What happens when we step out of four-walled consultation rooms and let ancient woods, rushing rivers, and mythic memory do the heavy lifting of healing? In this rich, sunlit gathering across the Atlantic, Maria, Jim, and guest Shane Ibbs explore how bushcraft, folklore, and conflict-free tales re-tune human hearts to natural reciprocity, selfless giving, and the courage to say the unsayable.

Born in Suffolk, England, Shane, the oldest of six children, grew up with oral stories around the hearth. In the early 90s, Shane began to use 'applied storytelling' and trained as a Social Worker. Visiting Canada in 1997, through a connection, Shane was invitated to attend a gathering of the indigenous Metis people. Part of the day was a healing story circle. Shane was so moved by this that he retrained as a Counseling Therapist and increased his use of 'applied storytelling'. In 2012, Shane trained at the International School of Storytelling, never dreaming, after sharing a personal story in Canada, that he would end up telling stories to audiences in the Netherlands, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Ireland, and all around the UK.

Visit Shane on his socials!

• https://www.shaneibbsstoryteller.com
• Instagram: @ibbsshane
• LinkedIn: Shane Ibbs

• "The Tree of Four Seasons" – Told by Shane Ibbs (A Buddhist teaching tale on perspective, seasonal rhythm, and wholeness)
• "The Lemonade River and the Corn Dolly" – Told by Máire (A co-created ecological myth from the 2026 Festival at the Edge on reciprocity and returning water to the source)
• "The Story of Wali Dad" – Told by Jim (A Punjabi folktale on the boundless ripple effect of pure, non-transactional generosity)
• "The Silver Butterfly" – Referenced by Shane Ibbs (A Duncan Williamson traveller tale about reshaping currency into acceptable wonder)
• "The Curing Fox" – Told by Shane Ibbs (A Cree healing tale that allows listeners to speak the unspeakable and hold grief)

• [00:00] Welcome from Harbor Winds to Upstate Sun Maria and Jim welcome listeners from Cork Harbor and Fayetteville, New York, joined by UK storyteller Shane Ibbs to celebrate rare festival weather and the shared current between their lands.
• [02:11] Leaving the Clinic for the Canopy Shane recounts his mid-career transition from traditional social work and psychotherapy into the woods, discovering how green spaces and bushcraft break through to at-risk youth and weary adults in ways indoor rooms never could.
• [07:56] The Medicine of Green Spaces & Hospital Sanctuaries The trio explores clinical and spiritual evidence behind nature therapy - from prison and hospital studies to Jim’s chaplaincy work designing rooftop hospital gardens that serve as living chapels.
• [10:12] Parallel Paths: Old-Growth Woods & Indigenous Kinship Jim reflects on his own journey from family therapy into spiritual storytelling, walking the nearby old-growth forest daily, and learning deep relational stewardship alongside local indigenous elders.
• [13:35] Shane’s Tale: The Tree of the Four Seasons Shane shares a nuanced Buddhist tale of a wise king whose four daughters visit the very same tree in spring blossoms (pearls), summer canopy (emeralds), autumn harvest (amethysts), and winter frost (diamonds) - learning that reality is larger than any single vantage point.
• [19:30] Attuning to the Seasons & The Dose of Medicine Shane describes guiding neurodivergent youth through all four seasons in the forest, while Maria shares ancestral folk wisdom from West Cork on edible plants, dosage, and knowing the fine line between medicine and poison.
• [22:15] Maria’s Tale: The Lemonade River & The Corn Dolly Maria tells a newly co-created tale of a village whose magical rose-colored water disappears, requiring the dance of a golden straw dolly and the collective return of rain to the mountain's deepest chasm.
• [28:45] The Rare Power of Conflict-Free Storytelling Jim and Shane reflect on the unique emotional architecture of tales devoid of villains or battle, where tension dissolves into wonder, communal rhythm, and organic narrative threading.
• [31:00] Jim’s Tale: The Generosity of Wali Dad Jim narrates the Punjabi classic of a simple reed cutter whose single surplus coin sparks a wild, escalating chain of anonymous royal gifts between an unsuspecting prince and princess.
• [46:10] Non-Transactional Giving & The Vanishing Palace A discussion on the true meaning of abundance: why Wali Dad belongs in his simple hut, the multiple endings of folklore, and how authentic gifting frees us from the trap of accumulation.
• [49:05] The Fairy Crib & The Silver Butterfly Shane reflects on Duncan Williamson’s traveler lore, showing how a silver coin - unfit as a gift for a fairy infant - is lovingly transformed over a fire into a delicate silver butterfly.
• [52:15] Meitheal, Indigenous Kinship, and Shared Bounty From Native American communal borrowing traditions to the Irish Meitheal and the shared chipped tea-cups and Donegal lace of 19th-century Cork slums, the hosts celebrate cultures where survival means holding wealth in common.
• [56:05] The Curing Fox: Stories That Say the Unsayable Shane shares a moving Cree story of mutual healing between a dying child and an injured fox, recounting a tender encounter with an Irish father whose silent grief was finally unlocked by the tale.
• [58:50] The Crossroads on The Story Road Closing reflections on how myth creates safe harbor for human vulnerability, with warm blessings until the next crossing from Cork to New York.

