Celticsprite’s Blog


My Music Sales Are Now Donated to Charity Water
April 17, 2013, 3:27 am
Filed under: Uncategorized
http://www.charitywater.org/store/images/products/bands-1.jpg
Just joined #musicforgood on @ReverbNation - 
Now 1/2 of my song sales are donated to @charitywater http://rvrb.fm/10dnp4u
Deep peace of the running waves 
and the flowing rivers to you all!
Bright blessings  ☼ 


Loreena McKennitt : Three dates added for summer mini-tour!
March 28, 2013, 10:55 pm
Filed under: Influential Musicians, Loreena McKennitt

Quinlan Road Community Update


 

 
Loreena  
Three dates added to summer, mini-tour

March 28, 2013

Quinlan Road is pleased to announce the following three more dates for Loreena’s summer tour which will conclude in Lyons, Colorado on August 16.


August 9 – Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Present by The Winnipeg Folk Festival
Centennial Concert Hall
Pre sale from Friday, March 29 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM CDT.
General public on sale, Saturday, March 30 at 10:00 AM CDT
Tickets: $50-$65 (advance) and $60-$75 (at the door)
Please note Ticketmaster call centres are closed for
Good Friday, so pre sale tickets are available online only.

Doors 7:00 PM, Concert 8:00 PM

August 16 – Lyons, Colorado, United States
Rocky Mountain Folks Festival
Three day festival passes and camping are available now at:
http://www.bluegrass.com/folks/tickets.html 
Single day tickets will be available later this spring.
 

   
  ADDED SHOW
Second Show Added in Stratford
August 7 – Stratford, Ontario, Canada
Knox Presbyterian Church
General public on sale Saturday, March 30 at 11:00 AM EDT
Tickets: $65 plus taxes and handling
Doors 7:00 PM, Concert 8:00 PM
NOTE: This is a general admission event.
   

Seattle – August 15

Yet to be announced is an August 15 concert in Seattle. Pre-sale will commence on April 22 and on sale for general public April26. Further details including venue and ticket prices will be announced in a subsequent update.

There will be NO ADDITIONAL DATES added to this summer tour.

As always, QR Community Members are the first to be informed of tours, pre-sale opportunities, new releases and special events. We encourage you to visit this exclusive, members-only page for regular updates.

Click here for tour dates and presale links



Loreena Mc Kennitt :Heading West for Canadian Summer Tour
March 18, 2013, 7:29 pm
Filed under: Loreena McKennitt
Official Press: Quinland Road March, 14th, 2013
 
 
Loreena  
Loreena Heading West for Canadian Summer Tour

March 14, 2013

Loreena will be making a long-awaited swing through Canada’s Western Provinces in a just-announced, mini tour for the Summer of 2013.
 

The recently-Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist will launch the tour with an intimate concert in her home base of Stratford, Ontario, August 8th at Knox Presbyterian Church, then head west for headlining dates at the Regina Folk Festival (August 10) and The Edmonton Folk Festival (August 11).  The tour will carry on to Calgary (August 12), then Vancouver (August 13). Additional dates may be added.

“I’m truly excited to be heading back to places that hold such fond memories”, says Loreena. “The musicians and I have had great audiences in the West, and as someone born and raised under a prairie sky there’s always something extra special about being there.”

As always, QR Community Members are the first to be informed of tours, pre-sale opportunities, new releases and special events. Tickets for Loreena’s headline performance at The Regina Folk Festival are available now. For all other dates, we encourage you to visit this exclusive, members-only page for regular updates.

 


Grow your own Oak Grove! by Julian Gower
March 11, 2013, 2:56 pm
Filed under: Celtic Culture, Druidry


Celtic Poems: A Lover’s Quarrel Among the Fairies
February 25, 2013, 6:07 pm
Filed under: Celtic Poems, Faerie Lore

A moonlight moor. Fairies leading a child.

Male Fairies: Do not fear us, earthly maid!
We will lead you hand in hand
By the willows in the glade,
By the gorse on the high land,

By the pasture where the lambs
Shall awake with lonely bleat,
Shivering closer to their dams
From the rustling of our feet.

