Spirit Horse Radio

Shivam talks with Eoghan Connaughton and Aron Hegarty. Eoghan is the Founder of the Gaelic Woodland Project, and Aron is Storyteller with the Candlelit Tales Podcast, and both are on the board of directors for the Gaelic Woodland Project. Combining ecological, and scientific knowledge to the lore or Ireland and the power of Storytelling is one of the ways these two marry their interests and cultivate their desire to refforrest Ireland's landscape.Their mission is simple. To conserve Ireland's natural and cultural heritage, inspire people to take action together, and to create an ecologically rich and diverse patchwork of native habitats across Ireland.In 2024, they acquired 12 acres of land in County Mayo, to be rewilded with native Irish trees, following best practices to support biodiversity and ecosystem restoration.For more information, go to their website at https://gaelicwoodlandproject.com/For more Irish Mythological stories, find out more on https://candlelittales.ie/podcast/Explore all things Spirit Horse at https://www.spirithorse.co.uk/

Jimmy Wightman is a meditation and mindfulness teacher based in Brighton, UK. He's been featured on the BBC, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Yahoo News and other similar publications. Jimmy's interest in meditation started after many years of partying and DJing on the London clubbing scene left him feeling broken, depressed and suffering from insomnia. In a desperate attempt to gain back control of his life, Jimmy found a teacher from the ancient Vedic tradition (from India) and discovered a profound level of inner peace and stillness that was previously unthinkable. Despite being an atheist at the time, that was the beginning of his spiritual journey. Jimmy went onto explore many styles of practice such as Transcendental Meditation, Vipassana and Zen before training as a meditation teacher himself. He now teaches deep mantra meditation inspired by Himalayan Yogis (Advaita Vedanta tradition) as well as mindfulness inspired by his teacher Shinzen Young (author of The Science of Enlightenment). Jimmy is a regular attendee at Enlightenment Intensive retreats at various locations in the UK but he especially cherishes his time attending retreats at Spirit Horse. You can find out more about Jimmy at his website: DelveDeep.com and on Instagram where he's known as That Meditation Guy.

Spirit Horse Radio EP17: Adam Duncan, Life-Stage Project Shivam catches up with an old friend and discusses old times, old age and the often uncomfortable topic of death and our mortality. Listen on our website via www.spirithorse.co.uk/podcast or search for 'Spirit Horse Radio' on your favourite podcast/music listening platform. Adam trained in Drama and Education at Goldsmiths before writing scripts for the BBC and many other organisations. He ran a media company for twenty years and designed training programmes for large organisations such as Amnesty International. For the last ten years, Adam put a lot of energy into working with a charity called A Band of Brothers (ABOB), doing rites-of-passage weekends for young men involved in the Criminal Justice System in order to help them move on from adolescent behaviour to healthy masculinity. But at the age of 70 came a new question, what did growing old mean to him? As luck would have it, he was offered a place on a brilliant course in supporting people at the end of their lives. Through being alongside people who worked with the dying, Adam started to come to terms with mortality, being able to let go of some of the old attachments and this gave him a new lease of life and a surge of creative energy that he hadn't felt for decades. In 2018, Adam wrote and rehearsed a show called The Seven Ages of the Dance of Life and Death with a community of actors, dancers and musicians. The show attracted an appreciative audience. In isolation, he was able to publish The Power of Ageing. It sold around a hundred copies, but more importantly, it brought together a small group of like-minded people who felt passionately about the subject matter. Starting a monthly discussion forum from which the Life-Stage Project was formed. You can find links to Adams work and projects in the episode description. If you enjoy Spirit Horse Radio, please support our channel by giving us a star rating on Spotify or your preferred platform. You can also follow us to stay tuned for future episodes. Thanks for listening!

Shivam drops into conversation with Tiarnan O'Sullivan and Santiago Rial at the end of an Éire Faerys mens gathering near Galway in Ireland. Tiarnan is a herbalist and Fear Feasa, originally from Cork (Ireland), and currently lives in County Wexford. He runs his own business Mac Tíre Apothecary & Herbal Clinic. He started the Éire Faery Gatherings in 2018, a space for gay, bisexual and queer men to gather in the nature, light the fire and connect with one another. Details: www.mactireapothecary.ie tiarnan@mactireapothecary.ie Santiago Rial is an illustrator and Graphic Designer from Argentina who moved to Ireland following his passion for Irish heritage and nature. Since 2021, he's been a Director of the Gaelic Woodland Project, a 100% volunteering registered charity for reforestation. Details: https://gaelicwoodlandproject.com https://deercun.com You can listen to this episode and more directly from our website at www.spirithorse.co.uk/podcast If you've enjoyed Spirit Horse Radio, please support our channel by giving us a star rating on Spotify or your preferred platform. You can also follow us to stay tuned for future episodes. Thanks for listening!

