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Celtic Magic: A Practitioner's Guide
A captivating introduction to Celtic magic, revealing its integration into daily life from antiquity to the Middle Ages, inviting readers to explore its mysteries through rituals and practical charms.
Druids and divination, curses and the Celtic world was filled with magic and intrigue, but how and why did people practice magic? This guide travels through Celtic-speaking regions to explore the different ways people interacted with magic. Some sought aid through deities and dedications, while others used spells and curse tablets to wish ill on their enemies. With the medieval period, magic collided with popular religion, saints overtook the old gods, and witches, shape-shifters, and spirit battles became but tropes of medieval literature.
Author Brigid Ehrmantraut delves into gods and practices that shaped the lives of Celts through antiquity. She writes of forgotten gods like Cernunnos and Esus, immortalized on the Pillar of the Boatmen in Paris, and explores the sanctuary of Sequana, goddess of healing at the Seine’s source. But magic wasn’t always benevolent; curses like those etched on the famous Larzac tablet, expose a darker side to magic practitioners. While Classical accounts of magic offer tantalizing glimpses into lurid rituals and wild druids, their accounts blur fact and fiction.
This journey through the Celtic world sweeps into medieval Wales and Ireland, touching on Scotland and Brittany in the process. Protective prayers, such as St. Patrick’s loricae, and miraculous tales from saints' lives reveal the interplay of magic and religion. The power of star signs and medicinal charms connect Celtic practices to broader medieval traditions. Celtic Magic also includes tips and tricks for personal practice, including creating curses, dedicating religious offerings to the gods, and a medieval Welsh hangover cure.
80 illustrations
Druids and divination, curses and the Celtic world was filled with magic and intrigue, but how and why did people practice magic? This guide travels through Celtic-speaking regions to explore the different ways people interacted with magic. Some sought aid through deities and dedications, while others used spells and curse tablets to wish ill on their enemies. With the medieval period, magic collided with popular religion, saints overtook the old gods, and witches, shape-shifters, and spirit battles became but tropes of medieval literature.
Author Brigid Ehrmantraut delves into gods and practices that shaped the lives of Celts through antiquity. She writes of forgotten gods like Cernunnos and Esus, immortalized on the Pillar of the Boatmen in Paris, and explores the sanctuary of Sequana, goddess of healing at the Seine’s source. But magic wasn’t always benevolent; curses like those etched on the famous Larzac tablet, expose a darker side to magic practitioners. While Classical accounts of magic offer tantalizing glimpses into lurid rituals and wild druids, their accounts blur fact and fiction.
This journey through the Celtic world sweeps into medieval Wales and Ireland, touching on Scotland and Brittany in the process. Protective prayers, such as St. Patrick’s loricae, and miraculous tales from saints' lives reveal the interplay of magic and religion. The power of star signs and medicinal charms connect Celtic practices to broader medieval traditions. Celtic Magic also includes tips and tricks for personal practice, including creating curses, dedicating religious offerings to the gods, and a medieval Welsh hangover cure.
80 illustrations
- GenresNonfiction
208 pages, Hardcover
Published February 17, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 19, 2026
The history of magic has always fascinated me, and it’s disheartening to see how it has been misunderstood and feared over the centuries. Books like this have the power to reignite curiosity and appreciation for its rich past. Magic, in all its forms, shouldn’t be something we fear, but something we approach with wonder and an open mind.
May 29, 2026
Found this book by accident, and I am glad I did! Magic has always been a fascinating subject, but rarely anything covers it in such an objective way as this book did. I appreciated the rather academic look on magic, with some practical spells and rituals here and there. Very whimsical and educational!
September 30, 2026
While it didn’t feel groundbreaking or challenging, this was a very satisfying read, with some very interesting sections, sympathetically written and solidly researched and presented. The hardback edition is very nicely laid out with plenty of delightful illustrations and photos.
June 4, 2026
la edición preciosa pero el texto demasiado tono académico y reiterando que lo celta no es muy diferente de lo cristiano
September 12, 2026
Review to come!!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews