Sacred Land Journey into the Heart of Ireland, May 2017

Sacred Land Journey into the Heart of Ireland
May 27-June 3, 2017

Experience Your Ancient Remembrance

Sacred Sites, Nature Connection, Walking, Archaeology, Ancestral Healing

Hill of Uisneach the Central Heart of Ireland

Ireland has an iconic place in the worlds psyche, hearkening us back to an ancient spiritual connection with our own wild Soul and Nature. Those who visit Ireland feel embraced by a feeling of finally coming home, a soul retrieval across space and time. The wide open places of windswept beauty, the rugged wild shorelines, spectacular ancient sites, the green expanse of endless fields of grass, Ireland holds the keys to unlocking the door to an ancient memory that awakens a longing to be Interconnected with Nature and remember our Ancestral belonging. This is not an average tour of beautiful places, but one that takes you deeper into the mysteries of Ireland's ancient past and present; a pilgrimage to your own Ancient Remembrance.

The energy of Ireland is transformative. There is a reason why this land has more Sacred Sites than anywhere in the world! For thousands of years, Ireland was a renowned place of pilgrimage where people experienced Divine Communion with Nature and its Energy and Sacred Places of Transcendence. Not only is it a place of Awe-Inspiring Magical Beauty, the ancient Sacred Sites also hold great power. They were created to honor the Spirit World and also served as Portals to anchor Divine Energy and Knowledge in the earthly realm, "As Above, So Below". The indigenous Celtic and proto-Celtic tribes practiced an earth based spirituality very similar to the Native Americans. We will explore and experience this first hand.

The wild elements are still alive with a profound numinous energy that can Awaken the Spirit.  Experience a Life Changing Journey that will fill your soul with awe and steep you in connection to your own Divine Essence.  Ireland is guaranteed to transform you, either in the most subtle or profound ways!

Walk through the Portal into the Ancient Land of Eiru and fill your Senses with the Wisdom whispered on Nature's breath

Benbulben Mountain, Sligo, Home of the Ancestors

Journey with us along the Wild Atlantic Way and through the vast windswept mountains, 

bogs and turquoise waters of Connemara, the Burren and Sligo, renowned for their

remote wildness and spectacular scenery 

in the far west of Ireland. 

Visit Ancient Sacred Sites, Stone Circles, Fairy Forts, Dolmens and Neolithic Cairns.

Experience the mysterious 

Spirit-filled exotic limestone landscape of the Burren, 

 A place like nowhere else on Earth.

Carrowkeel Cemetery Cairn

~Visit the most Sacred Landscapes of Ireland used for ceremony over thousands of years. 
~Plus hidden places off the beaten path chosen for their potent energy and extraordinary beauty.
~Experience the Real Hidden Mysteries of this fabled land through Sacred Sites and connecting with the Deva's in Nature. 

~Learn to Listen to the messages the Sacred Sites have for you on your personal journey through Shamanic/Druid Meditation techniques.

~Reconnect with the Wisdom of our Ancient Ancestors (European or beyond) who once lived in Harmony and Reverence with the Cycles of Life.

~Learn to anchor new Inner Wisdom to take back home with you and Rejuvenate Your Life.

Light Being at Creevykeel Court Tomb, Sligo

~Listen to the Voices of the Elements at Sacred Sites through the four elements; earth, air, water, fire. The stones, wells, sun and wind carry ancient energetic signatures that enliven dormant codes for awakening the spirit.

~Learn Mindful Photography to deepen present moment awareness and capture energetic essences like fairies and devas.

~Practice connecting with Nature and the whispers of our Ancestors at Sacred Sites through Shamanic/Druid techniques. 

~Release old cellular memory and energetic patterns with Guided Cellular Memory Healing to clear the mind/emotions/body and ancestral memory.

