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Pagan Portals - Artio and Artaois: A Journey Towards the Celtic Bear Gods
'Andrew Anderson leads us on a pilgrimage into the wild forests of our Ancestors in search of the ancient Bear Gods of the Celts. With some fascinating historical and cultural references, plus useful modern resources and tips for ceremony, this fabulous little book is a wonderful introduction and guide to working with Artio and Artaois.' Philip Carr-Gomm, author of 'Druid Mysteries'
Out of the Forest of Time come two Gods for the Twenty-First Century. Join Andrew Anderson as he makes a pilgrimage to discover more about the ancient Celtic Bear Gods. Weaving together archaeology, folklore and spiritual practice, this book pieces together the evidence to create a clearer picture of who Artio and Artaois were and how they can be honoured today. The journey will take the reader from the medieval city of Bern to the depths of an English forest, from the Rothar Mountains in Germany to the Highlands of Scotland, from the slopes of Glastonbury Tor to the rocky headland of Tintagel. With voices from an array of practitioners and experts, this is a journey back to the very beginning of human belief.
Out of the Forest of Time come two Gods for the Twenty-First Century. Join Andrew Anderson as he makes a pilgrimage to discover more about the ancient Celtic Bear Gods. Weaving together archaeology, folklore and spiritual practice, this book pieces together the evidence to create a clearer picture of who Artio and Artaois were and how they can be honoured today. The journey will take the reader from the medieval city of Bern to the depths of an English forest, from the Rothar Mountains in Germany to the Highlands of Scotland, from the slopes of Glastonbury Tor to the rocky headland of Tintagel. With voices from an array of practitioners and experts, this is a journey back to the very beginning of human belief.
120 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2021
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57 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 10, 2021
This is the path as followed by the author, into a greater understanding of the relatively obscure Celtic bear deities, Artio and Artaios.
It’s not meant as a guide for worship, but rather as a tour along the path the author followed on his own journey.
It begins by explaining the author’s pilgrimage into a greater understanding of the Celtic bear myths, and the various forms bear myths have taken.
Most of it is speculation, as there is very little evidence of the bear deities out there, but since the book was conceived primarily as a documentation of the author’s own journey, it doesn’t read as though he is reaching for meaning, beyond seeing what appeals to himself. Instead, we are provided with an interesting path, observing as the author makes his own observations and connections.
On an unusual and therefore particularly interesting note, the author makes a link between some modern representations and these old gods. Perceiving them in modern media, and relating how he found meaning in it, was a fascinating thought, the idea of finding deeper meaning in such modern tales was actually quite inspiring.
I was also amused by the relating of them to the modern gay ‘bear culture’… not because it was funny or silly, but because he honestly wondered if there was an unconscious link. It was absolutely something I would never have picked up on, and found all the more intriguing because of it.
The focus on European bear stories was a refreshing change, though mention of First Nation bear stories was made, it was mostly when related to the author’s queries to other bear followers.
Finally we come to the author’s thoughts on how you can honour the bear gods in your own life, and how he saw that working in the context of the wheel of the year.
He mentions a few other options, entirely up the individual of course, and leaves off on a particularly amusing note.
An enjoyable, and thought provoking book.
It’s not meant as a guide for worship, but rather as a tour along the path the author followed on his own journey.
It begins by explaining the author’s pilgrimage into a greater understanding of the Celtic bear myths, and the various forms bear myths have taken.
Most of it is speculation, as there is very little evidence of the bear deities out there, but since the book was conceived primarily as a documentation of the author’s own journey, it doesn’t read as though he is reaching for meaning, beyond seeing what appeals to himself. Instead, we are provided with an interesting path, observing as the author makes his own observations and connections.
On an unusual and therefore particularly interesting note, the author makes a link between some modern representations and these old gods. Perceiving them in modern media, and relating how he found meaning in it, was a fascinating thought, the idea of finding deeper meaning in such modern tales was actually quite inspiring.
I was also amused by the relating of them to the modern gay ‘bear culture’… not because it was funny or silly, but because he honestly wondered if there was an unconscious link. It was absolutely something I would never have picked up on, and found all the more intriguing because of it.
The focus on European bear stories was a refreshing change, though mention of First Nation bear stories was made, it was mostly when related to the author’s queries to other bear followers.
Finally we come to the author’s thoughts on how you can honour the bear gods in your own life, and how he saw that working in the context of the wheel of the year.
He mentions a few other options, entirely up the individual of course, and leaves off on a particularly amusing note.
