Women, Waters and Wastelands with Dr. Sharon Blackie

The worldview which pervades Celtic mythology is profoundly relevant today, offering a deep ecological alternative to the centuries-long disenchantment which has led to the personal, social and environmental crises we face today. Celtic mythology, especially that which derives from the Gaelic (Irish and Scottish) traditions, depicts a world in which there is a reciprocal and respectful contract between the people and the land – and when that contract is broken, a Wasteland may be the result. It is also dominated by powerful divine women who are the creators and shapers of the land, its guardians and protectors, and who represent the moral and spiritual authority of the Otherworld. The native pre-Christian mythology of the Celtic nations is highly goddess-centered. Irish mythology, in particular, is filled with stories of powerful, shape-shifting women who were incarnations of the ‘Sovereignty’ goddess, who represented both the land and the Otherworld which was immanent in it, so representing the spirit of the Earth itself, the anima mundi. In this talk, Dr Sharon Blackie offers an overview of the defining features of Celtic mythology and its historical context, demonstrating its kinship with other native traditions around the world which call upon us to view the Earth as sacred, to respect the non-human others who share it with us, and to walk always in awareness of the Otherworld (or worlds) which influence our own.