Following Celtic Ways

Singing Harps Gathering - Dublin

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:09:28 PST

Are you in or near Dublin
on Saturday afternoon and/or evening?

Singer harpists, Claire Roche and Madeleine Doherty,
who perform as "Singing Harps" are serving a concert
during the opening day of Woodford Sanctuary

Woodford Sanctuary is a wonderful arts and healing centre conceived by Claire Roche from converted stables
where she ran a livery service 30 years ago

Woodford Sanctuary now has a beautiful acoustic
performance room, healing rooms, sanctuary garden
and media studios for recording and online broadcasting

Concert starts at 7:30 pm on Saturday November 7th
but please come earlier for drinks and snacks reception
or come along any time after noon to share a tour with
Claire during this Woodford Open Day.

Woodford is near Blackrock, 5 mins walk from
the Booterstown Dart rail station south of Dublin.

details with Google map are at
http://www.claireroche.com/shows
providing contact details, booking and how to get there.

Celtic Dreamtime Samhain 2009

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:14:13 PST

This passing of celtic year with Celtic Ways and Claire Roche

First, these images on the right were taken at Loughcrew Cairn T during Solar Samhain Sunrise 5 years ago

Usually we have a wonderful traditional Halloween and Samhain gathering in Co. Sligo, but as much as we have tried its not going to happen is such a public way as during other years.

A lot of this is due to larger event in Dublin on November 7^th, the Cross Quarter Solar Samhain Day, and more about this later.

The rain of the past two days has waterlogged our labyrinth garden, so that may well not be in use for October 31^st, though the forecast for all of Ireland is for a lovely day and evening then, as well as a turning point from this very warm weather lately to traditional cooler days.

Our Thatch Cottage is lovely and cosy though, with the traditional living room remaining a contemplation sanctuary.

Cross the veil into a Celtic Dreamtime Pass

Next Saturday, November 7^th, cross quarter day and Solar Samhain Day, will truly be a passing into a new year for Claire Roche and myself.

Claire is presenting an Open Day of her new Woodford Sanctuary which were once stables where Claire ran a livery service during her younger years. This Open Day starts at lunch time and also features an evening concert of the Singing Harps, which is Claire and Madeleine Doherty.

Details are here and

you can book online here

On November 7^th Claire and I will also launch our new Celtic Dreamtime Pass that provides members with an extensive package of monthly free music and other audio downloads, publications and discounted services when you come to join us in Ireland and use our retreats and services in Co. Sligo and Dublin. The idea is for our friends to enjoy and experience Celtic Dreamtime while they budget and plan their first or next visit to Ireland.

The Celtic Dreamtime Pass will be an inexpensive yet inspiring, passionate and loving way to be in sacred and dreamtime Ireland while you are unable to be on its soils, though I am sure we will have Irish people in Ireland join us too.

Enjoying the traditions of Samhain and Halloween

Allow me to link to past blog articles on this wonderful time that are so current to now.

A Ceremony For Samhain

an articles largely about apples and labyrinth at Samhain

Christian Halloween Fears

This was a popular read when first published it with several Christian folks telling me how it made them feel much more at ease during this time.

Before Trick Or Treat

Here I introduce some ancient traditions of Samhain and Halloween and how they evolved into the “trick or treat” custom that most of us are now familiar with.

Kindling The Celtic Spirit

Some more ideas of things to do and create during Halloween and Samhain.

Flame Of Tlachtga

An insight into the remarkable Samhain legend of Tlachtga, the forgotten goddess of ancient Ireland.

Tlachtga

More detailed info on the “forgotten goddess.

Haunted Ireland

Just as the title says.

Dear Ancestor

My first ever blog post, 5 years ago, based on a delightful anonymous poem.

Supporting Your Farmer's Market and more ....

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 07:43:23 PDT

A forgotten habit of the past?

Today I was reminded of the Saturday morning ritual, as a child, of being dragged off to do the week’s shopping. It was something I did not like at all until it was all over and we went into the cafe to have some late breakfast or early lunch.

Each Saturday morning, when I do not have a group to guide, has become a habit of setting of for Boyle, our nearest town, for the Farmer’s Market in front of King House, a heritage landmark of Boyle and a lovely safe place to hold a farmer’s market.

My old habit, was like many of us now, off to the big town and the big supermarkets. Shopping is a conveyor belt habit with the intent of getting the lowest prices and the fastest time and barely a glance at the other people shopping and the staff at check out.

Somehow, I now hope I never do that again

It does mean I now spend a bit more money on my groceries, or maybe not, as I find I am portion controlling to keep within my food budget so maybe I am not on healthier food and healthier portions.

Social Shopping

First, the farmer’s market does have the best food with its organic produce, fresh fish, hand made cheeses, and straight out of the oven baking, plus a load of plants to assist home growing too.

Regular visiting also becomes entertainment both with the familiarity with the stallholders and the exchange with the same weekly shoppers who have re-discovered how this old habit of Saturday shopping is actually quite wholesome.

and then there’s the other shopping

Its unlikely that all of our consumer shopping needs can be satisfied through a farmer’s market shop, but Boyle is a lovely small town, one that can be walked around with ease.

Its supermarket is a Super Valu branch, a unique supermarket idea as the supermarkets are franchised and not a chain, and are somewhere between a convenience store and a large hyper-supermarket. The best part is that Super Valu is a creative and organic enlargement of the former town grocery shops. The owners and staff are usually local families so they are quite community too. I often find myself in conversations with people there. For a stranger it must be a mystery how so many aisles can be filled with so many trolley pushers at a standstill having wee little ceilis.

A future for the little shops?

Modern shopping is many countries has taken trade away from small shopkeepers who just cannot compete with pricing and convenience. A supermarket shopping experience probably takes a fifth of the time of going to small shops. However, how many of us go to the supermarket more than once a week? Its seems the craft of planning and budgeting for a weekly shopping experience is largely lost, even with people in remote country places who now seem to think nothing of taking their 4 x 4 into town 3 or 4 times a week to get a few things.

My suggestion coming up is hard for the many people who’s working lives have now been put onto shift work and often inclusive of Saturday morning, but if your lifestyle has a Saturday morning free, do consider using this for what could become a very important revitalising time of your week.

Boyle is a town where the small shops have been closing and it fast became a town of boarded up shops, but Boyle is a pretty small Irish country town. It has a convenient rail station and good bus service. Some enterprising people are coming up with great ideas. Store rents are currently very low and people are moving in with arts-crafts-eco-mind-body-spirit type enterprises. I can see Boyle going the route of Glastonbury over the next 10 years as it is convenient to several incredible ancient sacred and heritage sites.

a lifestyle

I arrive in Boyle on Saturday morning at around 10:00 am and take about 2 to 3 hours to completely savour the experience of shopping there. My goal is to get all I need for the week ahead.

Farmer’s market, Super Valu, little shops for personals and gifts for upcoming events. I especially like the new Greenway Emporium of eco products near the river and Stone House cafe. Finally, its put everything in the van and off to a local cafe, and Boyle does a few lovely little relaxing nooks like the Stone House and King House Cafe, and the Italian cafe by Super Valu has great coffee.

Then arriving home, empty the bags. Maybe its often the same things each week, but there is always that thrill of all these goodies, exploring what they are, sometimes taking tastes, and putting them away. It is truly a moment of reflection and thanksgiving to be able to replenish our “cauldrons” with a momentary thought and prayer for those who cannot be as fortunate.

Saturday morning shopping, now such a different experience to heading off to Tesco and Lidl. Instead a wholesome experience of a past "ritual" that I had forgotten, that includes social stimulation, senses stimulation, a sense of wonder, and certainly a huge personal contribution to eco living.

If you can, and don’t do this, try it :-)

What Is Spiritual Direction?

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:31:42 PDT

Answering your questions …

As I have been posting several Twitter and Facebook announcements about Claire Roche and myself presenting a workshop and performance at Spiritual Directors International Conference in Dublin, this has attracted several questions.

Most answers are on the SDI website at

http://sdiworld.org/

so I would like to use their information plus some of my interpretation to provide convenience of an introduction here

Throughout human history many, many people have experienced a “calling” to accompany others seeking the “mystery” we name God, Goddess, great spirit, and several other interpreted names.

This exploration of the “mystery”, that I call “great spirit” as this does not align to a gender, has a powerful way of bringing people together, people who wish to be instructed, discover, learn and develop wisdom of how to live in best co-operation with this “great spirit”.

The goal and activity of Spiritual Directors International is to provide tools for developing a world community for both spiritual directors and those seeking spiritual direction regardless of organisation, religion, faith and traditions. Of course this is motivated by the world access to the internet.

This ministry of spiritual direction continually grows strong by our learning and supporting of one another. Indeed, SDI may well be one of several online communities with the same intent. Over time I am sure these networks will flow with each other.

Spiritual Direction is not …

counselling, therapy, or advice, especially advice in personal management like finances.

Spiritual directors offer a range of guidance situations from private one-to-one sessions to group experiences

Spiritual directors also come to their ministry of spiritual direction from different directions that varies from years of structured training and qualifications to an organic build up of life guiding experience over many years. It is always up to the seeker to choose a spiritual director who has the training and/or experience that suits personal needs.

During Spiritual Direction people are usually very open with revealing and discussing personal and relationship matters, and even financial matters but a spiritual director can never be an advisor or psychotherapist, though some psychotherapists are also trained as Spiritual Directors yet still keep the two services different. Any financial suggestions that may appear to come from a Spiritual Director is purely that of a friend and not advisor so matters like that are purely final choices of the guided person

Places of Spiritual Direction …

I would define these places as a place you feel comfortable and a place you may feel sanctuary.

Spiritual Directors usually have a space or room for this, but often rooms in churches and open places in nature are perfect.

Spiritual Direction, to me, is about spiritual accompaniment that involves sharing of spontaneous experiences, contemplation and maybe a little education, and listening, often with silence.

An intent, if there is one, is to accompany people to places of sanctuary where they may be able to be connected and inspired by the greater spirit.

With our Celtic Dreamtime Escape retreat a sanctuary we offer is our labyrinth inner circle, but if weather is hostile our traditional thatched cottage living room serves well too. Some folks find sanctuary within the local ancient passage cairns of Carrowkeel too.

To allow sanctuary inspiration to flow we have a modern digital version of a scriptorium studio where inspired people may write, publish and broadcast online while their inspiration is fresh and present. This latter service we serve is perhaps not Spiritual Direction but a useful set of tools.

To find or be a Spiritual Director and join the network …

http://sdiworld.org/

For our retreat brochure

http://www.celticways.com/pdf/retreat2.pdf

The DNA Mystery & Mythology

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 03:53:34 PDT

Most of our travellers here have a single question

That is, “am I connected to Ireland?”

More and more people are taking private DNA tests to find out.

DNA evidence is regarded as solid proven science so faiths around the world have jumped on this technology to see if they can establish DNA foundation to their holy books and faith.

The Mormons seem to have suffered the worse knocking when other Christian motivated representatives presented them with research results that indicated all native American DNA has an origin from eastern Asia and, to them, verifying that all ancient peoples of all of the Americas, before the arrival of white man, came across the Bering Land Bridge between Siberia and Alaska.

Here’s a video presentation, its quite long.

What DNA did land in the Americas

The Mormons have a faith that talks of Native Americans having an origin with an Israal tribe and this video aims to present that this is 100% not possible and presents some Mormons now confused about how to continue their faith.

My first reaction was to consider the seafaring skills of the Polynesians. Surely they would have settled on the shores of the Americas, so where do they come from. Polynesians have really baffled DNA researchers as there is not a defined thread of DNA through their peoples, as their seems to be through native Americans. However, today, when we look at some native American races in the North some like the Navajo and Sioux look so much like people from Tonga, Fiji etc while Apache, Cheyenne, Arapaho and more look as if they have arrived straight from Mongolia. The researchers of Polynesian DNA seem to trace them largely to south and south west Asia, but still with several variations.

One interesting report I have seen is from National Geographic that claims 95% of native American DNA can be traced back to six mothers who lived in Beringia, a sunken land bridge between Alaska and Siberia, 20,000 years ago.

The Haplogroup X (mtDNA) mystery

Partially possibly motivated by the Mormon desire to recover their faith, DNA research has developed considerably since the research that founded the video above. The Haplogroup X Project started up in 2006, but I do not know where, though I suspect from Brigham Young University in Utah.

First discovery was of the gene being in 3% of Native Americans with the biggest concentrations being among the Navajo and Sioux as well as being present among native Americans of North East Americas.

Another concentration of Haplogroup X DNA is among the Yanomami tribe of Brazil and Venezuela rain forests.

The other largest concentrations of the Haplogroup X DNA have been on Orkney Isles in Scotland (7% of the population), Georgia (8%) and among the Druze community of Israel (26%). I would love to know these results when compared to DNA of ancient skeletons.

However, this result is not all roses for the Mormon mythology yet as there is also a large concentration of Haplogroup X DNA in Asia, in Altai, wedged between Russia and Mongolia. However, I am sure Mormons are also currently pleased to know that the Haplogroup X DNA is barely present among current Chinese, Mongolian and eastern Russian people. This may cross out the chances of this DNA arriving across the Baring Bridge. However, this DNA did arrive in the Americas somehow before white people came.

There is also a concentration of the Haplogroup X DNA across North Africa.

The Halogroup X research results, so far, has been enough to fuel three agendas

Mormons are now relieved to say the Haplogroup X in North America could be the result of descendants of Lehi and Sariah as mentioned in the Book of Mormon.

Atlantean mystics are now proclaiming this DNA came from the people of Atlantis

Anthropologists are busily trying to link this DNA to our descent from Neanderthal man

It also helps me in my Celtic and Erin mythology storytelling that tells of a people who came from by the red sea, settled by the Black Sea, came to Ireland, fled to around Inner Hebrides, Orkneys and Baltic Seas, some to Greenland, some to the Caribbean, and then some returned to Ireland again.

This DNA also connects to the people who are said to have come from North Africa, through Spain to Ireland. Different DNA research has also confirmed that pathway.

This independent sites provides some links and downloadable report

I think we will be hearing and reading a lot more about Haplogroup X (mtDNA) over future years as various faiths and various mythologies are looking to this as being their remaining hope for sustaining their foundations.

Is the Book Of Kells boring?

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 07:49:49 PDT

Some folks sharing their feelings about Ireland touring think so

I join in the Ireland travel forum on Frommers social site. This morning I read comments of how the Book Of Kells is over-rated and even a waste of time to visit.

I would be the last person to say the Book Of Kells is over-rated, but I was once a stone mason on Iona for several years.

