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Body Mind Spirit
Journeys
ITINERARY
Day 1. Sat, Sept
20. Day 2. Sun, Sept 21. Paps of Anu Sheela-Na-Gig Free Time
Skellig Bunratty; Medieval Free Time Hill of Tara
Day 9. Sun, Sept 28. Depart to USA Arrive same day (B)
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NEW! IRELAND Departure: September 20 - 28, 2008
Come in sacredness to meet and connect We will not be offering this Sacred Journey again soon.
What
is a Spiritual Pilgrimage? An inner calling that leads you to journey to a
sacred place to be in the presence of the Divine. Pilgrimage is an important part of
spiritual life for many people on the path. By taking time to separate yourself from the
everyday concerns of your world and spend time traveling to sacred sites full of power and
special meaning, pilgrimage becomes an act of transformation that is both a spiritual
and physical journey.
In
addition she is an intuitive channel,
a trained Shamanic Practitioner, the Reiki Grand
Master of Ichi Sekai (One World) Reiki, a Spiritual
Counselor, and a Teacher in Seven Rays of Healing School.
(Right) Andrea at Ballyvourney, County Kerry, May 2008 - Rubbing the Sheela-na-Gig
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
CELTIC/IRISH
GODDESSES and the ANCIENT ONES  Amairgin was Ireland's first Druid
and a bard (poets, musicians and singers in the Celtic world). Some say
he was from Miletus, a city in Anatolia, or modern-day Turkey. Some say he was the son of
Míl Espáine, or Mil of Spain, an adventurer and war leader, and the Egyptian princess,
Scota, daughter of the pharaoh Nectanebus of the 30th dynasty, in the 4th century BCE.
When he led his people to Ireland during the Milesian invasion, he was powerful and had
the power to calm the storm with his songs. He could also counter any magic and illusions.
Since he was known for his magical powers of divination, he was asked to judge who
should be High King of Ireland. After performing a divination, he declared it
should be his brother Eremon. However, his other brother Eber was not happy with his
verdict, and forced them to divide the land into two, each brother ruling one part of
Ireland. Eber was still not satisfied with just half, and started a war against Eremon.
Eber was killed, and Eremon became the first Milesian high king of Ireland, as Amergin had
predicted. (Artist
Unknown)
 Anu/Danu is the Great Mother
of the ancestor Gods, the Tuatha Dé Danann, who legend says retreated
to the Otherworld when the Celts arrived in Ireland. Danu married her consort Bilé
(Bile), and was the mother of Dagda, who was the chief leader of the Dannans. A very
ancient figure whose name means delight, pleasure, and melody, she is the spark
and vitality of life, the seed of the sun in our veins. She is the cycle of life,
the turning of the seasons. She was the patroness of springs and fountains.
In Celtic Christianity she became known as St. Anne, to smooth the path of conversion, and
many St. Anne's Wells are named for her. Her most lasting memorial is a mountain in County
Kerry called the Paps of Anu. (Artist Unknown) Bridget/Brigit/Brigid/Brighhid
is the
main Mother Goddess of Ireland. Often considered the Triple
Goddess, she is the goddess of poetry, healing, fertility,
childbirth, and unity. Regardless of their differences, with their love and
respect for Brigid, all Celtic people agreed upon her goodness and compassion. She was
also the warrior goddess, and as the goddess of fire was the patroness of
the forge and the hearth. Irish Celtic legend says that the Dagda and Boann had three
daughters that were all named Brighid; from this union she gained her traits. Once
Christianity came to the Isle, she was incorporated into it as St. Brighid. Her main
center of worship was at Kildare, where 19 priestesses representing the 19-year
cycle of the Celtic year each tended the sacred fire through a 20 day rotation. On the
20th day the fire was tended by Brighid herself. To this day, the sacred flame has
continued to burn, although during its lifetime it  has been
put out during political upheavals. In many Irish homes today St. Brigit's Cross
is used cross for protection, and is made from rushes as in the old days. There are many springs
and wells in Ireland named after Brigid, as water is seen as a portal to the
Otherworld and as a source of wisdom and healing. There is a saying that Brigid rewards
any offering to her, so offerings of coins were often tossed into her wells - the
forerunner of the modern custom of throwing a penny into a fountain while you make a wish.
