Happy St. Patrick's Day! 5 Tips for Celebrating Spring as the Ancients Might Have

The bacchanalian holiday celebrating all things green and Irish is just around the corner. But did you know that St. Patrick’s Day traces its origins to an ancient rite of spring known as Ostara? Long before there was green beer, Leprechauns with pots of gold and crockpots full of corned beef, ancient peoples paused in mid-March to celebrate the coming spring.

Because the ancient Celts passed on their traditions, histories and stories orally, little is known of the ways that the Celts honored the passing of the seasons. But the coming of spring is a reason to celebrate and our penchant to party this time of year may well be a rite of spring going back thousands of years.

If you’re tired of green beer and cabbage, here are five tips to help you connect with the ancient roots of Ostara and celebrate the coming Spring the way our ancestors might have:

 1. Sweep and Rake: Get out your broom and sweep away the leaves and dust blown in by the winter winds. Rake up the old leaves mushed onto the grass by the snow. Clear away the dead things left from fall and winter to make room for the new growth of spring.

 2. Tend Your Garden: Roll up your sleeves, grab your spade, and get your hands dirty. Even if your garden is a high-rise patio, tend to the plants in your part of the world. Snip the dead blooms, prune, feed, water and show the green things in your world some love.

 3. Take a Hike: Preferably with your sweetie. Enjoy a stroll through the neighborhood park or hike into the forest or desert near you. Take in the signs of the change from cold, dead and dreary to warm, blooming and colorful. Who knows, maybe the time together in the great outdoors will kindle the fires of romance.

 4. Create a Feast of the Season: Make an outing to a local farmer’s market or, if there isn’t such a market near you, check out the produce at your neighborhood grocery. What’s in season? What’s fresh? Collect your bounty of the season and cook a Spring Feast.

 5. Party! Share that feast that you lovingly prepared with your friends and family. If it’s warm enough, take the feast outside and party in your garden. End your evening with a fire to warm the hearts of your guests. It doesn’t have to be a bonfire. Build your fire in a fire pit, chiminea or fireplace. Or if none of those options are available to you, light some candles. The warm glow of the fire’s embers call to mind the warmth of the coming season.

~Magickal Graphics~

Emily’s House, Book 1 of the Akasha Chronicles, with its setting in both modern and ancient Ireland, is the perfect read for the St. Patrick’s Day season.

Emily's House, Book 1 of the Akasha Chronicles, by Natalie Wright

Inspiration at 35,000 Feet!

Much of my first novel, Emily’s House, takes place in Ireland. I’d been inspired to write a story partially set in the Emerald Isle, but I’d never been there! As I finished the first draft, I knew that I had to go to Ireland before I could finish my revisions.

But there was a problem. I didn’t have the money to make the trip. But that problem was solved when I won a trip to Ireland in a radio contest – true story! (Read this post for more on that story.) Less than a month after I’d prayed for the opportunity, my plane touched down in Dublin.

It was magical to traipse around the Irish countryside, roughly following the path that my characters tread in Emily’s House. I smiled so much my face hurt!

That's my head, peaking from behind an Irish Megalithic stone

Before I left for Ireland, I’d envisioned Emily’s House as a single novel, not a series. Written for a late tween to early teen audience, Emily’s House is a classic hero quest. Emily learns of her ancient magical heritage; journeys solo and learns secret knowledge from a wise mentor; receives magical objects; and then defeats the bad guy and saves the day. A grand adventure for Emily and her pals. One big story. The end.

But on my way back from Ireland, cruising at 35,000 above the Earth, something happened. Maybe it was the lower-than-normal oxygen level. Or perhaps the white noise hum of the engines created stillness and focus. Whatever the reason, my mind was open and my imagination flowed.

And there, 35,000 feet in the air, three titles popped into my head: Emily’s House, Emily’s Trial, and Emily’s Heart.

On that flight, Emily told me that she had more than one story to tell. In Emily’s House, Emily was faced with obstacles, to be sure. But I hadn’t challenged her as much as I could. I wanted to see what would happen if I pushed her to the edge of the cliff. All I needed was a juicy catalyst of a challenge.

By the time I touched down back in the U.S., the theme of book 2 was clear to me: Fear.

What if Emily’s worst fears began to come true? What if her friends’ nightmares became real?

My initial premise was born on that flight in September, 2010. And by the time I touched down back in the U.S., I had a brief outline of Book 2, Emily’s Trial.

Last November (2011), I gave myself a challenge and participated in NaNoWriMo (Nat’l Novel Writing Month). The goal: To write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days.

 My family ate out of boxes and bags for much of the month, but I achieved my goal. By December 1, I had the first draft of Emily’s Trial written! It was an incredible challenge to push myself to write that much each and every day. The truth is, usually I’m a sporadic writer. I may write for eight hours one day, then not write at all for a few weeks.

