Celtic Magic

by D.J. Conway

Celtic magic. These words conjure up images of Druids and mystical oak groves, daring Irish warriors, fairies, elves, and ancient deities who took an active part in the lives of the people who worshipped them. Practical and easy to understand, Celtic Magic offers important features that distinguish it from other books written about the

An in-depth discussion of Celtic culture and customs A complete listing of Celtic myths and deities Step-by-step instructions for spellwork, ritual, meditations, and divination to help you gain insight or make changes in your life This friendly Celtic magic book is designed for both beginners and those who possess intermediate-level magical skills―and anyone who simply has a great interest in Celtic history, lore, and magic.

Genres: Nonfiction, Paganism, Witchcraft, Wicca, Spirituality, Religion, Occult

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 8, 2002

About the author

A native of the Pacific Northwest, author D.J. Conway has studied the occult fields for over 35 years. Her quest for knowledge has covered every aspect of Paganism and Wicca to New Age and Eastern philosophies; plus history, the magical arts, philosophy, customs, mythologies and folklore. In 1998, she was voted Best Wiccan and New Age author by Silver Chalice, a Pagan magazine.

She lives a rather quiet life, with most of her time spent researching and writing.

Reviews

[Penelope · Rating 1 out of 5]

This barely gets 1 star. For the love of all things holy and sacred in this world, do not buy this book if you're genuinely interested in Celtic Paganism. This book is essentially Celtic-flavoured 'Wicca' with terrible lore and history thrown in. Do yourself a favour and buy something with much more substance.

[Anjie Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book offers lots of history and has a great reference section in the back, however, the ritualistic magic was entirely too regimented for me. It also mentioned (a number of times) that pagans have to operate in secrect and in silence. I find that to be an antiquated notion. I would use this book for it's wonderful reference sections but nothing else beyond that.

[Aaron Meyer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Junk! It along with Norse Magic are about as worthless as it gets. Nearly the same book just switch a few names in and out. Nothing here of educational value at all. You want to learn about the Celts and their practices read their legends and delve into their history and look at archaeology and its findings don't waste your time with this drivel.

[David]

Total waste of time. If you just have to read it, then borrow it so it won't be a waste of money too. Looking back on this volume I can see how un-researched it really was. It's just another in a long line of money making trash from Llewellyn. I hate to say it, but the whole lot of their "world magic series" is just that.

[Jo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Anything before page 75 in this book is complete bullshit about the Celtic faith. This book should be called Wicca for Appropriators, just like her other books. The only redeeming quality is the somewhat ill-researched reference section starting on page 75. but that's it. As a Celtic Recon, I strongly suggest that anyone interested in the religion or practice stray far far away from this book.

[Sec · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book took me an exceptionally long time to finish. Probably one of the longest live blog readings I have ever done, and I have done “textbook” length reviews. That's even with skipping like 50 pages of random content in a 202 page book. Does that speak volumes?

I am sure by now you may have read other reviews on this book (and others written by Conway). Clearly, Conway essentially wrote a book about cherry picked “Celtic Wicca” which has all of the Wicca and almost none of the folklore, magic, concepts, history, or society of the Celts. While there are definitely things we can discuss beyond the historical and folkloric inaccuracies, one thing I want to point out is when discussing the Celts or Celtic Paganism (even recon) the topic is exceptionally large. There are so many differing groups with their own stories, languages, lore, and lifestyles that cannot just be encapsulated into a single book, let alone a 202 page one. I'm hammering that home for the audience. This book was literally doomed to fail from the absolute jump.

Even Conway knew it.

“It would be impossible to include here every myth of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Britain. There are several good books listed in the bibliography for those who wish to study the mythologies in depth. I have chosen interesting stories, stories that explain powers and magic.” (p. 89)

That's right, friends, even Conway knows this is a fools journey. Conway just picked whatever story or fact in order to feel good about having something “Celtic” in this book. With 6 pages of bibliography, I can only assume that Conway went to the nearest library and just ripped whatever was on their catalog under Celts and moved on as a way to cover for the gross lack of self awareness and gross lack of accurate information.

