The Magic Arts in Celtic Britain (Dover Occult) Paperback – 28 Mar. 2003

Great book, very happy with my purchase.

If you like Stairway to Heaven you need to buy this.Your head is humming and it won't goIn case you don't knowThe piper's calling you to join himDear lady, can you hear the wind blow?And did you knowYour stairway lies on the whispering wind?And as we wind on down the roadOur shadows taller than our soulThere walks a lady we all knowWho shines white light and wants to showHow everything still turns to goldAnd if you listen very hardThe tune will come to you at last

It uses racist and xenophobic slurs

Very hard to read as the printing isn't conventional. It's kind of "dirty" printing, too dark and the letters seem to be very close to each other.

I like this book so far. It has lots of info but very detailed and the pages are strangely set up, not like a normal book.

l really enjoyed this book on ancient Celtic occultism. lt's an intermediate book on difficulty and length, and shouldn't take more than a week or 2 to read. The author is clearly proud to be from this part of the world, as he states repeatedly throughout the book. After reading the material though, l can understand and relate to his sense of pride.Spence talks about mystery schools, folk magic creatures, myths, legends, rituals and supernatural abilities like shapeshifting and second sight. He stresses his belief that the ancient Celts and Druids were a mystically inclined people, more closely involved and indeed interwoven into the spiritual world than other global regions. Luckily there isn't a hamfisted, preachy, Christian bias overshadowing the whole thing, and the author maintains a mostly grounded and objective approach to his research and findings.The Magic Arts in Celtic Britain is a fun read, mixing history with lore and bringing a highly enjoyable cocktail to the table. Lewis Spence can get flashy with his wording, but he's easily followed for the most part. Even when dealing with morose topics, l find that he makes it lighthearted in a strange way. You could say l'm a fan.

O livro chegou muito antes do prazo e foi fundamental para o meu trabalho de mestrado. Pena que a capa veio com vários amassados e cortes e algumas páginas danificadas, mas como eu precisava muito dessa leitura, não troquei o produto.

This book by Spence is full of great references to well-known and obscure Celtic myths. Covering Ireland, Scotland, Western Britain, and parts of Continental Europe, the Celts were large in scope, and this book covers a very large part of their beliefs. His study of comparative mythology is also done quite well, comparing traditions of the Norse, Celts, and Greeks, among others. I highly recommend this book to both beginners in the field, and those not new to the wonderful world of the Celtic peoples. He seems to be an expert in the field, but does not draw extravagant conclusions, as many other authors have done.