Spiritual Journeys, Travel and Retreats

We will blend old and new Ireland together for a balanced vacation, having some fun in the pubs with live music and dance, capturing life-long memories. Re-awaken, as you explore during the day and are delighted with evenings of entertainment shared with old and new friends. There will be time to enjoy walks over the rolling hills and sandy beaches, stroll around bustling harbors and down lanes edged with ferns, listen to traditional music of the harp, fiddle and pipes, and attune to the Spirit of Place of some of Ireland's most unforgettable landscapes.

The sacred land of Ireland calls to us to connect to our ancestors, our spiritual selves, to the oceans that spiral within us. She beckons me back again and again, is a part of my blood and my body, my heart and my soul. I am honored to share with you what She has shared with me. Explore history, mystery, Celtic Teachings, ancient sites and more as we journey through this incredible land; meet wonderful people; learn history as it comes alive everywhere we travel; visit magnificent ancient 5,000 year old or older sites of mystery - cathedrals of Neolithic times; and feast your eyes and senses on the lush country of Ireland - land of loughs (lakes), mountains, cliffs, & Irish music, connect with our power animals, the fairies, angels, earth, goddesses of the land, druids, divine feminine. We have time to meditate in this powerful place to connect with the ancient and other-worldly energies. Participate in meditations, ceremony, rituals to connect with the powerful energies. 

Terms and Conditions

Not included: travel fares and expenses before and after the tour; a third meal, laundry, cleaning, telephone calls, telexes, faxes, cables, wines, liquors, beer, mineral water, soft drinks, and incidental expenditures.

Payment: A deposit of US $500 will secure your place on any tour. The deposit is non refundable The balance must be paid in full 3 months before the start of the tour. If the balance is not paid by this date, we reserve the right to regard the reservation as cancelled.

No refunds can be made for anyone who does not turn up.

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Green Travel Tip: Go to http://www.jpmorganclimatecare.com/us for an easy and effective way to offset the carbon emissions of your flight.

Today’s weather in Ireland: http://www.wunderground.com/global/IE.html

Day 1 Dublin Arrival day

Arriving into Dublin Monday Flying in

Rest afternoon everyone will be arriving in a different times

This is a great time for Personal Exploration here are some options

Here are some options of things to look at:

Optional Christ Church 

Shopping area’s

Jameson Distillery

St. Stephens Green 

Grafton Street ((Once movie)

Patrick Cathedral

Temple Bar

Phoenix Park

National Museum of Archaeology and History with its phenomenal collection of artifacts from every period of Irish history. View the famous Sheela-na-Gigs, as well as the famed Tara Brooch, an exquisite example of Celtic gold and silver metalwork dating to the beginning of the 8th century; the early 9th-century Ardagh Chalice made of silver, gold, and bronze, found with other smaller treasures in a Limerick potato field in 1868, as well as a replica of the Gundestrup Cauldron, found in a peat bog at Gundestrup, Denmark and believed to be of Celtic art. You can also view several bodies that were recovered from bogs!

Evening dinner together and drink to welcome you to Ireland 

Day 2 September 13th Tuesday Dublin

Guinness Tour brewery

Day 2 Dublin.

Guinness Tour brewery www.guinness-storehouse.com

Book of Kells,Trinity College

The Book of Kells is a stunningly beautiful manuscript containing the Four Gospels. It is Ireland's most precious medieval artifact, and is generally considered the finest surviving illuminated manuscript to have been produced in medieval Europe.

