OUR STORY

“Lugh was a new type of hero, a hero that was needed then, a hero that is needed now. A hero who listens to everyone and anyone, and never strikes unless it's a just cause and never from anger or from revenge, but for the benefit of the whole.”

In celebration of the festival of Lughnasadh, we receive a story of the god of the Tuatha Dé Danann, Lugh. Our storyteller, Jonathon Huet, steps into the role of Tuan mac Cairill, the seanchaí of old to unfold this tale.

OUR GUEST

Jonathon Huet is a woodsman, shamanic practitioner, naturalist, and bushcraft instructor. He is a creative, professional storyteller and speaker trained in bushcraft, woodcraft, and expedition leadership. Over the last thirty years he has researched and studied the folklore of the natural world of the British Isles, running workshops that explore the deep spiritual practices rooted in the sister islands of Britain and Ireland. His practice is grounded in full inclusivity, working with trauma, mental health, and wellbeing.

For the past ten years he has trained with Caitlín Matthews and other teachers on the Walkers Between Worlds Shamanic Training Programme, which has deepened his connection further to nature and his ancestral lands.

Substack: https://woodlandbard.substack.com/ Website: https://www.walkwithtrees.com

OUR CONVERSATION

• The bittersweet nature of Lughnasadh, which is both a harvest festival and moment of sacrifice and grief. The first Lughnasah marked the goddess Tailtiu's death after she exhausted herself in the clearing of the fields. Both Yeats and Blake had unique language for joy and sorrow woven together
• The question of a man’s relationship with the goddess and the unique guilt that emerges when examining the connection to the earth. The reclamation of wild masculine figures like Cernunnos and Herne the Hunter
• Jonathon's work with young people in care: holding space without judgment and offering experiences with the land and with nature.
• References to the work of John Moriarty: refusing to be "blackmailed into being a modern man" and understanding Ireland through Fódla consciousness rather than Éiru consciousness.
• Additional resources in this episode: William Sharp (writing as Fiona Macleod); RJ Steward; Caitlín Matthew’s book Sophia; Shonaleigh a drut’syla, a storyteller in a Jewish tradition: https://shonaleigh.uk/about/; Jennifer Murphy of the Celtic Creatives

WORK WITH MARISA

• 1:1 Writing Coaching: If you are working on a spiritual memoir, or are a wellness professional or creative entrepreneur who wants to use stories to build your business, book a free consultation with Marisa. Learn more at www.marisagoudy.com
• Learn about our global writing communities, the Authors' Knot: www.marisagoudy.com/writing-groups
• Follow the show on Substack, Instagram, and Facebook.

Music by Beth Sweeney and Billy Hardy: billyandbeth.com

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