1. The Forest as Mirror and Medicine: Nature is not merely scenery; it is an active therapeutic container that regulates human nervous systems, dissolves defensiveness, and reflects our inner states back to us.
2. Perspective Requires All Four Seasons: As revealed in the tale of the jewel-hung tree, judging a person, an ecosystem, or a situation by a single season gives an incomplete truth. Full understanding requires patience across time.
3. Transaction vs. True Abundance: Real generosity is rooted in circulation rather than accumulation. When gifts are offered without expectation of return - like Wali Dad’s coin or the communal Meitheal - wealth becomes a shared river rather than a private reservoir.
4. Reshaping the Coin into a Butterfly: When an offering is rejected or awkward, true art lies in shape-shifting its form - refining a crude transaction into an offering of beauty that honors the recipient's dignity.
5. Myth as a Vessel for Unspoken Grief: A story gives voice to "the unsayable." By witnessing a child healed by a wild creature in myth, listeners find the safety to touch their own unhealed losses and begin the journey toward wholeness.

• Step deeper into the mythic thicket with our weekly newsletter at Healing Monsters on Substack.

What happens when our bravest adventures are interrupted by the absurd, our greatest resentments are softened by unexpected love, and our deepest grief reveals the secret heroic lives of those we've lost? In this soul-stirring and laughter-filled gathering, Maria and Jim welcome storyteller Rachel Smith to explore how first-person vulnerability, ancient folk wisdom, and legacy tales help us tell our scars instead of our wounds.

Rachel Smith was the producer of Hong Kong Stories, a locally based, community storytelling group in Hong Kong for 12 years. Recently returned to her birthplace of Canada, she travels the world with her stories, telling and hosting workshops wherever she goes. Rachel is always keen to develop opportunities to hear and share stories and share her love of storytelling with the community. When not involved in storytelling, Rachel is a multi-disciplinary artist.

• Website: https://www.senselessart.net/
• Insta: https://www.instagram.com/senselessart/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-smith-75632b346/

• "Battle of Wills at Hadrian’s Wall" — Told by Rachel Smith A 40th-birthday midlife crisis walk along Hadrian’s Wall turns into a humbling, hilarious midnight showdown between a solo hiker in a bivy sack and a relentless, pinecone-throwing English squirrel.
• "The Miser and the Angel of Death" — Told by Jim An oral teaching tale from the Maggid tradition (via Daniel Lev) about a wealthy miser who tries to use a broken public vow to rid himself of his wife—only to discover that pretending to love someone can accidentally soften even the hardest heart.
• "Annie Gillen’s Friday Nights" — Told by Maria A deeply moving personal story born out of grief in Cork City, where a stranger reveals the clandestine acts of grace, chocolate bars, and comic-book storytelling Maria’s late mother used to bring light into a home shadowed by darkness.

• [00:00] Welcome to the Story Road Jim and Maria open the hearth from Fayetteville and Cork to introduce guest storyteller Rachel Smith, founder of Hong Kong Stories.
• [01:14] The Art of Doing Stupid Stuff Rachel discusses why true first-person storytelling relies on human imperfection and why surviving our own blunders creates the best tales.
• [02:25] Rachel’s Tale: The Wall, the Bivy Sack, and the Squirrel Rachel recounts her 84-mile solo trek across northern England, the pursuit of midlife independence, and the territorial woodland creature that forced her to redefine bravery.
• [12:30] Redefining Success & Wild Camping in Ireland The hosts reflect on the courage to change one's mind, walking the Ring of Kerry, sleeping under picnic tables, and the generous kindness of rural strangers.
• [22:45] Traveling the World in Ontario A whimsical detour through shared place names, how homesick Europeans mapped nostalgia across Canada and Upstate New York, and passport stamps from neighboring towns.
• [25:35] Jim’s Tale: The Miser’s Vow and the Hardened Heart Jim shares an oral Jewish folk story about a bitter miser seeking a loophole with the Angel of Death, discovering that practicing kindness transforms reality.
• [33:10] The Maggid Lineage & Shaggy Dog Wisdom Jim and Maria unpack the lineage of oral teaching tales passed down from teacher to student and how simple parables carry heavy truths.
• [36:20] Legacy Voices and Emotional Truth Maria reflects on experiencing Jim’s transformative "Legacy Stories" workshop in Marrakech, learning how witnessing specific virtues unearths buried memories.
• [39:00] Maria’s Tale: Cadbury Chocolate and Comic Books Walking through Cork in fresh grief, Maria encounters a stranger who unveils the secret Legion of Mary visits her mother made to protect and uplift a struggling family.
• [47:05] Tell Your Scars, Not Your Wounds Rachel, Maria, and Jim explore the vital boundary between authentic vulnerability and unhealed trauma dumping, emphasizing the healing power of storytelling from a place of resilience.
• [53:15] Giving the Listener Permission to Feel Why great stories never announce their moral: allowing the audience to take what they need and find their own mirrors in the teller’s truth.
• [57:30] Marrakech, 27 Languages, and the Crossroads Ahead Reflecting on the international storytelling gathering at Jemaa el-Fnaa and looking ahead to the next crossroads on the Story Road.

