about it. Similar to Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet.
A
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Magical, and very community oriented book which fills me with amazement, especially to hear the audio version read by the author. I am so sad that I never got to meet him before he died. He was certainly a treasure, and I am grateful for the words he left behind.
Some beautiful words that touch the soul. I use 'Beannacht' (a blessing) over and over. There is a wonderful chapter on death and dying, completely transforming that most lonely of times. Eloquent is the word I would use to describe this book. Simply that.
This little book snuck up on me. Borrowed from my father-in-law, it's a wealth of Celtic spirituality that loosely follows our path in life from maturation through death. The middle section about letting your soul find you and the final section about death are especially powerful.
Those with Irish roots will really love it, but it can handle a wide audience. Quick, interesting read.
Those with Irish roots will really love it, but it can handle a wide audience. Quick, interesting read.
I listened to an interview that Krista Tippet did with him shortly before his untimely death and fell in love with him, his ideas and his poetry. This is not a book of poetry, so don't let that scare you off. His writing is soothing to the soul.
Wish I had read reviews before trying to read this book. I found it vague and choppy reading. I also find it was more religious wisdom rather then celtic wisdom. For most people this would not be an issue, but for me it was an issue.
Hanna
added it
Wonderful wonderful book about about an amazing way to look at spirituality. May end up changing my life! (Thank you dear Jen!) Highly recommend to everyone and anyone struggling with themselves (yes YOU!)
In the quest and exploration of many paths, Celtic spirituality is beginning to resonate and ring true for me more and more deeply. John O'Donohue brings a wise, refreshing, and intellectually keen explanation and understanding of Celtic wisdom to the reader's palette. I have already been enamored of his poetry, and was delighted to find that his prose is poetic in its own right. A joy to read; grounding and enlightening at once. I'll be reading this many times over in my life.
Bought for me as a present. A spritual and sensual book, with wonderful stories of wisdom, that leave you thinking. Had me almost in tears at times, when i conveyed these pearls of wisdom to my own life.
Amazing book. Knowing nothing of Celtic thinking and wisdom, I found this book intriguing and impressive. It offered me a great perspective in which to view my own thinking on life, aging, and death.
Mom - Joanne
added it
O'Donohue's ideas of beauty, music, art and words connecting us makes so much sense...enjoyed and will continue to enjoy this book...his idea that the body is in the soul expands my insight.
I fell in love with the language in this book. It reminds me of a soothing lullaby and really has a calming effect on me, making me more receptive to the spiritual wisdom within.
This book is beautifully written and is guaranteed to expand your universe. It is full of beautifully expressed thoughts and ideas well worth contemplating. Read it and you will be glad you did.
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John O'Donohue, Ph.D., was born in County Clare in 1956. He spoke Irish as his native language and lived in a remote cottage in the west of Ireland until his untimely death in January 2008. A highly respected poet and philosopher, he lectured throughout Europe and America and wrote a number of popular books, including Anam Cara and To Bless the Space Between Us.
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“One of the tasks of true friendship is to listen compassionately and creatively to the hidden silences. Often secrets are not revealed in words, they lie concealed in the silence between the words or in the depth of what is unsayable between two people.”
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304 people liked it
“Every friendship travels at sometime through the black valley of despair. This tests every aspect of your affection. You lose the attraction and the magic. Your sense of each other darkens and your presence is sore. If you can come through this time, it can purify with your love, and falsity and need will fall away. It will bring you onto new ground where affection can grow again.”
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237 people liked it
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