KnotWork Myth & Storytelling

Please Support Our Show: Join us on SubstackLove KnotWork Storytelling? Your financial contribution helps me pay the amazing team that puts this show together. As a paid subscriber you'll be invited to join us for the Myth Workers' Salon and keep in touch with the show during my upcoming Imbolc sabbatical. Subscribe to our newsletter Myth Is Medicine. Words Are MagicOUR STORYA sacred Immram, the great voyage of a birthing mother goddess. In this story, presented in both Irish and English, you’ll meet Brigid, Danu, and the midwife, the bean ghlúine who held the portal of life and death and helped bring new babes into the world.OUR GUESTSarah Richardson is the author of WOMAN: A Guide to Living Your Best Life by Setting Yourself Free and Coming Home to Your True Self. A midwife of conscious conception, birth, death & rebirth. A woman of the medicine way. Sarah brings over 15 years of experience in the medical field as a registered midwife and the mysteries, which is steeped in her lineage. Her work is a safe welcoming hand — and a cheeky wink — across the veil, guiding others into deeper connection with the unseen and the ancestors. She serves as a living portal into the otherworld, inviting others to remember, reclaim, reconnect and rejoice in the fullness of their authentic selves. Her soul’s devotion is to the Goddess in all her forms — restoring our connection to our sacred source so we can receive the radiant, embodied BIG life that is our birthright. She is the Founder of the Womb & Word Collective and the Co-Founder of Dream Midwifery. Subscribe to Sarah's Substack, The Womb & Word Collective and her collaboration with Jen Murphy, Dream Midwifery Find her on Instagram @sarahrichardsonauthor.ie and at www.sarahrichardson.ieIN THIS EPISODEThe significance of Brigid’s Day and the season of Imbolc Sarah’s description of the Four Faces of the Ancient Irish Grandmothers:Bean Ghlúine, The Midwife; Bean Chaointe,The Keener; Bean Feasa,The Seer; Bean Leighis,The Medicine WomanSarah’s own first experiences as a midwife and how this story is told in memory of a pair of twins, one born alive and one stillborn Our craving for a wise woman mentor, and the bean ghlúine is that being for SarahWhat it’s like to be comfortable in the shadows, the Cailleach, and Samhain and what it’s like to embrace the joy and light that come with BrigidAncestral stories and how they cause us to both fear and reclaim aspects of ourselvesSaint Brigid of the Flaming Harrow who helped her Mary when she was “churched” after the...

Take Marisa's Brigid class at Celtic Junction!Marisa will be teaching a three-session online class for Celtic Junction, starting January 28.Register for Brigid & Expressions of the Irish Divine FeminineOur StoryAs the season of Imbolc draws closer, an episode from the KnotWork archives. Kate Chadbourne offers us two tales of Brigit, Ireland's patron goddess and saint. The first describes Brigit as the Blessed Virgin Mary's best friend and the first celebration of Saint Brigit's Day. The second is a story of resourcefulness and kindness: when Brigit saves a fox and outfoxes a king.Our GuestKate Chadbourne is a singer, harper, and storyteller, an award-winning songwriter and poet, and a scholar of Irish language and folklore with a PhD from Harvard. She's a beloved performer at venues throughout New England and founder of The Bardic Academy, a school for writers, musicians, singers, and young scholars. Kate recently released her novel The Poet on the Train.Learn more about Kate as a performer, teacher, editor, and guide at The Bardic Academy and her vibrant YouTube channel.In This Episode:Fite fuaite—an Irish phrase that speaks to the weaving together of ideasThe meanings of Brigit's names: "Flaming arrow" and "life force, vitality"Prayer as co-conspiring with the universe: Brigit doesn't ask God to take care of everything, she asks for the eyes to see the solution and does her part"Conspiring" means "to be inspirited together"The power of the Celtic Wheel of the Year, which reminds us of our most treasured values and our connection to natureImbolc: the feast of Ewe Lactation—a great excuse to have the finest butter, cheese, and ice cream!Please Support Our Show: Join us on SubstackLove KnotWork Storytelling? Your financial contribution helps me pay the amazing team that puts this show together.Subscribe to our newsletter Myth Is Medicine. Words Are MagicWork With Marisa1:1 Writing Coaching: If you are working on a spiritual memoir or wellness professional or a creative entrepreneur who wants to use stories to build your business, book a free consultation with Marisa. Learn more at writingcoachmarisa.comLearn about group writing opportunities: www.marisagoudy.com/writing-groupsFind more of Marisa's writing and get a copy of her book, The Sovereignty Knot:

