Geo Trevarthen's (formerly Cameron) Newsletter

January 2003

Back to main Newsletter page

Click here for a printer-friendly copy of the newsletter

Celtic and related spiritual traditions focus on aligning the self with the Sacred, making it possible for us each to manifest our divine nature through action in the world. The burning hand symbolises this concept.

NEWSLETTER ANNOUNCEMENT

Greetings!

Geo Trevarthen (aka Cameron) here with best wishes for the (Gregorian) New Year!

It has been over a year since my last newsletter. My intent is to make it more frequent, but the last year has been eventful to say the least — more details follow herein.

You'll also find information about upcoming workshops, web teaching, single session counselling and readings via phone and internet, custom built individual tours, a new CD, and more.

As always, please keep us appraised of your current email address if you wish to keep receiving this mailing, and send all correspondence to tuath at celticshamanism dot com, my permanent e-mail address (Sorry this is not a direct e-mail link. It is written as above, without the @ symbol, to avoid spam. Thanks for your understanding!).

Le Beannachdan,
With Blessings,
Geo

It has been over a year since my last newsletter and loads has happened since then, on personal and transpersonal levels. This newsletter will therefore be pretty "newsy." I've realised that in the past I've erred on the side of message, but people also want to know more about process and what's going on generally. You'll also find information below about upcoming workshops, web teaching, single session counselling and readings via phone and internet, custom built individual tours and a new CD.

Now that the decks have been cleared for me on a few levels, I will be able to follow through on my intent to make this a more regular newsletter, and launch a few other exciting new avenues for study, such as an internet based course.

I should also note that the email newsletter will be the only copy you'll receive. I couldn't afford the $1500 an issue that the postal newsletter was costing, and as my mailing list becomes more international (i.e. Germany, Estonia, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand...) it was going to cost even more. Additionally, email newsletters are much more environmentally friendly and can be in colour! If there's anyone you know who receives the postal and not the email, please let them know to sign up for my email letter at http://www.celticshamanism.com/mail.html.

Where to begin? Last spring I had the honour of being an officiant, calling in the Spirits and compassing the site, at the handfasting of two dear friends of ours, Margaret and Toby. It was held at Balnuaran of Clava, the megalithic site in the North of Scotland where David has done so much work. He was best man, and Gordon the Viking performed the ceremony. A grand time was had by all, and my vulture encennach (bird headdress) had its first UK appearance. It was filmed by HandPict Productions for BBC Scotland for a series called "Big Day," following six couples through their weddings.

I was invited to attend a conference of the Scientific and Medical Network shortly after. This is an organisation devoted to broadening the horizons of — well everything. The Durham conference brought together students and faculty from ten different British universities in fields of psychology, religion, physics, neuroscience, etc. to talk about life, the universe and everything. It was an incredible few days. To hear Peter Fenwick, a neuroscientist, tell us exactly what neurological data we would have to counter to argue that consciousness does not originate in the brain, was fascinating. All the speakers were, and the discussions. We went to meditate in Durham Cathedral in the mornings, where I had some profound experiences that I'll discuss in a future newsletter. Overall, the sense of the gathering was like a group of "Next Age" Interfaith Jesuits. I'm now a member of the network.

All too often academics don't apply what they know to real life, and spiritually oriented folk can't marshall the facts to argue their points and apply them practically either. We all need to get talking to each other across disciplines, academic or spiritual, and apply what we know to where we are.

I've been continuing to walk in both worlds, Academe and Other. I completed and submitted my thesis and had my viva (defense in America.) I was examined by an anthropologist and a Celtic scholar. As soon as I have submitted a few changes, I will receive an interdisciplinary Ph.D., since my thesis incorporates psychology, religious studies, Celtic studies and anthropology. The department is already referring to me as "Dr" however, so I guess it's pretty well in the bag!

I am also now staff at Edinburgh University. I am a tutor for the Celtic Civilisation course here. (For those of you not familiar with the British system, lectures are given to the class as a whole, then tutors review the week's lectures, present additional information and lead smaller groups in discussion, as well as grading papers and exams, etc.)

I have also developed and will be teaching a course on Pagan Celtic religion in the Department of Lifelong Learning at Edinburgh University starting this month.

Last year I spoke at the Pagan Federation conference (I even gave a few wee songs in Coptic and Sumerian at the end of the evening!). I will be speaking there again this May and speaking at a Druid Convention in Glasgow in August. I was also very honoured to be asked to speak to the Theological Society of Trinity College, Dublin, this year on Irish shamanism.

I'll be teaching a week long retreat at Findhorn in the spring. (See my workshop calendar for all dates.)

The Glastonbury retreat was phenomenal to such a degree that we will be posting student experiences, pictures and more details about the week soon and plan to lead another retreat there in the summer of 2004 or 2005. The week progressed beautifully. The rituals at Chalice Well, the White Spring and Stonehenge built in intensity. We performed the Cairlin of the Mill Dust, a ceremony my Great Grandfather handed down to me, at Stonehenge. I'll write more about this in a special Glastonbury stories page we're setting up for the website.

