Art: Jane Bridesman
Cailleach Calling
Bhuel a Cailleach
A gathering for exploration & ceremony to celebrate the Crone within
Join us for a gathering, exploration and ritual to celebrate the Cailleach, the Crone or Old Woman. The Celtic Goddess is known in much folklore across Ireland, Scotland, the British Isles and Western Europe.
She is the ancient one who calls us to go within, this is the time of year where the veils are thin and the whispers of our ancestors are easier to hear. She is the ancient midwife that can help us in the passing of the old and the birthing of the new within us. She is also an archetype that is waiting to be embodied in every Woman and even in other genders.
In Donegal, a traditional greeting is “Bhuel a Cailleach” to honour the feminine in each other. In a society that is lacking in Elders and disowns the feminine, the natural ageing process as well as the dying process, it is time to reclaim the ancient wisdom & power of the Crone.
Date: Saturday 13th November
Time: 6pm - 9pm GMT (please gather at 5.45pm to nest in)
Format: Online via Zoom (there will be short breaks)
Suggested Donation:
Full Payment: £36
Low Income: £33
Concession: £30
What to expect?
We will gather in circle to share our experiences of the Crone, also burning away what is to be left behind of our patriarchal conditioning that surrounds her. We will explore more of the mythology that surrounds her and the lack of acknowledgment in modern culture of this important archetype. Also how this manifests in our lives, regardless of age but particularly for those entering into or are already in this phase of their life.
Sacred sound, movement and breath will be part of the gathering. Stories, poems and songs of the Cailleach will also be shared. Please feel free to bring along your own or others that resonate with you to share. There will likely be some sort of ritual to connect with the Cailleach and embody the crone within
Who is the Cailleach?
As an aspect of the dark feminine, the polarity to the light of Brigid, she is often feared, and her wrath is like an icy storm, exposing all that does not have strong roots. However, she serves as a mirror for our own shadows, that which we fear, if we are brave enough to face them we can reign in our own kingdom. With one strike of her staff, the Cailleach can bring us back to ourselves and listening to the inner wisdom. The fiercest love can be the greatest love of all as she is willing to face the ugly with endless compassion, yet does not suffer fools gladly. She has been through the cycles from maiden, to mother, to crone and is the protectress; at one with nature and the unknown.
What to prepare?
- Have a candle ready to light together at the beginning
- Optional: Cleanse the space with incense or similar & create an altar if it resonates
- Blankets, cushions that will make you a comfy nest
- Water and a cuppa to enjoy
- Please have a journal, a pen and some sacred offerings such as tobacco, mugwort, rosemary or pebbles/stones, feathers, boiled sweets (Grannie’s favourite).
- Optional: Sacred items or pictures of your ancestors for your altar
About Tara:
Tara is a Celtic Woman, Alchemist, Ceremonial Facilitator & Mystic. Living in devotion and working with the soul, psyche & soma to guide the return to alignment with source, truth & wholeness. Reclaiming Sovereignty & the Rites of Passage through Birth, Life and Death that assist in our navigation as a human being with our soul’s evolution. Harnessing a deep connection to source, nature, plants, animals, she connects with ancient wisdom through meditation, sound, movement, ritual & poetry, bringing this to the present, living in our everyday modern world.