I can understand these “waste of time” comments, though. To just pop into Trinity College and line up and pay to see The Book Of Kells and Book of Durrow under a glass case does seem to be fairly meaningless the majority of people. It is because these folks are unable to grasp how the books got into the Trinity College library and many are unlikely to have done anything or been anywhere that has fired passion to be interested. For me, I am thrilled these ancient books are in Trinity College Library for all to see specimen pages of.

For most people, visiting Trinity College, the little O'Brien harp in the library, nicknamed the Brian Boru Harp, is much more interesting.

Its all in the Story

I have guided Columcille themed tours and pilgrimages. These usually start at his birthplace in Gartan, Co. Donegal then visited places of his life.

Derry is usually next stop , where Columcille’s first monastic community was founded. Then its off to the legendary and beautiful Glencolumcille SW Donegal. Next is below Ben Bulben mountain in Co. Sligo where the Battle of The Books took place. Nearby is Drumcliff where Columba monks, long after his death, returned to create a peace monastery as an apology for the battle. Where Yeats is buried today is within this monastic land.

If possible, its off on a boat trip to to Inishmurray Island where Columcille fled for forgiveness after the battle, then back on the mainland its off to sites of Co. Sligo where Columcille wandered and explored the monastic settlements in preparation for his own,

Off east to Donard in Co. Meath where Columcille took time out from his “formal” monastic studies to study with a bard, Gemmen, as he wanted to found faith based on songs and poetry before returning to studies at Donard.

Then its off to near Tullaghmore to Durrow Abbey and well, site of another story that created the Battle of The Books,

Tara Hill follows this where Columcille was in trial that sent him to Iona, a trial that caused the cursing of Tara Hill and the stopping of the Feis of Harps and Bards there.

Then its off on the way to the ferry to Scotland with a stop near Strangford Lough, to the remains of Mohill Abbey, where Columcille was alleged to have copied a book of psalms that created the first copyright law case at Tara.

In Scotland we go north into Argyll, cross the Isle Of Mull, and stay on Iona a few days. Iona is well known as where Columcille/Columba founded Christianity in Ireland and a kind of franchise of Monastic settlements in Scotland, Ireland, north of England and some places in Europe.

Returning across the Isle of Mull we visit Tiroran, the well of Oran, of the legendary druid chieftain of Iona that was "converted" to Christianity by Columcille and had himself buried alive, then miraculously appears back in story as founding a sanctuary on a beautiful part of the Isle of Mull.

Back onto the Argyll mainland, to Kilmartin, and court of Dunnadd where Columcille ordained Aiden, first Gael King of Scotland, who sat upon the Lia Fail. This stone was said to be given to Columcille to take to Scotland on his mission, which later became known as the Stone Of Scone, but we usually do not have time to visit this in Edinburgh.

Back to Ireland, we take a trip to Kells to visit the scriptorium, which is still there, where the Book Of Kells, started Iona was completed. Sadly, the visitor's centre there in Kells has closed due to lack of funds but they had an accessible copy of the Book Of Kells.

Then as we returned to Dublin we visit Skreen where Columcille's artifacts kept after his death and the Book Of Kells found their last known safe resting place.

After all that, you may understand how the Book of Kells can become a passion and a "must see".

The Book of Kells, along with the Book Of Durrow, become a symbol of all of those stories we pick up on tour and in pilgrimage. Our travellers build up feelings and passions of why and how they were created and how they arrived in Dublin at Trinity.

This is when a visit to the Book Of Kells in Trinity College becomes a very special visit.

Can a story create a vacation?

These days few visitors to Ireland, particularly from the USA, are willing to budget for a 14 to 21 day pilgrimage tour that this involves.

Lately, I have been facing a lot of challenges from inquirers wanting to cover in 5 to 7 days what visitors stretched over 14 to 21 days a few years ago.

There is nothing wrong with a 3, 5 or 7 day vacation, but a different vision of how to use these days to the full in Ireland I feel has to be worked out, otherwise its not just the Book Of Kells that can seem boring.

I feel a vacation should be a fantasy, and that fantasy is not a luxury but is as essential as sleeping. In ancient hunter gatherer days, and in ancient farming days, the people arranged their lives to get what they need through a few days then take a few days off. Most tribes were clever enough to be where food was plentiful and shelter was easy. They took more days off than worked.

Today we seem to have drifted into a lifestyle where people work two or three jobs taking up almost all of their waking time, and sleeping time becomes less and less.

Our heart and story is drained from us and the worst of this is the emptiness, depression, addiction, and dark interpretations of living that take over when our story is lost.

The worst is that when beauty is in front of us we risk not seeing it, feeling it, touching it, smelling it, and we have lost our fantasy relationship and our heart relationship to fit the beauty into our story. We simply say “it’s boring”, “couldn’t see anything in that”, “waste of time”, etc.

Our “Waste Of Time”

“Waste of time” is a phrase I am hearing more and more of from our visitors to Ireland. Fortunately, this is not from the people I have been guiding. Often this is from folks who cancelled my services to save money, still go to the places I suggest for an itinerary, and wonder what the “fuss” is about.

I have had folks climb to our local Carrowkeel Cairns and email me later saying, “well that was a waste of time, not much up there, piles of stones, bit of a view maybe, wish we had been doing something else” – which often means travelling more tarmac to get back to the next “waste of time”.

However, when folks join us on our day of climbing Carrowkeel cairns, hear some stories, shown why and how they were constructed, why they are there, and then guided in and out of them, followed by lunch in our traditional cottage followed by our labyrinth walk then Claire with songs and harp …… we then get emails back saying it was “their best day in Ireland”. Why?

Ireland has endless ancient sites to visit, loads of restored traditional cottages, several labyrinths and several harpists, singers and traditional music people. Why can a visit to us stand out? One word – “story”

If folks in Ireland visit places without a story to stir their passion, “boring” and “waste of time” becomes quite verbal.

One group I took to Hennigan’s Heritage in Co. Mayo arrived early and Tom Hennigan was busy attending to a business. As we waited in his preserved family cottage the group got restless with comments like, “why are we here, looks like a pile of junk we could see anywhere, looks like a waste of time John” and even, “can we leave and go to somewhere more interesting?”.

Ten minutes later, Tom appeared with his usual warm welcome along with a surprise of something even more welcoming, (use your imagination), and went into his stories of his collection. After two hours finishing with a cup of tea and home made scones I could not prise these people away from Hennigan’s Heritage !!!

What folks take home from Ireland

Many folks come to me with a list

Cliffs of Moher
Bunratty Castle
Rock of Cashel
Kinsale
Blarney Stone
Guinness Brewery Tour etc

What do they take home?

Glowing memories of

sean nos singer Sean O’Daly who also bought them a pint
the kindness of the children at Ballaghboy Lodge farm who helped their mother serve dinner
the breaking surf and songs of seabirds along the empty Mayo beach, name forgotten
the baby foxes playing on the dirt track to Deerpark court cairn
the antics of the cattle in the road being driven to another field
that delicious home made ice cream at Old head harbour
and I must add the warmth and love from Claire’s songs and harp too.

and very few memories of the “must see and do” places listed before arrival,

which were a “waste of time” and “boring”anyway :-)

I strongly feel story and time to enjoy it are the ingredients for a beautiful Ireland vacation rather than working through a list of places to go and stressing over a schedule to accomplish this.

Click here to talk to us about having a story fantasy time in Ireland.

Focus or Multitask Your Vacation?

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:36:28 PDT

or would you like to see or experience Ireland?

How would you like to have the best vacation in Ireland?

A group I have just said farewell to have given me the warm impression that they had the most wonderful vacation, a total Ireland experience, just from 4 nights in the same location, our local Ballaghboy Lodge

Regular readers to my blog may be aware of changes I have made this year to our Ireland vacation services to encourage visitors to travel less and see more.

This year, many inquirers seem to be arriving in Ireland on shorter vacations but are asking to do more. A requested itinerary for 6 days is often what folks used to ask for over 10 days.

When I suggest 4 or 5 nights in Co. Sligo the response is often “Is there that much to see and do in Co. Sligo?”

The Multitasking Vacation

I see this style of vacation is where the traveller arrives in Ireland with a list of things to see and do that the traveller defines as “must see and do” sites to see. Top of this list is usually Cliffs of Moher, Bunratty Castle, Blarney Stone, Kinsale, Rock Of Cashel, Killarney Castle.

Overall this list is of places to go to and it seems to rarely includes a list of what to experience in Ireland. So, such a list is really a list of “must sees” with very few “must dos”.

This kind of vacation involves the booking of several accommodation stops, arranging car hire and/or transport, and maybe book and activity or two. Add to this the arrangement of obtaining maps, maybe a gps/sat-nav unit, maybe suggested route guide books, and making sure you have enough saving and credit to pay for it all.

The pre-arrangement of this kind of vacation can be quite exhausting. I do believe that when these folks arrive in Ireland their exhaustion is not mainly from jet lag or missing a night’s sleep from an overnighter flight but from the effects of pre-arrangement stress.

I have read recently, somewhere, that multitasking is our greatest cause of stress yet our multitasking level of expertise has become a status symbol that many have set goals to improve.

A few articles touching on this

http://knowledge.emory.edu/article.cfm?articleid=809
http://bit.ly/CODDP
http://noonien.wordpress.com/2009/08/18/multitasking-helpful-or-harmful/

In short, I do not regard this as “vacation” because for most visitors this does not become a restoration time out from multitaking lifestyle routines. How about the joy and upliftment of real vacation?

The Focused Vacation

This is about experience and personal restoration rather than site-seeing, and in the end the visitor has become part of the Irish spirit for a few days.

Where we are in Co. Sligo we offer experiences in the quiet scenic sanctuary of ancient sites such as stone circles and sacred wells, quite dreamlike moments by our pretty and exhilarating shoreline, the sharing of seanachie style stories, songs and harp and traditional music, laughter and blether around turf fire hearths in the evenings, sharing of traditional foods in a traditional home kitchen, and so much more of the Irish ways and traditions.

All this without packing and unpacking your travel bags each day and spending most days on the road getting to places with the odd short stop on the way.

Re-kindling and enjoying your Celtic Dreamtime

Is there enough to do in Co. Sligo for 4 or 5 days?

Well with the group we have just said farewells to we ended up having to debate what to cut out. There’s more than enough to fill two weeks or more of vacation time, just here!

The experiences of the home and hearth here surprise visitors, bringing back memories of family childhoods with parents or great grandparents, and a gratitude to return to those days remembered as happiness, and returning to them in an Irish way.

Then there are the gardens and lands full of sacred groves, and I am proud to include our labyrinth within this.

The hospitality is really here in Ireland and it does not take a round trip around the island to find this, but takes time in one place to truly savour it. The cauldron of plenty is still within every welcoming cottage, in spirit, in warmth, in food or just a “cuppa tay”, and certainly around a hearth to take any chill away.

We are all moved by water, spirits moved by the presence of ponds, lakes, rivers and seashore, and certainly within the surroundings of a sacred well where suddenly clarity, focus and wisdom is gifted to many who visit.

After these things many people tell us that slowed down time here, within our home, surroundings and local sacred sites returns a sense of belonging and a return to roots. There is so much comfort found here from what seems to be the returning to our source and the spiritual refilling of our inner cauldron.

Its is not only sea, green hills, lakes and bubbling waters here but also the enchanting woods and forests blessed with rich flower colours in spring, sweet edible berries during late summer, kaleidescope of leaf colours in fall and oxygen pumping lichen and mosses all year around, along with hidden mysteries from ancient past inviting the sharing of their peace.

So we invite you to share some real Ireland spirit and re-kindle your Celtic Dreamtime if you click here.

Wheesht and Cooryin' in Co. Sligo

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 03:57:00 PDT

Wheesht and Cooryin', words I had almost forgotten

Words from my years on the Isle of Mull in the inner Hebrides that are relevant to what we offer here from Carrowcrory in Co. Sligo

Wheesht

You deserve and need days for quiet relaxation and personal restoring. Take gentle walks or cycle rides onto our mountains of multi-county views and through lakeside landscapes of mythology, tradition, fabled stories, and deep ancestry. Enjoy all this with or without a guide, you choose.

Turn off or leave behind your mobile/cell phone, leave your worries at home, gift yourself some time here and recharge.

We serve the freedom for Celtic Dreamtime, a space to reach through ancestry to creativity and back again to reveal that time and space are not your rulers here. Its wonderful what you can achieve and how you can truly restore when you take a real vacation.

Cooryin’

If you are a writer, composer and musician, or just a fan of all these, you will enjoy this …

Time around our cottage hearth fire or labyrinth garden sacred fire for sharing blethers, stories, songs, music and sometimes dance.

Share and perform your writings and compositions and enjoy, learn and share stories, songs, and harp sharing our mythology of the Morrigan, Maeve, tuatha de dannan, formorians, firbolgs, fianna, Bride, and Brigid

Enjoy Wheesht and Cooryin’ with us through this fall and winter, and next Spring

We offer a comprehensive single payment package that will save you money compared to buying individual items and services

accommodation at eco friendly farmhouse
evening meal, breakfast, lunch (packed, picnic, or hot)
guiding and coaching as required
local transport coverage as required
broadband internet as required

€110 flat rate per person sharing per day for all of the above
€20 per day single non sharing supplement

Discounts for groups of 12 or more

Read more here

Inquire here

How To Have A Worry Free Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 08:20:40 PDT

First a Thank You

To Christine Kane who’s blog posts often inspire me and this post is very close to a recent post she made. I will provide a link at the end.

Downsizing a Booked Vacation into a Real Vacation

I would say I spend more time counselling people into a vacation than actually guiding them through a vacation.

For many people around the world Ireland is seen as a place of magic and an escape into fantasy, that can include catching up with the ol’ ancestors. For some reason this cannot be done without months of “research” and compiling a list of at least 100 things to see and do within seven days.

To quote Christine Kane, “As adults like to think we’re rational beings. And as rational beings, here’s how we think it should go ..” and I’ll put this into the context of vacation requests I receive

Folks inquiring usually have a vision of arriving in Ireland from from North America, Japan, Australia, far away, to do a bit of touring on arrival, have a nice afternoon shower, rest a bit before dinner, then go and meet a few locals at the pub, and have a Guinness in Ireland …

……. so I become the delighted end receiver of itineraries from inquiring potential clients with requests such as

“We arrive in Shannon Airport at 9:00 am and would like to visit the Burren in the morning and Connemara in the afternoon. Do you think its possible for us to slip over to one of the Aran Isles for lunch? By the way, we would like to eat dinner early so we can go down to the pub and enjoy some local banter and Irish music.”

There is an underlying thought that a change is as good as a rest.

