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Print Sale! 🌀Hello friends, I’m currently h

Print Sale! 🌀Hello friends, I’m currently having a little clear out of my prints - all of them are now on sale, including my pack of any three mythology portrait prints (subject to availability - and there are more options available than what’s pictured here 😅)Do have a look if you’re interested, and thank you so much 🤎Le grá
Shelly

Sometimes I swear the stones can sing. Some old, w

Sometimes I swear the stones can sing. Some old, wild song that people have long forgotten the words to. Occasionally when you go to them you can catch little strains of it on the wind, as it blows up from the lands below and sighs across their stony faces.They were here aeons before we came, waiting patiently in the earth for our arrival. Perhaps the ones who came here long ago heard it too, as they built them into the temples that scatter the land today.I love that so many of these sites are in high places, as close to the stars as they can be. Gazing down over their domains in the stillness and solitude of a millennia’s watch. We don’t know why those ancient people left them there, but they call to us nonetheless, keeping their secrets like an unspoken promise.How lucky we are to walk amongst them yet.Le grá
Shelly

Exploring the woods at Tintern Abbey during wild g

Exploring the woods at Tintern Abbey during wild garlic season. Wild garlic was used traditionally for its healing purposes, and the scent of it filling the air under the trees certainly leaves me feeling renewed.Tintern Abbey is one of my favourite sites to visit, as the ancient woodlands are always alive with plants and animals. The ruins of the abbey and other buildings are now used by the crows. And their raucous, lively conversations would put a smile on your face as you wander around and ponder those who came before.This year seems to have been a good one for the wild garlic, it’s pouring out of every hedgerow around my home, and giving the bluebells a run for their money in terms of putting on a show.Le grá
Shelly#wildgarlic #irishhistory #ancientireland #irishforest

Lighting the Bealtaine Fire at Uisneach 🔥Word

Lighting the Bealtaine Fire at Uisneach 🔥Words don’t describe how incredible the weekend was, seeing the great fire lit at Uisneach. At was an absolutely emotional, magnificent and unforgettable event. Meeting with friends and watching all the incredible talent work their magic was a privilege that I won’t soon forget.A huge thank you to @hill_of_uisneach for facilitating this magical meeting, and to all the amazing people who helped make it happen. You’re all legends and I can’t wait for next year!!Brilliant music by @bogbodiesband who I was delighted to finally see live and who provided the perfect soundtrack to the occasion.Welcome Summer!Le grá
Shelly#bealtaine #irishhistory #irishheritage #irishmythology #uisneach

What an evening! I’m so glad I finally made it u

What an evening! I’m so glad I finally made it up to Uisneach for the Bealtaine Fire. I’m thrilled to have had the chance to meet so many of you and share in such a special event at this wonderful site.Im actually blown away by just how wonderful the whole thing was, and by how warm, talented and sincere this entire community is. I have so many photos and videos that I’ll treasure forever, and I’m already counting down the days until next year 🔥I’ll be sharing some clips as soon as I have them in order!Le grá
Shelly

Bealtaine Fire 🔥Today is the date of this ye

Bealtaine Fire 🔥Today is the date of this year’s astrological Bealtaine, the cross quarter day that marks the halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. It also happens to be the day of the full May moon, adding an extra mystical touch to an already magical day.All around us nature has sprung to life, and summer has well and truly begun. Our ancient ancestors marked this point on the calendar with festivals and fire, most famously with the Bealtaine fire at Uisneach, a site that holds much significance to both our archaeology and mythology here in Ireland (and one where many of us will gather tomorrow to light the fire once again!)I thought I’d mark the day here with my own interpretation of the Bealtaine fire. My time for painting has been limited the past few weeks so I really enjoyed taking the time to sit quietly and create.I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Here’s to a beautiful summer to come 🔥Le grá
Shelly

The bluebells are ringing once again and summer ha

The bluebells are ringing once again and summer has officially begun. The woods are alive with birdsong and buzzing insects, and I couldn’t be happier to see it return!Bealtaine was a very special time for our ancient ancestors. They marked the occasion with fire and festivities and hoped for a fruitful summer of agriculture. Keep an eye out for the beautiful hawthorn blossoms adorning the fields and hedgerows, these special trees were and are to this day revered in folklore and legend, and seeing them burst to life once again feels like a privilege.Bealtaine this year falls on the 5th, and we’ll be treated to a full moon too. I hope to see many of you on Saturday up at Uisneach for the fire festival!Enjoy the remainder of the week everyone!Le grá
Shelly#bealtaine #folklore #irishfolklore #bluebells #irishhistory #uisneach #folkloreandfairytales #irishmythology

What were stone circles originally used for?It’s one of those questions that any of us with an interest in prehistory love to chew on every so often.They’re places that many (including me) feel drawn to. The air around them tends to hang heavy with folklore and legend. Most of which likely developed many centuries after the people who built them walked the land. Stories of Druids, devils, pipers, dancers and all kinds of magical happenings abound throughout Ireland wherever there’s a circle.Their original purpose however, like so many things in our ancient prehistory, has been lost to the mists of time. It has been speculated that they may have been places of ceremony, spiritual worship, ritual, prayer and festivity. Some almost certainly served as astrological observatories, with solar alignments at sites such as the Drombeg and Beltany stone circles having been observed. Perhaps they were simply gathering places for communities to meet and come together. The occasional presence of human remains tells us that some were possibly places to honour the dead.Stories of Druidic sacrifice are often told, but generally these circles are believed to have long predated the appearance of the Druids in Ireland, with most having been constructed during the Bronze Age.Whatever the case, their presence on the landscape is a wonderful reminder of those that lived here before us. Magical, mythical, spiritual and intensely atmospheric, they are some of my favourite of our ancient stones to visit.Pictured is the small but beautiful Tooreen stone circle, out in the Comeragh Mountains in county Waterford.Do you have any ideas as to their original purpose? ✨Le grá
Shelly

