Opening music by Queen Space Baroque Ritual door No1

Sarah recaps a Valentine storytelling evening with musicians Rossi and Imogen, and a Rose Cabaret in Glastonbury where she compared alongside Jenny Bliss, Tom Widdicombe, and storyteller Beth Webb.

At the cabaret, she performed the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet — a meditation on young love and naming that opens into a wider reflection on what we pass down to future generations: not just love, but everything that is not love.

Elsewhere: a love letter workshop for the Mental Health Network, writing to past and future selves, tracing your hand and celebrating it — and a great-aunt’s funeral at 100, with the beautiful image of women embroidering encouraging messages inside soldiers’ uniforms.

The episode closes in the fossil room at the Clark Shoe Museum, where storytelling to children sparked wonder at the revelation that whales and dolphins were once land mammals — their fins still bearing the five-knuckled memory of hands.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sarahmooney.substack.com

Mooney’s Mythic Podcast - Episode: The Lady and the Swine

Opening music by Queen Space Baroque, Ritual door No. 1

Sarah explores themes of love, transformation, and embodiment through the lens of Alison Uttley’s folk tale “The Lady and the Swine.” After discovering the pig is sacred to Aphrodite, she reimagines this seemingly cautionary tale as an initiatory journey into sensual embodiment—moving from cerebral disconnection into the wisdom of the body.

Featured Story: “The Lady and the Swine” by Alison Uttley

Upcoming Event: Love Stories with Imogen Adams and Rossi Moore

* Friday, February 13th, 7pm (7:30 start)

* The Goddess House cellar, Glastonbury

Reflections include:

* The pig as Aphrodite’s sacred animal

* Sensual embodiment and initiation

* Writing love poetry to ourselves

* Poems by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Burns

Support the podcast on Patreon

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sarahmooney.substack.com

Opening Music Ritual Door 1 by Queen Space Baroque

Recording from Bride's Mound on Imbolc, exploring themes of emergence, new beginnings, and finding one's true self. Features reflections on receiving a Finnish harp, performing at Bullizinis’ circus show, Fire and Ice. With Ruby Daly's beautiful telling of "The Ugly Duckling."

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sarahmooney.substack.com

Sarah goes deep into the dark of January, excavating shame around money and visibility, then surfaces with stories of fighting, apples, and circus showmanship.

This is an intimate, wandering episode that moves from personal shadow work (financial shame, abandoned inner child) to folklore (poisoned apples, witch trials) to warrior tales (Scáthach and Cú Chulainn) to circus patter (George Sanger’s egg dance). Sarah’s preparing for a circus storytelling gig and trying to find the thread while trusting the process.

Opening with Queen Space Baroque Ritual Door 1, closing with the invitation to gaze into the fire.

* Witch Country: Seeking the Witch in the British Landscape by Sarah Robinson

* 70 Years a Showman by George Sanger

* Women Who Run With The Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés

* Saduscomus Triumfitus by Joseph Glanville (Somerset Witch Trials)

* Ruth Tongue (folklorist, lived near Halsway Manor)

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sarahmooney.substack.com

Intro music Ritual Door by Queen Space Baroque

* A candid story about shame, sexuality, and being natural

* Unpicking the Eve narrative and feminine guilt

* The tradition of wassailing and mummer’s plays

* A recitation of beautiful apple varieties

* The tale of Bran and the Isle of Silver Apples

* Choosing cycles and seasons over perfection

Featured: The Langport mummer’s troupe

Shovel Dance Collective’s “My Husband’s Got No Courage in Him”

Join Sarah: Women Who Run With The Wolves begins every other Wednesday morning from March.

Support the podcast via Patreon or PayPal ([email protected])

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sarahmooney.substack.com

Sarah shares from her week at Halsway Manor (National Centre for Folk Arts) - the library behind a hidden door, feeling like a rabbit in the headlights among musicians, and telling the story of King Orphy (the ballad version where they COME BACK). Plus: Mother’s Christmas (January 6th, Irish women celebrating), Sian Reid teaches “The Hag with the Money,” and navigating imposter syndrome with a holly brooch.

This is a long one - settle in with a cup of tea for winter dreaming.

Music:

* Queen Space Baroque - “Ritual Door 2” (opening)

* Sian Reid - “An Cailleach An Airgid” (Gaelic)

* Nik Wyke and Bcki Driscoll play their new tune, a work in progress.

* Old Time musicians at Halsey Manor (fiddle, bagpipes, collective jam)

Featured:

* Halsway Manor (National Centre for Folk Arts, Quantocks)

* Sian Reid (Irish musician, Mother’s Christmas tradition)

* Mabinogi (12th-13th century Welsh stories)

* Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special

* Anastasia (book about planting seeds)

Upcoming Events:

* January 17: Alfred Gillett Trust Orchard Wassail

* Jan 29-31: Dave Sanger Circus Show, Evercreech

* Feb 13: Aphrodite & Love Stories

* Feb 14: Love Cabaret, Avalon Centre Glastonbury (comparing)

* Feb 16-17: Wookey Hole

* April 10-12: Wales Storytelling Residential (all levels, working with story for transformation)

* March (start): Women Who Run With Wolves Wednesdays (8 sessions, every other Wednesday)

Support: Patreon | PayPal ([email protected]) | Share the pod!