Art:
Miranda Gray Eriu, as one of the original Goddesses in the long distant times of Ireland's past, along with her two sisters, gave her name to Ireland. They were the incarnation of Ireland, represented as the Sovereignty of Ireland; they wedded kings to ensure the prosperity of the Isle. With the arrival of the conquering Milesians, legend says that Eriu was killed. Her name, however, lives on in the country's name! Art: Jessica Galbreath Morrígan/Morgan/Morrigu/Morrighan  is the Great
Queen, the archetypical form of the Mother Goddess in Ireland.
As a goddess of war and love she fought aiding the Tuatha de Danaan. She is also
a goddess of fertility. As the prophetess of all
misfortune in battle, she had the knowledge of the fate of humanity. She is also the
messenger of death as the dark lady/washer at the ford; she was seen washing bloody
laundry prior to battle by those destined to die. Her personality is associated with the
sometimes frightening aspects of female energy. As a protectress she empowers an
individual to confront challenges with great personal strength, even against seemingly
overwhelming odds. Art: Amy Brown  The Tuatha Dé
Danann (People of the Goddess Danu/Anu), the Ancient Ones, or the Shining
Ones, were one of the mythical races of deities and heroes. They were skilled in art
and science, poetry and magic. Legends say they were a were a branch of the
ancient seafaring Danaans of the Mediterranean, who, beginning in the 2nd millennium BCE,
abandoned some of their coastal territories in the Aegean Sea and Asia Minor coast to
conduct a series of migrations to the windswept regions of northern Europe. Danu's son Dagda
was their most powerful leader. He came to Ireland with Arch Druids and Arch Druidesses.
Upon reaching the shores of Ireland the magical Danaan cloaked themselves in mist,
appeared unexpectedly to the current residents, conquered them, and spread throughout the
land. Eventually they were conquered by the Milesians from Asia Minor. They retreated to Tir
na n-Og (Land of Youth) or continued to lived on the land with the Milesians, but
their homes, subterranean palaces entered solely thorough the sidh-mounds, the
"hollow hills", were hidden by magic from the eyes of mortals. Their homes were
called Sidhe (síd or sídh) or the Otherworld. Another name for
the Tuatha Dé Danann was the áes sídhe or the "People of the
Sídhe". They subsequently became a magical population of subterranean dwellers and
are still today known as the "Fairy People". These fairies are
not the ones with tiny pixie with wings that are found in folklore and children's fairy
tales. Rather they are human-like, with supernatural powers.Art: Riders of the Sidhe - John Duncan, Oil on canvas, 1911, Dundee Art Galleries and Museums
TOUR ITINERARY
IMPORTANT: This tour is Land ONLY. You are responsible to book your international air to Shannon, Ireland. Please arrive on September 20th by 9:00AM in order to meet our departure from the airport at 11:00AM. Your return flight would be from Dublin on September 28th.
Day 1. Saturday, September 20. Arrive Ireland; Transfer to Killarney;
Welcome Dinner (D)
Day 2. Sunday, September 21 - Fall Equinox! Innisfallen Island; Ross
Castle; Free Time (B/L) Box lunch included for a picnic. We
return to shore and visit the ruins of Ross Castle, right outside of
Killarney, a 15th century Day 3. Monday, September 22. Paps of Anu; Sheela-Na-Gig; Sacred Well;
Free Time; Sharing Circle (B) Day 4. Tuesday, September 23. Druid's Stone Circle; Kenmare; Torc
Waterfall; Sharing Circle (B) On our
return to Killarney we stop at the Torc Waterfall, in Killarney
National Park, 60 ft high with surrounding trees. As we relax beside the running
water, take time to meditate and connect with the magical energies of the
elementals, devas, or Faery Folk! Day 5. Wednesday, September 24. Ring of Kerry and Skellig Michael
(B/L)
Day
6. Thursday, September 25. Bridget's Well; Grange Stone Circle; To Bunratty;
Medieval Banquet at Bunratty Castle (B/D)
Day
9. Sunday, September 28. Depart to USA (B) Note:
This itinerary is subject to change due to conditions beyond our control.
