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The Mist-Filled Path: Celtic Wisdom for Exiles, Wanderers, and Seekers
In The Mist-Filled Path, Frank MacEowen, a preeminent teacher of Celtic spirituality, shows how embracing the indigenous wisdom of Scotland and Ireland can lead to healing and transcendence. Using his own travels and teachings along with Celtic stories and myths, he explores ancient traditions, eco-psychology, the ancient mother, altars and hearths, Oran Mor (the Great Song), contemplation, and mysticism. The book tells how to draw on ancestral roots to find a personal spirituality that also works for the greater good.
272 pages, Paperback
First published April 9, 2002
About the author
Frank MacEowen
3 books24 followersFrank MacEowen is a Scottish-Irish American poet, teacher, and shamanist in the visionary traditions of his Celtic ancestors. A native to Mississippi, he facilitates retreats in Celtic spirituality, contemplative practice, and ecopsychology, and guides individuals in private shamanic sessions and dreamwork.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
April 27, 2013
This was one of those books that you happen to stumble upon in a little cafe' and it turns out to be just what you needed.
I read this book just before traveling to Ireland and Scotland, and though I have always felt very connected with the spirit of those places, this book had so many wonderful tools to draw me even deeper into the mist.
At once poetic and instructive, this book can draw you into a simply magical world.
Stress on the word 'Simply' here... because never before has this culture seemed so beautiful simple and clear.
I enjoyed the personal projects and meditations most of all, and now find myself filling the three cauldrons of my being on a regular basis.
If you like the Celtic culture, then this book is for you. Though it doesn't go very deeply into the history, which I would have liked more of. It's certainly more of a personal journey that the author shares with you. There is something eerily familiar to me about much of what he says...
I read this book just before traveling to Ireland and Scotland, and though I have always felt very connected with the spirit of those places, this book had so many wonderful tools to draw me even deeper into the mist.
At once poetic and instructive, this book can draw you into a simply magical world.
Stress on the word 'Simply' here... because never before has this culture seemed so beautiful simple and clear.
I enjoyed the personal projects and meditations most of all, and now find myself filling the three cauldrons of my being on a regular basis.
If you like the Celtic culture, then this book is for you. Though it doesn't go very deeply into the history, which I would have liked more of. It's certainly more of a personal journey that the author shares with you. There is something eerily familiar to me about much of what he says...
October 29, 2009
My faith, my heart, my soul resides in the places between, in the mist. For me things are always made more poignant when the veil of mist is present. The mist signifies the very breath of magick in my life. Profound in its elegant simplicity.
June 19, 2012
This is an excellent book. Mainly an autobiography, this is the author's story of how he came out of his own "dark night of the soul" to re-connect with his ancestral, spiritual heritage. In addition, there are a number of very useful exercises contained in each chapter.
August 8, 2021
It would appear I'm in the minority with my opinion of this book, but that's how it rolls sometimes.
I don't remember why I wanted to read this anymore. It has SOME things in common with my spiritual studies, but only loosely. Maybe I thought it would align with my own path a little better because it was supposedly Celtic-centered. No...
I found myself skipping large portions of the book because the author kept talking about Christianity and the Christian god, saints, angels, and and other such things. While these might be valid creatures for those hailing from the lands they originated from, I don't think they've got any place in Celtic spiritual practice. They are not only foreign to our gods, spirits, and ancestors, Christianity almost entirely destroyed our old ways and traditions by use of violence and torture. I do not believe you can reconcile Yahweh and his invasion of pagan Europe no matter how you try.
Besides this there's not much else of value. There were tidbits that I thought were good advice or good practices, but overall it's a bunch of UPG with too much Christian influence.
If you're looking for books to study, this isn't one you should bother with. It's not about practicing or teaching so much as it's the rambling "life story" of one guy who makes a lot of claims. I don't recommend this book for those looking for spiritual study material.
