Workshop Schedule, Spring 2002
It is not any common earth,
Water or wood or air,
But Merlin's Isle of Gramarye
That you and I will fare.
Mara Freeman has been immersed in ancestral Celtic traditions for over 30 years. A respected teacher, she has shared her passion for this spiritual path in courses since 1985
. She is currently on faculty with the University of Creation Spirituality, Oakland, California.
Mara Freeman & Philip Carr-Gomm at a workshop
“Mara is a wonderful spirit and a magical bard who embodies Celtic ritual and spirituality. Her stories are spellbinding and the meditations were phenomenal, and I loved the magical blend of music and dance. The whole experience was so healing and transforming: it connected me with my Celtic roots in rich and mystical ways and affirmed
my soul’s purpose in the world.”
Michelle Stiller, PA
Booksigning
Stacey’s Books
Monday,
January 28th,
Talk: Ella Young - Lady of the Celts
Harrison
Memorial Library, Park Branch, Mission
Avenue & Sixth Street, Carmel, CA, 10:30
am & 2:30 pm.
February 1-3, 2002
The Festival of Brigit: Celtic Goddess of the Growing Light
Rowe Conference Center, Rowe, Massachusetts
Waken to the spirit-charged world of
Celtic magic and earth-based spirituality. The Celts viewed nature and spirit as perfectly
intertwined -- the sacred ecology of an animate, universe filled with soul. Their sense of
a divine presence within nature led to the weaving of a complex and beautiful tapestry of
daily and seasonal prayers, rituals and ceremonies. The beginning of February is dedicated
to Brigid, the powerful goddess who brought the gift of the sun's growing light and the
abundance of earth to her people, and later became the most beloved and powerful of Irish
saints. Revered as a woman of wisdom and inspiration, Brigid was also a healer, keeper of
the sacred fire, guardian of holy wells, and the muse of poets and visionaries.
Around the hearth-fire and out among the trees, we will bring our sleeping winter
senses to the radiance of this Goddess of Light, and waken to the luminous world of Celtic
magic by entering into her Mysteries. We will listen to the old stories and poems, and
sing the songs and invocations of this special time. Ritual, music, and circle dance will
also open the gates to her temple of wisdom and we will encounter the many aspects of
Brigid through inner journeying. We will practice the ancient art of weaving Brigid's
crosses, symbols of the sun and ancient talismans of protection. And like our Scottish and
Irish ancestors did every year, we will once again perform the lovely ancient ceremonies
that welcome back this goddess of the early spring who brings the promise of renewal. We
will return to the world with gifts for the soul and the power to call upon these ancient
teachings to fire the glow of spirit and beauty in our own lives.
For details & to register call Rowe Conference Center,
413 339 4954 or register online at http://www.rowecenter.org/---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday, February 16th
Presentation: The Cauldron and the Chalice
How the two faces of the Celtic Goddess can bring wisdom, transformation and healing into our lives today
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Saturday, February 23rd, 10 am-4:30 pm
The Well of Wisdom: Celtic Spiritual Practices for Everyday Life
The Arboretum, UC Santa Cruz.
(approved for continuing education credits for nurses,counselors and social workers - see below)
Within
each one of us is a well of wisdom, yet we rarely stop to drink from its waters. We live in a time that values constant action and
busy-ness over contemplation and reflection. This often leads to stress and dis-ease.
Celtic spirituality offers a way to access our own healing resources; to find inner peace
and harmony through attending to the voice of the soul.
Meditations
and guided imagery using powerful symbols that connect us with our
"Cup of Truth": our inner stores of wisdom
Creating
sacred space within our everyday life, in order to feel fully connected with ourselves and
centered within our world
Mandala
artwork using Celtic archetypes, which will enable us to express our own innate aliveness,
inspiration and creativity
Body
prayer and movement that teaches us how to embody sacred knowledge
Time
spent outdoors among the trees and plants of a beautiful setting will open us to the
healing powers of nature —an essential part of Celtic spirituality. We will return to
the world with gifts for the soul and the power to call upon these ancient teachings to
fire the glow of spirit and beauty in our own lives.
Call (831) 427-6600 to register or visit the UCSC Extension website and look under the
Humanities Department and Cultural Studies.
883 Psychology
EDP 013W63 (use this EDP code to enroll)
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Friday,
April 19 – Sunday, April 21
Naropa University, Boulder, Colorado
Wisdom
of Earth, Radiance of Sky: Celtic Pathways to Power
The
Western Mystery Tradition offers clear and accessible pathways by which we can contact
allies, spirit guides, and angels for wisdom and healing, both personal and planetary.
Using specific trance techniques, rituals and moving meditations, we explore the depths
and the heights of the landscape of inner Celtia: from the realms of faeries and other
earth beings in the Underworld to the angelic presences of the high hills and tors. When
practiced together, these two streams of spiritual wisdom can help us feel more centered,
balanced and empowered to make changes in our lives and in our world.
WWT0323,
$185
Register at http://www.naropa.edu/extend/spsum2002/register.html
15%
discount on workshop price if registered by March 29
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Friday,
May 10 - Sunday May 12
The
Feast of Beltaine: Celebrate the Celtic Rite of Spring
A Women's Weekend at
Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, Lenox, Massachusetts
Come with
us to celebrate the return of the light. Bring the sleeping senses of winter to the
radiance of the Beltaine fires and waken to the spirit-charged world of Celtic magic. The
Feast of Beltaine is an invitation to step away from the world’s clamor and to go
“a-Maying.” Just as the ancient Celts knew the way through the Gates of Faerie
at this special time, so we also can enter the Land of Youth through enacting the rituals
of May. We’ll sing the senses alive once more with movement, music and merriment.
These rituals not only connect us with each other in joyful communion but also forge links
with the invisible ancient dancers of the Greenwood, led by the Green Man and May Queen. We'll also
share poetry and song, for visionary Celtic bards and saints poured forth an ecstatic
stream of verse that celebrates a world brimming with the Divine. Their poems will teach
us to see this “world rinsed clean,” and we’ll learn their secrets of
inspiration— the “fire in the head”—that can rekindle our creativity.
The Feast
of Beltaine is an experiential weekend of Celtic wisdom and grace, both playful and
grounded – a sacred connection to nature and the renewal of life.
$180 tuition + 2 nights room & meals
Call
1-800-741-7353 or register online at www.kripalu.org
