Greetings Story people,

I hope this finds you well and enjoying the first signs of Spring.

I can feel the sap rising, and with it a host of storytelling activities brewing. Some live gigs, an eclectic mix of workshops, occasional blog posts and online courses....plus an ongoing exploration into wolves, in folklore and the wild!

I've got two live gigs coming up that might be of interest:

One in 'real life' in my local area in the Scottish Borders (3 March) and another online withe the esteemed Nana Tomova (12 March).

I'm excited about each for different reasons. One is an opportunity to connect more with my local community, the other a chance to connect with friends worldwide and entertain people from the comfort of they own home. I've avoided online storytelling until now so there is something exciting about it.

Nana is a great storyteller of Bulgarian heritage, so I expect it to be a rich evening as we explore tales of light and darkness and seasonal change.

Tickets are available through the following links:

Traquair March 3rd:

Witches, Wee Folk & Watery Beasties

Online with Nana Tomova March 12th:

Bringing the Light

Myth as Medicine

There has been a really great response to the upcoming Myth as Medicine course, and only a few spaces left.

I'm enjoying the preparation and getting deep into writing by characters such as John O Donohue and David Abram, aswell as exploring tales of Cailleachs, faeries, sun deities and more.

A fine selection of folk have signed up so far and I sense it's going to be special.

If you'd like to join us enquire or book via the link below:

Myth as Medicine

I was also invited to speak with returning participant Kris August (who runs a self care through nature programme) about storytelling, natural cycles and the medicine of myth and story. We ended with a Scottish faery story. Watch the video here:

https://youtu.be/VDa94vJLd0o

Blog

I'm on the cusp of finishing a new feature, reflecting on a storytelling experience with a community who's park is under threat of development in Aberdeen.

I present the tale of 'the magic garden' and compares it to the community situation.

It's not quite finished, but I did write a piece about the wild Inuit myth of Sedna the sea Goddess a few weeks ago which might be of interest.

Check it out here:

https://storyconnection.org/2023/02/05/has-a-story-ever-truly-moved-you/

Wolf Tracks and Tales

Finally, I'm excited to be heading off to Berlin next week to track wolves with my good friend Greg Sommer. Outside Berlin the area of Brandenburg hosts the largest population of wolves in Europe, and Greg has been monitoring them for 11 years.

I've been fascinated by the reality of wolves compared to the archetypal portrayal as 'big baddie' in fairy stories, for a long time. I've been tracking wolf tales and the only way to really do those stories justice is to get close to wolves themselves. I almost made it across in 2020 but then Covid hit, so this one has been brewing for a long time.

Expect some wolf related shows and writing in the year to come!

If interested in wolf tracking yourself there are still a couple of places left...

https://wildnisschule-hoherflaeming.de/kurse/wolfstracking-mit-greg-sommer/

Wishing you a fine end to February and for favoured stories to reach your ears.

All best

Dougie