I don't remember why I wanted to read this anymore. It has SOME things in common with my spiritual studies, but only loosely. Maybe I thought it would align with my own path a little better because it was supposedly Celtic-centered. No...
I found myself skipping large portions of the book because the author kept talking about Christianity and the Christian god, saints, angels, and and other such things. While these might be valid creatures for those hailing from the lands they originated from, I don't think they've got any place in Celtic spiritual practice. They are not only foreign to our gods, spirits, and ancestors, Christianity almost entirely destroyed our old ways and traditions by use of violence and torture. I do not believe you can reconcile Yahweh and his invasion of pagan Europe no matter how you try.
Besides this there's not much else of value. There were tidbits that I thought were good advice or good practices, but overall it's a bunch of UPG with too much Christian influence.
If you're looking for books to study, this isn't one you should bother with. It's not about practicing or teaching so much as it's the rambling "life story" of one guy who makes a lot of claims. I don't recommend this book for those looking for spiritual study material.
December 5, 2015
Updated on December 4, 2015: I can no longer really stand by a lot of this review. I've read a lot and have revised my view on "Celtic Shamanism", namely there is no such thing. I do stand by some parts of this review, mainly that the book is rich, poetic and very personal. The exercises might work for people just like they worked for me at a time in my life when I perhaps needed them to work.
This is a book that takes you on a journey through the mysteries of you. It is a great introduction to Celtic shamanism and an easy enough book to follow even if you don't know anything about shamanism. It is rich and poetic and very personal. The author guides you through the Celtic traditions, giving you a vision of the Celtic spirituality which is warm and adventurous. There are exercises to do which don't scare the beginner and gives the advanced a good workout. The author also has a glossary at the back of the book which gives definitions of all the words that you might not know from his writings.
This is a book that takes you on a journey through the mysteries of you. It is a great introduction to Celtic shamanism and an easy enough book to follow even if you don't know anything about shamanism. It is rich and poetic and very personal. The author guides you through the Celtic traditions, giving you a vision of the Celtic spirituality which is warm and adventurous. There are exercises to do which don't scare the beginner and gives the advanced a good workout. The author also has a glossary at the back of the book which gives definitions of all the words that you might not know from his writings.
June 5, 2013
Filled with spiritual practices and personal narrative, _The Mist-Filled Path_ is a spiritual guidebook for those feeling alienated from Celtic spiritual traditions, and seeking to understand those spiritual traditions as ones deeply connected to the land.
August 31, 2018
The Mist-Filled Path by Frank MacEowen is about connecting with Celtic traditions and spirituality. It is partly a guide and partly the author sharing his own experiences. Frank MacEowen is a Scottish-Irish American poet and shaman from Mississippi. He was raised in a Methodist church where his father was a pastor.
I picked this book up as part of a group read on goodreads. I was also interested in learning more about Celtic spirituality because I am mostly Irish on my mother's side of the family. I was born with the flaming red hair and everything! While, religiously, I don't have a connection with the Irish gods despite trying twice, I do have a connection with my Irish-American heritage so I was interested in reading this book.
I honestly enjoyed this book for the most part. I really appreciate the author being so open about his own experiences. I felt like I could connect with some of his stories and his feelings when connecting with nature.
A longer review is at my blog.
I picked this book up as part of a group read on goodreads. I was also interested in learning more about Celtic spirituality because I am mostly Irish on my mother's side of the family. I was born with the flaming red hair and everything! While, religiously, I don't have a connection with the Irish gods despite trying twice, I do have a connection with my Irish-American heritage so I was interested in reading this book.
I honestly enjoyed this book for the most part. I really appreciate the author being so open about his own experiences. I felt like I could connect with some of his stories and his feelings when connecting with nature.
A longer review is at my blog.
