Classes and workshops

Women and goddesses in the Mabinogi
Starts June 15th. Registration open!

Blodeuedd ... Branwen ... Aranrhod ... Rhiannon.
This is a deep dive into their stories.
This is a PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN class.
A series exploring the treatment of women, the male/female balance of power, mythological background, symbolism, and the possible intent of the compilers of the medieval text.

Participants need to be familiar with the text of The Four Branches, however it is less than 100 pages, total, when printed in standard paperback form, so this should not be a huge burden of reading. Advice will be given ahead of time about good online and printed sources for reading the material.

Click here for more information and registration.
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Hedge teacher?

I sometimes call myself a hedge teacher. That has nothing to do with hedge witches, or anything like that. Instead, it refers to the spirit of the hedge schools of 18th and 19th century Ireland. Schools for ordinary people who cared deeply about learning, but who either couldn’t access education through official channels, or preferred to avoid them. The standard of scholarship was often high, but the regulation was informal, and teachers were supported by the community.  
Recreation of an Irish hedge school
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Other classes

Mabon, Modron, and the Mabinogi

In Mabon, Modron, and the Mabinogi we will focus on the deities Mabon and Modron, and the relationship between mothers and their sons in The Mabinogi. There is required reading for the later weeks, and this class will be a good fit for those who are already familiar with The Four Branches. (If you don’t know The Four Branches very well, you can still do the course, but expect to put in some extra reading time. I will offer guidance on how to approach that.)

This class had an exciting and successful first run in September/October 2021. I hope it will be back in 2022 and be even better.

The Celtic Horse Goddesses

This six week class explores the goddesses Epona, Macha, and Rhiannon in detail, as well as looking at the changing relationship between humans and horses. Like other classes I have taught, this series will feature a largely objective “academic” component, including some reading, and a talk from me each week, with time for questions.

In a departure from my usual approach, I will lead a short devotional to the horse goddesses and horse spirits at the end of each class session. I will do my best to create these in a way that should be comfortable for most anyone, but if students would like to excuse themselves from this part of the session, that is perfectly fine.
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Meeting the Tuatha Dé Danann in the Cath Maige Tuired

The Cath Maige Tuired (The 2nd Battle of Moytura) is a classic and central part of the Irish "mythological cycle". It is useful for introducing many of the Tuatha Dé Danann in clear characterisations, and tells a good story in the process. The text is not particularly long or difficult, so we should be able to explore it at a relaxed pace. 

This class had a very successful first run in Jan/Feb 2022. 
Shapeshifters and Magical Animals
​Shapeshifters and Magical Animals is a six-week series looking at stories and texts from Ireland and Britain concerning the themes of transformation, wisdom, immortality, and time.

I hope to offer it again in the spring of 2023.

 Sovereignty and Kingship in Celtic Myth - currently running - registration closed

Sorry - last time for this class...

Manannán and Beyond
Currently running - registration closed

A new class for 2022, Manannán and Beyond will explore the Manannán Mac Lir of Irish mythology in some depth, as well as looking at Welsh texts concerning Manawydan fab Llŷr, and seeing what we can learn from comparing the two. We will also look at Manannán's varied role in Scotland and the Isle of Man.

Celtic Myths and Deities

What will you learn?
  • During the course we will take an overview of the main myths of Ireland and Wales, and their deities.
  • We will also study a few myths and deities in more detail.
  • My main goal is to give you the tools to study independently, with confidence, once the course has ended.
  • This is an enormous subject, so a ten-week course can’t cover everything!

I taught this ambitious ten week series several times in 2019 and 2020. It is a full-on "bootcamp" of a course, and I might need some convincing that it is really the best way forward, before I offer it again.  Cost is $120 US.