1. Tell Your Scars, Not Your Open Wounds: Authentic personal storytelling is therapeutic, but it is not therapy. Sharing from our scars allows us to transmit hard-won resilience and wisdom, whereas performing from an open wound can lead to overwhelming trauma dumping that diminishes both teller and listener.
2. Redefining Bravery & Success: Wisdom often lies in knowing when to surrender stubborness. Choosing to pack up your bivy sack and walk two kilometers away from an aggressive squirrel is not a defeat; it is the grace to be a strong, independent person somewhere else.
3. The Subversive Power of Covert Kindness: Maria’s mother demonstrated that real grace does not demand an audience or applause. By bringing ten chocolate bars, old comics, and a fearless presence into a fractured household every Friday night, she built a sanctuary of dignity that echoed across generations.
4. Stories Don't Need Prescribed Morals: When a story is crafted with honesty and specificity, the teller does not need to dictate the lesson. Thirty listeners will walk away with thirty distinct insights based entirely on what their souls needed to hear.

Thank you for walking with us from Cork to New York and across the global hearth.

• Join the Conversation on Substack: Subscribe to the Healing Monsters Substack for deeper mythic reflections, personal essays, and behind-the-scenes audio dispatches.

Be safe on the Story Road until we meet again.

• "The Singer and the Valley of Paradise" (Kabyle Folktale from North Africa) — Told by Jim
• "Midnight Mariah" (Personal Ancestral Narrative) — Told by Denise Paige
• "Nancy of the Notions" (Cork City Heritage Story) — Told by Maria

Storytelling carries us across physical borders and generational divides, revealing that our lived experiences—no matter how distinct—are bound by a shared human thread. In this deeply moving episode, guest storyteller Denise Paige joins Jim and Maria to explore ancestral resilience, multidimensional memory, and the subtle ways communities wrap each other in unspoken grace during times of trial.

Jim and Maria welcome guest storyteller Denise Paige and reflect on how stories travel across geography, linking Northern Finland, Dakar, Cork, and North Africa.

Jim shares a Kabyle tale from North Africa about a gifted metalsmith and singer who journeys through rugged mountains to prove the existence of a paradise, only to uncover a deep truth about illusion, identity, and the choices we make.

Denise, Maria, and Jim discuss multidimensional time, Irish concepts of circular time, and how ancient symbols like triple spirals reflect the continuous life-death-life cycle.

Denise Paige shares her signature launch story: her mother Dorothy’s memory of childhood loss in 1920s Connecticut, the comforting rumble of a midnight train, and a transformative moment in a former family home that preserved her dignity and determination.

The hosts examine why hard family histories are often held back until the next generation develops the "steel spine" required to understand and carry them without bitterness.

Maria tells a Cork City story set during "The Emergency" (World War II), following Nancy: a talented seamstress who faces sudden heartbreak and isolation, only to be embraced by her neighborhood's quiet, protective solidarity.

The trio reflects on non-transactional community support, the Jewish wisdom surrounding preserving a neighbor's dignity, and how story shifts shame into enduring ancestral pride.

Final farewells from Cork and New York, with an invitation for listeners to share their own ancestral tales with the community.

• Stories as Sacred Vessels: Ancestral truths are often guarded by elders until descendants possess the internal "steel spine" needed to hold the weight of historical trauma without being consumed by it.
• The Silent Hand of Community: True communal care operates discreetly, preserving individual dignity and shielding neighbors from humiliation through quiet acts of non-transactional support.
• Beyond the Illusion of Circumstance: Life's true path is not defined by external hardship or societal marginalization, but by choosing the journey that connects us to where we truly belong.
• The Sacred Duty of Discretion: Uplifting others requires protecting them from shame, honoring the deep cultural truth that public exposure harms the soul of a community.

• Join the conversation and explore deeper mythological breakdowns on the Healing Monsters Substack: https://healingmonsters.substack.com/
• Have an ancestral story that shaped your life? Leave a comment or reach out directly: we read every single message from The Story Road.

Denise Manning Keyes Page is founder of Ubuntu Storytellers, an ensemble of story artists of Black and Brown ancestry. They tell personal narrative stories of “being in the skin they are in” as well as stories of “simply being – the shared experiences of being human.” Her passion is giving voice to and hearing the voices of the traditionally unheard.

Her newest work is a trilogy, “Legacy of A Wealthy Slave”. The title is a paraphrase (and oxymoron) taken from a headline from the New York Times obituary of her great- great grandfather, Alfred C. Manning.

Learn more at her sites:

• www.denisekeyestells.com
• www.ubuntustorytellers.com

Jim Brulé hosts a special “From Cork to New York” podcast episode from the street-side World Storytelling Cafe in Marrakech, Morocco, noting that background city sounds are part of the setting and that the transcript is less precise than usual; Maria is absent. Resident storyteller Omar Belaarej joins, along with local guests Nawal, Haniya, Maya, Yusra, and Shema. Jim tells a Jewish tale, “The Reincarnated Maggid,” then Omar shares a Marrakech story about Mohammed the water seller whose sweet raisin drink and proverb lead to success and expose a scheming vizier. Jim follows with an Afghan story about a contented poor man whose faith outsmarts a king, and Shema tells a humorous personal story about sharing a taxi with a “business” chicken. They discuss storytelling’s power to connect across differences, including therapeutic benefits, and Omar promotes the Cafe and Marrakech International Storytelling Festival, including a Guinness record for over 80 hours of continuous storytelling and broader workshops and school visits.

00:00 Bonus - World Storytelling Cafe

03:21 Being a Maggid

03:53 The Reincarnated Maggid

12:04 The Guests Arrive

18:38 The Tale of the Water Seller

38:36 The King and the Shoemaker

46:12 The Chicken Taxi Story

49:13 The Power and Purpose of Storytelling

56:43 Bridging Differences: The Brothers Three

01:00:16 The World Storytelling Cafe & Festival

01:08:24 Closing Thoughts and Thanks

• Echtra Condla (The Voyage of Condla): Told by Paddy Doyle
• The Black Hand: Told by Jim Brulé
• The Three Nourishments of the Road (A Butter Roads Tale): Told by Maria (Máire)

In this Bealtaine episode of From Cork to New York, hosts Maria and Jim are joined by Cork storyteller Paddy Doyle to explore the sacred threshold spaces of life, myth, and community. Through the ancient otherworld voyage of Condla, a haunting Jewish parable of the Baal Shem Tov, and the folk wisdom of Cork's historic butter roads, this conversation reveals how shared narratives, song, and presence serve as the ultimate medicine for weary souls. Together, they invite us to step across the threshold, open our circles to the "more than human" world, and rediscover the life-saving magic of gathering around the hearth.

[00:23] Bealtaine and the Threshold of Hawthorn

Maria, Jim, and guest Paddy Doyle welcome the season of Bealtaine, discussing the magic of the blooming hawthorn tree as a portal between winter and summer, and this world and the next.

[02:30] The Sacred Practice of Cuardiocht

Paddy introduces Cuardiocht, the ancient Irish tradition of gathering with neighbors after dark to sit by the fire, tell stories, and share troubles, opening the human circle to the "more than human world."

[04:30] Echtra Condla: The Voyage of Condla

Paddy shares the mythic tale of young Condla, son of King Conn, who is invited by a radiant woman of the Aos Sí to journey to Mag Mell -- the land of eternal youth -- leaving behind his beloved father and mortal destiny.

[18:00] The Language of the Unseen

The hosts reflect on the archetype of the Spéirbhean (woman of the air) and how ancient Irish concepts like draíochta (magic) and bean feasa (wise woman) enrich our modern vocabulary of the soul.

[21:00] The Black Hand

Jim spins a poignant Jewish tale of Reb Schmerl, whose unchecked sins pollute a local lake, leading to a fateful prophecy about his son's 13th birthday and a mystical fail-safe involving two socks.

[31:00] The Butter Roads of Cork

Maria tells the folklore-rich story of Seán Óg, a young fiddle player who must discover the "three nourishments of the road" to win the hand of Saoirse, the wise woman's daughter.

[44:00] Discovering the Three Nourishments

On his long journey to Cork's butter market, Seán Óg encounters the first two nourishments: the communal joy of an Irish music session and the physical sustenance of a shared pot of stew.

[51:00] The Mother’s Hook and the Third Nourishment

Back home, Seán Óg’s mother rescues him from his ignorance, revealing that clann -- the community of people sharing their wisdom -- is the final nourishment of the road, leading to a three-day wedding feast.

[54:00] Building Sacred Community

Jim, Maria, and Paddy discuss parallel Moroccan rules of community, the cozy architecture of old Irish cottages, and the vital importance of preserving ancient words like Cuardiocht before they vanish.

• The Thresholds of Growth: Just as Condla had to leave his father's kingdom to step into his own sovereign power, true maturity requires us to honor our roots while possessing the courage to step onto our own "crystal ship" toward destiny.
• The Weight of Unaddressed Sins: Jim’s story of Reb Schmerl illustrates that throwing our dark deeds into the "lake" of unconsciousness only causes the waters to rise and boil. True healing demands repentance before our unaddressed shadow impacts the next generation.
• The True Nourishments of the Journey: The path of life is too heavy to walk alone. To survive the journey, we must actively feed on the three nourishments: the joy of creative expression (story and song), the medicine of the earth (shared food), and the wisdom of our elders and kin (clann).
• Cuardiocht as Medicine for Isolation: In an increasingly fragmented, digital world, reviving the practice of Cuardiocht -- actively seeking out and hosting deep, unconditional circles of connection -- is the ultimate antidote to modern loneliness.