For: Storytellers, musicians feeling imposter syndrome, anyone gathering lost parts of self, people who love ballads with happy endings, winter dreamers, wassailers.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sarahmooney.substack.com

While Sarah is at Halsway Manor (National Centre for Folk Arts) working on stories, she’s asked Owen Staton from “Time Between Times” podcast to share a tale. Owen (ex-copper, extraordinary voice) tells “The Lantern of Cwm Ddu” - a Welsh ghost story from Carmarthenshire about a father’s love that transcends death.

In this episode:

“The lantern walker was no omen of death. He was a father who could not rest while his child was cold and hungry.”

Next week: Sarah returns with full mythic wonder and Halsway Manor stories!

Featured:

* Owen Staton - “Time Between Times” podcast

Intro music Ritual Door by Queen Space Baroque

Support: Patreon (Mooney’s Mythic Podcast) | PayPal ([email protected])

For: Dark winter nights, lovers of Welsh ghost stories, anyone who needs to know they’re not forgotten, people thinking about who lights the way.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sarahmooney.substack.com

In the stillness between Christmas and New Year, Sarah offers three stories for your winter dreaming: Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Rose Elf” (love, murder, and jasmine’s revenge), plus two original tales - a girl searching for her dreams in the darkness, and a boy who dances with bears to bring peace.

In this episode:

* The silence and languish of this stretch between holidays

* Mic in a bowl of walnuts (new recording technique!)

* Planning for February 13th gig (love stories that aren’t traditional love stories)

* Halsey Manor residency (5th time applying!) - exploring where fairy tale, folk ballad, and sea shanty meet

* THE ROSE ELF: Tiny elf witnesses murder, lives in roses, jasmine revenge, flower spirits and bees

* THE GIRL WHO LOVED TO DREAM: Bear, seven sisters, archer, turtle carrying her home

* THE BOY WHO DANCED WITH BEARS: People cowering in fear, boy hears dancing not danger, dances with bears for peace

* The golden-haired woman story (murdered woman’s truth told through reed flute)

* January 4th online journey (2-6pm) - storytelling, soul journeying, creative writing, dreaming your year (by donation)

“Winter is the time for our dreams, for things to unspool in our minds, to fill ourselves with our own liminal and deep imagining.”

Stories Featured:

* “The Rose Elf” by Hans Christian Andersen

* “The Girl Who Loved to Dream” by Sarah Mooney

* “The Boy Who Danced with Bears” by Sarah Mooney

Mentioned:

* Halsey Manor (National Centre for Folk Arts)

* Fire Draw Near (folk music show)

* Broadside ballad (captain, maid, robbery, broadsword as oar)

* Reed flute story (golden-haired woman)

* Intro music Ritual Door by Queen Space Baroque

Support: Patreon (Mooney’s Mythic Podcast) | PayPal ([email protected])

Upcoming: January 4th online journey (comment on podcast to join)

For: These liminal days, Tupperware-clearing energy, winter dreamers, people who need permission to be still.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sarahmooney.substack.com

A Winter Solstice Story

Opening with the Avalonian Free State Choir singing “Carol of the Bells” (originally a Ukrainian folk song called “Shchedryk” about a swallow proclaiming spring), Sarah shares the story of the Dear Mother - the deer who carries the sun in her antlers on the longest night.

In this episode:

Shaking off stress like a bell - this is winter stillness time

The origin of “Carol of the Bells” (Ukrainian folk chant, Generous Day, January 13th)

Walking spirals with children and candles

Rudolf Steiner on gods sleeping in minerals, dreaming in plants, waking in animals

THE STORY: The Dear Mother who flies across the night sky carrying the weakened sun in her antlers, restoring its strength on the longest night

“Winter is not a time for doing. Winter is a time for being.”

A story for the returning sun, for remembering the sacred feminine, for deep stillness and genuine joy.

Music: Queen Space Baroque Ritual Door

Avalonian Free State Choir - “Carol of the Bells”

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sarahmooney.substack.com

This episode is sponsored by The Tarot - that portable, symbolic alphabet of the soul. After weeks of terrible sound (finally fixed by Joolz Barker, Ataya Tarot the tarot-reading bass player!), Sarah sits down with Kathy Jones: crone priestess of Avalon, founder of the Goddess Conference, and visionary behind Mother World.

“Don’t receive the lie. Know that you are really just extraordinary and amazing.”

Music:

* Queen Space Baroque - “Ritual Door” (opening)

* Charlotte Mabon - “Daughters of the Earth” (closing)

Featured:

Kathy Jones Crone priestess of Avalon, founder of the Goddess Movement in Glastonbury, creative director of the Goddess Conference, founder of Mother World political party. 50 years in Glastonbury, bridging ancient mythology with contemporary spiritual practice.

Mentioned:

* Mary Daly (feminist writer/academic - spinster, webster, reclaiming language)

* Joolz Ataya Tarot www.ataya.co.uk (bass player, tarot reader, tech savior)

* The Tarot (14th-15th century cards with ancient origins)

* Charlotte Mabon, Music from her album, River of Soul

Support: Patreon (Mooney’s Mythic Podcast) | PayPal ([email protected]) | Share | Subscribe

Coming Soon: The Dear Mother story (after Sarah goes deeper with Kathy’s invitation to trust her inspiration)

Anyone who needs to hear “you’re great NOW.”

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sarahmooney.substack.com