There is an assumption and pre-arrival thrill of being able to arrive in Ireland, see a bit of its landscape, have a lovely meal of traditional Irish food, followed by some social time with a few folk “to learn about the country”, then finish with a restful worry free sleep. Because this is vacation time it is expected to feel refreshed and be able to do it all again the next day, the day after and each day through the vacation. Its vacation, and we are “supposed” to be different, feel different, be different and be gifted with more energy and life than during the rest of the year. This is what we have been waiting for. This is the way “it has to be”.

What actually happens?

Vacations are not a luxury and should never be thought of as such. Its also not about “deserving” a vacation, and even feeling guilty when you are on one. Humans, at least, with their unique creative minds and spirit, need vacations as much as we need air, food and sleep.

Instead, as Christine Kane says “Some of us can enter our vacations kicking and screaming inside, wreaking all kinds of havoc in our own heads, convincing ourselves that we don’t need sleep! We need to stay busy! In fact, our minds often go even faster once they figure out we’re trying to relax and that there’s pressure to do it within a week!”

I don’t really need to explain what Christine is saying there as I think most people can interpret themselves on vacation through those words.

I always advise people that their first three days in Ireland should not be about “working” their itinerary right from the 9:00 am plane touch down. For a start it can take up to 30 mins, sometimes more, for the aeroplane to taxi to the dock, open the cabin door and let everyone pour out. Will the plan be on time? Early? Late? Add to that waiting in line to pass through immigration, picking up baggage, maybe customs check.

Then its those phone calls and emails to respond to the things you thought of coming over on the plane, which then leads onto wondering how to make phone calls, then its the realisation Ireland does not trade in your own currency so its off to the atm to get to for cash, maybe then to a pharmacy to translate your medical needs, then onto getting some waterproof shoes that you were advised to get in advance but was sure sandals or your bright white tennis shoes would work just as well, and maybe you’ll need to buy a sweater to cover all those short sleeve shirts you brought with you.

How can you overcome your “dream” of vacation suddenly turning into an inner tantrum when you find your carefully “researched” planned itinerary has fallen apart from the moment of plane touched down in Ireland, especially if touchdown time is different to “what you planned”?

As Christine Kane says, “I quietly give myself permission to have three full days for my bitchy self to throw her mini-tantrums, make her judgements, criticise, attack, and yammer on and on. I do not resist. Nor do I tell her to shut up. I simply know she’s fighting her nap. (like a baby resisting going to sleep when tired)”

During your first three days of vacation

It does not matter if you are a planning, organising, multi-tasking guru woman or an ambitious goal driven time management guru man if you give yourself permission to have inner tantrums because your Ireland vacation expectations and itinerary did not follow as carefully planned …. something wonderful will happen.

It may well happen on day two.

On the first day, most folks are surprised how tired and exhausted they are when they arrive, but fast switch into denial mode raises adrenalin level and “the itinerary must go on!”.

I notice that if I publicly review publicly shared itineraries on travel forums, such as Frommers and Trip Advisor, and suggest a first day of light itinerary that focuses on rest, a good meal and bed, the forum is usually quickly filled with testimonials opposing this idea. Folks are fairly eager to “brag” about what they did on their first day in Ireland, but if you read between the lines their first day was a regime to keep awake and not start a vacation. Sometimes this is obvious as the posting will include remarks such as “I found that if I kept walking I was ok, rather than take a tour.” Should your vacation be about denial and then suffering?

If folks join our vacation services for their first two days and nights remarkable things can happen on day two.

We have a labyrinth garden designed for a “ritual” of transformation from your “working” self to “vacation” self.

Folks who follow this have gone to pick up their rented car on their third day and had a fuller vacation than if they mentally tried to avoid this first 2 day, maybe 3 day, inner tantrum.

At least, the would have re-visited their “researched” and “planned” itinerary and made some changes to enable more nights at same places and more vacational personal transformation experience rather than travelling more miles.

At best, they would say “we are just going to stay here and have a real vacation” and actually have more of an Ireland experience than constantly travel.

What happens if you travel around Ireland?

You’ll probably go to the “hot spots”, the Cliffs of Moher, Bunratty Castle, Blarney Stone etc.?

Who will you meet?

Possibly your next door neighbour, at at least lots of other folks from your country and even your home town. Most Irish people you will meet will be planted there to serve you as “their job” and not as living Irish people.

The best thing you can do in Ireland is meet Irish people as they love to mix with people from all over the world.

The Magic of Day Two

I think we have worked out this one rather well :-)

I have tried combinations of the same things on the same day, but this one I truly enjoy sharing.

We have a labyrinth garden, not on a traditional design, but one I have designed myself inspired by the mating dance of seabirds, the creation of the ogham language from tree wisdom, the four cities of instruction that appear in ancient legends, the trinity pathway of life within mythologies around the world, and a centre of sanctuary which I believe is self explaining but if not I think our churches, temples, synagogues etc. serve these well too.

Most important is that it is mirror symmetrical, two almost identical halfs but mirror imaged, just like any cell in our body.

Our labyrinth is wonderful for a “ritual” of leaving behind your “working” life and entering your “vacation” life. A great way to start the day. I then point out Morrigan in our landscape and talk a little about this. The best part of our labyrinth is that it is designed to take your mind off of any thoughts, rituals, planned prayers. There is often so much going on with smells, colours, touch, birds, insects flying and scurrying around, maybe a frog jumping or a hare running. We want you to be distracted, always in the present, always in the moment.

After that makes a great time for bathroom break. Not planned, just happens :-)

From our Two Worlds Labyrinth its usually off the Ceis Coarran mountain, “the woman of the rowan carrying life, i.e Morrigan”. Just seeing her imagery from the labyrinth sparks enthusiasm to see more closer and to share more. This is a wonderful introduction to the role of story in our life’s learning.

Then its off along a network of windy roads, mainly to show that if you really want to discover Ireland these are the roads for you and they are safe, if not safer, than regular main roads. Our destination is Carrowkeel Cairns, about 10 minutes away.

Scenically, Carrowkeel Cairns is spectacular with up to half of Ireland visible on its clearest days. However, that is not our main intent. though your interpretation is.

It is here, within these 5500 ancient passage cairns we are offered the experience of eliminating our dependence on time and space, and show how time and space, both human inventions, are resistors on the flow of love. We offer the experience of going back in ancestry to the point of creation and back again and realising this is done without any reference to time and space, and we feel a glow. Is this love?

So we test this.

We visit the nearby donkey sanctuary a bit below the mountain where we mingle with and hug the retired donkeys, well over 40 of them now. How can we fail to love these animals. What folks do not realise until we leave is that they visited and mingled with these animals without fear.

So its back to our thatched cottage for, where possible, a session of songs and harp from Claire Roche, who’s style and presence comes from the tradition of the near eastern deravids, where our word druid and probably the Biblical stories of David came from. Claire did not intend or interpret this. I did. If she had then I believe her presence would be false and pre-determined.

Overall, her performance is a completion and revelation of the day. Your vacation will have begun.

At this point, several visitors begin their journals before or just after dinner that include some outstanding prose, poetry, songs, and sometimes sketches that they just would not do at home or set aside time to do at home. Again, this shows vacation and transformation has begun.

Again, taking a snippet from Christine Kane’s article …

“Then, more moments with more sandpipers and sea glass and angles of sunlight will happen, capturing me in their beauty and timelessness. Eventually, the bitchy nervous self will feel her eyes droop closed, and she won’t fight it. Her eyes stay closed, and my vacation becomes transformative.”

Thanks again, Christine, for inspiring me to write the above in reference to what we do.

Folks, please click here to give Christine Kane a visit, great motivating and guiding blog to subscribe to and great products to back it

A Bit Of O'Carolan

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 07:41:02 PDT

The Resurrection of The Bard

… this is inspired by the writings of VERY REV. M. J. CANON MASTERSON

Turlough O'Carolan (Toirdhealbhach Ó Cearbhalláin) was born at Nobber, Co. Meath, in 1670.

His family ancestry had been of affluent farmers but their lands were confiscated during Cromwell's Revolution. Like many, his father, John O'Carolan, were forced to fly westwards.

They found a home in Carrick-on-Shannon (1688) where John O'Carolan created a living as a blacksmith.

O'Carolan took to music as a young boy and attracted the attention of Madam McDermott Roe of Alderford, who offered have him educated with her own children. Through this education Turlough acquired a good knowledge of his native language and a great love for his native heritage, which would latter become a distinguishing asset for him.

Turlough's musical interest developed into a harp playing talent which became a saviour when he became blind after and attack of smallpox when he was 22 years old. (1692).

At this time, Turlough had not developed composing and song writing ability. Local writer, George Nugent Reynolds, told Turlough that he awful at doing cover versions and should compose and establish his own material. Reynolds was off to South Africa for awhile and invited Turlough to look after his home in his absence, in return for composing an original composition. It was during this time that Turlough wrote "Sidhe Beg, Sidhe Mor" inspired by the legends of the local "fairy hills". This has since become, perhaps, his most famous and most performed composition.

It did not take long for Turlough to also compose songs and to sing songs and play harp in unison. This was an ancient tradition that has somehow become lost during the time of Turlough O'Carolan so it was regarded as unique. The tradition of the Irish Bard had returned.

The beginning of House Concerts

Turlough then performed house concerts at the homes of Gaelic nobility, such as Alderford, Greyfield, Letterfian and Belinagare. Earning a comfortable living from this bardic work Turlough bought a small farm near Mohill, Leitrim, and married Mary Maguire of Tempo, Co. Fermanagh.

Their home became a ceili home, always welcoming passing bards from far and near on their travels to feis and festival. Things changed quickly in 1709, when the the Penal Laws cast over Ireland, threatening to wipe out the language and traditions that Turlough had restored and influenced other bards to do the same.

From that time until his death in 1738 O'Carolan became missionary to sustain the old traditions through an “underground movement” throughout Connaught. For this cause he wrote lyrics and tunes that presented joy and optimism with intent of sustaining courage and hope within his kindred. Indeed other bards have spoke of Turlough, in performance, rising to heights of enthusiasm that infected his “hidden” Gaelic audiences.

Turlough constantly toured with a “fine steed” and accompanied by an employee to serve as guide and helper. Every Connaught Gaelic home, no matter how small, that Turlough visited was endowed with sharing his priceless legacy of a songs and tunes, often addressed to the head of the family. He composed songs on subjects familiar with his audiences presented with hope to drown any sorrow present.

His most popular patron, where he visited most frequently, was the home of Madam McDermott Roe of Alderford, Ballyfarnon. This was bound to be in response and a continuation of her loving care, as well as education, that he had received through her. At her house Turlough often rested awhile and composed many of his songs and tunes there. It was from Alderford, Turlough set off on his loving bardic mission and it was at Alderford he returned to die.

The home of O'Conor Don of Belinagare was extremely important on Turlough’s mission and travels. O’Connor Don was a direct descendant of the family of High Kings of Erin. During the Penal Regime he had his vast estates seized and had to settle on a small farm at Knockmore, Ballyfarnon and work this farm himself without help. Turlough frequently experienced the O’Conor’s hospitality is the spirit of his old Gaelic royalty grandeur. O’Conor Don set aside a special exclusive apartment for Turlough within his home. It was here that Turlough, said to be with harp, pipe and punchbowl, composed his most charming tunes. As his marriage home near Mohill had been seized, Turlough regarded this Belinagare apartment as the home for himself and his wife. A famous Turlough quote was "I think when I am among the O'Conors, my harp has the old sound in it". To this day local O’Conors of Clonalis are still stewards of one of his harps.

Another Turlough supporter was Owen O'Rourke, a Prince of Breifne, who was stripped of rank and possession during the Penal revolution, lived in a modest house by the shore of Lough Allen. For his wife, Turlough wrote "Fairhaired Mary" and at Owen's passing composed "Lament for O'Rourke" and "Brian of the Battleaxes", an O’Rourke ancestor who held Breifne against Elizabeth’s armies.

Another favourite resting-place for Turlough was Greyfield House, Keadue, built by Henry, son of Madam McDermott Roe of Alderford. At Greyfield House, O'Carolan is said to have composed abundantly.

Bard and traveller

The abundant compositions of Greyfield and the reputation they created opened up the interest of many patrons including, in Leitrim, the St. George family of Carrick and Counsellor Brady of Ballinamore, in Longford the Nugents, O'Reilly family of Granard, the Featherstons of Ardagh and the Cruises of Edgeworthstown. In Roscommon, Mrs. French for Frenchpark, the Dillon family of Lough Glynn), and many others. Throughout Co. Mayo his main patrons were Lord Dillon, Lord Mayo and the families of O'Malley, O'Donnell, Costello and Higgins. We must add the old Gaelic families of Co. Sligo to which Turlough composed and dedicated to , such as "O'Hara's Cup","Edward Corcoran", "Dr. Harte", "O'Conor Sligo","Maud O'Down", "Terence McDonogh" which were nicknamed as the “Milesian Stock”.

Turlough then travelled wider to perform for the homes in Galway of the O'Kellys, O'Dalys of Dunsandle), Dalys of Glinks, Lord Athenry and Sir Ulick Burke. In County Clare he was the guest of Rev. Charles Massey who also introduced him to homes of Limerick, a venture into Munster.

Going north into Cavan Turlough performed in the homes of the O'Reilly clan and even performed for his wife’s relatives at Tempo, County Fermanagh and often went on a pilgrimage to the St Patrick's Purgatory in Lough Derg

A mission of love and tolerance

As you can see Turlough, became a bard for the incoming Protestant families to whom he was able to lovingly share the Irish language and Gaelic culture that they were “legally” required to oppress. He also sustained support and performance among his Gaelic people. This sharing of culture is said to have inspired the creation of better terms between the incoming protestants and their catholic neighbours. It was these inspired Protestant families that helped to break the Penal regime within Connaught. The Connaught Protestants revolted against the revolting penalties enforced by England. It seems the bardic mission of O’Carolan created an wonderful legacy.

We cannot measure how much the bardic sharing of Turlough O’Carolan changed relationships and brought peace and restoration of Gaelic ways to Connaught. Its as if O'Carolan used the way of the bards to unite all creeds into a common love of country. Turlough mission needed the help of the Protestant gentry to built the bridge to his native people. This is why it seems half of his compositions are dedicated to the incoming protestants presented in the styles of people, such as "Sir Edward Crofton," "Madam Crofton," "Nanny Cooper," "Charles Coote," "Loftus Jones," "Toby Peyton," "Madame Cole," "Lord Massarene," "Madam Maxwell," "James Plunkett," "Mr. Waller," and "Dean Massey," etc

It must be reminded that Turlough did not just performed for nobility or was attracted to their generous payments. He was a huge supporter of the poor and downtrodden. He was not possessive of his harps either. He loved children to come up pluck the strings and get some feel for the harp. The cottages of the poor were often ceili venues of Turlough where he would not share his songs and tunes of nobility but share songs, tunes and stories of inspiring days of past Erin's glories, that would soon return again.