Thank you for traveling down The Story Road with us. If this episode warmed your heart or sparked a memory, please subscribe to our Healing Monsters Substack for weekly essays on mythology, shadow work, and oral traditions.

We invite you to bring these stories to your own hearth and join the conversation in our global Transformational Storytelling Community. Until next time, be safe on the Story Road.

Welcome to a deeply moving episode of From Cork to New York. In this gathering of the storytelling circle, hosts Jim Brule and Maria are joined by special guest Hears Crow, a seasoned storyteller from the woodlands of Vermont who lives in the Eastern Woodlands Long House tradition of the Narragansett. Together, they weave a beautiful tapestry of grief, survival, and the enduring power of oral tradition to heal both the living and the ancestors.

Nootauau Kaukontuoh, “she hears it from him, the crow,” is a Narragansett storyteller, educator, and poet. With over 35 years of experience, she shares Longhouse Tales and Native culture through oral traditions, workshops, and published works, including poetry and a forthcoming children's novel.

See a photo of Hears Crow at https://healingmonsters.community/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Hears-Crow.jpg

• "The Stone Canoe" – An Eastern Woodlands (Narragansett) legend told by Hears Crow.
• "The Sceál of the Butter Box Baby" – An Irish folklore-inspired tale of Samhain and ancestral love told by Maria.
• "Tarvaa, the Bard of Mongolia" – A traditional Mongolian oral legend told by Jim Brule.

What happens when grief takes us to the very edge of the underworld? In this episode, our tellers explore how the ultimate remedy for deep loss is not solitary withdrawal, but an active return to community. Through the lens of a stone canoe, a hidden butter box on a misty Cork night, and a blind bard who chose storytelling over jewels, we discover how stories act as the ultimate "shawl:" draping over our shared wounds and carrying us home.

[00:00] Welcoming Hears Crow to the Circle

Jim and Maria welcome guest Hears Crow from her Vermont forest home. She shares her forty-year journey of native storytelling and introduces the rich Long House traditions of the Nanhiganeac (Narragansett) people.

[03:16] The Story of the Stone Canoe

Hears Crow shares a poignant legend of a young hunter who, devastated by the sudden death of his bride, travels south to the Land of Souls. To cross the great lake to paradise, he must shed his body and sail in a shimmering white stone canoe - only to learn from the Great Mystery (Cautantowwit) that his earthly work is not yet finished.

[19:45] Sitting in the Nourishment of Grief

The hosts and Hears Crow reflect on the beautiful, delicate dance with grief. They discuss how the young hunter’s pain could have swallowed him, but he found healing by returning to live a life of duty, service, and leadership for his people.

[24:25] The Ceo Draíochta and the Butter Box Baby Maria transports us to a misty, modern-day Halloween (Oíche Shamhna) in Cork. Skeptical young Tom is caught in a magical mist (ceo draíochta), coming face-to-face with a ghostly father carrying a deceased, unbaptized child in a wooden butter box, desperate to lay his baby to rest.

[35:18] Workarounds of Love and Healing the Ancestors

The circle explores the historical concept of neart bog (gentle strength) shown by Irish mothers who found compassionate "workarounds" to bury lost babies in sacred ground. Jim shares his belief that speaking these heavy stories has the power to heal the wounds of our ancestors.

[39:22] Tarvaa, the Bard of Mongolia

Jim weaves a profound Mongolian legend of a young man who stays behind to care for plague victims and journeys to the underworld. Offered any treasure by the Khan of Death, Tarvaa bypasses gold and jewels to bring the ultimate gift back to the living world: the art of storytelling.

[47:23] Draped in the Shawl of Community

Hears Crow shares a touching image of elder women using their shawls to make "little tents" of privacy for young mothers. Maria recalls the historic "shawlies" of Cork, celebrating how community and oral tradition drape around us like a warm, restorative hug.

[51:10] The Wooden Spoon and the Road Ahead

The episode wraps up with playful banter about childhood encounters with the maternal "wooden spoon" in Ireland and America, closing with a warm, shared blessing for all travelers walking the Story Road.

1. Action as the Antidote to Despair Both The Stone Canoe and Blind Tarvaa demonstrate that moving through profound loss requires active engagement with the living. Healing is found not in solitary escape, but in dedicating oneself to serving, feeding, and leading others.
2. Narrative as Ancestral Healing Stories have a unique power to travel backward through time. By speaking aloud painful historical secrets—such as the fate of unbaptized infants—we acknowledge, honor, and help soothe the generational trauma carried by those who came before us.
3. The Ultimate Currency is Connection When Tarvaa is offered the riches of the underworld, he bypasses gold and jewels for Storytelling, recognizing that empathy, song, laughter, and shared narrative are the only treasures capable of sustaining a community through a plague.
4. "Neart Bog" (Gentle Strength) Over Dogma The maternal "workarounds" of Irish folklore remind us that human compassion will always find a way to circumvent harsh dogmas, weaving soft, protective spaces for the vulnerable.

