Samhain Approaches
Oct 22, 2025 7:01 am
Dear Story Lovers,
The seasons are turning here in Scotland. As the winds pick up more leaves fall to the ground by the day. We had one day of sun yesterday and it was a dream, yet today we return to grey.
Recently I was in Germany, tracking wolves and telling stories, and the colours were majestic! The way storytelling and tracking weave together is an ongoing source of inspiration for me and the experience was fantastic. A real highlight of the year, with a gorgeous group of participants. I'll write more about this in time.
Before that I was travelling around the West of Scotland with a pilgrimage group, also profound and worthy of more detail at another time. We finished the journey on the peaceful Isle of Iona, with sunshine, stillness and leaping dolphins. I'm left with a an emerging mantra 'every pilgrimage is a love story'. Certainly there was plenty to stir the heart on this journey.
As I return to the grey of the Scottish Borders, these colourful memories seem like fading dreams...
Nevertheless, the darker half of the years a fine time for gathering by the fire and hearing a tale of two. The Scottish International Storytelling Festival starts imminently, and in addition to some events there I'll be back and forward to Ireland twice over the next month as guest storyteller at festivals in Antrim and Bray. I also released a new podcast episode for those based far from the isles, who might enjoy hearing an oral story online.
Live storytelling October-November
23-26 Oct. Guest storyteller at Festival in the Glens, Northern Ireland
https://www.armstory.org.uk/glens-storytelling-festival
29 Oct. A Wolf Shall Devour the Sun @ Catstrand, Dumfries and Galloway
1 Nov. Open Hearth, Scottish International Storytelling Festival, Edinburgh
https://sisf.online.red61.co.uk/
9 Nov. A Wolf Shall Devour the Sun @ Birks Cinema, Aberfeldy (SISF regional)
https://sisf.online.red61.co.uk/
15 Nov. A Wolf Shall Devour the Sun @ Wicklow (Yarn Festival) Ireland
16 Nov. Hearth Fire Session @ Wicklow Wolf (Yarn Festival) Ireland
https://www.mermaidartscentre.ie/whats-on/yarn-storytelling-festival
22 Nov. Celtic Tales and Tunes, Hood River, Oregon US
(dm for details)
5 Dec. Winter Tales at Rosslyn Chapel, Midlothian
https://www.rosslynchapel.com/whats-on/
Online Storytelling
I'll be running another (and possibly my final) round of Myth as Medicine in the new year.
Register Interest by responding to this email.
Likewise, I have space for one or two new storytelling students during 2025. Dm with interest.
Latest podcast and substack:
Just a brief update for now, but I'm wishing you well during this descent into the darker half of the year, and hoping we cross paths and share stories some way down the road.
Slainte
Dougie