Being on the water brings up memories of some Celtic places that I thought I would highlight in this month’s blogs. I grew up around lakes but never around the ocean, so you'll find that in my books and in my travels I gravitate to coastal settings.
Read MoreIt is rhododendron season, both here in the Finger Lakes of New York and in Ireland. Sadly, I can’t be in Ireland this spring, but I am fortunate to see a few of these beautiful bushes around my hometown.
Read MoreI am in the middle of updating and revising my 2012 book, Celtic Spirit and I have a rather fun dilemma regarding sheep. Yes, sheep. I have pictures of sheep in the middle of the road in Scotland and Ireland that dates back to my first trip as a teenager in 1963.
Read MoreThis week it was warm enough and dry enough for me to walk my favorite local labyrinth. It sits high on a hill overlooking Canandaigua Lake which brings joy as well as serenity to my visit. This labyrinth is made of well-groomed grass. I get the added pleasure of seeing clover blossoms with the occasional bee buzzing around as I walk it (in shoes and socks). The only place I like better is a labyrinth along a white sandy beach where I can walk barefoot.
Read MoreCeltic tradition connects the bunny and eggs to both spring and Easter, Both the hare and eggs are signs of fertility, birth and the season of spring not only in Celtic tradition but others as well.
Read MoreI first visited Belfast in 1963. I was 15. The Troubles had begun and the divisions between Protestants and Catholics, particularly in city neighborhoods was intense. As we were shown around Northern Ireland, my cousins would skirt around the neighborhood featured in the movie to avoid danger. In fact, it wasn’t until a few years ago that I toured the Falls Road/Shankhill areas. The Peace Wall brought tears to my eyes. The fact that the gate between the neighbors is still closed at 10 pm for curfew left a pit in my stomach. The Peace Accord was such an amazing triumph; yet, the deep wounds of division remain for many.
Read MoreHappy Valentine’s Day everyone.
It seemed timely that we feature St. Valentine today. You may wonder what the connection is to Ireland, It’s a question I asked myself a few years ago.
Read MoreLet’s visit one more contemporary Irish statue that has been controversial and has been given a number of quirky, irreverent names. This one is in Belfast, Northern Ireland, not Dublin. Nonetheless, the Irish humor is unmistakable.
Read MoreReaders so enjoyed the blog on The Floozy in the Jacuzzi, that I felt compelled to share more quirky, even risqué nicknames. Let’s start with the spire that replaced the floozy on O’Connell Street. See how many I know of, comment others that you know.
Read MoreI’m preparing a presentation on Dublin, and thought you might enjoy this quirky story of mystery, humor and art. When I was strolling down O’Connell Street in Dublin, I discovered this strange sculpture near the Post Office. It was of a larger-than life, thin, wispy, ragged female form lying as in a bathtub-like container on the sidewalk. I could not figure it out so asked a number of passers-by.
Read MoreI live in the beautiful hills of the Finger Lakes, an idyllic piece of New York that looks a lot like Ireland or the Scottish Highlands. Although our hills are not green for as many months a year as in Celtic lands, this time of year they make up for it by bursting into resplendent color.
Read MoreCharming, inspiring, insightful and informational story of fictional characters visiting present day Ireland.
Travelers gather at the Shannon airport to begin a tour of ancient sites of Ireland. Timothy, their very Irish bus driver, calls their intended visit a trip to the very heart of the Celtic spirit-to thin places, as the Irish would say.
The guides offer morning spiritual connection, days of touring, and evenings with pub sing-alongs, dances, and storytelling. Each is drawn to a different aspect of Celtic spirituality and each experiences the powerful energies of the land.
A Canadian couple comes for the Celtic music; a woman from Boston comes to honor the Irish saints; another comes to connect with her childhood love of fairies. A young widower brings his teenage son in hopes of healing. A retiring professor seeks inspiration for the next phase of her life. A busy mom seeks quality time with her teenage daughter and another with her adolescent son. Few anticipate the degree of transformation they will experience.
Join them in learning about Ireland, these thin places, Celtic spirituality, and the emergence of the Divine Feminine as their stories unfold with healing and romance.
