You Have a Soul Star
Imbas Dispatch #27
Hello lovely folks,
A few light questions for you, of your average Tuesday:
What if you believed that you are made of the cosmic force of creation? Who would this give you permission to be?
What if you believed that you were born called—that you were born with a soul’s purpose? Who would this give you permission to be?
What if you believed that this cosmic force of creation—the Universe, Goddess, God, Creator, Source, the Divine—could itself get to create, to know itself better through you living into your soul’s purpose? Who would this give you permission to be?
I believe all of the above to be true and I live my life by this knowing—not in any perfect way, but in the messy reality of life. In the chaos of mothering two small boys. In keeping my heart open as it crumbles, little bits of self falling into the horrors of our world. In the precious magnificence of all life can offer in a single breath. All of this and more, always with my eye on my guiding star, my soul, for my soul has its own agenda; everyone’s soul does.
Last week, in the company of the most inspiring community of fellow soul-gardeners, I completed my first iteration of my creativity course, Celtic Soul Garden. We celebrated with a feis, a feast, where folks had the opportunity to share work, creations, and reflections inspired by their dán, their soul’s purpose. It was glorious—the sense of aliveness and privilege of bearing witness to people’s soul expression.
This soul expression came in all forms, as the soul does. Often we pigeonhole creativity to the ‘artist-types’, but creativity is simply what we’re made of. We’re all made from the same mysterious force of creation on this earthly mothership. We are it; it is us. Creativity is how we get to know our souls because that’s how the soul expresses—through what it’s made of.
But sometimes the overculture presents creativity in certain clothing that we cannot see ourselves in. The soul doesn’t give a shite about this; the ego does, because that’s where our socio-cultural conditioning lives—in the ego, and all its tools to protect itself (ourselves) like persona, inflation, and on it goes. Who am I to be creative? Who am I to live into my soul’s purpose?
I believe that living into our soul’s purpose is not fanciful, it’s essential. As I shared recently in, Make Self Care, Soul Care, prioritising our soul care and the image of your dán, is essential because research shows how having a sense of ‘purpose’ in life is critical to our wellbeing. In one study, purpose was seen to reduce mortality by 46% and the risk of depression by 43%.1
You Have a Soul Star
When I first launched Celtic Soul Garden, I thought it was about aligning the creative process to the Celtic Seasons. I soon realised that the creative cauldron held a greater image fuelled by the wider mission of my work, to connect people with their dán, their soul’s creative destiny in Gaelic tradition. We began the journey with folks anchoring into their desire as their north star for the course, or what I call, the dán-desire. Let me break it down:
1. Dán
The Old Irish word, dán, can mean the poetry that is alive within us, a creative or artistic skill, a calling, destiny, or fate—a soul’s unique gift. It is described as both a gift bestowed upon us by the gods and as a gift that we offer back to the gods. Our soul is endowed with a calling by the Universe, and when we live into this calling, we give back to the Universe.
2. Desire
The etymology of the word, desire, is said to derive from the Latin, de sidere, meaning, ‘from the stars’. The star is often understood as the archetype of the ‘Self’, the higher self or soul. So when we get clear on our dán-desire, we align to that north star, the higher self, to guide our creative path.
As Joseph Campbell says:
‘The goal of life
is to make your heartbeat
match the beat of the universe,
to match your nature with Nature.’
Joseph Campbell, Reflections on the Art of Living
Our dán-desire helps us match our heartbeat with the beat of the Universe, to match our nature with Nature.
And so, another question for you:
If you gave your soul free rein today, while your ego had a little nap, what would you get up to?
Honestly?
Give it a go… see where your soul takes you. Even just contemplating this question could open a realm of possibility for you.
Celtic Soul Garden, August-October 2025
If your soul calls you to travel deeper into the creative cosmos, doors have opened for the next cohort of Celtic soul-gardeners, which begins in the harvest season of Lughnasa and ends before Samhain—a perfect time of tending before winter comes, and this will serve as powerful fodder to fuel your winter hearth.
You can read the full curriculum online (contains all class dates, times etc.) by clicking on the image below or download it as an eBook.
Until the summer solstice on 21st June, there is an early bird rate available. This course is open to all who feel the nudge.
Even better, if you are a paid member here on Substack, I’ll be sharing a further €50 off voucher for this course in this evening’s Full Moon Fairytale Céilà with our wild ancestress, Mis, so if you can’t make it live, keep an eye out for the follow-up céilà email tomorrow.
Any questions or musings in response, I’d love to hear from you! ✨
Croà isteach,
Jen x
Purpose: something I feel like I have lost since I became disabled. Society says your purpose has a lot to do with work. At this point, I can barely walk and the pain is something I have to tend to. But, your first italicized words are what I believe as well. I also believe the words of Joseph Campbell. Or, I did. Until my body was easier. But, I know my bones are star stuff, even when they don’t work.
Well this felt like it was written for me:-D Thank you for sharing encouragement and wisdom to lean into my dán. This was such a great course in helping me break through some of the mental and emotional blocks that I and society have put on me.