But with Napoleonic ambitions our fearless author dived into the topic and playfully exposed the hand that the Author was playing. Conway wants you to join Wicca by any means necessary. If Conway has to bastardize and combine things that don't make sense and aren't real in order to get you to swallow the Wicca Juice, Conway will pull out the strongest industrial blender in the cabinet to do so.

Again, let's put aside historical and cultural inaccuracies for a minute, and let me illuminate what “other” ingredients Conway decided needed to be in the blender first.

1. Elementals.
2. The Magic Circle
3. The Emphasis of Directionals (N/E/S/W)
4. The Four Powers of the Magus
5. The Great Moon Mother / Moon Goddess and her Consort the Horned God
6. Self Initiation Rites
7. Chakras
8. Karma
9. Stone Divination / Crystal Work
10. Mojo Bags disguised as “just bags”
11. The concept of “Feeding” magical things that is definitely not Celtic
12. Graveyard dust

On the whole, 1-7, especially number 1 and 5 are the worst offenders in this book. Conway repeatedly, repeatedly talks about these things as if they were the first of the things Celts thought about or discussed in their lore. Conway just tries desperately to convince you of how the Druids knew all of this just like the other “ancient occultists.” Conway even goes so far as to use “the old Celtic language” and “In Scotland the Gallic words for the cardinal points” in order to try to heavy hand that these things are truly Celtic -tm-. Conway is just trying to convince you that for as much as the Celts are “different” they are exactly the same.

But don't worry, Conway does know she's trying to force you to drink the Wicca Juice.

“The spirits or beings of the Elements have been known to many cultures, particularly the Greeks and Romans from whom we get our names for them. In Greek gnoma (gnomes) meant knowledge or the knowing ones. Unda (undine) in Latin meant wave, creates of the Waves. The Greek word silphe (sylph) was a butterfly or being with gauzy wings. Salambe (salamnder) in Greek described a fireplace; however, the actual being was more like a very small dragon.” (p.19-20)


Oh, Conway. -puts her hands on her hips with a disappointed look-

And don't you worry, Conway knows completely that this is mostly about Wicca because Conway mentions it frequently, in a book... about Celtic Magic.

“In Wicca it is believed that allowing a wrong or evil to exist unhampered is harmful to everybody.” (p.11)
“I firmly believe that a copy of the Four Powers and the Wiccan law of morality should be in every ritual room.” (p. 11)
“In Wicca and ceremonial magic, each Element is associated with a color...” (p.18)
“In Wiccan rites, the wand directs magical power and is used to persuade.” (p. 23)
“In the Wiccan and magical tradition, the colors are...” (p.26)
“... with the Wiccan colors in parentheses.” (p. 26)
“The pentagram, a five-point star with one upward point is a Spirit symbol used in Wiccan and other pagan rituals.” (p. 35)
“In fact, you cannot be a Satanist and Wiccan at the same time.” (p. 36) [Don't worry we'll come back to this one]
“In the Wiccan tradition, the hilt is usually black and the blade sharp on both sides.” (p. 38)
“The Wiccan say one must never haggle over the price of any ritual object.” (p. 41)
“Celtic Wicca” (p. 43)
“Witchcraft or Wicca is both a religion and a magical system.” (p. 43)
“The word Wicca or witch comes from the Anglo-Saxon language and means wise one. Originally the word for a male witch was Wicca and female Wicce with the plural being Wiccan. Today, however, the common word for both sexes is Wicca.” (p. 43)
“Both Wicca and Celtic pagan believe in another world which is made up of spirits, both human and Elemental. The Wiccan believe that powerful witches of the past are still able to help those practicing the craft today.”(p. 44)
“Both the ceremonial magician and the Wiccan share a belief in the astral plane.” (p. 44)
“The Wiccan and many magicians choose a secret name for themselves that is used only during rituals.” (p. 44)
“Monthly Wiccan meetings are held at or near the Full Moon.” (p. 45)
“Magicians and the Wiccan know that what appears to be opposites of matter, form, energy, and force are not really opposing at all.” (p. 45)
“The Wiccan and Celtic pagans believe that this world is only part of reality, that divinity is both male and female.” (p. 45)
“The Wiccan and Celtic religions teach that between reincarnations the soul rests in the Lady of Faery, a pagan paradise, called by the Celtics Tir-Nan-og or Land of the Young.” (p. 46)
“Certain gestures and postures in a Wiccan circle have definite hidden meanings.” (p. 46)
“The Wiccan Book of Shadows, or “cookbook” as a friend calls it, is a book in which witches write rituals, invocations, and spells.” (p. 46)
“The Triple Goddess, or triple aspects of the Goddess, was well known to the Celts and is still used today in Wicca.” (p. 47)
“It is also possible that witchcraft or the Wiccan may have evolved when the Druids were driven underground.”(p.78)
“It was unlucky to bring blossoms of the hawthorn indoors; this rule is still followed by some modern Celts and Wiccan.” (p. 158)

