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Despite what you may think, there's not a lot on Celtic tradition that is both reliable and accessible, let alone applicable to life! The Old Celtic languages can be really difficult, and many problems occur in translations. There's a lot of room for interpretation in Celtic tradition, but it doesn't extend to the word for "shrub" meaning "shaman"!
However, as I say in my book, the myths are designed to work on many levels, and speak to each of us differently. Hence, the books below are those that I think have an interesting and genuinely felt take on Celtic tradition, whether personal or historical, mystical or academic, although I don't necessarily agree with all the authors' ideas.
I've divided this list into a few books to get started on, general works on Celtic tradition and spirituality, editions and synopses of stories, and works on shamanism. Unfortunately a lot of the best sources are hard to find or out of print. A bibliography can be found at the end of my masters thesis.
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- Rees, Alwyn and Brinley, 1961, "Celtic Heritage: Ancient Tradition in Ireland and Wales," (London: Thames and Hudson)
- A fantastic work on mythic themes in Celtic literature derived from the old tale lists in the Irish manuscripts. A good place to start.
- Ross, Anne, "Pagan Celtic Britain: Studies in Iconography and Tradition," (New York: Columbia University Press 1993)
- A classical work. Also, anything by Anne Ross in general.
- Mac Cana, Proinsias, 1970, "Celtic Mythology," (London)
- A great source by one of the best Old Irish scholars.
- Flower, Robin, 1970, "The Irish Tradition," (Oxford)
- A great little book providing a nutshell history and discussion of Irish literature.
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- Tolstoy, Nikolai, 1985, "The Quest for Merlin," (London: Hamish Hamilton)
- A good book on Merlin, and an interesting take on the nature of Celtic spirituality and shamanism.
- Green, Miranda J., 1997, "Exploring the World of the Druids," (London: Thames and Hudson)
- A good place to start on Druids. She makes the important point that there were female Druids. Also, 1992, "A Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend," (Thames and Hudson) A good reference work, and her many other works on Celtic Gods, Goddesses, animals in Celtic mythology, etc.
- Cunliffe, Barry, 1979, "The Celtic World," (London)
- Massive coffee table book on the Celts.
- Powell, T.G.E., 1990, "The Celts," (London)
- A less table and budget breaking Celtic history.
- Carmichael, Alexander, 1900, "Carmina Gadelica, Hymns and Incantations,"
- Important collection of prayers and invocations in English and Scottish Gaelic in six volumes, but the only edition in print now is a one volume English translation of selections (Lindisfarne Press, 1992).
- McNeill, F. Marian, 1977, "The Silver Bough: A Four Volume Study of the National and Local Festivals of Scotland," (Glasgow: William Maclellan)
- Especially volume I on Scottish folk-lore and folk-belief.
- Dames, Michael, 1992, "Mythic Ireland," (London: Thames and Hudson)
- Good analysis of Irish mythology and cosmology framed by Irish place lore.
- Evans-Wentz , W.Y., 1990, "The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries," (New York: Citadel Press),
- Exhaustive study of fairy traditions.
- Ellis, Peter Berresford, 1987, "A Dictionary of Irish Mythology," (Oxford: Oxford University Press)
- A useful reference for names and characters. He also wrote a book on the Druids and various others.
- Blamires, Steve, 1992, "The Irish Celtic Magical Tradition," (San Francisco: Harper Collins)
- An interesting look at the all-important "Battle of Moytura," a Celtic variant of the "Sons of Light versus the Sons of Darkness" mythic theme, with good ideas for exercises and taking off points for journeys.
- Matthews, John, 1991, "Taliesin: Shamanism and the Bardic Mysteries in Britain and Ireland," (Aquarian Press: London)
- Lots of good references to primary, hard to find sources in this area.
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- Cross, Tom Peete, and Slover, Clark Harris, 1969, "Ancient Irish Tales," (Dublin: Allen Figgis)
- The only source of accessible translations of a number of tales. (Unfortunately out of print, check libraries.)
- Green, David, and O'Connor, Frank, "A Golden Treasury of Irish Poetry, AD 600 to 1200,"
- An edition with both the Old Irish and English translations of many important poems including St. Patrick's Breastplate and the Hag of Beare.
- Jackson, Kenneth Hurlstone, 1971, "A Celtic Miscellany," (London: Penguin)
- Various tales and poems, including the Dream of Óengus.
- Dillon, Myles, 1946, "The Cycles of the Kings," (London: Oxford University Press), 1948, "Early Irish Literature," and 1954, "Irish Sagas,"
- Guides to the literature with synopses and where to find the primary sources.
- Jones, Gwyn, and Jones, Thomas, 1997, "The Mabinogion," (London: Everyman)
- Matthews, John and Caitlin, 1994, "The Encyclopaedia of Celtic Wisdom: A Celtic Shaman's Sourcebook," (Dorset: Element)
- Useful, as the title indicates, for reprints of various articles from journals, old books and so forth, usually inaccessible to the general reader.
- Gantz, Jeffrey, 1981, "Early Irish Myths and Sagas," (Penguin:London)
- Accessible source for a number of stories, including the Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel.
- Gray, Elisabeth E., 1983, ed. and trans., "Cath Maige Tuired: The Second Battle of Mag Tuired," (Dublin: Irish Texts Society)
- Edition of an important Old Irish mythological text.
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- Eliade, Mircea, 1974, "Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstacy," ( Princeton: Bollingen)
- The encyclopaedic work on shamanism
- Harner, Michael, 1972, 1980, "The Way of the Shaman," (New York: Bantam Books)
- The first book to give detailed instruction on practically applying shamanic techniques to life.
- Kalweit, Holger, 1992, "Shamans, Healers, and Medicine Men," (Boston: Shambhala) and 1988, "Dreamtime and Inner Space: The World of the Shaman," (Boston: Shambhala)
- Two wonderful books that insightfully explore shamanic philosophy.
- Grof, S., with Christina Grof, 1989, "Spiritual Emergency: When Personal Transformation Becomes a Crisis," (New York: G.P. Puttnam's Sons)
- An important book on shamanic and other forms of spiritual crisis.
- Ingerman, Sandra, 1991, "Soul Retrieval," and 1994, "Welcome Home" (both published by Harper SanFrancisco)
- "Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self" is the first book on a very important method of shamanic healing, and "Welcome Home: Following Your Soul's Journey Home" is another on completing the healing process and your spiritual life after.
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