Workshops Descriptions

Facilitator Biographies

The Way of the Seabhean

Throughout time as we recall it, there have always been women who have held sacred The Way. These were the light bringers, the keepers of the Lore and Land, the Holders of the Sacred Spiral Wheel, the wise old woman, the Cailleach - the Seabhean.

We are now on a path of re-membering our heritage as women, as Seabheans, re-claiming again the serpent of knowledge and passion.

In this workshop we will use ancient pre-Celtic Shamanic paths to awaken again this aspect within us, journeying to the place of our ancestors and totems, using drumming, sound and movement. We will weave the web of our energetic bodies to live in the authenticity of our life, weaving the web of our physical bodies to create a web of holding within the group. Weaving the Sisterhood of the Seabhean.

Amantha Murphy

Co Claire
amantha@eircom.net
www.celticsouljourneys.com

Amantha Murphy is a Shamanic Healer and follows the path of the Goddess. She started her work professionally thirty-seven years ago as a clairvoyant and moved into trance mediumship and healing within three years. Since then she has worked with, and continues to work with, groups and individuals here in Eire, in the UK and the USA.

Her passion is the Land and returning to HER story - working through the Grandmothers, the "Shining Ones" the Tuatha de Danann and the Ancient Ones.

She has been running Sacred Pilgrimages successfully in Ireland since 1992 and returned full time to her roots in Co Kerry, Ireland in 1997.

Amantha facilitates workshops on a variety of subjects including: "Pre-Celtic Shamanism, levels 1, 2 & 3"; " Astro-Drama", "Rites of Passage", "The Arising of the Serpent", "Celtic Wheel", Faces of the Goddess" & "the Arcane teaching of the Tarot". Amantha also works with the sacred ceremonies around the Celtic Wheel and is available as a Dula.

Amantha is a mother of four and Grandmother of three, which she considers to be her greatest acts of beauty.

Amantha's teachings come from her Spirit and ancestral teachers.

The Big Sing - Voice Workshop

Jwana's laid back, friendly and entertaining approach to GROUP HARMONY SINGING is sooooo infectious and fun that you can't help but find yourself singing with great ease and enjoyment within no time at all regardless of whether you sing every day or are giving it a go for the first time.

As for the songs themselves, well , there's plenty of stories behind these hand collected gems. Jwanas travels have found her cruising around BULGARIA with folk-singing grannies on their funky tour bus,she's rattled round the bush trails of MALAWI and ZIMBABWE on the back of pick-up trucks complete with bundles of maize, live chickens and singing farmers, and she has also had the pleasure of being sweetly serenaded to with full Arabic grandeur in MORROCCO to name but a few of her adventures.

SO, WHY NOT JUMP ON BOARD FOR THE BIG SING ADVENTURE EXPERIENCE...?

YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE IT COULD TAKE YOU!!

Jwana Stevenson

Co Galway
086 247 7615
jwana@lycos.co.uk

Storytelling "Open Sesame: The treasures are within us all."

Journey, with your imagination, into the treasure-filled world of storytelling and storymaking.

Storyteller Susie Minto will help you to explore this timeless art through fun and engaging exercises, providing you with some basic skills in learning how to tell and create stories.

If you want, bring along a copy (or even a memory!) of one of your favourite stories and Susie will show you how to craft it to make it your own, so that you can tell it straight from your heart.

Susie Minto

Kilmakenny, Corriga, Co Leitrim
087 996 1031
susie_minto@eircom.net Web:www.storiesfromtheheart.co.uk

Susie’s stories span the globe and enrich our understanding of world cultures and timeless human traits.

Born in Scotland, she moved to Ireland in 2004, having met the real-life prince from one of her own stories! She has featured at festivals in Scotland, Ireland and Canada; in schools and libraries, at national heritage locations and on tour with a children’s theatre company.

She leads workshops for children and adults on storytelling and storymaking, life story and intergenerational work.

In 2003 she co-ordinated a year-long project to record the voices of rural craftspeople, culminating in the publication of a DVD and small book.

She was Storyteller-in-Residence in County Kildare in 2005. For more information and background, check out her website.

