Poetry, Music and Ritual

A Woman Spirit Ireland Event

Bealtaine, May 1^st, is one of the four great Celtic cross quarter days.  Celebrations traditionally begin on the eve of the feast and continue into May 1^st.  Bealtaine has undergone many transformations and this one-day event ‒  on April 21^st ‒ will present some of the latest findings.  We will reflect on our ancient cultural roots, contemporary manifestations of the festival, and imagine ways of reclaiming the festival for our times.

The overall aim of the Study Day is to offer resources to those who wish to celebrate Bealtaine in their homes, parishes, schools, and local communities.

The format will comprise lectures, music, dance, ritual, and sharing of traditions gathered from amongst participants.

Resource Persons

Sean Ó Duinn: Sean Ó Duinn is a monk of Glenstal Abbey, and author of many books on Celtic ritual, folklore, prayers and customs.  His latest book is In Search of the Awesome Mystery, which explores the many faces of “Celtic” culture from the early megalithic period through to the present day.  This work reflects and builds on the latest findings of archaeo-astronomy by Anthony Murphy and his colleagues (who presented at our Imbolc Study Day) and relates those findings to folklore and traditional seasonal ritual practices.  Sean Ó Duinn’s previous books include The Rites of Brigid: Goddess and Saint, and Where Three Streams Meet, all published by Columba Press.    

Nóirín Ní Ríain: Musician, singer and theologian, Nóirín Ní Riain is author of Theosony, a book which “proposes a rich imaginative, refreshing new way of listening for and interpreting the Divine ‘sound of sheer silence’.  From Socrates, through Abraham, Jesus Christ, and Patrick, the most powerful connection between humanity and the Divine was and is through the ear”. Nóirín has performed all over the world; one of her latest engagements was on the occasion of the Dalai Lama’s visit to Ireland.  Nóirín’s website: http://www.theosony.com/

Dr. Margaret MacCurtain, Chairperson: The distinguished historian and Dominican Sister, Dr. Margaret MacCurtain will chair the event, and host a discussion among all participants: What does all this mean for us today?

Event Co-ordinator:  Mary Condren, director of Woman Spirit Ireland, and author of the Serpent and the Goddess: Women, Religion and Power in Celtic Ireland, as well as many articles and a forthcoming book on Brigit (New Island Books).

Date:   Saturday, April 21^st

Time:  9:30 for a 10:00 am start  Ends: 5/6:00 pm

Venue: Catherine McAuley Centre, 23 Lr. Herbert Street, Dublin. (On the right, just past Baggot St. Bridge going into town).

Catering: Tea/coffee will be provided, but please bring a packed lunch.

Registration

Our fee structure aims to reflect the many different circumstances of people today.

Early Bird Option:  Register by April 10^th and you can use our Early Bird Option: €55.00 regular; €35 concession

Regular: €70:00.  For registrations after April 10th

Supporter: €100. A supporter registration allows us to offer concessions to those on low income.

Concessions: €45:00 A limited number of concessions will be available to full-time students and those whose sole income is Social Welfare. Woman Spirit Ireland is a non-profit and self-supporting organisation. If possible, therefore, please first apply to your organisation or congregation.

Register Online: Please go to our webpage  www.instituteforfeminismandreligion.org and use the “Donate” button on the right-hand side. Your payment will be accepted as registration, and confirmation will be sent to you by email.

By Post: Send your cheque or PO to: Woman Spirit Ireland, 30A Parkhill Rise, Kilnamanagh, Dublin 24. Please include your name, address, email and telephone numbers in any correspondence.

Further info:  womanspiritireland@gmail.com

Woman Spirit Ireland is a new trading name for the Institute for Feminism and Religion, a feminist, non-profit, educational charitable company. Please see our website for further details, and join our email list for future notifications: www.womanspiritireland.com

Merovee
Guerin

Tiny Crosses

The traditional cross is made from either
field or lake rushes.

Made from field rushes, it loses its
freshness as it dries.

The lake rushes are more sturdy, and the
cross a bit bigger.

I also found a way to make a cross which
looks from the front exactly like the traditional cross but has the advantage
to keep its shape when finished. it comes from the maori tradition. 