It is quoted that Turlough in performance to these poor shared and inspired the spirit of “peace, joy, charity, and the liberty of the children of God". Turlough’s life was a spiritual mission for the glory of others, not for himself. By religion Turlough O’Carolan was neither Catholic or Protestant in faith, but followed the ancient ways of the bard. Evidence of his spiritual heart comes from an account by O’Conor Don who witnessed Turlough singing "Gloria" in Irish verse that broke into a self composed Canticle, also in Gaelic, that Turlough named "The Resurrection".

Farewell to Music

Turlough’s wife died in 1733 and it is said that’s when his music also died too. After living a long mission to sustain hope in his fellow Gaelic country men and women the heart effect of losing his wife caused Turlough to despair about the the future of his people. In 1737 Turlough still visited the relatives of his wife and share celebrations. That Christmas he recognised his spirit failing and wanted to ensure he passed on on Connaught and not in Ulster. It is said he performed "Farewell to Maguire" and headed home for Alderford.

On that journey, feeling weak, he rested a few days at Ballinamore with a Mr. Brady. The local people, hearing of Turlough’s weakness then carried him to Laheen, the home of a dear friend, Toby Peyton. From there his employees helped him get past Letterfian, past Greyfield, Keadue, and on to Knockcranny. There he paused to touch the edge of Lake Meelagh, and to play a few chords dedicated to a bittern bird who lived there and sang with his harp. Alas, the bittern had died in the cold. To Turlough this was an omen. He proceeded to Kilronan and honoured a prayer for those who had passed and rested there, a place said, by mythology, to be where the Tuatha De Dannan arrived and where the healer Lasir shared her visions.

As Turlough arrived at Alderford word had spread that this was Turlough’s probable last return so many were there to greet him, but there was no longer a tune to share with them but he did play one air in private for his hostess, the 80 year old Madam McDermott Rowe, "Farewell to Music" and she flung open the windows for all nature to hear. After performing that air, Turlough O'Carolan laid down his harp and his life on 25th March, 1738.

Today, the body of Turlough O’Carolan rests in Kilronan, beside the church of the O'Duignan family on the former land of St. Ronan’s Abbey.

A statue of Turlough O'Carolan, above

Erected in Mohill, created by sculptor Oisín Kelly (1915-1981) whose other works include the statue of Jim Larkin in O'Connell St. in Dublin. This finished bronze was unveiled in Mohill by President Hillery on 10th August 1986.

More to come

I have a lot of video footage connected to Turlough O’Carolan, the sites of his life mentioned above and performances at his resting place. I will upload clips as soon as possible.

My singer harp partner, Claire Roche, has recorded several O’Carolan tunes.

Festival Of World Cultures 2009

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:39:43 PDT

A wonderful Sunday

I am sorry I missed the Saturday part of the festival but had another engagement.

Even for the Sunday my only interest was the storytelling show. I was concerned that if I arrived too early I would have been bored and quickly become anxious about the crowds scrambling for good views, food and getting to the toilets.

Claire was not keen to even consider going to the festival for these and similar reasons.

My Sunday started slow as through Saturday I had consumed more scotch than I have done for a long, long time. I went off for lunch at Avoca with Claire with a plan to “have a peak” at the festival before going to the storytellers.

After lunch Claire dropped me off outside Dun Laoghaire, as close as she could drive too, and this was about 4:00 pm. Could I find great entertainment before the storytelling commencing at 7:30 pm? Also was it going to stay dry?

Arriving at the Festival

Top priority was getting my ticket for the storytelling …. but where?

It seemed obvious to go to the venue and ask.

Just a little down the road from where Claire dropped me off a festival staff member provided me with a program, a very substantial program free of charge. I was instantly impressed with the information, maps, and terrific diagrams to quickly identify what was on where.

I noticed that getting to the Royal Marine Hotel, the venue of the storytelling, I could pass through The People’s Park and the stage in front of the Kingston Hotel.

People’s Park got me into the festival spirit instantly! There was a small dance stage, a performance stage, loads of children’s activities and a lots of organic food stands. It was easy to get around, no congestion of people, lots of families, lots of people out with beautiful dogs, and people of all ages from babies right through to folks who must have been over 100. Seniors were loving this as much as the young. Also, being a World Cultures event the people were of all colours and shapes along with their traditions of colour. This was an instant sense of world community, a sanctuary where everyone dropped barriers and differences to share a spirit. Lovely!

After a quick flash around at what was on and not paying a lot of attention to detail I hastened towards the Royal Marine Hotel. Passing Kingston Hotel stage, a south american band was playing, but I did not get details of name and country of origin, but atmosphere was great and moving through was also pleasant.

Alas, Royal Marine was the venue, but not the ticket sellers. I had to go to the Festival Box Office at the Pavilion, another 5 to 10 mins walk.

Outside Royal Marine Hotel, on its green, a load of folks were dancing to the Mr Whippy mobile disco, an old Mr Whippy ice cream van converted into a disco machine. I had heard of this, lots of good words, and it reminded of an old movie starring Lenny Henry who did the same to create a mobile 60s disco, the movie came out in the 80s. Everywhere he went with this, people in their 60s turned up for the disco :-)

After a few minutes fascinated by Mr Whippy I quickly headed for the Box Office. Fortunately no queue, and some tickets left. I was all set, now to explore some festival.

Heading for the main stage

I did not really look at the program look to see who was on, and later wish I had done, but just took some note of the places where something was on and planned a circular walking route that would get me back to Royal Marine Hotel for 7:00 pm to ensure a good seat for the 7:30 pm storytelling.

From the Pavilion I headed along the coast wall. along Queens Road, shut off from traffic, that featured a long row of craft stands featuring many countries of the world. It was wonderful to see the crafts unique to a country such as the Kenya wood carvings, Ethiopia bead work, Japanese rice paper work, and Norwegian had carved walking sticks. I hooted at Ireland’s contribution, racks of imported clothes and euro-store “junk” items in plastic containers with large “Clearance Sale” signs – and people were buying ????

There was a wonderful down to earth, riff rich rock and roll busking band putting all they could into their performance along with their hand written 10 euros CDs for sale sign. Very popular with the onlookers.

Next, the Newtownsmith car park was a sensory gauntlet of small gourmet kitchens from around the world, all affordably priced and not too long queues. It was tempting to order now, but my ear was getting a sound from the main stage, and it sounded good.

Twas now into Newtownsmith Green Park, an expansive sea shore park with a very obvious main stage with hi tech lighting, great sound and the usual modern huge video screens. The band on was a French techno reggae, ska kind of band that sounded like a cross between UB40 and one of my favourites, Peatbog Faeries, but without the bagpipes. I found them mesmerizing. The band is called Babylon Circus.

I was there about 10 to 15 minutes, but with the expectation of seeing and hearing more I left that stage and headed towards Clarinda Park. On my way I took some photos of people dancing to Babylon Circus, including a gent on a yellow bicycles jumping up and down to the rhythm.

Americana

It took me about 10 minutes to get to Clarinda Park, but here is was all themed North and South America. Lots of American cuisines from burgers, ribs, buffalo wings, southern chicken and tex-mex from the north through to the colourful beans, taco, salsa, burrito etc. options of the south.

On the main stage was the Mirenda Rosenburgh bluegrass band, excellent fun loved by all around. I stayed there about 15 minutes enjoying the fun and sun.

Still plenty to look at, wish I could have stayed for more.

Getting Hungry

My intent was to continue my planned circuit of park events, with the Moran Park being my next destination, but I noticed a sign saying the People’s Park was to close at 6:00 pm, and it was almost that time. I wanted to buy a bag of organic food shopping.

Alas, once in People’s Park i was first distracted by a drums, clowns and bellydance performance. I cannot find the details of what that was, but it was a combination of fun and the erotic. Next, even more distraction from the main stage in this park where a wrapper, that I could not see listed in the guide, was teaching the audience how to rap dance – sexily. Not only a good teacher, but very funny, kind of Lenny Henry style, again.

Just as I remembered that I came here to get produce, the park security was ushering us out.

6:15 pm now, and remembering I wanted to complete my flash festival experience by 7:00 pm changed my route to head to the International Food Traders on Newtownsmith Green car park. I thought I would eat then head back to visit Horan Park before going to the Storytelling evening.

Ahhh! Oumou Sangare !!!

I chose to pick up a Japanese vegetarian dish cooked in a delightful scented fruit sauce. As I started to eat on the sea wall, and watch some buskers, my ears picked up magic music coming from the Newtownsmith Green main stage !!!

I still had not looked at the list of performers at this festival, just destinations. Had I seen in advance that Oumou Sangare was on I would have planned this so different. I had already been in awe of her and her band on Late Night With Jools Holland.

I rushed up to the stage and was amazed to get very close to the band. Yes this magic miracle of African rhythms, chants, weaving kora, enchanting flute and more immediately took me to another place. I was so, so moved.

Oumou, her chorus girls and the band oozed a charisma I rarely experience from a band.

I stayed there until 7:30 pm, the first hour of her performance, before a mad dash to the Royal Marine Hotel to see if I could catch any kind of seat at the Storytellers show.

Tell me a story

I had no need to worry.

Not only was the storyteller’s event starting late, but in true Irish politeness, though most of the audience were in the hall, most of the front two rows of seats were almost empty. I grabbed one !!!

What I also found remarkable was the audience looked like the entire audience of storytelling with Robin Williamson at Farmleigh House last July. There were lots of hellos and handshakes from so many people i had forgotten names of, but they knew mine.

That was a great evening.

Jack Lynch kicked off a couple of short monologue quite Irish stories.

Eloho Rose Egwuterai, from the Delta state of Nigeria, shared an African version of Hans Christian Anderson’s Emperor’s New Clothes, but her story was much fuller and more meaningful. Somehow I believe it has origin to what Anderson had picked up. One day, I’ll try a variation of that story connecting a Co. Sligo animal story. Eloho spoke this so beautifully, so fitting to her beautiful Nigerian accent.

Welshman Michael Harvey followed with a warriors tale of familiar contents but delivered with wonderful humour, improvisation and showing he was having a lot of fun sharing this with us.

Cork lady Kate Corkery, delivered a story almost as a one person play. She told us the story of Hairy Rochey, a sort of combo of Cinderella and Jack and The Beanstalk that travelled through a few Euro nations. Kate delivered this story through a remarkable change of accents, languages and facial expressions that seemed as if they could have told the story without words. A remarkable talent! Kate deserves her own TV show, perfect for filling a void in Irish TV comedy drama left since Father Ted and Killinaskully.

When the show was over, I knew there was so much joy from this afternoon that I was taking away, so I took it away quite quickly. I was savouring those moments rather than stopping to chat to others. The Dart rail station was only a couple of minutes away and the next dart train also only a couple of minutes away.

From then until now I am still embracing the joy of that whole afternoon, a beautiful colourful well run festival.

What did I miss?

All of Saturday, of course. Jane Birkin, Hotel Kiev, Dub Colossus, Kilfenora Ceili Band, Natty Wailer, Danu and more.

All of the events at Kingston Hotel, The Pavilion, Royal Marine Hotel Gardens, Harbour Plaza stage, Global Village in Moran Park, Cool Earth Eco Fair, Global Therapies Fair, and events at Dun Laoghaire Shopping Centre.

All together the Festival Of World Cultures shared 28 stages and performance areas !!!

I only got to 10 of them. I hope I can be there longer next year. This is truly a kind of Glastonbury/Womad in Ireland.

Oumou Sangare was tops for me, followed quite closely by Kate Corkery.

World Cultures Storytelling

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 05:46:59 PDT

A reminder of Evening of Storytelling tomorrow,

Sunday, Aug 30th, Dun Laoghaire, part of Festival Of World Cultures,
I am going http://bit.ly/vWSM5

Venue: Royal Marine Hotel, Martello Suite

Sunday 19:30 - 21:00 €12

An Evening of Storytelling
with Jack Lynch, Michael Harvey, Kate Corkery & Eloho Rose Egwuterai

Following last year’s sold out event the Festival, in association with Storytellers of Ireland, is delighted to once again present an enchanted evening of multicultural stories; celebrating one of the oldest art forms in the world.

Eloho Rose Egwuterai
Eloho is from the Delta State in Nigeria, receiving her beguiling collection of folktales from her father, who grew up in the village of Ibrede. “It was always so exciting. He had a way of taking me to places and times I’d never been”. Currently living in Dublin Eloho has been a special guest of the Dublin Yarnspinners and told to great acclaim at Guthanna Éagsúla in the Axis Theatre.

Kate Corkery
Originally from Cork, Kate is the Resident Storyteller at the Hammersmith Irish Centre. She has lived and worked extensively throughout Europe and in Kenya. Her repertoire includes Celtic myths, legends and folktales and stories from around the world. Kate can deliver a ghost story, that most elusive of forms, like few others on these islands.

Michael Harvey
Michael Harvey is renowned for his mastery of the rich story lore of Wales. He brings humour, skill and a great sense of enjoyment to his telling. One of the UK’s leading contemporary storytellers, he works regularly with dancers, musicians, visual artists and many major cultural institutions, as well as with performers from Brazil, India and Europe.

Jack Lynch
Artistic curator and MC of the Festival’s Evening of Storytelling, Jack is one of Ireland’s best-loved performers, Jack has told throughout Europe, in the Caribbean and the US. His style is rooted in Ireland’s rich oral seanchaí tradition, combining folkloric elements with ancient Irish myths and tall tales. Jack is a founder-member of Storytellers of Ireland/Aos Scéal Éireann and the Dublin Yarnspinners and is an artistic curator of the Farmleigh International Festival of Story and Song.

Lots of other things on all day

I hope to get to the Tipi Making, for one, and enjoy the food and crafts along with so much entertainment, a kind of World Glastonbury

Claire Roche & John Of Celtic Ways USA Tour 2010

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:46:18 PDT

Wheels are in motion putting our now annual USA tour together.