** Bonus!
SAVE! You
will receive a 5% discount if ALL payments are made by check or money order. Credit
card payments do not receive this discount. The prices shown in red below include the 5% discount
for making ALL payments by check or money order. Land Package Only: Per person , double occupancy(see above for info about booking your international air for this journey) $ 2,295 payments via check or money order $ 2,419 payments via credit card PLUS: NOTE: The Single Room
Supplement applies ONLY for those who would like to secure a private room throughout the
tour. TOUR
REGISTRATION To print out a flyer and
registration form for the NEW! Frequent Traveler Program Travel with us on more than one tour in a year To find out about this special offer,
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Aine (pronounced onya or enya) is the Goddess of love, growth,
and cattle, and is also associated with light and the sun. In
her Maiden aspect, she is the muse of poetry who bestows that gift to
those she loves, or madness to those she rejects. In her Mother aspect,
she is associated with lakes and wells with great powers of healing. In her Crone
aspect, she is the dark Goddess with the ability to appear to mortal men as a woman of
great beauty, known as the leannan sidhe, or "Fairy Lover". (In Ireland
fairies are called Sidhe, pronounced "shee"). She would bind her
subjects in a fatal attraction, with death as the likely outcome. In all her aspects she
is not to be offended. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" could have been
coined to describe her rage. She can seek revenge, and with ultimate patience. One legend
says that when the Irish High King offended her, she caused a great battle to ensue in
which he was killed. At his death her mocking laughter could be heard over the din of
battle. In her expression of her sexuality she became a great enemy of the early Church.
They viewed her freedom of spirit as promiscuity, which was a huge threat to the self
denial of the womanless monks.
We board our motor coach and depart the airport for our charming Irish
Country Home Bed and Breakfast in Killarney, home base for our time here in Co.
Kerry, southwestern Ireland. Situated on acres of private gardens with woodland &
river walks, the guest house is located close to downtown. All bedrooms are
individually styled with guest bedroom and bathroom accessories. Other amenities are
relaxing lounges with open wood and peat fires, antique furnishings, reading & music
library, as well as DD / Multi TV / WIFI access. 
We're off this morning to one of
the most beautiful areas in all of Ireland - Lower Lake Killarney in Killarney National
Park - to indulge and feed our senses! We take a boat out on Lough Leane or
"Lake of Learning" named for the monastery that was built on Innisfallen
Island more than 1,000
years ago,
and where the first writings of Ireland came from in the late 5th century. It was here
where Brian Boru, the last High King 
of Ireland was educated. An ancient Celtic Cross remains in
ruins of the Romanesque chapel located on the tip of the island. People journey here from
all over the world to leave their offerings for wishes to be fulfilled. 
castle built by
O'Donaghue chieftains. Though most of the castle is no longer standing, a
recently restored tower is furnished as it would have been in the 16th or early 17th
century. Typical of strongholds of Irish chieftains built during the Middle Ages, the
tower house had square bartizans on diagonally opposite corners and a thick end wall. The
top of the tower offers breathtaking sweeping scenic views of the lakes and local
countryside. Legend says that that O'Donoghue leaped or was sucked out of the window of
the grand chamber at the top of the castle and disappeared into the waters of the lake
along with his horse, his table and his library. Some of the locals believe that he lives
in a great palace at the bottom of the lake where he keeps a close eye on everything that
he sees!