Field Rushes

For the Brigit celebrations the rushes are pulled (not cut). One does not need a lot of rushes never more than 40).  So I think it is worth pulling them with awareness.

Place your hand very low on the stem of the rush and pull steadily.  When the rush does not break it has a beautiful white/cream/yellow part which contrasts nicely with the deep green.  I often use this for effect in a cross.

Field rushes are the rushes one can see in any field.  But in February it is difficult to find beautiful rushes as they are often burnt by the gales.

Sometimes one might be lucky and find rushes tucked in the hedge at the edge of a field, or in a low part away from the wind.

In general I go to the forest.  It needs to be low lands forestry.  There are often big ditches in the forestry and there, are the lush rushes which will be pliable.

Wear wellies and gloves.

Enjoy!

Harvesting Lake
Rushes

Lake rushes must be harvested in June or July.  Do not leave too late as they lose
their pliability and get spotted.Find a lake with shallow water.  The rushes grow in 2 feet the water.  Cut the rush as low as possible.

I usually bring a rope which floats on the water and keep the cut rushes together. Dry rushes in a well aired area. Turn them from time to time.  Keep away from direct
sun.

Store in a dry place.

Before using the rushes I usually lay them in water for a few minutes and wrap them in  plastic to allow the water to soften the outside fibres and make the rush more pliable.

Go with someone.  Someone stays on the shore.

Wear some kind of foot protection.

Have fun.

A Woman Spirit Ireland Event

January 31^st/ February 1^st marks one
of the great ancient Irish feasts of Imbolc
and the feast day of Brigit: Goddess, Saint, and Holy Wise Woman. This one-day event ‒  on January 14^th ‒ will present some of the latest findings on our ancient
cultural roots and offer resources to those who wish to celebrate Imbolc/Brigit in their homes and local
communities.

Professor Séamas Ó
Catháin: Author of many articles and the groundbreaking book: The Festival of Brigit: Celtic goddess and
Holy Woman. Séamas will present his latest findings on Brigit’s roots in
Old European ritual, myth, and symbol.

Anthony Murphy:  Co-author of Island of the Setting Sun: In Search of Ireland’s Ancient Astronomers.  Anthony will present his latest
unpublished findings on the cosmological relationship between several Brigit sites, and discuss the possible
implications for our understanding of the spirituality and religion of ancient
Ireland.

Meroveé Guerin: Community
artist, Meroveé Guerin, who has facilitated Brigit cross and crios/girdle making and
research with Woman Spirit Ireland for
almost twenty years, will facilitate
a crios making workshop in which
participants can make a crios to take home and use with their
families or community groups to celebrate rites of initiation, transition, and
seasonal changes. Materials will be supplied, but participants might wish to
bring precious cloths to weave into the girdle. The crios is one of Ireland’s most ancient ritual objects and was used
by Wise Women and Saint Brigit in her
healing ministry. Material for one crios is
included in registration. Extras may
be available at additional cost.

Chairperson: The
distinguished historian and Dominican Sister, Dr. Margaret MacCurtain will
chair the event, and host a discussion among all participants: What does all this mean for us today?

Event Co-ordinator:  Mary
Condren, director of Woman Spirit Ireland,
and author of the Serpent and the
Goddess: Women, Religion and Power in Celtic Ireland, as well as many
articles and a forthcoming book on Brigit
(New Island Books).  Mary has resourced Brigit Festivals in Ireland and abroad for over twenty years.  In this event, she will outline the Old
European roots of the crios and its
use in celebrations throughout the world.

Date and Time: Saturday,
January 14^th. 9:30 for a 10:00 am start.  Ends:
5/6:00 pm

Venue: Catherine
McAuley Centre, 23 Lr. Herbert Street, Dublin. (On the right, just past Baggot St. Bridge going into town).

Catering: Tea/coffee
will be provided, but please bring a packed lunch.

Registration

Our fee structure aims
to reflect the many different circumstances of people today.

Regular: €70:00.  Supporter:
€100. A supporter registration allows
us to offer concessions to those on low income. (Brigit’s main virtue was
generosity).

Concessions: €40:00 A
limited number of concessions available to full-time students and those whose
sole income is Social Welfare. Woman Spirit Ireland is a non-profit and self-supporting
organisation. If possible, therefore, please first apply to your organisation
or congregation.