You will with the banshee chat,
And will find her good at heart,
Sitting on a warm smooth mat
In the green hill’s inmost part.

We will bring a crown of gold
Bending humbly every knee,
Now thy great white doll to hold –
Oh, so happy would we be!

Ah it is so very big,
And we are so very small!
So we dance a fairy jig
To the fiddle’s rise and fall.

Yonder see the fairy girls
All their jealousy display,
Lift their chins and toss their curls,
Lift their chins and turn away.

See you, brother, Cranberry Fruit –
He! ho! ho! the merry blade! –
Hugs and pets and pats yon newt,
Teasing every wilful maid.

Girl Fairies: Lead they one with foolish care,
Deafening us with idle sound –
One whose breathing shakes the air,
One whose footfall shakes the ground.

Come you, Coltsfoot, Mousetail, come!
Come I know where, far away,
Owls there be whom age makes numb;
Come and tease them till the day.

Puffed like puff-balls on a tree,
Scoff they at the modern earth –
Ah! how large mice used to be
In their days of youthful mirth!

Come, beside a sandy lake,
Feed a fire with stems of grass;
Roasting berries steam and shake –
Talking hours swiftly pass!

Long before the morning fire
Wake the larks upon the green.
Yonder foolish ones will tire
Of their tall, new-fangled queen.

They will lead her home again
To the orchard-circled farm;
At the house of weary men
Raise the door-pin with alarm,

And come kneeling on one knee,
While we shake our heads and scold
This their wanton treachery,
And our slaves be as of old.

(c) William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)


Moon Water – Healing and Charms
February 18, 2013, 1:14 pm
Filed under: Meditation and Healing
A cute post named “Pagan Full moon water strengthening healing” by my Blogger friend

The Celts, like many other people, did always considered water as a sign of life good health, and oftenly as life itself, with a ritual symbolism of cleansing and purification. In my case, I find the most powerful expression in the Ocean, a sheer symbol of mystery and magick.

Purification before ceremonies is a perfect way to open ourselves to blessings, turning ourselves as pure beings unto the presence of Gods and Higher Spirits. By means of  ritual baths we are able to absorb  the power and the same sacredness retained in water itself.

This is a belief extended in the practice of concealing Full Moon Water Potions, since Water is an element which receives much of the influence of the Moon.
Celts use to drop a piece of real silver (or a silver object) when used for blessings, being the water employed in this cases the one that comes from spring wells and morning dew. Sea water and a piece of gold when used for healing to ban evil spirits away, because of its salty content.
Rain water is best for land blessings and for fertility rites, eg: blessing a woman who wants to conceive. Lake water is generally not used.

Specifical stones are also employed… naturally holed adder stones,or fulgurite (really a glass tube created by lighting striking soil); or even gems like quartz or moon stone, a stone a unique light effect that strengthens our intuition and our capacity to understand. The more clearer the more colourful its glow.

Waters are oftlenly laid out in bowls to absorb moonlight, sunlight, or starlight. And collected in a non-metal container. Crystal glass or ceramic bottles with corks are mostly common.
According to the rite the water was used for, some herbs may be added. Leaves of Vervain added to spring water to anoint ritualists before a ceremony, St. John’s Wort to bless a house or a sick person, a branch of yew dipped in well water to sprinkle over a corpse and purify them for their journey to the underworld.
Modern uses of sacred water can be used to cleanse and bless a house, a sick room, a piece of land, or even any new furniture, items, or animals brought into homes.
During outdoor rituals, healers are used to sprinkle the ground, trees, and stones with blessed water using a wand or a twig from a sacred tree. It can be drank also for an internal healing as for purification baths taken before rites and ceremonies.
There are some powerful chants featured in the  Second Volume of the Carmina Gadelica (a collection of folk poetry from the Western Isles of Scotland. Volume II includes many incantations for luck, love and good health. This volume also has numerous poems about plants and animals, and extensive notes on the lore associated with them). 
Here are some combinations of them as featured by Sarah Lawless  on her official site. They can certainly be used for healing purposes, that denotes the ancestral origin of these traditions, during or after which the patient can either be bathed, or instead drink a glass.
Power of moon I have over it,
Power of sun I have over it,
Power of rain I have over it,
Power of dew I have over it,
Power of sea I have over it,
Power of land I have over it
Power of stars I have over it,
Power of planets I have over it,
Power of universe I have over it,
Power of skies I have over it,
Power of ancestors I have over it,
Power of heaven I have over it,
Power of heaven and God I have over it,
Power of heaven and God I have over it.
To ban away evil spirits this second one is very powerful, of cold spring water.
A portion of it on the grey stones,
A portion of it on the steep mountains,
A portion of it on the swift cascades,
A portion of it on the gleaming clouds,
A portion of it on the ocean whales,
A portion of it on the meadow beasts,
A portion of it on the fenny swamps,
A portion of it on the cotton-grass moors,
A portion of it on the great pouring sea-
She’s the best one to carry it,
Oh the great pouring sea,
And she’s the best one to carry it.
my soul,
keep me at evening,
keep me at morning,
keep me at noon,