See! They are exactly the same! When people talk about this book being a rebranding of Wicca with “Celtic flavoring” they don't mean Conway rebuilt a new practice which takes in Celtic mythology and configured different rituals and orientated the practice to be some kind of hybrid. No, what they mean is Conway said I need another book so I can get dollars from the public. How best to do that? Ah! By just posting the exact same Wicca and then occasionally comparing it to a large, complex cultural and ethnic group. Also adding some Hoodoo and Rootwork and Hinduism for funsies. Conway wasn't going to build you a whole new practice because that would be hard and not worth those dollars that I can quickly get if I just republish material, also if I republish the EXACT same material multiple times across the sections of this 202 page book. Think of the Dollars!

So let's move on to some of the other stereotypical stuff that exist in this book shall we? I think I proved my point quite clearly on this particular one.

SURPRISE! It's the Satanic Panic!

Let's revisit the quote I had above, in it's entirety.

“Satanist in the U.S. Have corrupted this sacred symbol by using it with one point in the downward position. Proper use of the upright pentacle has absolutely no correlation to Satanism. In fact, you cannot be a Satanist and Wicca at the same time. Witches do not believe in the Devil. In order to be a Satanist you have to believe in Christianity and God's powerful alter ego, the Devil.” (p. 36)

Whew there's a lot to unwrap here, Cap'n. Essentially due to the Satanic Panic that existed in the 1980s well into the 1990s almost every witch with a robe went to the hills screaming and shaking about how they weren't Devil Worshipers. Using a very “modern Christian” understanding about what the Devil is and his role in Christianity. Even Christians of the late 1600s would not understand the modern Christian idea of the Devil. Satanism is a complex set of religions, some of which are Atheistic and some of which are Theistic. Depending on the style and kind of Satanism, you may or may not have cross overs into the occult or into witchcraft. There definitely are Satanist Witches and Witches who worship the Devil (though those two may or may not overlap depending on the Witch). The conversation about Satanism and Devil Worship in these types of older books really shows the age and time frame that they were written.

I'm sure Conway doesn't want to have to deal with the ramifications of those on certain Crooked Paths.

Needless to say let's stop posting this kind of shit in our books, because I see newbies who come to occultism and witchcraft say these things at length to others. They don't know any better because all of our source materials seem to reference this particular thing ad nauseum.

Also don't let that “Judeo Christian” convo from page 10 be left off from here. If you mean Christianity (and a specific branch.. of Christianity) don't add Judaism. The fact of the matter is Judaism is a very different religion from Christianity, in the same way that Islam is different from either of them. I see a lot of the references in this book about Christianity as being something wholly separate from Witchcraft. In fact, that Christianity basically “killed the Druids” or some crap which is meant to make witches visa vie the victims of all Christianity. As if there are not Christian Witches (because that's the other flipside of that statement above), and as if Christianity cannot be in occultism. Or Judaism. Or Islam. Sorry Conway, some of your favorite Ceremonial Magicians straight up jacked shit from Judaism.

SURPRISE! It's the same information listed more times than not?

Just to reiterate another point from above.