If you felt the comforting weight of these stories drape over you today, we invite you to join our growing circle.

Subscribe to the Healing Monsters Substack for weekly essays on myth, folklore, and the monsters we must befriend to heal.

Until we meet again on the Story Road: be safe, be warm, and keep listening.

• "Lunja" (Traditional Kabyle / Eastern European Jewish folklore) — Told by Jim
• "The Story of Balor of the Evil Eye" (Irish Mythology / Tory Island) — Told by Maria
• "The Fire in Chelm" (Yiddish Folklore) — Told by Jim

What happens when we dare to step outside the locked rooms of our comfort and venture into the wild caverns of our shadow? In this intimate, host-only episode, Jim and Maria return to the "Story Road" to explore how ancient tales of skin-shedding, terrible prophecies, and wise fools act as medicine for the modern soul. From the high mountains of Morocco to the wind-swept cliffs of Tory Island, they reveal that the stories we find most "unpalatable" are often the ones holding the very light we need to navigate our own dark forests.

• [00:00] Introduction: Maria and Jim welcome listeners back for a celebratory, cozy, host-to-host episode, reflecting on the profound, shape-shifting nature of oral storytelling and their joy in walking this road together.
• [00:02] About the Story - Lunja's Origins: Jim traces the incredible migration of "Lunja," a tale originating with the Kabyle people of Morocco that traveled over mountains and borders to find a home in the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe.
• [00:03] Lunja (Told by Jim): Jim shares the first movement of Lunja's journey: a beautiful child kept hidden by protective parents, who is lured into the deep forest by five mysterious birds, finding herself at the mercy of a fierce, breast-flinging Ghoula.
• [00:14] Lunja Escapes the Ghoula: Seeking the Ghoula's deep secrets, Lunja plots her escape on a white horse with her impatient cousin, outwitting her foster mother with answers of wood, grass, and iron-willed survival.
• [00:18] Lunja's Return Home: Having failed the Ghoula’s final tests, Lunja's cousin is swallowed by a giant bird. Lunja must make her way home in the skin of a greyhound, living at the edge of the castle until she can slice open the beast and restore her family.
• [00:22] Reflections on Lunja: Jim and Maria unpack the visceral, "chewy" motifs of this ancient story: specifically the raw, challenging acts of skin-shedding and animal transformation that modern, sanitized minds often struggle to digest.
• [00:26] The Story of Balor (Told by Maria): Maria sweeps us away to Tory Island, telling the 3,000-year-old epic of Balor of the Evil Eye, the prophetic imprisonment of his daughter Ethne, and the birth of Lugh, who is destined to turn his grandfather's petrifying gaze back upon him.
• [00:34] Reflections on the Stories: The hosts reflect on how complex, "Russian-doll" epics were received aurally and kept alive through centuries by travelers, proving that stories only survive when they carry true soul-nourishing substance.
• [00:35] A Story from Chelm (Told by Jim): Jim recounts a short, witty story about the "wise fools" of Chelm, reminding us that even in the midst of the devastating fires in our lives, there is always a light being shed to show us the way.
• [00:37] Upcoming Workshops: Jim shares details on his upcoming interactive, four-session seminar starting July 1st, inviting listeners to slow down, digest, and find their own wisdom within these "healing monsters."
• [00:41] Closing — Story Road Farewell: Anticipating a beautiful community-driven movement with Paddy Doyle, Maria and Jim offer a heartwarming blessing of safety on the Story Road until they meet again.

1. The Survival of the "Chewy" Myth: True stories do not survive because they are comfortable; they survive because they contain "meat and potatoes." The bizarre, unpalatable parts of folklore (like slitting a greyhound to wear its skin) represent the radical, uncomfortable adaptations we must undergo to survive transition.
2. The Double-Edged Eye of the Ghoula: Monsters in folklore - be they the Ghoula of Morocco or Balor of Ireland - are not merely villains. They are guardians of transition, holding secrets that, when properly approached, foster our initiation into adulthood.
3. The Illumination of Loss: The humorous parable of Chelm teaches us "perspective." When our personal libraries catch fire, we should not focus solely on the tragedy; we must also use the flame's temporary brilliance to see where we are going next.
4. A Seminar of Equals: True storytelling workshops are not top-down lectures; they are collaborative spaces. Meeting bi-weekly allows participants to embrace both their inner wisdom and their inner "fool," letting the story quietly blossom inside them over time.

Are you ready to sit with your own "monsters" and see what shakes out? Join Jim’s upcoming four-session seminar starting July 1st. We meet every other week to give you time to digest, reflect, and share your own inner wisdom. Learn more and reserve your spot; and be sure to subscribe to the Healing Monsters Substack.

Become a part of our growing Transformational Storytelling Community, where we share stories not on grand stages, but house-to-house, living room-to-living room, and heart-to-heart. Be safe on the Story Road!

