The season of Samhain, and the festival that marks the beginning of the Irish New Year, is one of four important festivals in Irish tradition: Imbolc (Spring); Bealtaine (Summer); Lughnasadh (Autumn) and Samhain (Winter).
This GTT Holotropic Breathwork® module with guest speakers Cait Branigan, Tom Francescott, Jeffrey Warren and Karin Bergmann explores the Samhain festival.
The word Samhain means “Summer’s end” and is seen as important in all Celtic calendars. Samhain is the beginning of the dark season and is greatly associated with the dead (ancestors) and the Otherworld.
The Irish, in common with many indigenous cultures, placed great importance on their dead ancestors and this was reflected in their customs and beliefs. At Samhain, focus was placed on the telling of our ancient myths and legends; storytelling and the telling of anecdotes; fireside craft; study and learning.
Samhain Eve was a time of setting out on voyages to the Otherworld and the blurring of customs through mask-wearing and cross-dressing. In ancient times, the fires were put out in the home and relit from the sacred fire on the Hill of Tlachtga.
In this workshop, we will prepare for the coming of Winter, exploring our ancestral stories and the evolution of familial and cultural traditions. Through shamanic journeys, creativity, sound and movement, we will explore the fears we carry societally and individually, represented by the masks we wear at Halloween.
February 09, 2026
March 09, 2026
March 30 - April 3, 2026
April 13, 2026
April 30 - May 1, 2026
May 11, 2026
May 21 - May 22, 2026
June 08, 2026