The cycle of life comes to life in the spring. The Celts celebrated Imbolc (lambing) followed by the spring equinox Eostre (eggs and bunnies) and then Beltane (livestock driven through fire to cleanse and increase fertility). They were not only celebrating Nature bursting forth in new life but trying to assure that it be bountiful.
Read MoreThe image of a forest in Ireland, the words from an American poet, both conjuring up the magic of a walk in the forest. And what better time than spring. Longfellow said it all in the first stanza of Evangeline.
Read MoreOften, I write about the ancient sites that were built to align with the sun, or moon or stars. While modern scholars acknowledge these phenomena, many suggest they were “simply” sundials or places to celebrate the changing of the seasons and know when to plant crops. Walking these places in mindfulness, it is easy to feel that much more was going on in these ancient places or ritual. These places “worked with the light”. These places “anchored the light”. Their alignment focuses the light and drew the observer to a place where the light and energy of the sun connected to the Earth.
Read MoreOne of the things that makes Ireland and the British Isles so magnificent is the Light. These islands may have a reputation for constant rain. However, as you might hear in the country: “When ye have the weather, sure there is nothing better”. The light creates the myriad shades of green of the landscape, the moody purples and blues of the mountains and the glistening surface to the waters of sea and lake.
Read MoreWe are at a threshold moment globally and individually. As we are asked or forced to stay inside our homes in separation, we cannot help but be mindful of this extraordinary time. Stepping out beyond the threshold of our home is a conscious act, not to be taken lightly. We can step out in fear, in gratitude, in uncertainty or hope. The choice is ours. We become conscious of even the smallest interaction, we see how we are impacted by global events, and we feel what a great privilege it is to walk freely, taking in the air and beauty around us.
Read MoreWe all have read of such things in classic children’s fiction: Alice going down the rabbit hole, the Narnia wardrobe. More recent fiction has Harry Potter and friends finding a portal within the train station at Platform 9 ¾ and Claire dropping into an earlier century Scotland in the Outlander.
Read MoreI'm writing this in the shadows of Arizona's Red Rocks, far from the geography and the geology of my favorite Celtic landmarks. But this place holds almost as much magic for me as the beloved "thin places" of Scotland and Ireland.
Read MoreWinifred was venerated through stories of her ability to heal. Legend has it she was a 7th century princess who refused a powerful prince who then beheaded her. Her uncle restored her to life, and she became a virgin martyr and a 12th century saint.
Royalty and peasants alike visited through the centuries, for healing and thanksgiving. Fertility was also promised by the cleansing waters of its spring.
Read MoreThe fringe of the fringe seems an apt description of Brittany and Galicia, both on mainland Europe and, therefore, even more weakly linked to Celtic identity.
Read MoreLady Augusta Gregory was one of the leaders of the Irish Revival. It is chronicled that a trip to Inisheer, one of the the Aran Islands across Galway Bay was the catalyst for her passion for reviving the Irish language. She organized Irish lessons at the school at Coole, visited the Gort workhouse for more stories and became a prolific writer.
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 MoreLet’s imagine today that we are traveling through the green, rolling hills of Oxfordshire, England. There on a far hillside we see a white horse. At least, we see a free-flowing, dynamic outline of a creature in motion that is usually viewed as a horse. Now imagine being of a time long ago when people were not exposed to media as we are today. It must have been an even more awesome and wonderous sight.
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