• "The Rabbit and the Bees" — A traditional Irish shape-shifting tale of Bealtaine, love, and protective magic, told by Maria (Máire, Seanchaí Corcaí).
• "The Baal Shem Tov and the Weeping Forest" — A Hasidic story of ecological rupture, unpermitted taking, and the grief of the natural world, told by Jim.

What happens when we forget to ask permission of the land we inhabit? In this episode, Maria and Jim return from their travels on the Story Road to cross the threshold into Bealtaine—the Irish season of summer and the "mouth of fire"—while Upstate New York slowly shakes off the final snows of spring. Through rich stories of shape-shifting hares, protective bee hives, and the weeping woods of Eastern Europe, they invite us to listen to the whispers of the natural world and restore our sacred, reciprocal connection with the earth.

• [00:22] Returning from the Story Road Maria and Jim share the disorienting magic of "landing" back in their respective homes in Cork and Upstate New York after their immersive storytelling adventures in Marrakech and Casablanca.
• [03:56] The Mouth of Fire & Seasonal Rhythms An exploration of Bealtaine (the "mouth of fire"), the Irish seasonal shift to summer, contrasted with the unpredictability of New York's late spring, highlighting ancient agricultural practices of smoking cattle to clear the winter's burdens.
• [06:53] Yellow Flowers and the Thinning Veil A deep dive into the folklore of Bealtaine, where the boundary between worlds grows paper-thin, featuring yellow gorse flowers laid on door sills to keep the sídhe (the good folk) at bay and prevent the taking of one's luck (tógaint an t-ádh).
• [08:58] Story: The Rabbit and the Bees Maria spins a legendary Cork-based tale of a lonely farmer named Pádraig, a blue-eyed hare fleeing a vengeful Cailleach, a magical mist (Ceo Draíochta), and the ancient custom of "telling the bees" who ultimately rise up to defend the home.
• [22:00] Story: The Baal Shem Tov and the Weeping Forest Jim shares a poignant Hasidic story of the Baal Shem Tov arriving at a new cabin built from young trees harvested without permission, revealing how the forest's deep, weeping grief over its lost children frightened away the angel of conception.
• [29:35] Forest Whispers & The Maypole Post Jim details his personal ritual of greeting the trees on his local forest trail, the day the forest told him "not today," and the beautiful, shape-shifting evolution of a trail post decorated with children's shoes, controversial flags, and finally, peaceful ribbons.
• [34:11] Prayer Ties and Rags: Tangible Intentions A cross-cultural reflection on how we leave our prayers in nature, comparing the ancient Irish practice of rag trees at holy wells to the Indigenous tradition of wrapping loose tobacco in small, colorful cloths to carry intentions to heaven.
• [36:51] Voices from the Souks & Closing Blessings A sneak peek at an upcoming bonus episode recorded live amidst the bustling sounds of Marrakech, and a heartfelt reminder to keep life brimming and flowing until the next meeting on the Story Road.

1. Reciprocity is the Law of the Land: Whether cutting down young timber for a home or taking a walk through the woods, we must ask permission of the non-human world. Taking without asking creates an ecological and spiritual silence that drives away blessing and conception.
2. Telling the Bees: The ancient practice of sharing our grief, dreams, and life updates with the beehive is more than superstition. It acknowledges that our lives are deeply entwined with our local ecosystems, and that nature listens, thrums, and responds to human emotion.
3. The Whispering Boundaries: Traditional festivals like Bealtaine and Samhain serve as vital reminders of times when the veil thins, encouraging us to decorate our doorposts with gorse or yellow flowers to intentionally honor the threshold between the human world and the wild, mysterious "other."
4. Beauty Out of Division: Much like the trail marker that transitioned from a child's sneaker to political flags and finally to a beautiful maypole of ribbons, communities have a natural capacity to move through periods of polarization and find their way back to shared, sacred beauty.

If these stories stirred something in your bones, consider subscribing to the Healing Monsters Substack for deeper essays on the mythology, ecology, and monsters that help us heal.

Remember: walk softly, listen to the trees, and stay safe on the Story Road.

Maria has been commissioned to tell stories for The Royal Shakespeare Company, Festival at the Edge, Toronto, Galway Moth and Butterfly, Listowel, Montreal, and Marrakech International Storytelling festivals and many beautiful heritage venues. She has also featured at Stafford and Wolverhampton Literary Festivals and delivered workshops and talks for The Society for Storytelling, the Storytellers in Schools forum, and The Might Creatives “Sharing Creative Practice” forum.

Maria tells traditional and contemporary stories with a warm, engaging, and intimate style. She will leave you with a warm heart and smile on your face. Her storytelling has been described as spellbinding, mesmerising, humorous and entertaining. Creating a safe, warm and welcoming atmosphere whenever she tells, Maria curates the perfect place to let your imagination run free as you listen.

