Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon my Darlings!   Today’s post is a countdown of my top nine choices for must-read books for people interested in Welsh Celtic Mystery Traditions!   I have chosen to rank these books based on their importance to read if you are walking a path of Welsh Celtic Mysticism, in particular, these are focused on an Avalonian Path.    This means that these books are ranked slightly differently than if I were basing this list purely on the quality of the books themselves, as I find that some of the lower-ranked books are some of the higher-quality texts.   Largely, I ranked books that are essential highest and those that are more complex lower, but they are still insanely important if they are on this list!   I wanted to have the highest-ranked books be titles to read to build a foundational understanding, sort of like a Mystery School syllabus!

Number 9: The Book of Taliesin by Taliesin

~This book of poetry is so impactful within the folkloric and mythic history of Britain and Wales.    I fully believe that anyone with a passion for Welsh Celtic lore who is looking to begin on a Mystery Path of any sort would find it useful to read this book of medieval poetry.

Number 8: The Ninefold Way of Avalon by Jhenah Telyndru

~The newest book by the founder of the Sisterhood of Avalon is the most comprehensive book about being a Priestess in Avalonian tradition, and the nine different paths one could take, which I have yet to read.    It is an excellent read for those who are looking to immensely deepen their Spiritual Path, especially if their path is of an Avalonian nature.   I would recommend reading this one after reading her first two books about the Sisterhood of Avalon Tradition, Avalon Within, and The Mythic Moons of Avalon, as that will give you the best understanding of this particular Avalonian Path!    That being said, I chose to rank this book because it really builds upon the first two, and I found it a very intensely magickal reading experience with tons of food for thought.

Number 7: Grail Alchemy by Mara Freeman

~Freeman runs her own Avalonian Mystery Tradition, and this book gives so much in the way of great knowledge and meditation techniques that combine Alchemy and Sovereignty in Avalonian tradition.   This one is an utterly fascinating read that can help deepen the Spiritual Seeker’s path profoundly, once they have a good baseline of knowledge in Welsh Celtic lore.  

Number 6: Vita Merlini by Geoffrey of Monmouth

~Anyone who is walking the Path of Avalon, or any Welsh Celtic Spiritual Path, will find this a useful read.   I reference this poem’s section on Avalon regularly, as it is the first literary reference we have to Morgana and her Ninefold Sisterhood!

Number 5: The White Goddess by Robert Graves 

~This one is possibly the most controversial title on this list, as it is often derided by scholars as being pseudo-historical in its approach to the mythic motifs it is studying.   However, I find this book has a ton of merit because Robert Graves was essentially giving readers a deep view of his own spiritual practice as it worked for him.   He even referred to the book as ‘A Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth’ showing that he perceived his work as a poetic analysis more than as a comparative religious text.   After all, he was a poet first and foremost.   If we read this as a beautifully poetic analysis of myth as utilized by one man in order to find things that may be of use to our personal practice, it is definitely a must-read!

Number 4: Flower Face: A Devotional in Honor of Blodeuwedd edited by Jhenah Telyndru

~I adore this collection of devotional material to Blodeuwedd that was published by Ninth Wave Press and edited by Jhenah Telyndru.   There is so much love in each entry, and it definitely helps the reader better understand this magnificent Goddess!

Number 3: The Sea Priestess by Dion Fortune

~I could not make this list without placing a title by one of my favorite 20th-century occultists on here!   I believe that The Sea Priestess was Dion Fortune’s masterpiece of occult fiction.   I love reading her fictional telling of a woman who is the reincarnation of Morgan le Fay, as well as how Fortune weaved the plot with actual magickal practices disguised in order to not arouse the suspicion of the public that did not accept this kind of metaphysical work!    I have a lot of respect for these early and mid-20th century occult fiction books as publishing them was a really courageous act where they hid knowledge in plain sight, very much earning the title of occult (which literally translates into English as ‘hidden knowledge’).    

Number 2: The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

~The novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley is one of the most iconic novels written in the last fifty years.   When we read this novel, we must separate the gorgeous content of this re-imagining of the Arthurian legends from the female perspective from the atrocities done by the author of the book.    I like to think of this book as being written by Divine Inspiration, where Bradley was only a conduit for the word of the Goddess.   I heard this opinion months ago, and it stuck with me, as it never made sense that a story this powerful would have simply been written by a fantasy author.   Beyond that, looking at the author as merely a conduit for the story to be told, makes it easier to separate her horrific acts from the beauty of her artwork!    Anyone who is called to be a devotee of Morgan le Fay as their Matron Goddess will find this one of the ultimate must-read books!

Number 1: The Mabinogion translated by Sioned Davies

~My number one just had to be the original collection of Welsh Celtic tales upon which much of the study of Welsh mythology is based.    If you desire to walk a Welsh Celtic Spiritual Path and only want to read one singular book, I would recommend that book be The Mabinogion, as it will give you the solid basis to form your practice around the original lore!   This is the ideal place to begin your steps into amassing knowledge of Welsh mythology and of Avalon.

~I hope that you have enjoyed this countdown.   Are you interested in Welsh Mystery Traditions?   Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is the audiobook cover for my preferred translation of The Mabinogion.   I found this image on https://www.amazon.com/The-Mabinogion-audiobook/dp/B07FK7T66F.

Tarot Note: I have a page offering tarot and oracle readings for those interested in these services!    I am very happy to be offering these readings to my treasured readers at White Rose of Avalon!  Link to page: https://whiteroseofavalon.life/tarot-and-oracle-readings/