This year it will be longer
Starting at Orlando on March 13th
Finishing at Chicago on April 11th

Claire will have a new special CD for this tour of all those songs of Ireland she sang last year that are not on CD yet, title to be decided,
and will perform favourites from her previous five CDs

John will perform “Bards McCrory of Carrowcrory”,
tales of Harry McCrory and McCrory harper bards through time,
and will hopefully have the USA release of his book, “Finding Your Celtic Story”

Here is the full tour plan, venues and details to be added later
and certainly subject to changes

03/13, Sat : Orlando FL

03/14, Sun : Saluda SC

03/15, Mon : Greenville NC

03/16, Tue : Hot Springs NC

03/17, Wed : Birmingham AL

03/19, Fri : New Orleans LA

03/21, Sun : Austin TX

03/22, Mon : Tulsa OK

03/23, Tue : Amarillo TX

03/24, Wed : Albuquerque NM

03/25, Thu : Flagstaff or Sedona AZ

03/26, Fri : Bakersfield CA

03/27, Sat : Santa Cruz CA

03/28, Sun : Eureka CA

03/29, Mon : Portland OR

03/31, Wed : Boise City ID

04/01, Thu : Idaho Falls ID

04/03, Sat : Salt Lake City UT

04/05, Mon : Denver CO

04/07, Wed : Sioux City or Omaha NE

04/08, Thu : Minneapolis MN

04/09, Fri : Sauk City WI

04/10, Sat : Urbana IL

04/11, Sun : Chicago IL

This time, 30 days, covering about 9000 miles,
performing in 18 states and travelling through 22 states

Looking forward to seeing everyone again.

Questions? Please click to contact us

Pottering Harry's Diary

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 12:43:38 PDT

Well, John of Celtic Ways is also

Pottering Harry McCrory of Carrowcrory with his partner Harping Clarrisa, boy racer brother Roary McCrory, bardic friend William Robinson and other folks as the tales unfold

I am awfully slow at updating my “Following Celtic Ways” blog but good at twice a day updates on Twitter and Facebook, so I thought a daily diary may fill in the gaps for the morning awakening or bedtime snooze accelerators that are demanded by our fans.

When Claire and I travel on tours we spend a lot of time making up stories about Pottering Harry, and laughing a lot, so here comes his diary ….

I’m so slow at configuring this sort of thing, so I’m repeating the launch content here today....

…… so here goes

Sunday?

August 9th?

Where has it gone?

A cloudy day, some gleaming of sun but a day of indoors brooding and plottering while catching up on cottage cleaning and correspondence.

Excitement today has been the exchange of ideas and plans for a group in September, from California, arranged by an Italian company. Found out youngest traveller is 67 years old, but are very fit and active.

..... but really my plot today was to think of some order of how to communicate what we do here.

I've signed up and used all kinds of social sites and services and there is just no way I can nerd my way through all of them, so its been s sort out, but even what's left over is a lot of work.

Twitter is great for rattling the contacts and finding out the news, but for the news I also still use the Yahoo Reader for that, still like that from Yahoo. I still have not got used to Google Reader, may look at that again in 12 months.

Facebook is my favourite, a place of genuine friends and social. I love the way I can feed everything into this one place, but I really have to focus on the fan pages and define them away from my personal profile. That's a plan for another day.

You Tube, I just love video clips, and will keep adding more and more as I have such an archive to share. With more and more people on broadband its so much easier to tell stories with videos and though there are better quality video services out there, this is the one for me right now.

Picasa, staying in the Google family again for my photos. I just could not get the hang of Flickr, especially slow uploading and messy presentations. I love the simple photo to video making features and its close link to YouTube and Facebook.

Blogger, again with Google. I see folks with their Wordpress and am impressed, very impressed, and keep promising myself a go at this, but Blogger has served me well, so its about, "why change what works".

..... but with Blogger I'm a bit slow doing frequent blogs with "Following Celtic Ways", but am good with daily Twitter and Facebook, often twice daily, so I thought this daily "Pottering Harry's Diary" will fill the gap.

ReverbNation, absolutely wonderful for all things music, especially gig promotions. I set this up for my partner Claire Roche but now find this is wonderful for our Celtic Bards School venue too, and I love the way it links tightly into Facebook. I've never been comfortable with MySpace.

Now with music this is where it gets frustrating, so many places to promote and update, but attention away from ReverbNation is with DownloadMusic.ie a wonderful service by local man Johnnie Beirne with a very nifty pay with cell/mobilephone rather than credit cards. Brilliant!

Somehow I have to also find time for the house concert networks of Concerts In Your Home, House Concerts Europe and our own Harps Around Ireland.

I still have to get going with a podcast ???

So after all that is up to date
there's the web sites of Celtic Ways, Celtic Bards School, and Claire Roche.

Oh, how could I forget MeetUp.com, the bridge between the online social and real people social with an online payment collection service added. Fabulous operation!

...... then the Two Worlds Labyrinth to keep nice
...... our theatre/studio to continually improve

plus books to write
and discs to record
and other merchandise our visitors like to share

and be with all of the wonderful people we host on tours and retreats which brings in some loot to pay the bills and makes all this possible.

I love my work so much, I could do it 48 hours a day

Stories, Songs, Harps for 10 Days

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 06:14:15 PDT

Sorry, very last minute with this stuff

but a lot of wonderful things going on this weekend
and during the next 10 days

In this news ........

- 2nd Farmleigh International Festival of Story and Song
- 2009 Yeats Festival Season
- Healers & Bards Gathering : Lunasa
- 2009 Boyle Arts Festival
- O'Carolan Keadue
- Keash Garland Sunday

2nd Farmleigh International Festival of Story and Song

Already kicked of yesterday but I'm on my way there
right after I write up and send this to you.

Irish Storytelling has its roots in the Celtic Bardic Tradition,
where legends, poetry and history were recited to the
accompaniment of the harp.

During this festival there are three storyteller songster harpers
of note, Robin Williamson, Helen Davies, and Fionnuala Gill,
will accompany storytellers and singers from
Iceland, Wales, Germany, Scotland and Ireland.

Of course the highlight for me, and many, is bard,
Robin Williamson, present an evening of Celtic Tales in
the Farmleigh House Ballroom tonight, Saturday, from 8:00 pm.

Robin is providing a children's session outside by the Fountain at
2:30 pm on Sunday.

Forecast today is amazing, but for Sunday not so good
so I imagine this session will move indoors.

Ireland and Iceland have strong cultural connections both in history
and in our shared stories of the otherworld. Sigursbjiorg Karlsdottir
travels here to share these oral stories of the far-north with us for the first time.
German born Suse Weisse retells with honesty and passion the great tales
of the European Folk tradition. This is a rare occasion to hear Mary Medlicott,
a warm and engaging teller of the myths and legends of her native Wales.

Máirín Mhiclochlainn, from Connemara, will tell stories in Irish,
many of which she learned from her father, Beartla Ó Maoileoin of Ros an Mhil.

From mid-day and throughout Saturday and Sunday, there will be
stories and songs in selected spots in the beautiful gardens and estate
of Farmleigh. Singers sessions will take place on Saturday and Sunday
afternoon in the Old Kitchen.

The Courtyard will be the setting of a mini-marathon of tales from the
Storyhouses and Yarnspinning clubs throughout Ireland,
reflecting the vibrancy of the local art of storytelling.
The folklore of Lúghnasa will be explored by Miceál Ross and, once more,
the period rooms in Farmleigh House will be the setting for a reading of
a Dublin ghost story by the Gothic storyteller Sheridan Le Fanu (late of nearby Chapelizod.)

All events are free.

To get your copy of the program
http://www.celticways.com/pdf/farmleigh2009.pdf

To read more about the event from the web site
http://bit.ly/Farmleigh

2009 Yeats Festival Season

The 2009 Yeats Festival is now in in Sligo
Claire Roche performs on Wednesday, July 29th,
at 8:30 pm with poet Eavan Boland
at the Sligo Methodist Church

You can book tickets, 10 euros, for this event online here
http://www.meetup.com/harpsandbards/calendar/10806625/

Of course there are a lot of wonderful events to enjoy
at this festival which started yesterday, Friday, July 24th
and is running until August 15th

Other names of note are
Seamus Heaney
Greg Delanty
Dennis O'Driscoll
Julie O'Callaghan
Joan McBreen
Sinead Morrissey
Moya Cannon
Declan Foley
Peter MacDonald
Justin Quinn
Leontia Flynn
Maurice Harmon
Micahel Longley
Peter Fallon
Vona Groake
Allan Gillis

Jack B. Yeats exhibition of Sligo Paintings
Cat And The Moon play by W.B. Yeats
each afternoon at The Factory

A full programme can be browsed from here ...
http://www.yeatsfest.com/week1.html

Healers & Bards Gathering : Lunasa

I'll provide more news of this nearer the event
but we are having a special Lunasa Gathering
at our Two Worlds Labyrinth and our cottage in Co. Sligo
on Sunday

If you are within distance of sharing with us on this Sunday afternoon
please have a look at what we are doing here ......

http://www.meetup.com/twoworlds/calendar/10806668/

Some people have also just asked if we can do this on
Sunday August 2nd and others on Monday August 3rd.
Claire with songs and harp will be at the cottage both days to share this

So also check out this link
http://www.meetup.com/twoworlds/
to sign up for news of future Get Togethers
such as the short notice of August 2nd and 3rd above.

So the Lunasa theme and celebrations will run through
August 2nd, 3rd and 9th.

We are heading up Carrowkeel Cairns on Aug 4th
and Shannon Pot and Cavan's Burren on Aug 5th too.

2009 Boyle Arts Festival

Our local Boyle Arts Festival kicked off on Thursday
with a bang on Thursday evening with over 1000 people
turning up for the Saw Doctors in ceili.

Still to come between today, July 25th and July 31st are

Emer Kenny - singer harpist
The Mullkerrin Brothers - songs and dance
Junior Davey - bodhran workshop
Nual ni Chonchuir - writer
Gerard Butler - sean nos singing workshop
Sploar Drama Group - At The Black Pig's Dyke play
At The Racket - Irish music group
Dermot Layden - writer
Dublin Shakespeare Co. - The Raven Lunatic play
Derek Molloney - tenor in concert
Ross Scanlon - tenor in concert
Puppet Theatre - The Gingerbread Man
Lunfardia - music
Rough Deal String Band - music
Helene Hutchinson - soprano in concert
Ican Ilic - piano concert
Ploughboys - music
Mary O' Malley - poet
The Irish Sopranos - in concert
Bill Stewart Quintet - in concert
John F. Deane - poet
Cafe Orchestra - music with food
Eleanor Tierman - comedy

.... and many more not mentioned

More about 2009 Boyle Arts Festival can be found here ....
http://www.boylearts.com/programme.htm

2009 O'Carolan Harp Festival Keadue

This Festival honours the famous Harper and composer
Turlough O'Carolan and includes Concerts, Set Dancing Céilís,
Harp Recitals, Lectures and Music sessions.

Harpers and traditional musicians world wide arrive in Keadue
for this annual festival which this year is from
Friday July 31st until Monday August 3rd

In this festival ...

Matt Molloy, John Carty, Arty McGlynn in Concert
Eleanor Shanley in Concert with Frankie Lane & Paul Kelly
Concert of Harp and Song with Eamon & Orla Daly, Liam Purcell & Friends
Céili with Matt Cunningham
Ceili Dancing Classes with Tutor Mary Conboy.
Traditional Music and song with Shaskeen
Music Session - featuring Liam Purcell & Friends
Traditional Music and Song with Best Foot Forward
Harp Display - by Harp Maker Colm O'Meachair

More about 2009 O'Carolan Harp Festival can be found here ....
http://www.harp.net/Keadue/KeadueIndex.htm

2009 Garland Sunday Festival, Keash, Co. Sligo

our local village festival,
and, alas, I will not be able to make it this year
due to being at Farmleigh

However, this is so worth popping into.

Its only on during the afternoon and evening of
Sunday July 26th

This comes from the ancient Lunasa tradition.

lots of sports and games
dog show
vintage cars and tractors
local crafts
lots of local traditional music and dancing

Close to Carrowkeel Cairns and Morrigan's Céis Coarran mountain
that the village is names after

This is also the same day as the barefoot pilgrimage of
Croagh Patrick in Co. Mayo, which is also connected to the
old Lunasa first harves celebration when Croagh Patrick
was called Croagh Lougadh

So if you are in Co. Sligo
do visit Keash and pop into their very colourful and fun packed
Garland Sunday Festival this Sunday afternoon and evening,
July 26th

Living Two Worlds

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 06:28:03 PDT

Reading a latest Derek Silvers Blog “…. its about you, not them” made me think more about the usefulness of Facebook

Facebook may possibly be a good discipline for our lives.

Starting off with what Derek Silvers was sharing, there’s so much music out there we listen to and buy, so many products out there we buy and so many services, even consultants we are quite intimate with ……. that would give us some shock if we knew the people behind what we buy.

The media makes it their job to expose us to the personal and “private” lives of the people we buy from. Their “stories” have an amazing effect and influence on what we buy, and stop buying …. If there was some media that revealed undesirable personal lives of the media people that have this effect on us, would we stop being influences by their “stories”?

These are sensationalism questions though, so I’ll move onto something that I hope is useful

I’ve been a huge fan of Facebook since it was insignificant against MySpace but I could see what Facebook could become and its getting there. I just hope they find a good monetising solution to keep it going. Facebook do have a horrible habit of setting up something good, and then messing it up, though, but hope they will not mess with the current Profile and Page separations.

We can all now be on Facebook with a Profile and a Page, but the trick is to approach them totally differently.

Use Profile to share ourselves

Share our pics, thoughts “what’s on our minds”, video clips, see what our friends are saying and doing and then making some comments of praise, new ideas, maybe crack a harmless joke or two, exchange of memories, and so forth. This is a place for friends when we cannot meet them at home, in a cafe, down the pub, at the club, at the church and at the community hall. Here people like you or they don’t and click away. Profile is a great place. If you are alone and fancy a bit of social and cannot get out to meet people, such as middle of the night in undies, its good to have a bit of “useless” banter on Facebook. This must be great for seniors. No need to experience loneliness today.

Use Page to share what people can use

I always try to focus my work, job and business on providing something that people can use, which at present is largely serving some accommodation, transport, information and entertainment while folks are on vacation in Ireland, trying to serve them the best for their little time here in Ireland at the best price I can afford to offer.

I have a wonderful time with these people, and from comments they send back to us they have a wonderful time sharing with Claire and myself. However, though I think we are decent living kind of people, if our travellers knew us more intimately I think some of these folks may not like us very much, and the same would probably be true in reverse.

Its taken me a long, long time to realize that fans/guests/clients/customers and my friends are different people,

They are different worlds, different tribes, even though I still feel passion, concern and interest for my clients.

Sometimes, it can be among the worst events in our lives when we do a business deal with a close friend and the business deal goes wrong, and that valuable friendship dissolves with it.