Resource Packet: A
Resource Packet of background
material on Imbolc/Brigit may be available on the day for those who book them in
advance. Permissions are still being sought. Details/cost to come.

Register Online: Please
go to our webpage:  www.instituteforfeminismandreligion.org.
(Please use the “Donate” button on the right hand side). Your payment will be
accepted as registration, and confirmation will be sent to you by email.

By Post: Send your
cheque or PO to: Woman Spirit Ireland, 30A Parkhill Rise, Kilnamanagh, Dublin 24.
Please include your name, address, email and telephone numbers in any
correspondence.

Further info:  womanspiritireland@gmail.com

Woman Spirit Ireland is
a new trading name for the Institute for Feminism and Religion, a feminist, non-profit,
educational charitable company. Please see our website for further details, and
join our email list for future notifications: www.instituteforfeminismandreligion.org.

New Autumn Series, starting Monday, October 3^rd

At this time of spiritual, economic and political crisis, where do we find hope?

What might ancient female wisdom sources have to teach us? How do we create new images, symbols, art forms and events that challenge the dominant worldview? How do we empower women to become agents of change, bridging the gap between the parental values of the home and the greedy values of the marketplace?

In this series, we will search some ancient Irish texts for sources of wisdom, specifically interrogating texts concerning the images of Virgins, Mothers and Crones. Our material will include Celtic myths, Celtic cosmology, ecology, Lives of saints, pilgrimage, laws, and wisdom literature.

Our hope is that both women and men might find more healthy ways of relating and contributing to new forms of spirituality, politics, and economics.

The series will include storytelling, role plays, films, talks, and group discussion. Material will be circulated in advance to facilitate discussion, especially for those unfamiliar with these sources. This series will be an ideal opportunity for those unfamiliar with the richness of our Celtic past to become familiar with the original sources, where to find them, how to interpret them, and how to use them creatively ‒ in community groups, classrooms, or in academic or therapeutic settings to address present day concerns.

Material will be made available in advance online. Extra photocopying may be made available at small extra charge.

Topics to be Covered

• Cosmology and Celtic roots: connecting with heritage andplace
• The wisdom of the Cailleach at Samhain
• Voices of women in Celtic mythology: Morrígain, Fedelm, Emer, Macha, Deirdre
• Brigit: healer, poet and Soulsmith
• Brigit in the cosmology of early Ireland
• Early Irish saints and pilgrimages: the nature of the divine and the divine in nature.
• Ita, Samthann, Monenna: Neglected women of Irish herstory

Resource persons

Nuala Ahern ‒ Green activist, former MEP, and co-founder of Mythic Links: (www.mythiclinks.com)

Nellie Curtin ‒  Psychotherapist, social worker, with many years of experience resourcing Celtic rituals.

Eunice McCarthy: Former Professor of Psychology at UCD, and is well known for her contribution to social psychology and socialactivism.

Margaret MacCurtain: Longstanding activist on feminist and women’s issues, and author of many articles and books, Margaret MacCurtain is former lecturer in history at UCD, and a Dominican Sister.

Anthony Murphy, author of Island of the Setting Sun (with Richard Moore), currently working on the cosmology of Brigit sites.

Anne F. O’Reilly, author of Sacred Play:Soul Journeys in Contemporary Irish Theatre (Carysfort Press 2004), and Singing from the Belly of the Whale (2009), ”Forge us anew”: Brigit as healer, poet and soulsmith.  (www.bluehorsemusings.com). 

Series Co-ordinator: Mary Condren, Director of the Institute for Feminism and Religion; author of The Serpent and the Goddess: Women, Religion and Power in Celtic Ireland, and Brigit: Soulsmith for our Time (forthcoming). http://www.tcd.ie/cgws/staff/mcondren.php

Venue:  Catherine McAuley Centre, 23 Lr. Herbert Street, Dublin 1. (Near Baggot Street Bridge).

Dates: Mondays 7:30 – 9:30, Starting October 3^rd  Ten weeks, (excluding the Bank Holiday, October 31st).

Regular
Fee:   €175:00    Deposit, €50.00

Concessions:
 €100:00:   Deposit €30:00.  Fees include tea/coffee, biscuits each evening

Limited number of concessions available to full students and SW recipients.