September 8, 2012
This was an interesting book that did not fulfill exactly what I was hoping for though. I had hoped to delve more into Celtic-Christianity specifically. The last quarter was wondeful and beautiful in its application of "mist filled path" practices of the author to Celtic-Christianity practices. I especially appreciated and loved the practices of the "Hearth Way", the "Way of the Heart" and the "Way of the Earth". The majority of the book explored the author's particular practices and personal experiences that I had a hard time relating to. The book can resonate with us all who are seeking to wake up and no longer "sleep walk" our way through our faith! It can help open our eyes to God's spirit all around us if we can accept to call him by different names and believe he will present himself in more ways than how we try to define him.
August 23, 2009
I enjoyed this book. It taught me about my Celtic roots, and it made me understand myself better. I would highly recommend it. This book is about connecting with the wisdom from the ancestors, from nature, from the mist, and our Celtic heritage, our wisdom. It includes exercises and meditations to do.
I would highly recommend people buy this book.
I would highly recommend people buy this book.
January 13, 2013
Okay so far skip the intro and all the crap before Chapter 1. I have been wanting to read this book for awhile and I want to give it a fair chance, but all that stuff at the begining I've heard a million times before, do yourself a favor and just skip it.
I want to like this book so bad, I keep trying, but it can't grab hold of me.
I want to like this book so bad, I keep trying, but it can't grab hold of me.
July 28, 2010
I really enjoyed this book and related to a lot of the spiritual beliefs, though I've never considered myself a "Celtic Christian" or anything. I liked hearing some of the mythology and cultural traits discussed, in addition to the overall spiritual exposition.
August 29, 2009
i picked this up the other day after debating about purchasing a big ticket item that i didnt really need.... then i read the forward of this book and it spoke to me so directly. I'm really looking forward to starting this today~
June 18, 2014
Being of Celtic heritage (though not really knowing a lot about that) this book spoke to me. I went back and read it a second time
December 7, 2023
I actually stopped reading this because I found out the author is neither Irish/Scottish nor really has any actual expertise in this area. It was quite misleading and disappointing.
February 20, 2019
The Welsh have a word for it - hiraeth, or longing,
Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Britanny; the islands off the coast of Scotland - all places where life is a little bit different and, in many places, the spiritual world is just that little bit more accessible. And the Celtic diaspora spreads across the world - to take one of its most modern examples, you'll find an Irish bar of some kind in most major cities around the world and many smaller towns.
If you've grown up in a city, though, trying to access your spiritual side can be a little bit confusing at first if you find yourself in a Celtic environment.
This book has lovely meditations and exercises and stories to help you access your roots, and understand some of the reasons why sometimes situations and people have the effect on you that they do.
Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Britanny; the islands off the coast of Scotland - all places where life is a little bit different and, in many places, the spiritual world is just that little bit more accessible. And the Celtic diaspora spreads across the world - to take one of its most modern examples, you'll find an Irish bar of some kind in most major cities around the world and many smaller towns.
If you've grown up in a city, though, trying to access your spiritual side can be a little bit confusing at first if you find yourself in a Celtic environment.
This book has lovely meditations and exercises and stories to help you access your roots, and understand some of the reasons why sometimes situations and people have the effect on you that they do.
November 4, 2024
This beautifully written book describes how the author has created spiritual practices from Celtic and other indigenous influences. The book can be practical, describing a Druidic prayer posture and giving a good movie suggestion and music to try.
Most of the book is anecdotal. He describes an experience where he spent time in a grave during midnight on a Scottish hillside. His experiences and healing with North American indigenous shamans makes for fascinating reading. He verified what I knew about saining, a Celtic practice, similar to smudging, performed by North American peoples. I admire how he talked to and treated the homeless. He really listened to them and relays some of their poignant stories. He ends with how he used his spiritual experiences with nature to heal a hurting woman. Resources to find shamans and guides for vision quests are included.
Most of the book is anecdotal. He describes an experience where he spent time in a grave during midnight on a Scottish hillside. His experiences and healing with North American indigenous shamans makes for fascinating reading. He verified what I knew about saining, a Celtic practice, similar to smudging, performed by North American peoples. I admire how he talked to and treated the homeless. He really listened to them and relays some of their poignant stories. He ends with how he used his spiritual experiences with nature to heal a hurting woman. Resources to find shamans and guides for vision quests are included.
