The Holy Wells of Ireland

perfect

I just finished reading this fascinating book; fascinating because my father's family came from Ireland and I am fascinated with mysticism, storytelling, and ancient beliefs, both pre-Christian and Christian, of that land. This excellent, compact book gives one a window into rituals and belief systems from before written history, and is interesting from a psychological standpoint as well, because of its stories of people supposedly suffering from various diseases who seemed to be really cured after performing the rituals connected with these holy wells...this done in a time of no real medical care or psychological support systems. It makes you reflect on the power of symbolism as well--the symbolistic meaning of water, of stone, of trees. After reading a few pages, I would take a break, close my eyes, and picture in my mind the scenes that the book described, of pilgrims walking barefoot around wells, of faith tokens left, of prayers said, and I had a true sense of being transported back in time to witness rituals my ancestors might very well have participated in. Faith and hope are two things that humans always reach out for and need, and this book speaks eloaquently of that need. It left me with a longing to see those places for myself, to experience firsthand the emotion of dipping my hands in sacred water, of leaving a token beside an ancient well. Buy this book and you too can feel those feelings!