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Cara, Cliffs of Dun Aengus, Inis Mor

Cara Gardner, Journey Guide

Cara has experienced the transformative power of Ireland in depth. She just moved back to California after 4 years living in Galway immersed in studying and researching Shamanism, Archaeology and the healing mysteries of Sacred Sites.  Cara learned through many years on the land that the ancient spiritual practices of the indigenous people have much to offer our modern world. In her research she found Ireland steeped in a rich tradition of nature spirituality practiced by the Neolithic/Bronze Age shamanic cultures and later Celtic Druids. She feels it her life work to bring this ancestral knowledge and grace to our modern world. Her Honors thesis is about Ecotherapy and Shamanism in Ireland highlighting the need for modern people to reconnect with nature for mental and spiritual health. She received advanced shamanic training with a Irish shaman Paul O'Halloran and other wonderful Irish healers. She has taught and practiced her healing techniques in Ireland and now in America. Cara has a private practice as a Shamanic Healer, Spiritual Counselor, Energy Medicine Practitioner and Clairvoyant. She also has advanced studies at NUIG in Irish Archaeology. She enjoys sharing factual historical knowledge along with intuitive spiritual inspiration. Cara is passionate about reawakening our memory of European indigenous earth based wisdom, which honors the divine feminine and is in harmony with Nature. Connecting with the spirit of the Land, the Ancestors and the Elemental energy can support tremendous empowerment and awakening that is so needed for our times. 

Cara's Bio: BA Anthropology UC Berkeley (European Neolithic Religious Expression), BA Honors Counseling & Psychotherapy ICHAS Limerick (Ecotherapy- Shamanism/Mindfulness in Ireland), Irish Archaeology (Dip) NUIGalway, Reiki Master, Advanced Shamanic Practitioner, Cara Mia Photography www.caramiaphotography.com

Mary O"Halloran

Mary O'Halloran: Journey Guide

Born in Co. Clare in the West of Ireland Mary was inspired by her parents and grandparents who enriched her upbringing with storytelling, history, genealogy, music, song and mythology. When out on the land with Mary one experiences her knowledge, connection, wisdom and understanding of the ancient landscape and Sacred Sites as she shares her Passion and Love of these places.  A wonderful storyteller, Mary also has a deep knowledge of Irish History, Archaeology, Genealogy and the Clan system. She is also gifted in a number of healing modalities including Bio-Energy, Transforming Cellular & Ancestral Memory Healing. "An extraordinary experience not to  be missed and a feeling of being renewed by the magic of the land" is how people describe their journey with Mary to these Sacred Places. https://www.facebook.com/healingjourneys

November 1st Alignment at Grange Stone Circle, Lough Gur

$2700.00

 8 days/7 nights 

The Cost Includes:

~All accommodations in shared occupancy.  (Single supplement available)

~Full breakfast and dinners plus some picnic lunches.

~All transportation in private van.

~All guest guides and entrance fees.

**Airfare NOT included

Locations for our journey include Galway, Sligo, the Burren, Hill of Tara and Newgrange plus more. The journey will include a variety of Sacred Sites and places in Nature. Accommodations will also include a mix of B&B's, Inns and Lodges.

*More specific itinerary Details coming soon!
*Spaces are limited so please book early! 

For Inquiries and the Itinerary please contact Cara:

email: caragardner@yahoo.com
Skype: Caragardner7

Phone: 805 570 8532

To secure your place a Deposit of $500 is required

Deposits and Payments can be made safely via Paypal 

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Greeting the Sun, Sheepshead Penninsula, Co. Cork

Thank you, Namaste and Many Blessings

*all photography copyright Cara Mia Photography

Malta Journey into the Ancient Mysteries and Temples - A tour with Mary O'Halloran Healing Journeys

I stood by the altar at the end of the passageway where light poured in from the Equinox rising sun. I could see particles of light dancing and filling the space with their magic. I had a sense they were re-calibrating my entire energy field, as if I was dissolving into the light and becoming one with it. There was something indescribable about the experience of being in the temple of Mnajdra for the Equinox alignment. It had a great effect on me. I felt re-constituted, almost baptized as a being of light. What a great honor it was to be present for part of what this great temple was originally designed for thousands of years ago. My heart was humbled as I stood in awe facing the great stones perched on the edge of azure waters glistening in their healing purity.

