Salmon in the Spring: The Ecology of Celtic Spirituality

by Jason Kirkey

Here at the end of the Cenozoic Era with the life systems withering away, a surprising creativity appears, a kind of mystical balancing act. The world’s spiritual traditions are entering into deeply engaged conversations through which the riches of each are ignited in new ways. With The Salmon in the Spring , Jason Kirkey has boldly carved out his place in this exciting work with his original interpretations of the concepts and stories of ancient Ireland . . . Kirkey’s vision speaks directly to our present ecological challenge. Rejecting those nature-??denying forms of spirituality that have been used too easily to justify our domestication of the planet, The Salmon in the Spring announces its thrilling spiritual 'Our wild nature is our soul.' —Brian Swimme, California Institute of Integral Studies

Genres: Spirituality, Nonfiction, Paganism, Ecology, Nature

296 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2009

About the author

Jason Kirkey grew up in the North Atlantic watershed of Massachusetts in a small town north of Boston. At the age of twelve he began his long apprenticeship to the earth and soul. He moved to Boulder, Colorado where he attended Naropa University and in 2007 obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in “Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in Contemplative Psychology and Environmental Studies.” His thesis work focused on healing the human-nature relationship in the Irish druidic tradition, in preparation for which he took several trips to Ireland between 2004 and 2006, and studied for a semester in Dingle, Co. Kerry at the Díseart Institute of Education and Celtic Culture. Throughout his undergraduate career he was also heavily influenced and inspired by deep ecology, ecopsychology, Buddhism, and the Shambhala tradition of enlightened warriorship as taught by Chögyam Trungpa.

In November 2006 Jason formed Hiraeth Press as a vehicle for the publication of his poetry. He has since released three collections of poems, Portraits of Beauty (2006), Songs from a Wild Place (2007), and The Ballad of the Sea-Sweet Moon and Other Poems (2008). In 2008 the Press worked with the Ecos Systems Institute to put our Courting the Wild: Love Affairs with the Land to which Jason also contributed an essay.

In late 2008 Jason finished work on a manuscript tentatively titled Wild Earth, Wild Mind: The Ecology of Celtic Spirituality which deals with the themes of Irish mythology and the re-invention and integration of the human species into consonance with the living cosmos. It draws heavily on ecological studies, mythology and folklore, and the nondual mystical traditions.

Most recently Jason has moved to San Francisco to study at the California Institute of Integral Studies in the “Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness” program. He is in the early stages of writing a fourth collection of poems and is developing experiential programs in order to bring his work with Place, Nature, Soul, and Story to the public.

Reviews

[Danni · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This sort of descent and wandering is capable of placing us in direct contact with the soul. Far away from the safety and comfort of the home, out on the borderlands of the heart, we can encounter ourselves in our essential nature - our own wildness stoked by the wilderness of land or psyche. We can enter, in other words, into the Otherworld where place, mind, and heart are entwined in a more intimate embrace than our Fomorian perceptions allow. " - Jason Kirkey

For those seeking a book that combines the myth, journeys, and inspiring elements of Celtic spirituality with the intimate relationship one has with the land and the ecology we live in, The Salmon in the Spring: The Ecology of Celtic Spirituality by Jason Kirkey is a perfect fit. 

The author uses traditional Celtic myth, personal narratives, and philosophical ideas together in order to help readers find new inspiration when connecting the land they live within. The reader is taken on a journey that brings them closer to knowing themselves. It would be hard to be on a Celtic or Druid path, read this book, and not find that their practices have deepen and new wisdom has been gifted to them. 

Well written and beautifully supported by a vast array of different quotes and sources, this book is easy to read despite being a deeper and more nuanced text than many Celtic Spirituality books in the market today. 

The only wish that I had for this book was to have incorporated a bit more of the science of ecology (there is some) into the different chapters. I think I was a misled by the part of the title "The Ecology of Celtic Spirituality." Some permaculture or soil science thrown in would have made me a happier reader. I think most readers won't have this issue though! 

[Heather Durham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a commitment. Unlike the more airy, almost meditative forays into Celtic spirituality that I’ve read, this reads more like an eco-spiritual manifesto, dense with gems of information and insight, of analysis and declarations on how Irish mythology and ecopsychology could (and should) inform the present. I could only get through a few pages at a time before my brain felt full—definitely not a quick read—so sticking with it to the end felt like an accomplishment in itself. And yet, I am so glad that I did. Kirkey’s unique vantage point, his own spiritual history, his passion, and his copious research on the subject make all those gems shine, those ideas and pronouncements well worth my time. Looking back through the book, I found I highlighted numerous passages, and I look forward to returning to them, so that they might sink in a little more, give them the air they might need so I might integrate them more fully. It’s an honor to give this book a forever home on my bookshelf.

[Philip Carr-gomm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too soon to write a review, but the first chapter has given me so much food for thought, I have paused to digest this impressive work. I lent it to a friend, who after reading for several hours turned to me and said 'This is shockingly wonderful!'

[Heidi Hanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kirkey weaves strands of spirituality, ecology, psychology and science in a beautiful braid of cosmic sweetgrass. We are shown where the Old Story has brought us and teaches us how we might begin to write the New Story, the Eco-Story of a cooperative relationship between the soul of the Earth and the soul of humanity. During this critical time in Earth’s evolution we could, metaphorically speaking, be Adam’s and Eve’s returning to the garden for a do-over. It is not an easy read, so be patient; take your time with the ideas set forth by Kirkey and other spiritual ecologists. Explore your place in this New Story. Give time to practice a new way of being with and loving this beautiful planet. Savor the elements of Celtic and Buddhist tradition and story sprinkled throughout the chapters. I recommend this to anyone with an interest spiritual ecology, a love of the Earth and a concern for the future of humanity.

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please check out my review at my website : The Salmon in the Spring

[Deanne Quarrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

splendid!