An enjoyable, and thought provoking book.
October 3, 2021
This is a sweet little book. Not a big read but a quick bit of bear lore and logic that I did truly enjoy exploring.
Of course I wanted more and that is somewhat the premise of the whole book, there is little to find about these two Celtic bear gods. The author, Andrew Anderson, makes a fine effort in sharing what he has come across, journeyed towards and puzzled together.
Much of it is speculative and repetitive. For some that may be a downfall to the book and why I gave it 4 stars. I almost gave it 3 but I also found the speculations interesting and Andrew did mention throughout that he was doing so and that much of this was his personal journey and exploration. The repetitive part began to feel like 'word fillers' to fluff out enough to make a book, however I started to find it helpful since this was a reference book and not a fairy tale about bears. The repetitive nature whilst still bothersome sometimes did help to drive home the archetypes and key concepts and ultimately that was helpful to me.
As a practicing Bard within OBOD, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the Celtic bear gods, espeically Artio - She Bear goddess. I have been physically and emotional touched by bears since I was 5. Part of my animal council and main protector - this book spoke to me - called to me really when I first heard about it on Druidcast podcast. If Bears are part of your magic, I encourage you to ignore the short and repetitive nature of the book and gleam from it the powerful bits and utilize that information.
The book has sent me off to research deeper, connect with some of the cool references and people who are diving deeper and even continue to explore my own art/music and chants to my sweet Mama Bear.
Of course I wanted more and that is somewhat the premise of the whole book, there is little to find about these two Celtic bear gods. The author, Andrew Anderson, makes a fine effort in sharing what he has come across, journeyed towards and puzzled together.
Much of it is speculative and repetitive. For some that may be a downfall to the book and why I gave it 4 stars. I almost gave it 3 but I also found the speculations interesting and Andrew did mention throughout that he was doing so and that much of this was his personal journey and exploration. The repetitive part began to feel like 'word fillers' to fluff out enough to make a book, however I started to find it helpful since this was a reference book and not a fairy tale about bears. The repetitive nature whilst still bothersome sometimes did help to drive home the archetypes and key concepts and ultimately that was helpful to me.
As a practicing Bard within OBOD, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the Celtic bear gods, espeically Artio - She Bear goddess. I have been physically and emotional touched by bears since I was 5. Part of my animal council and main protector - this book spoke to me - called to me really when I first heard about it on Druidcast podcast. If Bears are part of your magic, I encourage you to ignore the short and repetitive nature of the book and gleam from it the powerful bits and utilize that information.
The book has sent me off to research deeper, connect with some of the cool references and people who are diving deeper and even continue to explore my own art/music and chants to my sweet Mama Bear.
April 3, 2023
A big thank you to Moon Books for gifting a free ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This is a Pagan Portals, so a short look at a specific topic. The Pagan Portals line of books are meant to be shorter introductory volumes to relatively specific topics to give readers a foundational jumping point.
This book is about the gods Artia and Artaois, of which there is very little material about. This is a highlight of the book - yay, more material and personal anecdotal material! - but also its downfall. Because there is so little material for the author to work with, this is instead more of a personal narrative journey.
The author is trying to take the very sparse pins and tie them all together with his red thread of personal journey and pilgrimage, it's very interesting, but if you're not emotionally attached to the material it can fall a little flat and be, well, boring.
While it's fascinating to read about the author's experiences and read about his exploration of what historic material we do have, this won't be helpful for those who are looking to work with the Deities, as this is definitely note a definitive guidebook. In fact, it often reads more like a dissertation or essay, and not a book.
This will be a treat for those who like reading about other people's personal experiences with the Divine and how they came to work with those powers with bits of history sprinkled throughout.
This is a Pagan Portals, so a short look at a specific topic. The Pagan Portals line of books are meant to be shorter introductory volumes to relatively specific topics to give readers a foundational jumping point.
This book is about the gods Artia and Artaois, of which there is very little material about. This is a highlight of the book - yay, more material and personal anecdotal material! - but also its downfall. Because there is so little material for the author to work with, this is instead more of a personal narrative journey.
The author is trying to take the very sparse pins and tie them all together with his red thread of personal journey and pilgrimage, it's very interesting, but if you're not emotionally attached to the material it can fall a little flat and be, well, boring.
While it's fascinating to read about the author's experiences and read about his exploration of what historic material we do have, this won't be helpful for those who are looking to work with the Deities, as this is definitely note a definitive guidebook. In fact, it often reads more like a dissertation or essay, and not a book.