If that same deal had been put with a non-friend and the same things went wrong, probably because of weakness of the deal and not faults with the person at the other end, the close friendship remains still strong. Sometimes we may feel hurt when a friend does business with someone else that we feel we could have done better and cheaper, but think of the consequences of your friendship if that deal fell apart!

I feel that friends are an outer sanctuary, the inner sanctuary being ourselves and how we fill and secure this. Some readers here may share how their spouse is also their perfect business partner and when this happens its absolutely fabulous and usually does not get in the way of such a couple being good parents too. However, I do find that business sharing couples do need time apart to be with close friends to fulfill that side of being, and that’s very healthy. It does not mean changing sex partners as I believe that is a separate area of divine bonding.

Our fans, guests, clients and customers are our network, a world beyond sanctuary, through which we can share our creativity expressed as usefulness rather than intimacy. Sometimes our fans really do become friend, and when they do I believe the boundaries do need to change for all to be fulfilled.

However, its through our fans we operate those cliches “push the envelope”, “look outside the box”, and maybe you can remind me of some more. Through them we can perhaps learn how to be better friends with our friends.

There is a fourth “station” in all of this

This is the effect we have on all those folks who have not demonstrated to us that they are fans or customers, the people who probably do not know we exist, yet all of our actions have an outer resonance on how they live.

Lets use Facebook again as an example. Thousands of people are joining Facebook every day that we do not know, will never know and never desire to know, yet their reason for joining Facebook was through a result of a “trend” and “attraction” that was slightly accelerated when we joined and started using Facebook.

This unseen outer band is a reflection of how we like the world to be, or how the world will be as a consequence of our thoughts, motivations, actions and sharing. The world domination of communication online accelerated over the past 15 years is very understandable example. Though it may not seem it, this is the “spirituality” we have created for the world that many of us wish to deny by jumping under the sheets of a “religion”. There are also many people focused on influencing a pioneering change of this “outer band” which will be always constantly changing over time.

Our Garden Labyrinth offers visitors a journey of Two Worlds, Four Paths, One Wholeness

Intent of our Two Worlds Garden labyrinth is not to change the world but to invite people to reflect on themselves, their lives and the impact their lives have on others and the world. There are no right and wrong conclusions and no judgements. Myself and others can quite easily leave that labyrinth with a clear vision of self and action that actually causes unexpected conflict and challenge. No problem. We just try again.

I suppose our labyrinth is a different kind of church. I know, while building it, I was heavily influenced by what I had experienced with stone circles, medicine wheels and ancient cairns as well as other labyrinths.

So here’s some of what we have in our labyrinth …

There are two sides which can be used as
one side for sanctuary of self and friends
the other side for how we serve others
and our impact of our actions on the whole world

From that you can already read four elements

or what I call, within the labyrinth, the four paths of
self and arrival which i mark with a sword
self and unity, marked with a unity stone to bond friends
self and service marked with a sickle as its from service we reap
self and impact marked with a cauldron which determines how the world is fed

and all together this synthesises into what each of us interprets as wholeness

Back to the Facebook example …..

within the Profile
we have the “Info” box of ourself
and the “wall” box shared with friends

and if we stretch into creating a Page
we have a “wall” box to serve fans and clients
and a “discussion” utility that could be used to indicate impact

Our Facebook Pages

Celtic Ways for our guided storytelling tours, Two Worlds Labyrinth Garden Wheel, Healers & Bards Sunday Gatherings

Claire Roche for page for Claire Roche, singer and harpist (and piano)

Harps Around Ireland our developing network of singer harpers in Ireland and where they perform

Details of our labyrinth garden is within our Celtic Ways page

May I invite you to become fans of the above?

Healers & Bards Gathering : June 28th

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:17:23 PDT

The Event

Update …..

4 people joined us,
two who had not been here before
a lady from Dublin
and a gentleman from Finland
Weather was relaxingly warm
and sharing the labyrinth was enjoyed by all.

Looking forward to next Sunday July 5th

A time for healers and bards,
and people who wish to meet them

Meet up here at The Thatch, Carrowcrory, Co. Sligo
at 2:30 pm, Sunday, June 28th

click here to get driving directions
which is a PDF file you can save and print

– refreshments on arrival
– healers and bards available for session and discussion
– sharing within our Two Worlds Labyrinth Garden Wheel
– optional transporting of guests to ancient Carrowkeel Cairns
– optional transporting of guests to Céis Coarran Caves
– current long range weather forecast is
warm, some cloud, a bit hazy, shower chance 20%

Sessions booked so far -

Four Paths to Wholeness : A Labyrinth Journey with John of Celtic Ways

€ 10 to help us cover
refreshment and transport costs,

You can RSVP and pay through this Meet Up Page

click here for optional B&B Accommodation
€40 per person

Claire Roche will not join us on this day due to private gig in Tullamore

What Is The Best Time To Tour Ireland?

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:20:14 PDT

A Question I Just Answered …

I recommend May and June myself. Usually this serves the best weather of the year, though May was an exception this year as it was quite wet and cool, but for most previous years it has been fabulous. Weather aside, the benefits are

longer daylight days
low cost air travel
better accommodation deals
abundance of wild flowers such as primroses, bluebells, orchids, cowslips and rare species
no or few midges and biting insects
a lot quieter, peaceful, ingredients for a perfect vacation

Late August and early September is very nice for the purple heather and often a return to warm summer weather.

Early October often serves an Indian summer and gorgeous fall tree colours but the shorter days are noticeable.

During the evenings of shorter days we offer sessions of music, song, dance, storytelling or offer you guidance for instantly publishing your journal and inspirations that you have written, photographed or even recorded on mobile devices.

Recommended Touring?

Start with our “Introduction to Ireland” tour that commences first couple of days in Co. Sligo.

I feel the worst thing anyone can do is land at Dublin and stay in Dublin for a couple of days to “catch up on jet lag”. Same story for landing at Shannon and heading straight to Limerick, Galway or even Killarney.

These cities and bustling places are best left until an end of a vacation when they can be fully enjoyed. This is especially true when visiting museums and galleries as you will see collections from places you have been to, and that is exciting, fun and meaningful.

Below is a video of our accommodation that we can serve for your first three days in Ireland, only €55 per night per person sharing for dinner, bed and breakfast.

Guide, driver and transport for the day is also €55 per person, including pic-nic lunch

After a couple of days here of catching up your sleep pattern, relaxing and enjoying our nearby sacred sites and coastline we can transfer you to a self drive car, motor home, self drive boat or an extended guided tour of Ireland.

However, some folks enjoy their Co. Sligo stay so much, they cancel the rest of their vacation to continue staying here and enjoy all we have to offer with scenery, Irish traditions, Irish community, Irish mythology, Irish music, song, dance and storytelling.

All that people come to Ireland for is here without the fuss of accommodation changes, travel and endless hours in cars, buses and trains rather than experiencing Ireland and having a vacation.

Summer Solstice Gathering June 20th

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 07:00:12 PDT

We are hosting a Summer Solstice Gathering, Sat June 20th

Here’s the current news

Meet up here at The Thatch, Carrowcrory,

at 6:30 pm, Saturday, June 20th

map below driving directions here

watch video of 2007 Carrowkeel Solstice here

– refreshments on arrival
– songs and harp by Claire Roche
– storytellers
– observations and sharing
within our Two Worlds Labyrinth Garden
– start transporting guests to Carrowkeel Cairns
from 8:30 pm
– sunset at approx 10:05 pm
– current long range weather forecast is

current forecast approx 80% sunny sunset

we will probably stay up at Carrowkeel Cairns
for about one hour

€ 10 to help us cover
refreshment and transport costs,

Please RSVP and pay through our Meet Up Page

We are also hosting Carrowkeel visits at 8:30 pm on these evenings …

Friday 19^th – current forecast is approx 60% sunny sunset
Sunday 21^st – current forecast is approx 20% sunny sunset
Monday 22^nd – current forecast is approx 90% sunny sunset

Each of these trips are also € 10 per person

(I normally charge €25 for a Carrowkeel guided tour)

Here’s the Google Map Link

View Celtic Ways in a larger map

driving directions here

Some more information …

Some folks are asking me, why Saturday 20th and not Sunday 21^st?

Several folks rigidly stick to the Roman Calendar date of June 21st for Summer Solstice, and in this area its a lively celebration including fireworks, but this year, based on astronomical calculations, the sunset of July 20th is more appropriate. For the studious the sidereal time of Summer Solstice this year in Ireland is after 5:00 am, on Sunday 21^st, though I am not sure of the exact minute.

A main advantage of visiting Saturday is that Carrowkeel will not be busy like on June 21st so observation by visitors should be quieter with more room for all. I cannot guarantee that because information of quiet times I have previously supplied through Celtic Ways have become busier times as word spread.

There are not enough accessed ancient sacred sites to go around for current increasing demand, hence why we have our Two Worlds Labyrinth Garden Wheel, which I also hope will demonstrate the sun setting in front of the vulva caves of Ceis Coarran, Morrigan’s Mountain, around Summer Solstice time. Its looking good at the present.

At Carrowkeel cairns there are two cairns that draw in the solstice sunset light.

The lower cairn K is small but the most dramatic as it still has its light box, quite near to its original placing. About 8 people can squeeze in at one time to observe this. Any more and it blocks the phenomenon.

The higher cairn N, is larger but as the light box has long gone the sun lights up the whole interior. About 12 people can squeeze in at one time.

On June 21^st when about 100 or more folks turn up to experience this, you can imagine problems with access to the cairns, as well car car parking.

Looking forward to meeting you at our
2009 Summer Solstice gathering

Why are our tours and retreat travellers 80% women?

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:05:20 PDT

Is Ireland a living Goddess?

Many of our visiting women believe this, and have good reason to.

Added to this is their belief that this age is an awakening time for women. 1000s of years of the suppression, esteem breaking and persecution of women is breaking away so that they once again become in total flowing balance with men.

I feel convinced that this age old suppression and persecution of women has also suppressed the flow, effect, purpose and good stewardship of masculinity.

The ancient tales I now share through stories and folk drama at ancient sites are from times when women were actively the earthly presence of the goddess. They were keepers of the flame while men provided the fuel that kept their flames alight. Without the flame of the feminine the masculine is not fired with courage, focus and destiny. It makes complete sense that women were also the earliest creators and providers of swords, a symbol of male and female flowing in constant balanced motion.

When I tell and perform these these ancient tales I treat them as they are messages for today, messages longed for today, especially by women.

Is Finding Your Celtic Story also Finding Your Celtic Goddess?

I am currently completing a book, “Finding Your Celtic Story – from the land and its sacred sites”, and by “the land and its sacred sites” I am indeed referring to what some may say is the expression and creation of the “goddess”.

Some good hearted evangelic Christian folks have recently questioned me about this, and will always question what I am meaning here, with questions about “two or more gods?”, “pagan worship?”, and they become quite confused when I say “neither!”.

Then I remind them of “their” trinity interpretation of “father, son and holy ghost” with the “holy ghost” part often being “holy spirit” and with many irish people understood as the “guiding spirit” . It is through this third element we embrace connection to the “goddess” who is the unique mother spirit of the earth but not creator of the universe.

I will quickly add that every evangelic Christian person who has challenged me with line of questioning, so far, has been male. If women now challenge me with the same I would like to question whether they are truly speaking from their heart or from a trained logic caused through ages of feminine suppression.

Sheela na Womb

A fascination for women visiting Ireland are the sheela na gig engravings, also found around the UK. These symbols are either of women with wide open vulvas inviting cautious entry into their womb, or women with a cross legged reminder that their womb is a one way passage of spirit.

These sculptured engravings were made by ancient male stone masons, perhaps as their own reconnection to female spirit during their own suppression by church monks and, later, fortress commanders. Today, there are many women artists re-creating sheela na gig images through their art on canvas, sculptures and in print and are dedicated to them being an important ancient symbol message for women today.

Around Ireland there are also sacred lakes on hills within mountains that are surrounded by the sacred sites of chieftains. I refrain from using the term “burial sites” as these sacred sites seems to be known in ancient times as a place of spirit transfer both into and out of this world.

Its as if these mountain based lakes also function as nature’s own sheela na gigs from where spirit is born, re-charged and returned. The Sheela is of the Sidhe, the woman spirit that brings life to earth and takes it away back home again back to its greater circle.

Some caves in Ireland seem to also inspire the same function such as our local Ceis Coarran caves in Morrigan’s mountain here. It is wonderful to hear women sing and make music within these caves, as a re-charge of their own hearts and strength of blessing.

Some women have told me that these caves, and some waters here in this part of North West Ireland, totally recharge them

Men need Cailleachs, and Cailleachs need men

While women seek the divine feminine within themselves through nature, sacred places, ritual, meditation, and love from others, men are also quietly seeking the divine masculine. Together I see the two as an essential flame to sustain all life on earth with women being the hearth of the flame and men being the fuel of the flame. The two cannot meet or function without the spark of “the fiery arrow”, the spark of Bhride, of Brigid.

In the Hebrides of Scotland I find it quite warming that the men often refer to their wives as their “Cailleach” in conversation. Many of them do not realising what they are saying but the word is some sort of recognition that their women are their goddesses, or at least their connection to the goddess. Bhride’s day is also that humbling day each year when men stop recognise this and humble to the flow of this spirit for the day.

Visiting the Guide, The Angel and even The Mother of All

Some women that come here to ireland believe that it is this land where the goddess will be awoken within them. Some arrive here with stories of their guiding angels, their spirit guides and their past lives, stories of a spirit or entity that seems to be like a shadow of themselves. These women clearly describe and seem to understand their “shadows” better than themselves, but I think that’s ok!

I love the movie, “Harvey”, with James Stewart, that invisible friend. Many of the women that visit Ireland seem to become at one with their shadow, become the shadow they know so well, and express this so well through new writings, poetry, songs and even drawings that they create here. Its as if these women totally embrace their shadow, their invisible friend, their guide, and become one. They are then totally empowered, sometimes almost like a character from a super hero comic.

Some women experience this union and transformation within the ancient stone structures that remain here, the cairns, the stone circles and the sacred wells. Some women experience this from embracing the spirit of nature here such as among the legendary greens, sacred waters and unique sounds that come from nature here.

Overall, many women who arrive here in Ireland with an “emptiness” find the emptiness is within their divine womb which becomes fertile and able to give birth again through divine creativity. Women that join us for retreat and sacred journey here seem to be sparked by the Fiery Arrow that ignites a new flame within, and reveals a sense of a more divine motherhood.

Suddenly Ireland, for them, seems like a place to feel loved, listened to and appreciated.