Register on Line: Click the “Donate” button: http://instituteforfeminismandreligion.org/ (located on the right hand side bar of this website) ->

OR

Please send registration fee to this address

WomanSpiritIreland 30A Parkhill Rise, Kilnamanagh, Dublin 24

Further Enquiries:  Please email:  Womanspiritoreland@gmail.com OR instfr@gmail.com

The Institute for Feminism and Religion is an independent educational company with charitable status.

Please consult our website for our background and updates: www.instituteforfeminismandreligion.org 

Women of Spirit

Inspiring Foremothers: Leading Change

The medieval mystics, according to historians, constituted, ‘the greatest intrusion of women in church history.” Long before the women’s liberation movements, inspired by social commitments, spiritual philosophies and theologies, our foremothers founded organizations, hospitals, schools, social services and movements that radically changed the lives of many. According to Mary T. Malone, “Circumstances are now right for another such intrusion.” This series aims to draw on the courage and commitment of our foremothers, to inspire the present, and forge the future. Each evening will comprise a full presentation, followed by discussion groups and a period of reflection/ meditation.   

Eva Gore Booth

The sister of Constance Markievicz, Eva Gore Booth worked with prostitutes and flower sellers, and educated the early British suffragists. She also wrote a brilliant 323 page reflection on St. John’s Gospel. Monday, Feb. 28^th

Presented by Mary Condren, Director of the Institute for Feminism and Religion. Series Coordinator

Hildegaard of Bingen

The wisdom of twelfth century Benedictine Abbess,  Hildegard von Bingen, has much to say to our troubled society and to our own personal struggles. Apothecary, ecologist, cosmologist, playwright, preacher, musician, teacher, prophet and visionary, this extraordinary woman has largely been ignored in theological, musical and artistic circles and this evening’s explorations will seek to retrieve her rightful place in history. Monday, March 7^th
Presented by Nóirín Ní Riain who has for many years, been singing Hildegardian chant internationally, taking the lead role, Anima, in the first morality play every written and frequently lecturing on her theology and musical corpus.

Margaret Anna Cusack

A re-evaluation of her life and work. This feisty woman was a community leader political activist author and founder of a religious institution has a lot to teach us about the relationship of women and leadership and authority, especially church authority. Her spirit may sustain us as we struggle with the same issues in the 21st century. Monday, March 14^th

Presented by Joy Powell, theologian and healthcare chaplain who did her dissertation on Margaret Anna Cusack.

Medieval Mystics

The Medieval Women Mystics constituted, according to male historians, ‘the greatest intrusion of women in church history’. Circumstances are ripe for another intrusion. This evening we will examine the nature of such intrusions. Monday, March 21st

Presented by Mary T. Malone who returned to Ireland after teaching feminist history and theology in Canada for over thirty years.  

Madeleine Sophie Barat  1779-1865

Life out of the ashes:  Madeleine Sophie Barat, 1779-1865.  March 28^th

Presented by historian, Phil Kilroy, author of Madeleine Sophie Barat. A Life (Cork UP, 2000). Vol 2 of the biography is due to be published this year.

Anna Wheeler, 1785-1847  

“The path full of thorns’: exploring the ideas of a cooperative feminist.”  Born in Tipperary where she educated herself with languages, philosophy and political theory. She married and had two children before leaving her husband and taking children to London. She quickly became actively involved in the Cooperative, Socialist Movement. Having met with William Thompson (Co. Cork) she became his muse and collaborator in the Cooperative Movement in England, France and Ireland. A central product of their collaboration was a treatise: Appeal of One Half the Human Race (1825) where Thompson acknowledges her inspiration and convictions about the social, legal, religious and economic influences that leave women in an oppressed state with her moral self undermined. Monday, April 4^th

Presented by Dolores Dooley. Born in Chicago. Moved to Ireland in 1974. Took up post at UCC in Dept of Philosophy. Retired from UCC after 30 yrs lecturing in Women’s Studies, Philosophy and Health Care Ethics (Nursing and Medicine). Moved to Dublin in 2007 and continues to lecture in MSc in Healthcare Ethics and Law at RCSI. Chair of National Bioethics Council until 2010. Most recent collaboration was production of 8 ethics modules for the Irish Hospice Foundation on ‘End of Life Care’.