Christ Church http://cccdub.ie/

Day 3 Meath 

Newgrange Its Gaelic name — "Grian Uaigh" or "Cave of the Sun." Before the Pyramids of Egypt were built, before the druids danced at Stonehenge, way, way back before the first written history of man was recorded—probably around the same time as the invention of the wheel—the Irish were constructing amazing edifices known today as "dolmens." These monuments seem to serve the same sorts of functions as the ancient pyramids of the Maya—that is they served as burial chambers and altars, and were used by the Druids in their religious rites—functioning as huge calendars made of stone. This site was discovered quite by accident in 1669 when workmen were removing material to construct a road. Newgrange is an engineering marvel. It still provides accurate timekeeping to within seconds of the correct time, which is quite a feat after 5,000 years! I doubt that any modern timepiece—even a Rolex— will still be ticking 5,000 years from now. Newgrange was not only the burial place of the kings of Tara, but also the home of a race of supernatural beings known as the "Tuatha de Danainn": the people of the goddess, Danu. Newgrange was also said to be the house of the God/Chieftain Dagda. Dagda succeeded Lugh (whose name means "The Shining One" and for whom the feast of "Lammas" on August 1st is celebrated) as ruler of Ireland and reigned around the same time as Israel’s King Solomon. He became known as the greatest of the De Danainn. Dagda is styled Lord of Knowledge and Sun of all the Sciences, and is reputed to have ruled Ireland for 80 years, as well as to have been the father of the famous Brigit, woman of wisdom and goddess of poetry. More than 30 prehistoric monuments: standing stones, barrows and enclosures, were also discovered in the same three square mile area of the Boyne Valley. Because of its proximity to Tara, the Court of the High King of Ireland, Newgrange and its sister sites at Knowth and Dowth, were presumed to be a kind of "Valley of the Kings" for the ruling chieftains of ancient Ireland. Upon further research, though, it became clear that, although the mounds were used for burial purposes, this was a later use of what was once a series of temples administered by the Irish druids.

Newgrange, the most famous passage tomb overlooking the River Boyne, legendary home of the Goddess Boann.

Dowth

Hill of Tara the Sacred Center of Ireland,It is Ireland’s legendary sacred centre and the location of the Mead-Hall of Maeve, the Goddess/Queen of Connacht. Hill of Tara, which is said to represent the mother womb of Ireland. The Hill was the ancient seat of power in Ireland - 142 kings are said to have reigned there in prehistoric and historic times. In ancient Irish religion and mythology it was the sacred dwelling place of the Tuatha Dé Dannan, and was the entrance to the Otherworld. Sitting on top of the King's Seat is a replica of the most famous of Tara's monuments, Ireland's ancient coronation stone, known as the Lia Fail or Stone of Destiny, which was brought here according to mythology by the Dannan as one of their sacred objects. It was said to roar when touched by the rightful king of Tara.

Cairns of Loughcrew

Loughcrew, a passage tomb with inscriptions on the Hill of the Cailleach, the ancient Hag Goddess of Ireland. 

http://www.knowth.com/loughcrew-images.htm

Clusters of Megalithic Cairns are dotted around the Slieve na Caillaigh hills at Loughcrew. The illumination of the passage and chamber at the Winter solstice sunrise in Newgrange is world famous. Less well known is the Equinox illumination at sunrise in Cairn T at Loughcrew. The backstone of the chamber is illuminated by a beam of light at sunrise on the Spring and Autumnal Equinoxes. The sun light is shaped by the stones of the entrance and passage and descends the backstone while moving from left to the right illuminating the solar symbols

Hill of Ward (Tlachtga)

History of the Hill of Ward

Tlachtga Old irish: "earth spear"--tlacht "earth"; gae "spear". 

Tlachtga the Celtic Goddess of Samhain. Goddess of Thunderbolt's and Wisdom.

While on the one hand, the figure of Tlachtga is one of the many tragic heroines of Irish myth.

Day 4  Antrim 

Giant’s causeways

One of Ireland's many stunning natural wonders is the Giant's Causeway steeped in as much myth and legend as actual fact. Certainly, the causeway was known to hunter-gatherer tribes who inhabited these lands for millennia, but its modern discovery is credited to the Bishop of Derry in 1692. In academic circles, the debates ranged from it being built by men with tools, to it being made by natural forces, to even being created by a giant, named Finn McCool.

Although there are an abundance of tall tales, and myths describing colorful ways the Giant's Causeway came into being, the actual, natural history is a bit less exciting. The actual history is that the rock formations were created by a lava flow some 65 million years ago by molten basalt rising through a chalk bed, and then cooling and cracking to form the tall columns that make up the causeway. The cracking produced interesting geometric designs, and although most of the columns are six-sided, others have between four and eight sides. The rapid cooling that took place is likely the result of the lava coming into contact with water. At the time of this monument's creation, Ireland lie near the equator, shifting northward with the movement of the tectonic plates. The causeway's 40,000 columns range in height, with the tallest around 36 feet high.

Mythology

These legends and myths purport that the causeway was built by an Irish giant named Finn McCool as a way to walk to Scotland in order to fight his Scottish nemesis, Bernandonner. The story goes that Finn fell asleep before he could cross to Scotland, and Bernandonner came across to Ireland looking for Finn. His wife, Oonaugh, upon seeing that the Scotsman was much larger than her husband, cleverly wrapped him up, and passed him off to Bernandonner as her baby. Upon seeing this enormous baby, the giant Scot, thinking that the father must indeed be a larger giant than he, went back to Scotland, tearing up the causeway as he went, to keep the giant Irishman from coming for him in Scotland. 