Finding Your Feminine Celtic Story

I would like to think that our sacred and story journeys and retreats here in North West Ireland are a pilgrimage for women to re-ignite the hearths of their divine wombs so that once again they feel loved and can then again give birth to more divine creations expressed through service, teaching, guidance and created arts. Journalling through writings, poems, songs and drawings are such an important part of this.

For men there is no more joy, motivation and raising of the divine libido when a woman’s divine womb is re-ignited. The divine libido seems to be something close to what Jung described as free creative, or psychic, energy a man needs for personal achievement.

Some say, behind every successful man is a good woman, a Chinese employer once told me in China they say behind every successful man is a surprised mother in law, but in “our story” beside every man’s ability to fuel achievement and sustain good stewardship is a well sparked divine womb of a woman, the Cailleach

….. and it looks like many women have experienced their rekindled hearth from the Fiery Arrow of Ireland, the spirit of Bhride, of Brigid.

Finding Your Celtic Story : The Journey

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 09:26:44 PDT

Here’s the layout of my latest book

Finding Your Celtic Story
from the land and its ancient sacred sites

I am writing this book, adapted from texts I have written before, which follows quite close to how our current guided tours and retreat flow.

Claire and I, on our performance tours, have met so many people seeking their Celtic Story, not just out of interest, but as a journey to fulfill gaps in their lives or following a calling to take their lives to another place that we may call Celtica

“Finding Your Celtic Story” is a book for all these people with a Celtic and even Shaman calling. The book also invites the reader to take further steps through advancing their calling into way of sharing with others by releasing the bard within.

“Finding Your Celtic Story – from the land and its ancient sacred sites” has a content of 60 chapters, plus an intro and resources pages

Intro

Searching for Your Celtic Story

The Myths of Pagans

The Myths of Celtic Christianity

The Lost Years Of Jesus

Crossing The Veil Into Your Dreamtime

Angel Rays

Discovering Your Feminine Celtic Story

Discovering Your Masculine Celtic Story

Taking A Vacation to Find Your Celtic Story

Unity with The Land

When The Land Becomes Sacred

Our Precious Cailleachs

The Shaman’s Salmon Journey

The Deravid’s Journey

The Ovate’s Journey

The Bard’s Journey

The Healer’s Hearth

Sound Assent and Harmony

Morrigan the Morrigu

Bhride the Brigid

Making Brigid Crosses

We Are All Changelings

Fire

Water

The Labyrinth Journey

The Salley Sanctuary

The Weaving Trinity

The Four Paths To Wholeness

with the sword

with the stone

with the sickle

with the cauldron

The Medicine Wheel

Cultivating Our Tree Wisdom

Ogma’s Language of Ogham

The Scribes Wrote and The World Changed

Dean Cecht’s Well of Life or Death?

Airmed, the Daughter of Herbs

The Historical Way Today

Lough Key

Boyle Town

Ballaghboy Lodge of the Curlews

Carrowkeel, A Map Of Alignments

Donkeys of the Sathya Sai

Ceis Coarann, Ireland’s Sacred Mountain?

Ballymote Town

The Fiery Lough Arrow

Moytura Past

Characters of Moytura Myth

The Timeless Moytura Battle

Moytura Now

Unity with The Goddess

Lasir’s Well Of Vision

The Harp That Once

The Journey of Turlough O’Carolan

Sidhe Beg, Sidhe Mor

How to Share Your Celtic Story

How to Celebrate Imbolc (Brigid’s Day)

How to Celebrate Samean (Beltaine)

How to Celebrate Lunasa (Lammas)

How to Celebrate Samhain (Hallows Day)

Why Everyone Is A Bard

Our Celtic Bard School

How Being A Bard Could Become Your Profession

Resources, Maps for Your Journey

“Finding Your Celtic Story – from the land and its sacred places”
is an overall personal journal mapping workbook.

This book will take you from your homes to Ireland, and a touch of Gael Scotland, to experience enough to ignite your inspirations. I hope this book will provide insights into how ignite the divine womb and goddess within women and fuel the courage, passion and focus within men. For all people I trust this book will inspire the release the bard flow within anyone.

Future books, workshop and retreats from our Celtic Bards School will invite. readers of this book to take their journey into the deeper spirits of the subjects covered here.

Thank you for supporting “Finding Your Celtic Story”

A comprehensive introduction to the Celtic Story and Bardic Ways based on traditions of North West Ireland and some from Isles of Scotland. This book can also serve well as a sole tool for leading into valuable and new abundant journeys for many of its readers.

I look forward to sharing more with you when you visit and explore Ireland.

Meanwhile, may I request your support through an advance subscription to my book, ”Finding Your Celtic Story – through the land and its sacred sites”

When published the retail price will be €20, with an early buyer’s limited time discount of €15.

Meanwhile for a pre-published price of only €10

I will provide you with

an exclusive subscription to updates as they are created,

including audio and video clips

behind the scenes information

€20 deduction if you spend 3 or more days on one of our tours and retreats, if you also stay at least 3 nights in Ballaghboy Lodge

plus a final full print pressing when published for Samhain, November, this year 2009

plus shipping to any part of the world included.

about our Two Worlds Labyrinth

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Sun, 31 May 2009 14:17:32 PDT

Where?

Here’s the Google Map Link

View Celtic Ways in a larger map

Situated on Carrowcrory lands, 5 km from Ballinafad postal village in Co. Sligo, Ireland, aligned to Brigid’s sunrise and facing the breast paps of Morrigan’s Mountain our Two Worlds labyrinth was constructed from Samhain 2008, and took me about 2 months to construct in between guided tours, weather and a wee boughts of flu.

Our Two worlds circles within circles and tree wisdom labyrinth garden is very young but already abundant, blessed and spiritually vibrant.

What?

Our labyrinth is inspired by but transformed from ancient labyrinth designs to include relevance and reference to Celtic celebration traditions, the mating dance of sea birds, the four Celtic seasons, the trinity of union and continuity, and the ogham language of trees.

Our seven circle labyrinth is symmetrical, inspired by the spring mating dance of seabirds. The human mating dance, probably inspired by these sea birds, at Bealtaine is similar.

So far, visitors have used our Two Worlds labyrinth garden for the Celtic calendar celebrations of Imbolc, Bealtaine (Samean), Lunasa and Samhain, “letting go” rituals, calling on union blessings, rituals for reconciliation, personal meditations, relief from writer’s block, peaceful nature walks and hands-on tree and herb gardening and learning.

The inner circle is our meeting place encircled with young willows to eventually grow into a living willow cairn. Within this circle is a fire cauldron and water cauldron. Our water cauldron will eventually be replaced with a larger water feature during this coming winter.

The next three circles take on a trinity wave and folding experience of the unity of the universe, our physical earth and the spirit that flows life, along with the trinity of birth, life, passing, and then back to birth again.

The next two outer circles take us to the four points, the four “cities” away from our sanctuary centre. These four points are a reminder of the elements, the crucifix and the four spiritual schools of instruction. The four schools of instruction, especially essential for any bard for inspiration and communication, are the schools of unity, fertility, harvesting and the sharing. These were symbolised in ancient times by the sword, the stone, the spear or sickle, and the cauldron.

The final, seventh circle, is the bonding circle with its clockwise spelling of the Ogham alphabet by trees of each letter of this alphabet. The Ogham language is said to have commenced today’s human culture of “organised” systems such as laws, currency, political and religious administrations, corporate business administrations, duplicated languages that all can understand through voice and reading, measurements of time and space, and the teaching of all of these through organised education systems measured by qualifications and languaged documents.

Why?

However, the rest of the labyrinth is a reminder that our organised world is purely created by ourselves for ourselves for our convenience and attempts at greater knowledge and abundance. Our labyrinth reminds us that catching the entire salmon of wisdom is outside our grasp and right. Our labyrinth is a truthful constant reminder that the seemingly disorganisation of nature still commands and serves all. Accepting this can turn the deepest worry, depression and sadness into joy and provide the freedom to be children again.

Our mathematical and spiritually guided labyrinth is in constant challenge with nature’s choice of visits and residency of unplanned weeds, wild flowers, wildlife and insects, all harmless to us along with an invite to wonder and relationship. This creates a constant learning of tolerance and also, I believe, teaches a love of nature above a love of personal agenda.

We invite anyone to visit and use our Two Worlds labyrinth without commitment.

Our Two Worlds labyrinth does not survive from our toil alone but from the freewill contributions that our visitors provide in cash and/or labour which are always very welcome. We also like to return contributions by our visitors with some sharing of food, beverages, ceili and craic as a way of thanking you for making the continuity of our labyrinth possible.

Please visit us soon.

Accommodation and guided tours to our other local ancient sacred places can also also arranged. In fact, you’ll love our local eco farm accommodation. Our visiting bard, Robin Williamson, who has toured and stayed in 1000s or hotels and guest houses around the world, said to Karen our innkeeper landlady, “you are the loveliest, kindest, landlady of any accommodation I have stayed in, I will be back!”.

Contact us to say when you are travelling by

Finding Your Celtic Story From The Land

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 23:42:11 PDT

Your Celtic Story

As Claire and I travelled English speaking lands of USA, Australia and New Zealand during the past 12 months most people wanted to share, or hopefully discover, something of their Celtic Stories. We met aborigines, Cherokee, Navajo and other tribal people who sought for stories from Ireland and Scotland, even Wales and England, to help them rebuild their culture that was watered down and sent down the drain during Colonial times.

I find this is the same for everyone. The school system is a duplication of training that is a powerful brainwashing to prepare us to enter into a now worldwide economic structure that has evolved as the next stage after colonialism. The USA is a network of states that networked tribal nations to attempt to follow a duplicated constitution that is looked to as the leader of all thought and action. The EU is evolving the same way.

The World is also evolving the same way with dreams of combining nations in Africa and South America. China and Russia have also done this to extreme.

Doing this has provided us with huge benefits in comfort, nutrition, health, abundant and support, though all of those can be questioned too. However, the downside is that each extra comfort can also add to the worries we have in life and take away more of our awaking space, and sleeping space.

For example, 15 years ago most of us never worried about mobile phones and computers breaking down or having to spend hours a day commuting our children to all kinds of activities, yet how many emergency situations have our mobile phones been so helpful for?

Each lifestyle culture has taken more of the “story” away from us. Even our dream time is getting reduced and reduced as more and more people deprive themselves from more and more sleep. Without connection to our story we become empty, disconnected and wonder where our “roots” are. Depression, violence, even suicide, steps in. Look what happens to rock stars and film stars when they are forced into a “bubble” that detaches them from regular people as suddenly so many people want what they think they have. I will write about “the stage” later.

We wish to help you use your vacation time to re-visit your story

At our Celtic Bards School we invite you to space, guidance and support for you to find a week or two to re-connect to your story which you can take home as a new guidance for all things in your daily life. Too many people sacrifice following their story to become servitude to the “stories” of education system teachers, religious leaders, cult leaders, politicians (maybe), but perhaps worst of all today, media advertising and the news reports this sponsors. Being a downtime economically, all of these “systems” are packed into “multi level marketing” schemes and their lures.

Yet, all of the individuals in these “systems” having loving hearts that they attempt to share “undercover”, in “brown bags” and “in dark unseen corners”, and these are the people we speak of who inspired our lives. If the “system” discovers them sharing their “hearts” they are banished. The movie “Dead Poets Society”, a good example of portraying this.

We like to think that we are like that proverb, where you are the horses being brought to the waters of our Celtic Bards School, but what you drink is up to you.

Come here, be a child again.

To and fro we leap
And chase the frothy bubbles,
While the world is full of troubles
And anxious in its sleep.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

W.B. Yeats of course. (listen to Claire’s interpretation here)

From The Land?

I read a lot of motivational quotes “new age teachers” about how we are the “power, the divine, all is possible, we are in control” and so forth but “new age” is usually a re-cloaking of the “old age” that is in the business of creating fear and then stepping in with a resolve that invites you to have faith and trust in. The truth is, usually, don’t trust the fear, especially a new fear created!

I have noticed that during the last 20 years people have become more and more afraid of nature and the direct products of nature. For example, soap is no longer good enough for us. We are told it does not cover many of our “hygiene” needs, and bathroom cabinets are becoming bigger and bigger with all these things we are now told we need to be more hygienic, along with several herbal remedies and even drugs to take from worrying about being hygienic and nourished. Sadly when these new products hit the land and water through our sewerage systems they can take 100s, even 1000s of years to breakdown and re-join nature, whereas soap “rejoins its maker” at the same pace as rotting potato skins in a compost heap.

We have a garden labyrinth to dramatically allow people into the spirit of nature with safety with all kinds of distractions in smells, sounds, touch and colours. Labyrinth makers make their labyrinths uniform so as not to distract the walker from his or her meditation. That is not our design. We have a centre for that, once our visitors have entered and fully sensed and bonded with nature again.

We are surrounded by ancient sacred sites and trust their positioning as being focal points of the spirit of nature around us. It is from these points our visitors have been awaken themselves with spirits and guide of inspirations, fairies being a good name, and I like Harvey from the James Stewart movie, as an imagined friend can be a great guide until you learn and evolve to become that friend.

That’s what I believe a Bard is, a carrier of an imaginary friend born from the soil, rocks, waters and woods of the land. So what they share with others are lies, true lies. They are lies that bring truth to the beholder!

I’ll write a separate chapter/article on that soon.

Fear of nature is in the beholder. A venomous snake can bite and kill, but it does not mean that every time you meet a snake it will bite you. If you pay attention to the snake it is extremely unlikely that it will bite you. I don’t recommend you try this at home though, partially because having a snake at “your” home is not the snake’s home. That’s not paying attention to it.

We have no snakes in ireland, and I do not think we have anything venomous in nature or carriers of disease other than maybe flies. Even strings from nettles have nutritious value.

Why the Celtic Bards School?

I some ways this is a wee bit of satire on what folks envision as a school as we do not have much in the way of books, AV gear, tables, desks, research archives and the familiarities of today’s education “system”.

Yet, yes, we are deeply a school, very much in the sense of its original word, the ancient Greek word, “Skhole”, loosely meaning a place where one spent leisure time to share inspirations and discoveries. I was tempted to replace the word “School” with “Skhole”, but suspected it may invite many references to mis-spellings by the Bash Street Kids in the British Beano comic, but then humour is so important. I may use that word yet :-)

There is the Yiddish word “Shul”, said to be from a Germanic and probably ancient Gaul word which is for a place of learning that is much more serious than as a place of leisure. I do not think we’ll use that.

In ancient Sumerian times, the earliest of scribing there is a word that “scholars” say sounds like é-dub-ba-a and sort of translates as “in this place we start with the letter “a”, and was therefore a name for a school then. Hmm, we will not use that name either, especially as the Ogham alphabet starts with B, beith.