In order To dipose of  water potions , they shoud be poured directly back onto the earth, to water sacred plants or as an offering onto the roots of a regent tree . Never dumped it down the drain like waste water.


I love to take a bath on my pool on Full Moon… and often  prepare a Moon Potion on a consecrated crystal bottle… filled with rain water and some seasonal herbs…  I just place it outside in the light of the moon for the whole night.
Don’t forget to bring it indoors before the sun comes up. Consume for energy and healing… or blessing work that you feel would benefit from the moon’s magickal power.



Moon Water -  Charms
As you may gather there is a charm suitable for each occasion.
I was once inspired to write down my personal Moon Charms, which I am glad now to share now with you:
“Moon Goddess from Above, 
share your Energy with us, 
Bless this bottle with your Endless Love, 
Let us be healed by your peaceful light.”
“I pray to you Goddess of light
You who watch us over day and night
we honour you as our Great Mother.
I can now feel you walking with me,
And your presence within my heart.”
“Moon Goddess from Above,
Reach me with your shiny eyesBless this bottle with your starry lightWatch us over day and night.”
(c) 2013 Eliseo Mauas Pinto
Here are some examples of them, traditional and modern ones:
Hale fair washing to thee,
Hale washing of the Fians be thine,
Health to thee, health to him-
But not to thy female enemy.
~ Gaelic (used by midwives to sain newborns)
To remove from thee thy sickness
In the pool of health
From the crown of thy head
to the base of thy two heels.
~ Gaelic (bathing charm)
God bless your eye,
A drop of wine about your heart,
The mouse is in the bush
And the bush is on fire.
~ Gaelic (to avert the evil eye)


Bright blessings! ☼
Related Sources:
http://astartemoonblog.blogspot.com.ar/2013/01/pagan-full-moon-water-strengthening.html
http://witchofforestgrove.com/2011/02/07/holy-water/


Chris Caswell Legacy CD Project
February 11, 2013, 3:33 pm
Filed under: Celtic Harp, Memorable Data

Help keep Chris’ magnificent music and stories alive!


Music is the most generous art,
for it gives freely to all who hear.

In correspondence to my previous post “Chris Caswell: A charitable gathering for a leading Harpist and Harper” I pay tribute to the passing of Chris, who said goodbye to us on January 21, 2013.


Chris Caswell was one of the great musicians of our time. Tragically, his time with us was far too short: Chris died of cancer this January 21. Please help us create his legacy project, preserving some small part of Chris’ genius for future listeners and learners.


The Tradition

A true American-Celtic bard, Chris is one of those credited with the revival of the Celtic harp. He was a master harp builder and exquisite player on the harp, bagpipes, flute and whistle, and bodhran. His life’s repertoire was a rich mix of traditional world music, yet he always came back to Celtic music, his first love. Years ago he sought out elder harpers and pipers in Scotland and England to learn their music the old-fashioned way, at their knee. Chris passed along the genuine Celtic tradition, and added much to it, as a beloved teacher, spirited performer, and witty storyteller. He played, toured, and taught for over forty years, performing with some of the brightest names in traditional music.

