From Melusine to the Madonna
Exploring Archetypes in The Heroine's Writing Journey (Starting in Bray, Co. Wicklow, 8th February for 8 weeks )
LINK TO WEBSITE FOR BOOKING THE HEROINE’S JOURNEY
https://siofraodonovan.com/workshop/the-heroines-spring-writing-workshops/
The HEROINES’ JOURNEY FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/events/1471281060327751
Melusine is one of the powerful archtypes we will explore in the next Heroine’s writing Journey in the Glendalough Sanctuary starting 29th January. She’s the progenitor of several European Royal Houses, yet she’s considered a ‘demon countess’ a ‘faery serpent’. She comes from the Other World. She is Mélusine (French: [melyzin]) or Melusine or Melusina - a female spirit of fresh water in a holy well or river. She is usually depicted as a woman who is a serpent or fish from the waist down (much like a lamia or a mermaid or a Naga. Read a lot more about it here, in my blog ‘Melusine’s Descent’
Melusine's Descent
ArtWork By Jakki Moore Rivers are dangerous places. In Ireland. So Manchán Magan writes in his wonderful Listen to the Land Speak (published by Gill. See link to DuBray Books, not greedy Amazon) Rowan trees were grown on their banks to keep the wee people away. Anything about the ‘wee people’, the
HERE ARE SOME DETAILS ABOUT THE HEROINE’S JOURNEY STARTING 29TH JANUARY IN THE GLENDALOUGH SANCTUARY:
THE HEROINE’S WRITING JOURNEY 2024!
THE HEROINE'S WRITING JOURNEY @ BRAY STARTS THURSDAYS 10-12PM
THURSDAY 8TH FEBRUARY FOR 8 WEEKS
THE NEW DATES FOR THE WORKSHOPS ARE:
8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th Feb
7th, 14th, 21st and 28th March
LINK TO WEBSITE: https://siofraodonovan.com/workshop/the-heroines-spring-writing-workshops/
The HEROINES’ JOURNEY FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/events/1471281060327751
YOU MAY ALSO ATTEND THE WORKSHOPS VIA ZOOM. THERE ARE EMAILS WITH MATERIAL AND GUIDANCE WEEKLY AND THE ZOOMS ARE ALL RECORDED EVERY WEEK. YOU MAY ATTEND THE COURSE IN PERSON INBRAY, CO WICKLOW OR VIA ZOOM.
LOCATION: Bray, Co. Wicklow (NEAR DART)
THE HEROINE’S JOURNEY USES MEDITATION AND MYTH TO ACTIVATE YOUR HIDDEN CREATIVITY:
ARCHETYPES SUCHS AS Persephone (the Maiden), Athena (the Warrioress), Melusine (the Serpent Fairy Enchantress), Baba Yaga (the Crone/ Witch/ Hag), Psyche (the Lover), The Morrigan (the Warrioress), Kali (the Crone) ARE ALL PART OF THE WORKSHOPS.
I ALSO DRAW FROM THE WORK OF MAUREEN MURDOCK, SHARON BLACKIE, MARIA GIMBUTAS, JOSEPH CAMPBELL, CARL JUNG, AND CLARISSA PINKOLA ESTÉS
Some of the Steps of the Journey are:
The Separation from the Feminine,
Initiation and Descent to the Goddess,
Yearning to reconnect with the Feminine,
Healing the Mother/ Daughter split,
Healing the Wounded Masculine
Integration of the Masculine and the Feminine.
“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.”
― Anais Nin
PAYMENT
You can pay via PayPal to shisheb@gmail.com
REVOLUT on request
If you live near Delgany Co Wicklow you can drop or send a cheque or cash
(address on request)
Bank Transfer: Please state your first name + Heroines
AIB: IE49AIBK93348146339081
TO SECURE A PLACE, A NON REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT OF 80EURO IS NEEDED.
EARLY BIRD : IF PAID IN FULL BY 5TH FEBRUARY!