But I soon found that total immersion in the story for thirty days straight was a blessing. I ate, breathed, slept and dreamt Emily’s world and characters for a whole month. And as I lived with them, they spoke to me more clearly than they ever had. The characters took the story to places I hadn’t imagined. And I ended up with an ending that required me to go back and rewrite the beginning!

It was wonderful fun for me, as a writer, to explore the theme of fear with these characters. Poor Emily – I pushed her so hard! But the reward is a character-driven action story that tests long-held friendships and loyalties.

I had so much fun writing Emily’s Trial! I hope you have fun reading it J

Emily's Trial, Book 2 of the Akasha Chronicles

I may be crazy, but I’ll be doing the NaNoWriMo challenge again this November, and banging out a first draft of Book 3, Emily’s Heart.

So think of me this November, foregoing decent food, sleep, fresh air and Facebook as I write the last chapter of Emily’s amazing journey. Will Emily rise to the challenge left her at the end of Book 2? And will love flourish in Emily’s Heart?

I’ll see you in December ;-)

Happy reading!

3 Things I LOVE About Ireland & Why Do We Celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

It’s curious that all across America, on one day each year, we celebrate a country that very few of us have roots in or have visited. Sure, we have a significant population of Irish immigrants and their descendants in America. But I’m not sure that explains our willingness – en masse – to don the green.

I can’t think of any other single country and culture that has such a wide and diverse fan club. Can you?

As I ponder why St. Patrick’s Day has become a phenomenon for people who aren’t Irish or Catholic, I think back to my trip to the Emerald Isle in 2010 (for the magical story of how I won that trip, check out this post).

Me, Enjoying Ireland

Before I went to Ireland, I'd read many books and articles about its history, scenery, and culture as research for my novel Emily’s House. I thought I knew something about the place.

But you can’t know a place or its people from photographs and books. I tried my best to capture something of Ireland in Emily’s House, but to be honest, I don’t think my descriptive powers are adequate to describe for the reader the magic that is Ireland. You have to experience it for yourself.

For St. Patrick's Day, in honor of a place – and a people – that I love, here are the top three things I love about Ireland (and why I miss it daily since I left):

1.  Real, Delicious Food. Ireland’s cuisine gets dogged by foodies. It’s true the Irish cuisine is not varied and it’s not very “serious.” But if you enjoy fresh, unpretentious food that tastes like what it is and where it came from, then you’ll love feasting in Ireland.

Lets start with cows. I was prepared to see a lot of sheep in Ireland. And to be sure, there are plenty of the woolly creatures roaming the green hills. But there are a hell of a lot of cows. And those lovely, happy cows produce the best butter in the world. Irish butter from County Kerry is so golden yellow - so buttery looking - that I thought it was artificially colored.  But the yellowy-orange color is real and comes from all the chlorophyll in the riotous green grass Irish cows eat. I think bread may exist solely to be a place to spread Irish butter. Irish butter is in and of itself reason enough to go back.

And lest you think the Irish have cows roaming every square inch of countryside just so we can have delicious butter, some of those bovines end up as the best steak and hamburgers I’ve ever had (vegetarians, you might want to skip this paragraph). I’ve eaten steak in Omaha, Nebraska and Texas. Sorry American west, but you can’t hold a candle to Irish beef. If you love the taste and texture of a good steak like I do, then you can appreciate my statement: Ireland may have the best beef in the world. And it’s not because they get massaged (Kobe style). No, the beef is delicious because the Irish cows spend their life eating delicious grass and living a blissful cow life. If you’ve been to the American west, then you know that much of America’s beef cows live in the arid and semi-arid Southwest, eating a dry diet of dry plants. I have long thought that the cows don’t look all that happy to live in a dry, hot arid climate with dry, hot plants. And now that I’ve eaten Irish beef, I know that I’m right. Happy cows produce happy butter and happy beef.

Happy Irish Cows

I could write a whole post just on potatoes but I’ll save you that – for now. Suffice it to say the Irish love their potatoes and if you love potatoes, you can have at least one type of potato dish per meal. Did someone say mash on the plate with a side of fries? Yes they did and you gotta love a place that doesn’t see anything wrong with that.

Irish potatoes whipped with Kerry butter with a side of Irish steak. Have I made you hungry yet?

2. Green. Yes, I miss green. I live in the desert which has its own kind of spiritual energy and rugged beauty. In my home environment, the plants do have green leaves. But the plants have adapted to the bright sun and intense heat by growing silvery green leaves that reflect sunlight, thus conserving their precious water.