After
breakfast we depart for our drive through the lovely Irish countryside. As we pass the Paps
of Anu, take time to commune with Anu, the Great Mother Goddess. Notice how the
'Paps' are the two mountains shaped like her breasts. Legend says this is where the
Shining Ones, the Tuatha de Dannan, the people of the Goddess Anu, lived. Open
your heart to receive a blessing from them. 
Then we continue to Ballyvourney
Church in Co. Cork to see one of the few remaining Irish Sheela-na-gigs,
an ancient symbol of woman's freedom and creativity. These stone carvings of a female
figure consist of an old woman squatting and pulling apart her vulva. Though the image is
overtly sexual, the representation is can be viewed as grotesque, and sometimes even
comical. They are usually associated with "hags" or the Crone. The Sheela is
situated above a window on the south wall of the church. She is still visited regularly,
especially each year on February 11th, the feast day of St. Gobnait, a woman saint who was
from the area. During the pilgrimage rubbing of the image is part of the ritual. Perhaps
we will also be able to touch and feel her, as we commune with her in meditation to honor
our creativity and connect with the last vestiges of what some researchers believe to be
the pagan connection with Celtic Christianity. The locals still refer to
her as the ancient Mother Goddess and regularly make their personal
pilgrimages to Her.
Our last stop for the
morning is the local sacred well that has long been visited as a place of
pilgrimage. Many of the sacred wells in Ireland were originally the sites of pagan
shrines. The Celts believed the earth's waters were especially sacred and healing, that
they issued from the realm of the Underworld Goddess who ruled both birth
and death, and linked her domain with the upper world. The waters represented her
eternal wisdom and her life giving properties. The common people believed that
the easiest way for them to gain access to the Otherworld was through the divine springs
and wells. Every well had its own guardian spirit or local goddess who presided over it.
Andrea will facilitate our sacred ritual, or "doing the rounds",
during which we will encircle the well a certain number of times, while reciting our
prayers and/or affirmations. We then offer water to the Mother Earth in thanksgiving, then
to our own face, and finally we drink of Her lifeblood! (Bring a small plastic bottle
and you can take some of the blessed water home with you!)
This morning we're off to
the large magnificently intact 5,000 year old Bronze Age Druid's Stone Circle
in nearby Kenmare, probably the largest in southwest Ireland and the only monument of its
kind found so close to a town. There are a total of 15 stones of greenstone or brownstone
forming a 56 x 49 ft. diameter egg-shaped circle. The stone in the center is an impressive
boulder-burial with a giant capstone of almost seven tons. Stones of this type cannot be
found for many miles, so were undoubtedly moved to this location. The circle may have been
a sacred site for the Druids. Its exact function is unknown, though it may have served as
a calendar or as a burial site. Andrea will facilitate a meditation to connect
with these powerful ancient energies that are still very palpable in the circle. 
Heritage Site,
which lies about 7 miles southwest off the coast of Valentia Island. The main highlight of
the island is the monastic complex perched on its steep sides. Built by Christian monks in
the 7th century, the community was never large; it probably consisted of about 12 monks
and an abbot. The monastery survived a number of Viking raids in the 9th century. A new
chapel was built around the start of the second millennium. Some time in the 12th century
the monks abandoned the Skellig and moved to the Augustinian Monastery on the mainland.
After their departure, the hermitage was forgotten until the 1500s, when it became a
popular destination for annual pilgrimages. 
A striking characteristic of this
tiny island-top hermitage is that it's invisible from the lower levels of the peak and
island. From any vantage point in the hermitage, only parts of the terraces were ever
visible to hermits who lived there; they had no overall view. And from below or from the
monastery, only the outer retaining walls of the oratory terrace would have been faintly
visible. It's said in local legend that perhaps the hermitage was not meant to be seen by
men, but by God alone. 
Once back on the
mainland, time permitting, in Waterville we visit a nearby 5,000 year old Eightercua
stone circle, where legend says Amairgin, the Milesian bard landed when he led
his people to Ireland during the Milesian invasion, when the Tuatha de Danaan were
defeated and went to the Otherworld. We take time here to commune with these ancient
energies. 
