Hi Everyone,

Thanks for a really gorgeous evening. It's a real treat to get to meet you all and start this journey together. I'm hoping at least one of you has taken David's lead and run yourself a saffron bath!

A reminder of the story medicine activities:

• Speak Gratitude & Blessings (bring each into everyday speech, gratitude for at least one thing each day)
• Track accidental cursing (aspire to pristine speech to impress the faeries)
• Create a nature inspired blessing (walk and track that which inspires you, "may you feel the stillness of the heron amidst the flowing river, the joy of the blackbird on the first morning of spring etc)
• Leave a faery offering...or plate for the ancestors (oatcakes, butter and milk are said to be popular with faery)
• Identify the traditional healing use of one plant local/relevant to you
• Journal: Which part of this story is most relevant to you and why?
• Go skinny dipping (optional ;-) )

Recommended reading:

Blessings

Benedictus, John O'Donohue's book of blessings

Carmina Gadelica, Hyms and Incantations (A Carmichael)

-online version here: https://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/cg1/index.htm

Faery

Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries (An authoritative academic account):

https://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/ffcc/index.htm

Zoom meeting

Video link

https://youtu.be/iub33iKXhv0

chat

0:17:04 From David Hughes :

Cherishing items and the importance of caring for what you have - beloved items and the cow. The courage that Norman demonstrates to do what he needs to do. The vulnerability he is able to show to go and ask for help, to journey into the otherworld and ask the fae for help, to strip naked for his cow and to bring her back, stark naked. We also chatted about the depth the story might bring hearing it multiple times through generations and the way the story might reveal more to different listeners.

20:19:40 From Alex :

Trust in your inner voice (your instinct, intuition) and also trust your friends and those who help you. Know what is the right thing to do. Importance of speech, the word is sacred- by paying no tattention to your words and being blaze about it will invite hamr upon yourself and others so pay attention and be impeckible with your words to not open this door into the "dark" place where you get immediate feedback for something you did not mean but inflicted

20:28:42 From Annie Macmillan :

Symbolism of Saffron: Courage, sacrifice and spirituality, and Gold has the highest frequency

20:28:57 From Emily :

The significance of love throughout the story. Love in the way the wise women responds to Norman. How the love Norman feels for his cow is what motivates all his actions throughout the story. The Golden fabric woven through the shirt - this reference to gold possibly symbolising love? The significance of the healing plants and Norman returning to the field of flowers.

20:30:31 From Beverley Casebow :

Need to let go of the past (precious shirt) to live in the now (represented by the cow); cow represents nourishment, sustenance, love, community; moving on / grief; honouring the ancestors by letting them go

Needing to look inside ourselves when things aren’t right, not immediately blaming external things and other people

Importance of wise woman / elders; medicine offered by experience; guiding and facilitating others to find the answer for themselves

Trust and conviction from knowing, attention, observation, listening (knowing the cow and seeing the change through everyday attention)

Fairies - morality - not above as God / gods, but below; how does that change our perception?

20:33:12 From Sue K :

If he wasn’t naked, could he have received the healing medicine?

20:51:44 From Annie Macmillan :

Benedictus: A Book of Blessings John O'Donohue

20:53:04 From Alex : happy to have finally heard a story by you dougie :)

20:54:16 From Kate Walters : Could you please share the chat text along with your email, Dougie? I lost it after the breakout rooms.

21:02:57 From Alex : thank you ll!

Emails for buddying up:

.....

Feel free to message questions and reflections ahead of the next session.

Wishing you all many blessings through the week.

Dougie