‘Wise Woman’ Angharad Wynne holds talk on native Welsh spirituality

Stephen Price

Welsh ‘Wise Woman’, Angharad Wynne is set to give a talk about her new book on native Welsh spirituality this month – delving beneath layers of Christianity and following pathways back to the ancient myth and early poetry of Britain.

The sacred power of language permeates almost every aspect of Welsh culture, and has done since the most ancient of times.

It was the eminent role of a special class of skilled wisdom keepers to safeguard the most revered records, enshrining them forever in poetry, story and song for future generations.

These somewhat mystic wisdom keepers were known as the Cyfarwydd, whose stories originally recited around the hearth of lowly farmhouses to the great halls of ancient Kings & Queens, still live with us to this day.

Wynne has spent the past fifteen years of her career mapping the sense of place of communities the length and breadth of Wales, uncovering their stories, histories, folk culture and the secrets of their landscapes.

But, her strongest inspiration comes from journeys across Wales, listening with her feet, dreaming with the land, finding new and old ways of knowing.

An Evening With…

An Evening With a Welsh Wise Woman takes place on November 8 at Porter’s in Cardiff is set to be an enthralling journey of insight, story and music, with Angharad Wynne who will be releasing her much anticipated book, Wise Woman, alongside author Sharon Blackie.

The book is An unforgettable collection of retold myths and folk tales celebrating the wisdom and power of women in midlife and beyond, and the talk is the latest Silurian Folklore event which is open to all to attend.

Copies of Angaharad and Sharon’s book will be available to purchase on the evening directly from the author.

Musical entertainment on the night will be provided by Welsh future folk band The Brwmys, and Welsh harpist, Bethan Nia

Angharad Wynne

Angharad Wynne is a writer and storyteller, a place-maker and heritage specialist with over 25 years of experience in the field, working both within Wales, in the UK, Ireland and US. She is also a writer, speaker and retreat and expedition leader.

Angharad has worked on some of the UK’s most exciting cultural projects including the foundation of the National Botanic Garden of Wales, and as the head of Business Development and Communication for London Tourist Board during the Millennium Celebrations.

Angharad has been responsible for promoting some of Wales’s leading cultural events and cultural exports, including Bryn Terfel, Catrin Finch, and 9Bach.

Over the course of the past 25 years she has also worked closely and intimately with communities across Wales, supporting reconnection between people and place, development of sense of place and regeneration strategies and initiatives. Angharad continues to work as a place making consultant, specialising in harnessing aspects of history and culture to imbue and enliven places and working with communities to re-engage them in their local landscape, cultural assets, history and stories.

Wise Woman

Angharad Wynne’s latest offering is an unforgettable collection of retold myths and folk tales celebrating the wisdom and power of older women.

Ungainly giantesses. Sequin-strewn fairy godmothers. Misunderstood witches. Fierce grandmothers. Hairy-chinned hags. Craggy crones.

From early childhood, we learn about the world and its possibilities through myths and fairy tales. The heroines, though, tend to be golden-haired princesses, and the evil-doers often older women.

But women today are searching for positive versions of themselves from midlife onwards, and this dazzling array of not-to-be-messed-with characters provides them. They outwit monsters, test and mentor younger heroines, embody the cycles and seasons of the earth, weave the world into being – and almost always have the last laugh.

These women manifest their wisdom in different ways, and so offer us inspiration for how we too can walk boldly and live authentically in the second half of life.

Sharon shared: “The primary purpose of this collection is to reenchant a time of life which can seem dreary, and which most of us approach with trepidation.

“In spite of the evident challenges of midlife, menopause and the decades which follow, more and more mature women today are looking for ways to reimagine and reclaim the power of the second half of life. We’re all looking to become Wise Women, each in our own unique way.

“This book remembers the beautiful, lost fragments of our rich European traditions, and offers ideas for reweaving them into the fabric of a more meaningful and exhilarating everyday.”

An Evening With a Welsh Wise Woman takes place at 8pm on Friday, November 8 at Porter’s, Barrack Lane, St Davids Centre, Cardiff CF10 2GS. Entry is free.

Seating at this event is limited, so please sign up to register for a free ticket. These events rely on the donations of attendees to cover costs and can only run with the support from members, so please feel free to donate as you wish.

Find out more about the new book here: https://sharonblackie.net/wise-women/