About the Leaders...

Olivia Woodford is a theatre artist, storyteller, creativity facilitator and founder of Healing Theatre. She has a BFA in Theater from Boston University and has performed and directed Off-Broadway and in regional theater.  During her seven years at Kripalu Center in Lenox, MA, Olivia created ceremonies, directed ritual performances and led retreats on creativity and spiritual development. She has performed throughout the United States four one-woman plays she created that portray women of the Bible.  As Director of Healing Theatre, she facilitates participants in making art of their life and catalyzes audiences to reflect on and embrace the stories that have shaped their life.  She has taught theater and mythology to adults and children of all ages. Since 1990, her workshops, rituals, and original theatrical productions have assisted individuals and groups in encountering the beauty of the human spirit and in bringing the sacred into daily life.

Mike Harris lives in North Wales. He is co-leader of the Avalon Group, which had its beginnings in Dion Frotune's Society of the Inner Light and before that in the legendary Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Mike is one of the most experienced magicians presently working in the western esoteric tradition. He lectures and has lead practical workshops in the UK and USA for over 30 years. He is author of "Awen: The Quest of the Celtic Mysteries".

An Invitation By Mike Harris to Live the Myth
Excerpt from Winter Newsletter of The Healing Theatre Connection

As the co-leader of a magical order working with the mysteries of Britain, I find my approach to myth integrates well with Olivia's and Healing Theatre. Together, we have put together a unique tour of the ancient sacred places of Britain where you are invited to 'live the myth.'

Through the tour, we will help you to experience the power in this ancient landscape and in yourself, and lead you in the steps and the mind of the giants of Celtic myth: Arthur, Guinevere, Morgan le Fay, Gwydion , Arianrhod , Merlin and Taliesin.

The quest unfolds across the ancient sacred places of England and Wales. Through a series of informative and inspirational site visits, participatory ritual drama, magical experience, and Healing Theatre, personal insight into the ancient mysteries of Britain, and your own life will be found. In turn you will shape the myth and bring nurturance to the land and its age old tradition through your participation and honoring of its sacred way.

You will develop the myths for yourself, honing those long forgotten skills in magic to understand what the ancients understood about the land, the stars and themselves. Entering the underworld of Annwn, as Arthur , Taliesin and Merlin and feeling the otherworld powers of Faery , the powers of Guinevere, Arianrhod, Ceridwen , Brigid and Morgan le Fey, discover paths and worlds within yourself that have been forgotten.

Guided through both the inner and outer landscape of Britain, a landscape that exists , within you, you become the knight or lady, magician or priestess upon the Quest. You will come to know the work of the Mysteries of Britain, as it was and is, and be guided by those still charged with its continuance.

Experiencing how these ancient people poetically crafted and lived out their mythology, you will look at your own life and the personal mythology you are developing.

Explore the burial chambers of Bryn Celli Ddu and Barcloed y Gawres and learn the secrets of the initiation rites of the ancient Celts. Sit in the gloom of these places of pilgrimage and hear the words of Taliesin and Merlin echo down through time to describe the journey into the Celtic underworld of Annwn.

Our quest into the mysteries begins in Avalon, now known as Glastonbury, where, among (many) other things, Joseph of Arimathea is said to have brought the chalice from the Last Supper, and began the first Christian Church. Glastonbury, the Celtic Ynys Vitrin or Avalon, with a great number of significant sites, is something of a the mythic capital of England.

Visit the many shops and facilities dedicated to Glastonbury's magical religious heritage. Included in these are Glastonbury Abbey, the Chalice Well, Glastonbury Tor, and Wearyall Hill. Understand and experience the significance of their spiritual power, letting it renew and revitalize your connection with an ancient knowing.

Traveling west to Wessex, visit Stonehenge, the most infamous circle of stones. In a private evening ceremony there will be a pathworking to attune to the site.
We will also visit nearby Avebury, a town built in the center of a stone circle, as well as West Kennet Barrow, and the Silbury Hill complex.

While in this area we will stay at Hawkwood manor house set in beautiful grounds where the Avalon Group and the now legendary "Company of Hawkwood" was established (of which I was an original member). Men and women from all over the world still meet here regularly to serve the mysteries of Britain.

While here take part in the magical and ritual drama techniques by which the mythology may be applied both in self development and service to the mysteries.

In exploring the Arthur legends, we will visit Cadbury, the reputed and disputed location of the great Camelot. Along the Cornish shores, will dive into the mythos of Arthur. Here, we will tour the legendary birthplace of King Arthur on the cliffs of Tintangel, and at nearby St. Nectan's Glenn, pay a vigil to where the knights are said to have prayed before heading out on their quest for the grail.

Our tour winds its way to Wales, to breathtaking Gwynedd where the Arthurian legends were born. See where Merlin confronted the dragons at Dinas Emrys, and you may confront your own dragons.