On the absolute whole, I hate lists especially “correspondence” lists. They don't really go into the reasoning behind someone's paradigm for why something is something. Instead they are exceptionally lazy and by their nature, short hand. They aren't meant to educate you on a technique, they aren't about explaining to you how something works, they aren't about to show you how to do something, and they certainly aren't going to give you any kind of grand whole picture world view about a particular topic. Essentially they are just some page fillers that provide 0 nutritional value to any newbies or anyone who wants a refresher on let's say certain forms of Ceremonial magic.

These correspondence lists are also a wink and a nod about how to gate keep people from knowing certain things. It's why they are so short hand and everywhere. You should be learning this information about these correspondences from your local Chapter of the Golden Dawn that you've initiated into, wink wink! How silly to think you would get any kind of educational information from the New Age section!

I bring this point up because HOLY FUCK CONWAY. Conway literally has the exact same Deity “correspondence” table listed 3 separate times in this book. 3 times! One of which is a “quick reference” table. Never you mind the ethical implications of making Deities a “correspondence.” That's just the beginning of the repeated list information. Conway talks about stones and candle colors in various sections of the book and yet we still get additional ELEMENTAL and CANDLE correspondences at the back of the book. I am tempted to cross reference to see if Conway made any slip ups or mistakes in saying what colors mean what, but you know, I was already petty with that Wiccan list wasn't I? So let's not waste my time or yours. :)

Needless to say this book essentially is just a bunch of lists that Conway plucked out of who knows where. The majority of this content probably is about 50 pages total if you removed every single list and every piece of duplicated information that Conway spills into this book.

SURPRISE! Witchcraft is a Religion, because Wicca gets the right to Witchcraft Only!

I would be remiss in not talking about this, as a Secular Witch. Conway repeatedly talks about Witchcraft as a synonym for Wicca. So when Conway talks about Wicca or Witchcraft what Conway is referring to is Conway's specific practice. But that doesn't stop Conway from making broad sweeping conversations about what “Wicca” or “Witchcraft” thinks or how to practice magic.

Just for the people taking notes, Wicca is a specific witchcraft religion. It only owns... the stuff that's Wicca. And not any other witchcraft or magical practice.

Yeah I'm going to bring up the “anti-negative” magic bit in here. Conway is very, very anti-negative magic. A lot of conversation in the beginning portions of this book talk about getting rid of negative habits, that you should deal with “troublesome people” with positive magic rather than negative magic. That some how through the sheer force of will, constant candle meditation, and visualization that you will become this person who never does or has anything negative. And if you do, well you didn't work hard enough did you? This same author is the author that has a thorned crown reversal spell in their herb lore. …

I like consistency. If you're a person who thinks that you will not do “negative” aka curses in your practice, then don't try to toe the line here. Use “positive magic” to deal with “troublesome people.” That's the brand you're selling right?

My personal opinion on type of thought bubble is that it's very childish and demeaning. It treats spell casters as if they are the makers of their own problems and blames them for not doing it “good enough.” Sometimes bad things and bad people just happen to the people around them. I think a spell caster's hands should be tied by their own personal and ethical relationship to spellwork which should be nuanced and thought about at length. Rather than some weird, flighty, until it happens to you, kind of morality that seems to basically change with the wind.

(full review on my blog)

[Angharad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a really solid little book to keep as a reference for anyone with a Celtic based spiritual practice, whether they're "witchy" or not, there's a little guide in the back for the deities that I thought about buying the book to have on hand.

I liked this so much that I read it in one sitting.

[Ruby Hollyberry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I retain some fondness for this little book because it was the very first Pagan Magickal manual I ever saw (at a friend's house at fifteen). It was basically of no use to me or her, and we soon moved on to better books with more content. Not to imply that all Conway's books are useless! Most seem to be founded securely on a great deal of research. But they give the unmistakable feeling of having been put together by someone who does not "live the life". Someone on the "armchair" path of Paganism - read a lot and write about what you read but no practice, no faith, no real experience. This is not uncommon among some Llewellyn authors - Edain McCoy comes to mind. I have enjoyed books by both (Lord Of Light & Shadow: The Many Faces of the God by Conway is the best book of myths and teachings about the Wiccan God I've ever found, and McCoy's Lady Of The Night: A Handbook of Moon Magick & Rituals was an excellent comprehensive beginner spellbook), but there are some stinkers as well. Rent-payers, you know what I mean. Llewellyn publishes some terrific books, but they publish a lot of regurgitated crap and made-up untested pseudo-paths, as well. My old high priest could never fail to burst out laughing at the "Irish Potato Goddess" boner made in McCoy's Witta: An Irish Pagan Tradition Best not to write about traditions you neither practice nor know anything about. But if you do, Llewellyn will publish it!

