Celtic Ways Tales

Dear Saint Brigid of the Kine Bless these little fields of mine, The pastures and the shady trees, Bless the butter and the cheese, Bless the cows with coats of silk And the brimming pails of milk, Bless the hedgerows, and I pray Bless the seed beneath the clay, Bless the hay and bless the grass, Bless the seasons as they pass, And heaven's blessings will prevail, Brigid - Mary of the Gael. I wrote this article 5 years ago, and thought I would update it for now. A collection of traditions … As Mardi Gras, Carnivale and Pancake Day consume the last of our milk and eggs we enter The Season Of Brigid, the Celtic goddess, and later a Celtic Christian saint, Brigid, Bridget, Brighid, Brighde, Bride and even the Vedic Sanskrit "Brihati" Sometimes known as the daughter of the Dagda of the Tuatha De`Dannan and Morrigan, A woman of wisdom, seership, poetry, healing, and smithcraft. Described as the patron of cloth dying, weaving and brewing. A goddess of regeneration and abundan...

As we enter the festival time of Bhride Bhride is my choice for naming the spirit that others lovingly and passionately call Brighid, Brigid, Brigit, Brig, Brit, Britten, Britannia, Bearra, Barra, Imbolg, Imbolc and the name listing goes on. Why Bhride is my choice, I do not know as the name you prefer and feel most comfortable with is always the best, it does not matter. The names Caitlin and Kathleen have links too. I feel the “spirit” of this time is what counts. For 2008 it looks like we are to share this amongst quite challenging weather through most of Ireland, and UK, as a few days of winter blast is upon us. Today, Friday 31 st , is a mix of 40 to 60 mph gusts moving along showers of either snow or hail in between beautiful clear blue sky and sun periods. Its about 34 degrees F. outside, which is unusually low for Ireland daytime, even in winter. Snow is said to be falling through tonight and Friday night with very icy sunny mornings, then a bit warmer but very wet b...

Once there were two dreams My wonderful singer and harpist partner, Claire Roche, carried a dream of restoring an old Irish cottage so that it may live again and not be ignored and forgotten. Her dream was not to revive the hardships but to celebrate the overcoming of them. Near where I live in Co. Sligo we viewed the perfect property for this job and it is well on its way to having its new skin and new life. The stones have stayed as they were and the seeped lime now replaced. The thatch that had become replaced with a tin roof is returning to thatch. The flagstone floor that had been concreted over is returning to flagstone floor. In addition, our modern technology applied to an awareness of conservation is included with sustainable wood power, solar power, windmill to follow along with rainwater collection. Plumbing is in place for greywater recycling too. There will be a pond as part of the land’s natural waterflow and a garden labyrinth aligned with Imbolc...

With Hope V. Horton and Gabrielle O. Laden May 15-26, 2008, only a few seats left.   View from inside the Carrowkeel Passage Cairn, Co. Sligo   Some places seem charmed, blessed with a beauty and essence both seen and felt that draws forth the soul.   Ireland is one of these places.   Poised on the farthest edge of Europe, it us the home of some of its most ancient sacred sites, exquisite scenery, and friendly people.   In Ireland, the otherworld of spirit and legend is alive and it thrums throughout the land.     In the fall of 2006, Hope visited Ireland for several months.    She found healing and nourishment through the people, places, and spiritual forces she experienced.   She was especially moved and inspired by the megalithic stone structures that date from as early as 3700 B.C.   These places seem to carry a pure and original impulse that can help us to re-connect with our core and quicken our purpose.     This jo...

A tour of Ireland presented by the Brobdingnagian Bards of Austin, TX, USA 8 day tour,  dates :   June 5 th until June 12th Marc Gunn and Andrew McKee, The Brobdingnagian Bards, commonly known as “The Bards” have been performing together for for 10 years and have become a favorite at Renaissance Faires where they add high-energy and wit to make every show a memorable experience. Their energy, wit and unique show of songs and music from Celtic and Renaissance Roots is now combining with a Celtic Ways tour of Ireland to merge their music and fun with Ireland’s traditions, legends, mythology and mystery. This tour of Ireland is much, much more than a formatted snap, shop and move on type of tour that seems romantic and scenic in the tour brochures but actually lands you into very crowded “made for tourists” sites. Our Nagians Bardic tour truly gets into the heart of Ireland. In addition to travelling through and visiting sites of...