This will be a treat for those who like reading about other people's personal experiences with the Divine and how they came to work with those powers with bits of history sprinkled throughout.
October 6, 2023
I know this is a book about modern pagan beliefs and I may not be the most targeted audience, but I wanted to read it because of my A) love of bears and B) my love of mythology. Unfortunately I feel this book is lacking on both accounts. There are few descriptions of bears and/or their behavior other than what the author chooses to focus on for religious reasons. There is also just a surface level mention of mythology. We learn what these two particulary bear dieties mean to the author, but otherwise it is mostly loose ties to historical mythology with huge leaps in connecting them to the story the author wants to tell. If there was perhaps more detail on the other myths and beliefs (good, solid description and backgroud) then maybe this would work, but it really comes across as "and this culuture worshiped bears and it fits with my ideas like this" regardless of the historical context of these different beliefs and religions.
If you are into new-age/ modern pagan writings, this may be interesting for you following the author's journey into building his own belief system. If you are looking for something more historical, mythological, or biological then you might just skip this book as there are numerous others that cover these topics better.
If you are into new-age/ modern pagan writings, this may be interesting for you following the author's journey into building his own belief system. If you are looking for something more historical, mythological, or biological then you might just skip this book as there are numerous others that cover these topics better.
July 15, 2022
A charming story of one man's hunt for bear deity. I enjoyed the syncretic, poetic and pragmatic approach of the author, who gathers a variety of bear myths, images and symbols together in a way that speaks to him. I thought the inclusion of gay bear culture was an important part of the book, and I want to hear more about the shamanic-like resonances gay men find in non-human animals like bears, wolves and otters. The book would have been further enriched by the author sharing more of the role bear deity plays in his own spiritual life. There's a moment where Anderson mentions a bear statue on his altar that has a particularly special meaning to him, and it's a shame the reader isn't told the story behind this object. In the final chapter, Anderson gives some hints at putting together a ritual, but some prayers, invocations, rituals or poems created by the author would have been very welcome. This little book feels like a 'part 1' compiling Anderson's research notes. The book needs a part 2 where he shares in more detail how he puts it all together and lives it out. Nevertheless, a quick and fun read.
June 10, 2023
Forse l'unico libro che tratta interamente della Dea Artio, sicuramente il solo a trattare in chiave pagana di Artaois.
Per chi si interessa di religioni celtiche, o galliche, sa che trovare testi a riguardo è veramente un'impresa. Per non parlare delle fonti.
Per questa ragione non mi sento di essere eccessivamente severa con il testo in sé, che si presenta scarno di documentazione storica (in realtà, ha proposto tutto ciò di cui siamo in possesso, che è veramente poca roba). Per tale ragione, l'autore si è trovato nella scomoda situazione di doversi basare quasi esclusivamente sul suo parere e sulla sua esperienza, cosa che, tuttavia, sottolinea sempre. È un testo essenziale ma utile per chi volesse approfondire lo studio della divinità orsa gallica.
Per chi si interessa di religioni celtiche, o galliche, sa che trovare testi a riguardo è veramente un'impresa. Per non parlare delle fonti.
Per questa ragione non mi sento di essere eccessivamente severa con il testo in sé, che si presenta scarno di documentazione storica (in realtà, ha proposto tutto ciò di cui siamo in possesso, che è veramente poca roba). Per tale ragione, l'autore si è trovato nella scomoda situazione di doversi basare quasi esclusivamente sul suo parere e sulla sua esperienza, cosa che, tuttavia, sottolinea sempre. È un testo essenziale ma utile per chi volesse approfondire lo studio della divinità orsa gallica.
July 26, 2021
No shade on the author, I just felt like the pop culture references were a bit too much. I wish him well on his spiritual journey. I was excited to see a book on the topic, but sadly once again was suckered into one of Moon Books latest offerings. Unfortunately, most of their newer releases have been nearly unreadable. I just can’t take them serious as spiritual books. They tend to be a bit silly, this one certainly was.
October 15, 2021
This is such a beautifully written book, with so much attention to details and so many sources. It’s definitely going to be one of my go to books, and includes ideas for the wheel of the year with Artio and Artaois. It’s just brilliant. I only wish it was longer, but hopefully they’ll release a follow up.
October 26, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Andrew Anderson put together a delightful journey of exploration into the Bear God and Goddess. I have to give it four stars though because such a huge component of the Bear deities is missing from the Slavic and Basque lands, although in the author’s defense it *is* newly discovered material!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews