Retreat is an essential part of our Celtic Journeys in Ireland so staying in the one place enhances and enriches its meaning. Visiting local Sacred Sites evokes the Spirit of Place and awakens a natural sense of wonder. As you connect with the Irish landscape it reveals its own unfolding story.

“Away from the world’s ceaseless din, one hears whispers from another realm, faint but compelling.” — Zaleski Celtic Retreat offers the silence, simplicity, and the opportunity for contemplation that the response to that little whisper seeks.

Retreat provides the opportunity to connect with our spirit so as to enable us to return to our outer world with a depth of compassion and a clarity of vision The call to retreat and the response that results in a person moving away from their everyday world to a place of reflection and stillness nourishes and inspires. The call to retreat comes in a myriad of voices, and for a myriad of reasons.

For Celtic Journeys at the base of all these outward reasons is the call to connection with Spirit. This call, mysterious at times, and the path to retreat that follows, is reflected within many of the worlds spiritual traditions. The benefits of retreat continue after the time apart, as retreat heightens awareness and this deepening allows for the natural unfolding of ourselves.

At some inner level we all know our true being and how we need to “be” on this earth. Our lifestyles and what is demanded of us can take us from this inner “knowing”. Retreat can return us to our soul wisdom and allow us to breath in acceptance of who we are with compassion and gratitude.

What is a Celtic Journey? A Celtic Journey is a personal peregrination – both an inner and an outer voyage which is woven into a Celtic tapestry of heart and soul. It is a call to reflection within the support, nourishment and inspiration of our Celtic Spiritual Tradition here in Ireland. It is an inner journey to one’s spirit through rich Celtic Gatherings which offer an introduction to Celtic Spirituality and an understanding of its Wisdom Tradition and Practices. This is a soulful way to be introduced to the Spirituality of Ireland and a gateway to the mystical……..

On a Celtic Journey you are invited to participate in Celtic Rituals to renew and refresh your Spirit and Celtic Practices that can become part of your daily life. In a deep, rich and authentic way it is a lived experience of Celtic Spirituality touching into the mystical, shining a gentle and kindly light on your spirit. Enjoy discovering the many facets of the Celtic Wisdom Tradition and its rich offerings for the human spirit. Hearing the music, poetry, blessings and stories express the openness and wonder of the Celtic imagination kindles your own inner fire. The Divine Feminine holds a fulsome place within the Celtic World in Ireland and I offer ways of honouring and being in harmony with the essence of this wise and powerful presence.

A Celtic Journey typically involves a Celtic Gathering in the morning which contextualises Celtic Spirituality and the Sacred Site to be visited in the afternoon. The number of Celtic Gatherings and the variety of Sacred Sites visited depend on the type and length of the Celtic Retreat. During all Celtic Retreats there is time for reflection and deepening of your personal experience.

Celtic Journeys embraces three interwoven parts – Retreat, Ritual and Pilgrimage.

Retreat is an essential part of our Celtic Journeys in Ireland so staying in the one place enhances and enriches its meaning. Visiting local Sacred Sites evokes the Spirit of Place and awakens a natural sense of wonder. As you connect with the Irish landscape it reveals its own unfolding story.

“Away from the world’s ceaseless din, one hears whispers from another realm, faint but compelling.” — Zaleski Celtic Retreat offers the silence, simplicity, and the opportunity for contemplation that the response to that little whisper seeks.

Retreat provides the opportunity to connect with our spirit so as to enable us to return to our outer world with a depth of compassion and a clarity of vision The call to retreat and the response that results in a person moving away from their everyday world to a place of reflection and stillness nourishes and inspires. The call to retreat comes in a myriad of voices, and for a myriad of reasons.

For Celtic Journeys at the base of all these outward reasons is the call to connection with Spirit. This call, mysterious at times, and the path to retreat that follows, is reflected within many of the worlds spiritual traditions. The benefits of retreat continue after the time apart, as retreat heightens awareness and this deepening allows for the natural unfolding of ourselves.

At some inner level we all know our true being and how we need to “be” on this earth. Our lifestyles and what is demanded of us can take us from this inner “knowing”. Retreat can return us to our soul wisdom and allow us to breath in acceptance of who we are with compassion and gratitude.

Ritual and Celtic Practices Ritual has a mystery within it; and the more we touch the mystery without dissecting it the deeper it becomes. Celtic Journeys honours ritual’s sacredness. “How complex the subject of ritual is, how difficult its communication, how necessary the practice of ritual is to its understanding.” — Tom Driver. Our longing for ritual is deep and vital to our soul. It incorporates embracing all of life, that is its gift. It fully embraces and supports the darkness as it does the light. Dark days are a part of all our paths and creating within ourselves a comfort with the dark will bring us untold blessings. Authentic ritual can cosset us as we move through the spiral of life, awakening the depth of our bliss that our rational mind knew nothing of.

Pilgrimage – A Sacred Journey “Pilgrimage is often regarded as the universal quest for the self. Though the form of the path changes…one element remains the same: the renewal of the soul.” –Phil Cousineau

Pilgrimage – a sacred journey – calls us to set forth into the mystery of our own sacred selves and to the place of sacredness where we are journeying to. “To go on an inward journey sometimes you have to go on an outward journey to set it off,” as Rabbi Lionel Blue wisely reflects. We become more keenly aware that we are pilgrims passing through this life. On pilgrimage our senses are engaged in the mystery and joy of the journey… our emotions are awakened to feel things we may not have thought possible, reminding us that openness is a valuable companion for the journey. And on this journey together as Brian Keenan who courageously lived these words says, “…we discover our own answers if we have the will to do so; and if we are not afraid of the confrontation with ourselves that such a journey might entail.” Phil Cousineau, a devoted pilgrim and beautiful writer on the subject of pilgrimage, reminds us that pilgrimage can be seen as a powerful metaphor for any journey with the purpose of finding something that matters deeply to the traveler. For millennia, this cry in the heart for embarking upon a meaningful journey has been answered by

pilgrimage, a transformative journey to a sacred center. It calls for a journey to a holy site…. To people the world over pilgrimage is a spiritual exercise, an act of devotion to find a source of healing…Always it is a journey of risk and renewal. Throughout, I share with you a love, deep understanding and an appreciation of our natural Celtic Tradition. I treasure these exquisite gifts and it brings me joy sharing their grace.

You may touch into our ancient, yet living Celtic Spiritual Tradition, in a myriad of ways…