The Spirit of Albion The Movie  Pic: By Gary Andrews

Author Clare Hamilton raises some excellent points about the story of Arianrhod from the Welsh Mabinogi tales in this wonderful article from The Goddess Alive Ezine. Arianrhod was a Welsh Goddess who lived on an island off the west coast of Wales. At the centre of her castle was a turning glass tower, which contained the mystical Seat of Poetic Inspiration. Her name Arianrhod means ‘starry wheel’.

She is obviously a very powerful Celtic Goddess even though she apparently completely disgraces herself as a mother within her story.

Let us go to the bones of the story. A virgin births a child, apparently miraculously. The child grows up, is betrayed, killed, hangs on a tree in agony, then is resurrected by his uncle/father’s magic.

Sounds vaguely familiar? Here we have the prototype of  the central Christian story, the story of the Virgin Mary and the boy Jesus. And of course  behind that story lies the Mother/Son duo, the Mother Goddess and the King  Child, most  anciently  portrayed of course by Isis and   Horus.  So it seems we are dealing here with far more than would at first appear. For  here we have the heart of the great mystical Mother/Son relationship. This  should certainly give us pause for thought and make us look closely at the  apparent strange behaviour of Arianrhod.

Arianrhod, as we have noted, is a  very powerful Goddess, guardian of the Seat of Poetic Inspiration and linked  with the sea, the moon and the stars. She is also the prototype of the Virgin  Mary. There are many  depictions  of the Virgin Mary with a wheel of stars about her head, and she is also often  portrayed standing on a new moon, and at other times with the sea all around  her. We are looking here at the ancient figure of Arianrhod, her feet on the  new moon of Virginity; the wheel of stars, which is her name,  circling  her head; and the sea, which her tower commands, stretching away from her  island castle.

So why does she Deny her Son his Rights?

So let’s look at some of the  difficult questions arising out of her story.   If  Arianrhod  really is the great mother of the Sacred King child, then why does she seem so  vindictive? What are these so-called curses about? Why does she seem to be  denying her son his rights?

And why  is she so powerful that Gwydion has to work so hard to outwit her?

In addressing these questions, we  should first bear in mind the strong  possibility  that by the time her tale was written down by the Welsh monks, they had spotted  her  pagan  power and  decided  to deliberately slander her name. There are three injunctions that she  pronounces, a mystical number, and they represent her power over her son. They therefore have all the hallmarks of magic about them.

The first thing to notice is that  her pronouncements  are not curses at all. What she actually says (translated from the Welsh) is:

“I swear a fate, a destiny, upon the boy”.

This is very suggestive,  very magical, and her words in themselves are not even particularly contentious  – it is only the reaction of Gwydion that makes them appear so. In the first  injunction, on discovering that her boy hasn’t yet been named, she says that

 he  will have no name until she gives him one, not that she is denying him a  name.

In ancient  times, a name was a very magical  thing, and in native American cultures names are often not given until the  inner nature of the child is understood. Arianrhod sees him hit a wren with  extreme accuracy with his sling, and then names him ‘Lleu of the Skilful Hand’  He grows up to become the Welsh sun-God, counterpart of the Irish Lugh. He has  killed a wren, in ancient Welsh tradition  the King of the Birds, triumphing over the Eagle, so this is an act of  sacrificial kingship. We have here on Arianrhod’s  part not an act of wilful withholding  but the vestiges of an ancient  female rite of Naming.    To read more of this fascinating article  visit  Goddess Alive Magazine

Claire Hamilton’s  Amazing book  Maiden, Mother, Crone is  available  at either Amazon.co.uk  or Amazon.com

We also recommend  another book by Claire Called   Tales of the Celtic Bards available at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

You can subscribe to Goddess Alive ezine at http://www.goddessalive.co.uk/subs_info.html

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Handster at http://www.handster.com/celtic_myth.html or by using the QR code opposite. It’s als found on the Opera Marketplace as well as AppBrain in the US.
If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

Brave is an upcoming American 3D computer-animated fantasy adventure film. In the film, a skilled archer named Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald), defies an age-old custom, causing chaos in her kingdom. After consulting a mysterious wise old woman (voiced by Julie Walters) for help, her family becomes cursed and Merida is forced to undo the spell herself before it is too late.

