Event: Day Workshop: Scotland’s Wells and Healing Springs.
Facilitator: Valerie Gillies.
Venue: Sanctuary, Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL.
Date: Saturday 10 December 2016.
Time: Registration: 9.30am-10am. Day Workshop: 10am-5pm.
Event Description: Roam freely among the wells and healing springs, brighten your memory and refresh your imagination on this journey to sacred places. You will hear the voice of Scotland through her wells and springs, natural phenomena which are valued by all world cultures. You are invited to experience these landmark sites: legendary locations with their own compelling stories and the tales of wandering saints to tell.
How did water become holy? Who visits the wells today and what do they hope for? Who will care for the wells in future?
During the day, we’ll work with
Stories, poems, and images of the wells
The sound of the springs
Finding your way to the well: discover how to reconnect with the land
A writing workshop where you will benefit from the therapeutic use of words – words that heal.
A meditation on the element of water
A quiet time of contemplation
This is a day to revive our energy, and to reflect on the fons et origo, the fountain and origin of all things. Visit a well, and your whole being affirms that ‘this is the place’, a locus in which you have truly arrived: an arx, a centre of everything, recognised by your body’s metabolism in the sustenance of health.
We will explore how the land looks after us. The generative force of water invigorates a place and makes it unique. In turn, the sense of place is a close companion of heart and mind. We can learn from the stories of the wells how to care for the things we value. We can tap into the wisdom of places and renew our reverence for the sacred in our own land.
Sharing in the healing journey to the well, we can be sure our heart is in the right place.
Valerie Gillies, poet and collaborative artist, is the author of The Spring Teller and The Cream of the Well (both from Luath, Edinburgh) and other books of poetry. She facilitates the Creative Writing and Journalling groups at Maggie’s Cancer Care Centre, Edinburgh, and is a course leader for Lapidus, Creative Words for Health and Wellbeing. A spiritual director with the Epiphany Group, she is a member of Contemplative Outreach.
Cost: £50/£40 (Concessions)/£20 (Students).
Contact: Neill Walker, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 0131 331 4469.