Graduate Certificate in Celtic Mythology
Ancient Stories, Living Psyche: A Journey into the Celtic Imagination and Its Insights for Today
with bestselling author and psychologist Sharon Blackie, MA, PhD, FRSA

Although many of the mythical beings in Celtic traditions – The Morrigan, Brigit, Lugh, Fionn Mac Cumhaill, the Tuatha Dé Danann and the fairy-folk – have long loomed large in the world’s imagination, the rich and complex context from which they spring is poorly known and often misunderstood. This Graduate Certificate in Celtic Mythology will provide an extensive and up-to-date introduction to the mythology and folk traditions of the ‘insular Celts’ – the inhabitants of the British Isles and Ireland. We’ll explore their relevance both to our lives today and to the practice of Depth Psychology.

We’ll delve into the most instructive and inspirational Irish and Welsh myths and their key actors, motifs and themes, and in the process we’ll examine the role of women, animals, kings and heroes, the land and the environment – and, most important of all, the pervasive influence of the Otherworld. We’ll consider the influence that the arrival of Christianity had on Celtic mythology, the relationship between the bards and the monks, and the ways in which the pagan and Christian religions intersected. In exploring the fundamental belief systems which underlie key threads of the Celtic tradition, we’ll also challenge some contemporary assumptions about what the Grail represents.

This program will be suitable both for clinicians and researchers who are interested in finding new mythological systems to draw on, and for individuals who are interested in deepening their knowledge of and personal work within the Celtic traditions.

What you will receive:

• 8 Live Interactive Webinars (via Zoom) with Q&A (listed in Pacific time)
• 8 Pre-Recorded Learning Sessions
• A Private, online Discussion Forum
• Recommended Readings and Resources
• A Graduate Certificate in Celtic Mythology
• 8 CECs

 

This course is ideal if you: 

• You’re a student or practitioner of depth psychology, psychoanalysis with an interest in deepening your mythic literacy and finding new mythological systems to draw on
• You’re a writer or artist or who’s interested in learning new ways to introduce myth into your work
• You’re a lover of myth who would like to deepen your understanding of Celtic mythology
• You have Celtic ancestry and would like to better understand your mythic and spiritual traditions
• You’re interested in exploring and understanding the role of women in Celtic mythology

No previous knowledge or qualifications will be required to register.

Individual Session Descriptions

Module One: Mapping the territory

We’ll begin this program by working through the origins and contexts of Celtic mythology: who were the Celts, and what are the original sources of the stories and ideas we’ll be studying? We’ll explore the unique and fascinating intersection of pagan religious and Christian traditions which underlie these myths and stories, and which inform the nature of their beliefs and spiritual practice. Finally, we’ll take a look at gender in the Celtic world, and the role of women in it.

Live Zoom Session: Wednesday, February 11, 2026 – 8:00 – 9:30 AM Pacific Time

 

Module Two: The Celtic Immortals

In this class, we’ll examine what we know about the deities and other inhabitants of the Celtic Otherworld, and compare and contrast them to other mythic systems and pantheons – especially Classical Greek traditions. We’ll analyse the archetypal energies that are represented by these immortals, and explore key concepts in Celtic myth such as Sovereignty and hospitality.

Live Zoom Session: Wednesday, March 11, 2026 – 8:00 – 9:30 AM Pacific Time

 

Module Three: The Nature of the Otherworld

In this third Module, we’ll take a deep dive into the complex nature of the Celtic Otherworld. We’ll consider the archetypical Journey to the Otherworld – and stories about those journeys, such as the immrama and echtraí – and contrast it with the Descent to the Underworld. Along the way, we’ll explore Celtic beliefs about the afterlife.

Live Zoom Session: Wednesday, April 8, 2026 – 8:00 – 9:30 AM Pacific Time

 

Module Four: Primary Texts Part 1

We’ll begin our survey of key texts, stories and sagas with a tour through the Irish Mythological Cycle and the Ulster Cycle. Among the stories we’ll discover is the beautiful old story of ‘The Wooing of Étain’, and we’ll consider the nature of the heroic in Celtic myth, as illustrated in the sagas of Cúchulainn.

Live Zoom Session: Wednesday, May 6, 2026 – 8:00 – 9:30 AM Pacific Time

 

Module Five: Primary Texts Part 2

We’ll continue our exploration of key texts, stories and sagas with the Irish Fenian Cycle and the Cycles of the Kings. We’ll discover the strange tales of the shaman-like hunter-warrior Fionn Mac Cumhaill; we’ll then examine the archetypes of the Wild Man and Wild Woman, the notion of divine madness and the concept of shapeshifting, in the stories of Mis and Suibhne Geilt (‘Mad Sweeney’).

Live Zoom Session: Wednesday, June 17, 2026 – 8:00 – 9:30 AM Pacific Time

 

Module Six: Primary Texts Part 3

We’ll move across the sea to Wales to finish up our analysis of key texts and stories in Celtic mythology, and work our way through the Four Branches of the Mabinogion. We’ll focus in particular on the heroines of this magical old collection of tales: Rhiannon, Branwen, Arianrhod and Blodeuwedd.

Live Zoom Session: Wednesday, July 15, 2026 – 8:00 – 9:30 AM Pacific Time

 

Module Seven: Celtic origins of the Arthurian and Grail traditions

‘The Matter of Britain’ – the vast and complex body of stories about King Arthur – and the quest for the Grail are central to the Celtic mythical tradition that exists in Britain. In this class, we’ll delve into the early origins of the Grail legend in early medieval Ireland and Britain. In the context of what we’ve learned about the fundamental belief systems which underlie Celtic mythology, we’ll challenge some contemporary assumptions about what the Grail represents.