In Ireland, water is not scarce and plants aren't into water conservation strategies. Irish plants proudly display their verdant leaves. Every color of green that you can imagine (except maybe for the silvery sage green of the desert) lives abundantly in Ireland. Ireland is so green, it really is beyond description. But the effect is of an oasis and a feeling that life thrives in every corner of the island. I think that our love of green spaces is primordial. There’s something about immersing yourself in a green forest or verdant hills that makes you feel – human. Alive.

If you go to Ireland, spend some time driving on the narrow two lanes out of Dublin and into the rolling hills of the Irish countryside. There you will be surrounded by the green hills of legend, criss-crossed with ancient stone walls and dotted with cows – happy, beautiful cows.


Ah – the memory of green.


3. The People. If there are friendlier, more hospitable people on the planet, I’d like to know where they are. From the moment we stepped off of the plane to the minute we took off to go home (a sad moment), we had not one single negative experience with the people of Ireland.





And in the land that has produced such literary greats as James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, William Butler Yeats, Jonathan Swift and Samuel Becket, people are quick with  a story, a laugh. Sharing. A country filled with people happy to be Irish and eager to share their home with you.


Ireland also has a history filled with harsh conditions, famines and difficulty. But the Irish people are resilient. A country that has throughout its history been beset with plenty of reasons to make her people give up has produced instead the most affable people on the planet.


I cannot speak of the people and the land and the food without mentioning a pint – of Guinness of course. You haven’t had a beer until you’ve stepped up to the bar and ordered a pint of Guinness in Ireland. The bartenders there are serious about their beer and it will be expertly poured for you. Go, sit in the pub with your new friends and enjoy the music, the stories and the delicious pint.


And perhaps this last reason I love Ireland is the secret to why our entire country is willing to become Irish one day a year. One day when we share a tradition that the world could use more of – to sit together with old friends while you make new ones, sharing a pint, telling a story and laughing together. The Irish know how to create joy from any circumstance. Oh, and a pint of Guinness helps.

Hubby having a pint with Danny O'Donoghue,
Lead Singer of The Script
Even their Rock Stars are Good Folk

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to the Irish and Irish at heart.

How I Used Real Magic to Win a Trip to Ireland

You read that title correctly.  I conjured a trip to Ireland. I'm not a witch and I didn't use a wand or cauldron. But I magicked it just the same.
Here's the true story of how I used real magic to fulfill my dream and go to Ireland to research setting for my novel Emily's House.


The idea for Emily's House came to me in late 2007 and I spent most of 2008 doing research for the book.  I read books and articles about Ireland and ancient Celtic myth.  But pictures just don't cut it and I knew I had to go to Ireland.


I put a farefinder up on Travelocity and kept my eye out for the deal. But it remained a dream and beyond my budget.


Then in late August, 2010, I went to Las Cruces, New Mexico and holed up for a long weekend in a hotel room to push through and get to the end of my first draft of Emily's House.  And on my way home on Sunday, a four-hour drive, I thought about what I needed to do next on the project and it was clear:  I needed to go to Ireland soon so I could re-write scenes that take place in Ireland.  So I spent four hours solidifying this intention.


The next day, a Monday, I was driving around town running errands.  I got in the car and switched on the radio.  I heard the announcer on XM say "last day to register for a trip for two to Ireland to see The Script . . ."  When I heard the radio announcer say that, it felt like she was talking directly to me!  I knew I had to register.


So I did.  One time, online. That was Monday afternoon. Hubby came home and I told him, "We're going to Ireland!"  He said, "What did you do!"  I then told him about registering for the contest and he just gave me one of those, "Okay, whatever you say Natalie," sort of looks. 


Thursday morning, the phone rings. I glance at the caller ID and it says "XM/Sony." I answered immediately.


A woman's voices asked "Is this Natalie Wright?"


"Yes," I said.


"And did you register for a contest to go to Dublin to see The Script?"


"Yes . . ."


"You won!"


"Shut up!" I said.


"No, really, you won."


Less than two weeks later, hubby and I were on a plane to Dublin. Free airfare and hotel and extra special bonus, The Script concert with VIP party before and after!


How is this "magic?"


I believe that magic is real. And you don't need a wand or a potion.  Anyone can create.
There are three simple ingredients:  Ask, Believe, Receive


I asked. My intention was clear. I knew what I wanted and why I wanted it.


I Believed. I had no doubt that I was going to win that contest. I just knew I would. 


I Received. Just allowed it to flow to me.


When I tell people this story, they say "Oh, you should play the lottery!"


But I don't play the lottery for one simple reason. I don't believe that I'll win the lottery. The belief part of the equation is required. You simply cannot manifest through your intention things that you don't believe you can have (or that you deserve or that's possible,etc.).


Woven throughout the pages of my novel Emily's House is a primer on how to perform real magic. Manifestation of intention. Emily's House is fiction, but the magic in it is real.


Do you have stories of magic?  Do you experience serendipity or have you had magical things happen to you?  I'd love to hear your magical stories.