• Maria's Website
• Maria's Facebook page

• The Cracked Pot – Told by Maria Credali. A timeless tale of a vessel that believes it is broken, only to discover it has been watering the flowers on the path all along.
• The Magic Wine Cup – Told by Jim Brulé. A Jewish Passover miracle set in Morocco, exploring the restoration of loss through the power of community.
• Nancy May – Told by Maria Gillen. A chilling Cork legend of a midwife caught between the human world and the idir (the in-between) of the fairy folk.
• Eileen and her Fisherman – Told by Maria Credali. A hauntingly beautiful story of a love that transcends death and a dance that never ends.

In this inaugural guest episode, Maria and Jim are joined by the "Mad for Road" storyteller Maria Credali. Together, they weave a tapestry of tales that travel from the dusty paths of Marrakesh to the cobblestone streets of Cork, exploring how stories act as medicine for the "cracked" parts of our lives and a bridge for those standing at the threshold of the end.

• [00:00] The Story Road from Marrakesh to New York: The hosts introduce guest Maria Credali and discuss the "Story Bridges" project connecting Ireland, Morocco, and the US.
• [03:30] The Cracked Pot: Maria Credali shares a story about imperfection, reminding us that our "flaws" are often the very things that nurture the world around us.
• [11:00] Seven Years a Wolf: A discussion on Maria’s medieval-inspired show about resilience, betrayal, and finding a sense of self through service.
• [16:30] The Magic Wine Cup: Jim tells a story of Rabbi Pinto in Morocco, illustrating how miracles occur when we return from isolation to the heart of the community.
• [24:45] Nancy May & The Fairy Midwife: Maria Gillen recounts the Cork version of a legendary midwife’s encounter with the sidh and the high price of seeing too much.
• [45:30] The Universality of Place: The group explores how stories travel across oceans, changing their "local" details while keeping their ancient, universal heart.
• [48:00] Eileen and her Fisherman: A story of grief and a Halloween dance that serves as a beautiful metaphor for the enduring connection between the living and the dead.
• [01:01:00] Stories as a Final Gift: Jim shares his experience as a death doula, and Maria G. recounts her mother’s final blessing: "You can tell my stories now."

1. The Blessing of the Crack: Our perceived failures or "cracks" are often the channels through which we provide the most beauty and nourishment to others.
2. The "Idir" (In-Between): Folklore often warns us of the "in-between" spaces, but these are also the places where healing and magic are most accessible.
3. Community as a Cure for Grief: Both the "Magic Wine Cup" and the discussion on the end of life highlight that isolation deepens loss, while community provides the vessel for miracles.
4. Stories as Inheritance: Passing on a story is a sacred act of lineage; it is a way to ensure that the spirit of a person or a place remains "off dancing" rather than truly gone.
5. Visual vs. Logical Telling: A fascinating look at how different storytellers build worlds—some through internal images and others through the rhythmic construction of space.

Thank you for joining us on the Story Road. To dive deeper into the myths that move us, subscribe to the Healing Monsters Substack.

Seo iad ár scéalta - these are our stories.

• "The Initiation of Manannán mac Lir" told by Maria Gillen.
• "The Kabbalist of New Jersey" told by Jim.

From the depths of the Atlantic to the edge of the galaxy, Maria and Jim explore the power of visualization and the ancient art of "leaving the body" to find truth. This episode bridges Irish myth and Jewish mysticism to reveal how a single drop of water—or a single prayer—can contain the entire universe.

• [00:00] The Igloo and the Office: Maria and Jim compare New York snow to Irish rain before diving into how storytelling shifts paradigms in the corporate world.
• [01:38] The Chair Exercise: A fascinating look at how our brains visualize differently, from overstuffed fireside chairs to abstract black-and-white letters.
• [05:55] The Myth of Manannán: Maria tells the 3,000-year-old story of a daydreaming boy who discovers the universe in a drop of water and emerges as the God of the Sea.
• [22:40] Pleasure Shock and Corporate Circles: A reflection on the visceral impact of myth and the "pleasure shock" of reconnecting with our non-intellectual selves.
• [24:10] The Kabbalist of New Jersey: Jim shares a story of a master who teaches a young girl to let her soul soar past the stars to discover she is profoundly loved by the Creator.
• [43:00] The Fetch Forward: A deep dive into Irish ancestral "knowing," soul-sending, and how "leaving the body" served as a survival mechanism throughout history.

• The Power of Visualization: The "Chair" exercise proves we all inhabit different mental landscapes; storytelling is the essential bridge that allows us to see what others see.
• Microcosm as Macrocosm: Manannán’s discovery that the whole universe exists in a single drop of water reminds us that true depth is found in focused presence, not just wide searching.
• The Perspective of Smallness: In the vastness of the cosmos, feeling "small" is not a sign of insignificance, but a prerequisite for experiencing a universal embrace.
• Ancestral Wisdom as Survival: The Irish practice of "sending the fetch forward" highlights how soul-work was a tool for enduring historical trauma and maintaining connection when physical expression was forbidden.

To dive deeper into the myths that move us, subscribe to the Healing Monsters Substack. Join our Transformational Storytelling Community to share your own stories and find the "red thread" that connects us all.