Garden Design using Principles of Permaculture

The word "permaculture" was coined and popularized in the mid 70's by David Holmgren, a young Australian ecologist, and his associate / professor, Bill Mollison.

Permaculture is about designing ecological human habitats and food production systems, mimicking patterns found in nature.

A central theme in permaculture is the design of ecological landscapes that produce food. Emphasis is placed on multi-use plants, cultural practices such as sheet mulching and trellising, and the integration of animals to recycle nutrients and graze weeds.

However, permaculture entails much more than just food production. Energy-efficient buildings, waste water treatment, recycling, and land stewardship in general are other important components of permaculture.

In this workshop we will introduce the garden design aspect of permaculture. We will discuss how to design a food forest of perennial plants, suitable for our Irish climate, that will produce food year in year out with a minimum of input, suitable for small urban gardens as well as large homesteads. We will look at some of the techniques used to maintain the garden such as mulching.

If you have a garden or are designing your garden; be it for flowers, food or wildlife;in the city or country, this workshop will help you garden in harmony with nature.

You are invited to bring along your garden plan and working in small groups, you will have the opportunity to apply the principles of permaculture to your garden design.

There is no need to be an experienced gardener to enjoy this workshop!

Sian Cowman

Ardlougher
Co. Leitrim
086 3538396
siancowman@gmail.com

Sian Cowman offers consultancy on permaculture/organic gardening and is available for group talks.Sian studied Practical Sustainability in Kinsale Further Education College. Sian spent 2006/2007 traveling and volunteering in various permaculture farms and centres in Spain and North and South America, including the Regenerative Design Institute in California.

Sian lives in a self built yurt with her partner in a small community in Leitrim. Alternative shelter making comes naturally to Sian as she is the daughter of Peter Cowman of The Living Architecture Centre who gave a workshop at the 2006 Wise Woman Weekend.

Sian was involved as a valuable volunteer in the first Wise Woman Weekend and we are delighted to welcome her back so she can share the knowledge she has been accumulating.

Playful Goddess

If paint, glitter, feathers and glue delight you this is the workshop for you!

A hands on playful creativity session for women who want to stir up their pot of colourful magic energy and connect to their passion that fuels their creative essence.

Let your creative juices flow out from the heart of who you really are when you remove the mask.

Dive into the depths of your imagination. Find and create your personal symbol, the one that empowers you, that shows the way to nourish your good self.

Sherrie Scott

Rossnowlagh
Co. Donegal 
071985 2925
flowingtide@hotmail.com

Sherrie Scott is an experienced group facilitator, costume designer, maker, healer who has facilitated creative self empowering workshops since 1999.

Sherrie is also an energy medicine practitioner and works with clients on a one to one basis.

Her magic inspires the mixing of colour, vision and words by creating the flow of imagination which leads to the heart of the radiant Goddesses we are all becoming.

Sherrie's costumes appear in many festivals and events around Ireland.

Egyptian Dance

Egyptian Dance is a centuries old art form, which evolved from ancient fertility dances, and from which modern day belly dancing has developed. This beautiful, sensual and very feminine dance traditionally forms an essential part of the celebrations at Moulids (Saints days festivals) and weddings, as an expression of the joyfulness of the occasion.

It has a long tradition as a dance performed at women’s parties, by women for women.

This workshop will include a brief illustrated talk on the origins and history of the dance, some gentle body work, learning the basic movements, individual creative expression and culminating in some group dancing. This gentle dance style is suitable for woman of all ages, sizes and levels of fitness, and absolutely no previous dance experience is necessary.

Please bring a mat, towel or blanket as some floor work is involved.

Amber Elderfield PhD

Co.Galway
091 524973

Amber has been studying Egyptian dance for 15 years and is also training as a healer. She teaches classes in Sligo and Westport and workshops throughout the country. She performs regularly at Dance and World Music events, community fairs and private parties.

Her teaching style encourages students to build up an understanding of the music and traditional movements and to use this as a foundation for their own personal expression and creativity.

She is a sensitive and encouraging teacher who believes that dance is for everyone and dancing should be fun.