Take Marisa's Brigid class at Celtic Junction!Marisa will be teaching a three-session online class for Celtic Junction, starting January 28.Register for Brigid & Expressions of the Irish Divine FeminineIn this episode:As part of our Myth Workers and Culture Makers series, we sit down with Natalie O'Shea, founder and Executive Director of Celtic Junction Arts Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. We explore the Brigid's Cross as a living symbol and community touchstone.This Imbolc-season conversation weaves together the power of place, the preservation of language and tradition, and the resonance between Irish and indigenous wisdom on Dakota land.Our GuestIn addition to being founder and Executive Director of the Celtic Junction Arts Center of Minnesota, Natalie is an officer of Ireland Network Minnesota, and a member of National Irish Cultural Centers of North America (NICCoNA), representing her region nationally and internationally. She is an actor, speaker, and writer/ director of three annual productions with an international resume of theater work. Natalie’s honors include being named an Advisory Editor for University of St. Thomas’s New Hibernia Review and one of the Irish Echo’s “Arts & Culture Heroes” in 2020, as a “Rebuilder of Irish America” in 2021 and 2022, and honored as an Ambassador of Irish Culture in 2025. She toured the world for three and a half years with Riverdance, The Show where she met her Dubliner husband Cormac Ó Sé before moving to Ireland and, eventually, back to Minnesota.Find out more about what's happening at celticjunction.org and on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and LinkedInOur Conversation:We recorded this session on January 7, the day Renee Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. As a community organization, Celtic Junction is doing what they can to support the people of the Twin Cities in this difficult time.The Brigid's Cross as living symbol offering us the four directions, a sense perpetual movement, and the ritual of annual renewalBuilding Irish cultural community in Minnesota on Dakota landLanguage, place, and the intersection of Irish and Indigenous wisdomThe divine feminine as goddess, saint, and living presenceKeeping tradition alive without holding it too tightlyThe old hymn to Brigid quoted at the start of the episode:Gabhaim molta Bhríde,Ionmhain le hÉirinn;Ionmhain le gach tir í,Molaimis go léir í.I proclaim the praises of Brigid;she is dear to Ireland;she is dear to every country;let us all join in her praises.Please Support Our Show: Join us on SubstackLove KnotWork...

Write Your Book With Us In 2026The Authors’ Knot Program, February - November 2026Registration is open now for our intimate 10-month online writing program for thought leaders, memoirists, novelists. and heart-led visionaries working on a book or another “big project.”Learn more and apply to join the Authors’ Knot.Please Support Our Show: Join us on SubstackLove KnotWork Storytelling? Your financial contribution helps me pay the amazing team that puts this show together.Subscribe to our newsletter Myth Is Medicine. Words Are MagicOUR STORYCiarán of Saighir was born jus as Christianity was emerging in Ireland. This is the story of a woman’s vision, a long pilgrimage, and what happens when you keep company with a boar, a wolf, a badger, and a fox in a very inhospitable forest.The story was recorded during a Myth Workers’ Salon, a gathering of Myth Is Medicine newsletter subscribers. If you’d like to join the next gathering and hear the story before it’s on the podcast, sing up or upgrade your current subscription at: https://mythismedicine.substack.com/IN THIS EPISODEJanuary 6 and all of its spiritual and traditional celebrations: Little Christmas, Epiphany , Nollaig Na mBan (“women’s Christmas” in the Irish)The human habit of trying to tame the wild and the trouble with anthropocentrismConnecting with the animal nature within and reconnecting to nature in a profound, elemental wayWhat it means to be a liminal creature, to hold space for both worlds, for multiple traditions, like paganism and CatholicismSources of this story: John Moriarty in Invoking Ireland, Martin Shaw in Jawbone, Ciaran Carson’s The Star Factory in which he quotes Patricia Lynch’s Knights of God OUR STORYCiarán of Saighir was born jus as Christianity was emerging in Ireland. This is the story of a woman’s vision, a long pilgrimage, and what happens when you keep company with a boar, a wolf, a badger, and a fox in a very inhospitable forest.The story was recorded during a Myth Workers’ Salon, a gathering of Myth Is Medicine newsletter subscribers. If you’d like to join the next gathering and hear the story before it’s on the podcast, sing up or upgrade your current subscription at: https://mythismedicine.substack.com/IN THIS EPISODEJanuary 6 and all of its spiritual and traditional celebrations: Little Christmas, Epiphany , Nollaig Na mBan (“women’s Christmas” in the Irish)What it means to tame the wild and the trouble with anthropocentrismConnecting with the animal nature within and reconnecting to nature in a profound, elemental wayli...

Write Your Book With Us In 2026The Authors’ Knot Program, February - November 2026Registration is open now for our intimate 10-month online writing program for thought leaders, memoirists, novelists. and heart-led visionaries working on a book or another “big project.”Learn more and apply to join the Authors’ Knot.OUR STORYIt’s the winter solstice in the northern part of the globe. Christmas is just days away. This time of year is so steeped in story. Our culture is shaped by the nativity story in so many ways.And yet, we’re shaped by the storyless mysteries too, like the 5000 year old passage tomb of Newgrange which was built to capture the rising sun on the Winter Solstice.Sitting with these two late December phenomena, the story of Bethlehem and the alignment of Newgrange, I invite you to consider Omen Days and the 12 Rays of Solstice, two practices that can help you reflect and prepare for the new year.IN THIS EPISODEThe Christmas story describing the birth of Christ endures because it’s the foundation of a faith, but also because it contains the elements of a good storyCalm Tóibín’s novella The Shortest Day, a fictional account of the modern discovery of the Newgrange solstice alignment by Professor Michael O’Kelly in 1967.Caitlín Matthew’s description of the medieval Omen Days practice, from December 26 - January 6.An alternative: start searching out twelve signs over twelve days starting on solstice, from December 21-January 1, as a way to gain insight into what each of the twelve months might offer.JOIN US ON JANUARY 3Join us for the January 3 Reflect & Envision Retreat!It's open to all paid Myth Is Medicine subscribers. Subscribe or upgrade your subscription at https://mythismedicine.substack.com/During this this three-hour event (held noon - 3 PM ET via Zoom) we'll have the time and space to reflect on the year that was, root into the moment that is, and imagine the year that will be.We will weave the Omen Days practice into our time together.Music at the start of the show is by Beth Sweeney and Billy Hardy: billyandbeth.comWork With Marisa1:1 Writing Coaching: If you are working on a spiritual memoir or wellness professional or a creative entrepreneur who wants to use stories to build your business, book a free consultation with Marisa. Learn more ata...

