Our Grandmothers are Calling

Gorse hill, Bray

15th November 2024

4.00 pm to 7. 30 pm

60 euros (all proceeds to be donated to the Sybil Fund for the Hospice Africa, Uganda)

Facilitated by Jean Callanan (Chairperson of the Irish Hospice Foundation ) and Kerry Cullen

On Our Grandmothers shoulders

“If I have seen further, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants”

Sir Isaac Newton

Our mothers and grandmothers' contributions made us what we are today. They made our country and our world what it is today. Yet often their contribution was not always seen. The grandmothers rejoice at our achievements today, we stand on their shoulders, they call to us, you might experience them near you, holding you up when challenge comes.

We want to provide a space where people (men and women) can celebrate the contribution made by women who walked before them -their mothers and grandmothers, or perhaps an aunt or others who didn’t have any children themselves, who you were close to, perhaps it was someone who was not a blood relationship, who touched your life.

The contributions will be varied – sacrificing themselves so as their children could have a good education. Providing a loving home despite tremendous hardship, offering solus in the dark times, making contributions in all kinds of fields of endeavour – we want to celebrate them all.

What and Where? At the time of year when Samhain we be upon us, the veil between the world will be thin thin, we invite you to come join us in Gorsehill (near Bray) for the special event to celebrate the grandmothers.

 As our ancestors would of done, we will gather around the fire in the gloaming, as the light of the day fades and darkness falls. We will spend a little time ‘arriving’, perhaps sharing a short mediation and settling in.

We will then invite each of you, in your own way to celebrate the grandmother/s/mothers/aunts in your life (whoever comes to mind, it does not have to be a blood relative). We will take a few minutes each. There are no ‘shoulds’ here – you may want to share a story, sing a song, say a poem, share what you loved about them, or simply pass a photo of them around or you may prefer to do this in a silent way while the circle holds space for you.

We will have the kettle on and invite you bring food to share that connects you to your grandmother/s. Now, let’s invite ease here, no need for fancy baking (unless you want to), it could even be to bring a packet of biscuits.

Payment can be made in cash on the day, revolut Jean on 087 628 7386. Early booking advisable as places are limited.

‘Cairn’ Circle

'Caim' Circles

Caim

(keyem) n.

Sanctuary; an invisible circle of protection, drawn around the body with the hand, to remind one of being safe and loved, even in the darkest of times . (Scots Gaelic)

 Why?

We all have parts of our being that isolate us, organise us around chaos, contraction, flitting from one task to the next, tightening our shoulders, shortening our breath, keeping us ‘activated’ and making a sense of ease and connection elusive.

These parts have travelled with us for a long time, often in a bid to protect us and keep us ‘on it’. In recent times, many of us have found these parts coming more to the fore, leaving us feeling exhausted, somewhat strung out and longing for a sense of ease and belonging.

The intention of these in-person circles is to gather ourselves and gather each other . We invite the kindest eyes we can muster to all the parts of ourselves. We invite to the fore the parts that knows ease, expansion,  curiosity and connection. The parts that know how to yield to the support of the earth, resourcing you and allowing your body to soften and find more flow.

What?

There will be an invitation to create a sacred space for yourself, to drop down, reconnect with gentle movement and ancient Celtic wisdom you know in our DNA, to be guided in meditation and be held in the circle.

We will invite new discoveries of how you can enliven self-compassion for the times when you are 'spun out' and cultivate a practice of coming home to yourself, to your heart wisdom and perhaps hear more clearly the whispers of what your soul is longing for.

Who?

you are so welcome here (places limited to 10)

Together we will create a sacred, easeful space, to strengthen our connection to our resources and awakening a sense of grounded expansion and restoration by exploring:

• Celtic wisdom -working with the directions, elements and Celtic ritual

• the myths of our ancestors (that we know in our bones) and give space to explore what it nourishes and awakens within you

• dropping into your body with gentle guided movement

• experiencing the ground breaking work of Stephen Terrell and exploring if this work might being a sense of ease to your nervous system(I have found this to be a mind-blowing discovery)

• coming together in community to hold space for each other and expand into connection with a wonderful group of women (of which you are one).

“Let there be an opening into the quiet that lies beneath the chaos, where you find the peace you did not think possible and see what shimmers within the storm”

John O’Donohue