We continue our drive,
stopping at Staigue Fort, a circular stone "ring fort" with
15-foot high walls, a single doorway entrance (tunnel through the wall) and stairway as
high as the wall, around 2,500 years old, built during the Iron Age. The tapered walls
were constructed without mortar and are about 12-feet thick at the base. Located three
miles outside of Sneem, the fort is surrounded by hills, except to the south, where it is
open to the sea. In addition to providing safety from attacks, the fort is thought to have
been used as an observatory and place of worship, possibly of Morrígan Goddess of War and
Fertility. 
Continuing around the Ring
at Ladies View, named by Queen Victoria's Ladies in Waiting during her
1861 visit to the area as the "most beautiful view in the world." We are almost
overwhelmed with panoramic views of the nearby three lakes and mountains. 
the healing
properties of the water, which are in a small stone cave-like structure that is
filled with holy statues and a multitude of varied offerings left by visitors. Andrea will
facilitate a sacred ceremony to honor Bridget, the main
Mother Goddess of all Ireland, and to ask for Her blessing. land. 
Then we continue to the Grange
Stone Circle, the largest stone circle in Ireland. A grange is the name given in
Ireland to a ring-fort or stone circle. The word "grange" is an English
rendering of the Irish word "Grian", which means "Sun". This relates
to the theory that stone circles in Ireland were connected with sun worship. At the summer
solstice, the sunrise comes over the nearby hill of Cnoc Aine and in through the two
dolman stones into the center of the circle. And, the entrance stones were aligned with
the sunset on the festival of Samhain in early November. This stone circle is dedicated to
Aine, the Goddess of love, growth, and cattle, and also associated with
light and the Sun. Andrea will facilitate a meditation to connect with
Her energies. 
We check out and depart to Limerick,
where we board the train to Dublin for our 2 1/2 hour trip through the lovely Irish
countryside. We arrive early afternoon in Dublin, the capital of and
largest city in Ireland, located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth
of the River Liffey. A city with humble beginnings as a Viking trading port, Dublin
evolved into a walled medieval city and then into an elegant Georgian metropolis with wide
streets, gracious squares and great houses, neatly bordered by its two canals. We meet our
driver and transfer to our hotel, located near St. Stephen's Green, one of Dublin's most
beautiful parks. Free time to explore Dublin on your own. 
Perhaps you'd like to visit Trinity College to view the Book
of Kells, housed in the Old Library. Or the 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, lmade 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 or La Tene art. You can also view several
bodies that were recovered from bogs! Dinner on your own. Overnight Dublin.
its sister sites Knowth and Dowth were designated a UNESCO
World Heritage Site. Newgrange has some stunning examples of megalithic art,
including the beautifully carved entrance stone, kerbstone
1, and
kerbstone 52. The famous Triple Goddess spiral is featured on the
entrance stone and in the chamber. The Tuatha Dé Dannan, who ruled Ireland in ancient
mythology, were said to have erected Newgrange as a burial place for their chief, Dagda
Mór, and his three sons. As we walk this hallowed ground take time to focus and connect
with the Ancient Ones who built this phenomenal sacred site. Lunch on your own at
the Visitors Center and time to visit the gift shop for souvenirs.
the roof box over
the entrance to the tomb, illuminating the passageway and inside area. Obviously the
ancient people had an advanced technology to be able to construct this tomb and plan for
this event! To view a short video of the December 21, 2007 illumination inside of
Newgrange,
We then visit another of Ireland's
most important sacred sites, the Hill of Tara, which is said to represent
the mother womb of Ireland. The Hill of Tara was once 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 place of dwelling for the Tuatha Dé
Dannan, and was the entrance to the Otherworld. Sitting on top of the King's Seat is 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. We have time to meditate in this powerful
place to connect with the ancient and other-worldly energies. High on this hill
overlooking the lovely nearby counties of the Emerald Isle, Andrea will facilitate our closing
circle.