BOOK REVIEW - Magic of the Celtic Gods and Goddessesa

Magic of the Celtic Gods and Goddesses by Carl McColman and Kathryn Hinds
© 2005 New Page Books ISBN 1-56414-783-5 Paperback 203
pages includes Appendices, Notes, Bibliography and Index
$14.99 (U.S.)



I've read several other books by Carl McColman previously, and have always
found them to be extremely readable and informative. This book does nothing
to change that opinion. Carl and his co-author take the time to state quite
clearly what they are, and are not, trying to do in this book.



This book isn't filled with rituals (there isn't much really known about
Celtic rituals); nor is it filled with correspondences and/or attributes
(there are lots of other sources available for that); and it does not
pretend to be a scholarly work. It is filled with stories of some of the
Celtic deities (over 400 have been catalogued by the scholars and less than
10% of them are represented in this book. It is written with the intent of
giving the reader a "feel" fore the deities and their relationship to the
world we inhabit.



The authors provide some suggestions for how and when to honor the deities.
These are very generic (i.e., there are no rituals suggested, but there are
suggestions for behavior which is appropriate) which makes them capable of
being accomplished by anyone.



This is a very nice introduction to Celtic mythology. It contains enough
information to convey the basics, while inspiring further reading for those
who want to know more. It is light without being fluffy, and thorough
without being exhaustive. In other words, it is a balanced presentation.