As the founder of Rooted Healing, Veronica weaves her love for embodiment, ceremony, land, story and song into gatherings that heal and connect our inner and outer landscapes, including ceremonial psilocybin retreats, deep ecology courses and ancestral immersions. Originally from wild Welsh lands, her deep enquiry into indigenous traditions of the Americas and Mother Europe guides her fascination with the fabric of life and our belonging within it. Alongside a decade in healing arts facilitation, Veronica is a researcher in Consciousness, Animism and Transpersonal Psychology with the Alef Trust. She also hosts the Rooted Healing podcast, where her joy for ancient ways, folklore and animate landscapes is contagious. Find out more about Veronica's work at rootedhealing.org You can listen to this episode and more directly from our website at www.spirithorse.co.uk/podcast If you've enjoyed Spirit Horse Radio, please support our channel by giving us a star rating on Spotify or your preferred platform. You can also follow us to stay tuned for future episodes. Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Shivam O'Brien and crew members James and Eliot discuss their experiences of the Sacred Man, Sacred Woman ritual, offered at Spirit Horse retreat centre. An honoring and a ceremonial "war of beauty" between men and women. The annual summer event of the last 30 years at our wild nature retreat. Come to explore yourself, the mystery of the other, to love and grow, to find home and to have some fantastic out of this world time. With much hilarity and yet with authentic depth, a traditional “war” between men and women is declared. Taking to their separate camps, they separate into women's and men's circles. Only after a long day and night in their own sacred lodges do they emerge to meet again - to ritually engage. What can be learnt is beyond intellect. This is the old way.  ​It is a delightful, delicate, precisely held space in which to explore your natural self and come really, really alive. Check available dates, book and find out more info here: www.spirithorse.co.uk/sacred-man-sacred-woman Listen to Spirit Horse Radio directly from our website: www.spirithorse.co.uk/podcast If you've enjoyed Spirit Horse Radio, please support our channel by giving us a star rating on Spotify or your preferred platform. You can also follow us to stay tuned for future episodes. Thanks for listening!

Shivam catches up with an old friend after 25 years. Courtney is acclaimed as the best known contemporary Celtic art designer in the world, His work has been exhibited far and wide in Europe, the US, Japan and Australia. Born of Welsh, Irish and Scottish descent in 1946 in Blackwood, South Wales, Courtney Davis has built a worldwide reputation as the artist who has re-awakened the exquisite artwork of the ancient Celtic masters in a contemporary style that is uniquely his own. For over 30 years, designs of his art have been applied to mediums such as cards, posters, fabrics, glass, jewellery, carpets and even in the form of body art. Many of his original pieces can be located in private and institutional collections, in chapels and museums. Entirely self-taught, Courtney's career began in the late 1960's as an engraver and designer in one of the UK's largest jewellery manufacturers, where his designs became popular and in high demand. His life was to change dramatically in 1974 when he had major spinal surgery and during his hospital stay he experienced a series of mystical visions. Those experiences, along with a deep feeling of personal loss following the death of his father soon afterwards, led him to begin an ever developing spiritual journey. He did not return to engraving and instead began to draw, adding Celtic inspired borders to his pictures. Soon, as his art become popular he created a range of cards and prints that became ever more in demand. Then, in 1984 he caught the imagination and spirit of the time when his work Merlin the Immortal was first published, igniting once again an interest in Arthurian legend. Inspired, he began to create a series of black and white prints which would go on to become the book that he is most associated with, Merlin Awakens. As he gained increasing recognition, Courtney went on to illustrate over 50 published books, such as Celtic Borders and Decoration, The Art of Celtia, The Celtic Tarot, St Patrick – A Visual Celebration and The Celtic Source Book that have become iconic Celtic Art classics. Read Courtney's full story and find his work here: https://www.courtneydavissacredart.com/ www.spirithorse.co.uk/podcast If you've enjoyed Spirit Horse Radio, please support our channel by giving us a star rating on Spotify or your preferred platform. You can also follow us to stay tuned for future episodes. Thanks for listening! (Excerpt from Celtic Countries Magazine)

Award-winning sacred dance therapist and the creator of Awakened Bellydance. Katie is a renowned professional dancer with a passion for self-empowerment and self-initiation through conscious movement. Katie is an innerdance facilitator/trainer, a powerful energy whisperer and a PADI Mermaid instructor. Her natural, intuitive ability to hold space is testament to her commitment and a wealth of experience facilitating dance and energy-based workshops retreats and trainings globally. Her aim? To enthuse, empower, cultivate and share this inspirational, magical energy to all she meets. Katie is also the creator of Shakti Pants - Sacred Clothing and Jewellery, as well as the founder and organiser of Sirius Retreats. https://awbdance.com www.spirithorse.co.uk/podcast If you've enjoyed Spirit Horse Radio, please support our channel by giving us a star rating on Spotify or your preferred platform. You can also follow us to stay tuned for future episodes. Thanks for listening!

