Magic of the Celtic Otherworld: Irish History, Lore & Rituals (Llewellyn's Celtic Wisdom)

Previously published as "Glamoury", this book is a surprising publication since it comes from Llywelyn (who does not have a stellar reputation in regards to scholarship). As well as lore and history, Blamires presents some wonderful visualization exercise which are downright shamanic. There is a good overview of some of the beings you may meet in the Otherworld though I feel he is too cautious in recommending that you not work with some of them (I believe you can be prepared to face anything as long as you have acquainted yourself with your own Shadow Self) . The somewhat hermetic rituals are also group focused and will take a little time for deconstruction for the dedicated solitary. However, I believe this book is an important entry into Celtic magic and shamanistic practice.

This, I believe, is the fourth book by Steve Blamires on the Celtic magical path. It follows the same sound premise of previous books of his that the magical practices are reflected in the ancient legends. Because Blamires is being published by Llewellyn, his books have taken on a format different from his first book, "The Irish Celtic Magical Tradition." I think Llewellyn gets a bit too much in the way of their authors. Hopefully, they will change their editorial staff. Be that as it may, I believe there are few people who have so clear a view of the Celtic magical tradition as Blamires. The exercises in this book are good for self-exploration. One of the most interesting things about the Celtic spiritual, or magical, path is how well it lends itself to inner-work. I suppose this is because of the richness of its archetypal content. Anyone interested in magic, Wicca, Druidry, Celtica, and depth psychology will find this book worth owning.

this is book has awesome exercises to enter and work with deities and other beings in the otherworld. it is really good book on the irish celts as well,my only problem is that the author,seems to have my way is the only way attitude.

Part history, part mythology, with a liberal sprinkling of magick. Glamoury provides an over view of Irish Celtic Magic. Though Blamires himself admits that the book is only intended to give a basic grounding in the subject, there is certainly enough information to help you decide if this is the path of personal and spiritual growth for you. Glamoury is a "life-affirming, holistic, magickal system that will break down the barriers between you and the natural world." It is based on natural cycles and also the archetypes found in the cycles of myths of Celtic traditional stories and tales. Blamires is eminently qualified to present this material as he is one of the world's foremost Celtic scholars, and founder of the Celtic Research and Folklore Society. This book contains a plentiful bibliography and additional resources to allow you to continue delving into the subject.

The exercises in this book are a lot more practical and more sensical than typical neopagan practice because whereas Wicca is basically just a lot of quirky rituals, the exercises in this book are instead otherworld journeys where the the practicioner creates their own personal otherworld in their mind and then populates it with characters for them to communicate with and places to explore. I found this to much more meaningful than Wiccan practice because the Glamourous world that you create is completely yours, and the lessons you learn seem to be a lot more effective than just doing a ritual. The book primarily consists of two key elements, meditative and concentrating techneiques, and an anthology of Celtics gods, goddesses and myths. By combining the mythology with the meditative practices, the practicioner thus creates their own otherworld. In many ways, you'll feel like a child again because you're basically just travelling through an imaginary world, but when you apply true-blooded Celtic myth to it, you can really understabd where and how make believe influences us. And to the true poets out there, the people who can grasp the lessons in life as they are taught through fantasy characters and experiences, this book will be an invaluable map for self enlighenment.