Carrick a Rede bridge 

Dunluce Castle,

The ruins of Dunluce Castle have a desolate, awe-inspiring grandeur as they rise dramatically from a precipitous basaltic rock standing over a hundred-feet sheer above the wild and chill northern sea. Separated from the mainland by a deep chasm crossed only by a narrow bridge and penetrated below by a long cave, this precarious rocky outcrop occupied a position of great strategic importance that was fought over for centuries, eventually becoming, in the sixteenth century, the principal stronghold of the McDonnells, "Lords of the Isles" and rulers of far-flung territories along the western Scottish seaboard.

Day 5 Sligo 

Holy well

Carrow Keel

Carrowkeel is a beautifully situated megalithic hill top passage tomb cemetery, Consisting of 14 passage cairns identified with letters, most of the cairns are round in shape except cairn E, which is a long oval shape and consists of a Court tomb forecourt and cruciform passage grave. If you climb up from the top car-park the first tomb you will see is Cairn G shown above, this is a classic irish passage tomb, consisting of a short passage leading to a central chamber with three equally spaced side chambers. But the most interesting feature of this tomb is the roofbox situated above the entrance the only other known roofbox is the one at Newgrange, but unlike Newgrange this one is aligned to the midsummer sunset.

Creevykeel Court Cairn

Carrowmore, Irelands largest megalithic cemetery including 'Listoghill (4840-4370 BC). Carrowmore fits into this archaeological Landscape. 'Miosgán Maebhbha' (Maeve's Cairn) overlooks Carrowmore from the lofty heights of Knocknarea Mountain, this monument dating from 3,000 BC is steeped in Mythology and Legends. 

Sligo translates from Gaelic to 'The place of the Shells'. We now have a look at Culleenamore Shell Middens and these are the remains of the kitchen of the Neolithic tomb builders. Heapstone Cairn (man made stone mound) is the largest Cairn outside of the Boyne Valley this Cairn is 60m in diameter. Close by is the Labby rock an extraordinary example of a portal dolman having a capstone of 70 tonnes. We hear of the Mythical Nuala who is reputed to be buried here in an area where the Battle of Moytura took place and hear how this battle influenced the modern "Star Wars" story. Visit Creevykeel court tomb that was excavated by the Harvard University Archaeological Expedition. 

At Lisnalug, meaning the Fort of the Hollows, there is a circular embankment 150m in diameter but this is not a defensive monument, it most likely was a ceremonial place or an amphitheatre for possibly games or theatrical productions.

In the Christian period we have Priories, Friaries, Monasteries all worthy of a visit particularly, Drumcliff where Colmcille had a monastery in 574AD and where the poet W.B Yeates is buried. St John's Cathedral is the oldest building in Sligo in daily use dating from 1730s and is on the site of the Knights Hospitallers Hospital of 1242. Ballymote Castle, Ballinafad Castle, Nolan's Castle and the Green Fort are also worth a visit as is Innismurray Island, one of the gems in the Sligo archaeological crown

Day 6 Galway 

Aillwee Cave

The Cave's history begins about one million years ago with the Ice Age. This beautiful natural creation was carved out of limestone by melt waters from this time, which gave birth to a river that dried up around fifteen thousand years ago. This river cut right into Aillwee Hill, creating the Cave, which is 1.3 kilometres deep. For the past ten thousand years or so the only changes inside the Cave have been the slow growth of stalactites and stalagmites.

That evening a Fun night out in Galway Town

Day 7 Galway

Aran Islands

The islands are one of the few remaining "Gaeltachts" where Irish remains the primary language. Islanders today lead very modern lives, but they maintain many traditions and remain connected to the land and sea on a level to which few "mainland" people can relate.

They are fiercely proud of their ancient heritage and work hard to ensure the future of their Irish-speaking community. All aspects of Irish culture is cherished by the islanders, especially since the establishment of Radio na Gaeltachta (the designated Irish language radio channel).

Tourism has become a vital source of revenue, but fishing and agriculture still provide an income for many families.