January 17, 2023
I take a lot of inspiration from this book. When this book hit it hit hard. And other times it did not quite connect for me. And that is okay. But it definitely hit more than it didn’t.
I really loved a lot of the activity suggestions. Oftentimes those can feel like throwaways in a book, but these ones really resonated. And the author did a good job explaining the significance.
I also loved the music suggestions. I already tried one for a meditation. And it was very, very powerful.
I will end this review with one of my favorite lines in the book: “Any time we take time out of our routine to sit in silence we invite the holy.” (Page 201)
I really loved a lot of the activity suggestions. Oftentimes those can feel like throwaways in a book, but these ones really resonated. And the author did a good job explaining the significance.
I also loved the music suggestions. I already tried one for a meditation. And it was very, very powerful.
I will end this review with one of my favorite lines in the book: “Any time we take time out of our routine to sit in silence we invite the holy.” (Page 201)
November 1, 2016
I found this book on a recent visit to Powell's Book Store in my hometown of Portland, Oregon. I was not looking for it, but as I was looking at other books regarding Celtic mythology, this book pulled at me and would not let me go and so I brought it home with me. And it has shifted the trajectory of my life. Set me on a new path and I can't wait to see where this leads.
December 23, 2024
'The Mist-Filled Path' by Frank MacEowen
Mixed feelings about this book as some of it was of interest to me, but some of it was a bit too "Christian-ized" for me; considering how the Pagans, Druids, and other Wise-folk were mistreated by them, had to wonder what's the story here, really?
Not really quite my cup of tea...
Mixed feelings about this book as some of it was of interest to me, but some of it was a bit too "Christian-ized" for me; considering how the Pagans, Druids, and other Wise-folk were mistreated by them, had to wonder what's the story here, really?
Not really quite my cup of tea...
December 22, 2017
Excellent book. Not as rich as I'd been hoping for, but satisfying in its simplicity. A good book to read for any who crave a deeper connection with the spirit of the world, but are frustrated by organized religion.
December 30, 2020
Well, this book certainly defied expectations. It covers quite a lot of topics- some tangentially related to Celtic wisdom. The author is interesting to read, although some of his stories never quite got wrapped up the way I'd like. He is certainly an interesting character with a unique twist on Celtic spirituality.
April 14, 2021
After a trip to Ireland in 2019, I’m longing for connection to my Celtic ancestry. Reading this book is one step on that journey. I’m looking forward to participating in some the suggested practices as a way to heal my soul and bring myself into community with the ones who came before me.
September 2, 2021
I wanted to like this more than I did. It had so much information, but the narrator's voice..... it was like a Scottish Ben Stine giving a sermon.... very droning.... I have no idea how much I missed because I unconsciously just kept tuning him out.
May 18, 2023
There were some good nuggets but the author did focus on this own experiences and Celtic shamanic. He incorporated the 3 cauldron meditation that I liked but also include Christian theology is also through the book. I could have done without that. I would first borrow this book before you buy it.
August 18, 2019
The writing is perfectly serviceable, though without any distinguishing characteristics. It's like those MFA bores all are.
January 6, 2022
Really well written, lots of good info and so many sources.
January 26, 2024
Well written and useable information.
The useable piece is so important to me as opposed to a book that’s great info but not relatable to real life and practices of growth.
The useable piece is so important to me as opposed to a book that’s great info but not relatable to real life and practices of growth.
October 28, 2024
Kinda mid.
November 1, 2024
Maybe I was Celtic in a former life. Their entire way of being speaks to my soul.
October 4, 2009
Those interested in the Celtic wisdom and oneness with Nature, as well as engaging the living spirit of the Celtic stream, while using the reflections provided by this ancient perspective in the Here and Now, may enjoy reading this book as much as I did.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews