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What I Just Finished Reading
Tarot – Jessica Hundley et al.
The first volume in Taschen’s Library of Esoterica, Tarot is a beautifully illustrated book that spared every expense on copyediting.
Anam Cara – John O’Donohue
As a book of Celtic spiritual wisdom, Anam Cara fails miserably. My guess is that one day in 1996, O’Donohue’s pubishers looked around and said, “Huh, Riverdance and books about Celtic paganism are super popular right now. Maybe we can get in on this cash cow with something that targets the Christian market.” Only 39 of Anam Cara’s 278 pages have anything to do with Celtic or Irish subjects and in them, O’Donohue makes sweeping and sometimes factually inaccurate claims about “Celtic spirituality” that he perennially fails to support.
The rest of the book is a mash-up of European philosophical musings from sources including Neo-Platonism, German poets, Roman Catholic theologians, and classical Greek mythology. If you set aside the multiple Wise Generic Ethnic PeopleTM parables, this content makes a valid, albeit unnecessarily longwinded and oblique case for the importance of what is generally referred to as mindfulness or contemplation (O'Donohue never uses either term). The final chapter, on mortality, is deeply moving; it’s unfortunate that O’Donohue opted for filler-heavy pop spirituality in the rest of the volume.
What I Am Currently Reading
Mythos – Stephen Fry
Highly enjoyable, but my eyes rebel at being asked to read such tiny font in the evenings, when I'm most likely to want to pick this one up.
Milk, Sulfate, and Alby Starvation – Martin Millar
Absolutely delightful.
Talking to High Monks in the Snow – Linda Minatoya
Very well written and unfortunately, as relevant today as when it was published.
The House on Vesper Sands – Paraic O’Donnell
Yup, I’m really trying to stretch this reread out for as long as I can.
Astrology – Andrea Richards et al.
As beautiful as Tarot, and thankfully somewhat better–although far from perfectly–edited.
What I'm Reading Next
I acquired no new books this week.
これで以上です。
Tarot – Jessica Hundley et al.
The first volume in Taschen’s Library of Esoterica, Tarot is a beautifully illustrated book that spared every expense on copyediting.
Anam Cara – John O’Donohue
As a book of Celtic spiritual wisdom, Anam Cara fails miserably. My guess is that one day in 1996, O’Donohue’s pubishers looked around and said, “Huh, Riverdance and books about Celtic paganism are super popular right now. Maybe we can get in on this cash cow with something that targets the Christian market.” Only 39 of Anam Cara’s 278 pages have anything to do with Celtic or Irish subjects and in them, O’Donohue makes sweeping and sometimes factually inaccurate claims about “Celtic spirituality” that he perennially fails to support.
The rest of the book is a mash-up of European philosophical musings from sources including Neo-Platonism, German poets, Roman Catholic theologians, and classical Greek mythology. If you set aside the multiple Wise Generic Ethnic PeopleTM parables, this content makes a valid, albeit unnecessarily longwinded and oblique case for the importance of what is generally referred to as mindfulness or contemplation (O'Donohue never uses either term). The final chapter, on mortality, is deeply moving; it’s unfortunate that O’Donohue opted for filler-heavy pop spirituality in the rest of the volume.
What I Am Currently Reading
Mythos – Stephen Fry
Highly enjoyable, but my eyes rebel at being asked to read such tiny font in the evenings, when I'm most likely to want to pick this one up.
Milk, Sulfate, and Alby Starvation – Martin Millar
Absolutely delightful.
Talking to High Monks in the Snow – Linda Minatoya
Very well written and unfortunately, as relevant today as when it was published.
The House on Vesper Sands – Paraic O’Donnell
Yup, I’m really trying to stretch this reread out for as long as I can.
Astrology – Andrea Richards et al.
As beautiful as Tarot, and thankfully somewhat better–although far from perfectly–edited.
What I'm Reading Next
I acquired no new books this week.
これで以上です。
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