Ancient Places/Sacred Sites guided walk

This workshop will take you on a journey back in time to the Stone Age (Neolithic) in Ireland. We will do this by physically and spiritually exploring the Magheraghnrush or Deerpark Court Cairn.

This was built some 5000 years ago and is a very impressive monument over 50ft (30 metres) in length with a wonderful central court where we will conduct our workshop, weather permitting! A nearby forest will offer refuge in case of rain. It is situated on the Plain of the hound of Ros overlooking Lough Gill.

The workshop will include a visualisation, a ritual to embrace the Celtic festival of Bealtaine, storytelling from the mythology of the Sligo area, discussion on life in the Stone Age and physical exploration of the site with inputs from the facilitator. The workshop will allow you discover how our ancient ancestors lived, worked, played and prayed.

The cairn is about a 20 minute walk through a wooded area and raingear and boots are recommended. A carpool will be organised.

Mary Quinlan
Taemur Consulting
Dublin
01 8786599
mquinlan@eircom.net

Mary Quinlan has a passion for ancient and sacred places and has spent most of her life visiting ancient places and sacred sites in Ireland, Europe, Africa, Asia & Australia.

She had researched and explored the people and cultures who created these stunning megalithic wonders.

She has been holding informative and lively workshops and guided fieldtrips for many years now and her aim is to bring these landscapes and the people who created them alive for participants.

She has a Masters degree in Anthropology and is an ongoing student of archaeology.

She has her own company ‘Taemur Consulting’ and is a skilled facilitator and trainer with the community, voluntary and women’s sectors. She can facilitate ‘team out days’ to ancient sites throughout Ireland.

“Weaver, Weaver, Weave Our Thread, Whole and Strong into Your Web. “
(Words adapted by Starhawk from traditional song Na Galla Mhear.)

Create a communal weaving.

On your own or in a group, in your free space or during a workshop, weaving one line or something more intricate, participate and help us create a weaving.

Discover or rediscover the simple pleasure of crossing two threads to create a tapestry, which come alive as the threads we weave interact with those of the women who play and create alongside us.

Choose from a wide range of colours and textures or bring something you want to incorporate in the weaving. The skills will be taught individually and no prior experience is needed, just a willingness to play with shapes, colours and textures, and trust that we are more that the sum of our parts.

Merovee Guerin

Westport, Co Mayo
Merovee2@eircom.net

Merovee is an artist living in the west of Ireland, seeking inspiration in the landscape and the cycles of nature. She weaves fibres, textiles and many other materials.

She facilitates art workshops in diverse medium, seeking to let people rediscover the pleasures and single-mindedness children display when creating and is always aware of the healing aspect of creativity.

Weaving the landscape has become an expression of her connection to the Earth and of our interconnectedness with the environment and the Universe.

Merovee is a folklorist of Brigit’s traditions, patroness of the weavers, and researches the commonality between Brigit’s lore, world myths and science.

Her belief is that society is poorer for displaying artwork in galleries and for art to become the field of experts rather than art being in the community in everyday acts and objects, in ways of being, expressed by each and all.

Weaving words, paints or fibres is a tool to connect to the Godess but is also a means to be a tool in the creation of the Godess.

Eating according to your blood type

This talk will explore the link between blood type and diet. You will learn what foods are compatibility or incompatibility with certain blood type and the evidence available to support this

Prannie Rhatigan

Clifton,Co Sligo

Prannie Rhatigan is a doctor with the HSE west and has a strong interest in self healing, partially as a result of her own illness.

Prannie taught us how to cook with seaweed at the first Wise Woman Weekend and we are delighted to have her back to share her important knowledge.

Prannie is a director of the Organic Centre and spearheaded the successful Community Food Project, helping to make organic food available to all income groups.

Prannie hopes to publish a seaweed cookbook in the near future.

Guided Meditation

Half hour guided meditation sessions where you will learn the basics and benefits of "being still".

Miffy Kyles

Inver, Co Donegal
087 910 9661
miffykyles@gmail.com

Miffy practices and teaches Reiki, has a Diploma in Counselling, Psychology & Therapy and is a Stress Management Facilitator.

