I just got back from the most beautiful weekend workshop called Celtic Medicine Storytelling, and I have to tell you, I didn't fully know what I was walking into when I signed up. What I walked away with has been sitting with me ever since. The whole purpose of the course was to honor the oral tradition of storytelling and to explore it through a Celtic lens, because the Irish, the Welsh, the English, they have always loved a good story. And honestly, who doesn't? There is something so timeless and so human about gathering together and sharing a story.

What really struck me was how the instructors used folktales that we all grew up with, like the Tortoise and the Hare, or the Ugly Duckling, or Red Riding Hood as examples of how stories can actually serve as medicine for the soul. We all know these stories, maybe just vaguely, tucked somewhere in the back of our memory. But when you stop and really think about them, those morals run deep. Slow and steady wins the race. Never judge based on appearance. Stay true to yourself. These weren't just bedtime stories. They were quietly shaping the way we see the world, the way we treat others, and honestly, the way we treat ourselves.

This got me thinking about the stories we carry with us, the ones that made an impression on us as kids and the ones we now have the opportunity to pass on. Whether you're a parent or a grandparent, an aunt or uncle or maybe just someone who has a young person in your life that you love and want to influence, give the gift of sharing these stories. In helping that next generation feel connected to something so much bigger than themselves. On today's Wise Walk, we're going to slow down and explore how the stories we tell can truly become medicine for our lives.

• When you reflect back on your childhood, what were some of the folktales or stories that really impacted you?
• What ones stuck with you, and what ones do you want to share with the younger generation in your life?
• How did those stories influence you, and how do they make an impression on you now as you reflect back?
• What are the ways you are continuing to honor this oral tradition of storytelling, maybe sharing stories from your own life in a folk style way so that others feel the moral is relatable and tangible?
• How are you using stories in your life to support you?
• How are you taking a folktale you heard and relating to the moral of that story, applying it in your life, or giving yourself some grace because you connect with it on some level?
• Where can you stop judging yourself for being different or unique, and how can you give yourself the patience and the grace and the space to become the hero in your own story?
• Over the next several days, can you listen to whatever stories come your way with this perspective of how you can feed the story that someone is sharing, noticing what resonates and how you relate?
• Can you also feed yourself with that awareness in a way that supports your own growth, your own ability to be kind to yourself, and to just be at peace with whatever surfaces?
• When was the last time you told a story about how you struggled, what you gained, and how you got to the other side?
• Whatever is going on in your life right now, how can you hone the craft of your oral storytelling and share your stories with vulnerability, carving out the essential details so your listener stays engaged?
• How can you speak from your heart, allow awareness to surface, and then welcome the listener to feed the story back to you?
• What are the stories you want to continue to share because they are so resonant that you could apply them at various phases of your life and give yourself the grace and acceptance that you deserve?

Stories are medicine. That is truly the gift I took away from this experience, and I hope it feels just as resonant for you wherever you are and however your day is unfolding. I want you to know that you are medicine for me too.

When you share your feedback, when you share what surfaced for you after an episode, you are feeding this story that we are all building together. I would love to hear what you took away from today and what is coming up for you in your own life. Until next Thursday, I look forward to our next Wise Walk together.

In this episode:

• [03:48] I've always been athletic, but I haven't always been the fastest. I really connected with the story of the tortoise and the hare.
• [05:15] Accepting that I'm not always the fastest one has given me peace.
• [07:17] At the Celtic Medicine Storytelling workshop, they would tell Celtic stories and then ask us to share how we related to the stories. Feeding the story.
• [08:18] I love how when we hear stories during different phases of our lives, we relate on different levels.
• [09:00] We're constantly trying to engage with others.
• [11:19] I also had an opportunity to share a personal story in a folk style way. There was a moral and contrast or climax.
• [13:34] We were also to honor the tradition of oral story telling. The oral tradition is more freeing with our speech and rhythm.
• [16:03] After I published my book, Heart Value, there were several who reached out to me and said they could completely relate to the stories.
• [18:23] I also appreciated the opportunity to be vulnerable and stretch outside of my comfort zone.
• [19:30] I named my character, Brigid and incorporated the use of my drum.
• [20:17] We are all looking for connection and relatability but may identify differently with the characters.
• [21:04] One of the participants said my story was medicine for her. This was powerful for me and something I hold dear in my heart.
• [22:41] How can we get back to the oral tradition and relating to stories?
• [24:21] I didn't know what I was getting into, but the idea of a story as medicine was a gift.

Memorable Quotes:

• "Stories are medicine. And when we share them from the heart, we heal each other." - Mary Tess
• "Give yourself the patience, the grace, and the space to become the hero in your own story." - Mary Tess
• "We are all connected in more ways than we realize, and our stories are the bridge." - Mary Tess
• "When you share your story, you give someone else permission to feel less alone in theirs." - Mary Tess

Links and Resources:

• Mary Tess Rooney
• Email
• Heart Value

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