Live Zoom Session: Wednesday, August 12, 2026 – 8:00 – 9:30 AM Pacific Time

 

Module Eight: The Ritual Year and Celtic folk traditions

In this final class, we’ll study the ritual year and folk beliefs about plants, trees and animals. We’ll finish with a review of what we know about the spiritual and religious practices of early inhabitants of Britain and Ireland, and consider whether they might be comparable to the belief systems of other indigenous cultures around the world.

Live Zoom Session: Wednesday, September 9, 2026 – 8:00 – 9:30 AM Pacific Time

 

Career Competencies:

• Integrate Mythic Frameworks into Clinical and Educational Practice
  Apply insights from Celtic mythology to enrich therapeutic, educational, and community-based work, using mythic narratives to deepen empathy, symbolic understanding, and meaning-making.

 

• Interpret Archetypal and Symbolic Motifs in Client Material
  Identify recurring archetypes, mythic patterns, and motifs from Celtic traditions that may appear in dreams, fantasies, stories, or creative expressions, and use these to support client individuation and self-awareness.

 

 

• Demonstrate Cross-Cultural and Historical Literacy
  Articulate the historical, cultural, and religious contexts of Celtic mythology—including intersections with Christianity—and apply this awareness to culturally informed depth psychological and academic work.

 

• Employ Depth Psychological Perspectives in Mythic Analysis
  Utilize Jungian and post-Jungian frameworks to analyze Celtic myths, understanding their psychological resonance and relevance to the contemporary psyche and collective imagination.

 

• Facilitate Symbolic and Imaginative Processes
  Incorporate Celtic symbols, myths, and archetypal figures into personal and professional practices that foster creativity, resilience, and connection to psyche and the natural world.

 

• Engage in Scholarly and Reflective Inquiry
  Conduct informed research or creative projects that contribute to the study of mythology, folklore, and depth psychology, demonstrating the ability to synthesize mythic, cultural, and psychological perspectives.

 

• Cultivate a Depth-Oriented Ethical Sensibility
  Demonstrate sensitivity and respect when engaging with indigenous and pre-Christian traditions, ensuring mythic material is used ethically and without cultural appropriation.

 

CE Learning Objectives

• Describe the historical and cultural origins of Celtic mythology and identify primary sources that inform its myths, stories, and spiritual practices.
• Analyze the intersection of pre-Christian and Christian belief systems in Celtic myth and discuss their implications for understanding symbolic and archetypal material in clinical and cultural contexts.
• Identify and compare major deities and mythic figures of the Celtic Otherworld with parallel archetypes in other traditions, including the Classical pantheon.
• Explain the archetypal meaning of Sovereignty, hospitality, and journeying to the Otherworld, and apply these mythic structures to processes of psychological transformation.
• Interpret key Irish and Welsh mythological texts—including stories from the Mythological, Ulster, Fenian, and Mabinogion cycles—and analyze their relevance to depth psychological concepts such as the heroic, the feminine, and the wild psyche.
• Evaluate archetypal themes of shapeshifting, divine madness, and individuation as they appear in Celtic myths, and explore their parallels in therapeutic work with transformation and liminality.
• Assess the Celtic origins and symbolic meanings of the Arthurian and Grail traditions, and discuss their relevance to modern understandings of the quest for self-knowledge and healing.
• Describe the Celtic ritual year, seasonal festivals, and folk practices related to plants, trees, and animals, and compare these traditions with other indigenous worldviews that emphasize reciprocity between psyche and nature.

 

By the End of This Course You Will:

• Acquire an understanding of the origins and scope of the field of Celtic mythology
• Become familiar with key texts, myths and sagas within the Celtic traditions of Britain and Ireland
• Understand the differences between Celtic mythology and other European traditions, such as Greek mythology
• Become familiar with key gods, goddesses and other key characters in Celtic Mythology, and understand their archetypal nature
• Understand the nature of the Otherworld and its importance in Celtic myth and folklore
• Develop the confidence to accurately and authentically use ideas from Celtic myth in depth psychology

 

SCHEDULE FOR LIVE ONLINE LEARNING SESSIONS

Module #1 Zoom Session – February 11, 2026 – 8:00 – 9:30 AM Pacific Time

Module #2 Zoom Session – March 11, 2026 – 8:00 – 9:30 AM Pacific Time

Module #3 Zoom Session – April 8, 2026 – 8:00 – 9:30 AM Pacific Time

Module #4 Zoom Session – May 6, 2026 – 8:00 – 9:30 AM Pacific Time

Module #5 Zoom Session – June 17, 2026 – 8:00 – 9:30 AM Pacific Time

Module #6 Zoom Session – July 15, 2026 – 8:00 – 9:30 AM Pacific Time

Module #7 Zoom Session – August 12, 2026 – 8:00 – 9:30 AM Pacific Time

Module #8 Zoom Session – September 9, 2026 – 8:00 – 9:30 AM Pacific Time

 

**There is no Required Reading for this program**

Recommended reading

Mark Williams, Ireland’s Immortals. Princeton University Press (2018)

Jeffrey Gantz, Early Irish Sagas and Myths. Penguin (1981)

Sioned Davies, The Mabinogion. Oxford University Press (2008)

James MacKillop, A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. Oxford University Press (2016)

Miranda Green, Celtic Goddesses: Warriors, Virgins and Mothers. George Braziller (1996)

Sharon Blackie, If Women Rose Rooted. September (2016)