Tales for our Times

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In this episode I speak with Irish Storyteller and chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids, Eimear Burke.

We discuss fairy doors and healing wells, the practice of restoring female stories in folklore and myth, and methods of walking stories out on the land an reweaving the tales.

We cover grief, love and poetry, seasonal cycles and nature connection, and touch upon several stories from the Celtic cannon, especially the Birth of Ossian and tales involving Fionn McCoull, Lugh & Taliesin.

You can find Eimear on Youtube during her weekly 'fireside chats' or through her work with OBOD at druidry.org.

If you'd like to become a storyteller or improve your storytelling skills I'll announce a new cohort programme starting in September 26 https://sendfox.com/lp/3epnd0

You can find my writing on Substack at 'Rekindling the Hearth' and join a live storytelling event in the north of Scotland via the Shieling Collective or in Edinburgh at the Scottish Storytellling Centre.

Thanks for listening!

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In this episode I share a story about a hunter who is haunted by ghosts before encountering a wolf.

I reflect upon Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2025 and talk about the storytelling and shadow puppetry show, "A Wolf Shall Devour the Sun'.

I mention my substack page "Rekindling the Hearth" https://deeprootscommunity.substack.com/

aswell as upcoming festivals in the Glens of Antrim, Bray, and the Scottish International Storytelling Festival.

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This episode features a live telling of an Irish/Scottish folk tale, "The Clever Wish". 

Recorded at the Hearth Fire Sessions in Edinburgh in November 24, this episode previews the launch of the sessions again this year, starting on World Storytelling Day.

This story is a favourite for all ages ,and it's riddle some quality makes it particularly satisfying to tell.

Stay up to date with all my storytelling offerings, including story coaching by joining the mailing list:

https://sendfox.com/dougiemackaystory

email enquiries to:

[email protected]

Browse cultural activities and retreats in the Scottish Highlands at:

https://www.theshielingcollective.com/events-1

Support this podcast via Kofi:

https://ko-fi.com/dougiemackaystory

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Live recording from the banks of the River Tweed in the south of Scotland. The sun is shining, the frost is sparkling and the otters are swimming.

This episode shares musings on creativity, creating moments of wonder amidst modernity, the polar pulls of to-do-lists and the wild, Fionn's true seeing and the poetry of the Otter.

It's a bit different from previous episodes but I enjoyed it and hopefully you do too.

If you'd like to stay up to date with story offerings and resources you can join my mailing  list via:
https://sendfox.com/dougiemackaystory

Or follow me on instagram @dougie.mackay.story

If you'd like to support this podcast you can make a donation, to the price of a hot drink via my Kofi page:
https://ko-fi.com/dougiemackaystory

If you've enjoyed the podcast, reviews, comments and shares are much appreciated!
Thanks for listening.

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In this episode I give updates from the Marrakech International Storytelling Festival and share two short stories from the region.

The stories are of a character famed through the Arab world, the wise fool, often known as Hodja, or the Mullah Nasruddin, but in North Africa he is known as 'Djoha'.

I recently told one of these stories at a school in the Atlas Mountains to the delight of many school pupils.

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Stay in the loop with my storytelling offerings through the year via:

sandfox.com/dougiemackaystory

Instagram: @dougie.mackay.story

storyconnection.org

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Read about the Marakesh international storytelling festival here:

https://worldstorytellingcafe.com/marrakech-international-storytelling-festival/

or our Guiness world record success:

https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2025/01/367971/marrakech-breaks-guinness-world-record-for-longest-storytelling-session

The Last Storytellers by Richard Hamilton:

https://www.richard-hamilton.com/the-last-storytellers/

Cafe Clock

https://www.cafeclock.com/marrakech

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As a prequel to my upcoming tour of British Columbia I speak with Tad Hargrave, best known for his Marketing for Hippies movement, but also eloquent in culture making and something of a storyteller, improv actor and street magician. You want this guy at your party!

In our conversation we touch upon his own path to discover of the richness of his Celtic heritage, learning from cultural heavyweights such as Stephen Jenkinson,  discuss indigenous knowledge, heritage crafts, and trans Atlantic idea sharing. We reference at least one road trip and a selection of Scottish storytelling elders, and finish with a story about the gold in one's own home.

There's also a traveller anecdote in there that makes me laugh out loud!

We discuss my upcoming storytelling tour of British Columbia and Washington state and why he felt to instigate the trip.

Find out about the BC tour here:
storyconnection.org/bctour/

Read about Tad's culture making here:
https://substack.com/profile/39800440-tad-hargrave

Sort your business out whilst maintaining your hippie credentials here:
https://marketingforhippies.com/

My live dates and online events:
https://linktr.ee/dougiemackay

My newsletter (where all the good stuff goes first):
https://sendfox.com/dougiemackaystory

Thanks for listening!

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In this episode I catch up with Lucy O'Hagan about her wilderness programmes in Ireland. We range from local myths of Lugh and Balor of the evil eye, to the Belfast Punk scene, snow shelters in Norway, cave dwelling in Dordogne, and the teepee outside Galway where we met.

To find out more about Lucy's work:
https://www.wildawake.ie/

To stay tuned for more story offerings:
https://sendfox.com/dougiemackaystory

Lynx Vilden's Lithica project:
https://www.lithica.earth/

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This episode features a live recording of a story told at the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 23. It's a version of one of the stories I first fell in love with many years ago and has sublime musical accompaniment from the talented Rachel Newton...aswell as some random audience participation and suggestion!

I also comment on various features of the storytelling festival including the Basket of Stories project and finish with a poem from a prominent Palestinian poet.

Mentioned in the show is the Another Story Podcast, the online Voices of Celtic Wisdom course and my mailing list, each linked below.

Voices of Celtic Wisdom:
https://weaving-remembrance.mykajabi.com/a/2147716521/EiCWvZ7T

Mailing list:
https://sendfox.com/dougiemackaystory

Another story podcast:
https://www.sisf.org.uk/another-story-podcast/

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In the episode I give a nod to my recent trip to Norway for a primitive skills gathering by telling a hunting tale from Sierra Leone. 

I also share a 'Revolting Rhyme' version of the Norwegian folk tale, the Three Billy Goats Gruff, inspired by irreverent British-Danish author Roald Dahl.

There is some commentary on my time in Norway and the story too.

If you'd like to support this podcast you can make a donation, to the price of a hot drink via my Kofi page:
https://ko-fi.com/dougiemackaystory

If you'd like to stay up to date with story offerings and resources you can join my mailing  list via:
https://sendfox.com/dougiemackaystory

Or follow me on instagram @dougie.mackay.story

If you've enjoyed the podcast, reviews, comments and shares are much appreciated!
Thanks for listening.