Sunrise entering the passageway at Mnajdra

Just above this temple on the hill is the magnificent Hagar Qim temple. I could feel the presence of great enlightened priests and priestesses performing rituals that kept the cycles of the earth and stars in balance and aided in the ascension of their people. Malta's historic temples are rare jewels in the crown of Earth's finest treasures. Malta and Gozo boast the largest and oldest concentration of structures in the world thus far documented. Nothing could have prepared me for the actual experience of being present within these great symphonic spaces of stone. Archaeologists have dated these megalithic structures beginning in the Neolithic period about 5200 bc. But our guide Francis has his well documented theories that these megaliths are much older, from the Atlantean era. It was only through his expert intuitive knowledge and guidance that I was able to expand my awareness to help me tune in to the energetic messages written in the etheric record of these places. And with that guidance came information that otherwise might have felt like a science fiction fantasy! Each temple holds a unique vibration designed to trigger codes in our DNA to help us on our path of Ascension.

Hagar Qim - Cosmic Temple of Light

Through the mists of our great forgetting Malta's Atlantean temples can trigger the awakening to who we are and what we are truly capable of. Far beyond the manifestation of technology and materialism that dominates our current world view, this ancient culture understood the infinite power of spiritual technology. They knew that Earth was a planet for the embodiment of spiritual concepts, it is in fact the place where we can all attain our graduate degrees and transcend duality.

Ggantija -Temple of Renewal

I could feel the essence of transcendent energies in all the temples, each having their own color or resonance field. Ggantija, flooded my memory with images of a time when we honored the divine feminine and her sacred cycles of creation. I was so thrilled to see all the goddess figurines and so pleasantly surprised to see the snake carving that adorned a large stone in the adjacent museum. Because I've been ordained as a snake priestess and work with snake medicine as a shamanic practitioner I had two henna snakes designed on my arms before the trip. I had no idea the serpent energy was central to this ancient culture, so that synchronicity immediately drew me into it's allure. The snake energy of renewal and regeneration was strong here. I sensed the presence of my female lineage and the healing that needed to be brought forward into the matrix. The energies received these thoughts and through my meditation I felt an honoring and deep release; that their suffering was now transmuted and honored in this sacred space shaped like a female figure. It was through my presence and consciousness that the past was woven into the tapestry of meaning. It filled me with such gratitude and healing to remember a time when feminine wisdom and embodiment was sacred on earth.  I integrated this into my consciousness as renewal across all time and space.

The holy underground chamber of the Hypogeum was another profound place of sacred feminine communion for me. Nearly indescribable, this ancient womb space brought me back into a time before time and a place before space. It was soft and gentle yet vast and nameless- it could leave you spinning in disorientation if you weren't grounded in yourself. But that is the healing remedy of this space, to invite you into deep communion within the darkness of yourself.  To enter down into Gaia's womb is like taking a shamanic journey back into primal source. The intentions of a people that would build such a place had me reeling with wonder. This concept of being so in tune with our Earth's cycles and energies is how we are designed to live. There is a sacredness to the Hypogeum that is truly beyond words.

Mosta Church

The site that had the most surprising and profound effect on me was the church Mosta. Because I'm not Catholic I don't usually resonate with the feeling or iconography in churches but this one is different. Immediately upon entering I was absolutely floored by the dome; its sacred geometry, massive height and spectacular power. It took my breath away. It felt as though I had entered into the starry realm of transcendence and was standing in the core of a crystalline ascension temple of Venus. It was the closest I'd ever been to feeling that kind of ecstasy in a physical setting- the power was truly amazing. Francis explained why it holds so much power and also shared it's secret dimensions, design and significance. Even the statues are laden with hidden meaning that would have been entirely overlooked had he not been so adept at interpretation. Being in a modern day building that holds such sacred divine energy masked as a Catholic cathedral was definitely a highlight, not only of this trip but of all my world travels.

