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Celtic Cosmology and the Otherworld: Mythic Origins, Sovereignty and Liminality Paperback – May 17, 2018

by Sharon Paice MacLeod (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 67 ratings
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The early medieval manuscripts of Ireland and Britain contain tantalizing clues about the cosmology, religion and mythology of native Celtic cultures, despite censorship and revision by Christian redactors.

Focusing on the latest research and translations, the author provides fresh insight into the beliefs and practices of the Iron Age inhabitants of Ireland, Britain and Gaul. Chapters cover creation and cosmogony, the deities of the Gaels, feminine power in narrative sources, druidic belief, priestesses and magical rites.

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  1. Print length
    293 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    McFarland & Company
  4. Publication date
    May 17, 2018
  5. Reading age
    18 years and up
  6. Dimensions
    6 x 0.59 x 9 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1476669074
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1476669076
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Engaging.... From the first page of the Introduction, we feel as though she is telling us a beautiful story, going back-and-forth in time with ease and an effortless rhythm. The use of vital sources provides valuable background to the author’s line of thoughts, and allow readers to push their inquiries further. This process, as well as the general time of the book, creates a bond of trust between the reader and the author which winds up incredibly refreshing. To be able to research, gather, translate, analyze, understand and then render in a seemingly effortless way such knowledge is a true gift...a must read...a valuable asset”―Reading Religion

“Macleod possesses masterly knowledge of the literary sources, familiarity with secondary literature in religious studies and anthropology and impressive linguistic skills.”―Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Teaching.

“Useful…There is fresh, useful thinking to be found here.”―Journal of the Traditional Cosmology Society

About the Author

Sharon Paice MacLeod is a Harvard-trained Celticist, grant-funded researcher, historical consultant and professional musician. She has taught Celtic literature, mythology and folklore at the university level and lives in New England.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ McFarland & Company (May 17, 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 293 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1476669074
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1476669076
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.59 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 67 ratings

About the author

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Sharon Paice MacLeod

Sharon Paice MacLeod

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Sharon Paice MacLeod trained in Celtic studies through Harvard University and has presented and published work in North America, Ireland and Scotland, including the University of Edinburgh, University College Cork, the Harvard Celtic Colloquium, the Ford Foundation Lecture Series, the International Celtic Congress, the Harvard Graduate Study Group on Ancient Magic and Religion, Smith College and the University of Massachusetts (Extension).

Ms. McLeod's research specialties include ancient Celtic culture and religion, early Irish poetry and wisdom texts, Medieval Irish and Welsh literature and mythology, Scottish and Irish folklore, seership, Otherworld traditions, and the ritual expression of indigenous Celtic belief through word, song, poetry, chant and story.

Her published works include: 'Celtic Myth and Religion: A Study of Traditional Belief' (McFarland), 'The Divine Feminine in Ancient Europe' (McFarland), 'Queen of the Night' (Red Wheel / Weiser), 'The Proceedings of the Harvard Celtic Colloquium' (Harvard University Press) and 'Cosmos' (University of Edinburgh, School of Scottish and Celtic Studies).

She is a research grant recipient (Canada Council for the Arts; Scottish Clans Association of Canada) and Director of the Eolas ar Senchas Research Project. Ms. MacLeod is also the Founder of Senchas: Celtic Religious Studies Association and Immrama: Indigenous Celtic Shamanic Traditions.

Her musical career has included classical, folk, rock, medieval, world and Celtic music, and she is an accomplished Celtic singer, performing Gaelic, Welsh, Irish, Cornish and Breton songs. She plays flute, oboe, recorder, pennywhistle, Irish flute and low whistle, Tibetan and Native American flutes, keyboards, harp, lyre, bodhran and frame drum.

She was the founder and lead singer for 'The Moors', whose award-winning CD has gone through several pressings and is available through I-tunes and CD Baby (with artwork by the reknowned artist Cynthia von Buhler).

Sharon has also studied indigenous religious traditions, and is a shamanic practitioner with over 18 years of experience, applying universal shamanic practices to illuminate Celtic traditions. She has studied with a number of indigenous shamans, and in the Andean tradition has been given the rites of the Pampamesayoq, a type of shaman specializing in rituals honouring the earth and divine feminine. She is also a pipe carrier in Lakota tradition.