Dawn Bache, an eighteen year pioneer of Spirit Horse who first came to the valley as a single parent with a young son. Artist and maker living in East Yorkshire, weaving textiles and foraged materials into objects which, tell a story of the land. Always up for an adventure and loving the twists and turns of the valley's journey. Painter of the Dakini temple and interior decorator of structural spaces. Plus lots of other roles, too numerous to mention. www.dawnbache.co.uk Instagram: @dawnbache_textiles www.spirithorse.co.uk/podcast If you've enjoyed Spirit Horse Radio, please support our channel by giving us a star rating on Spotify or your preferred platform. You can also follow us to stay tuned for future episodes. Thanks for listening!

A gift for the solstice hearth. This simple winters tale laced with ancestral grace, with its warmth and eerie mystery beckons us back into the original time, the early days and real living. Share it around your own fire with friends, family and tribe. Harp by Émer Anjali. Guitar, backing track and vocal by Shivam. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Dao www.spirithorse.co.uk/podcast #story #storytime #storytelling #storyteller #bedtimestory #winterstory #christmasstory

Paddy was a member of the Spirit Horse crew for the summer of 2023. A keen adventurer, Paddy is always looking for new frontiers and new ways to explore the depths of the self and human consciousness. This quest lead him on a solo mission to spend 3 days deep in the mountain cave at Spirit Horse with no food, no water, and no light. In this episode, he sits with Shivam to discuss his experiences in the cave; why we feel the need to push ourselves to delve into these outlandish experiences, and what can be gained from radically breaking ourselves out of the patterns of normal life. www.spirithorse.co.uk/podcast If you've enjoyed Spirit Horse Radio, please support our channel by giving us a star rating on Spotify or your preferred platform. You can also follow us to stay tuned for future episodes. Thanks for listening!

A brief introduction to Spirit Horse Radio by Shivam O'Brien.

Mai joins Shivam in the Dakini Temple for a conversation about her first visit to Spirit Horse and her experiences over the 7 years that followed. For 8 years, through her blog and social network she has been sharing her research for beauty, female culture and spirituality to spread transformational emotions for both cultural and intimate shifts. A talented film director, 'Make me a man' is her second feature length documentary. Her first, 'Les Rivieres', was a five year enquiry into her family line of women to understand and be freed from the weight of the past. She is currently working on her third film with her husband, Jerry Hyde. www.spirithorse.co.uk/podcast https://www.maihua.fr/ https://lesrivieres.maihua.fr/ https://makemeaman.com/ If you've enjoyed Spirit Horse Radio, please support our channel by giving us a star rating on Spotify or your preferred platform. You can also follow us to stay tuned for future episodes. Thanks for listening!

Origin stories and tales of magic with the village seer and Spirit Horse co-founder, Erika Indra. “My life is as a long river, magnificent in its many twist and turns. I was born in Hungary in a big city, my longing for village life and ancient stories and traditions led me to study folklore and anthropology. There was so much still active and alive it was a privilege to record and preserve. After I got married, I moved to England and in taking care of my family, became interested in alternative medicine. The revival of storytelling and the richness of Native American, Buddhist and Five Rhythms dance, among many, transformed me. I met Shivam and some of my best friends at a dance in 1987, longing for some slightly different social interactions with the wider world. In 1990 we started Spirit Horse. The rest is history.” www.spirithorse.co.uk/podcast If you've enjoyed Spirit Horse Radio, please support our channel by giving us a star rating on Spotify or your preferred platform. You can also follow us to stay tuned for future episodes. Thanks for listening!

