Through this Sunday Session we will explore some folklore stories that interpret the Sidhe and the Sidhe Realm, that some people call the Fae Realm. We will explore how people feel and what they describe when they experience the presence of the Sidhe today, and their interpretations of this connection and experiences. We will also contemplate some mindfulness practices that connect people to what they may vision as Sidhe presence and mentoring, and even divination. Later in the show also continuing a bit about the three enchanting strains of the bard, from last week, plus a presentation and interview with Irish harp maker craftsman Brian Callan.

The merging of sidhe, water and tree folklore through Spring Through this Sunday Session we will transition between the water folklore subjects of February, and the tree subjects of March, to include some of the sidhe and fae folklore of Spring before we move into the brighter April. We return to a reminder of the three pillars encouraged by Carrowcrory Sunday Sessions, these being 1) Create and use an outdoor tree sanctuary, preferably with trees. 2) Contemplate and be inspired through nature based folklore that is mainly focused on weather, water, tree, and sidhe folklore 3) Flow these inspirations through your poetry, writing, music, art, craft and problem solving. Our live guest will be Saraí Humble of 'All Is Well' and hopefully Seamus a programmer of the 'Fairy Council Of Ireland' online hub site. With these inspiring live guests we will talk about the branches of the Fairy Council Tree ... Crainn ... the woodlands and expanding forest cover Uisce ... water care, and especially preserving sacred holy wells Tallamh ... the whole landscape cover and it's biodiversity Imbas ... channelling our inspirations through our arts and crafts Eolas Ársa ... our wisdom from expression of inspiration and ancient knowledge from the sidhe, fae world, earth spirits, spirit guides, whatever we could our source. And there will be a questions and response session too.

A refreshed vision from the three enchantments Resurrection means different things to different people. This Carrowcrory Sunday Sessions is hosted on the Christian Easter Sunday, a time of Christian belief of the body of Jesus becoming alive again after being dead and then ascending to heaven. With this Sunday Session I am considering what may be described as a fantasy concept of us being reborn from the injustices of politically manifested man made laws and the hypocrisy of the institution of churches, much like the stories of Jesus, at this time, tell. With this Sunday Sessions, I flow with Resurrection being us being reborn out of the environmental destruction orchestrated by politics, church, and their now corporate masters. I use the ancient folklore of the Three Trais of The Bard, pronounced Trees, as the everchanging enchantments upon how we live according to how nature moves us. I take these three Trais, geantrai, goltrai, and suantrai, beyond music and expand them into a fantasy of resurrected wholesome lifestyles. A living and culture we have been reborn into that has changed our focus from wealth from acquisition; into the 'heaven' of wealth from our contribution to the forever creation and caring of human and environmental heritage. This fantasy will aim to resurrect us from our modern instinct of duty to commandments justice back into a realm where all of our living challenges were counselled through mediation, such as through the practice of the ancient Brehon Law. The patrons of our churches may have taken our forests away, and even our water ... so can we resurrect ourselves back to being the forest and water people we were born to be? If you can offer poetry and stories interpreting what Resurrection means to you, please be included in this Sunday Sessions. Please message me with them., There will be a questions and response session during this show too.

An hour or so exploring some of the practical, engaging, wholesome, and personally therapeutic activities we can do within and around trees. Subjects covered will include creating a passion for woodlands, forest education available for anyone, carbon dioxide reduction and increasing replacement oxygen with trees, a re-visit to creating your own tree sanctuary, and following a green prescription for more health for yourself among the trees. I do use Ireland as an example, and why the ideal for the current population of Ireland is 25% of the land being tree covered. What I share can apply anywhere in the world I break this down further to show how just access to quarter of an acre with mixed native trees over 10 years old could consume more CO2 than what we output through car driving and home energy combined. I also suggest how this is possible if you live in an apartment. But this session is not all about science and green living but also about green prescription. and suggesting how woodlands are essential for our health protection and therapy. This is not just about Forest Bathing but more about Woodland Connection..

