Fàilte! Welcome.
We are in the darkest days of the year, and often this time of year can be lonely, exhausting, and disconnecting. In the past many of our northern-hemisphere residing ancestors would gather around the hearth fire and weave stories and crafts together. It was a time of deep inner connection. In the Highlands of Scotland this gathering place would have been called the Ceilidh House. Here songs, stories, and art would be created and the long hours of the darkness would be passed with connection and joy.
Who is the Cailleach?
I invite you to join me in our (free!) virtual Ceilidh house to hear folktales of the Cailleach, the Old Woman of Scotland and Ireland. She is busy this time of year, spreading her frosty plaid over the hills and mountains and welcoming the dark winter. Each week I will share a different story of the Cailleach, doing my best to honour where the story comes from. As the Cailleach is so powerful and an essential part of the land, elements of folk traditions and Scottish history will be shared as well. While I am weaving these tales, I invite you to sit back, relax, have a cup of tea, and work on whatever craft feels nourishing for you that day.
Who is Sìne?
I come to you as an amateur storyteller and passionate learner of pagan folk traditions. My great grandmother was a proud Highlander and passed this pride down my matrilineal line. Despite this, I did not grow up with the language, stories, or songs of this lineage. Part of my own deep commitment to decolonizing identity and patterns as a white settler on Unceded territories of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations has been to reconnect with my ancestor’s traditions. Through this journey of reclamation and rediscovery I have found a profound connection to how my ancestors related to the land, the dead, and the divine.
As I continue to explore my own connection to decolonizing and reclaiming, I want to offer connection and community to others who are curious about their own journey.
When and How do I join?
Every Thursday from Solstice to Imbolc we will meet online with zoom.
Dec 22, 29 2022
Jan 5, 12, 19, and 26 2023
7-8:30 PM PST
Email me: jayne@ashtreecounselling.ca to get the zoom link.
You’re Invited to Bring:
A cup of tea
A craft you would like to work on
A candle to light. We will use this to create the Hearth
Please note: this entire series is free*
*If you wish to make a donation you are more than welcome to donate funds to Kilala Lelum, which is an Indigenous health and healing cooperative that connects Elders with Indigenous folks and youth in the DTES. Kilala Lelum runs many, beautiful programs that help urban folks connect with culture, stories, and the land. https://kilalalelum.ca/support-our-work/
So pull up a chair, sit by the fire, and lets (re)connect.