Write Your Book With Us In 2026The Authors’ Knot Program, February - November 2026Registration is open now for our intimate 10-month online writing program for thought leaders, memoirists, novelists. and heart-led visionaries working on a book or another “big project.”Learn more and apply to join the Authors’ Knot.Our StoryIn this original tale by Erica O’Reilly, we meet An Chailleach, the ancient grandmother spirit of Irish folklore. Though the Cailleach is often associated with fierce energy, she is also the gentlest of goddesses. In this story, she comes to the aid of a little boy who needs her help navigating his first Christmas without his mother.Our GuestErica O’Reilly is an Irish-Canadian storyteller, spiritual counsellor, and ordained minister whose work is rooted in the transformative power of story. Supported by the ancestral Irish traditions of the Mná Feasa (Wise Women), the Mná Ghlùline (Soul Midwives), the Mná Leigheas (Medicine Women), and the Áes Dána (People of the Arts), she believes deeply in facilitating experiences where souls feel seen, heard, and held. She lives on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabeg NationAs the Creative Visionary of Into the Circle Theatre, Erica weaves Irish culture, folklore, and mythology into contemporary storytelling that honours feminine wisdom and ancestral memory. Stay in touch with Erica by subscribing to her gorgeous newsletter and podcast, Into the Circle with Erica O’Reilly on Substack. IN THIS EPISODEA conversation between two storytellers about heart, soul, and craft involved in the creative processHow stories arrive as medicine for the teller, especially when navigating grief and the complexities Christmas without a beloved parentErica's relationship with the Cailleach and how she offer "steady bones" through early grief—a grandmother spirit who offers both fierce presence and tender supportThe art of staying in relationship with stories across seasons and trusting they remain "in the wings" waiting for their moment to be told againHow oral storytellers navigate multiple formats and platforms (live performance, Substack, podcast) to honor both the spirit of stories and the diverse ways listeners need to receive themThe practice of repetition and re-telling as a way to honor a story's living essence rather than treating it as one-time “content”Music at the start of the show is by Beth Sweeney and Billy Hardy: billyandbeth.comWork With Marisa1:1 Writing Coaching: If you are working on a spiritual memoir or wellness professional or a creative entrepreneur who wants to use stories to build your...

Write Your Book With Us In 2026The Authors’ Knot Program, February - November 2026Registration is open now for our intimate 10-month online writing program for thought leaders, memoirists, novelists. and heart-led visionaries working on a book or another “big project.”Learn more and apply to join the Authors’ Knot. OUR STORYAmanda Carmody shares three Christmas stories from her uncle, Irish philosopher John Moriarty. We follow a five year-old John to the barn on Christmas morning, meet a local Moyvane man who shows a sense of “alarming humanity” at Christmas mass, and walk with John and a five year-old Amanda to Granny’s house to light the Christmas candle in the window. OUR GUESTAmanda Carmody joins us to speak about her uncle and dear friend, John Moriarty. She knows firsthand how John Moriarty’s work can be a shelter, a companion, and a deep reservoir of meaning through the dark night of the soul. Amanda spent meaningful time with John and later devoted many years to studying his wisdom teachings. Over the past six years, she has shared that work widely—through institutes, festivals, reading groups, workshops, blogs, and online classes. She has a background in visual display and design and is also an author and illustrator, an co-editor of John Moriarty: Grounded in Story.She is the mother of three remarkable children: Damien, Sarah, and Anna. Being a mother and carer is Amanda’s first calling, and it is from this lived experience that she speaks.Connect with Amanda and the vibrant John Moriarty Community on FacebookIN THIS CONVERSATIONThe first story of John as a five year old appears in his autobiography Nostos and serves as a foundational story that informs so many of his other teachings and storiesThe power and presence of the lapwings, a species of birds that was once ubiquitous around Ireland is now profoundly endangeredManchán Magan’s podcast series about John Moriarty, The Bog ShamanThe influences of indigenous North American stories on John’s work, particularly after his time in Western Canada. Resonances between John’s work and that of Robin Wall Kimmerer and her ideas around naming and how names transform relationshipsJohn’s most important message: this spirit of ecumenicism. Written on his tombstone,  "Mitakuye Oyasin" (the Lakota phrase, “we are all related”): nothing and no one is excluded from the sacred, not the animals in the barn, not the darkness, not our crooked humanity.The nature of love, and how to love people beyond projections into loving people in their sacred otherness.Music at the start of the show is by Beth Sweeney and Billy Hardy: billyandbeth.comWork With Marisa1:1 Writing Coaching: If you are working on a spiritual memoir or wellness professional or a creative entrepreneur who wants to use stories to build your business, book a free consultation with Marisa. Learn more at writingcoachmarisa.comLearn about group writing opportunities: a...

