Legends of the Grail: Stories of Celtic Goddesses

by Ayn Cates Sullivan, Leonée Ormond (Foreword), Robin Quinn (Editor)

Ayn Cates Sullivan’s Legends of the Grail is an in-depth, spiritual exploration of Celtic folklore and the impact that age- old stories have on modern women. Sullivan delves into the history of goddesses, what they stand for, and the people who worship them. Each section includes a journey through a goddess’s history, an intimate short story told through the eyes of the goddess, and a final reflection on how to travel with the goddess to discover her meaning and place within the real world. A combination of short stories, spiritual reflections, and historical insight, the book weaves the world of Celtic mythology into the present day. Divided into seven sections, it is a powerhouse culmination of the Celtic stories of Danu, Ceasair, Áine, Scáthach, Emer, Caer Ibormeith, and Cailleach, Celtic goddesses with varying understandings of, and who give various advice related to, power and womanhood. The author includes personal practical suggestions for utilizing the archetypal values embedded symbolically and firmly in the specified Goddess in order to facilitate psychological revival and continued health, and finally a poetic blessing to access the less structured but higher nature of the human mind. Anyone with Irish heritage is likely to be fascinated by these empowering tales.

292 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 3, 2017

About the author

Ayn Cates Sullivan, MA, MFA, Ph.D. is an award winning and best selling author. She holds a master’s degree in spiritual psychology from USM, and a masters and doctorate in literature from Columbia University and King’s College London. She currently lives with her husband, two children and variety of horses and pets on a ranch in Santa Ynez, California. Her educational experiences coupled by life lead her into the study and practice of what makes one whole.

Ayn’s many visionary fiction books for children of all ages include Tracking The Deer, Consider This, The Windhorse Poems Of Illumination, Three Days in the Light and an award winning children’s series including: Sparkle & The Gift, Sparkle & The Light, Sparkle & The Rainbow Dragon (2017) and A Story Of Becoming. Her collection of Celtic Mythology, Legends of the Grail, will be available in early 2017.

Reviews

[Elyse Welles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent narratives from the perspectives of each Goddess

The narrative structure of the book made these Goddesses more accessible and personal than any other book I've read. The meditations were great, and anyone not sure how to approach a deity will definitely find confidence in doing so by reading this book. Colors and ceremonial days with suggested rituals are provided after each history passage and "missing tale" short story. It was well written but also never too wordy or repetitive. I'll be looking forward to more works by the author!

[Maria Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative!

This is a clear breakdown of the Celtic goddesses, their powers and relationships. The definitions and pronunciations were very helpful.

[Ramiro Mendes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Five Star Book!

Legends of the Grail: Stories of Celtic Goddesses is a beautifully written book bringing to life a vast collection of Irish myths and legends presented in a fresh, positive, and delightful way. This is a great contribution on the author's part to keep these ancient myths and legends alive so they may live again and again in the heart, mind, and soul of the (new) generations for eons to come.

Congratulations!

Ramiro Mendes
Musician | Author | Artist | Humanitarian
Sound: The Fabric of Soul, Consciousness, Reality, and the Cosmos

[Mandy D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been craving a certain type of magic for my mind to read and get lost with. Someone recommended me...........Legends of the grail....by Ayn Cates Sullivan.......Wow! for you readers out there! In the World' this is the kind of book you can truly enjoy. I highly recommend it.It is one of those books that you cannot put down. She is a mastermind with stories loved it.......Mandy D

[Ayn Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once in a great while, a book of profound insight comes along disguised as a collection of stories about magic. Joseph Campbell penetrated the familiar great world myths to reveal an incredibly rich and complex psychological reality in the lives we live, and thus made magic itself live again with both urgency and relevance. In her beautifully written and illustrated book, Legends of the Grail: Stories of Celtic Goddesses, Ayn Cates Sullivan, Ph.D. brings similar urgency and relevance to the psychological reality behind the Goddess within each human psyche. Her book, however, is not simply an academic rendering of a living spiritual principle. Dr. Sullivan offers something much more subtle, rich, and ultimately satisfying. She offers her audience a viable passage into their own personal mythic journey, with the healing consequences thus implied.

Legends of the Grail does indeed tell stories of Celtic goddesses, but Ayn Cates Sullivan also layers and enriches these stories of ancient Irish myths with vital background information robed with historical importance, with first-person stories told by each chosen Goddess to establish accessible resonance, with symbolic revelations for present-day applications, meditations, and visualizations allowing intimate contact with the Goddess herself. The author includes personal practical suggestions for utilizing the archetypal values embedded symbolically and firmly in the specified Goddess in order to facilitate psychological revival and continued health, and finally a poetic blessing to access the less structured but higher nature of the human mind. Dr. Sullivan accomplishes all this with concise and polished writing that appears deceptively simple, as all captivating stories do, but do not be misled – the Goddess calls.

— Reviewed By Joel R. Dennstedt for Readers’ Favorite

[Stephen Weinstock · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully unique take on Goddess history in general and the Celtic pantheon specifically. The book has multiple layers and approaches to the subject: personal encounter of the author, fascinating non-fiction information on the Goddesses, and wonderful fictional accounts of their lives. Quite an innovative structure and fun read!

[Sarah Emma Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this introduction to a mythology that is both of my ancestors and completely foreign to me. The practices, narratives, and definitions were simultaneously illuminating and empowering. Thank you Ayn Cates Sullivan for this work.

[Andrea Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well researched book. The stories help to know the Goddess and the visualizations deepen the connection with the Goddess.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Celtic good read.

[Iva Kenaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this book and have gone back to it many times. It is one of the treasures in my library and I highly recommend it to everyone.

[Jenny Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt drawn to the goddesses in the book, particularly Danu. It was wonderful to read all of these ancient stories. Well done.

[gwen graves · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was to much of text book, but parts that told stories of the goddesses were interesting. The rest was really redundant.