Nothing more to say but have a lovely happy Christmas Day and a restful holiday. We'll talk again very soon. 

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Talking about podcasting, and a woman I met on the way to Galway.

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That long journey into midwinter has just ended. And this evening is the first sunset after the Solstice. The time when the sun stands still.  Here's a remembrance of Mullingar and the journey since then and how hard times makes us stronger. I belong to the poetry of the solstice, the dying sun, the fear that darkness will overpower us and faith in the light. A light shining in the dark that will not be quenched. I cling to that. the myth is the shape of my faith. I'm so excited that it's Christmas. And that I have permission to hope. 

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A little remembering of my childhood, and a good teacher, and how it carries me still towards the beautiful silence of everything. It's the weekend before Christmas, and I'm sending you good vibes.

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Last week I went to Cavan County Museum where they play to establish a national storytelling centre. It's an amazing place. I was doing a little video filming for their Christmas events. And then I came home and did this podcast from my bedroom, because the studio was cold and there had been no fire on all day. And the podcast didn't upload properly on Friday. So now I'm adding it in here. Hope you enjoy. More coming. Christmas coming. 

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I recorded this in 1975 in Glangevlin, West Cavan. 

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Well this was such fun. A big sweep of ideas. Fatherhood. Godness. And how the intimate nature of landscape in Ireland shaped us deeply. How the heart is the place where the room is; that secret room where you can go to chill out - especially during the stressful last fortnight before Christmas and Solstice. 

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So let's just have a chat about Christmas.  if you're stressed and anxious about going out to shop there's nothing better than a mug of tea and a chat. So I sat down with myself and talked to the wall as I was looking out the window, imagining you were there as well. And in the end I was remembering the Glangevlin mummers, and I played an old recording from 1975; I think later I will do a full podcast on the mummers and the music back then in Glan. And by the way, the Turkish series on Netflix is Ethos, and I'd recommend it. And the movie by Jodorosky on Mubi is called  Endless Poetry; it's beautiful. Or if you want something completely mad try his early work; El Topo, a western you can rent but don't blame me. it's fantastic and powerful, but free flowing like poetry rather than a drama. 

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A big soup of stories today. A couple that didn't agree about dogs, and a doctor who cured me and a granny from China. 

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This is the final post for November. it's been fun to explore Samhain and the month of the dead as a time of reflection. So here is another wisdom  nugget from Tibet to end with.

Find a teacher. 

My story is of many teachers. And some are unexpected. you have to keep your eyes open so you know them when they turn up. 

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