The Project

Over the years he recorded many hours of brilliant music. We, his friends, want to bring that music to light. Our plan is to collect and remaster select recordings and produce a deluxe double-CD album, with a bonus booklet filled with Chris’ own poems, stories, and lore.

Chris envisioned a quartet of CDs, each thematically based on an element: earth, air, water, and fire. The first came out in 2001: Holy Wood, evoking earth. Fire… well, he didn’t get that far in his design. But he did plan two, air and water: The Brightening Air and The Well at the End of the World. 
In his notes for them, Chris wrote of being a very young man, sitting amongst the archives of folklorist Peter Kennedy in Devon, England, and hearing Alan Stivell: “I began to really listen to the harp. There is indeed a bardic mantle. It isn’t given, and it’s not taken. It settles. For whatever reason, it settled on me. Forty years later, I am still listening. The two albums I’m about to record are the results, so far, of that long listening.”
In addition to bringing out the two new albums Chris began work on, we plan to reprint Holy Wood as well as his lovely holiday album, Celtic Tidings. All these recordings, old and new, also will be available on CD Baby, and via Chris’ own web site. It’s our hope that we can generate a modest income stream to help Roxanne Caswell, his widow, and to repay those people who ordered a new Caswell harp, but didn’t receive one when he became ill.
Any amount — $15, $50, or $500 — will help in this undertaking.
You’re invited to join in the chorus of Chris’ ever-continuing song.

How You Can Help

1. Donate as your heart wishes, and your assets allow. For contributions of $35 and over, you’ll receive a deluxe double-CD set when released.

2. Spread the word about this campaign. Chris touched thousands of lives. Let ‘em know what’s up. Forward this link with a short personal email to your friends. Share this page on Facebook, Twitter, through music blogs and lists.

  “A life lived for music is an existence spent wonderfully.” L. Pavarotti

“Producing this Chris Caswell recording in his memory is a great idea. He was a wonderful musician and a wonderful friend.” — Robin Williamson, harper, songwriter, storyteller. (Chris was an integral member of Robin Williamson and his Merry Band in the ’70s.)
“Chris’ most marvelous contribution was rooting into and revealing the deep spiritual, mythic underpinnings of the Celtic harp and its music.” — Patrick Ball, harper and theater artist.
“Whether we were dowsing around long-forgotten stone circles on an isolated hillside or playing for thousands of people in concert halls, he was always so open and comfortably himself. I feel blessed to have known him — such a playful and brilliant person — and to have called him a true friend.” — Bonnie Rideout, fiddler. (Chris toured and recorded with Bonnie.)
“I shed a tear here in Glasgow, Scotland, and remember all the wonderful shared times at Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddle Camp and on many other occasions.” — Alasdair Fraser, fiddler. (Chris taught and performed at Valley of the Moon.)
“When I needed manly men to record Song of the Suburban Shaman, Danny, Chris, and David Morris formed a ‘lusty chorus chanting hymns in praise of Thor.’ Chris howled manfully, and overdubbed layers of bodhran parts that perfectly expressed the spiritual disintegration of the weekend warriors.” — Holly Tannen, traditional singer, folklorist, and songwriter. (Chris and Danny played on her album, Rime Of The Ancient Matriarch.)
Click on some of the team member profiles, below, to learn about our personal connections with Chris. You are invited to leave recollections of your own on the Comments page.


Chris’ Gift to You

Listen to Chris playing on our gallery page.
Click here for a free download of “Jenny Plucks Pears” from Holy Wood, the first album in this series (to download, right click on a PC, or control-click on a Mac).
Search youtube for “clarsar” to hear and see Chris play, and get four free first harp lessons.
~~~
Read Chris’ obituary and an article about his harp making via the links below. 
And our special gratitude to Daniel Schoenfeld, Irish musician and winemaker, who donated his legendary Wild Hog Vineyard wine to the cause.

Related Source: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/chris-caswell-legacy-cd-project




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