ANCIENT MOTHER I HEAR YOU CALLING
Our pilgrimage shall begin at Shannon, and takes us to see the Sheela-na-gig at Kilnaboy. Here we will connect with the ancestors and spirits of the land and ask for their guidance and blessing. We shall visit the strange unearthly geology of The Burren and see The Poulnaborne Dolmen before settling into our hotel located on the banks of the Ennistymon river.
The next day we travel to Liscannor and honour Brigit at her sacred chapel and holy well. Then on to the colourful city of Galway with its museums, galleries, cosy restaurants and many shops.

Poulnaborne Dolmen

 MAY THE PRESENCE OF THE GODDESS BE UPON YOU
The wild windswept beauty of Connemara is quite unique, and here the presence of The Goddess is strongly felt. On the shores of the Atlantic we will see The Cleggan Dolmen, and on the sands of Sellerna bay we will create a mermaid from shells, pebbles and driftwood.
Our adventure unfolds as we follow the road to Sligo, stopping at Enniscrone. The baths at this seaside village have existed since the turn of the century, and here we shall refresh both body and soul by bathing in hot steam and seaweed.
County Sligo contains the greatest concentration of megalithic sites in Ireland. Here we shall see Carrowmore, climb The Cairn of Queen Maeve, and create special rituals with Carrowkeel as our inspiration. In the evening Chris Thompson will share with us her gift as a storyteller.
Leaving Sligo, we travel to Loughcrew, a magnificent megalithic site built on ‘Slieve na Calliagh - hill of the crone. We will visit cairn T. This tomb with its goddess-shaped interior, was constructed in 3200 BC, and contains a throne-shaped bolder known as The Hag’s Chair.
From here we travel to the magnificent valley of The Boyne River (sacred to Boand, goddess of healing and feminine wisdom) where we find the neolithic monument of Newgrange. Inside this sacred Goddess Temple we will see many beautiful carvings including the triple spiral representing the Mother, Maiden and Crone.
We will Visit Knowth and The Hill of Tara (womb of mother Ireland). Caitlin Matthews has a deep and sensitive understanding of The Goddess of Ireland. She will be our guide at these sites, and after visiting them, will take us on a shamanic journey.
This journey will link us to the ancestors, and help us establish our own personal connection to these scared and powerful places. The next day we visit The Dublin Museum with Fiona Marron and take time to absorb the atmosphere of Ireland’s friendly capital city.

Newgrange

 ISIS ASTARTE DIANA
Olivia Durdin-Robertson is an extraordinary woman and we are blessed to be welcomed by her personally at her castle-home in Clonegal. In 1976, after a spiritual visitation from the goddess Isis, Olivia and her brother converted their home to a temple and dedicated it to The Goddess. They came to recognise the growing need to help The Goddess actively in the manifestation of Her divine plan and created The Fellowship of Isis to answer this need. The beauty, wisdom and compassion which flow from the Temple of Isis into the world will have repercussions beyond the life-times of its present members. Olivia is a trained psychic and medium and has generously offered to create a special ritual for our tour.

Kilnaboy Sheela-na-gig

 MERRY MEET AND MERRY PART
As our journey continues, we travel along the coast to The Dingle Peninsula. This part of Ireland is made up of mountains, cliffs, glacial valleys, lakes and beaches; the scattered islands and strange headlands are said to be the remains of a great volcanic explosion that occurred when the lost continent of Atlantis sank into the sea. This land is sacred to the goddess Dhuibhne, and poets, singers and film-makers are among the many who come to her for inspiration. Even the friendly dolphin Fungi has made his home here. With wet suits and flippers we will join him for a friendly swim in Dingle Bay (optional of course).

Liscannor Holy Well

Our journey will have taken us in a clockwise circle around Ireland. Joining hearts and hands we will create our own circle of love and power and from this ring send healing and love to Mother Earth and to our sisters everywhere. Our journey will be one of joy and empowerment as we discover the magic of Ireland, and the Goddess who sings in our hearts and who dances through the land.

1. We meet at Shannon Airport at 11.00 am. After lunch, we visit Kilnaboy to see the Sheela-na-gig and to cast our opening circle. To the Burren to see the Poulnaborne Dolmen.

2. With Margaret Stewart to St. Bridits Chapel at Liscannor, and to the holy well. Lunch at Galway, and then to Connemara.

3. To see the dolmen at Cleggan. Mermaid ceremony by the sea. Lunch at Olivers. See the sacred spring at Kylemore. Tea at Kylemore Abbey.

4. Depart for Co. Sligo. Stop at Enniscrone for seaweed and steam baths. Meet Chris Thompson for dinner at hotel.

5. We visit Queen Maeve's Cairn with its magnificent view of the surrounding landscape (inspiration to W.B. Yeats). See the dolmen and barrows at Carrowmore. Healing ceremony at the Court Tomb of Creevykeel. Stop at Yeats grave and after dinner listen to fairy tales and legends of the Tuatha De Danann (children of the Goddess Aine or Dana).