Born in Wales in 1971 to a landscape artist father and herbalist / journalist mother (Judith Hoad), Miffy Kyles grew up in what she describes now as a ‘Wholemeal Household.’ “We were eating Health Food long before it was fashionable,” she says. She moved to Ireland with her family in 1981.

During her early twenties, Miffy cured herself of a chronic skin condition and depression using positive affirmations and a careful diet when conventional treatments failed.

One of her four children had ADHD tendencies and, through research, study & practical application, Miffy discovered how diet and supplements went a long way to ease symptoms.

These and other experiences have cemented Miffy’s belief that we are not only what we ‘eat’, but also what we ‘think’ and ‘believe’! She is compelled to use what she’s learned to assist others on their journey.

Miffy facilitates workshops for women, community and business groups, carers and bereavement groups. Miffy has recently started teaching stress management techniques in schools to students and parents.

Her workshops include:
‘Be Still’ Stress Management; Natural Healthcare Choices; Natural Food Choices (effects of artificial additives on behavior & development); Healthy Eating for Schools; Relaxing with Baby; Positive Family Living; Time for Me; Creative Visualization & Affirmation; Reiki therapy seminars, levels 1,2 & 3; Angels & Wishes.

Yoga

Working with intention to balance the chakras thus creating harmony and well- being.

If you have your own yoga mat, bring it along.

Jane Cornish

Co Sligo
071 918 1107

janecornish@eircom.net

Jane is a qualified yoga teacher and has been teaching yoga in Ireland for 4 years. She believes yoga is for everyone and it's never too late to start. It is nurture for the body and soul.

The Spirit to Communicate Atlantean's Way

The ancient civilization of The Atlanteans sank in great tidal waves and volcanoes. They have much knowledge to share with us on the road to ascension. This highly evolved race lived on the continent of Atlantis. They lived in purity in a Godly way.

Lost today in materialism, they wish to warn the world of the dangers that lie ahead for humanity and our planet.

It is urgent that the healing of the planet begin.

In the workshop you will receive information about your healing mission.

Nollaig McKeogh, I.A.C.T. BSYA (Col)
Moon Cottage, Laragan, Collooney
Co Sligo
087 696 1618

Nollaig is a writer, channel for Atlantis, colour therapist and reiki master. She has produced a CD called Atlantis – Crystal Cross Meditation and is currently writing a book of prophecies for 2008 and beyond.

For the past eleven years Nollaig has been involved in organizing walks to raise money for organizations such as Women in Need and the Irish Heart Foundation.

This is My Life

If we neglect, ignore or don’t listen to the elders in our community we lose a valuable resource.

This is My Life is a questions and answer format, allowing us to ask Judith questions about her life experience.

Judith will speak from her heart about her life, her thoughts and feelings, her experience and her reflections.

There will be no "right" answers, but we can all learn from her insights and the wisdom that often comes with age.

Judith Hoad

Living Earth Apothecary
Inver, Co. Donegal
074 973 6406
judithhoad@gmail.com

Judith’s overflowing Life has included:

RELATIONSHIPS: Parents, (rocky, then healed); Partner, (38 years, got better by the year, now a widow); Children, (all difficulties overcome when they had their own teenagers!)
BIRTHS: two homebirths, one in hospital and two miscarriages…promotes natural birth and advises against vaccination.
SPIRITUALITY: Quaker upbringing; difficulties with Christianity; found way into Buddhism.
CREATIVITY: self-employed all adult life, have had opportunities to explore 90% of all interests – exception: building an eco-house!
TRAVEL: Tunisia, India,Canada, Bolivia; invited to Japan for autumn 2008………….
MENOPAUSE: did series of workshops on alternatives to HRT for NWHB 2002/2003
ALTERNATIVE MEDICAL PRACTICE: herbs since 40yrs, (invited to be Honorary Member of Irish Association of Medical Herbalists in 2000); trained in England 1989-91 in Shen Tao Acupressure (same training as acupuncturists); retired from practice 2006
TEXTILES: 30yrs textile handskills from dress-making to spinning, weaving, dyeing and quilting; pioneered recovery of lichen, (‘crotal’), dyeing in Ireland.
BOOKS & OTHER WRITING: This is Donegal Tweed, Healing with Herbs, Need or Greed?, Our Practical Choices for the Earth. Currently working on large herb book. Member of National Union of Journalists as a Feature writer.
TEACHING: Textile Skills, Calligraphy, ‘Wandering Through the Weeds’; ‘Water, the Elixir of Life’; Skin Cream making; ‘Come Down to Earth’, to mention a few. Also herbal and Chinese Medicine modules for Naturopathic courses; workshops for midwives and parents on acupressure for pregnancy & birth; other acupressure courses; Living Earth Apprenticeship – one year course
EVENTS: organised Crafts Fairs in Wales in 1970s; first Crafts School in Wales 1976-80; Earth Wisdom Camp in 1993; Living Earth Apprenticeships 1999-2001; Bury Me Green Conference 2005, founding member of Wise Woman Weekend
ACTIVISM & CAMPAIGNS: called ‘Subversive Realist’ by husband and a "rad" by others, has participated in a number of campaigns and supports Shell to Sea and Natural Burial.
REGRETS: Never went to Greenham Common; unlikely to get chance to build eco-house.
DELIGHTS: in languages – would be a linguist if had a second chance at this life!; in indigenous cultures and all life forms, including human; in love and affection of family and friends; in that bridges have been rebuilt between self and family members over the years; in the value of learning to say ‘I’m sorry’.

Dancing in a circle is an ancient tradition common to many cultures. It is used to mark special occasions, strengthen community and to encourage togetherness.

The circle is probably the oldest known dance formation and is found in the community dances of many cultures, including ancient Greece, Eastern Europe, South American and North American Indian.

Modern circle dance mixes traditional folk dances with recently choreographed ones to a variety of music both ancient and modern. There is also a growing repertoire of new dances to classical music and contemporary songs.

Circle dances can be energetic and lively or gentle and reflective. The aim is to create a sense of well-being and communion with others, inviting a sense of wholeness into our lives through the dance.

Julie Voss

Donegal Town
087 286 0657
voss.lj@gmail.com

Julie has been a Circle Dance Teacher for over 7 years and has danced with teachers from all over the world.

She believes Circle Dancing should be experienced by everyone and all she asks is that you come with an open heart and a willingness to try.

The Unfolding Story of the Universe

Standing on the edge of a new time for the Earth, this workshop invites you to engage with the stunning new insights of the awesome story of the unfolding universe and the story of planet Earth. Through these insights we will explore our place in the community of life and a spirituality which nourishes us.

Mary Kate Hagan

Glor Na Mara,
West End, Bundoran
Co. Donegal.
Phone 071 9833899

Mary Kate Hagan has completed an Earth Literacy programme in New Jersey, USA. She is involved in a small ecological initiative in Bundoran.

Part of the initiative is organic growing and they offer plots of land to local Community Garden/Food group Projects and Transition year students in the local school.

She also offers courses on the The Unfolding Story of the Universe, a sense of place, biodiversity, organic growing, herbs, health and sustainability.

Mary Kate completed the Organic Horticulture course at the Organic Centre and volunteers there during the busy seed season.

Creative Writing

A writer is someone who writes.  Genius is available to all of us.  It is in each one of us, waiting to be evoked, enabled, supported and celebrated.  This is the philosophy that attracted Orfhlaith to the AWA (Pat Schneider) method of facilitating creative writing workshops.  In a safe environment, all writing is considered fiction and newborn material is treated with the gentleness that it deserves.

This workshop is suitable for new and established writers.

Órfhlaith Ni Chonaill
Writers Ink
Strandhill,
Co.Sligo
087 2799108
Web:www.writersinksligo.com

Masters in Creative Writing (Trinity College, Dublin) and Creative Writing Workshop Leader certification from Amherst Writers & Artists in Massachusetts. Órfhlaith has been leading creative writing workshops since 2001.

Her published works include poetry and short stories. Her novel The Man With No Skin, published in 2005, received a number of awards. She is currently at work on a historical novel.

Órfhlaith is available to facilitate creative writing workshops for your group, either in Standhill or in your community. See her website for more information or email her at info@writersinksligo.com.