THE LÁ FÉILE BRÍDE SPECIAL OFFER IS…
225 EURO FOR IN PERSON
200 EURO FOR ZOOM-ERS
All Ages (maybe 15+?) and All levels of experience in Creative Writing are Welcome
PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS EMAIL FOR MORE DETAILS
TESTIMONIALS
"I can’t speak highly enough of Siofra or the Heroine’s Journey course – salve for the soul I didn’t know I needed! It allowed space for a wonderful way to look at the world, one which never failed to land with surprise and delight (even when dark). It has borne me gently around and left me facing the other way – the way that I maybe needed to face all along – and always with lightness, laughter and a great deal of support, very lightly worn so you don’t even know it’s been there until later. Thank you Siofra!" - DELIA, HEROINE'S JOURNEY 2023
"Siofra's writing course "Heroine's Journey" opened up for me another world of metaphores, myths and stories that gave me language and symbols to write about my own inner process of re-connecting with my inner feminine. I love how the course was laid out, each step taking me deeper and closer to myself. The meditations that Siofra offered each week took me gently yet immidiately right into that place within where my head has no access. From there the words were just pouring onto pages effortlessly.I feel deep gratitude for this journey" . M. SZPILKA, HEROINE'S JOURNEY 2019
“I found this course to be extraordinary. I thought it would be useful to help me find a structure to the stories I write. It was much more, it was quite a personal journey; challenging, rewarding, inspirational. Siofra creates an atmosphere of such creativity, a safe space to write, a place where we could push past boundaries and self-doubt. After one session, I felt inspired to write at home, so I sat and wrote a short story called A Dance with Time. Subsequently, that story was longlisted for the Colm Tobin Short Story." Zandra C, THE HERO'S JOURNEY, 2019
The Plantagenets, the Anglo-Norman dynasty that began the conquest of Ireland, claimed descent from Melusine. She was a shape-shifting beauty sometimes represented as a mermaid, other times a naga-like being and less frequently, as a full blown dragon(-ess). Melusine ‘legends’ are connected with Northern France, Poitou, the Low Countries and as far east as Cyprus: the French Lusignan royal house that ruled the island from 1192 to 1489 claimed to be descended from Melusine. Other noble lines descend from her- the House of Luxembourg from the Holy Roman Empire and the Counts of Anjou, as we have seen.
Melusine, the ‘mermaid’ immortalised in the Starbucks emblem. Yet she has a double tale, not a single one. Melusine, mother of the Plantagenets. 'From the Devil we come, and the Devil we go,’ said one of the chroniclers, about the Plantagenets’ ancestry. The Count of Anjou brought home from a hunting journey, a beautiful woman called Melusine and married her on her condition that he did not disturb her on Saturdays. She was a stunner. The story has overtones of the beautiful shape-shifting Indian nagin. Melusine was adored by the people, but there was one thing that would lead to her downfall: she refused to stay in church for the sacrament of mass. So her husband had four knights stand on her cloak to stop her running off, but when the priest held up the host, Melusine flew out the church window with two of her children, shrieking, never to be seen again. Apparently, Henry II and Richard I Plantagenet used to make jokes about Melusine, their ‘demonic’ ancestor. Generally people believed the Counts of Anjou were descended from Melusine.
Melusine, the ‘Demon Countess’ of Anjou, had a grandson called Geoffrey Plantagenet, who shaped the future of England and France by supernatural (demonic?) skills in military strategy. Despite its abundant beauty and (fig trees, vineyards) the Angevin territory was regarded as savage by the Normans they saw them as people who desecrated churches, murdered priests and had disgusting table manners (with falcons at the table hunting live birds in pies). The Counts of Anjou were ferocious and warlike, had a huge greed for land and power. They were the first conquerors of Ireland, of course, led by King John (Lackland) Plantagenet. We have nothing to thank them for.
I GIVE THANKS TO MELUSINE, THE INSPIRATION FOR MY NEW NOVEL, ‘THE CURSE OF MELUSINE’, ABOUT THE INCARCERATION OF ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE BY HENRY II PLANAGENET. MORE ON THAT SOON…
So I’m not going to get the the point in the blog where I link Melusine to the Madonna. Too busy writing the book.
