Presenter Biography:

Brian Walsh has been a priest in the Céilí Sídhe tradition of Celtic Paganism since 1990. He has a B.A. in Celtic Studies and Religious Studies from the University of Toronto, and an M.Phil. from the University of Wales. His thesis was published as "The Secret Commonwealth and the Fairy Belief Complex" (2002).
Brian has been a guest lecturer at both Wilfred Laurier University and the 1996 Annual Conference of the American Academy of Religion, and has given presentations for Hamilton Pagan Pride 2003 and SORCery 2004. As well, Brian offers an ongoing lecture series through New Tara.
Currently, Brian is the Celtic and Reconstructionist Chaplain at the University of Toronto, a certified and practicing life coach (ACPC) and a licensed Wedding Officiant, able to perform legal weddings.http://www.NewTara.org.

Speaker Topics:

Bealtaine: the Feast of Life

Is the Celtic festival Bealtaine really about maypoles, lust, and rustic romance? Maybe it's really about fire, danger and divorce. Or maybe, its really all about the cows. Come and find out in this presentation that explores the mythology, folklore, themes, and history of the May 1st Celtic holiday, Bealtaine.
Examine the relevance of Beltaine to traditional culture. Learn of the differences between traditional and modern practices. Discover Beltaines contemporary relevance to modern pagans. Discuss how the traditional spirit of Bealtaine can be celebrated in the contemporary context of our lives. Come explore Bealtaine as you've rarely seen it before!