The House of Oaks and Owls

An Introduction of sorts

Welcome dear reader

So, what is this all about? Well, let me jump right in. My hope is that The House of Oaks and Owls will be thought-provoking, educational, demanding, and appealing to anyone who is drawn to contemplation, nature, and spirituality—people who feel things are falling apart, that the distance between humans and nature is growing, and maybe want to return to something more solid and beautiful. The world aspires to be loved and appreciated, and I think it is time we attended to that.

The immediacy of being able to communicate directly with readers excites me; I feel I have a lot to share. Although each of our journeys will be unique, I'm extending an invitation to you to accompany me a little on mine. 

Each week, I will share whatever is alive in me at that time. Whatever I am reading and getting inspired by. I will write from home and on the road, in cosy pubs, and when sitting beneath a tree.

It's possible that, at this point, you don't know any more than I do about the specific trajectory of this project. It will become evident the more one travels the route, I guess.

The world is getting more confusing. I don’t really trust this great secular project of progress, reason, and the ever-increasing movement forward. Give me a cyclical reality any day, and if I am to die of embarrassment while techno-society marches away ahead of me, so be it. I’d rather die having planted an oak forest and learned to be humble. 

What topics will I write about in The House of Oaks and Owls? I'll take my lead from the Celtic tradition, which holds that in order to completely develop as a human, one must have: 1. A connection to place. 2. A connection to story. I wonder if this has always been the motivation for my exploring, or if, in some ways, I am just getting started. One may characterise this entire project as a journey home, during which I will consider what it means to be in a place and to belong. In its fullest sense, that is a spiritual question, and it will be occupying me in The House of Oaks and Owls. So expect writings about Ireland and its traditions.

Spirituality will undoubtedly be a major component of this endeavour—possibly the main one, given that anyone looking for purpose is never far from encountering the Divine. I started knocking on that door tentatively in my early years, full of hope, preconceptions, and clutter that made it difficult for me to see clearly. Today, I believe my spiritual life is starting to change, mature, and evolve in unexpected and unanticipated ways. But more about that another time.

So, over the coming weeks and months, I will follow my own stumbling path through this fascinating and confusing world. I’m ready, and I’m looking forward to it.

I’m excited to go with you as we seek, ideally, a better knowledge of who we are and where we fit in the universe. Very high standards, indeed. So let’s get started.