Workshops and Educational Services
Celtic Pagan Stone Carving
Workshops and Dates
The earliest known works of representational art are stone carvings. Often marks carved into rock or petroglyphs will survive where painted work will not. Prehistoric Venus figurines such as the Venus of Berekhat Ram may be as old as 250,000 years.
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Our ancestors knew the power of carving motifs, effigies or letters into stone, the stone had importance due to its appearance, where it came from and its make up. The act of carving the piece had the spiritual significance to them due to the energy of the craftsperson passed onto the piece through their concentration and effort.
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The same is true today.
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Our possessions take on our energy and we take on theirs. For most everyday objects, the flow is mainly from the living to the inanimate. Some objects though, have very strong affecting energies which can be positive or negative to us and others around us. These may be called magical items.
The power of an object is greatly magnified for us personally when it has been created by us with particular intent and with the use of some traditional techniques and skills. Linked with the symbology of the design and the type and origin of the stone used, a very potent magical object can be made for a particular purpose or as a general talisman.
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Below are a series of Celtic Pagan / Wicca festival celebration workshops but your altar piece, offering, talisman etc. can be carved at any of our monthly general carving workshops.
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Imbolc
Imbolc or Imbolg, also called Saint Brigid's Day (Irish: Lá Fhéile Bríde; Scottish Gaelic: Là Fhèill Brìghde; Manx: Laa'l Breeshey), is a Gaelic traditional festival. It marks the beginning of spring, and for Christians it is the feast day of Saint Brigid, Ireland's patroness saint. It is held on 1 February, which is about halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Historically, its traditions were widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man.
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Traditionally, Imbolc was a time for visiting holy water; a spring or a well, to both purify us and bring fertility to our dreams.
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This year we will celebrate with a three-day workshop starting on the 18th of January 2023 and a one-day workshop on the 28th of January 2012 to carve a stone waterspout maybe in the form of a water deity or sprite,
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Beltane
Beltane is the Gaelic May Day festival. Commonly observed on the first of May, the festival falls midway between the spring equinox and summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. The festival name is synonymous with the month marking the start of summer in Ireland, May being Mí na Bealtaine. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. In Irish the name for the festival day is Lá Bealtaine, in Scottish Gaelic Latha Bealltainn, and in Manx Gaelic Laa Boaltinn/Boaldyn.
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We are celebrating Beltane this year with two three-day workshops carving fertility gods: Sheela na gig on the 19th of April 2023 and the Green man 0n the 26th of April 2023.
Litha
Litha is a time at which there is a battle between light and dark. The Oak King is seen as the ruler of the year between winter solstice and summer solstice, and the Holly King from summer to winter. At each solstice they battle for power, and while the Oak King may be in charge of things at the beginning of June, by the end of Midsummer he is defeated by the Holly King.
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Celebrate Litha this year by carving your own Oak King 7th June 2023 or the Holly King 14th June 2023 ready for the longest day on the 21st June.