The Ogham Language?

I both love and despise the Ogham language. Its connection to tree wisdom and links to ancient mystery make the Ogham language a fascination and draw for people to Ireland, especially to our area where it was first taught in Ireland.

The outside of our labyrinth garden spells the Ogham language with trees.

I’ll write an adaption from the ancient Auraicept na N-Eces text on the origins of Ogham.

What are the place, time, person, and cause of the invention of the Ogham (Ogam)?

In the time of Bres, son of Elatha king of Ireland, was the time it came to Ireland and was adapted for here. Its person of introduction and teaching was Ogma son’ of Elatha, son of Delbaeth, brother to Bres.

Ogma was a harper bard well skilled in speech and in poetry, and developed the Ogham language from Sumerian and Babylonian, maybe also Hitite, scripting, as a means of musical notation. Alas, to put music into notation takes away its bardic communication spirit.

The ingenuity of the Ogham language was then developed by Ogma as a means of capturing speech from a moment of time so that moment of time may be learned by others and spread to others exactly as scribed, or in early days, exactly as hand, arm and body gestured.

This brought about a system of learning where people could elevate themselves to a “higher order” that excluded rustics and herdsmen until they dedicated their lives to learning this exact language.

What is the first name that was written by Ogham, in what letter it was written, and why is b the first letter of the Ogham alphabet?

Ogham from Ogma, was first invented in respect to individual sounds in relation to matter. Bardic poets began to preserve moments of time of their poetry so that the same words can be used again by either themselves or others. Of course, this led to the early days of detaching from the true spirit of bardic inspiration and into bardic performance from script. Having said that, the Gaelic language, for a long long time, remained the main language of poets while the Ogham language became the language of scribes, and later, through evolved alphabets, the printers texts.

It is said that the father of the Ogham language was Ogma, but the mother of the Ogham language was the guided hand, then later the scribing knife of Ogma.

It is said that the first thing scribed by Ogma was the letter “b”, and its remarkable that the anglicised name of the tree of that letter today also begins with “b”, Birch.

It is said Ogma inscribed the letter as a warning to Lugh to be kind to his wife, his Cailleach, his link to the goddess or she will be taken away from him into faeryland, and with seven “b’s” be ordered to receive seven strokes of the Birch. Ogma ordered that women will be protected from mistreatment by their men with a birch. If their men failed to honour the birch they will be punished with it.

That is why the “b”, now Birch, takes precedence over the entire Ogham alphabet, for it is in birch that Ogham was also first written into.

So we begin with “b” for birch to protect women on earth, then came “L” for Luis, the mountain ash, the Rowan, the tree of Morrigan, the tree of courage, virility, bravery and focus on men. Luis from Li sula, meaning delight of eye, the quicken tree, the tree of flame, with every berry hiding the star of David, the Deravid, the Druid, below.

It is to the flaming tree the men, the stewards of earth call upon, to also learn how to be at one with the Beith, the Birch. And so, the Ogham language formed into union into a circle to capture moments of time and archive them and eventually be texts.

I believe Texts are to Inspire, not Teach

I treat texts like maps, as signs of tracks, that are wonderful records of alignment to any place or thought we may find ourselves in. They are the words of people who have been here before and what they discovered, saw, sensed and recorded.

At our Celtic Bards School we invite you to create more tracks for people to refer to, create more texts and today we can also add photography and video that capture moments of time.

This text, itself, is a map, maybe a psychic or dream map that we hope will inspire some of you to come here, and then let the inspiration of land, nature and the greater spirit to take over and charge up your bard within.

To keep it simple, this is a place to respond, write, photograph, film

and even perform and publish

These tasks will bring you back on track into your own story rather than live within the stories of others and trapping them into their own, often destructive, bubbles.

The Stage?

Though I have already written about this, I think I’ll hold off due to the vast input here.

“Finding Your Celtic Story From The Land”
“and its Ancient Sacred Sites”

is my book in progress, release date is Samhain, this year, 2009

In addition to expansion of info above there will be lots of hands on suggestions and recipes such as making Brigid's crosses, labyrinths, tree crafts, straw crafts, and all crafts as tools to explore and express the bard within rather than just make things that “look nice”.

There will be all kinds of tree wisdom, geology wisdom and spiritual guides wisdom such as insight and encouragement for the fairies, angels, goddesses, gods, and even “Harveys” that many of us have, keep secret and too hidden. Several humourous stories on that theme to share too.

A bit about tracing both your recent and ancient Irish ancestry included to.

Publishing price will be €20 plus shipping, with a limited time post publishing discount of €15 plus shipping.

Review : Robin Williamson - Moytura on Moytura

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Fri, 29 May 2009 17:19:09 PDT

After breakfast Robin commenced …

Ever dear to me
The silent place in the
heart of hearts ever
Where time began, begins
and will begin

Ever dear to me
The silent place amid
the holy mother of oceans
in the land of souls where the
gates of the world await
who ever dares them

Oh, May that primary silence
be that source of the voice in me
that I raise now in the name of the maker of all

I make reverence to the ancestors
and the spirits of the unborn as I begin
May it bring good to whomsoever may here it

This teaching tale from ancient Ireland
This tale from the magic lower of Erin
This tale of the Deeds of the Tuatha De Dannan

The Bard Visits

Robin Williamson, founder of The Incredible String Band in the 60s, Merry Band in the 70s, singer harpist troubadour in the 80s, storyteller and chief of the Order of Bards, Druids and Ovates in the 90s, and a combination of all these since the millennium …. came back to his Celtic roots to share a set of Gems Of Celtic Story, The Deeds of The Tuatha De Dannan, on the ancient sites of Moytura, Co. Sligo, where most of his set of stories actually happened.

This event was also launching our Celtic Bards School, a place where anyone can learn from the bards, become bards, and be led to those ancient silent places in the lands of souls who are always open to engage, inspire and restore those who visit them.

The Journey to Moytura

As we were not a Lough Corrib, the first tales were told from the hearth of our cottage

The Dwellers of Ancient Times

The First Battle Of Moytura

The Birth Of Bres The Beautiful

and from our Two Worlds labyrinth garden Diancecht, Miach and the 365 herbs of healing

Onto Lugh’s Seat above Moytura

On our way to Lugh’s seat was a stop to the vulva caves of Morrigan, on the end of Ceis Coarran Mountain, then a stop by a bridge of a beautiful part of the River Unshin, Morrigan’s River, where a family of two swans with nine cygnets huddled together and fed.

Robin shared his tale of Dagda and the Morrigan, and the bed of Morrigan that conceived the Birth Of Bhride.

Soon, along a winding road hill rising above and away the Lough Arrow, from the waters of Morrigan, named after her daughter Bhride, the Fiery Arrow, we parked to hike the remainder of our climb.

Towering over the 360 degree vista around where Lugh once watched the battle of Moytura raise to victory and from where he spied the approaching Balor of The Evil Eye.

All of Moytura and the mystical landscapes clearly seen around. Robin was clearly moved by being there.

The spirit of Lugh’s Seat fired burning spirit through every cell and vibration of Robin Williamson as he passionately shared and engaged us in his stories of

The Birth Of Lugh

Lugh at the Gates of Tara

and the Kingship of Lugh The Lamh Fada, the long arm.

We were all moved and lifted to a state of fearlessness and joy. After the tales shared a silent glimpse and pastel colours of the lakes and mountains that surrounded us through this special moment of being passed through a circle of time and back again.

The Well Of Dian Cecht and Lake Of The Eye

Robin reminded us of the Formorians each carrying a stone to not only fill Diancecht’s well but created a mount over it too. After some time of quiet in this cairns surrounded of daises and other wild flowers.

Robin then shared with us some tales of Dagda

Dagda and the Porridge

Dagda and the daughter of Indech

We then moved onto Lough na Sool, the lake of the eye, where Balor’s Eye fell, created a hole in the earth and up spouted a lake. We could see over to Lugh’s Seat where we had come from

From here Robin shared with us the full tale of

The Second Battle Of Moytura

The Stanes Of Samhain, The Eglone Stone

Our last site of Moytura was a line of huge volcanic stones that locals call Balor’s Teeth, but storytellers call the Stones Of Samhain, and each Halloween some people still celebrate around its largest pillar shaped stone, The Eglone Stone

Here Robin completed his final tale of The Deeds Of The Tuatha De Dannan,

The Stone of Destiny

Farewell To Music

As a thank-you to Robin we completed the journey at the remains of Kilronan Abbey where bard, Turlough O’Carolan lays to rest. Here Robin had a quiet moment and played two of O’Carolan’s tunes on his harp with passion and gratitude

Loftus Jones

Farewell To Music

For Robin this was a moving thanks you to the spirit of a past bard that had guided him

A few of the travellers finished with some quiet time by Lasir’s well of vision before we set off to share a picnic lunch at our Celtic Bard’s School cottage.

Bringing Moytura To The Present

After lunch Robin led us through an afternoon of symbols workshop, which included a very detailed mythological formation of the Celtic Cross and a very moving meditation. I usually groan when people ask us to close their eyes and be led into meditation but Robin Williamson does this so, so remarkably well! We were all taken to another place and back again.

We then took a two hour evening meal break, though many of our travellers had to return as some were from Achill Island, Connemara and Belfast. Robin and his driver, went for a hidden pub meal while the rest of us went to Ballaghboy Lodge.

We returned to the cottage for an evening intimate concert, where more folks joined us.

…… and the concert to finish

We shared a long very entertaining story, with harp music, of more story of Conal Croppy

A song on harp, I think called “Doolin Shore”

On guitar Robin then performed

“Just Like A River”

“Jordan Is A Hard Road”

“Loan Of A Glass Of Beer”

“The Fair”

“Billy And The Scrapper”

Wow! Quite a full, stunning 12 hour day! much better and much more fulfilling than I ever expected.

Would you like to become a bard or share ancient inspirational sites with bards?

Find out about out Celtic Bards School

You can purchase, from us,

Gems Of Celtic Story – Vol. Three

A Tale of The Deeds of the Tuatha De Dannan

told by Robin Williamson

Following The Animals

noreply@blogger.com (John of Celtic Ways) — Mon, 25 May 2009 10:23:52 PDT

Today the cat is well

A few days ago a neighbour’s cat was lying in a basket, sniffling and choking leaving us with a wonder of what was ailing the cat, was it just a cat flu, and how the ailment may develop. I may be wrong, but somehow I don’t think the cat was thinking those things.

I would think the cat was fully aware of its condition and made the most of it, through each moment, calling upon all it could for strength and continuity. A few days later, the cat was up and about prowling around our garden labyrinth as if no illness had happened, and if it had, it was of the past and had no reference to the current action in the labyrinth.

The cat, as usual, was living in the NOW… no grudges, no motives beyond the next minute or so, just experiencing life to the full with sense perceptions all alert, and I imagine a bit of inner contented fun too.

Can we be like that cat?

Of all of the Celtic, and all shamanistic mythologies, I love the changeling stories the best.

This is not exclusive to some distant shaman that we may spend $100s or $1000s buying cds, dvds, books and workshops to learn from as most of us are changelings without realising it.

Most common is going up to a dog, imagining we are a dog with a bit of smiling silliness, as an attempt to make friends. We approach cats by arousing all of our sensuasness to get the “snooty, standoffish” cat’s attention. We get alert and even psychic as we attempt to get entry into the mystical world of the horse behind its bold challenging yet luring eyes. With the horse, and the cow, we either choose to surf the beam of its eyes and become one or stay coldly human, show our fear and develop a possible dangerous situation as our sense of their threat actually translates as us being a threat to the horse or cow.

Animals are part of the surface of this earth, just like we are, but somehow we cannot accept this as we are blinded by a need to plan, organise and control. Where did we get this instinct from, surely not from nature of this earth?

Like all humans I love to do a bit of planning, arranging things, and try to make things happen within a certain time frame, time being a total and very handy human invention. I could not run a travel and guiding service without some of this, and being on a PC is a total manifestation of design, planning, arranging and control. Its why a cat does not use a PC, even though they seem to try to sometimes.

Animals around, I find, are lovely teachers to remind us where we are rather than where we think we should be, because thats how they live. Dogs remind us how to love, cats remind us how to serve, horses remind us of patience, flow and respect and wild animals forever teach us lessons of negotiation and tolerance.

and we survive, thanks to the birds

Ancient faiths were not based on idols and “god chosen” leaders but largely on the teaching of birds. Many of our ceremonies such as weddings, and the now almost extinct rituals of mating engagement came from the instinctive rituals of some birds. Defence, especially martial arts, largely came from the movements of birds, and then the rituals of nesting, birthing and raising young are so much like the birds more than the animals.

Maybe we did come from somewhere else and we have this instinct to look above just in case someone passes by to take us home. Maybe its birds in flight that inspires us to believe they can teach us how to be above the earth.

An almost dead, but so, so important ritual, is the taking of first harvest up a mountain at Lunasa to feed to the birds, who are believed to either be messengers of the goddesses or the goddesses themselves. As much as we know about agriculture and horticulture its always that special ingredient of fertility, synthesis and growth that’s in the control of the greater spirit that we see as goddesses or God. Our own bodies were created and maintained in the same way.

I need reminders

I am very lucky being around a lot of nature, plants, trees, animals and all kinds of birds, Each day I get caught up in very human things like getting irritated when plans do not work as visualised, worrying about what will be or what might not be, obsessed with getting something just right instead of moving onto something more fun. Fortunately, each day I also often ask, “How would the bird do this? What would the cat think of this? Would this be better for the plant, the tree?”

I find this very balancing and much more effective than calling on an idol or human by prayer, though I think the imaginary friend as guide is ok, and our very own “Harvey” (James Stewart) even better, but that’s another article.

This is home

Maybe we came from somewhere else and for 1000s of years built pyramids, tall standing stones, church spires, tallest buildings, and tall sculptures like that huge needle in the middle of Dublin that I swear was built to let all the heroin addicts know where to meet and score. Isn’t heroin and those other drugs an attempted path to the skies? – what a parallel!

I feel somewhere else is a false and heartbreaking illusion. This is home now, among the plants, trees, fishes, animals, birds and bugs, and if you open your heart they are not challenging you to become extinct and to go away but to be part of their present, much more than their future. By joining their present they have endless lessons to teach with absolutely no “learning curve” needed.

The Deeds of the Tuatha De Dannan to be shared by Robin Williamson this Thursday, May 28^th, will be a wonderful day of personal transition from being a member of a distant audience into a world where the ancient tales are actually of the world now, where the animals, plants and trees will guide you on.

Do come and join us Thursday, at any time convenient for you.