Robert O Atiko sits with Shivam for a 'blast from the past' conversation about the early days of ecstatic building at Spirit Horse, the creation of the Dakini Temple, turning wounds into blessings and The Golden Boy. Roberto has been an active member of the Spirit Horse community for over 15 years. Alongside Shivam, he has been a pivotal builder of the many structures in The Valley, as well as being one of the leaders and organisers of the Spirit Horse Men's Lodge for well over a decade. He has a professional 50 year career as a film, television, and stage actor, which has given him a deep awareness of people's stories. Through his own healing of early pain and trauma into empathic connection, he now devotes much of his time in community to listening to, and re-framing the lived experiences of others, so that they reclaim their innate power, peace and wisdom. When he's not in The Valley, he lives in North London with his beloved wife, Sandra. Go to www.spirithorseradio.co.uk/podcast for more on Spirit Horse Radio. If you've enjoyed Spirit Horse Radio, please support our channel by giving us a star rating on Spotify or your preferred platform. You can also follow us to stay tuned for future episodes. Thanks for listening!

A live fireside recording of Shivam telling the tale of Ivan's Voyage. "A tale as old as the long Russian winters, spoken with delight from mouth to ear, through the centuries, on the tongues of grandmothers and old fathers huddled around stoves and fires with the snow deep outside, to wide eyed children in that great tradition of marvelously preserved story that vast, forested country can boast of. Like other tales to come, Ivan's Voyage is about us, back to the original times from once we came, with hints at beginnings, hero's adventure, and everything.” - Shivam Recorded live in the roundhouse, August 2022. www.spirithorse.co.uk/podcast If you've enjoyed Spirit Horse Radio, please support our channel by giving us a star rating on Spotify or your preferred platform. You can also follow us to stay tuned for future episodes. Thanks for listening!

This is the first of three episodes with Spirit Horse founder, Shivam O'Brien and crew members James and Eliot, discussing their experiences of Enlightenment Intensive self-enquiry, a retreat offered multiple times a year at Spirit Horse. Contents: • What is an enlightenment intensive • What is a direct experience • What is not an enlightenment experience • The power of the dyad technique • Self acceptance Check available dates, book and find out more info here: https://www.spirithorse.co.uk/enlightenment-intensive Listen to Spirit Horse Radio directly from our website: www.spirithorse.co.uk/podcast If you've enjoyed Spirit Horse Radio, please support our channel by giving us a star rating on Spotify or your preferred platform. You can also follow us to stay tuned for future episodes. Thanks for listening!

Shiv continues conversation with James and Eliot in part 2 of a three part series, diving into Enlightenment Intensive self-enquiry technique and their personal experiences. Contents: • Going through a crisis • Strict retreats • Vipassana • Satsang, Gurus • Buddhist Tradition • Psychedelics Check available dates, book and find out more info here: https://www.spirithorse.co.uk/enlightenment-intensive Listen to Spirit Horse Radio directly from our website: www.spirithorse.co.uk/podcast If you've enjoyed Spirit Horse Radio, please support our channel by giving us a star rating on Spotify or your preferred platform. You can also follow us to stay tuned for future episodes. Thanks for listening!

This is the 3rd and final episode in a three part series with Shivam, James and Eliot discussing Enlightenment Intensive self-enquiry practice, plant medicine and psychedelics. Contents: • Plant medicine and psychedelics • A shift within society • Direct experiences • Satsang experiences • Stages of life • Respect for indigenous cultures Check available dates, book and find out more info here: https://www.spirithorse.co.uk/enlightenment-intensive Listen to Spirit Horse Radio directly from our website: www.spirithorse.co.uk/podcast If you've enjoyed Spirit Horse Radio, please support our channel by giving us a star rating on Spotify or your preferred platform. You can also follow us to stay tuned for future episodes. Thanks for listening!

Jerry was formally trained as a humanistic and integrative psychotherapist before branching out to include tantric and shamanic philosophies and modalities. He has been working with people of all orientations for over 28 years, and leads the largest men's group practice in the UK. He also offers mentorship and supervision for people who lead groups. An advocate of alternative plant medicines, he believes for a minority of people, a combination of deep enquiry and psychedelic entheogens to be the most powerful way of bringing about real, lasting and positive transformation. He does not provide medicines but he does offer preparation and integration for anyone embarking on such a journey. Jerry divides his time between London and Paris where he lives with his partner, French Vietnamese filmmaker Mai Hua. “We have all abandoned our authenticity to some degree - usually to attach and belong, and deep enquiry should strip away the layers of who we thought we were, and with it our neurotic patterns, as it takes us closer to our essence.” www.jerryhyde.co.uk www.spirithorse.co.uk/podcast If you've enjoyed Spirit Horse Radio, please support our channel by giving us a star rating on Spotify or your preferred platform. You can also follow us to stay tuned for future episodes. Thanks for listening!