This majestic land where the myths of the Mabinogion were born is dominated by Cadair Idris, the mountain which was Taliesin's starry chair. Here, come to understand how the Celtic bards set their star map so that natural features and powerful ancient sites upon the landscape actually align with the constellations of the heavens which are sited in the myths.

Olivia Woodford Shares 2001 Celtic Journey
Excerpts from Summer and Fall Newsletters of the Healing Theatre Connection

Part I - England

I spent almost a month traveling through stone circles, burial chambers, sacred hills and ancient ruins of the Celtic peoples. While my trip's intent was to scope out a tour, I want to share with you the highlights and lasting impressions. The sites that were the most powerful brought up more questions then answers, putting me in touch with the great Celtic mysteries. I believe I had an energetic hook up with these sites, and over time, more and more of their mystery will unfold for me.

While I did visit castles and cathedrals, I usually felt heavy walking through-except for a couple small rural churches. At the Celtic sites, I felt the worship of, deference to, and connection with nature. Humans weren't yet split from nature, trying to control or subdue it. Everything they had was born of it, their culture, gods, stories, monuments and sense of self. Feeling a part of the land was the essential experience at these ancient sites.

Stonehenge. My first stop and the most potent experience on my trip. Because these stones have been given so much press, are now roped off, and have become a huge tourist attraction, I did not expect much here. I went simply to pay homage.

The facts about them are staggering enough-their size, weight (25-40 tons each). They have been standing there for about 4,000 years. No one knows how they were brought from a quarry in Wales. The stones are in perfect alignment with the movement of the sun and moon.

Standing outside the rope, I felt their power. I sat and journalled for two hours, but felt no access to their mystery. I could only observe.

By some fluke, I was able to be by myself inside the circle two nights later. Whooosh! The difference. Even now, if you show me a picture taken of Stonehenge from a distance, or aerial view, I think: impressive. If the picture is taken from inside the stones, the image triggers an emotional response-my hearts pounds, and there is an electric energy that will run through my body.

What happened in the circle? I am not exactly sure. I have had differing thoughts. I know that I felt the old gods of long ago. I know that the power of the rituals, the mythology, the people, the gods of long ago are still held by the power of the circle. I know that the rocks themselves have a consciousness. They spoke to me. I believe I heard. It was extraordinary!!

Glastonbury. Well over a thousand years ago, western England was a series of islands and not all one land mass as now. Glastonbury is the infamous Isle of Avalon of Arthurian legend. It is also the place that legend says Joseph of Arimethea brought the cup from the last supper and started the first Christian church.

Glastonbury has become a New Age mecca not unlike Asheville, NC with its crystal stores and spiritual workshops galore. It is in Somerset County: the summer country.

I felt great ease and lightness there. I was held by the rolling green hills and their whispers of older times and ancient secrets. While there, I went to several ancient sites that stirred me to the depths. They are:

The Tor. The Celts have this thing about hills. A large mound of earth holds a special significance. I was perplexed by this and still am. However, climbing up and on top of the Tor, I felt I got drawn into something very ancient that I had once been connected to and had lost touch with. It was a coming home for me. That's the only way to describe it. After climbing it, every time I past it, oh, I wanted to go up again. The pull of the Tor was so strong. When leaving Glastonbury, I said goodbye to the Tor, feeling oddly like a lover who won't be satisfied again until I return.

The Chalice Well. At the base of the Tor, and as feminine as the Tor is masculine, the well is situated deep inside a magnificent lush garden. The water flows from the Tor, but its source is unknown. The water pouring from the Lion's Head fountain, said to be healing, is red. Technically, the iron in the water is what makes it red. However, in the chamber under the well, sacred kings were sacrificed and their blood would mix with the flowing water and would then nourish all the land and people. Also, it is said that Joseph of Arimethea buried the chalice from the last supper (later to be known as the Grail) and Jesus' blood eternally pours forth to nourish the land.

The garden evokes peace and a sense of abundant life, a lightness that comforts and uplifts. If there is an experience of the Grail, I thought, this must be what it is. The well itself evoked mystery. I sat by it for some time, writing, contemplating, praying.

St. Nectan's Glen. The Cornish coast was everything movies make it out to be. Fierce winds, crashing waves on jagged cliffs. Nothing for miles. Gothic Romance material. The castle of Tintagel, the supposed birthplace of Arthur is a mighty fortress built on this coast. But what I loved the most while there was the Glen. There is a waterfall nestled deep in the forest. People have built hundreds of small shrines and left pictures and prayers around the falls. The waterfall flows literally through a large round hole in a rock. People have come to pray and be healed here for over 1500 years. It is said the Grail knights prayed here before heading on their quest. Above the fall is a tea garden, where I had the most wonderful English tea and conversation.

While I did see other well known sites that stimulated and informed me, these were the places that sparked my imagination, fed my soul, and connected me to the great mystery of an ancient England.

