Are you old enough to remember when network TV rolled out the new shows of fall season just before school started? I thought it might be fun to suggest some Irish TV favorites of mine for those longer fall nights that are coming all too soon.
Read MoreThis year Lughnasa was officially celebrated August 7, but we can still acknowledge the turning of the seasons and give thanks for the harvest with a summer bonfire, the baking of bread or perhaps even crafting a grain doll out of chaffs of wheat.
Read MoreThe picture of the illustrated ram of the Druid Animal Oracle, that plants named for the ram and a carving of a snake with a ram’s head lay at the ram’s feet. They exemplify the importance of this animal down through the ages.
Read MoreFrom the Puck Fair on Ireland’s Iveragh Peninsula to Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival, there are plenty of festivals celebrating Celtic culture. In differing ways, each stirs the imagination, revs up the spirit and loosens pent up winter blues.
Read MoreToday, I am thinking about all the wonderful music, poetry, and other expressions of art that such summer beauty has inspired.
Read MoreThe picture above is one of my favorites. I came over the rise of the hill leading up to my favorite stone circle. There-smack dab in the middle of what I consider sacred space- was this little cutie looking right at me. I not only got the perfect picture but we also had quite a nice I-Thou communication going until his mother scurried him away. I liked the picture so much I chose it for the back cover of my new novel Amidst the Stones.
Read MoreAs we rise today, perhaps after too much Guinness or green beer, it seems appropriate to lift up the real Patrick. The revelry of St. Patrick’s Day in the USA is shared by huge numbers even here in the northeast where the weather doesn’t really lend itself to outdoor parades. But, the US Census does report that 34.5 million Americans list their heritage as either primarily or partially Irish. That is worthy of celebration. (It will be fun to see how the surge of interest in AncestryDNA and 23andMe impact the next census.)
Read MoreCeltic legend has it that the salmon is the oldest of all living creatures. Like other indigenous peoples, the Celts believed animals had spirits and that each species held unique energies or values. Some were imbued with healing properties (like Native American medicine spirits), others were considered omens or charms. The salmon represented wisdom.
Read MoreThe Celtic tradition of hospitality, the welcoming of strangers, seems important to lift up not just because it is Christmas time but because the world right now is so fractured. We are experiencing a new wave of tribalism based on fear and hate of the other. While Celtic tribes fought against invaders and sometimes among their own tribes, their centering beliefs were…
Read MoreOne gets to experience winter solstice from Newgrange through a lottery which I have not yet won, but I have had the good fortunate to experience the simulation that brings light through to the chamber during every tour, as described in Celtic Spirit.
Read MoreIf you have read either of my novels, you know that I weave the themes of this blog with stories of fictional characters experiencing thin places in modern day Ireland. My intent is not only to engage and entertain but also to lift up ideas that I believe have relevance for our lives today.
Read MoreA hundred thousand welcomes - Céad míle fáilte (Irish), Ceud mìle fàilte (Scottish).
Welcome to my new blog.
My experiences in Celtic lands have led to my passion for several themes that I have woven into my books, presentations and now this blog…
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