6. Short visit to town of Sligo, then picnic at Carrowkeel. We will create our own rituals to connect with this magical and ancient site. After dinner talk on the connection between the stars and the sites, (Astro-Megalithic).

7. We travel west to Loughcrew in County Meath, see the megalithic art of Cairn T. Then to Drogheda to meet Caitlin Matthews.

8. Explore the Boyne River Valley. Guided tour of Newgrange and Knowth. To the Hill of Tara (womb of Mother Ireland) and Shamanic journey with Caitlin Matthews. Optional swim and sauna at hotel.

9. To Dublin with Fiona Marron to visit the museum. Free time in the city. Music in the evening.

10. Depart Dublin and journey to the Temple of Isis. Picnic with Olivia followed by a ceremony at The Temple.

11. Visit Brown Hill Dolmen "The Mother of All Dolmens’. To The Rock of Cashel. On to County Cork and Blarney Castle.

12. Ceremony at Dromroe Stone Circle. On to Waterville and the enchanting West Coast to meet The Fairy Folk!

13. Free day to commune with nature and ones inner Goddess. Optional boat trip to the Skellig Islands.

14. On to Dingle to view The Seven Sisters and Sibyl Head, and visit the Goddess Dhuibhne.

15. Into wet suits to swim with The Dolphin, Fungi. Visit the Oratory and other sacred sites. Local music in the evening.

16. To the River Brandon to collect reeds and from them create Bridgit Crosses. Time to shop and pack. Optional trip to The Blasket Islands. Closing circle.

17. Adieu - early departure to arrive at Shannon by 12noon.

Julie Felix
Julie learned to play guitar from her Mexican father. In 1964 she arrived in England and soon became England’s leading lady of folk’. She made lots of records and had her own TV show for 3 years. After the birth of her daughter in 1971 she looked for a way to combine her political activism with her interest in healing and her spiritual commitment. Julie's involvement with the women’s movement and her passion for the land eventually led her to The Goddess. In 1993 she set up Goddess Tours that now has become Goddess Tours International. Julie, a Gemini, divides her time between touring as a singer and facilitating women’s tours to sacred sites.

Margaret Stewart
Margaret was born in England, but moved to Ireland at an early age. Here she spent her childhood soaking up the myths and magic of this Celtic land. She attended Trinity College Dublin where she took a degree in Psychology, Philosophy and in English. She is an accomplished musician and healer and is at present living in her native Bath where she is a Director of the Springs Foundation. For the past 18 years Margaret has been working as a guardian of this sacred site and is dedicated to the task of reinstating Bath to the major Goddess centre it once was.

Caitlin Matthews
Caitlin is a respected initiator in the field of Celtic spirituality, practical shamanism and the traditions of Britain and Ireland. She is the author of 26 books, including Singing the Soul Back Home and the recently published In Search of Women’s Passionate SouL. Caitlin has appeared widely on television and radio, and has a shamanic practice in Oxfordshire. Her insight into the traditions of our ancestral heritage draws upon the ancient inspirations of the land, its mythic lore and music. Caitlin will help us to access the otherworldly wisdom of the Boyne Valley landscape through direct shamanic experience.

Chris Thompson
Chris is a professional storyteller specialising in the legends of Connacht (Western Ireland). Her knowledge of Celtic myth is impressive with many stories of The Tuatha De Danaan (These were the people of the goddess Danu. They were shape shifters and their powers may still be felt in the landscape). Chris is the creator of "The Grove of Sinann" which is a centre dedicated to the goddess Sinann. From this centre Chris gives workshops in which she uses myth to unlock the wellspring of creativity.

Fiona Marron
After graduating from The National College of Art and Design in Dublin, Fiona researched Shela-na-gigs for 12 years and has painted them for the last 3 years. Fiona says Sheela-na-gigs are a survival of an awareness of the ancient Earth Mother, They represent the great circle-cycle of life, death and rebirth.. .Mother Maiden Crone. Sheelas are an expression of the power of women.

Deirdre Hall
Deirdre has lived all her life in her native Ireland. She is an artist and has a deep connection to the land. She and her husband Toby share a passion for earth mysteries and they have assisted in the gathering of material linking the ancient sites to the stars and constellations. Together they founded Stonelight, an organisation to promote the study and appreciation of megalithic sites in Ireland.

Olivia Durdin-Robertson
In the 1950s Olivia, a successful novelists, began exploring the esoteric sciences to put into practice psychic gifts gained as a child. Having seen spirits and angels all her life, Olivia was shocked when in 1976 she had a vision of The Goddess. Puzzled by this, she consulted her cousin Robert Graves who advised her she had seen The Goddess Isis. Shortly after that, Olivia and her brother converted their ancestral home to a temple and founded the Fellowship of Isis. With an international membership of over 14,000 the Fellowship is the only Goddess-based religion to be represented at the World Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1993.

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