Anam Cara

I recently read a book that changed my life.

Anam Cara, by John O’Donohue, is a masterpiece. Each page is delicately written, offering the reader a glimpse into Celtic wisdom throughout the ages. Going beyond the boundaries of traditional religions, O’Donohue gives the reader a new approach to spirituality. To do so, he draws on inspiration from Celtic spiritual traditions and their earth-based religions. The most comforting aspect? O’Donohue takes the reader on a journey where God’s compassionate side is celebrated, and His wrath is nowhere to be found.

This novel opened my eyes to the world of Celtic spirituality, something that felt like a homecoming for my spirit. It helped the wandering parts of my soul find refuge in the comfort of their true home -- the earth.    

I’ve outlined a few of my favorite quotes below, chapter by chapter. My hope is that these spark insight– or a soul connection – within you:  

The Mystery of Friendship:

“Everything that happens to you has the potential to deepen you.”

“In the sacred kinship of real love two souls are twinned. The outer shell and contour of identity becomes porous. You suffuse each other.”

“Love is the threshold where divine and human presence ebb and flow into each other.”

“Love does not remain in the heart, it flows out to build sacred tabernacles on the landscape.”

“The one you love, your anam cara, your soul friend, is the truest reflection of your soul.”

Toward a Spirituality of the Senses:

“Your body is the home of your soul on earth.”

“The body is a sacred threshold; it deserves to be respected, minded, and understood in a spiritual nature.”

“If we believe the body is the soul and the soul is divine ground, then the presence of the divine is completely here, close with us.”

“It is a startling truth that how you see and what you see will determine how you will be”

“True listening brings us in touch even with that which is unsaid and unsayable.”

Solitude is Luminous:

“To be spiritual is to be in rhythm.”

“One of the reasons we were sent to this earth is to make a connection with ourselves, this inner friendship.”

“The way you look at things is the most vital force in shaping your life.”

“One of the reasons so many people suffer from stress is not that they are doing stressful things, but they allow so little time for inner silence.”

 “If you allow yourself to be the person you are, everything will come into rhythm. If you live the life you love, you will receive shelter and blessings.”

Work as a Poetics of Growth:

“To grow is to change and to be perfect is to have changed often.”

“To engage with honor and the full possibility of your life is to engage in a worthy way the possibility of a new day.”

“People have power over us because we give our power away to them.”

“Many people who desperately hunger for power are weak. They seek power positions to compensate for their own fragility and vulnerability.”

 “A “breakdown” is often a desperate attempt by the soul to break through the weary façade of politics.”

Aging - The Beauty of Inner Harvest:

“Everything that happens to you is an act of sowing a seed of experience. It is equally important to harvest that seed of experience.”

“When you visit the wounds within the temple of memory, you should not blame yourself for making bad mistakes that you greatly regret.”

“Many of our troubles do not belong to us. They are troubles we draw upon from our gloomy attitude.”

“Your time is not just past or future. Your time here always inhibits the circle of your soul.”

 “Sometimes the greatest burdens humans carry are the burdens they make for themselves.” 

What book has touched your life recently?