Edel Quinn and Her Times

Monday, April 11^h

Presented by Margaret MacCurtain, retired feminist historian and author of many articles and books on feminist history.

Catherine McAuley

Catherine McAuley emerged out of a distinct social economic background, where women’s voices were barely heard because of massive social, cultural and political constraints. Catherine responded by using her considerable financial resources to build a women’s community movement for the benefit of women and girls. Monday, April 18^th

Presented by Margaret Roche, consultant facilitator/trainer: life coaching and personal development. Chairwoman of 103.2 Dublin City fm, she has a great interest in making documentaries the latest being “Beyond the Veil” which celebrates the work of women religious in our community.   

Course Registration Form: Women of Spirit: Inspiring Foremothers

Name

Address:

Email:

Phone:

Signature:

Registration Fee

Regular Fee for entire series:       I enclose  €100:00

Concession Rate: I wish to apply for the concession rate on the following grounds …….: 

I enclose   €50.00 euro

Individual sessions may be attended for a fee of 20 euro per night. However, advance registration is strongly advised to ensure space availability and a copy of any resources prepared by the presenter on the night.

I wish to attend the following sessions: (Please enclose 20 euro for each individual session)

1.     Eva Gore Booth, Feb. 28^th

2.     Hildegaard of Bingen, March 7^th

3.     Margaret Anna Cusack, March 14^th

4.     Medieval Mystics, March 21^st

5.     Madeleine Sophie Barat, March 28^th

6.     Anna Wheeler, April 4^th

7.     Edel Quinn, April 11^th

8.     Catherine McAuley, April 18^th

Registration: Please send registration fee to this address:   Institute for Feminism and Religion, 30A Parkhill Rise, Kilnamanagh, Dublin 24. Alternatively, you may pay through the Paypal  facility on our website: www.instituteforfeminismandreligion.org. (Use the Donate facility)

Venue:  Catherine McAuley Centre, 23 Lr. Herbert Street, Dublin 1. (Near Baggot Street Bridge).

Time/ Dates: Mondays 7:30 – 9:30, Starting February 28^th Eight weeks.

Each evening will comprise a full presentation, followed by discussion groups and a period of reflection/ meditation.

Eva Gore Booth, presented by Mary Condren, .Director of the Institute for Feminism and Religion. Course Coordinator

Hildegaard of Bingen, presented by Noirín Ni Ríain, musician, theologian.

Medieval Mystics: presented by Mary T. Malone who returned to Ireland after teaching feminist history and theology in Canada for over thirty years.

Margaret Anna Cusack, presented by Joy Powell, theologian and chaplain

Anna Wheeler, presented by Dolores Dooley. Retired philosopher, University College Cork.

Madeleine Sophie Barat 1779-1863, presented by historian, Phil Kilroy. Edel Quinn and Her Times: presented by Margaret MacCurtain, retired feminist historian.

Catherine McAuley, presented by Margaret Roche, consultant facilitator/trainer: life coaching and personal development.

Venue: Catherine McAuley Centre, 23 Lr. Herbert Street, Dublin 1. (Near Baggot Street Bridge).
Dates: Mondays 7:30 – 9:30, Starting February 28th Eight weeks.
Regular Fee: €100:00 Concessions: Limited number of concessions available to full time students and SW recipients. €50.00
Further Enquiries: Please email instfr@gmail.com. Send a telephone number if you wish to speak to one of our organisers.

Course Registration Form  - PDF

Imbolc: Stirring Into New Life

Brigit with her white wand is said to breathe life into the mouth of the dead Winter and to open our eyes to the tears and the smiles, the sighs and the laughter of Spring. (Alexander Carmichael).

In this weekend event, we will experience the quickening energy of Imbolc and nourish Brigit’s energy (the neart) in ourselves while we gather the seeds of our Spring dreams. Imbolc marks the beginning of Spring in the Celtic calendar, and is traditionally a time when Brigit is celebrated as goddess, saint, poet, healer, and smith worker.

Workshop Content

Awakening ancestral memories of Imbolc, by telling stories of Brigit, the feminine soul of Old Europe.

Drawing on their strength for our healing journeys, by connecting with our BodySouls through movement, art, voice work and ritual.

