Dreaming the Ancestors

In this episode, Deirdre Wadding talks about the intersection of Irish spirituality and activism, with a special focus on Irish mythology. These stories hold important instructions for humanity, including themes of justice, equality, power, autonomy, and more. Their ancestral teachings are a reminder that the personal and the political are fite fuaite, which means “interwoven” in Irish.

Deirdre is an elder of these traditions, and she shares the mythology in ways that activate our own sense of honor and sacred responsibility, especially when it comes to matters of injustice. Through invoking the power of Irish Goddesses like Macha, Medb, Áine, and Tlachtga, Deirdre calls for the equality of women and the restoration of our sovereignty. We recorded this episode following news of the Cornell seven (fifty seven) and so she also calls forward the men as brothers, to speak up and stand up for the protection of women.

If you enjoy this podcast episode, please consider rating or reviewing Dreaming the Ancestors, so other like-minded souls can find these conversations.

To learn more about Tara's work, visit www.tara-wild.com.

For the offerings mentioned at the end of the episode, visit www.tara-wild.com/getstarted.

In this episode, Dougie McKay joins me to explore the power of Scottish storytelling as a living thread connecting us to land, lineage, and the old ones who came before. 

Together, we dive into the role of the Seanachaidh—Gaelic Scotland's traditional story keepers—and how stepping fully into a story's world, rather than simply reciting it, keeps these tales alive across the generations. 

Dougie also shares the beautiful tale "Makers of Dreams," along with his work at the Shieling Project, honoring both the wounds of the Highland Clearances and the resilience of a culture that's finding its way back to the fire.

If you enjoy this podcast episode, please consider rating or reviewing Dreaming the Ancestors, so other like-minded souls can find these conversations.

To learn more about Tara's work, visit www.tara-wild.com.

For the offerings mentioned at the end of the episode, visit www.tara-wild.com/getstarted.

In this episode, Sionnáin shares wisdom about the Irish caoine (keen), which is an old grief ritual performed at funerals by rural Irish women called the Mná Chaointe. This tradition reminds us that grief is a sacred, somatic, and communal experience that belongs to everyone. Although the tradition has largely died out in Ireland, it’s being remembered and revived by women like Sionnáin to help us move through personal and collective grief, so we can harness the medicine of grief in these times.

Sionnáin also shares wisdom about the Cailleach, who’s an ancient crone Goddess from Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. The Cailleach holds the wisdom of both life and death, creation and destruction. She often initiates us through loss and grief—but when we’re brave enough to surrender into her embrace, she offers precious gifts and blessings. Although the Cailleach can be fierce, Sionnáin also talks about her softness, honoring her as the loving grandmother we all need.

If you enjoy this podcast episode, please consider rating or reviewing Dreaming the Ancestors, so other like-minded souls can find these conversations.

To learn more about Tara's work, visit www.tara-wild.com.

For the offerings mentioned at the end of the episode, visit www.tara-wild.com/getstarted.

In this episode, Veronica Stanwell joins me to explore the importance of gathering in council and community to meet these increasingly chaotic times. Together, we dive into what it means to reconnect with the roundhouse—the circular dwelling of our British and Irish heritage—and the profound wisdom that emerges when we become receptive to the ancestors’ guidance.

Veronica also talks about the ancestral immersions she hosts in the Welsh rainforest, where participants gather in a reconstructed roundhouse to experience ancestral village life. We explore what happens when we sit in council with both our human and non-human kin, as a way of remedying the isolation of modernity.

Veronica offers grounded wisdom on creating meaningful community despite the demands of contemporary living, and we discuss the importance of right-relationship, reciprocity, and slowing down enough to truly listen.

If you enjoy this podcast episode, please consider rating or reviewing Dreaming the Ancestors, so other like-minded souls can find these conversations.

To learn more about Tara's work, visit www.tara-wild.com.

For the offerings mentioned at the end of the episode, visit www.tara-wild.com/getstarted.

In this episode, Michaela from Rooted Feminine Wellness talks about women’s bodies, women’s health, and matriarchal healing. Together, we dive into some of the stories and beliefs that have been passed down through the lineage about our bodies, and explore what it means to break free from legacies of female deprivation.

To live in a way that truly honors and nourishes our bodies is revolutionary, and heals generations of patriarchal oppression and colonial wounding. Michaela talks about this in an Irish context, and encourages women to re-write the story of starvation and unwellness, to one where we are deeply nourished, fed, and sustained.

If you’ve been struggling with burnout, chronic illness, or general feelings of fatigue and unwellness, this episode is for you. May this conversation empower you to prioritize feminine wellness and come home to your body.

If you enjoy this podcast episode, please consider rating or reviewing Dreaming the Ancestors, so other like-minded souls can find these conversations.

To learn more about Tara's work, visit www.tara-wild.com.

For the offerings mentioned at the end of the episode, visit www.tara-wild.com/getstarted.