Write Your Book With Us In 2026The Authors’ Knot Program, February - November 2026Registration is open now for our intimate 10-month online writing program for thought leaders, memoirists, novelists. and heart-led visionaries working on a book or another “big project.”OUR STORYKing Bran discovers the mystical silver branch. He loses it the very next day and sets sail to the otherworld to recover it. As with any otherworldly journey, this is so much more than just a boat trip!OUR GUESTJenny Finn has designed structures that foster vitality in people, communities, and organizations for nearly 30 years. Her research, mentoring, and teaching invites people to deepen the relationship they have with themselves in order to serve the world with greater clarity and compassion. Jenny's work has taken many forms including non-profit leadership, trauma and hospice care, chaplaincy, clinical private practice, community building through the expressive arts, community and cultural design, and transformative education. Jenny holds a Ph.D. in Sustainability Education and is the co-founder of Springhouse–an intergenerational vitality-centered learning community in Southwest Virginia.Join the Springhouse Online community at https://community.springhouse.org/Find Springhouse on Instagram @SpringhouseCommunity and on Facebook IN THIS EPISODEThe meaning of "waking up" and following a call–even when it leads to irreversible changeThe influence of John Moriarty and his concept of “Silver Branch Perception”Jenny’s stories of transformation, recovery, and the importance of community supportThe founding and mission of Springhouse as a place to nurture the source of life in everyoneThe challenge of living in a culture focused on achievement rather than human developmentReflections on education, tradition, and creating spaces for true growth and renewalThe ongoing journey of remembering, supporting each other, and carrying the "silver branch" through lifeA "wayzgoose" is an annual printer's entertainment or outing, originally held to celebrate the start of working by candlelight and mark the end of summer. Music at the start of the show is by Beth Sweeney and Billy Hardy: billyandbeth.comWork With Marisa1:1 Writing Coaching: If you are working on a spiritual memoir or wellness professional or a creative entrepreneur who wants to use stories to build your business, book a free consultation with Marisa. Learn more at writingcoachmarisa.comLearn about group writing opportunities: www.marisagoudy.com/writing-groupsFind more of Marisa's writing and get a copy of her book, The Sovereignty Knot: www.marisagoudy.comFollow the show on Substack, Instagram, and a...

Write Your Book With Us In 2026The Authors’ Knot Program, February - November 2026 Registration is open now for our intimate 10-month online writing program for thought leaders, memoirists, novelists. and heart-led visionaries working on a book or another “big project.”OUR STORYIn this episode, we welcome back Elizabeth Cunningham, a beloved guest who joins us for the third time. Elizabeth shares the wild Elemental Grannies who appear in her latest novel Over the Edge of the World. OUR GUESTWidely known for The Maeve Chronicles, Elizabeth Cunningham is the author of six other novels, four collections of poems, and a memoir. She lives in the Valley of the Mahicantuck on land that was home to the Esopus Tribe of the Lenape.Elizabeth’s latest novel is Over the Edge of the World and her new poetry collection is called  Holding Our Brokenness. Find all of her books at https://elizabethcunninghamwrites.com/IN THIS EPISODEMeet the Grannies–Sweep, Spark, Dirt, and Brine The power of fairytales to help us grapple with the biggest issues of modern life, particularly issues of power and environmental destructionArchetypal old women characters that have appeared across Elizabeth’s work especially in The Wild Mother and The Maeve ChroniclesElizabeth’s process of naming and conceiving of her characters A reading of “November Trees”  a poem from her new collection, Holding Our BrokennessMusic at the start of the show is by Beth Sweeney and Billy Hardy: billyandbeth.comWork With Marisa1:1 Writing Coaching: If you are working on a spiritual memoir or wellness professional or a creative entrepreneur who wants to use stories to build your business, book a free consultation with Marisa. Learn more at writingcoachmarisa.comLearn about group writing opportunities: www.marisagoudy.com/writing-groupsFind more of Marisa's writing and get a copy of her book, The Sovereignty Knot: www.marisagoudy.comFollow the show on Substack, Instagram, and Facebook.

When Rima Bonario invited me to be part of her Sovereignty Rising Summit, I was honored. You’re invited to the Sovereignty Rising Summit, too! Join us Nov. 21-23. Register for this free online event now: https://www.thesevenqueendoms.net/sovereignty-rising-summitRima’s work has given me an opportunity to come back into renewed relationship with ideas that are always at the roots of everything I do at KnotWork.OUR GUESTDr. Rima Bonario is an Author, Dream Weaver, and Soul-Coach with over 30 years of experience in spiritual and mystic exploration. She helps women reclaim their inner power, divine wisdom, and radiant presence through archetypal embodiment, ritual, and transformational programs.As the author of The Seven Queendoms: A Soul-Map for Embodying Sacred Feminine Sovereignty, and the Founder of Bloom Temple Mystery School, Rima guides women into self-trust, soul-sourced prosperity, and embodied leadership. Holding a doctorate in Transformational Psychology, Rima blends trauma-informed practices, energy work, and the Temple Art of Anointing to offer profound spiritual transformation. Meet Rima, and more than three dozen other powerful advocates for the power of sovereignty at the Sovereignty Rising Summit: https://www.thesevenqueendoms.net/sovereignty-rising-summitIN THIS EPISODEMarisa revisits the experience of writing and publishing The Sovereignty Knot, nearly six years later, including the shifts in our cultural interpretation of “sovereignty” due to the pandemicThe Cailleach, a shapeshifting being older than the time and land itself, is likely the first of the Irish Sovereignty GoddessesThe roots of Rima’s passion for sovereignty, including a childhood need to “up regulate” the adults in her life, which she sees a skill and an obligation of young women and the princess archetypeSovereignty counters both hyper-individualism and selfless serviceReflections on sovereignty as individuals, and on the national level, particularly on colonized land in North AmericaThe concept of Rima’s seven sovereign queens, and their shadow aspectsPlease Support Our Show: Join us on SubstackLove KnotWork Storytelling? Your financial contribution helps me pay the amazing team that puts this show together.Subscribe to our newsletter Myth Is Medicine. Words Are MagicMusic at the start of the show is by Beth Sweeney and Billy Hardy: billyandbeth.comWORK WITH MARISA1:1 Writing Coaching: If you are working on a spiritual memoir or wellness professional or a creative entrepreneur who wants to use stories to build your business, book a free consultation with Marisa. Learn more at www.marisagoudy.comLearn about our global writing communities, the Authors’ Knot and the Writers’ Knot: www.marisagoudy.com/writing-groupsFollow the show on Substack, Instagram, and 

Please Support Our Show: Join us on SubstackLove KnotWork Storytelling? Your financial contribution helps me pay the amazing team that puts this show together.Subscribe to our newsletter Myth Is Medicine. Words Are MagicS6 Ep 33We continue to celebrate Samhain season on the podcast with a story of an Irish goddess and queen who was eventually known as a banshee and a witch. Though we tend to celebrate the festival on the same day as Halloween, October 31, the ancestors would have celebrated this final harvest on the day that falls between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice. In 2025, that’s November 7.In a year full of No Kings protests and with the election of Zohran Mamdani as New York City mayor, it’s the perfect time to embrace the women and the rabble who operate outside the halls of established power.“Then, on the eve of Samhain precisely, Mongfind dies. So this is The Death of Mongfind the Banshee. Hence Samhain is called by the rabble, “Mongfind's Feast,”  for she was a witch and had magical power while she was in flesh; wherefore women and the rabble make petitions to her on Samhain.” From "The Death of Crimthan Etc." in the Silva Gadelica, a collection of medieval Irish tales, translated by Standish O’Grady, 1892. Mongfind, a sovereignty goddess and high queen of Tara, inspired Marisa to start KnotWork Storytelling, and her stories  appeared in several past episodes:Ireland’s Forgotten Goddess-Queen-Witch (S4 Ep7)The Last Sovereignty Goddess (S4 Ep 8)Niall of the Nine Hostages, A Story by Mari Kennedy (S3 Ep14)This story is really an invitation to imagine and do your own myth working. Who were “the women and the rabble” who would have remembered Mongfind after her death? Where would they have gathered? Who would have led the ceremony? What would their petitions have been?Share your myth work reflections in the comments section of the latest post at Myth Is Medicine.Music at the start of the show is by Beth Sweeney and Billy Hardy: billyandbeth.comWORK WITH MARISA1:1 Writing Coaching: If you are working on a spiritual memoir or wellness professional or a creative entrepreneur who wants to use stories to build your business, book a free consultation with Marisa. Learn more at www.marisagoudy.comLearn about our global writing communities, the Authors’ Knot and the Writers’ Knot: www.marisagoudy.com/writing-groupsFollow the show on Substack, Instagram, and Facebook.

Please Support Our Show: Join us on SubstackLove KnotWork Storytelling? Your financial contribution helps me pay the amazing team that puts this show together.Subscribe to our newsletter Myth Is Medicine. Words Are MagicSamhain: the Celtic festival when the veil between the worlds is thin. It's the last harvest of the old year, the start of the new, and a time of turning inward both to reckon with the shadow and to engage in deep, restorative rest.We're marking the start of Samhain season with a conversation with Robert Mulhall as part of our Myth Workers and Culture Makers series. May this episode offer you an invitation to have your own conversation with the Otherworld and engage with mythology, the land, and the power of ritual and ceremony. OUR GUESTRobert Mulhall has spent the last two decades in such diverse industries as public health, leadership development, education, finance, organizational consulting, and executive coaching. He is now the CEO of Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in the Berkshires. Originally from County Wicklow, Robert holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce, accounting, and business management from the University College of Dublin. He is a certified public accountant in Ireland, and certified in mediation, executive coaching, the Enneagram, Reiki, and Celtic Irish Shamanism.  IN THIS EPISODE:Living mythology in modern times through relationship with the land and daily spiritual practiceThe power of uncertainty and mystery in Irish spiritual traditionsThe importance of humility in walking with spirit and indigenous wisdomFinding wholeness through reconnecting with ancestral roots and practicesNavigating cultural identity and spiritual authenticity with an awareness of colonization and what it has stolen from both indigenous and white-identifying peoplesThe symbol and power of the triple spiral, the triskele“Don’t rush your winter.” How can you allow your own wintering, quietude, and need for rest and renewal - even if that instinct doesn’t match the current weather or your long to do list.Music at the start of the show is by Beth Sweeney and Billy Hardy: billyandbeth.comWORK WITH MARISA1:1 Writing Coaching: If you are working on a spiritual memoir or wellness professional or a creative entrepreneur who wants to use stories to build your business, book a free consultation with Marisa. Learn more at www.marisagoudy.comLearn about our global writing communities, the Authors’ Knot and the Writers’ Knot: www.marisagoudy.com/writing-groupsFollow the show on Substack, Instagram, and Facebook.

Last Call! Write with Us this SeptemberThe Writers’ Knot is welcoming new members! This is the global creative community where where the mythic imagination meets creative expression.Registration is now open and due to the intimate nature of this community, space is extremely limited: www.marisagoudy.com/writers-knot-communityPlease Support Our Show: Join us on SubstackLove KnotWork Storytelling? Your financial contribution helps me pay the amazing team that puts this show together.Subscribe to our newsletter Myth Is Medicine. Words Are MagicIN THIS EPISODEWhat takes us even deeper than mythology? The direct relationship with the earth itself. In this episode, I share a 20th century poem rather than an ancient story: Seamus Heaney’s "Digging."Finding the mythic, magical moments in the everyday, and in art that seems to describe “the mundane”The evolution of the name of my Substack newsletter to  Myth is Medicine. Words are Magic. Reflections on sharing poetry with my daughter at the start of our first day of homeschoolingThe nature of work, whether that’s farm labor or sitting at the writing deskListen to Mr. Heaney recite "Digging"Music at the start of the show is by Beth Sweeney and Billy Hardy: billyandbeth.comWORK WITH MARISA1:1 Writing Coaching: If you are working on a spiritual memoir or wellness professional or a creative entrepreneur who wants to use stories to build your business, book a free consultation with Marisa. Learn more at www.marisagoudy.comLearn about our global writing communities, the Authors’ Knot and the Writers’ Knot: www.marisagoudy.com/writing-groupsFollow the show on Substack, Instagram, and Facebook.

Write with Us this SeptemberThe Writers’ Knot is welcoming new members! This is the global creative community where where the mythic imagination meets creative expression.Registration is now open and due to the intimate nature of this community, space is extremely limited: www.marisagoudy.com/writers-knot-communityPlease Support Our Show: Join us on SubstackLove KnotWork Storytelling? Your financial contribution helps me pay the amazing team that puts this show together.Subscribe to our newsletter Myth Is MedicineOUR STORYKing Bran leaves the feasting hall and is wrapped in the haunting song of a magical silver branch. This is the beginning of his immram, an oversea journey to the Otherworld. Along the way, he meets Manannán Mac Lir, the god of the sea, and they eventually reach Tir na mBan, the Island of Women.IN THIS EPISODEThis story of Bran throws the typical hero’s journey on its head as he cannot return home with the elixir because time works so differently in the otherworldSilver Branch Perception, a way of seeing the world described by the Irish mystic-philosopher-scholar John Moriarty (author of Dreamtime and Invoking Ireland)My experiences with the Bard Mythologies Summer School, which carries Moriarty’s work forward todayReflections on traveling to the ancestral homeland of Ireland, including the art of arriving there fully, the pain of leaving, and the unique challenges of returning home againWhat it means to be “fully in yourself” as you travel and as you move through your everyday life How my own life is changing on the other side of my own homecoming: homeschooling my younger daughter

Write with Us this SeptemberThe Writers’ Knot is welcoming new members! This is the global creative community where where the mythic imagination meets creative expression.Registration is now open and due to the intimate nature of this community, space is extremely limited: www.marisagoudy.com/writers-knot-communityPlease Support Our Show: Join us on SubstackLove KnotWork Storytelling? Your financial contribution helps me pay the amazing team that puts this show together.Subscribe to our newsletter Myth Is MedicineThis week, a ‘best of the podcast episode’: Achtan: A Brave Mother’s Tale.Our guest Karina Tynan, psychotherapist and Irish mythology author, tells a story of sovereignty, or spellwork, and of our deepest entanglement with nature. Bees, wolves, and horses play a magical role in the tale of Achtan and the lengths she went to protect her infant son, the future king, Cormac, son of Airt.In the conversation that follows we explore:✨Mothering and parenting - both in the ancient times we imagine and in this difficult contemporary moment✨Our need for magic, and the way we know that magic when we meet it✨The way Karina blends her imagination and personal experience into all her mythological retellings✨Sacrifice (whose roots mean “to make sacred”) particularly, when it comes to parenthood✨Achtan is a druid’s daughter, and Karina imagines the details of the five spells of protection are woven around Cormac Mac Airt in the literature✨Our fear of our own children’s fragility, including fears of giving our kids an eating disorder or pushing them to suicide✨The importance of coming of age rituals in indigenous cultures and the lost value of adventure.✨The role of rhythmic stories, fairy tale, adventure, and romances in the development of childrenMusic at the start of the show is by Beth Sweeney and Billy Hardy: billyandbeth.comWORK WITH MARISA1:1 Writing Coaching: If you are working on a spiritual memoir or wellness professional or a creative entrepreneur who wants to use stories to build your business, book a free consultation with Marisa. Learn more at www.marisagoudy.comLearn about our global writing communities, the Authors’ Knot and the Writers’ Knot: www.marisagoudy.com/writing-groupsFollow the show on Substack, Instagram, and Facebook.

Write with Us this SeptemberThe Writers’ Knot is welcoming new members! This is the global creative community where where the mythic imagination meets creative expression.Registration is now open and due to the intimate nature of this community, space is extremely limited: www.marisagoudy.com/writers-knot-communityPlease Support Our Show: Join us on SubstackLove KnotWork Storytelling? Your financial contribution helps me pay the amazing team that puts this show together.Subscribe to our newsletter Myth Is MedicineOur StoryThe sea has its own way of speaking - not in words, but tides, dreams, and memory. Not all who feel lost are meant to be found; some of us are simply remembering where we came from. Erica O'Reilly's The Call of the Sea and a Lost Sealskin emerged when she returned to Ottawa, after two weeks at an artists' residency on the coast of Kerry. In this piece, she explores the layered, cascading grief of returning to a land that doesn’t feel of “home.” This piece was first as part of her Substack series The Creative Process of De thír mo Mháithreacha: Of the Land of My Mothers. Be sure to subscribe to her amazing newsletter, Weavings of the Wise & Embodied.Our GuestAs KnotWork’s 2025 resident storyteller, Erica’s heart-centered work is devoted to facilitating experiences where souls feel seen, held, and heard. Through her Into the Circle Theatre project, Erica weaves together Irish culture, history, folklore, and mythology.As an Irish-Canadian, Erica is profoundly grateful to the traditional spirits and keepers of the land—past, present, and future—of the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation where she was born and currently resides. In this episode:Diasporic grief and what it is to feel at home in two worldsThe selkie myth, that classic tale from Irish mythology of the seal woman who is torn between land and seaCreative residencies: making plans vs. letting go of expectationsStorytelling is medicine and sharing stories out loud mattersWhat it means to live between worlds and living the question: do you have to choose? Planting seeds in the water, hoping for future adventures and new stories togetherMusic at the start of the show is by Beth Sweeney and Billy Hardy: billyandbeth.comWORK WITH MARISA1:1 Writing Coaching: If you are working on a spiritual memoir or wellness professional or a creative entrepreneur who wants to use stories to build your business, book a free consultation with Marisa. Learn more at www.marisagoudy.comLearn about our global writing communities, the Authors’ Knot and the Writers’ Knot: www.marisagoudy.com/writing-groupsFollow the show on Substack, Instagram, and Facebook.

Write with Us this SeptemberThe Writers’ Knot is welcoming new members! This is the global creative community where where the mythic imagination meets creative expression.Registration is now open and due to the intimate nature of this community, space is extremely limited: www.marisagoudy.com/writers-knot-communityPlease Support Our Show: Join us on SubstackLove KnotWork Storytelling? Your financial contribution helps me pay the amazing team that puts this show together.Subscribe to our newsletter Myth Is MedicineYou can also dive deeper into the stories behind the stories in this episode with the latest post about the immram tradition and what makes a good story. In This Episode In this solo episode, Marisa Goudy explores the art of truly “arriving” through the lens of her recent journey to Ireland, blending personal storytelling with Irish mythic tradition. Inspired by the ancient immram tales—sea journeys to the otherworld—Marisa reflects on how travel, memory, and landscape shape our sense of self and belonging. Rather than a simple travelogue, the episode weaves together 17 moments of arrival at the Bard Mythologies Summer School on Clare Island, each representing a different facet of presence, transformation, and connection. Along the way, Marisa draws parallels between her experiences and Irish mythology (including the story of the voyage of Máel Dúin), considers the role of motherhood, grief, and friendship, and invites listeners to reflect on their own journeys and moments of arrival. Also in this episode:Fiona Doris who gave us “Bid, the Unbiddable” S6 Ep4 Tracy Chipman who joined us in S6 Ep19, had me on her show, “A Year and a Day” in an episode called The Poetry of MotheringErica O’Reilly, our storyteller in residence who will join us next week with her own story of visiting Ireland this JulyConnecting with past KnotWork guests at the Bard Mythologies Summer School including: Treacy O’Connor, Mari Kennedy, Karina Tynan, and the founderes of the Bard, Ellen O’Malley Dunlop, and Sandy Dunlop.Music at the start of the show is by Beth Sweeney and Billy Hardy: billyandbeth.comWORK WITH MARISA1:1 Writing Coaching: If you are working on a spiritual memoir or wellness professional or a...

Please Support Our Show: Join us on SubstackLove KnotWork Storytelling? Your financial contribution helps me pay the amazing team that puts this show together.Subscribe to our newsletter Myth Is MedicineWrite with Us this SeptemberThe Writers’ Knot is welcoming new members! This is the global creative community where where the mythic imagination meets creative expression.Registration is now open and due to the intimate nature of this community, space is extremely limited: www.marisagoudy.com/writers-knot-communityOUR STORYAs the traditional Irish myth goes, Tailtiu, the foster mother of Lugh of the Tuatha Dé Danann, clears vast fields so the people can plant their first crops. And then, she dies from exhaustion. The great festival of Lughnasa (on or around August 1) is held in her honor. REFLECTIONSThe power of retelling stories, both to honor the cyclical nature of time and to give ourselves the chance to see it with new eyesHow we tend to flatten the stories and experiences of groups of "others" in preference for singular hero's talesWhat does this story say about work and overwork, and the way that we can get so caught up in what we convince ourselves must be done, regardless of the cost? Deep gratitude to the work of Bard Mythologies. Find the passage about the Fir Bolg, and more, at bardmythologies.comMusic at the start of the show is by Beth Sweeney and Billy Hardy: billyandbeth.comWORK WITH MARISA1:1 Writing Coaching: If you are working on a spiritual memoir or wellness professional or a creative entrepreneur who wants to use stories to build your business, book a free consultation with Marisa. Learn more at www.marisagoudy.comLearn about our global writing communities, the Authors’ Knot and the Writers’ Knot: www.marisagoudy.com/writing-groupsFollow the show on Substack, Instagram, and Facebook.