A Journey to the World Mother

For most of us, when we say "World Mother" or "The Goddess" we are talking about the creator and life-giver who expresses compassion and love in a very personal, direct, and intimate way; like a loving mother cares for her children.

Before the present patriarchal age we passed through a matriarchal age. Now the Goddess is reasserting Herself and the survival of life as we know it depends upon our willingness to listen to Her and honour Her. To worship the Goddess is to honour the Earth and all the creatures with whom we share this divine place.

In this workshop you will learn about the Mother of the World in different cultures and religions. (Green Tara, Kwan Yin, Isis, Mother Mary and Lakshmi)

The main focus of the workshop will be to re-establish our relationship with the Goddess by means of a trance journey. This meeting with her will enliven her qualities of love and compassion in our own hearts and minds. It will help us to find the wise and loving woman in ourselves.

Freya Gillan
Lissawully
Strandhill Road
Sligo
e.gillan@web.de

Freya Gillan was born in Germany, where she trained as a musician and played in a Symphony Orchestra for 15 years. After that she practised and taught meditation courses in Berlin for 10 years before moving to Ireland in 2001.

It was in Ireland that she first experienced The Goddess, which totally changed her relationship with the divine. This relationship was further strengthened through Divine Mother Avatara Devi, the Avatara of the World Mother from Germany, who visits Ireland regularly.

Chakra Balancing with Crystals

In this workshop we will explore the human aura and how it connects with the chakra system of the body.

We will discuss each of the chakras and their importance to our health and wellbeing.

We will use crystals to experience their effect on each of the chakras and discover which crystals work best and why.

We will discuss when symbols and sacred geometry could be used also.

Exercises and meditations that can be done at home will be given.

Julia Marafie MVFH MCHF

Co Sligo
071 913 3995

juliamarafie@hotmail.com

Julia is a qualified crystal healer and teacher of energy work. She trained and qualified in London. She specialises in working with earth energy creating rituals and mandalas using crystals, astrology and sacred geometry.

Julia travels often especially to north Africa and the middle east linking with other healers and using crystals to help ground the new energy of the divine feminine.

Julia makes crystal and silver jewellery based on her knowledge of crystal energy thus creating an individual talisman for each persons need.

She offers workshops on crystal healing, and astrology and is available for jewellery commissions. She can be contacted at juliamarafie@hotmail.com.

Divining

Do you know if you are sleeping in a safe place and your house is healthy? How can you tell if a sacred site might be in your backyard? Are fairies and landscape goddesses merely mythical creatures?

In this workshop you will learn to dowse with a pendulum to detect sacred landscape energies and to find water goddesses and the local fairies!

Alanna will explain the connection between Ireland's indigenous wisdom and the Australian Aboriginal Dreamtime paradigms. She will describe how we can revive such ancient ways in practical applications for healing Mother Earth.

People often simply associate dowsing with divining for water. However there are many diverse applications.

Dowsing can open one up to function more intuitively and experience a deep connection with nature. One can learn to sense and even touch the nature spirits.

One of the best outcomes of dowsing is the expanded use of the mind and sensory abilities. It is a great exercise of the infinite potential of our consciousness.

Alanna Moore
Victoria, NSW
Australia
info@geomantica.com
www.geomantica.com

Alanna Moore is her country’s foremost teacher of geomancy and dowsing. She was the founder of the NSW Dowsing Society and lives on a small farm in Victoria, NSW where she raises tree crops and llamas.

For the past 10 years she has extensively traveled around Australia and New Zealand with her lectures and workshops and now spends time each year doing likewise in Europe. Her workshops include Dowsing for Health, Dowsing in Gardening & Farming, Dowsing Environmental Energies and Deva Dowsing.

Alanna is an author and filmmaker. Her books include Diving Earth Spirits, Stone Age Farming, Backyard Poultry – Naturally, and The Wisdom of Water. Her films include Earth Care, Earth Repair and The Art of Dowsing & Geomancy.

Alanna visits Ireland regularly and is available in May and June 2008 to give workshops. Contact her directly by email at info@geomantica.com

For further information and the free on line Geomantica magazine check out her website.