The movie is being produced by Pixar, making this their thirteenth feature film, and will be released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was written by Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell, Brenda Chapman and Irene Mecchi, and is being directed by Andrews and Chapman and co-directed by Purcell. The film is scheduled for release on June 22, 2012 in the United States.

The Background to the Story

In Scotland, stories of battles and legends have been passed through generations. Merida (Kelly Macdonald), a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), is determined to prove her worth.

After ignoring an age-old custom sacred to Lords MacGuffin (Kevin McKidd), Macintosh (Craig Ferguson) and Dingwall (Robbie Coltrane), Merida inadvertently causes controversy and chaos in the kingdom. When Merida turns to an eccentric witch (Julie Walters) for help, a curse is inflicted on her. She must now save the kingdom from the curse, and in doing so, discover the true meaning of bravery. [wiki]

Concept Art

Courtesy of Entertainment Weekly, we can get to some see some of the amazing concept art behind what promises to be an amazing film for all the family and especially all Celtophiles everywhere!

‘Brave’ Merida Concept Art Pic: Entertainmetn Weekly

In many ways, Pixar’s 13th feature-length movie Brave (out June 22, 2012) ventures into new territory for the animation studio: The Scotland-set adventure film will be Pixar’s first fairy tale, its first picture starring a female protagonist, and its first film co-directed by a woman. EW.com has the first look at some of the concept art for the project, and we can also confirm that Reese Witherspoon will no longer voice the movie’s heroine, a tomboyish princess named Merida, due to scheduling issues. Instead, the character will be played by the (appropriately) Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald (No Country for Old Men, Boardwalk Empire).

‘Brave’ Castle Bravo Sunset Concept Art Pic: Entertainmetn Weekly

Announced in April 2008 as The Bear and the Bow, Brave is Pixar’s first fairy tale, and is somewhat darker and more mature in tone than their previous films. The story takes place during the 10th century in the highlands of Scotland; Brenda Chapman considers it as a fairy tale in the tradition of Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm.

Chapman conceived the project and was announced as the director of the film, making her Pixar’s first female director, but in October 2010, she was replaced by Mark Andrews following creative disagreements.

Merida is the first female protagonist in a Pixar film. She was originally to be voiced by Reese Witherspoon, who declined due to scheduling issues. Instead, the character will be voiced by Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald, recently acclaimed for her role as Margaret Schroeder in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire.

[wiki]

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Handster at http://www.handster.com/celtic_myth.html or by using the QR code opposite. It’s als found on the Opera Marketplace as well as AppBrain in the US.
If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

Dug out Pic: The Observer

An archaeological dig that took place back in December 2011, revealed many buried treasures from the edges of the Flag Fen Bronze Age site reported the Observer. They revealed that six boats hollowed out of oak tree trunks are among hundreds of intact artefacts from 3,000 years ago that have been discovered in the Cambridgeshire fens.

The scale, quality and condition of the objects, the largest bronze age collection ever found in one place in Britain, have astonished archaeologists – and barely a fraction of the site has been excavated.

Textiles and… Nettle Stew

Unique textile fragments, wicker baskets and wooden sword handles have survived. There are even containers of food, including a bowl with a wooden spoon still wedged into the contents, now analysed as nettle stew, which may have been a favourite dish in 1000BC. The boats – two of which bear unusual decoration – are in such good condition that the wood grain and colour can be seen clearly, as can signs of repairs by their owners.

David Gibson, head of Cambridge University’s archaeological unit, said the discoveries were internationally important. He said:

One canoe would be great. Two, exceptional. Six almost feels greedy.

Mark Knight, the unit’s senior project officer, added:

We talk about bronze age landscapes and it always feels as if we’re looking through a very narrow window, with the curtains partly drawn or slightly misted over. Now it’s as though someone’s opened the windows and we’re seeing so much more.

The artefacts survived because they were immersed in deep layers of peat and silt. When those layers are lifted off, Knight said:

the objects are so pristine, it’s as if 3,000 years never happened. The softest, wettest deposits ensured that past activity has been cosseted.

Water Level slowly rising in the Fens

The artefacts were submerged under an ancient watercourse along the southern edge of the Flag Fen Basin, land altered over millennia by rising sea levels. In the 17th century the Dutch showed how to drain waterlogged land, and today the site east of Peterborough is accessible. Knight said:

In our [bronze age] landscape… you could have walked along the bottom of the fenland basin and to the bottom of the North Sea hunting for deer. By the Roman period, you were perched up at Peterborough, looking out over a huge wet expanse of peat and reed swamp.

