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The Celtic Spirit: Daily Meditations for the Turning Year
Discover the Living Wisdom of the Ancient Celts The ancient Celts and their spiritual mediators, the Druids believed in the communion of all living things and sought harmony between nature and the human soul. Now, with this inspiring book of day-by-day mediations, renowned Celtic scholar Caitlín Matthews shows you how to reawaken the power of this age-old spiritual inheritance.
Using poetry, myths, reflections, rituals, and visualizations, Matthews leads you on a yearlong pilgrimage that will help connect the cycles of your soul to the circle of the seasons. From the winter months of Samhain the summer months of Beltant, from mediations on the gifts and blessings of life to the insights and promises of the soul, she enables you to complete your own sacred circuit of the turning year.
Brimming with the legends and lore of Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and Britain, The Celtic Spirit is a brilliant introduction to the sacred wisdom of the Celtic path--and a potent resource for daily spiritual renewal.
Using poetry, myths, reflections, rituals, and visualizations, Matthews leads you on a yearlong pilgrimage that will help connect the cycles of your soul to the circle of the seasons. From the winter months of Samhain the summer months of Beltant, from mediations on the gifts and blessings of life to the insights and promises of the soul, she enables you to complete your own sacred circuit of the turning year.
Brimming with the legends and lore of Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and Britain, The Celtic Spirit is a brilliant introduction to the sacred wisdom of the Celtic path--and a potent resource for daily spiritual renewal.
416 pages, Paperback
First published December 30, 1998
41 people are currently reading
651 people want to read
About the author
Caitlín Matthews
146 books191 followersCaitlín Matthews is a writer, singer and teacher whose ground-breaking work has introduced many to the riches of our western spiritual heritage.
She is acknowledged as a world authority on Celtic Wisdom, the Western Mysteries and the ancestral traditions of Britain and Europe. She is the author of over 50 books including Sophia: Goddess of Wisdom, a study of Divine Feminine in Gnostic, Jewish and Christian thought and King Arthur’s Raid on the Underworld, a new translation and study of the Welsh poet Taliesin’s extraordinary poem, itself a major cross-roads of British mythology.
Caitlín was trained in the esoteric mystery traditions through the schools founded by Dion Fortune, Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki and Gareth Knight. Her shamanic vocation emerged early in her ability to sing between the worlds and to embody spirits. She has worked in many of the western traditions with companions upon the path including R.J.Stewart. Like him, she teaches the many strands of the ancestral European traditions. She specializes in teaching traditional European spirit-consultation oracles where the diviner draws directly upon the spirits of nature for answers and in the use of the voice to sound the unseen. Caitlín has been instrumental in revealing the ancestral heritage of the Western traditions through practical exploration of the mysteries as well as through scholarly research. Her teachings are couched in a firm historical and linguistic framework, with respect to the original context of the teachings, but never loses sight of the living traditions of these teachings which can be explored through direct application to their spiritual sources.
Trained as an actress, Caitlín is in demand as a storyteller and singer. She appears frequently on international radio and television, and was the song-writer and Pictish language originator for the Jerry Bruckheimer film King Arthur. With John Matthews, her partner, who was historical consultant on the film, she shared in the 2004 BAFTA award given to Film Education for the best educational CD Rom: this project introduced school-children to the life and times of King Arthur. She and John are both concerned with the oral nature of storytelling and its ability to communicate the myth at a much deeper level than of the commercial booktrade. This is apparent in their forthcoming project, The Story Box. For Caitlín, her books are merely the tip of a much bigger oral iceberg which is her teaching.
With her partner, John Matthews, and with Felicity Wombwell , she is co-founder of The Foundation for Inspirational and Oracular Studies, which is dedicated to the sacred arts that are not written down. Their FíOS shamanic training programme teaches students the healing arts as well as hosting masterclasses with exemplars of living sacred traditions. Caitlín has a shamanic practice in Oxford dedicated to addressing soul sickness and ancestral fragmentation, as well as helping clients find vocational and spiritual direction. Her soul-singing and embodiment uniquely bring the ancient healing traditions to everyday life.
Caitlín’s other books include Singing the Soul Back Home, Mabon and the Guardians of Celtic Britain, The Psychic Protection Handbook, and Celtic Devotional. She is co-author, with John Matthews, of the Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom and Encyclopaedia of Celtic Myth and Legend. Her books have been translated into more than nineteen languages from Brazil to Japan.
The author lives in Oxford with her husband and son in a kind of book-cave or library, whichever you will. They share their home with a white cat and a black cat.
She is acknowledged as a world authority on Celtic Wisdom, the Western Mysteries and the ancestral traditions of Britain and Europe. She is the author of over 50 books including Sophia: Goddess of Wisdom, a study of Divine Feminine in Gnostic, Jewish and Christian thought and King Arthur’s Raid on the Underworld, a new translation and study of the Welsh poet Taliesin’s extraordinary poem, itself a major cross-roads of British mythology.
Caitlín was trained in the esoteric mystery traditions through the schools founded by Dion Fortune, Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki and Gareth Knight. Her shamanic vocation emerged early in her ability to sing between the worlds and to embody spirits. She has worked in many of the western traditions with companions upon the path including R.J.Stewart. Like him, she teaches the many strands of the ancestral European traditions. She specializes in teaching traditional European spirit-consultation oracles where the diviner draws directly upon the spirits of nature for answers and in the use of the voice to sound the unseen. Caitlín has been instrumental in revealing the ancestral heritage of the Western traditions through practical exploration of the mysteries as well as through scholarly research. Her teachings are couched in a firm historical and linguistic framework, with respect to the original context of the teachings, but never loses sight of the living traditions of these teachings which can be explored through direct application to their spiritual sources.
Trained as an actress, Caitlín is in demand as a storyteller and singer. She appears frequently on international radio and television, and was the song-writer and Pictish language originator for the Jerry Bruckheimer film King Arthur. With John Matthews, her partner, who was historical consultant on the film, she shared in the 2004 BAFTA award given to Film Education for the best educational CD Rom: this project introduced school-children to the life and times of King Arthur. She and John are both concerned with the oral nature of storytelling and its ability to communicate the myth at a much deeper level than of the commercial booktrade. This is apparent in their forthcoming project, The Story Box. For Caitlín, her books are merely the tip of a much bigger oral iceberg which is her teaching.
With her partner, John Matthews, and with Felicity Wombwell , she is co-founder of The Foundation for Inspirational and Oracular Studies, which is dedicated to the sacred arts that are not written down. Their FíOS shamanic training programme teaches students the healing arts as well as hosting masterclasses with exemplars of living sacred traditions. Caitlín has a shamanic practice in Oxford dedicated to addressing soul sickness and ancestral fragmentation, as well as helping clients find vocational and spiritual direction. Her soul-singing and embodiment uniquely bring the ancient healing traditions to everyday life.
Caitlín’s other books include Singing the Soul Back Home, Mabon and the Guardians of Celtic Britain, The Psychic Protection Handbook, and Celtic Devotional. She is co-author, with John Matthews, of the Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom and Encyclopaedia of Celtic Myth and Legend. Her books have been translated into more than nineteen languages from Brazil to Japan.
The author lives in Oxford with her husband and son in a kind of book-cave or library, whichever you will. They share their home with a white cat and a black cat.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 1, 2014
Reading the appropriate page first thing in the morning makes a good start to the day. Each page begins with a short quote of verse or prose, followed by the author's insights. After a year, when I've read them all, I think I'll be very happy to start all over again.
September 17, 2012
I've now completed a year cycle and intend to continue reading the meditations in this book everyday. I love the Celtic rythm and syncing of life with the seasons...It's a refreshing way to engage in the cycles of the year with lovely emphasis on the changes in nature and their metaphors for our lives. If you choose to journal or meditate more deeply there are promptings at the end of each meditation. I learn something each day and am reminded of connecting with the sacred and approaching every day with a conscious intention and theme. I feel this book will be a part of my life for years to come.
August 27, 2010
I alternate this with the Celtic devotions as a daily spiritual practice. Ancient Celtic spiritual tradition,poetry & myth, woven with modern philosophy. Basically an idea about yourself or the world to mull over & let percolate throughout the day. Matthews has an impressive body of work.
March 11, 2009
Though I was not impressed by other works from this author, I rather enjoyed this Celtic/pagan oriented devotional.
September 18, 2011
A day by day guide of meditations and thoughts. Enjoyable read, some were fitting, and some weren't, but definitely gave one the ability to meditate on the thought.
October 15, 2008
Many of the passages related to my life at the time I was reading this more frequently. It's a nice book to pick up every once in awhile to gain a little more perspective on life.
June 26, 2008
I've read this repeatedly for years. Reflections on the quotes and commentary helps put the world in perspective.
September 29, 2008
A great guide for daily meditation. Can be used over and over as you move through the years.
May 20, 2014
One year with this book is completed.
October 25, 2014
Wonderfully written and beautifully insightful
December 31, 2021
3.5 2021's daily meditation read. Interesting and packed with Celtic information. Not my favorite daily book of the past few years, yet a good way to begin the day. Today's entry? The Hogmanay Celebration. Happy New Year.
January 27, 2023
These “mediations” weren’t quite what I suspected. Many of the days are more mini history lessons than spiritual information or guidance—which is fine, just not what I expected from reviews. Still, I read the entries a couple mornings a week more or less.
July 7, 2018
I will implement a lot of this book into my spiritual practice.
October 28, 2018
Fun book with a different topic for each day of the year. Works well to use as journal prompts. Great tool for daily rituals. Some days are similar but still not too bad.
November 21, 2018
I read this every night before bed. It is essentially a devotional written for those on a Celtic spiritual path. I have yet to find anything else quite like it.
January 22, 2021
I much prefer Caitlin Matthews Celtic Devotional Daily Prayers & Blessings, which I have used for several years.
April 26, 2024
This is a title that you never stop rereading as it contains readings and insights for every day of the year. This is invaluable in the spiritual journey when used in conjunction with journaling.
November 1, 2024
History, folklore, stories, themes and mindful questions for every day of the year 🧘🏻♀️ Good silent meditations.
November 21, 2022
This is a great source of daily meditations. Each day has a theme/topic, a quote, and ends with a focus question to encourage self-reflection. Beautiful meditations and insights on Celtic culture.
March 25, 2015
The Celtic Spirit: Daily Meditations for the Turning Year by Caitlin Matthews is a compilation of 365 daily readings. While the title asserts they are meditations, I think reflections or mini-history lessons are the more apt descriptions in many cases. Some of the reflections are excellent; others are very weak, meandering through topics Matthews seems to have forced together in a way that doesn’t feel natural. Many of the readings were not engaging or thought provoking for me. The topics also began to feel repetitious by the end of the year with multiple days focusing on topics such as trees and the grail. The suggested “meditations” at the end of each reading are often actions, and some of those actions would take days or even months to complete. While I appreciate those readings that were excellent, I felt overall the book was a weak effort.
December 29, 2007
A very nice collection of meditation prompts, one for each day of the year.
January 15, 2016
I have been doing this daily for several years and really find it enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews