Walking the Labyrinth and Finding the Magic in Ireland
May 27th – June 5th, 2015
With Janna Zarchin & expert guide Jeremy Schewe
Imagine....
- Finding yourself in Sacred Forests
- Walking the labyrinth on the shores of a glacial lake
- Celebrating a full moon ceremony in a Neolithic stone circle
- Immersing your entire being in Irish culture, magical landscapes, the Celtic Otherworld, charming villages, local craft shops & more...
Overview:
Step outside your daily life to find YOUR power, magic and connection to yourself and the Mystery, for nine days & eight nights in the enchanting southwest of Ireland! This magical journey is led by your leader Janna Zarchin, spiritual adventurer, Labyrinth Facilitator, healer, Rebirther, and developer of The Orionic System of Vibrational Healingtm. Join her and Jeremy Schewe, the expert guide, ecologist, mythologist, Qigong teacher, and story teller.
Focus:
Immersed in the sacred, inspiring Irish landscape, this journey will invite you to nourish your connection to your soul’s inspiration to the timeless Celtic Otherworld landscape, and the beauty and culture of Ireland.
Jeremy has lived and worked in Ireland, and sustains a personal reciprocal relationship with many sacred and powerful places in the natural and human-built landscape. He will help the group to find contact with nature, and the Celtic Otherworld. He will guide the group on the ancient path of adventuring into lesser known stone circles, ancient forests, and other magical portals between the worlds. Janna will lead the group in walking the sacred labyrinth, feeling the soothing, peaceful, and alive energy of the forest, our connection to ourselves and Spirit. Together, they are co-creating one of the most unique and magical experiences of Ireland that provides ample space for immersion in the Irish landscape, and self-reflection as well as group support and adventuring. We will be holding a Full Moon Ceremony at an ancient stone circle near a glacial mountain lake with waterfalls. We will be taking a boat excursion out to an island with ruins which contain a monastery built in the 6th century. We will see little known hidden treasures and have spontaneous adventures along the way.
We will also be in the heart of Ireland and finding local music, food, pubs, and shops in charming villages to experience real Irish culture and lots of laughter and fun as well! We will be doing many interesting and wonderful activities during our week there, and will be following the urgings of Spirit to have adventures that delight our hearts, minds.
Brief History of the Southwest of Ireland: Kingdom of Munster:
The Kingdom of Munster is one of the five ancient kingdoms of Ireland (Munster, Connacht, Ulster, Leinster & Meath) and includes all of the southwest. The primary matron Goddess of Munster is Ainé. She is often associated with Beltaine, the spring fire festival of fertility celebrating the beginning of the Celtic summer. Munster has over one-hundred stone circles, almost half of the stone circles of all Ireland, and almost all of them are oriented toward the setting sun.
Outline of Schedule:
Wednesday, May 27th - Flights to Shannon (SNN) Airport
Thursday, May 28th – Arrive in Shannon (SNN) Airport – Cliffs of Moher – Doolin
Friday, May 29th – Poulnabrone & the Burren to Dingle town
Saturday, May 30th – Slea Head, Beehive huts – Dingle (traditional music)
Sunday, May 31st – Killarney National Forest – Killarney
Monday, June 1st – Casual morning in Killarney, day to explore on your own
Tuesday, June 2nd – Bearha Penisula, Ardgrome, and full moon ceremony – Bearha
Wednesday, June 3rd – Skelligs Islands boat tour(1) – Caheersivan
Thursday, June 4th – Lough Gur
Friday, June 5th – Fly home
Schedule of Events(2):
Thursday, May 28th- Arrive at Shannon Airport, Shannon, Ireland, before 11:30 am. Be sure to send your flight itinerary to the group leader so pick-up can be arranged. Our chauffeur driven luxury coach will be ready and waiting for us to begin our adventure out to the Cliffs of Moher for a short hike along the edge of the world for our opening circle, introductions, and intention setting. We will stop somewhere in route for a casual lunch, to meet and mingle. The evening will be spent at the Hotel Doolin or similar, located in the heart of Doolin, where traditional Irish music and food are a plenty. Local shops and cafes are within walking distance for adventuring into cultural delight.
Friday, May 29th - Commute from Doolin to the Dingle Peninsula, visiting several sites along the way, including Brandon Mountain and several Irish moorlands. We will have an opportunity to embrace the Fae(elementals and devas) and walk into the Celtic Otherworld at Slievanea waterfall and lake, where Jeremy will share stories and simple qigong exercises. The day’s journey will be followed by an evening of feasting, stories, and music in the town of Dingle. We will be staying at the Dingle Benners Hotel or similar in the heart of the town. Dingle is a gorgeous fishing village and cultural center. Some of Irelands finest crafts and music are to be found here. We will enjoy fresh seafood and local fare, local music...and maybe even convince Jeremy to join the band for a ditty or two!
Saturday, May 30th – Explore the “end of the world” on the westernmost point of mainland Ireland (Dingle Peninsula), at Sleigh Head for a short hike to a standing ogham stone for a walking labyrinth meditation. Sleigh Head is also home to some of the Selkies (seal people), and if we are quiet enough in our reverence, we may see them moving amongst the rocks and foaming sea. We may also visit the Gallarus Oratory and the Beehive huts (prehistoric stone homes). In the evening, we will commute back to Killarney for a meal, entertainment, stories, and personal time to reflect, mingle and journal at the Dingle Benners Hotel or similar.
Sunday, March 31st – After breakfast in Dingle, we will commute to the Killarney National Forest, where we will walk through ancient beech-oak forests, visiting waterfalls, moorlands, and standing stones. Here we will have a powerful opportunity to deepen personal connection and transformation via a labyrinth walk and Celtic tree spirit medicine. Come and listen to the ancient trees, mountains, and lakes and see if they do not speak to you and your heart! We will overnight in Killarney at the Randles Court Hotel.
Monday, June 1st - After a casual morning in Killarney enjoying the local cafes, shops, and lunch, this will be a day when you will have time to explore on your own. We will overnight again at the Randles Court Hotel.
Tuesday, June 2nd – We will be on our way to the Beara Peninsula for the full moon. Enroute, we will visit the Ardgrome Stone Circle to listen to the sea and standing stones in a quiet meditation on the ripening full moon.
After a light snack we will drive and hike inland shortly before dusk to a deep glacial-mountain lake and sacred enclave of the Uragh Stone Circle and Inchaquin Falls to prepare for sunset and the rising of the full moon. Before the sun sets, we will share the essence of this timeless ceremony so that we move into sacred space as the sun sets, we will absorb the qualities of the full moon. That is, if the moon does not draw the mists from the Otherworld to cloak us first! After the Fae have released us, we will stay at the Lodge Guest House in Kenmare.
Thursday, June 3rd – We will have an early breakfast so that we can commute out to the western tip of the Kerry Pennisula to Portmagee to catch our boat ride out the Skelligs. The boat ride will last about 1.5 hours each way. We will stop at Skellig Michael to climb the 800 hand-hewn stone stairs to a 6th century monastic settlement (see picture on flier). Though it is a good hike, it is well worth absorbing some of Irelands finest magic in this ancient power point. A secondary trip option for those who do not want to go on the boat ride will be made available by our driver on the Ring of Kerry. We will have about 3 hours to explore the ancient architecture, sea caves, wildflowers, stories from archaelogists, and grand views of the sea and the Irish mainland. When we arrive back in Portmagee, we can visit a local pub for a hot bowl of Irish stew and cozy peat fire and then stay at the Lodge Guest House in Kenmare again.
Thursday, June 4th – After a casual morning on the grounds or in your room, we will commute to Lough Gur where we will first visit an archaeological museum to orient ourselves to this ancient and powerfully sacred place, and hear stories of its respective mysteries. We will walk around the lake, ascend the Hill of the Druid to walk the labyrinth a third time to seal the energy of our journey. Later, we will play in the Grange Stone Circle, the largest stone circle that we will be in on this journey. This stone circle aligns with the sunrise on Beltaine and Lughnasa, as well as the sunset at Samhain and Imbolc(3). We will commute to Dromoland castle in the evening for our last dinner together and closing circle to acknowledge the experiences we have had, and our new friendships made.
Friday, June 5th – Fly home in the morning.
What to Expect:
- Joy! Fun! Wonder and heart-felt community!
- Amplify sensitivity and connectivity to the natural world
- Experience Ireland in an inspiring and wondrous way.
- Participate in activating ancient and potential energies of the earth.
- A powerful exposure to some of the Celtic mysteries
What to Bring:
- Weather appropriate attire (rain jacket, layers)
- Comfortable walking/hiking shoes
- Daypack for hikes/walks
- What you would pack for any international trip (passport, clothes, socks, etc.)
- Journal and pencil/pen
Trip Cost: $2,500.00(4) ($300.00 deposit due now, full payment due by February 28th.)
Meals: Trip includes three dinners along with full Irish breakfasts. You will be responsible for additional lunches, dinners, and beverages.
Flights: You are responsible for your own flights to and from Shannon Airport (SNN) from your home city. Please plan to arrive in Shannon by Thursday the 28th by 10:00 am so that we can have an introductory meal and gather to get acquainted.
[1] There is an additional 50 euro fee per person to take the boat to Skelligs Island.
[2] The schedule is intended for all practical purposes to act as a general guide, but the Fae have a way of bending time in the wilds of Ireland so that we must be prepared to forgo the itinerary at a given point in order to respect the magic of the Otherworld.
[3] The Irish-Celtic cross-quarter holidays or fairy-fire celebrations, the most sacred pre-Christian festivals, are Samhain, Imbolc, Beltaine, and Lughnasa.
[4] The price includes all accommodations at family owned Guesthouses, hot breakfasts, entrance fees, transportation between sites, and guides’ fees.