First Footing & Wassailing into 2021 - Sunday Sessions 2020

First Footing & Wassailing into 2021 - Sunday Sessions 2020

Author: Woodland Bard December 30, 2020 Duration: 1:13:28
Through my personal experiences of first footing for several years on a Scottish island and Wassailing apple trees in Somerset and Ireland I notice similarities. There is a common bonding of wonderful and essential personal affirmations blended with simple connecting fellowship with our community of family and neighbours, even during Covid times. There is also a lovely slow down and re-connect with where we live, the landscape around us, and how it all provides for us, if we respect it. First Footin', a heart warming simple traditions of calling on local family and neighbours, and sharing local whisky, or tea, slices of black bun, a sort of rich fruit cake in pastry, and a bowl of soup or stew. Wassailing, a joyful shared blessing of our elder apple trees in three parts, blessing the roots, blessing the tree, and blessing each other who are served by the harvest from the trees. The common link is the social fellowships that both traditions draw us into with the banter of gossip and stories, thoughts for those passed on, joy for the living and their affirmations, and sharing our hopes, dreams and toasts to good health. We can adapt that to our Covid times. Join us and celebrate with this, our last, and more casual, Sunday Session of 2020.

Step into a living tradition where the landscape itself holds the stories. Nature Folklore, hosted by the Woodland Bard, is a weekly gathering that explores the deep spiritual connections between people and the natural world, rooted in the ancient soil of Ireland. This isn't a lecture, but an immersive audio experience. Each episode delves into a specific thread of lore-you might wander into the hidden sidhe realm, learn the old wisdom held by specific trees, or decipher the messages carried by water and weather. The conversation naturally extends into the creative practices born from this connection: dream vision writing, poetry, and the art of oral storytelling, all while honoring the legacy of the harper bards. Recorded live, often from the very heart of a growing Tree Labyrinth at Carrowcrory in County Sligo, the podcast carries the ambient sounds of that sacred space-the rustle of leaves, the call of birds, the whisper of wind. Listening feels less like pressing play and more like being invited to sit on a mossy stone within the circle, partaking in a timeless exchange. The Woodland Bard acts as your guide, not as a distant expert, weaving together research, personal reflection, and spoken word to re-enchant the everyday world. This is a podcast for those who feel the pulse of old magic in wild places and seek to understand its language, a regular touchstone for a spirituality felt through the land.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Nature Folklore
Podcast Episodes
Midsummer Gathering - Sunday Sessions 2020 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:05
On the 'menu' are ... St. John & water blessings Herbs for this time Bonfire traditions Feasting at Midsummer and some Bardic banter before and after
Sound Bathing - Sunday Sessions 2020 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:22
Sound baths are usually full of beautiful gongs and gigantic crystal singing bowls, tuning forks, and various instruments collected from world music shops. In this sessions we cover ancient origins, myths, and lore of so…
Garden Sanctuaries - Sunday Sessions 2020 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:15
Discussing our garden sanctuaries that are very much in Bloom now. Or where to go if you do not have a flower garden. Ireland's Bloom Festival was cancelled this year, but we can still enjoy a bloom feast in various ways…
Water Folklore & Divination - Sunday Sessions 2020 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:57
I introduce some of the goddess, sidhe. and fairy folklore of sacred wells, loughs, rivers, sea, and clouds, and a little introduction to the Water Divination, Also Trees In Water Folklore, and Dowsing sessions
Biodiversity In Earth & Spirit - Sunday Sessions 2020 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:07
During Biodiversity week I am inviting ideas for exploring and improving biodiversity in the landscapes we are keeper and stewards of. Suggestions of what to look for and what we may manage to attract more life. Included…
Fairy Stories For May - Sunday Sessions 2020 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:43
This session features the origins of fairy stories, a couple of fairy stories connected to traditions of May focused within and around the Hawthorn Tree
Bealtaine Gathering - Sunday Sessions 2020 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:59
Bealtaine folklore, including the story of Yellow Flowers, Posies and Knots, and a couple of stories behind the May Bush tradition.
Food Sovereignty or Food Security - Sunday Sessions 2020 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:14
Food Sovereignty, is a movement of believing that people who produce, distribute, and consume food should control the mechanisms and policies of food production and distribution. It is promoting the rights of people to d…