it seemed appropriate to draw three cards to begin 2020, which by all accounts is going to be an important year for our consciousness and the well-being of the planet. The Celts believe in the magic of threes. A three-card spread traditionally invites us to look at past, present, and future. I dare say all of us spend some time over the New Year’s holiday reflecting on this theme.
Read MoreWhen I was introduced to Celtic Christmas music, I connected to the gentle rendition of many hymns and songs I already knew. I also was introduced to songs of that tradition that were new to me: “In the Bleak Midwinter”, “I Saw Three Ships a Sailing” and “The Wexford Carol” among my favorites.
Read MoreIt seems so dark here in the Northern Hemisphere in mid-December, it is easy for us-even in these days of bright lights that automatically can click on when we enter a room-to feel the gloom and darkness. Some perhaps even begin to feel as if the light will ever be bright and the days long again. It is no wonder that the Ancient Ones marked the solstice - this shortest day, longest night - and celebrated what they called “the return of the sun”.
Read MoreWhat has been most special in both the giving and receiving is the gift that shows listening and support and that extra effort.
Read MoreFor a year now, I have pulled a Celtic Tarot or Oracle card and suggested its message be a focal poet for meditation or reflection as we entered the new month. The deck I chose this month is not specifically Celtic but is similar to a deck that was part of my visit to Ireland on a tour of thin places back in the 1980s. As many of you know, that trip inspired my first novel Celtic Spirit these many years later.
Read MoreTo paraphrase Eckhart: the only prayer we need ever say is thank you. He might not have been Celtic, but he sure was right on. Scientific studies now confirm the power of gratitude.
Read MoreReaders will recognize that guest blogger Kenneth McIntosh is a frequent contributor, Author, friend, Celtic enthusiast, Ken has generously shared his latest article on Pictish Stones,
I am presenting it as two parts: an overview or Pict Stones and A day on tour to Pictish Stone sites. Enjoy!
Read MoreReaders will recognize that guest blogger Kenneth McIntosh is a frequent contributor, Author, friend, Celtic enthusiast, Ken has generously shared his latest article on Pictish Stones.
I am presenting it as two parts: an overview or Pict Stones and A day on tour to Pictish Stone sites. Enjoy!
Read MoreHearing voices? Some think this is normal, some call it paranormal and others dismiss the idea as fantasy, others label hearing voices as abnormal.
Read MoreSamhain is one of its four main Festival dates of the Celtic calendar. Samhain is the last of the harvest; thus, the end of the year in many ways for the ancient Celts as they prepared for the winter darkness. The end of the cycle of life was acknowledged at this time, too. Like the Mexican Day of the Dead, this holiday is a time to celebrate those who have passed on and to welcome the spirits of loved ones to visit on this day “when the veil is thinnest”.
Read MoreWe all have read of such things in classic children’s fiction: Alice going down the rabbit hole, the Narnia wardrobe. More recent fiction has Harry Potter and friends finding a portal within the train station at Platform 9 ¾ and Claire dropping into an earlier century Scotland in the Outlander.
Read MoreI'm writing this in the shadows of Arizona's Red Rocks, far from the geography and the geology of my favorite Celtic landmarks. But this place holds almost as much magic for me as the beloved "thin places" of Scotland and Ireland.
Read More