She leads courses and workshops, as well as distance learning programs based on the books 'Celtic Myth and Religion' and 'The Divine Feminine in Ancient Europe.' For more information: celtic wisdom at ymail dot com.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
67 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

D. Doll
5.0 out of 5 stars This is one of the better books that I have read on the myths and ...
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2018
Verified Purchase
This is one of the better books that I have read on the myths and beliefs of the Celts. Sharon Paice MacLeod is a master of meticulous research and the synthesis of evidence from various disciplines. Her insight and careful analysis of language/root words adds a depth of understanding for the reader that makes this book easy to understand, yet satisfies the thirst for scholarly discussion. Her ability to avoid presentism and to put herself into the Celtic world lends an air of authenticity to this book, and the conclusions that are drawn can be extrapolated to aid in the understanding of ancient European cultures. I especially enjoyed the analysis of gender and the discussions of Danu/Anu, Flidais, and the chapter on islands. A well-written book with a wealth of information.
24 people found this helpful
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Anthony Patterson MD
5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive and scholarly
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2018
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MacLeod has given us a tour de force account of a sophisticated yet magical ancient civilization, the Celts. She focuses especially on a detailed exploration of the goddesses of the Celtic pantheon. She brings a novel focus on their roles in sovereignty, fecundity, power, the water motif, and the Divine Feminine as the source of knowledge and wisdom. Yet there's nothing mystical or "New Age" in her presentation. This is academic rigor of the highest level, based throughout on historicity, linguistics, and careful use of critical thinking skills.

Her literary skill matches her technical, making this work a sheer delight to read.

I recommend this book, and I hope it brings you as much satisfaction as it did me.
18 people found this helpful
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Nico Vela
4.0 out of 5 stars A great book
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2022
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This book was a great introduction into the scholarship surrounding the Celtic Otherworld. Purchased for my own research purposes and was not let down.
6 people found this helpful
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culdee
5.0 out of 5 stars good information, not new age crap
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2020
Verified Purchase
the book is accurate in its content and has avoided the new age junk one finds everywhere on celtic topics. The author has done a very good job and it is scholarly without being stuffy.
11 people found this helpful
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Tacy Wells
5.0 out of 5 stars Great history
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2020
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She is a wonderful writer and great archaeologist. This is her 3rd book with one more to come. I highly recommend all her books. It is important to know our true history. I keep them and can hardly put them down while reading. Start with her first book
6 people found this helpful
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Michael F. Peterson
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2018
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Very informative.
2 people found this helpful
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Searles O'Dubhain
5.0 out of 5 stars This is the Wellspring of Knowledge for Celtic Cosmology
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2018
Celtic Cosmology and the Otherworld: Mythic Origins, Sovereignty and Liminality by Sharon Paice Macleod is by far the best work on the subject that I have seen. This excellent piece of scholarship spans the disciplines of academia and the actual practice of Celtic traditions. It is better than a reconstruction because it documents the practices of the Celtic people in terms of their spirituality as well as their world views and their concepts of the universe. The author stands firmly and with awareness in the worlds of science, history, spiritual practice and culture. She is a bridge across these disciplines that is rarely found. MacLeod has studied in major universities, worked with scholars and practitioners in the field and has set foot among the lands and memories of her own Celtic ancestors. The idea of cosmology is explained in terms that are both broad and deep, and in a language that can be understood by scholars and non-scholars alike. I have read over a thousand books on Celtic traditions and studies and this is the best that I have ever found on this topic.

Save yourself some time and money and go to the wellspring of knowledge. The book does not gloss over any of the topics of cosmology, origins, cosmogony, orientations and matters of ritual importance and everyday practice. It delves deeply into depths of meaning in layer upon layer of informed understanding. It builds on what is known, so that the unknown can be answered by reference to actual scholarly resources. And, the work is not limited to Celtic studies alone. It also includes references to other Indo-European studies and works when an explanation of a similar practice would be helpful. The bibliography and end notes alone are a roadmap to every worthwhile source and study of Celtic cosmology. One could spend a lifetime enjoying and following the many threads offered there.

