A beautiful book based on an academics approach to Celtic mysticism. I particularly liked the section on the ogham runes and the grove of trees. I believe this to be a great starting point for anyone wanting to look up the ways of their ancestors. We have forgotten, j believe in these fast paced modern times that we once came from our own very rich and varied culture here in the Celtic nations and they still survive today - you’ve just got to know where to look. I would absolutely give this book as a gift for someone looking for a grounding and gentle introduction in Celtic ways.

Thank you to netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in return for this honest review
#celticmysticism #tracielong #netgalley

Green pages reader gets something to do or make, or an extra bit of information. Seems like a basic introduction to topics and a quick overlook.

It might just be me but was there to be a bibliography? Where did the information come from or is the everyday reader supposed to know where the information came from?

Thanks for the opportunity of reading this book.
I love mythology and different cultures, and this book is a nice overview of Celtic history and traditions for a non-specified/technical reader group.
Has some activities to make you participate in Celtic costumes, and illustrations that complement the text, and it's really enjoyable to read.

This book provides a very nice overview of Celtic history, traditions and folklore for a general audience. Sprinkled throughout are DIY activities such as writing your name in the Ogham script, drawing a Celtic knot, and rituals for good luck and gratitude. The accompanying illustrations complement the text well, although the fully-green colour scheme is a bit overdone in places, (e.g. it would be better to show a photo of Stonehenge rather than a drawing where all the stones are green). An enjoyable read for all ages, especially for enthusiasts of ancient cultures and mythology.

I'm always interested in reading this book seemed like a natural for me. While I didn't learn a ton of information beyond what I already knew, I did like the format of this book and thought it a very good starter book for someone just looking to get into this topic.

I was primarily interested in the information regarding the druids and nature and how their view of spirituality and I was not disappointed. The author does a good job of talking about these topics. As for spells and incantations, that wasn't really interesting to me and thought this would have been stronger without that.

A good starter book on the topic of celtic spirituality, history and origins. Nice illustrations too.

This book on Celtic traditions and the way of the Druids. It tells where the Celtic people moved all across Europe. After that it starts going more with Druids than with the Celtic people.

The first half was about Druids and their way of life. There is information about what Druids hold sacred, and how they use the five elements in their lives. The author talks about Druids as if they are a much larger group than I’ve thought in the past, but I’ve never lived in the United Kingdom, so maybe there are many more there than I’m aware of.

There was more specific info from the Celtic spirituality side. There were many Celtic Deities described, which is great. the Celtic myths, legends and folklore is a great section of the book also.There was much lore described, such as animal, plant and stone lore.

I did have a few problems with this book. There were rituals and spells described in detail that I would have thought were “closed practices’. As I’m neither Celtic nor a practicing Druid, I can’t say for sure. There was one point that it was stated that Druids don’t like for others to use a certain magic, but the author says ‘but we’re just doing it a little, so it’s okay!’ That and a few other instances leaned more towards appropriation rather than appreciation. If I was able to, I’d send this book to a Scottish friend with strong Celtic heritage to get her opinion.

Truthfully I would not recommend this book to anyone, unless i was able to get it vetted by someone in that culture. I think as an American society, we see something as ancient and decide that it’s part of a world culture rather than just the culture that built it. We try to take it into our own cultures and end up altering it into something opposite of what it started as. One example is Yoga. Here in the US, we use Yoga as a form of exercise and way to stretch all those muscles that want to lock up on us. But Yoga is a much larger practice than all those amazing stretches. it’s beautiful and we’ve dropped a large part or all of the spiritual practices that people that were born into the culture know. It’s sad and shows the work we need to do as a country.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley for an honest review.

With thanks to netgalley for allowing me to review this book.

Celtic Mysticism is a great book if you want to know about the myths and legends of the Celtics. A great book to dip in and out of.

I was given an ARC to review via Netgalley. My reviews are always honest and all opinions are my own. #CelticMysticism #TracieLong #NetGalley #ARCReview #SpiritualityBookReview #BookReview

Celtic Mysticism by Tracie Long is a good introduction to the subject matter. It covers a broad spectrum of in a relatively short book but the information within is detailed and a brilliant starting point. In some places it is a little more academic sounding but this is by no means a bad thing, in fact the addition of historical facts and figures helps cement what little we do know about the traditions of the Celts. It is clear from the writing that Long is passionate about the subject matter and has spent a long time researching, sifting through what we do know from a tradition that is partly lost to time.

