Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom

"Anam Cara is a rare synthesis of philosophy, poetry, and spirituality. This work will have a powerful and life-transforming experience for those who read it." —Deepak Chopra

John O'Donohue, poet, philosopher, and scholar, guides you through the spiritual landscape of the Irish imagination. In Anam Cara, Gaelic for "soul friend," the ancient teachings, stories, and blessings of Celtic wisdom provide such profound insights on the universal themes of friendship, solitude, love, and death as:

• Light is generous
• The human heart is never completely born
• Love as ancient recognition
• The body is the angel of the soul
• Solitude is luminous
• Beauty likes neglected places
• The passionate heart never ages
• To be natural is to be holy
• Silence is the sister of the divine
• Death as an invitation to freedom

| When St. Patrick first came to Ireland in the 5th century A.D, he encountered the Celts, a unique race of people who found divinity all around them: in the rivers and hills, the sea and sky and in every kind of animal. Surviving to this day, the Celts' reverence for the spirit in all things, and their celebration of the continuous mysteries of everyday existence is a vibrant spiritual legacy unique in the Western world, one that has captured the imaginations of thousands of Americans rediscovering the wisdom of the past.

In Anam Cara (Gaelic for "soul friend"), O'Donohue takes readers into a world where God's passionate side is celebrated and the Fates are not feared. Drawing on the wisdom of the Celts and their Druid shamans; the imbas (inspirational sagas) of the wandering bards; and the sacred fountainhead of the Christian monasteries, Anam Cara goes beyond traditional religious programs to provide an intuitive and truly accessible approach to spirituality. Exploring themes such as the divinity of solitude, the spirituality of the senses, the mystery of friendship, the beauty of aging and the concept of death in the Celtic tradition, it helps readers reconnect with the world around them and awaken the power hidden in their souls. |

“John O’Donohue’s unique voice and heart and his exquisitely elevating poetic imagination are immortalized in these pages, saturated as they are with his lyrical and contagious love of life and love for people and nature. Even reading it at random is profoundly healing and affirming, especially in hard moments.”  - Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Meditation is Not What You Think and the bestselling classic, Wherever You Go, There You Are

"The moment I read Anam Cara...I felt like I had found a kindred spirit. I love everything John has written. It comes from such a deep, profound, wise, and insightful space."   - Maria Shriver, author, advocate, and journalist

"What a profound joy it is rereading Anam Cara, John O'Donohue's glorious book of teachings about nature, human life, friendship, love, and loss. Anyone who ever spent time with John came away changed, as do his readers."  - Diane Ackerman, bestselling author and poet

“In this twenty-fifth anniversary edition, you will find John a 'soul friend' on your own journey through life, offering support and solace, clarity, and consciousness—expanding narratives that invite you to experience relationships with people, nature, and even your inner world in new ways that nurture well-being and resilience in these challenging times.”   - Daniel J. Siegel, MD, bestselling author, neuropsychiatrist

“This book is a phenomenon in itself . . . a book to read and reread forever, its style of varied narration responds to our times.” - Irish Times

"With this twenty-fifth anniversary of Anam Cara, John's fervent call to dignify each other reverberates in every corner of our beautiful broken world with more urgency and presence." - Ellen Wingard, Advocate for Social Impact Leadership

"For almost twenty years the poetic and prophetic words of John O'Donohue have held sacred space and holy weight in my heart." - Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III, Senior Pastor-Trinity United Church of Christ (Chicago, Illinois)

"Anam Cara is a radiant source of wisdom, a link between the human and the divine. This work is a blessed, rare gem." - Larry Dossey, M.D., author of Be Careful What You Pray For, Prayer Is Good Medicine, and Healing Words

"John brightens the way for you, if you have the courage to go there--he was obviously sent here with the light." - Davy Spillane, Grammy Award-winning musician/composer at North Atlantic Music Studios (Ireland) and Producer of Anam Cara Audiobook

"John O'Donohue's book of Celtic wisdom comes at you like a blast of fresh wind rushing above the din of modern noise and cynical contemporary conversations, revitalizing the spirit to effectively face this turbulent world. Indeed we need John's wildly original and provocative voice more than ever." - Gail Straub, Co-Founder--Empowerment Institute, Author of The Rhythm of Compassion

"From the very first sentence, Anam Cara takes us on an exhilarating journey through the human soul and its many wondrous and mysterious labyrinths, and John O'Donohue is the perfect guide to light the way--a radiant soul full of deep wisdom, true compassion, and boundless joy." - Andrew Carroll, New York Times bestselling author and co-founder, with Nobel Laureate Joseph Brodsky, of the American Poetry & Literacy Project

"Anam Cara has accompanied me on my spiritual journey from its very inception. I have returned to this book often, for solace, wisdom and --most of all--to be reminded that I am not alone in what I desire for myself and for our world. John O'Donohue has been my "soul friend" for years, and his brave revelations of his mind and heart have changed my life. Get ready for a life-altering journey." - Edward L. Beck, Roman Catholic Priest, CNN Faith and Religion Commentator

"In the age of social media in which we add and discard friends with the tap of a screen, we need more than ever John O'Donohue's vital words of wisdom on how the right relationships can lift a life and feed the soul. This book is about deep love, belonging, and honoring nourishing ties that crush small-minded concepts of what friendship can be. A must read for all on the spiritual journey." - Sophfronia Scott, author of The Seeker and the Monk and Love's Long Line