In this episode, we dive into the topic of Welsh spirituality and cultural appropriation. For anyone interested in honoring their Welsh or English heritage in heartfelt and respectful ways, this episode is for you as we talk about the importance of distinguishing these two distinct cultures.

There’s currently a lot of interest in the “Celtic” traditions, which often leads people to the Welsh traditions; a culture full of myth, tradition, and spiritual teachings that bring forth a meaningful sense of ancestral connection in the modern world. However, there’s often a lack of understanding about “Celtic” spirituality that leads to cultural appropriation and misrepresentation.

Gwilym offers a grounded and meaningful explanation of these topics, while uplifting Welsh spirituality in a modern context. We also talk about history, language, myth, and the importance of transforming ourselves through the wisdom of these ancestral teachings.

If you enjoy this podcast episode, please consider rating or reviewing Dreaming the Ancestors, so other like-minded souls can find these conversations.

To learn more about Tara's work, visit www.tara-wild.com.

For the offerings mentioned at the end of the episode, visit www.tara-wild.com/getstarted.

There’s a lot of interest at the moment in connecting with our ancient past, and reviving the “Old Ways” of our earth-honoring ancestors. And while there’s so much we can learn from the past, it can be all too easy to romanticize or misinterpret our ancestral history. 

In this episode Sam weaves together archeology, animism and academia to demystify Britain’s ancient peoples, offering grounded insights into our native spirituality free from romantic projections. She shares beautiful wisdom about the nine elements that were honored in different Indo-European cultures, likely including the Pretanī people of ancient Britain. She also gives clear examples of how our ancestors honored these nine elements, and offers an overview of the Pretanī people as a whole; more commonly, and incorrectly, known as the “Celts”. 

If you’re someone who enjoys learning about archaeology and history from an academic perspective, along with a good dash of spirituality and mysticism, this episode is for you.

If you enjoy this podcast episode, please consider rating or reviewing Dreaming the Ancestors, so other like-minded souls can find these conversations.

To learn more about Tara's work, visit www.tara-wild.com.

For the offerings mentioned at the end of the episode, visit www.tara-wild.com/getstarted.

In this episode, Niall is deeply vulnerable in sharing about his own mental health journey and his discovery of what it means to be a man. He discusses the significance of the Mother Wound for men, and men’s deep longing to be initiated by the feminine. He also expresses the need for strong men who are committed to their inner healing, and becoming the men that the world needs.

Niall recognizes the disconnection between men and “feminine” principles, such as compassion and emotion. This is something that’s been programmed and bullied into men, locking down decades of fear, pain, and hurt. Many men don’t know where or how to begin healing these wounds; wounds that have a profound ripple effect into their relationship with women. We have a really potent conversion about healing the divide between men and women, looking at heterosexual relationships in particular.

If you enjoy this podcast episode, please consider rating or reviewing Dreaming the Ancestors, so other like-minded souls can find these conversations.

To learn more about Tara's work, visit www.tara-wild.com.

For the offerings mentioned at the end of the episode, visit www.tara-wild.com/getstarted.

In this episode, Charlotte weaves together the story of alchemy and her journey to revive the folk medicine of her lineage. Her ancestors were apothecarists for many generations before being persecuted for their knowledge; a tradition that Charlotte has lovingly reclaimed.

Although her lifelong interest in making medicines brought her to many different cultures around the world, it was in returning to the British Isles and rooting into her own heritage that she found her deepest calling.

She passionately describes connecting to the consciousness of plants as a gateway to the ancestors, and how making medicines is an ancient alchemical process with a long history in the lands we now call England, and especially in Glastonbury. She also discusses how she came to tend wells and waterways in the city of London, and reminds us that everyone can work with the sacred waters, even in urban environments.

If you enjoy this podcast episode, please consider rating or reviewing Dreaming the Ancestors, so other like-minded souls can find these conversations.

To learn more about Tara's work, visit www.tara-wild.com.

For the offerings mentioned at the end of the episode, visit www.tara-wild.com/getstarted.

In this episode, Lucy Ní hAodhagáin (they/she) shares how living in conscious relationship with the land has the power to revive our innate wildness, our sense of belonging, and the wisdom of the ancestors. In Lucy’s early life in Belfast, they would journey into the wild to feel a sense of safety and connection. Over time, their passion for the natural world and ancestral ways of life awakened them to the sacredness of the plants, animals, and even their own body.

In recognizing that we are inseparable from nature, Lucy teaches that decolonization and ecological repair are possible. This conversation with Lucy will inspire you to create your own relationship with the land, our more than human kin, and the foods that nourish us. Through this deep ancestral remembering we can heal our Grandmother Earth, and by returning to the earth-honoring ways of our ancestors, we can also return to ourselves.

If you enjoy this podcast episode, please consider rating or reviewing Dreaming the Ancestors, so other like-minded souls can find these conversations.

To learn more about Tara's work, visit www.tara-wild.com.

For the offerings mentioned at the end of the episode, visit www.tara-wild.com/getstarted.