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juushikaTitle: The Apple Branch: A Path to Celtic Ritual
Author: Alexei Kondratiev
Published: Ireland: the Collins Press, 1998
Page Count: 263
Total Page Count: 28,592
Text Number: 83
Read For: Celtic Reconstruction research, checked out from the library
Short review: How useful the reader will find this book depends primarily on what he is looking for in a Celtic-based pagan religion. Kondratiev's text has a much stronger Celtic background than many of the books published on Celtic Wicca and Celtic Neo-Paganism, but he deviates and modifies historical Celtic belief and practice too much for this to be considered an authentic view of Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism. Kontratiev proposes a Pan-Celtic practice, based in Celtic mythology but heavily modified to create a simplified view of the deities and a more complex wheel of the year. His book contains a useful overview of Celtic history and pre-history, both before and after Christianity, and to the Celtic culture, an introduction to ritual and sacred space, a year-long cycle of eight holidays, a monthly moon cycle, and a seven-holiday cultural cycle of non-religious holidays. The introduction to Celtic history and culture and the historical analysis of the major Celtic holidays (Samhain, Imbolc, Bealtaine, and Lunasa) should be useful to readers on all religious paths; the rest of the book is too heavily adapted and ritualized to be considered Celtic Reconstructionist but may be useful to those interest in a modified, Pan-Celtic path. As such, I recommend this book only tentatively, and I believe that those interested in an authentic Celtic Reconstructionist practice will find it only minorly useful. However, Kontratiev's extrapolations are good food for thought, and the book may be very useful to those not interested in following a strict, historically accurate Celtic path.
As mentioned, the introduction, which provides an overview of Celtic history and culture, is probably the most useful and important part of the book. The historical overview is readable, more fair than romanticized, and a fairly succinct, useful starting place. Unfortunately, the author fails to include footnotes, which makes it harder to trust his overview or look up more information on interesting subjects. After the historical overview, Kontratiev provides a cultural overview. He discusses the basic land and tribe division and relationship in Celtic culture which, while simplified, is accurate and useful to approaching Celtic mythology and beliefs. He also provides a very strong argument for studying Celtic languages, stating that language is an integral part of culture and that anyone unwilling to learn the language is either lazy or perpetuating the Western mindset that undermines the Celtic mindset. This argument is harsh and leave no room for counter-argument, making it highly unpopular, but to some extent Kontratiev has a point. Learning the language immerses the practitioner in Celtic culture and the Celtic worldview and allows him to better understand Celtic texts, creating a more authentically Celtic practice that helps perpetuate the Celtic culture and mythos. Finally, Kontratiev makes a passionate, strong argument for the a change to the Celtic worldview, one that better embraces individuality and better protects the world we live on. In short, this introduction is the best part of the book, and should be useful to any reader interested in studying or following a Celtic path.
Within the realm of the actual Celtic practice that Kondratiev advocates, things get more complicated, less useful, and less authentic. He proposes a Pan-Celtic practice, going so far as to represent each of the Celtic nations through visual symbols and written scripts in multiple languages. While it seems more encompassing, this Pan-Celtic approach actually limits how detailed and authentic the representation of each Celtic culture can be, and so may not be desirable for those attempting to use or recreate an authentic Celtic practice. Many of the ritual techniques seem to echo mainstream paganism or even Wicca—Kontratiev casts a circle, calls the quarters, and puts together a complex relationship of directional, elemental, and gender-related symbolism despite the fact that view of these aspects are not based in Celtic history and some of the extrapolations are tedious and highly questionable. He also puts together a eight-holiday wheel of the year, despite the general consensus that the Celtic year had four major holidays, and suggests a monthly moon invocation despite a lack of historical information on Celtic moon-related practices. Sometimes Kontratiev indicates that he is deviating from tradition and history, sometimes not, but for the post part the body of the text should be taken with a grain of salt. Some of the ideas and connections that Kontratiev draws are useful and thought-provoking, but they can also be inauthentic, highly extrapolated, or simplified, and his book shouldn't be taken at face value. I recommend that readers do other research on Celtic history and beliefs (rather than modern Celtic-based practice) in order to learn more and better assess the reliability and usefulness of The Apple Branch for themselves.
The Apple Branch contains a useful introduction and some interesting history on the traditional and modern practices of the four major Celtic holidays. The rest of the book is probably more useful to those interested in a Celtic-inspired practice and less useful to those interested in a historically, culturally accurate Celtic practice. It may be interesting food for thought for all readers, but I recommend the text only tentatively and highly recommend concurrent study on Celtic belief, practice, and mythology. While Kontratiev writes with an authoritative voice that seems to book no question, his practices and concepts are actually heavily debated and further research will help the reader build a better understanding of Celtic faith and a more culturally and historically accurate, meaningful practice. By all means, read this book, but don't let it be the only book you read and don't take anything that Kontratiev writes at face value.
Review posted here at Amazon.com.
Author: Alexei Kondratiev
Published: Ireland: the Collins Press, 1998
Page Count: 263
Total Page Count: 28,592
Text Number: 83
Read For: Celtic Reconstruction research, checked out from the library
Short review: How useful the reader will find this book depends primarily on what he is looking for in a Celtic-based pagan religion. Kondratiev's text has a much stronger Celtic background than many of the books published on Celtic Wicca and Celtic Neo-Paganism, but he deviates and modifies historical Celtic belief and practice too much for this to be considered an authentic view of Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism. Kontratiev proposes a Pan-Celtic practice, based in Celtic mythology but heavily modified to create a simplified view of the deities and a more complex wheel of the year. His book contains a useful overview of Celtic history and pre-history, both before and after Christianity, and to the Celtic culture, an introduction to ritual and sacred space, a year-long cycle of eight holidays, a monthly moon cycle, and a seven-holiday cultural cycle of non-religious holidays. The introduction to Celtic history and culture and the historical analysis of the major Celtic holidays (Samhain, Imbolc, Bealtaine, and Lunasa) should be useful to readers on all religious paths; the rest of the book is too heavily adapted and ritualized to be considered Celtic Reconstructionist but may be useful to those interest in a modified, Pan-Celtic path. As such, I recommend this book only tentatively, and I believe that those interested in an authentic Celtic Reconstructionist practice will find it only minorly useful. However, Kontratiev's extrapolations are good food for thought, and the book may be very useful to those not interested in following a strict, historically accurate Celtic path.
As mentioned, the introduction, which provides an overview of Celtic history and culture, is probably the most useful and important part of the book. The historical overview is readable, more fair than romanticized, and a fairly succinct, useful starting place. Unfortunately, the author fails to include footnotes, which makes it harder to trust his overview or look up more information on interesting subjects. After the historical overview, Kontratiev provides a cultural overview. He discusses the basic land and tribe division and relationship in Celtic culture which, while simplified, is accurate and useful to approaching Celtic mythology and beliefs. He also provides a very strong argument for studying Celtic languages, stating that language is an integral part of culture and that anyone unwilling to learn the language is either lazy or perpetuating the Western mindset that undermines the Celtic mindset. This argument is harsh and leave no room for counter-argument, making it highly unpopular, but to some extent Kontratiev has a point. Learning the language immerses the practitioner in Celtic culture and the Celtic worldview and allows him to better understand Celtic texts, creating a more authentically Celtic practice that helps perpetuate the Celtic culture and mythos. Finally, Kontratiev makes a passionate, strong argument for the a change to the Celtic worldview, one that better embraces individuality and better protects the world we live on. In short, this introduction is the best part of the book, and should be useful to any reader interested in studying or following a Celtic path.
Within the realm of the actual Celtic practice that Kondratiev advocates, things get more complicated, less useful, and less authentic. He proposes a Pan-Celtic practice, going so far as to represent each of the Celtic nations through visual symbols and written scripts in multiple languages. While it seems more encompassing, this Pan-Celtic approach actually limits how detailed and authentic the representation of each Celtic culture can be, and so may not be desirable for those attempting to use or recreate an authentic Celtic practice. Many of the ritual techniques seem to echo mainstream paganism or even Wicca—Kontratiev casts a circle, calls the quarters, and puts together a complex relationship of directional, elemental, and gender-related symbolism despite the fact that view of these aspects are not based in Celtic history and some of the extrapolations are tedious and highly questionable. He also puts together a eight-holiday wheel of the year, despite the general consensus that the Celtic year had four major holidays, and suggests a monthly moon invocation despite a lack of historical information on Celtic moon-related practices. Sometimes Kontratiev indicates that he is deviating from tradition and history, sometimes not, but for the post part the body of the text should be taken with a grain of salt. Some of the ideas and connections that Kontratiev draws are useful and thought-provoking, but they can also be inauthentic, highly extrapolated, or simplified, and his book shouldn't be taken at face value. I recommend that readers do other research on Celtic history and beliefs (rather than modern Celtic-based practice) in order to learn more and better assess the reliability and usefulness of The Apple Branch for themselves.
The Apple Branch contains a useful introduction and some interesting history on the traditional and modern practices of the four major Celtic holidays. The rest of the book is probably more useful to those interested in a Celtic-inspired practice and less useful to those interested in a historically, culturally accurate Celtic practice. It may be interesting food for thought for all readers, but I recommend the text only tentatively and highly recommend concurrent study on Celtic belief, practice, and mythology. While Kontratiev writes with an authoritative voice that seems to book no question, his practices and concepts are actually heavily debated and further research will help the reader build a better understanding of Celtic faith and a more culturally and historically accurate, meaningful practice. By all means, read this book, but don't let it be the only book you read and don't take anything that Kontratiev writes at face value.
Review posted here at Amazon.com.