There are seven stone forts on the Aran Islands; four on Inis Mór, two on Inis Meáinand one on Inis Oírr. The word "Dún" is part of the name of all the forts, which means the fort of a king or chieftain. The most famous is Dún Aengus on Inis Mór.

Dun Aengus 

Day 8 Claire

Cliffs of Moher 

The Cliffs of Moher (Irish: Aillte an Mhothair, lit. cliffs of the ruin, also known as the Cliffs of Coher from the Irish: Mhothair) are located in the parish of Liscannor at the south-western edge of The Burren area near Doolin, which is located in County Clare, Ireland.

The cliffs rise 120 meters (394 ft) above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head, and reach their maximum height of 214 meters (702 ft) just north of O'Brien's Tower, eight kilometres away. The cliffs boast one of Ireland's most spectacular views. On a clear day the Aran Islands are visible in Galway Bay, as are the valleys and hills of Connemara.

Share a banquet with the Earl of Thomond, toasting an era of great Irish taste with excellent food, fine wines and honeyed mead. You will be entertained by well renowned singers and entertainers, with enchanted melodies to the music of harp and violin.You can be promised a truly enchanting evening from the moment of arrival and your first taste of honey rich mead, through a feast of good food and fine wines and the sweet voices of the world renowned Bunratty singers.

Hags Head is the name given to the southern point of the cliffs, where there is an unusual rock formation resembling a woman's head looking out to sea.

Irish legend tells many stories of an old hag (witch or "Cailleach"). Her names and variations are quite numerous. She is often linked to the golden fire goddess Brigit as her darker half Cailleach Bheara. At Hag's Head, she is called Mal.

Mal fell madly in love with the great Irish hero, Cú (pronounced Koo) Chulainn. Sadly for her, Cú Chulainn did not return her feelings, finding her advances distasteful. He ran all over Ireland trying to get away from her, eventually ending up at Loop Head in south Clare.

Mal thought she had him cornered here, with nowhere left to run. But, being Cú Chulainn, he escaped by jumping back to the Cliffs of Moher using the sea stacks as stepping stones (as only a legendary Irish hero could..)

Poor Mal was not as nimble on her feet as the mighty Cú Chulainn - she tried to follow him, but missed her footing and was dashed to pieces against the cliff. She fell to her death at Hags Head where her blood is said to have stained all the sea.

The nearby town of Miltown Malbay was named for her and the "Wave" at Loop Head was also called after her "Tonn Mhal,". This wave was believed to raise a voice of unutterable anguish, foretelling death and disaster.

So... Mal definitely left her mark on the area if not on her man!

Bunratty castle medieval dinner

Share a banquet with the Earl of Thomond, toasting an era of great Irish taste with excellent food, fine wines and honeyed mead. You will be entertained by well renowned singers and entertainers, with enchanted melodies to the music of harp and violin.You can be promised a truly enchanting evening from the moment of arrival and your first taste of honey rich mead, through a feast of good food and fine wines and the sweet voices of the world renowned Bunratty singers.

Day 9 Cork 

Blarney castle www.blarneycastle.ie

One of Ireland’s most valuable and mesmerizing mythical collections is the infamous Blarney Stone. Called “Cloch na Blarnan” in Irish, it is the legendary stone for the gift of gab. “Blarney” means “Clever, Flattering, or coaxing talk”. It is believed that whoever kisses the stone is endowed with the gift of gab, great eloquence, or the skill at flattery. It allows the gifted to impart the ability to deceive without offending. Its not an easy task to kiss the stone, as one needs to be held upside down atop a drop of a tall tower to reach the kissing spot. The stone became part of the tower in 1446 and has become one of Ireland’s most notable tourist sites.

There are many myths and legends surrounding the stone and its origins, the earliest of which involves the Goddess Clíodhna. It is believed that the Castle’s builder, Cormac Laidir MacCarthy, was in a lawsuit and sought out Clíodhna for her assistance. She told him to kiss the first stone he found in the morning on his way to court, and as he did, he gained eloquence and won the court case. Flabberghasted by this magical event he took the stone and added to the castle’s stones. Many believe that it was a piece of the Stone of Scone. Others believe it to be the rock that Moses struck with his staff to produce water for the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt. Others believe it to be the stone that Jacob used as a pillow and was later brought to Ireland by the prophet Jeremiah. It is said that it then became the Lia Fail, or ‘Fatal Stone’ and was used as an oracular throne of the Irish kings. Some say its the Stone of Ezel which David hid behind on Jonathan’s advice while fleeing King Saul and brought to Ireland during the Crusades. Others believe it to be the rock pillow used by St. Columba of Iona on his deathbead. Some believe that the stone was first presented to Cormac McCarthy by Robert the Bruce in 1314 to recognize his support in the Battle of Bannockburn.

