Greetings story lovers,

September is here and whilst the sun shines brightly, the chill of winter hangs in the air. As the seasons shift it's a time when stories come into their own and I renew my appreciation of woollen layers.

Today is also the day that the Scottish International Storytelling Festival release their programme, which I'm delighted to be a part of. It's a fine lineup this year, find it listed below.

If you can't wait until the end of October, or live outside Scotland you might be interested in the upcoming Myth as Medicine online, course or even the one-off drop-in session I'm offering on a pay-what-you-can basis.

There is a sumptuous feast of storytelling coming up, as well as book recommendation below.

Myth as Medicine Bonus Taster Session

Having been petitioned by previous participants for an additional session, I'll be offering a pay-what-you-can, Myth as Medicine taster on Sunday 22nd September, with the full course starting the week after.

Anyone joining us for the whole course will have this session included. If you're curious come and join us before we descend into the mythic realms of winter. In this session we'll take an old Welsh myth, featuring an earth goddess, a brew of inspiration, a shapeshifting pursuit and the birth of a great poet. Some of you will recognise this story already!

It's a belter of a tale, and the cornerstone of contemporary Druidic teachings in Britain. It's elemental, fierce and fascinating.

I'll be freshly returned from a week out in the Perthshire highlands and visit to the Cailleach shrine, so the energy should be potent. I'm looking forward to sharing a Myth as Medicine deep dive with some fine folk!

Register here

September Hearth Fire Session

If you're looking for something live and local to Edinburgh, we've got the next Hearth Fire Session on September 19th. We've got a cracking lineup with Kirsty Law (Ballad Singer, Songwriter), Iona Lee (Spoken word artist, poet) and Chris Cook (Magician, comedian) joining me in our most eclectic lineup yet.

The last session sold out, book early to avoid disappointment!

Tickets

Scottish International Storytelling Festival

As mentioned above, the festival programme is announced today. I'm delighted to be bringing my new show, 'A Wolf Shall Devour the Sun' to the theatre on Oct 30 with musical accompaniment and shadow puppetry from the talented Jemima Thewes (check her music out on your favourite listening platform).

On the 31st I'll be at the centre, running the Honouring the Elders session, which has been inspired initially by a gift from First Nation Canadian storyteller Louise Profet Le Blanc, and developed in cultural conversation with Tad Hargrave. Katie Warner is back weaving her magic into the mix too.

As is that isn't enough, I'll be up in Orkney for their own storytelling festival 24-27th October. I've heard it's a little festival with a big heart, and it's legendary on the regional story circuit. I'll be packing my hip flask for that one!

For full story festival listings look here:

Festival Programme

Book Recommendations

Over the past few years I've been lucky enough to share a conversation or two with Irish storyteller Clare Murphy. She recommended a book called A Short History of Myth, by Karen Armstrong. I've only just got into it, but I'll sign out with a few gems from within the first chapter or two.

"Mythology was not about theology, in the modern sense, but about human experience. People thought that gods, humans, animals and nature were inextricably bound up together, subject to the same laws, and composed of the same divine substance. There was initially no ontological  gulf between the world of the gods and the world of men and women.

When people spoke of the divine they were usually talking about an aspect of the mundane. The very existence of the gods was inseparable from that of a storm, a sea, a river, or from those powerful human emotions-love, rage or sexual passion- that seemed to momentarily lift men and women onto a different plane of existence so that they saw the world with new eyes."

May you gaze upon the world anew with each myth that comes your way.

Best Wishes

Dougie