Orthaí: Whispering the Charms

Herbalism and Song Workshop with Maura Brennan and Molly Garvey Orthaí: Whispering the Charms is an exploratory herbal and song-sharing workshop inspired by the Irish tradition of orthaí - whispered or spoken charms that accompanied practices of healing, protection and herbal remedies. As we move towards winter, we will gather around seasonal medicinal plants, making simple herbal wellbeing tonics to keep us lit through the darker months. Alongside our herbal making, we will explore how voice, song, rhythm and intention have accompanied practices of healing with plants across time and cultures. Drawing inspiration from orthaí preserved in Irish folklore, we will ask how the voice can carry an intention for healing and how song and whispered words might become part of the remedies we make. Participants are invited to bring a song, charm, verse or a word to share as we explore the meeting place of herbs, voice, song and seasonal wellbeing. This workshop is a collaboration of Maura Brennan from the Acorn Project and the Song Exchange. Dress Warm and Waterproof. Maura Brennan is the founder of The Acorn Project, a community-led nature restoration organisation working in connection to land, place and traditional ecological knowledge. She is a practitioner of bioregional herbalism and sacred plant medicine, with a passion for sharing practical skills and nurturing community-based approaches to herbalism and wellbeing. Maura is also a Rites of Passage facilitator, exploring ways of reconnecting people with the cycles of nature, community and meaningful transitions through life. https://www.facebook.com/AcornProjectCollaboration/ Song Exchange is a community singing and building workshop that welcomes all voices and levels of experience, and encourages people to sing ‘in public’ who may have never done so. Song Exchange connects songs with their stories, past and present, provides a place to experience discomfort in a safe context, encourages deep listening, builds trust amongst singers and a sense of community. Singing together in harmony has been proven to generate feelings of closeness and social support, while solo singing requires bravery on behalf of the singer and attentive listening on behalf of the listener.