Some say that the stone was previously in Ireland then taken to Scotland and brought back to Ireland in 1314. It is also said that during the time of Queen Elizabeth I, Dermot McCarthy, had been required to surrender his fortress to the Queen as proof of his loyalty. He told her he would be delighted to do so, but something always happened at the last moment to prevent his surrender. Many believe this was the charm of the Blarney Stone in effect. The Queen replied to this as “Odds bodikins, more Blarney talk!”

Rock Close: Druid’s Cave and Circle, Witch Stone, witches Kitchen, Druid Stones

A mystical portal in the heart of the castle grounds of Blarney where faeries dance, Witches’ bless and answer wishes, Druids weave magick, stone monuments made, and magic is alive. The Rock Close garden is not only a site of myths and legends, but of romance and art. A dolmen greets you as you walk along the river, with misty meadows, moss covered rocks, and waterfalls. As you walk up the Witches Wishing steps to the Witches Kitchen and where the Witch is trapped in the stone, overlooked by the Druid Cave and by the Druid Ceremonial circle where you can walk around where the faeries play. 

Day 10 Wexford and Carlow Clonegal castle, druid forest, Huntington Castle, Temple of Isis, Dinner at Bolacreen organic farms 

We'll honor the Fall Equinox through a ritual/meditation to focus on the harvest season. The fall equinox is the time of year to focus on the fruits of our labor; we'll take some time to survey what we have produced so far this year and to truly appreciate what our labors have brought to fruition. We'll focus specifically on abundance and prosperity, self-confidence, balance and harmony, and include requests to the Divine Feminine that will bring more of the same to our homes, work and relationships.

Day 11 Wicklow (The Garden of Ireland) Glendalough, Lough ,Guiness Lake, Story telling house

Glendalough, or the Glen of two Lakes, is one of the most important sites of maonastic ruins in Ireland. It is also known as the city of the seven Churches. Fourteen centuries have passed since the death of its founder, St. Kevin, when the valley was part of Ireland's Golden Age.

The two lakes, which gave the valley its name, came into existence thousands of years ago, after the Ice Age, when great deposits of earth and stone were strewn across the valley in the area where the Round Tower now exists. The mountain streams eventually formed a large lake. The Pollanass river spread alluvial deposits across the centre of the lake and created a divide to form the Upper and Lower Lakes. The Glenealo river flows in from the West into the Upper lake which is the larger and deepest of the two lakes.

Before the arrival of St. Kevin this valley (glen) would have been desolate and remote. It must have been ideal for St Kevin as a retreat and area to be 'away from it all'. Kevin died in 617 A.D. at the age of 120 years and his name and life's work is forever entwine with the ruins and the Glendalough Valley.

The recorded history of the wooded valley dates from the 6th century - the dawn of Christianity in Ireland. For 500 years it was one of Irelands great ecclesiastical foundations and schools of learning. The establishment was attacked, burned and plundered by the Danes, who were based in the stronghold of Dublin, a shortish distance away, and making it an easy target..

Glendalough, despite extensive fire damage in 1163 A.D. prospered until the early 13th century. In 1163, Laurence O'Toole, Abbot of Glendalough, who later became Irelands first canonised saint, was appointed Archbishop of Dublin.

The arrival of the Normans in Ireland sealed the fate of Glendalough, as in 1214 the monastery was destroyed by the invaders and the Diocese of Glendalough was united with the Sea of Dublin. After that, Glendalough declined as a monastic establishment and gradually it became deserted.

The buildings fell into decay and more than 6 hundred years elapsed before a reconstruction program was started in 1878. Further work was carried out in the 20th century Today the valley of Glendalough is extensively wooded and a comprehensive network of walk ways have been completed and continually improved, which provides good access for the visitor and researcher to wonder the valley.

Glendalough is the perfect place for hill walking and nature enthusiasts, as the valley is surrounded by oak woodland. The Spring brings a carpet of bluebells, wood sorrel and wood anemones. The Autumn is a stunning show of colors as the seasons change. Among the oaks are mountain ash, hazel and holly, all native to Ireland.