At ground level, there had been no clue to the artefacts’ existence because they were so deep – four metres below ground – and would not have been picked up by aerial, radar, or other exploratory surveys.

Excavation down to Jurassic Levels

The excavation, which is likely to continue for years, has been made possible thanks to Hanson, a bricks and cement supplier. Under planning regulations, the company is obliged to fund archaeological digs, but it has been especially helpful, say the archaeologists. Crucially, and unusually, they were able to excavate down to unprecedented depths since Hanson’s need for clay for bricks requires extraction at Jurassic age levels. Knight said:

So we get to see entire buried landscapes. Some of our colleagues try to find ways of getting to the bottom of the North Sea… [while] we get an early view of the same submerged space, but via the humble brick.

Along the 150-metre stretch of a bronze age river channel, they have found the best preserved example of prehistoric river life. There are weirs and fish traps in the form of big woven willow baskets, plus fragments of garments with ornamental hems made from fibrous bark and jewellery, including green and blue beads. Extensive finds of metalwork include bronze swords and spears, some apparently tossed into the river in perfect condition, possibly as votive offerings. One of the boats is 8.3 metres long.

It feels as if you could get the whole family – granny, grandad, a couple of goats and everything – in there,

said Knight. The smallest boat is just over four metres long.

The finds reveal how, with the rise in water levels in the bronze age, people adapted to a wetland environment, using rivers for transport, living off pike, perch, carp and eel. How far they could travel in the log boats is unclear. Although the boats were unlikely to have been used at sea, one of the bronze age swords is of a type normally found in northern Spain.

Conservation of Finds

Once removed from the fenland, the artefacts must be conserved before eventual public display. Knight said:

Often at an excavation, it takes much imagination for it to become apparent. This site doesn’t need that. It’s intact. It feels as if we’ve actually caught up the [bronze age] people. It feels like we’re there.

Read the original article on the Observer site.

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Handster at http://www.handster.com/celtic_myth.html or by using the QR code opposite. It’s als found on the Opera Marketplace as well as AppBrain in the US.
If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

The CMP Logo

This episode is the second episode in our Welsh Mythology series and continues with the story of Pwyll, the Prince of Dyfed.In the last episode, Pwyll had gone hunting in the Woods of Glyn Cuch and had been beaten to the kill by a stranger pack comprising even stranger dogs. Having decided that the kill was rightfully his, he had driven off the other pack and set his own dogs upon the prey. It was at that moment that a stranger, the Shadowed Hunter, has appeared and was even now turning his dread gaze upon Pwyll.

We’d also like to introduce our Special Surprise Guest Actor, Damh the Bard, who plays an important role in this show!

How to Listen

The Episode is available for subscribers on the feed, or you can download it or listen to it from our Episodes page. You can find the Shownotes for this episode in the Shownotes section.

If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

Hope you enjoy it,

Gary & Ruthie x x x

———————————

You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Handster at http://www.handster.com/celtic_myth.html or by using the QR code opposite. It’s als found on the Opera Marketplace as well as AppBrain in the US.
If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

In September, a book was released by Kate MacAlister which tells two stories: one based loosely on Celtic Myth and one based on Norse myth. The Celtic story is called Stag Party and tells of the Irish fertility god, Cernunnos (?) who has to find a bride in the week leading up to Beltaine or become mortal and die.The Norse tale, Horse Truly tells of a cursed Viking, doomed to sail the seas forever. When a car skids off the road, he and his men rescue the driver and Alrik discovers that the driver may be able to break his curse. Each story sounds like great fun with quite a bit of romance thrown in. I found it mentioned here. Amazon

Originally posted 2008-01-14 17:37:32. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

John Bruno Hare, creator of the Archive, passed away on April 27, 2010. His vision included a sacred text archive of largely Public Domain works that would remain accessible worldwide, and would be forever free to read.

The vision of John Bruno Hare is alive and well. Plans for new texts, new products and mobile applications, and new versions of the site itself have been underfoot for some time, and patiently await birth.

In memory of JBH’s passing, ISTA presents the first new content ever added to the Archive since April 2010, along with some featuring of existing content. The theme, loosely, is Remembering Bruno, the Afterlife, and Being Present.