Access to an essential space for nature, and the great spirit connection This is a Sunday Session about uncomplicated and easy tree and nature connection that most of us should be able to do for precious sanctuary. I applaud the people who have taken over stewardship of land and dedicated it to the purpose of expanding woodland cover ... but for this Sunday Session we will mainly focus on the small tree projects that most of us can do in some way to provide us with priceless calming and inspiring sanctuary. Also, this session is for people who do not have space for trees, or are somehow challenged by trees. We will also cover Labyrinth Garden Creation, maybe with herbs, flowers, or soft fruit plants you may have available. I believe I would be quite lost, now, without the Tree Labyrinth Garden we have in our garden, here at Carrowcrory. Once it is established, a Tree Sanctuary, or Tree Labyrinth Garden tends to have a life of it's own and the maintenance is far less than with other types of gardens. So having this space opens up more time for us to bathe in 'sanctuary'. Two main purposes and benefits I find. The first, is a place to retreat, rest, connect with surroundings, contemplate, and trust. The second, is a place to be very accepting to inspirations, ideas, visions, and even problem solving. Through this Carrowcrory Sunday Sessions we will aim to inspire and encourage access to creating or maintaining an existing Tree Sanctuary or Labyrinth Garden.

'Tis the season that most people may be planting trees The tree planting season is traditionally Samhain to Imbolc, early November to early February, in the Northern Hemisphere. This is known as the 'dormant season' during the tree cycle. But, us humans are usually last minute with things, and the bulk of the seasonal tree planted gets done late February and through March. Ireland's Tree Week starts 21st March this year and though that will be celebrated online this year, a lot of outdoor planting will be happening. Bare Root Tree Planting means buying and planting trees without being supplied in soil and pots. Its a lot less cheaper to buy tree plants that way, and a lot less cumbersome. Commercial tree planting is done with bare root plants known as 'whips'. This Sunday Sessions is the first of four tree themed Sessions for March that combines Tree folklore with practical hands on activity that can be wise to do now. Its a good time for establishing new hedging too. Along with Spring Tree Planting stories I hope the weather will be kind enough for me to roam around with camera and demonstrate myself planting a couple of bare root Hazel plants, symbolic of wisdom, in gaps still existing in our Tree Labyrinth Garden Are you tree planting just now, or have been doing recently?

Exploring our forgotten connections to ancient arboreal founded languages One thing you will notice with Ogham symbols, if you try to draw them, the immediate difference to our English scribing, that unfolds our thoughts from left to right, is that Ogham is written and read from the ground up. Its like starting from the roots and climbing up the trunk and drawing branches to say something.  During this Sunday Sessions we will look at fragments of tree language folklore that somehow interpreted happenings and conditions affecting human living and the human crafting of symbols connected to trees that were strung together and organically created a community learned language. Also looked at are possible other ancient languages that could have started with tree wisdom. And also, considering what would a tree language look like today if we invented one as a means to feel more connected to trees again, and more connected to the whole biodiversity of life.

Dowsing is divination employed to locate underground ground water, our main topic during this session, but also dowsing tools used to locate and understand earth vibrations in specific spaces. Other uses will probably be talked about too. We will look at various dowsing tools from Y shaped twigs to swinging metal rods, adapted metal coat hangers, and the sophisticated looking Lecher Antenna. A craft that has been with humans for 1000s of years and has saved lives through water discoveries, and maybe through compatible space discoveries. Even so, there has been no real scientific evidence, so dowsing is known as a 'pseudoscience'. Homeopathy is also regarded as a 'pseudoscience' too, but many of us claim how that craft has saved lives too. So for an hour Carrowcrory Sunday Sessions we will share introductions from a few people with different approaches to the dowsing craft.

... especially the water serpents of Ireland in almost every river Not exactly a Valentine's Day subject, or is it? Serpents are strongly related to fertility, both the fire and water kind. But maybe they are not romantic, yet sometimes romanticised in story. Chinese New Year is on 12th February this year, also celebrated across the Indo-Chinese countries too, and the symbol of water dragons and fertility is a strong part of these celebrations. In Ireland too, there are water serpent stories for Imbolc and around this time of year. There's probably some kind of serpent story with every river and lough here. Again, more connected to fertility, though over the centuries storytellers have perhaps turned them into horror stories, fairy stories, and even hero stories. This nicely follows on from our sacred water and wells of Imbolc theme from last Sunday.

Celebrating the earth womb, water bearers, and births of spring. This Sunday Sessions focuses on the goddess traditions that are said to have inspired the life, crafts and teachings of Brighid of the Eternal Flame. Many people interpret this as the Earth Goddess called Bhride, Bride, Brighid, and other similar names. During this Sunday Sessions we will focus mainly on water, the earth goddess springs, the so called holy wells, water bearing, births, and the overall Rites of Spring Birth. Where I live, there is usually snow fallen on St. Brighid's Day, at least on the hills and low mountains around Carrowcrory. By the sidereal timed point of Imbolc, a few days later, this snow is melting, going down the geological swallow holes, and then underground, picking up minerals and chelating them on the way underground, and appearing in the natural springs, replenishing the wells, and bubbling up into the turloughs, the temporary lakes in fields at low levels during February. After February this water has gone and fertile meadows grow. Waterbearing and natural birth flows over the land. During this Sunday Sessions I do very little talking, for a change, but invited women guests to share their inspirations, visions, quests, 'water bearing' and guidance that flows through them from Imbolc. This Sunday Sessions is like a mini Wise Woman online festival.

