Join Seán and Caroline for an eleven-week journey engaging astrology, history, myth, magic, and the living intelligence of our flora/fauna/fungi allies to "craft fresh expressions for ancient guiding, never more needed."
"I went out to the hazel wood / because a fire was in my head" – William Butler Yeats
The Hazel is connected with vision, transformation, life, nourishment, and renewal in the Irish tradition. Learn about the myth, magic, and mysteries of this beautiful tree.
At the turning of the year, at a turning point in history we look to myth to guide us in our journey forward. What stories is the Earth dreaming alive again in her winter slumber? And how can we take part in shaping and animating them?
On the longest night of the year, we will come together to speak about plants that can help light the way for us in the darkness – warming medicines that bring life and hope to the spirit.
"The Gentry." "The Good People." "The Other Crowd." The people of the Otherworld are usually spoken of in hushed tones, and seldom spoken of directly. But their world and ours intersect. In this class, we will explore how we might approach and engage them with respect.
As Seán returns from his journey to Ireland, he will speak of the ways in which journeys to ancestral lands and holy places allow us to traverse both inner and outer landscapes in profound ways.
A very old Irish poem, "The Cauldron of Poesy," attributed to the legendary poet, Amergin, speaks of three "cauldrons" that exist within each person – the Cauldron of Incubation, The Cauldron of Motion, and the Cauldron of Wisdom. We will explore the nature of these three cauldrons and how we can engage them in living meaningful lives that bring forward blessings for the people and the land. We will also look at the relationship between this framework and similar models such as the three treasures and the three Dantian of Daoist medicine and concepts of the threefold spirit.
In ancient Ireland, sovereignty was bestowed by the great queen who was the life of the land. The wedding to her came at Samhain. Join us as we explore the Otherworld queens who conferred blessing, life, fertility, and freedom and what they can teach us about the true meaning of sovereignty.
Stark and imposing in hedgerows and on windswept hills at Samhain. Resplendent with white blossoms at Bealtaine. The Blackthorn and the Hawthorn are deeply connected with the wild beauty of the Otherworld. Join us as we explore their myth, magic, and mystery.
There is often a thin line between poison and medicine. Nowhere is this truer than it is with potent plants of the nightshade family. Datura and Tobacco, which both send their intoxicating scents out into the cool air of night, each embody this mystery. Join us as we explore their magic.
Claims abound in today's psychedelic movement that microdosing is a great strategy for helping people live better lives. But does it run the risk of entrenching us more deeply in structures and patterns that don't serve the interests of all of life? We will explore the benefits and pitfalls of microdosing, looking at when it is an ideal strategy and when larger doses of psychedelics may be what's called for.