After reading this book, one will have a Crane Bag of wisdom concerning Celtic origins and practices. You will have a source that allows future questions to be more creatively and usefully answered. Names are a source of power and this book explores and defines names from the past, explaining what they mean and how they are related across cultures. The book’s content builds structures for ritual and practice based upon both scholarship and experience. Simply put, Celtic Cosmology and the Otherworld: Mythic Origins, Sovereignty and Liminality by Sharon Paice Macleod is a gem of a book that is the best I've ever seen. It is worthy of any student, teacher, Druid or professor's study. It is an entire library of study in one work. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It is a resource that you will be glad to have as a basis for future study and reference.
36 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
1.0 out of 5 stars Not scholarly
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2019
I found this work to be filled with conjecture and fabrication. It does not seem to be reliable. As with anything labeled "celtic" it seems fair ground for authors to make up whatever they like. Worth neither the time nor the money wasted.
18 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Adam Sargant
5.0 out of 5 stars If you read any book this year that relates to Celtic spirituality, read this one.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 23, 2018
Verified Purchase
It's very rare, maybe too rare, that I read a book that requires me to re-evaluate my approach to Druidry, but Sharon Paice MacLeod has certainly achieved that with her latest book, 'Celtic Cosmology and the Otherworld: Mythic Origins, Sovereignty and Liminality'. Parts of the book re-affirmed some of my own lines of thought that don't seem to appear in mainstream contemporary Druidry, parts introduced me to new ways of thinking about knowledge I thought I already had and parts had me challenging many deeply held assumptions.

The author sets out to piece together fresh insight into the beliefs and practices of the Iron Age inhabitants of Ireland, Britain and Gaul regarding creation myth and cosmology, deity and landscape and the otherworld through a kind of psycho-archaeological approach to myths and legends left written down from the 7th century onwards, archaeology, comparative anthropology, folklore and linguistics. Inevitably, given the nature of the subject, the further back one reaches the more the conclusions take on the nature of conjecture, but I belief that she achieves her aim magnificently and with style. At times, as I was reading, it felt as if I was remembering things learned as if half remembered from the echoes of a dream, at others, there were moments of sheer "aha!". From an early proposed reconstruction of a celtic origin myth, through repeated illustrations female deity becoming or entering aspects of the landscape, I was constantly reminded of elements of the indigenous Australian 'Dreamtime'.

It's difficult in a review to give a sense of how the author constructs her arguments. At times it feels like a meandering river, with diversions down many tributaries, but in reality it is the joining together of the dots from often apparently disparate sources within the mind of someone deeply immersed in the broadest body of knowledge related to her subject. While the subject matter is divided into the tripart areas of origin myth, sovereignty and liminality, connections are made throughout all areas of the book. The author shows how the sacred nature of the landscape is illuminated through myth that reveals how it was that the landscape acquired its sacred aspects while drawing on a broad knowledge of anthropology, Indo-European scholarship, the value of storytelling and myth itself, the various Celtic languages and cultures and more.

This is, without doubt, a scholarly work. But it is by no means dry. It breathes life into its subject matter, and informs a spiritual understanding of the stories, the landscape and ancestry in a way that very few books I have read in recent years manage to do. If you read any book this year that relates to indigenous Celtic spirituality, read this one.
6 people found this helpful
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Gordo
5.0 out of 5 stars A resour
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 11, 2021
Verified Purchase
Great wealth of knowledge
Some was above my head with names yet a must to keep to read again
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M. Lamprey
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 30, 2020
Verified Purchase
Fantastic book. Gives insight to ancient celtic teachings of cosmology and their connection to the ancient celtic religion and beliefs.
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Seeker
2.0 out of 5 stars Don't believe all the reviews from the author's friends. This is about Irish Mythology, not Celtic.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 5, 2021
Verified Purchase
This is 90% about Irish mythology and barely touches on the equally important Brythonic mythology.
The version of the Mabinogion used is the worst, driest and most unimaginative translation (funnily enough by another American professor). Typical American approach where they think only Ireland is Celtic.
When she tries to explain about Brythonic subjects she goes into a straight comparison with Irish stories rather than actually digging into the Brythonic meanings - a typical failure of many authors.
4 people found this helpful
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