[source]

Many wonderful new titles are offered in this remembrance including “Yogic Alchemy in Taijiquan” , Wallace Budge’s translation of the Egyptian “Book of the Dead“, the “Mayan Calendar” by John Bruno Hare himself and, or particular interest to us in the Celtic community, “Ulster Folklore” by Elizabeth Andrews. As you know, without the Sacred Texts Archive and the inestimable work of John Bruno Hare, the production of this show would have been well-nigh impossible and almost certainly wouldn’t have taken place. We owe him, his friends and associates - past, present and future - a great debt! Thank you guys, and may you travel in peace John.

Souterrain at Ardtolle, Co. Down Pic: Gutenberg

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Handster at http://www.handster.com/celtic_myth.html or by using the QR code opposite. It’s als found on the Opera Marketplace as well as AppBrain in the US.
If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

Stonehenge Pic: Stonehenge News

There has been some controversy over the route of the Olympic Flame as  it wends its way during July 2012 to the Olympic Games which are currently being held in the UK. This is Bath reports that:Olympic torch relay organisers have reassured tourism bosses that the Olympic flame will visit the iconic backdrop of Stonehenge, after it was left off the official relay route through the West.

Instead of forming part of the public route through Wiltshire in July, the Olympic flame will be taken at dawn to the stones for a closed photo opportunity the morning after its overnight stop in nearby Salisbury.

The decision does mean, however, the public will not be able to descend on Stonehenge to see the once-in-a-lifetime moment it is carried around the Neolithic monument.

English Heritage, which manages the stones, and Olympic Torch Relay bosses confirmed the early morning visit after publishing a route which did not include Stonehenge or Avebury.

Western Daily Press reader Margaret Scott said:

Obviously Stonehenge is one of the major tourist attractions in Britain and it just seemed ridiculous if the torch relay is going to Amesbury but not going a mile to the west to be run around Stonehenge. They surely are not missing it out?

A spokesman for English Heritage said that they had been informed by the Olympic organisers that the torch would be driven to Stonehenge and back again early on July 12, before it is scheduled to leave Salisbury Cathedral, for a photocall.

Read the full story on the This is Bath website.

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Handster at http://www.handster.com/celtic_myth.html or by using the QR code opposite. It’s als found on the Opera Marketplace as well as AppBrain in the US.
If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

The CMP Logo

In this show, we bring you the second of our special features about the mythic film, The Spirit of Albion: the Movie and celebrate Beltane along the way! We meet Damh the Bard,who created the songs used in the films and Gary Andrews, the Director, Author and Editor for the film. We meet them on a nice, quiet afternoon in the beautiful country pub, The Giant’s Rest which is almost at the feet of the mighty giant known as The Long Man of Wilmington, a huge chalk figure that makes his acting debut in the film to have a fun chat about the film.

The film will première a couple of days after this show is released and we’ll all get our chance to see this long-awaited production! We also celebrate Beltane with a couple of wonderful pieces of music supplied by the amazing Spiral Dance and the talented George Nicholas of Cernunnos Rising.

Thanks go out to the wonderful manager of the Giant’s Rest, Gary (oh yes, another Gary!) who gave us permission to record in the pub which has been known for over a decade as the Most Druid Friendly Sussex Public House!

Hope you enjoy it,

Gary & Ruthie x x x

How to Listen

The Episode is available for subscribers on the feed, or you can download it or listen to it from our Episodes page. You can find the Shownotes for this episode in the Shownotes section.

If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

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You can also now download a Celtic Myth Podshow App from the iTunes store. This is the most convenient and reliable way to access the Celtic Myth Podshow on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You’re always connected to the latest episode, and our App users have access to exclusive bonus content, just touch and play! To find out more visit the iTunes Store or our Description Page.
You can now also find an Android version of the App which works identically to the iPhone version. You can find it on Handster at http://www.handster.com/celtic_myth.html or by using the QR code opposite. It’s als found on the Opera Marketplace as well as AppBrain in the US.
If you come to the site and listen or listen from one of our players – have you considered subscribing? It’s easy and you automatically get the episodes on your computer when they come out. If you’re unsure about the whole RSS/Subscribing thing take a look at our Help page.

