The Tangled Shores of love

Well its blue skies today. Yesterday, as us at the School said our goodbyes round the fire with linked arms singing an old gospel tune, only seconds later the skies opened and a sheet of hail flew down. As we left the camp i think most of us felt an inner version of the changibility of the weather-the glow of shared community and challenge and the shock of leaving our imperfect nest for home. It was another magical weekend-tough in places, funny in others, tender at times. As usual it was my highlight to see the performances on the Saturday night-I will remember the turns and sweetness in Ronnies story for a long time, or Alexandras poem or Jonnys wild notes tearing off his guitar-in truth i was touched by every single one of you pirates, washed up on the tangled shores of Love.

Thank you to Chris for the story and the workshop-a good change of gear and the splendid feast from Jonny, William and David on the saturday night.
In May we gather at the Wildwood again in full spring bloom for 'Fiery Horses of the Tongue' for a whole weekend on the epic of Parzival-that's the Grail Story folks (or one of them). Before then please remember the Westcountry Storytelling Festival benefit on Sat 21st at Totnes Methodist Hall-Chris is doing 'the Art of Storytelling' workshop in the morning, i'm leading 'Ivan and the Grey Wolf'in the afternoon (a workshop on this amazing story-its maiden run) and the evening is big jamboree with Matt Harvey, storytelling, music and all kinds of things. Anyone who supports the Festival please join us-we still have a shortfall to settle from last summers magnificent foray. (workshops can be paid for individually if needed). The day is £27.50, individual workshop £12.00, one workshop and evening knees up £17.50.
Please ring Mo on 0788 196628 for tickets and spread the word!!!


Turtle Island.

To those readers from further afield, i will be up in Washington State in late May, for the Westcoast book launch and a workshop with my companion and brother Daniel Deardorff. We are leading 'THE WYRD AND THE WYLD: The Path of Destiny and the Soul of the World.If you are within 1000 miles and you love myth, music, poetry and nature then get to this one-we will be pulling no punches. May 23rd/May 24th-up in Port Townsend-several hours from Seattle.
I'm then over in Vermont offering closed Rites-of-Passage work to graduating students and then from May 30th to June 7th i'm at The Great Mother Conference in Maine with James Hillman, Coleman Barks, Robert Bly, Gioia Timpanelli, Caroline Casey and many more. Why not go mad and do a coast to coast road trip? rock'n'roll, Kerouac and all that great stuff. Carpe a Diem he croaked.

www.greatmotherconference.com

More soon, maybe even in a day or two.

PS- a few people have asked about my paintings-if you go to

www.martinshawpaintings.com some are there, and i have a new show in July.

M x