It’s thoughts like these that keep me returning

It’s thoughts like these that keep me returning to these ancient places again and again.The future will be made up of our what we do in our lives, our history, constantly moving and creating what those yet to come will have to look back on.I hope you’re all having a peaceful Sunday night.Le grá,
Shelly#history #irishhistory #ancienthistory #ancientireland #ancientplaces #historyisnow #megalithic

✨🌀 Thank you for one hundred thousand followe

✨🌀 Thank you for one hundred thousand followers 🌀✨My friends, I don’t have adequate words to express how astonished I am to find myself at this milestone.For my whole life, I’ve loved the history, mythology and nature of this magical land. I’ve often felt that it made me a bit strange to have such a specific fixation, especially when combined with my propensity for whimsy, fantasy and a love for all the odd little quirks that human beings possess. But with so many new friends having connected with what I do here, I no longer feel alone in my thoughts.Thank you for giving me the space to share all these little pieces of my soul with you. I’m the kind of person who usually prefers to operate in the background, so when I began this journey it was to quietly put the things I love out into the world. Believe it or not, in the beginning I didn’t even tell my friends and family about it because I was so guarded and without expectations. I never imagined for a second that it would reach and resonate with so many people.With that said, what I would love to say to you now having arrived at this point in my journey, is that if you have a passion, a skill, or an idea that is eating you up inside, please share it with the world. Even if you think you’re not talented or knowledgeable enough yet, or that nobody else will see what you’re trying to express. Try to leave your imposter syndrome at the door and just make a start. Skills and thoughts can be honed and improved upon, and learning happens every step of the way. In fact, I’d say I’ve learned more about the things I love from the friends I’ve made these past three years than I ever did before I started. The world can be a dreary and draining place, but I truly believe that putting our Imbas and creativity out there brightens it more than we know.From the depths of my heart, I thank you all. For giving me a place to escape to through some of the darkest parts of my life, and to celebrate some of the best.There is much more yet to come on this little adventure ❤️Le grá
Shelly

Happy Sheela’s Day everyone!Sheela is, like so

Happy Sheela’s Day everyone!Sheela is, like so much from our mythical past, a figure somewhat shrouded in mystery. Historically the Irish, and the Irish diaspora, marked the 18th of March in her honour, but the practise seems to have died out in the 1800s.There are a few different versions of Sheela. In some Irish folklore she was said to have been a wife of St. Patrick. Other folklore surviving from the Irish diaspora in Newfoundland tells of an Irish princess called Sheila Na Geira. Whilst in another of their traditions, the last snowstorm after St. Patrick’s day is known as Sheila’s Brush.But perhaps the most famous Sheelas of all are the Sheela na Gigs. Figures of naked, often older women, displaying their vulva. There are hundreds of these little carvings spread around Ireland, the highest concentration in all of Europe, and they mostly appear on churches and castles from the 11th century. Many ended up being destroyed or damaged as the centuries marched on and Christianity became more puritanical on the island.We don’t know what Sheela na Gig originally meant to the people who carved her, but it’s possible that she is a representation of an older, now forgotten fertility goddess. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Sheela’s Day falls at this time of year, so close to the spring equinox and the official end of winter. Perhaps she bears a connection to An Cailleach, another ancient hag goddess associated with winter.Her placement above doors and windows almost gives the impression of entering a womb. I personally feel this has echoes of our Neolithic passage tombs, which also bear resemblance to wombs and vulvas. Perhaps these represent an allusion to the passage from one world to the next, the journey between life and death. It’s interesting to note that Cairn T at Loughcrew has a Spring Equinox alignment, and is also associated with An Cailleach.Whatever the case may be, the renewed interest in Sheela na Gig is wonderful to see. These defiant, joyful figures are once again free of shame and receiving the attention and love that they deserve.Here’s a little Sheela artwork of my own ✨Le grá
Shelly

Happy St Patrick’s Day everyone! Here’s a litt

Happy St Patrick’s Day everyone! Here’s a little photo from the hills at Carrowkeel, perhaps a similar sight greeted the sixteen year old Patrick during the time he spent as a slave in Ireland, tending sheep on the mountainside.I’d love to hear what he’d have to say for himself if he knew that today his name would be celebrated all around the globe as a symbol of Irishness. I’d imagine the concept would stagger anyone in the fifth century! A world so different from our own that it would likely stagger us just as sharply if we could go back. Imagine trying to explain the concept of America, let alone rivers dyed green and shamrock exchanges in the White House!However you’re choosing to spend the day today, I hope you have a good one. And maybe tomorrow raise a glass to Sheela on her feast day, I know I certainly will be!Also, if you’re interested in hearing a bit more about Sheela and Patrick, I recorded a podcast with the wonderful @sileseoige where we had a great chat about all these things. It’s up on all the usual platforms!Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona daoibh go léir!Le grá
Shelly