Flame, hearth, oaks & Brighid's journey to Cill Dara. During the modern setting of the Gregorian Calender Brighid's Eve & Day, 31st January & 1st February, thoughts, prayers, intentions, ceremony, ritual, and storytelling focuses both on St. Brighid of Kildare and Bride the Goddess that inspired Brighid's name. Here at Sunday Sessions we are dedicating two online Sunday Sessions to the Bride-Brighid-Imbolc traditions and stories. With this first one, on 31st January, our focus is on St. Brighid ,founder of the Cille Dara monastery and culture, her life that guided her there, her trinity of her skills of healing, smithing, and poetry, traditions of oak, flame, and hearth associated with her, and a wee bit on her cows and milk. Of course a bit on Brighid Crosses and Brideog Dolls too. We will touch on her springs, wells, water bearing and births ... but really those topics will be held for the following Sunday Sessions of Imbolc Traditions on 7th February.

My first connection with Ogham symbols was during the 50s before I was a teen, and as a 60s teen dabbled with Ogham Divination as a 'toy. It was not until I met my stone mason boss on Iona, Attie McKechnie, during the 70s, that I learned a deeper story of the Ogham language and have been passionate about it since. Attie was a mason's apprentice during the 1930s when Iona Abbey was being restored. He was a very fluent Gàidhlig speaker and extremely passionate about the language and it's origins. Attie aslo had a huge passionate interest in the way early medieval scribes used and change the old Scottish language. Through him I learned the tree language connections and how that found a system of scribing. Quite amazing for me to connect to Ogham on a Scottish Pilgrimage island hosting a few hawthorn trees, small hazel trees, and a few imported beech trees. During this Sunday Session I will tell my version of the Ghaels bringing their tree language to land to be called Eara Ghael, Argyll, and what happened when they met the farming Picts and their rune style blade cut stone and wood symbols. How the two tribes forged a language so they could speak to each other. Then how the early medieval scribes attempted to unravel this in a linear way that has preserved some of the roots of this communication, the Gàidhlig, still among some people today. We will explore how we can actually return to some of the pre-scribed oral tree language as a guide for living a more inspired, fulfilled and better interpreted life today.

Labyrinths have been created and used by humans for, it seems, at least 15,000 years. Ever since humans learned the craft of converting calibrations into maths and geometry. This seems to have a Babylonian origin. But why were humans motivated to create them? During this Sunday Session we will explore the wonder of these ancient labyrinths. This includes exploring the symbolism of the best known labyrinth, with the Minotaur in Knossos, Crete. Also included will be the origin of the Labyrinth names, which is something very different to those spiral of circles. I will also question why water and milk pouring on small stone labyrinths became tradition. Of course, I will introduce you to our Labyrinth Gardens here at Carrowcrory, how labyrinths are used for inspiration, motivation, divinity connection, storytelling, mindfulness, and mental health therapy today. Also some discussion about our intrusion of this human calibrated geometry onto landscapes, and even dare to call it 'sacred'. So, how can Labyrinths function as part of the whole of nature?

Divination seems to be our attempts to gain clearer insight to the pathways created by our questions. A kind of trying to find 'the spoilers' to display where our life's story is going. Some diviners may say this 'craft' is actually our wise mapping out of our story unravelling. We usually use Divination as a tool for problem solving and decision making. It seems to be a popular thing many of us do through January alongside our dieting, operation transformations, habit controlling, getting our second garden seed order in, and assessing our garden and DIY tools. So through this Sunday Session we will explore some stories of oracles and seers, omens and geomancy, astrology and tarot, throwing sticks, cards and dice to see how they land and what they inspire. I will question the transition between divination and gambling, when divination of questions become active games of chance. My own fascinations are with astrology and hydromancy, so I may focus on the 'hydromancy' divination with water the most, during this session. Please join in and share your thoughts and your practices of Divination, such as dreams interpretation.

