Drinking from the Sacred Well: Personal Voyages of Discovery with the Celtic Saint

The Celtic saints offered a crucial model for spiritual awareness, according to renowned Celtic scholar John Matthews. They held a profoundly intimate relationship with the natural and ethereal worlds, always recognizing their purpose within the context of creation. "By cutting ourselves off from nature, by telling ourselves we are separate, unique, powerful in our own right, we are doing the equivalent of cutting off our limbs," he explains. In his profiles of famous Celtic saints, Matthews illustrates how the mystical pagan worship of nature overlaps with Christian faith to create fantastic stories of animal guides, princes, chieftains, angels, and druidic fire--always heightened by the rich and poetic imagery of Ireland's landscape. After each story, Matthews offers a list of "Meditation Points." For example, after the story of Senan of Scattery, Matthews asks, "Do you offer hospitality of the spirit to those around you? If not, consider how you might do so." --Gail Hudson