Part II - Wales, Ireland and Scotland

This past summer, as I traveled across the hills and green of the British Isles, I was drawn into a timeless world where Arthur and the ancient ones are everpresent, whose deeds and words are whispered on the wind, and are held in the land and the sacred places of pilgrimage.

Many of the sites I visited have been places of pilgrimage for up to 5,000 years. The depth of history and the connection to their ancestors extends farther back than I usually connect to in my own surroundings.

There, I felt connected to an ancient time when the old gods ruled, and a person could move between the worlds and hear the voices of the rocks, the trees and the unmanifest.

I became connected with the sense of belonging to the land, knowing that all life comes from, is supported by, and returns to the land. I felt the sacred bond between humans and the land which must always be honored.

Leaving England (which I talked about in the last newsletter), I entered Wales and a more rugged landscape, with towering mountains, where Welsh is the main language, and the landscape hasn't changed much for centuries.

In England, there are many sites that draw pilgrims and tourists. In Wales, the landscape itself beckons. Waterfalls, views of the Irish Sea, peaks that call to be climbed... The shape of the hills and curve of the valley occurred as parts of the goddess' ample body.

I immediately felt embraced, relaxed, and safe. My own imagination was quickened, and my spirit soared.

In Gwynedd, I hooked up with Mike Harris. Living in Arthog, he has chosen to reside in the locale where the myths were birthed and to be live within the potency of the land and the energies there.

At the base of the Cadair Idris, the great mountain where Taliesen watched the starry skies, Mike's house has a view of the infamous Snowdonia mountains and the Irish Sea. Absolutely breathtaking.

Wandering through his backyard, I found waterfalls, standing stones, and lakes full of myth and magic.

The following day, Mike and I drove to nearby Anglessy, known as the isle of the Druids. Before succumbing to Rome, Anglessy was the heart of the Druidic culture where most Druids trained or resided.

Walking through cow pastures or around sheep grazing, careful to sidestep any droppings, I found myself viewing sites in a more rustic and informal environment than in England.

Numerous burial chambers dot this island. There are also sacred wells and castles, and the ever present ocean which surrounds at all times.

Leaving Mike and Wales, I headed to Ireland. I went to the infamous and magnificent New Grange. While it was impressive, the tourist industry there has everything structured in set times and led tours. I had maybe fifteen minutes inside the great chamber, smashed in with as many people as could fit, and a tour guide talking the whole time.

I was unable to get a good feel for New Grange. In all the other places, I had time to sit by myself, to feel the energy and power of the place, to meditate, write, connect. It just wasn't possible at the Irish sites.

Except for Tara. The mythic hill. I climbed it as the sun was lowering in the sky. There was a great rainbow going from one side of Tara to the other and light shining through the clouds as though the sky gods were giving me a grand welcome. Tara came to light in all her glory for me that day.

Heading west to Galway, I stayed a few days with family in Woodford-a small village seemingly untouched by modern life. I always have such a magical time there When I left, I felt as though I had laughed for days and had spent time with the fairies themselves.

I did take the 'tour of Woodford'. The town is one block long with maybe a dozen stores-and six pubs. To take the tour, you go to each pub and have a shot of whiskey in each. I laughed like I hadn't in years and was quite relieved I made it through the tour in one piece.

I finished my great trek in Scotland on the isle of Iona-an island that is 3 billion years old (the island next to it is only 280 million years). It is known to be one of the oldest land masses on the earth.

One of the first Christian monasteries was founded there and it is reknowned for its harmonious blending of Celtic and Christian ways. The island itself is 3 miles across and maybe a mile wide. There are no cars and only a few hundred people live on it. Massive amounts of tourists visit the island annually-mostly to see the great Abbey and encounter its spiritual heritage.

Staying overnight, after most of the day's hoard of tourists had left, I was able to get a better feel of Iona. I felt that the land that makes the island had existed back when heaven and earth were still joined and had not become separate. The energy of their union and interdependence still permeated the air and life around the island. There was a tremendous peace and sense of timeless ease that lulled and sang to me for days I was there.

I also saw a bit of the Scottish Highlands, massive treeless mountains with crystal clear lakes lying beneath.

After seeing all the great sites amongst the rolling hills of England, it was wonderful to take in the breathtaking majesty of Wales and Scotland, and to hear the whispers of its magic of long ago that is still present in the hills for those who take the time to hear.

My relationship to myself, the world, the land and to God was forever changed through this extraordinary journey.

I spent almost a month traveling through stone circles, burial chambers, sacred hills and ancient ruins of the Celtic peoples. While my trip's intent was to scope out a tour, I wanted to share with you the highlights and lasting impressions. The sites that were the most powerful brought up more questions then answers, putting me in touch with the great Celtic mysteries. I believe I had an energetic hook up with these sites, and over time, more and more of their mystery will unfold for me.