This is a first for us. Our very first interview in the field of Celtic Mythology and what a great interview it is! We are very privileged to bring you an interview with famous authors and podcasters, Rhonda R. Carpenter and Arlene Radasky. You may remember in yesterday’s post we brought you news of these two podcasters releasing the novels of their great books on Amazon. To coincide with their release of The Mark of a Druid and The Fox they have graciously answered some of our eager questions. Let’s have a little about these two amazing ladies before we plunge into our questions:

Rhonda R. Carpenter is an award winning Clinical Hypnotherapist specializing in Past Life Regression as well as a renowned Psychic, the 5th generation in a long line of powerfully clairvoyant women. Her first fiction fantasy novel was released in 2008. She lives and works in the mountains of Southern California. Arlene lives in the small town of Goleta, situated next to Santa Barbara, California with her husband and two cats. Ancient history has always been a love of hers and after seeing two bog bodies, one in Denmark and one in London, their voices pooled together in her imagination to form the story of The Fox. She believes she has lived many lives and can feel other voices coming to the surface. The Fox is her first novel and she knows there will be others.

The Interview

Gary: Ladies, welcome to the Celtic Myth Podshow! Ruth: Yes, and thank you for giving us and our readers some of your valuable time. Arlene: You’re welcome. Rhonda: It’s a pleasure to be here.

Rhonda

Gary: We would both like to congratulate you not only on podcasting your exciting stories of life among the ancient Celts but having your books published. I wonder whether you’d like to tell us a little about your books? Arlene: Surely. The Fox is the life story of a first century young man who escapes death by the Romans, falls in love, creates a family, and then has to make a life changing decision to save them from the encroaching Roman troops. A modern woman archaeologist is also searching for the connection she feels with the ancient couple and to make sense of her life after an abusive marriage. Rhonda: The Mark of a Druid has been a wild ride for me. Basically this is a story that combines my love of the Celts with my work, Clinical hypnotherapy. The novel is set around a research project to discover if reincarnation can be proven in hard fact. The book deals with revenge and prophecy, love and loss, a spirit walker and a shape shifter who must come to terms with each other and their situation in the ancient world and the present.

Arlene

Ruth: I was wondering where did you both get the inspiration to write your novels? Rhonda: This novel for me started as a very vivid dream that I thought would make a good story and it evolved from there. Arlene: About ten years ago, I read a book about research on a body found in a bog. After several life-changing events in my life, along with his and other ancient peoples’ voices telling me it was time to tell the world about them, I knew I had to try to put his story into words.

I started, formally researching and writing The Fox about three and one-half years ago. Gary: I think your research shows in your work as well! I am particularly impressed with the way that all of the imagery and description of ancient times relies on ancient objects to describe things. It really keeps you in the story. Ruth: How did you come up with the titles for the books? Arlene: The Fox was the young man’s name in the research book I read and it was his story I was telling. I had no other choices. Rhonda: The title? Well, the Mark is actually in the story and its theme carries through to the next two books in the series. You see in the past the main character has a birthmark that has been prophesied about and in the present the main character wakes up with this mark where she never had one before.

The Mark of a Druid

Gary: We are deeply in love with the Celtic Mythos; its’ histories and its stories but I realise that not everyone has the same sense of belonging to Celtic history. Why did you both choose the Celtic period in particular to set your novels? Rhonda: I too am personally drawn to Celtic Myth and lore. I love the culture and especially when it comes to the spiritual beliefs of the people who lived then and how their beliefs molded our civilization. For me few other cultures hold the mystery and intrigue that the Celtic culture does for me. It is like coming home for me. I feel a connection with their stories and way of living, with their tenacity and there ability to court nature and love they held for all things natural. Ruth: I’ve just got to agree with that! Arlene?

Arlene: I chose this time period because it coincided with the information in the book I read for inspiration, but I have always been fascinated by the Celts and jumped right into my research eagerly. Ruth: I do a lot of reading and the question I’ve always wanted to ask authors is: how much do you personally identify with your novel’s main character? Arlene: Ah! I have three main characters, Lovern, The Fox, Jahna, his wife and Aine, the archaeologist. I wish I had studied archaeology. I would love to be one of the searchers of the way ancient people lived. I have a background in Advanced First Aid and our community hospice so Jahna also seems close to me, too. Rhonda: (laughing) Well as a clinical hypnotherapist I would say I totally get Eve better than she gets herself. While she has some of me in her mannerisms and work that is where the similarity’s stop. Eve is willing to go out and ask for funding she is willing to push the envelope in a public way. I on the other hand prefer to stay in the background of ground braking hypnosis work for the most part. She looks nothing like me but she does have love her cat Cosmo and I can totally relate to that unconditional exchange of effecting from animal to human and vice versa.