[Brittany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe a 2.5 really? The negative reviews are absolutely right - this book is very basic (but at the same time oddly regimented in a 'do it this way or you'll be sorry!' kind of way), is definitely about Celtic-flavored Wicca and *not* actual Celtic paganism and magical beliefs (though I have to wonder why on earth people even picked this book up if that's what they were looking for... the publisher/back cover summary really should have tipped them off!), and did actually make me laugh out loud at some of its gross inaccuracies (okay, the academic folklorist in me admittedly also cried a little bit.) All that being said, however, it was a reasonably fun, concise, clearly written, quick read. It clarified some basics about how certain kinds of practitioners work that I had been unclear about to this point and I enjoyed the section on Ogham in particular.

[Gwyndyllyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty basic. Not bad, just more basic than what I was hoping for.

[Indigo Crow · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm trying not to be as critical of this book as I normally am because it's actually rather old. It was first published in 1990, I think. My copy was printed in 1997. Occult books weren't all that plentiful back then, and unfortunately, many of them were heavily influenced by Wicca. This book is no exception.

I think it would've been better if the book had focused more on Celtic history and deities rather than going off about Wiccan dogmatic concepts. I guess at the time it was written most pagans were more or less Wiccans, so that's why I'm not full on attacking it, but it's really disappointing. Though the bits and pieces of history and descriptions of deities, herbs, and crystals is useful, most of the book mirrors content from books on Wicca by such authors as Raymond Buckland and Scott Cunningham. You really don't NEED this book for that information because there were already very good books about ceremonial magic and Wicca in print at the time.

It's kind of cute for a collectible, I suppose, so the little I paid for it at a thrift shop is no loss, but if I'd paid full price, I would be mad. This isn't a book to get if you're trying to learn about actual Celtic paganism.

[teacupsandunicorns · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this! This was so interesting.

Basically explains that a lot of British/English myths really come from Irish/Scottish origins with examples, and that a lot of Christianity took Celtic gods and goddesses and made them demons.

Goes over mythology and where/who the Celtics were since no one really identified themselves as Celtic. This is a name that kind of came later/by others and kind of groups a bunch of different territories and cultures together.

Enjoyed mythology and the lists of gods and goddesses! This book also lists their sources and texts for further reading which is great imo.

It listed some rituals that were done/can be done to honor a god or goddess or ask for their help. Had holidays and how to celebrate them. How herbs were used to help. The Ogham was a holy alphabet used by Druids, and there are so, so many different types of fairies.

Very cool and interesting read! All the names in mythology can be overwhelming because I don’t really know how to pronounce them.

Highly recommend if you’re interested in this subject matter.

[Briana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit outdated, but still good information.

[GabyUfita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es mucha información para una sola lectura pero es interesante.

[Effie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hahaha wew what a controversial little book! This was part of an original collection I had in my younger years and I still have a little space in my heart for it, nostalgia maybe? I can't say it founded any of my beliefs or ways of practice though it has a few bits and bobs that I've carried with me but yes like most I've come to realize that a lot of the information inside doesn't bear much fact. If you're going to buy it take it with a grain of salt

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book on Celtic spirituality. Light reading, which is better for a beginner rather than someone more advanced in the mythology and rituals, but a good starting point for those seeking information on the path. Just don't make it your ONLY book. From here, go on to Cunningham and then John & Caitlin Matthews at the least!

[Randall Salyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do not see why this book gets so much hate. If you compare the magical systems through out Europe and Scandinavia you will find a lot of parallels which may be why Norse Magic and Celtic Magic are so similar.