Skorba - Cosmic Energy Receiver

Tuning in to the Ancients

Ta'Hagrat temple felt like the oldest of all the sites. Its energy was palpable only on the edges of my awareness but of something quite magnificent. Perhaps because it served as a gateway where Francis says star beings descended to Earth I needed to spend more time there meditating to feel into the multidimensional frequencies. The nearby site of Skorba had a sense of sheer elegance and light. For me, its frequency was a tangible manifestation of cosmic divine energy. It felt welcoming and grand at the same time, as if I'd been there before and knew the stones held codes to help me remember. I noted that on one side of the inner chamber the massive stone was cool to touch and the one opposite was warm. Francis mentioned how this is the polar opposite energies of masculine and feminine to keep the site in balance and create a magnetic charge. This in turn balances the energies within the self. We did a healing circle there with my group and I felt my clairvoyance magnified tuning into exactly what healing each woman needed at that time. It was a sacred experience gathering in reverence around the heightened energies and historic significance of this place. In his Handbook to Maltese Temples, Francis says "Hold and transmit the Light within you", which is what I felt Skorba inspired me to do. This site blessed me with the ability to expand my energy field and download some memory of my divine blueprint. 

Mary O'Halloran at Tarxien

Tarxien is a magnificent center that nearly defies description. I envisioned scores of enlightened teachers and healers gathering there to educate and offer transcendent healing experiences for pilgrims. No doubt this was the most important pilgrimage and educational site in ancient times where people could access the codes for spiritual awakening. This site has such grand sweeping beauty, filled with carvings and sacred symbolism. It left me absolutely gobsmacked that these Atlantean people existed, that this was a real culture, that they were humans like us. Visiting these sites with reverence and mindfulness will fill you with wonder and perhaps initiate you into a greater awareness of your spiritual nature. The overwhelming presence of divine feminine iconography invites us to notice how far we've strayed from our divine nature and expression. How did we come to these modern times in the utter absence of the Goddess?  If you tune in to the sites like Francis helps us do, you might remember the wisdom asleep in your DNA. These sites were created to do just that. A visit to Malta and Gozo is like taking a pilgrimage into our own ancient remembrance. We are meant to know, so all I can say is GO!"

Cara at Bugibba Temple

 I'd like to thank Mary O'Halloran Healing Journeys for being our wonderful, kind and tireless guide through Malta. Her knowledge, enthusiasm and spiritual attunement to earth energies helped us all dive deeper into the mysteries! And a big thank you to Francis Aliosio our  Maltese guide who has written numerous books about Atlantean Malta and is the foremost authority on experiencing the healing energies of ascension that are unique to Malta, Gozo and Comino. Some captioned information here has come from his expert research. 

https://www.facebook.com/healingjourneys/

http://www.maltatemplejourneys.com
A fabulous and handy guide : "An Alternative Handbook to the Maltese Temples" by F. Aliosio

An Easter Ressurection of the Sacred Feminine Rising {Ireland, Malta, Mexico}

On 11.11 of 2015 I read an article in the news about a young Mexican woman who was rescued from human sex trafficking. She said over a period of 4 years she'd been raped 43,200 times.  It was something I couldn't even compute into my brain let alone my heart. I sat stunned on the couch and just cried. How could this be possible, how could we live in a reality as horrific as this. I wondered about her, I sent her a prayer and my heart broke open with grief. Then in a moment I felt her angelic presence. I wondered what a majestic boddhisattva she must be that in Spirit she agreed to take on this torture- to clear the wounding of our imbalanced planet. She must be a Master Angelic being and I bowed to her in reverence.

Later I took a walk in my woods. I was still deeply sad, seeking some healing respite from the trees.  I can only say that what happened next was indeed a miracle, a vision gifted from the Divine. I walked my regular path into the woods to my special tree with whom I often commune. She is my Queen of the woods, shaped like a woman with breasts, belly button, compassionate face and outstretched arms. I emerged through the trees and there it was, a clearly defined cross shadowed directly on top of her. I gasped and stood there in awe. My Queen was on the cross. She was showing me the crucifixion of Nature and the Divine Feminine as clear as day. And then after only a few seconds the shadow disappeared. It happened only in my fleeting presence and I was quick to realize I had to photograph it before it was gone because it was a true miracle! The message pierced my heart with love and a realization that this age of sacrifice is over. We are now preparing for Her Resurrection.

http://theeverlivingones.blogspot.ie/

11.11.11 marked the beginning of my journey of awakening which happened ultimately on Irish soil. This date will always signify a gateway of ascending consciousness for me so the date of my beloved tree apparition did not go unnoticed.  My own personal journey has been fraught with rising up into my empowered feminine. From my youth with a terminally ill mother raised in an oppressive organized religion, through many years of deep loss, searching, healing and clearing the programming from this and past lifetimes I was drawn to Ireland because she is a vibrational match to my own. I realized I came here to heal myself. She has been deeply wounded by centuries of occupation and suppression of her indigenous ancient spirituality.  In Andean shamanism there is a prophecy about the eagle and the condor. For the past 500 years the eagle people would rule the world with materialism, dominance of mind and masculine energy. The condor people of heart, mysticism and feminine spirit would be suppressed.  The world has been in deep suffering and self destruction because of this imbalance. But the condor is rising again and she is the sacred feminine energy of Ireland which I believe is the heart chakra energy of the planet. On this day of the 100 year anniversary of Easter Rising in Ireland it is poignantly significant to celebrate the sovereignty of this land which also represents the Rising of the Divine Feminine. 

Ggantija Museum, Gozo

On my recent visit to Malta I learned about the ancient cultures that honored the Sacred Feminine and nature. More than 50 megalithic temples are all aligned with the sun, moon and stars and there are thousands of artifacts of goddesses which tell a very different story to our masculine god and male dominated world. The broken pieces of this goddess figurine pictured here spoke to me of the symbolic Re-membering of these sacred ways of living in harmony with nature and honoring the cycles of life all embodied by the Female. The Divine Feminine is a microcosm of nature's rhythms and the miracle of creation. I was deeply moved by the potent energy of divine beauty emanating from these temples and this land. Malta is the link helping me to Re-member who I Am and what we are capable of as humans.

Mary Ascending, Mosta church Malta

Easter is the holy day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, when he became the Christ/immortal and symbolically transcended 3rd dimensional form to ascend into Unity with Spirit. His holy consort Mary Magdalene was also a Master who worked with the sacred chalice/womb of sexual energy to assist in the Ascension process for both of them. This story has been severely distorted through the ages to control and suppress the power of Female divinity and sacred sexuality. In Malta I stood by the Mary Magdalene temple where she allegedly lived, on the edge of majestic cliffs overlooking the holy tantric island of Filfla a revered temple of these great teachings.  I was invited by Mary our guide to lead a meditation for the group to clear thousands of years of wounding and shame around sexuality and anchor in the wisdom codes and teachings of Mary Magdalene.  It was a moment I will always cherish.

Sun Rising at Mnajdra Temple Malta,  Spring Equiniox

Through her survival the bodhisattva angel from Mexico brought to light our deepest wounding and shadow from the imbalance of masculine and feminine energy.  The state of Nature is also crying out for us to wake up and heed Her call. Today I propose we celebrate the rising of the Sacred Feminine, Easter/Ishtar and a different future where Mary Magdalene and Yeshua are honored together as Ascended Masters, where Nature, Woman and Sexuality are revered as the Source of Life and fiercely protected by the Divine Conscious Masculine. I am so humbled and grateful for my vision in the woods; a magical sign foretelling the Rebirth of the Heart. May this picture of the sun rising on the Equinox be a remedy for the Re-balance of Masculine and Feminine Divine Unity of the Sacred Heart.

And may we all learn on this journey of healing that our deepest wounds can be the alchemy and greatest remedy for ourselves and others.  Aho!
~ Cara 


*Deep Gratitude to Mary O'Halloran Healing Journeys and Francis Aliosio of Malta Temple Journeys for sharing the sacred mysteries of Malta with us.
https://www.facebook.com/healingjourneys/?fref=ts
http://www.maltatemplejourneys.com/

Mindful Walking and Meditation at Lough Gur | Communing with the Ancestors

On Sunday 1st of November we ventured out into the ancient landscape of Lough Gur for a day of deep connection to the land and ourselves. The day was a rare one for November in Ireland with a warm glowing sun that gave the area a luminescence that truly filled the soul. November 1st is known as Day of the Dead in many cultures so we focused on the value and importance of remembering and listening to the wisdom of our ancestors. Lough Gur has been inhabited for 6000 years or more so tuning in to the footsteps of these ancient people, envisioning their lives, and listening to their wisdom set the energy in a direction of deep communion.

We gathered in Carraig Aille to begin our circle of intention for the day, each of us sharing a bit which revealed a common thread - embracing and integrating our shadow for a new beginning. We passed a bottle of water from a holy
well around the group and blessed it with our love and intention for healing. The water was then dispensed at each site we visited as an offering and blessing and finally emptied at the last site to conclude the day. We enjoyed mindful walking, meditating and writing at the two cashels and then shared our inspiration. It was amazing to hear the insights that came through for each person.  Loved ones in spirit were making their presence known and reaching out so that we could do our own healing that would help them too. Ancestral healing works in a circular way, the present affects both the past and future. It has such powerful resonance throughout time and space for those who choose to find awareness in the inherited issues and wake up to how to heal them in this life time. 

Lough Gur Wedge Tomb

When we arrived at the wedge tomb there was a group of women already there meditating. We nearly skipped the visit so as not to disturb them but were so glad we didn't! The energy they were creating had such a heart opening for all of us. I felt they were anchoring in the love of the ancestors and regenerating the power of devotion that has existed there for thousands of years. The wedge tomb was a sacred place to the Bronze age people where they repeatedly deposited votive offerings to honor and communicate with their ancestors. So we stood there with the sun drenched tomb, thousands of years later with the same intention and love as if connected to a time that was eternally present.  

                                                                      

Our  final stop was at the spectacular Grange stone circle. I had first visited this incredible place on Halloween night four years ago in the dark. The magical energy of the place had such an impact on me I was compelled to come back some day.I knew I had to return here during this time of year and watch the sun set between the entrance stones. And sure enough it didn't disappoint. The sun was just setting in perfect alignment with the two massive entrance stones. We all stood in awe of the symphony of light and felt the mysterious magic that compelled our ancestors to build such a place in honor of the sacred cycle of seasons.

Grange Stone Circle ~ Sunset November 1st

After sunset Mary and I concluded the retreat by offering an energy activation to each person amplified by the energy of Grange circle. This information came to me during a meditation there on the Solstice where I was guided to bring people back and offer this blessing.  This activation helps to balance the masculine and feminine energy,  open the heart and expand the light within. It was so beautiful to see the cows so sensitive to the energy, one wandered over and gave Mary a nibble on her back while doing the healing!

Wandering around an ancient landscape with mindful presence invites people into a deeper experience, a sacred place of interconnected communion with self/nature and past/present. These retreats offer an opportunity to share "time out of time" with others and connect in a meaningful way that we are all craving. Ireland has hundreds of ancient sites that were places of worship and sanctity where we can still find a deeper connection to ourselves, our ancestors and heal the great divide between. Our separation is only an illusion. Going deeper into present moment awareness in these places can offer great healing. We hope you will join us on our next retreat. Many blessings, Cara
http://caracounseling.vpweb.ie/

Know Your Radiance - A Self Love and Empowerment group for Women

A wonderful upcoming workshop in Galway.

Photography & Mindfulness Workshop May 18, 2-6 | Galway

An Ecotherapy & Healing Arts Workshop with Cara Gardner

Presented by Sacred Ireland Portal

Full moon and Winter Solstice Gateway Grid - Expressive and Spiritual Arts in Nature

On this sacred portal of the winter solstice I am sharing my new creation inspired by nature's reflection of Divine truths. By listening to the messages provided through signs in nature we can often discern meaningful truths about ourselves and life. Nature is the purest mirror and so willing to support us all by guiding with grace and extraordinary love.  I've been collecting these shells and heart shaped stones for quite a while and suddenly one day during this powerful solstice/full moon time of December it came to me what they wanted to become.  

This is my full moon and winter solstice portal-gateway grid. The golden yellow suns and silver full moons are made from shells, unifying above and below, sea and sky. They are the celestial and earth mirrors of the divine masculine, gold and divine feminine, silver, within and without. In the center are green heart stones representing the higher and lower heart chakras of Love adorned with spirals - the portal into Unity and higher Truth within each of us.

The spiral and heart chakra also embody the element of water which is the energy of emotion. The emotion of the heart is the most powerful means we have as humans to elevate our spiritual knowing through pure feeling which is the gateway to ascension.

This grid embodies the sacred energy of Love which is the matrix of all Life. Blessings to all of us on our journey through the spiral of darkness into light.