Exploring the relevance of Brigit’s traditions for this time of spiritual and global crisis.

Facilitators

Mary Condren is author of The Serpent and the Goddess and forthcoming book on Brigit of Ireland: Spirit of Old Europe. She is director of the Institute for Feminism and Religion (www.instituteforfeminismandreligion.com) and has trained in Leadership in the BodySoul Rhythms Programme of the Marion Woodman Foundation. She teaches at the Centre for Gender and Women’s Studies, Trinity College Dublin.

Marian Dunlea, Jungian analyst, facilitates groups in BodySoul work in Ireland and abroad and has had a psychotherapy practice for over 30 years. She draws on her experience as a Jungian Analyst, facilitating BodySoul Rhythms Workshops with the Marion Woodman Foundation and her training in Trauma Work with the Foundation for Somatic Experiencing of Peter Levine. www.mariandunlea.com

Mérovée Guerin is an artist living in the west of Ireland, seeking inspiration from the land/seascape and the cycles of nature. She works as a community artist and encourages creating art in ways of being. She facilitates workshops rediscovering the pleasures and single-mindedness of children. Art is a tool to connect to the Life-Force and allows us to become a tool of the Life-Force.

Mary, Marian and Mérovée have each facilitated Brigit festivals in Ireland and abroad for over 20 years.

Venue: St. Michael’s Nursing School, Dunlaoire, Co. Dublin

Dates: Friday 28 January – Sunday January 30 2011

Times:

Friday: 6:30pm – 9:00pm
Saturday: 9:30am – 5:00pm (full day)
Sunday: 9:00am-  1.00pm (half day)

Directions: (Sent on registration)

Registration

Registration: €250.00. Early bird registration €225, by January 15 2011.

A number of bursaries will be available to make this workshop accessible in the current climate. Please apply early for a bursary to mariandunleaworkshops@gmail.com.

Cost includes teas/coffees. Participants may bring a packed lunch for Saturday or there are many restaurants in the immediate vicinity. Further practical information available upon registration.

Register by posting Registration form (pdf) with your cheque to address below:

Noelle Coyle
Workshop Administrator
Chestnut Cottage, Ballyvaughan, Co Clare

Please make cheques payable to Marian Dunlea.

Further Enquires: mariandunleaworkshops@gmail.com

We held a similar event last year, but this year our focus will be especially on the theme: “Brigit as Soulsmith for Our Times”. A special feature of the event will be the latest research findings on an aspect of Brigit seldom covered in the usual sources: Brigit’s weaver’s staff, symbol of her female centred spiritual authority.

Our aims are several:

• To explore the thealogy of Brigit’s traditions as they are found in her rituals, folklore, and Lives of the Christian saint
• To highlight the distinctiveness of these traditions as they continue to speak to us in these times of grave spiritual crisis
• To provide resources and training in how to recuperate our ancestral memories around the festival of Brigit/ Imbolc on February 1st.
• To encourage participants, community activists, and teachers to hold celebrations in their own schools, areas and homes and to spread Brigit’s cloak far and wide.

We will ask these questions:

• What images and artefacts of Imbolc and Brigit speak to us today?
• How do you make a Brigit’s crosses, Crios, Brídeog?
• What songs and dances can easily be taught to a group?
• What makes for effective ritual experiences in terms of comfort, safety, and engagement?

The event will be held in the Catherine McAuley Centre on Herbert Street, (around the corner from Baggot Street) beginning at 10:30 for coffee, with a definite start at 11:00. We will aim to finish by 5:00 at the latest.

Please bring: Comfortable clothing suitable for movement; a packed lunch; something for taking notes.

Registration: Fee for the day, includes tea/coffee, photocopied resource packet, CD of songs and chants for you to learn and teach.

Early Bird Full fee: €60.00. Concessions, SW and full time students. €35.00. (Early bird date: January 8th 2011)

Registration on the Day: €75:00: To guarantee a resource packet and CD on the day, please register in advance.

Facilitator: Mary Condren author of the Serpent and the Goddess: Women, Religion and Power in Celtic Ireland, and a forthcoming book: Brigit of Ireland: Female Spirit of Old Europe, and director of IFR.