Thank you for your support of Carrowcrory Sunday Sessions that went online March 2020 due to the current Coronavirus prevention practices. Our Sunday Sessions transferred to live streaming format until this virus faded away. I have decided that Carrowcrory Sunday Sessions will still continue at 2pm, Irish time every Sunday, even when the Covid fades away and we can resume having visitors here at Carrowcrory on Sundays. During today's Sunday Sessions, we will continue Apple Tree |Wassailing blessings, and other tree blessings for this time just before the new tree saps start to rise. We will consider Epiphany way beyond the Christian setting of it. I also intend to include a live panel discussing affirmations for this time. Do volunteer to be a live guest for this, message me through the contact link. I will also share an evolving changing and more sharing approach to Sunday Sessions this year now that the content from the 2020 Sunday Sessions is heading into my 'Sidhe, Water & Folklore Course' now developing for our Patreon subscribers to access.

Through my personal experiences of first footing for several years on a Scottish island and Wassailing apple trees in Somerset and Ireland I notice similarities. There is a common bonding of wonderful and essential personal affirmations blended with simple connecting fellowship with our community of family and neighbours, even during Covid times. There is also a lovely slow down and re-connect with where we live, the landscape around us, and how it all provides for us, if we respect it. First Footin', a heart warming simple traditions of calling on local family and neighbours, and sharing local whisky, or tea, slices of black bun, a sort of rich fruit cake in pastry, and a bowl of soup or stew. Wassailing, a joyful shared blessing of our elder apple trees in three parts, blessing the roots, blessing the tree, and blessing each other who are served by the harvest from the trees. The common link is the social fellowships that both traditions draw us into with the banter of gossip and stories, thoughts for those passed on, joy for the living and their affirmations, and sharing our hopes, dreams and toasts to good health. We can adapt that to our Covid times. Join us and celebrate with this, our last, and more casual, Sunday Session of 2020.

From a local tale of the mating of the Cailleach conceiving the new light to be birthed in Spring, to reverence for the Tree Of Life, and the slow burning of the Yule Log. The joy of the Green we bring into out homes to remind us of life and the green of Spring will soon be with us Our celebration of Yule with stories of the changing wheel of the year, the fallen rising again, plus some fun tasty traditional recipes for this time, especially with ginger which was once only allowed in bread, by law, at this time. Join us to share in the joy of this time.

Through December, and Christmas, we put up the Christmas decorations, buy a tree, or get out the artificial tree from the attic or shed, and decorate that too. We do our Christmas shopping for food treats, and items to give as gifts to people. Much of this tradition that we do every December seems to be of habits and routine, We feel an obligation to do all of this, despite not being able to afford it and maxing out our credit to make all of this 'fun' happen. So, during this Sunday Sessions we visit a few nature based and human fellowship traditions, of December, that we may have forgotten, never heard of, or we celebrate today in ways that seem to be very disconnected from their origins. Through this Sunday Session I will include trees for celebration, tree blessings such as fruit tree 'wassailing', songs from ancient times that we have adapted today, and folk drama fun and healing rituals that have become mumming, guising, straw boys and wren boys these days. Enjoy the mysteries of ancient December Traditions and how you may perform them today. In return, perhaps enjoy more meaning and blessings than from the familiar consumer ways.

One of five Ogham subject sessions I now host each year, and perhaps divination with Ogham is the most popular and most mysterious, because there are no defined scripted ancient archives. All we have is a combination of speculation of ancient ways from fragments passed down combined with modern divination and oracle methods that bring in the ogham trees symbols instead of planets, constellations, mythological deities and totem animals and birds. So through this Sunday Session we explore clues to how Trees and Ogham symbols could have been used as divination and prophecy tools from ancient time. Also we review the methods of divination using Ogham that have developed over about the past 200 years, and especially during the past 30 years.

There is a fourth time of celebration of Samhain, but barely observed now, and that was when Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters, an open star cluster in the north-west of the constellation Taurus, rises in the bright night sky of November.  1000s of years ago, this used to be close to the sidereal cross quarter point of Samhain, in this northern hemisphere. This was around 7th November. Due to the 'precession of the equinoxes', Pleiades now rises here at sunset later in the month. This now happens on the night of 21st November, hence why it has lost favour as a Samhain celebration time.   Even so, this Sunday Sessions will cover November traditions not yet covered in previous Samhain tradition episodes during this month and October. Among the sessions subjects will be brooms and broomstick traditions, black cats, cattle folklore traditions, stories of Don Lord Of The Dead, mead making and ceremonies and celebrations with mead, and some foodie ideas for this time too.  Includes a couple of mead makers live sharing their craft, and an author of a lovely book of home kitchen and crafts memories from the past that can be used today.