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2018 - Déjà vu Anyone? - Hill of Tara

Wednesday 31st October2018 meet 6pm - Tlachta (Hill of Ward), Athboy

On Wednesday 31st October we attended the "Flame of Samhain" festival in Athboy, Co. Meath.

This event was also open to the general public and started with a meeting at Fair Green before a procession to Tlachta ( Hill of Ward), where it is said that the tradition of lighting a bonfire to celebrate Samhain originated.

Our group met first at the Topoil service station,Athboy at 6pm.

When we reached the Hill, there was a short meditation/ceremony to celebrate / commemorate our ancestors and loved ones who have passed on, before we joined in with the general festivities at the fire.

Saturday 3rd November at 7am - Mound of Hostages, Hill of Tara

Three sodden souls beside the Mound of the Hostages.....

On a very wet Saturday 3rd November at 7am, we met at the entrance gate of the Hill of Tara.

We then walked onto the Hill for a celebration at the Mound of the Hostages (which is aligned to sunrise at that time).

There we celebrated / honoured our ancestors / loved ones who have passed on.

There was an opportunity for anyone who liked to contribute to do so...

and we finished - as usual - with the sharing of food and drinks.

Venue: Hill of Tara, Co. Meath, Ireland

Shops and toilet block. Maguire's cafe and shop.

Read more on the monuments and a general map here

Parking and general info updated 2024

Tara - Temair in Gaeilge - is a unique heritage site maintained by the State OPW department. OPW Heritage Ireland website

Open to the public 24/7, with a visitor centre in the decommissioned church open in the summer. There is a cafe with gift shop (Maguires), a small book shop and art gallery, and toilets. Parking is free in part but please use the €2 area opposite the shop as it can get very congested on the roadside.

Busy and noisy with tourists, there are places where one can be alone, in the western woodlands, and furthest ends of the grassland ridge. Magnificent distant views over the central plain of Ireland, with Loughcrew in the northwest, Dublin in the east and the white stone fronted Newgrange often sunlit and visible in the north east.

Many are drawn to experience the changing energies at sunrise and sunset, the sky wide and expansive above your head. At night the moon hangs low over the Mound of the Hostages, the Milky Way aligns with the Banqueting Hall and The Plough circles overhead.

Navan Historical Society page on Tara - included is an excellent explanation of the word Bóthar - a type of road. Go to the link to discover the King's question after the response:

The King asked his lawyers one day on Tara why the Bóthar was measured as the length of one cow and the breadth of a second cow, and the lawyers answered; " A cow using a bóthar must have enough room to turn around and look at her calf trotting at her heels "

Link here to Samhain at Tara and Tara at Christmas

Faery Tree - read Bernadette Mac's blog for up-to-date info on the state of the Faery Tree - Hill of Tara

Arriving on the bus or driving up from the Gabhra valley The Hill appears as a ridge, just another roll in the landscape, apparently insignificant in the rise and fall of the surrounding countryside.

Yet, if you hear a call, a desire, a gut feeling, you will follow in the footsteps of our ancestors, climb the gentle hill and discover what you came for. Whatever we hold within ourselves Tara will enlarge, enhance, embolden and clarify. Tara has a child-like quality, no agenda, and will weaken or strengthen you. It will greet you with open arms or push you away for no apparent reason. But it is probable that you will leave knowing that you have had 'an experience', accepted or rejected.

The energies are often seen as yellow and maybe it is no coincidence that part of the area is known as Castleboy (boy = bui = yellow). Yellow, the colour of the 3rd chakra, the solar plexus, your 'will-power'.

A prayer for Tara

Gurbh míle maith agat Tara agus céad mile Buíochas duit.

May the rain fall softly on your fields and the sun shine warmly on your stones. May you always have a friend at your back. May you have wise and articulate council to carry your voice. May you have a community that love, support and value you. May you go forward with a sense of hope and enthusiasm. May your essence live here as long as you wish. May the aurora light your starry filled night skies. May you always be alluringly beautiful. May all peoples find succour from your rounded breasts. May you continue to nourish the world and may the world be nourished by you.

Tara go deo.

Monday 5th November2018 meet 8pm - Bective Mill

Open Heart Monday Meditation. This continued the format of the first Monday of the Month meditation when people bring along something that inspires them to share with others.

Given the day that was in it, there was an opportunity to share in what had 'come up' for participants over the Samhain weekend.

Linking in at Huttoft Beach, Lincolnshire, England

In the late afternoon on Samhain Eve, 31 October, we visited this peaceful beach, a few walking their dogs on the wide sands, others just enjoying the view.

Standing, looking out over the wide expanse of soft sandy beach, we watched the blue North Sea as it gently rolled in, bringing ice-cold Arctic waters to our shore.

As the sun set behind us, we thought of the long dark winter nights to come.

We faced north eastwards, towards the rising place of the summer solstice dawn, knowing that after the hardships of winter, time's wheel always moves on and summer would return.