On a personal note, David and I got married at Rosslyn Chapel, a Templar built chapel, in Roslin near Edinburgh, on July 31st 2002, a few days after Glastonbury ended. I really wanted some of my students to be there, hence the scheduling, but I doubted the wisdom as we got nearer the date. Our friend Si put it in perspective though, he said, "You don't want a regular social wedding, but high ritual, an alchemical union, so there's no better time to get married than after a week of intensive spiritual work." It was a great ceremony, and we're now living in the Scottish Borders, not too far from the Eildon Hills where Thomas the Rhymer met the Queen of the Fairies. I'm looking out the window at cows and rolling hills as I write.

Glastonbury Abbey ruins

I've chosen to take his last name of Trevarthen. It is a Cornish name. One translation renders it "Of the House of Arthur." Cornwall is his most traditional location. The name Arthur itself is one of those Old Celtic names that is more of a title. It can either be from Artos meaning "Bear" or Arddu meaning "Lofty Dark One," i.e., the Dagda, the Celtic Father God. All of that made it feel appropriate to take it at this time. My ancestry comes from Camerons, Uí Néills, Lamonts, McDermotts, plus the Hungarian side and so on, so it's impossible to honor all sides with the last name I use. I am also using my given second name of Athena again, for the first time since I was about 16. It didn't feel appropriate to use for most of my life, but post-PhD I feel more aligned with the ocean-eyed Goddess of Wisdom, and the owls have been visiting my house often of late, so I took it as a sign.

Overall, it's been a good year, however, I must bear the unfortunate news that due to circumstances beyond my control "Over the Ninth Wave," the book I have worked on for all these years, (and many of you have waited for all these years!) will not be published. The publishing industry in New York has been bedevilled by corporate takeovers and of course, the fallout from 9/11, so I'm far from alone as a disgruntled writer in the current publishing climate.

The book went through such an excruciating editorial process that I feel it better to simply start again and write something different, so I am working on a couple of other book ideas. Hopefully the Ph.D. will be published by an academic press as well, but in the meanwhile, I wanted to start getting teachings out there in a more accessible way soon. David and I had time to work some ideas out in the Hermitage at Omega.

Chalice Well Gardens

Omega Institute invited me to spend part of September in residence at the Hermitage. Omega describes the role this way: "The Sanctuary was built to serve as the spiritual center of the Omega campus. The Hermitage is home for Omega's spiritual caretaker. Omega's Hermitage program provides artists, writers, teachers and seekers a refuge and space of retreat. While in residence these individuals ground the campus with their contemplative focus. In addition, they offer one event per week to the service community that makes up Omega's seasonal staff." The Hermitage is a beautiful building next to the sanctuary, high up on a hill. Anthony, the phenomenal Omega floral sculptor, had made the place even more beautiful. It was an inspiring and reflective time. Interacting with the Omega staff in classes, meditation and individual sessions, (not to mention the odd barbeque!) was incredibly rewarding as always. They're always ready to hit the ground running, spiritually speaking. Another highlight of the time was when Elizabeth Lesser, one of Omega's founders, asked me to do the closing prayer of their 9 / 11 memorial service. One young man was there whose uncle, a firefighter, died the year before. They were of Irish ancestry, so it seemed appropriate that the prayer I chose was Gaelic, albeit Scottish. It was a prayer some of you have heard, "God of the Elements," that stresses God's compassionate presence with us as a "co-sufferer" (the literal meaning of compassion) in all we experience.

The workshops at Omega and Boulder were also very rewarding, though arduous, which brings me to my next news.

I've had some health problems over the last few years, mainly due to the stresses of the book, transatlantic travel and doing intensive spiritual work while exhausted from both. It's been a real wake up call. I've given every ounce of energy to the work God and the Spirits have wanted me to do for many years. The intent was proper, but the application has been unsustainable. Therefore I won't be travelling to America to teach for the foreseeable future. Glastonbury also made me realise that there's a lot of work best, or only, doable here. I can't put Stonehenge in a suitcase!

Obviously I don't want to lose touch with all my American students, or stop working with them. I also want to make the tradition more widely available to the many people who've written and emailed from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. Modern technology makes it possible.

Internet Course

Chalice Well cover

Beltane will see the launch of an internet course covering meditation, journeying, and some cosmology and Celtic history. We're still fine-tuning, but it will be sent out in 4 or 6 monthly installments. There'll be a message board where students will be able to ask questions and interact with each other and me, and a guided meditation/journey tape included. Then, at Samhain, we'll launch a bigger course with more advanced work and techniques. This will be called "The Crucible of Co-Creation" and will be framed by an Old Irish text that incorporates alchemical, magickal and Pagan Celtic themes. This will be a one year course, but we anticipate there'll be follow up courses in future years for those who want to pursue their studies further. We'll send enrollment information to those on our mailing list and post it on the website closer to Beltane.

Request for Testimonials

In preparation for the course, we'll be upgrading the website over the next few months and we are adding a testimonial page to the site along with a detailed resumé and bio. I've realised that I've been reluctant to "blow my own horn," erring so much on the side of modesty that people don't know my full qualifications and the benefits people have gained from the working with me.

If you feel studying with me has helped you access the Sacred more powerfully in your own life, I'd be very grateful if you'd send a testimonial and/or story about a positive experience you've had at a workshop. It will really help get the word out and support the work God, the Goddess and the Spirits are doing through us.

New CD!

Toning the stones at Weyland's Smithy

My CD is also finally available! It's called Echtra and features a chant to the Trinity in Old Irish, bagpipe drone and drum, and a version of the O-I-V chant found in Iolo Morgannwg's Barddas, a collection of archaic Welsh texts. To my knowledge, this is the first CD ever recorded in Old Irish. It can be ordered through this site. See the publications section.

This CD doesn't feature me doing the more melodious singing of prayers that I do in workshops. My first goal was to get a good journey and meditation CD out. Next, I plan to record a CD featuring more prayers, chants and melodies.

Single Session Counselling, Holistic Life-Coaching and Readings

When I started doing counselling via phone and internet, I knew that the best results would come through working with people over a longer period of time. It's been great seeing my current clients grow and develop in this way. However I also realise that such a commitment isn't feasible for some people, others might have just one major issue to work on and others haven't met me personally, and so can't be sure if I'm the right person for them to work with. Therefore, I'm opening up other options.

15 Minute Consultation

This is a "get to know you" session to give you a chance to meet me over the phone and see if you think I'm the right person for you to work with. We'll discuss your goals for growth and healing and I'll be able to tell you if I think I can be of help. It costs $25, which is applicable to any future session. (That is, if you book a session for $110 after the initial consultation, you'd pay $85.) All fees are payable in advance at least two weeks before the session in pounds or dollars, by personal check, cashier's check or money order.

1 Hour Consultation

This can take several forms. I phone you and I can do a reading using runes or Tarot, take a journey for you, or a combination of the above. I see this as being less about predicting the future than about helping you align with the currents of time, destiny and energy that surround you now. The Anglo-Saxons spoke of this as the orlog, the flow of primordial energy we co-create our destiny with. We could also do a Holistic life coaching consultation, encompassing areas of body, mind and spirit. I could do long distance healing work, since the energies we work with aren't limited by time and space. Finally, we could do counselling around a specific life issue. This costs $110 or £70. If you'd like a cassette of our session sent to you by post, it's $120 or or £75.

3 Session / 3 Email Holistic Life Coaching or Counselling

This is a good option if you have one area of your life to work on, and feel that you'll need some follow up over time. We set up a time via email, and I phone you for a one hour session. You can then email me around two weeks later with anything that's arisen since our session, and I respond. Two weeks after that we have our next session, and so on. All three sessions, emails, and the cost of the calls come to $300 or £190. If you'd like a cassette of our sessions sent to you by post, it's $330 or or £205.

10 Session / 10 Email Holistic Life Coaching or Counselling

The logistics work as above, alternating phone and email interactions. The process begins with one session working together on where you are and where you're going. How do you feel now in your life and where would you like to be in nine months? Nine months is a gestational number, a number of completion. It took nine months for us to move from conception to birth. Moving from re-conception of ourselves to rebirth can occur in the same period of time. One way of doing this is to work through nine aspects of your life in the remaining nine sessions. We begin with the energy of your ultimate source in the Sacred, saying yes to life in all its aspects. We then work with the energy of the ancestors, releasing ancestral pain and reclaiming ancestral power. We move to working with your physical body, densest level of the soul. Your personality comes next, the grail of the self. The energy of love, in its broadest sense, follows. We're then ready to work with co-creation. Next we connect with the higher mind, the angelic intellect. Then we focus on sovereignty and truth, your vocation in life. Finally, we work with the energy of illumination, where you can transcend all imagined limitations.

Alternately we can come up with a program of transformation tailored to particular areas you want to work on, or particular issues troubling you. I've been using the term "Holistic Life-Coaching" because my areas of experience range from shamanic healing, Celtic anama chara or soul friend work, Gestalt therapy, nutritional approaches to psychological healing and diet and fitness. My range of experience enables me to give advice and also know when to refer you to experts in specific areas where you might need more specialised help. Obviously, I am not a medical doctor, and the techniques I use should not be a substitute for medical or psychiatric care.

These 10 sessions and 10 emails cost $900 or £570 including phone charges. If you'd like a cassette of our sessions sent to you by post, it's $970 or £620.

Le Beannachd Dé agus ne Spioradan Leibh,
May the Blessing of God and the Spirits Be With You,
Geo Athena Trevarthen