The book is basic but the series is supposed to be introductory not in-depth which would be much much longer.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

an execlent informative, and practial book concering druid magic tune in to the earth spirt who know she may give you the lotto numbers in your dreams
easy to understand, and practice, (always rember the kama of magic) negative practice..returns thrice.. to the sender

[Amber · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one of many crummy Llewellyn books. These are short, basic at best, and often have inaccurate information. There is a whole series by DJ Conway, and she is in no way an expert on any of the paths she writes about. Don't waste your money.

[Sheena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like this book despite the fact that it is not well researched or presented.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Conway gets too many historical facts wrong. Some of this book was good, and it inspired me to look to other sources, but I wouldn't really recommend that anyone should read it.

[Spider Goddess · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the early books I read about Magick, when I was still just dabbling. It is rather informative, as are all DJ Conway books, but definitely a book of basics.

[Joy Anne Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's an essential read for those who reach for the pagan path but have no idea where to go. If you have an Irish ancestry, then this book may speak to you. :)

[Anya Lawrence · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first book in my WitchAThon TBR, chosen for the 'pantheon of deities' and 'features your heritage' challenges. I don't really practice Witchcraft anymore (I've decided it's not for me) but this is very similar to other beginners guides. It does seem very strict, and even when I have no intention of following the spellwork I felt anxious about making a mistake! My favourite aspect was the history portion and the way it painted the Celts as an ancient sex-positive, feminist people. Unfortunately, I can't verify that any of this is true. The good thing is that this made me want to read more into Celtic history and explore other aspects of my ancestral identity. Also, I'm not sure if anyone here has read 'The Spiderwick Chronicles' but I was obsessed with it when I was young, and I noticed a lot of similarities in the 'Little People, Fairy Folk & Kin' section. Nine-year-old me would have loved this book for that! I will be looking for other books focused more on Celtic history, rather than Wiccan practices.

[Liam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Take this book with a HEAVY grain of salt if this is your first book regarding Celtic Mythology or Celtic Magic.

Conway has a reputation among the community as an unreliable source for a reason (as anyone in ADF or AODA will know from their paths). The book is largely written from a Wiccan Perspective, and has good information on that front, but as a reliable source on Celtic Mythology, it is seriously lacking. A lot of bold claims, especially regarding the Role of Women, and the history of the Celts without any source material, and such Deities as Druantia, a deity not listed in any official sources, brings down the credibility of the book. Yet, overall, a fun read. Not a good one to start with if you want a more reliable practice.

[Meri Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was going to be mostly about the culture/religion of the Celts. Instead, the vast majority of the book was devoted to instructions on practicing a modernized version of Celtic pagan magic yourself--not uninteresting, but not what I was looking for and not quite what I thought I was buying. It was a pleasant enough read, just kind of disappointing in that respect.

On an unrelated note, a general pronunciation guide at the beginning would have made it easier to get through, at least for me. I'm very unfamiliar with the rules of Celtic language.

[Riley Pipers · Rating 1 out of 5]

Celtic Magic by D.J. Conway

I came across this book so I can learn a bit about Celtic Paganism and Rituals. Pretty much this book is a good go for beginners who wanted to learn witchcraft, it explained the pentagram, the wicca and tools of magic, a bit of history and color-planet-God associations.

This is a no-go- If you are practicing Paganism. This book won't let us learn the ways of Celtic pagans. That's it! I'm giving this 1 star since this is basically a Celtic Wicca book for dummies.

[Martin J Saxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a handy little book is this. People will find it useful if they're interested in Celtic magic. Some of the things it says are a little fanciful especially in terms of Celtic or druidic history. The tables of correspondences are very useful. Probably, a book that will encourage you to be creative in your magic making.

[Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book because i wanted to learn a little bit more about the celtics. If you skipped all the crazy parts about how to do magic, its not a bad book. Really basic. Is focus on the irish celtics and that was a pity because i was looking for something more iberic. Oh well, not the worst book i read, and for the price (5€) it was better than i expected.

[Lora · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good beginners guide in some respects, the reference lists and tables are very useful no matter your experience level. The mythology could be cleaned up a bit and made clearer. My favorite is the poem at the front of the book.