Please Support Our Show: Join us on SubstackLove KnotWork Storytelling? Your financial contribution helps me pay the amazing team that puts this show together.Subscribe to our newsletter Myth Is MedicineWrite with Marisa this SeptemberThe Writers’ Knot is welcoming new members! This is the global creative community where where the mythic imagination meets creative expression. Registration is now open and due to the intimate nature of this community, space is extremely limited: www.marisagoudy.com/writers-knot-communityMusic at the start of the show is by Beth Sweeney and Billy Hardy: billyandbeth.comOur StoryInanna, Goddess of the Upperworld, is at the core of a 6,000 year old myth from ancient Sumer. Upon the request of her sister Ereshkigal, Inanna pays a visit to the Underworld. As she passes through each of the seven gates, more of her symbols of power, intellect, and wealth are stripped away. Upon arrival, Inanna is sentenced to death by her sister Ereshkigal. As is the way of myth, death is intricately connected to rebirth. Through the intercession of her father, Enki, God of Wisdom and Light, Inanna is revived and ascends to the Upperworld, renewed and transformed. At least… those are the basics. Pearl’s retelling of the story is a deep dive into contemporary dreams and timeless truths about the emerging of the feminine and the merging with the masculine.Our GuestPearl Gregor is an explorer and a seeker. She is a writer, dream coach, story teller, author of the three books in the series Dreams Along the Way, and an international public speaker.  Pearl is a farmer, grandmother, a blogger, and a Crone of wisdom. Join Pearl to explore the deep mysteries of dreams, psyche and soul. You can read her books, or join her in her latest passion, a Dream Readers’ Myth Circle.Find Pearl at www.DreamsAlongTheWay.com and on Facebook  and InstagramOur ConversationThis story of Inanna is woven with seven years of dreams that came to Pearl at midlife. We explore:Pearl had never heard of Inanna when images from this myth came to her in dreams. The book Descent to the Goddess: A Way of Initiation for Women Sylvia Perera appeared as a guide and confirmation. We need both the light and the dark, the masculine and the feminine, though the patriarchal mindset has shaped our perspective of what the feminine should beThe role of “strange women” in a woman’s dreamlife; the integration of the “strange” parts of the self and the movement into circles of womenThe process of “birthing a new world,” as described by Jean Shinoda Bolen in  Moving Toward the Millionth CircleThe power of “collective dreaming.”More of Pearl and Marisa in the conversation series, Dream, Sovereignty, and Wise Woman WaysAs Pearl says, “Skip Descartes and what you learned in school, there is nothing logical about rebirthing...

Please Support Our Show: Join us on SubstackLove KnotWork Storytelling? Your financial contribution helps me pay the amazing team that puts this show together.Subscribe to our newsletter Myth Is MedicineWrite with Marisa this SeptemberThe Writers’ Knot is welcoming new members! This is the global creative community where where the mythic imagination meets creative expression. Registration is now open and due to the intimate nature of this community, space is extremely limited: www.marisagoudy.com/writers-knot-communityOur StoryAn Irish sovereignty goddess whose origins lie with the mythical Tuatha Dé Danann, Áine is also a sun deity, a bean sidhe (woman of the Sí), and fairy queen. In a story from the mythological period, Áine has an ill-fated meeting with the unjust king Aillil Ólomm, who strips the land bare and threatens the goddess. Later, Áine is also found in a 14th century tale of Gerald, Earl of Desmond, also known as “The Wizard Earl.” Finally, a story collected in 1938 by the Irish Folklore Commission about a wise woman named Áine with two daughters who refuse to follow their mother’s marital advice, each with disastrous results.Our GuestJen Murphy is the founder of The Celtic Creatives. A Dubliner born and bred, her ever-unfolding apprenticeship to following her soul’s breadcrumbs has guided her work and academic studies in Medieval Irish and Celtic Studies, Sociocultural Anthropology, Creativity and Innovation, and Jungian Psychology with Art Therapy. She is also a qualified Feminine Embodiment Coach and Non-Linear Movement Teacher. Find Jen at www.celticembodiment.com/ and on Instagram: @celticembodiment Subscribe to her brilliant Substack, The Celtic Creatives: https://celticcreatives.substack.com/Our ConversationThe ancient Celtic Sovereignty myth: the divine marriage (the banais ríghi). When the Sovereignty goddess unites with the king, she expects fir flaithemon, the prince’s truth. A worthy ruler needs to be just, truthful, and discerning. Parallels to Sumerian tales of Inanna and her partners.The importance of reciprocity - between people and land, between sovereignty goddess and kingThe ways that religion and politics collude together and exploit the landConnections to Arthurian Grail legend and “The Elucidation,” a tale that describes the rape of the Well Maidens that leads to the closing of the wells and creation of the Wasteland.Hospitality as a key aspect of mythology and cultureIreland as a “goddess obsessed” island. And yet, with all of the divine feminine magic, all of the Mother Goddess worship, it was not a Utopia for women. There were ways in which the coming of the church offered a haven for women, and monasteries became places of learning.Jen’s personal story of what it meant to see all part of herself, integrate the energy of midsummer, the deepest energy of the grandmothers, a death of a part of the self, and  rebirth and integrationMusic at the start of the show is by Beth Sweeney and Billy Hardy: billyandbeth.comWORK WITH MARISA1:1 Writing Coaching: If you are working on a spiritual memoir or wellness professional or a creative entrepreneur who wants to use stories to...