Gary: Yes, I love the way that Cosmo seems to be the wisest of them all! I think the strength of your professional experience, Rhonda, comes out marvellously with Eve. The way she goes through a wide variety of states of human consciousness and the impact of her ‘experiences’ upon her body in present day is striking! Ruth: Many of our readers and listeners feel the creative fires themselves and they often tell us that they are writing or want to write about the Celts. On their behalf, may I ask you what sources for research did you use in your novels? Rhonda: Libraries, the Old Myths in book form and reprint, the internet and believe it or not hypnosis was a big research tool for the character development aspect of the writing. I love to research so anywhere I could pick up a tidbit or a direction I jumped on it. Arlene: I extensively researched my book and the full resource list is found at the end of this interview.

The Fox

Continued in later post…

Originally posted 2009-02-01 02:00:08. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

We’re very proud to be able to show you our Guest Blogger, iantoPF, in action reading out the Welsh Alphabet poem as written by Lorin Morgan-Richards and telling stories at the same time. A true bard in action!

The Welsh Alphabet

This is a part of my presentation of “A Welsh Alphabet” written by Lorin Morgan-Richards, illustrated by a group of amazing and inspired artists with a preface and notes by me.
The presentation takes place at the West Coast Eisteddfod 2011. Each page contains a stanza from a poem where each verse speaks of a character from Welsh Myth and Legend.
The book can be purchased on Amazon or from my blog;  http://themagicneverends.blogspot.com/

The Los Angeles St. David’s Day Festival

iantoPF, aka known as Peter Freeman, works with Lorin in making a truly Welsh event occur for St. David’s Day in Los Angeles. Lorin is of Amish and Welsh descent, is an author of dark literature and music.

Richards books are 100% handmade, crafted using pen and ink illustrations and encompass fictional short stories and poetry. In 2009, A Raven Above Press published his first book ‘Simon Snootle and OTHER small stories’.

Richards has incorporated visually into his live performances; modern dance, elaborate stage sets, film, and theatrical drama.

Album releases include ENKI (1999) based on Zecharia Sitchin’s book The Twelfth Planet, We See but Dimly (2002, re-released in 2008), and An Occurrence Remembered (2001, re-released in 2008) based on the Civil War short stories of Ambrose Bierce. In 2010, an EP entitled Orpheus was released. Musically, his vocals have been compared to Gary Numan and Wolfgang Thums, while the music reminds reviewers of early Dead Can Dance or Clan of Xymox with modern day electronica akin to Wolfsheim. Select album tracks have appeared on compilations with Invisible Records. Goto lorinrichards.com for more information.

Aside from curating art shows, Richards is also actively involved in supporting and promoting Indigenous/First Nation cultures from around the world. In Los Angeles, he curates a collaborative free film series entitled ‘Bringing the Circle Together’. Richards was also the LA event coordinator for the 2011 West Coast Eisteddfod: Welsh Festival of Arts.

A Welsh Alphabet

Contains over 30 artistic interpretations of Welsh mythology and legend set to the poetic work of author Lorin Morgan-Richards. Includes a special preface and notes throughout the book by Welsh storyteller Peter Anthony Freeman and artist contributions by Jen Delyth, Monica Richards, Casey Ruic, Frankie Babylon, John Charles, Gina Turcios (rabbit), Phresha Le Vandale, David Richardson, Adrien Burke, Spinestealer, Nicole Josephian, Kelly McCartin, Gaabriel Becket, Nicolas Caesar, Rick Dienzo Blanco, Meiling Chen, Nichola Hope, Chris Mann, Andrea Gutierrez, Calan Ree, Kimberly Wlassak, Sarah Hope, Jo Mazelis, Rochelle Shelly Rosenkild, Michele Witchipoo, Lorin Morgan-Richards, Xavier Lopez Jr., Rhys Jones, Liam O’Connor, Jeremy Cross, and Jason Shepherd.It can be bought directly from A Raven Above. The audio version is available from Amazon for only $0.89!

Amazon Cover Pic: Amazon

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