I do feel this is a brilliant starting point for those who may be interested in learning more about Celtic Mysticism and the druids or a good reference for those who are more well versed. I did like the discussion of the Ogham probably the most but it was lovely to have more of the lore, rituals, blessing and Druidic culture covered. I did also enjoy that Long mentioned the similarities between Christian regions and earth-based spiritualities although I am biased to the idea that this is more based on Christianity wanting to convert those who didn’t follow that path to theirs but that is merely my opinion.

All in all this is an enjoyable and informative book that I would recommend to anyone wanting to know more about the Celts and their practices

Found on netgalley and was drawn to it by the blurb and wasn't sure what to make out of it. But I'm honestly happy I gave this book a chance. Kept me pulled into it. Had alot of good information. I do recommend it. Helped me understand a few things better but so adding it to my books to read more than once

Celtic Mysticism was a very interesting read, which I recommend for anyone interested in learning more about Celtic history and the Druids. This book was mostly historical knowledge and research which was presented in a logical and easy to follow way. It was a pleasant read and interesting to learn more about this part of my cultural heritage.

This was a NetGalley review.

Thank you Net Galley for the eARC!

Very informative, I loved it! This book present plenty of historical context, without getting dry or boring.

There was so much here that I didn't know about the Celts and Druids. Clearly written, informative, and absolutely fascinating.

I thoroughly enjoyed this overview of celts and the history of where they derived.
Mixed in with blessings, recipes and how to’s for protection sigils etc. All the basic Druid necessities are all here.
Through ancestry testing I have found the probability that I have a Celtic lineage, which makes this hit in a different way. This book will definitely lead to further reading on the topic

This book strikes a good balance of historical information, cultural aspects, and how this culture has survived today and even been incorporated into the new age movement. It has how tos, charts, descriptions, and a ton more information. If you're interested in celtic mysticism, you should check this book out!

Celtic Mysticism was very helpful to me - a novice in this field.

The legends and magic of this ancient culture and people is marvelous and greatly enhanced my knowledge

Thank you to Netgalley, Tracie Long, and the publishers for gifting me a copy of Celtic Mysticism in return for my honest opinion.

4/5 stars

There is so much information packed into this book. Between teaching you how to write your name in Ogham to Celtic-based words that have affected modern language. They give you instructions on how to make your own staff and dive deeper into the Ancient life of Celtic travelers. From their belief systems to tree meditation they really do cover just about anything you might want to learn about from Celtic history. To recipes and what you might have been called if you were held in exceptional honor with the Celtics. From the elements to the Celtic year, tools, and symbols there is so much that they explain in concise easy-to-read chapters. I really enjoyed learning about their deities and folklore, I always find these to be so interesting. This is a wonderful introduction to all things Celtic and their lives.

This book is such a fun introduction to so many elements of Celtic mysticism that I was unfamiliar with, there is just so much packed in to a really easy read!
Along with an insight into the history and traditions of Celtic life, the author demonstrates practical ways of incorporating these practices into your own life through prayers and crafts. I was especially interested in the section which explains the way herbs can be used to heal various ailments and will definitely try this out when I can. As well as being well written, this book is so BEAUTIFULLY put together and would make such a great gift for anyone interested in Celtic traditions.

A great book about many aspects of historical Celtic religion, from gods and goddesses to druidism. Extensive research and a unique voice help to bring this book's content to life.

Not a bad little book however some of the information contained within is a bit misleading. The book seems to imply that ancient wisdom was passed down from Druids to modern day druids however the modern day Druid movement is a modern revival as little information is known about the ancient druids and therefore a lot of the information in the book can only be speculative.
The author also makes numerous mentions of Druids performing human sacrifices but archeologists disagree on this point and many believe it to be Roman propaganda
They also incorrectly link Stonehenge and other monuments to the Druids
The book then crosses into Wiccan practices such as the 5 elements which the author incorrectly links with Druids. Even in modern Druidry just 3 elements are used - land, sea and sky.
They also use the Wiccan wheel of the year and not the names used for the data by modern Druidic orders.
The definition of the gods are also a little questionable listing the Dagda as a good god however the good that he is refers to is more “good at” ie multi skilled. Listing the Morrigan as the jealous wife of the Dagda is pretty laughable as there is no written account of their marriage only their yearly coupling around Samhain.
Overall unfortunately there is little to recommend this book as the information contained within is misleading in some cases and outright incorrect in others.

ARC NETGALLEY REVIEW

This was such a pleasant surprise to read, Highly recommend this book, it’s been a while since I came across one with such substantial and validation, it was clear the author knew her stuff, and didn’t miss a beat. I learned more from this small exceptional book then I have from countless others. Definitely a bookshelf buy!