Send registration fee to this address:
IFR, 30A Parkhill Rise, Kilnamanagh, Dublin 25.

Make cheques out to Institute for Feminism and Religion.

Or register online here.

Fees

Full Fee €60.00 SW and full time student €35.00

Not in Ireland? A limited number of copies of our resource packet and CD can be made available in return for a donation to the work of IFR. Please contribute through Paypal, if possible.

Drawing on ancient women-centred sources, and in the face of today’s religious, economic and political crises, this course will explore wellsprings in our cultural heritage for re-imagining and reshaping our future.
Readings will be provided (mostly online) and participants will be encouraged to contribute actively to discussions.

Venue: Catherine McAuley Centre, 23 Lr. Herbert Street, Dublin 1. (Near Baggot Street Bridge).

Dates: Mondays 7:30 – 9:30, Starting September 27. Ten weeks, (excluding the Bank Holiday, October 25th).

Early Bird (before September 10th) €150:00 (Deposit €50:00)

Regular Fee: €175:00  - REGISTER ONLINE NOW

Drawing on ancient women-centred sources, and in the face of today’s religious, economic and political crises, this course will explore wellsprings in our cultural heritage for re-imagining and reshaping our future.
Readings will be provided (mostly online) and participants will be encouraged to contribute actively to discussions.

1. In the Beginning. What evidence is there for an Irish woman-centred worldview and social structure in Irish Celtic sources?
2. Thealogy: in the light of the attempts of the main monotheistic faiths to exclude women from any forms of authority or officiation, women throughout the world have initiated a far reaching critique of the assumptions underlying the patriarchal religious worldview. What are some of the implications?
3. Finding the holy in ancient Irish sites: Our earliest ancestors did not divide heaven and earth, soul and body, men and women, but saw divinity everywhere, rooted in nature. This session will explore the beliefs and rituals associated with ancient Irish sites.
4. Imbolc: the symbols associated with Brigit’s traditional festival, Imbolc, celebrated on February 1st. contains vital information regarding our ancestor’s understanding of the cosmos. This session will explore the significance of Brigit’s cross, crios (midwife’s belt) cloak, and the weaver’s beam.
5. The War of the Gods: Using an ancient Irish myth, Cath Maige Tuired, we will explore the inherent tensions of the ancient world, the overthrow of woman-centred society, and the instatement of patriarchal social values.
6. Crossing the threshold with Brigit the Poet: Brigit’s traditions are rooted in Old Europe, Indo European mythology, and Celtic lore. She is said to have been goddess of poetry, healing and smithwork. This session will explore her matronage of poetry.
7. Brigit: Matron of Healing: Using material from the written Lives of Brigit, as well as drawing on ancient practices, we will explore what exactly we mean by healing in Brigit’s worldview.
8. Brigit: Matron of Smithwork: Brigit’s traditions bridge nature and culture, heaven and earth, male and female. We will explore these themes in Brigit’s Christian Lives and in Celtic mythology
9. Thealogy Today: What might it mean to reclaim a matri-centred world view today? What are the implications for culture, economics, and politics? We will explore maternal thinking in the work of feminist theorists, thealogians and economists.
10. Imagining the Future: What are the implications for the social imaginary, spirituality, and our personal practises?

Course Co-ordinator: Mary Condren Th.D. : Director of the Institute for Feminism and Religion; teaches at the Centre for Gender and Women’s Studies in Trinity College Dublin; author many works on various aspects of feminist theory and religion, including the Serpent and the Goddess: Women, Religion and Power in Celtic Ireland. This course will draw on material from her forthcoming book on Brigit: Soulsmith for our Time (New Island Books, Autumn, 2011).

Venue: Catherine McAuley Centre, 23 Lr. Herbert Street, Dublin 1. (Near Baggot Street Bridge).

Dates: Mondays 7:30 – 9:30, Starting September 27. Ten weeks, (excluding the Bank Holiday, October 25th).

Early Bird (before September 10th) €150:00 (Deposit €50:00)

Regular Fee: €175:00

Concessions: Limited number of concessions available to full students and SW recipients. €100:00 (Deposit €30:00).

Registration: Please send registration fee to this address:

Further Enquiries: Please email: instfr@gmail.com. Leave a phone number if you wish to speak with someone.