THE HEROINE’S WRITING JOURNEY 2024!
https://siofraodonovan.com/workshop/the-heroines-journey-the-sanctuary/
Exclusively at The Glendalough Sanctuary on Monday Evenings, 7-9pm
Starts Monday, 29nd January, 7-9pm FOR 10 WEEKS
https://www.glendaloughsanctuary.ie/upcoming-programme
Using meditation and myth, WE WILL FOCUS ON SOME OF THESE ARCHETYPES FOR CREATIVE WRITING:
Persephone (the Maiden), Athena (the Warrioress), Melusine (the Serpent Fairy Enchantress), Baba Yaga (the Crone/ Witch/ Hag), Psyche (the Lover), The Morrigan (the Warrioress), Kali (the Crone), Tara (East- the Mother), Danú (the Mother of the Gods), Isis (the Lover- Magician Goddess), Inanu (Sumerian Goddess, Queen of Heaven and Other, Visitor to the Underworld)
THERE IS ALSO A HEROINE'S WRITING JOURNEY STARTING IN BRAY, CO. WICKLOW FROM 8th FEBRUARY FOR 8 WEEKS ON THURSDAY MORNINGS
https://siofraodonovan.com/workshop/the-heroines-journey-the-sanctuary/
Zoom also available as attendence option for those living far away.
ABOUT THE HEROINE'S WRITING JOURNEY
A wonderful, intensive dive into Hades and, you never know, Heaven!
A Writing Journey that brings insight and creativity to bring you into the Spring!
FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE HEROINE'S JOURNEY STARTING ON 8TH FEBRUARY FOR 8 WEEKS IN BRAY, CO. WICKLOW …. SEE THIS LINK https://siofraodonovan.com/workshop/the-heroines-spring-writing-workshops/
Facebook Event Page:
Please click 'going' if you are!
https://www.facebook.com/events/1471281060327751
Draws from the work of Maureen Murdock, Sharon Blackie, Joseph Campbell,
Carl Jung and Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Some of the Steps of the Journey are:
The Separation from the Feminine,
Initiation and Descent to the Goddess,
Yearning to reconnect with the Feminine,
Healing the Mother/ Daughter split,
Healing the Wounded Masculine
Integration of the Masculine and the Feminine.
https://siofraodonovan.com/workshop/the-heroines-spring-writing-workshops/
“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.”
― Anais Nin
TESTIMONIALS
"I can’t speak highly enough of Siofra or the Heroine’s Journey course – salve for the soul I didn’t know I needed! It allowed space for a wonderful way to look at the world, one which never failed to land with surprise and delight (even when dark). It has borne me gently around and left me facing the other way – the way that I maybe needed to face all along – and always with lightness, laughter and a great deal of support, very lightly worn so you don’t even know it’s been there until later. Thank you Siofra!" - DELIA, 2023
"Siofra's writing course "Heroine's Journey" opened up for me another world of metaphores, myths and stories that gave me language and symbols to write about my own inner process of re-connecting with my inner feminine. I love how the course was laid out, each step taking me deeper and closer to myself. The meditations that Siofra offered each week took me gently yet immidiately right into that place within where my head has no access. From there the words were just pouring onto pages effortlessly. I feel deep gratitude for this journey" . M. SZPILKA, 2019
“I found this course to be extraordinary. I thought it would be useful to help me find a structure to the stories I write. It was much more, it was quite a personal journey; challenging, rewarding, inspirational. Siofra creates an atmosphere of such creativity, a safe space to write, a place where we could push past boundaries and self-doubt. After one session, I felt inspired to write at home, so I sat and wrote a short story called A Dance with Time. Subsequently, that story was longlisted for the Colm Tobin Short Story." Zandra C, THE HERO'S JOURNEY WRITING WORKSHOPS
Would love to do the zoom version of your course if possible? I live in Northern Cyprus so a bit difficult to attend weekly.