Wild Kin: A Celtic Podcast

Jess Neary
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  • Updated Bimonthly

Wild Kin is a seasonal podcast exploring Celtic myths, deities, and traditions. Hosted by writer Jess Neary of Wild Kin Studio, each episode blends immersive storytelling with history and reflection to show why these legends still resonate today. New episodes drop around the Celtic festivals of Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh. wildkinstudio.substack.com

  1. 2d ago

    Lughnasadh E4: The God of the Festival

    He's remembered as a warrior, a poet, a healer, and a craftsman all at once, and an entire Celtic harvest festival still carries his name three thousand years later. In our Lughnasadh season finale, we're meeting Lugh- the many-skilled god behind it all. We'll trace his rise from a prophecy to one of the most well-documented festivals in the ancient Celtic world. For more Celtic-inspired stories and resources, subscribe to Wild Kin on Substack References R.A. Stewart Macalister (trans.), Lebor Gabála Érenn: The Book of the Taking of Ireland (Dublin: Irish Texts Society, 1938–1956), Part IV. Whitley Stokes, trans., "The Second Battle of Moytura," CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts, University College Cork. Julius Caesar, Gallic War, Book VI, chapter 17, trans. W.A. McDevitte & W.S. Bohn, Perseus Digital Library, Tufts University. Lady Augusta Gregory, "The Coming of Lugh," in Gods and Fighting Men (1904), Book Two: "Lugh of the Long Hand," Project Gutenberg. Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe

  2. Aug 9

    Lughnasadh E3: Matchmaking

    At the height of the Lughnasadh fair, families gathered from across the land to trade, to settle disputes, and, some say, for matchmaking. This episode traces what we actually know about marriage at the ancient festival, and the surprisingly practical unions recognized under Brehon law. For more Celtic-inspired stories, subscribe to Wild Kin Studio on Substack Sources - Eska, Charlene M. Cáin Lánamna: An Old Irish Tract on Marriage and Divorce Law. Leiden: Brill, 2010. - MacNeill, Máire. The Festival of Lughnasa: A Study of the Survival of the Celtic Festival of the Beginning of Harvest. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1962. - Howard Goldbaum, "Teltown (Tailteann)," Voices from the Dawn, July 25, 2010. - L. Winifred Faraday (trans.), "The Cattle Raid of Cualnge," sacred-texts.com, 1904. - Pádraig Bambury and Stephen Beechinor (eds.), "The Annals of Ulster," CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts, University College Cork, 2008. Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe

  3. Aug 1

    Lughnasadh E2: The Celtic Olympics

    Every August 1st, people across the Celtic world gathered for Lughnasadh—one of the best-documented festivals of the ancient calendar. In this episode, we step onto the fairground itself: the games, the legal proceedings, the matchmaking, and the truce that made all of it possible. We'll also look at what modern archaeoastronomy has revealed about just how far this tradition traveled, and how a Celtic harvest festival ended up shaping a Roman political calendar. Subscribe to Wild Kin Studio on Substack Sources: D.A. Binchy, "The Fair of Tailtiu and the Feast of Tara," Ériu 18 (Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, 1958), 113–138. D.A. Binchy, "Mellbretha," Celtica 8 (Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1968), 144–154. A. César González-García, Marco V. García Quintela, and A. Rodríguez Antón, "The Orientation of Lugdunum Conuenarum and the Celtic Feasts Marking the Start of the Seasons in Ancient Gaul," Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry 16, no. 4 (2016), 241–247. "Festival of Lughnasadh," Your Irish Heritage, n.d., A Clerk of Oxford, "A Little History of Lammas," A Clerk of Oxford (blog), August 1, 2017, Róisín Kennedy, "The Tailteann Games: Ireland's Ancient Olympics," RTÉ Brainstorm, April 17, 2024. "Lughnasadh on the Hill of Uisneach," Uisneach.ie, n.d., "Lebor Gabála Érenn (The Book of Invasions): Tailtiu Episode," Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition (CELT), University College Cork, n.d. Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe

    Lughnasadh E2: The Celtic Olympics

  4. Jul 26

    Lughnasadh E1: A Heart in Exchange for a Harvest

    Before the festival, there was Tailtiu. A defeated queen clearing a forest by hand so her people could eat, she gave everything to the effort. The festival we now call Lughnasadh was born from the grief and gratitude that followed. In this episode, we trace her story from the earliest surviving Irish texts to how her legacy continues to live on today. Subscribe to Wild Kin Studio on Substack References A. Stewart Macalister (ed. & trans.), Lebor Gabála Érenn: The Book of the Taking of Ireland (Dublin: Irish Texts Society, 1938–1956). Edward Gwynn (ed. & trans.), The Metrical Dindshenchas (Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, 1903–1935). Shane Hegarty, "Aonach Tailteann: The Great Exhibition of Irish Art in 1922," RTÉ Brainstorm, August 11, 2022. Navan & District Historical Society, "Tailteann / Teltown," accessed July 24, 2026. Judith Shaw, "Tailtiu: Celtic Earth Goddess of Endurance," Feminism and Religion, October 26, 2016. D. A. Binchy, "The Fair of Tailtiu and the Feast of Tara," Ériu 18 (1958): 113–138. "Foster Care and Its Roots in Ancient, Mythological Ireland," IrishCentral, April 27, 2026. Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe

  5. Apr 26

    Beltane E4: At the Threshold of Desire

    From the sovereignty goddess tradition of the early Irish, through the May Day customs, this episode traces where the traditions of Beltane originated. Most of what people associate with the festival today was invented surprisingly recently, but underneath the layers, there's something older and more interesting worth finding. For more Celtic-inspired stories, check out Wild Kin Studio on Substack Further Reading: Sanas Chormaic: Cormac's Glossary Dúchas: The Schools' Collection Táin Bó Cúailnge: Recension I Lebor Gabála Érenn (Book of Invasions) Foras Feasa ar Éirinn by Geoffrey Keating "Manifestations of Sovereignty in Medieval Ireland" The Golden Bough by **Sir James George Frazer, 1890 The Anatomie of Abuses by Philip Stubbes, 1583 Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe

  6. Apr 19

    Beltane E3: Bonfires & Butter

    The Celtic festival of Beltane was never just about the fires. Behind the bonfires of May Eve lay something deeper — a three-thousand-year reverence for cattle, milk, and butter, and a persistent fear of the forces that might steal them away. Further Reading Sanas Cormaic (Cormac’s Glossary) The Schools’ Collection, 1937–1939 “The Needfire Ritual” Examples of the Survival in Scotland of Superstitions Relating to Fire” “Four Millennia of Dairy Surplus and Deposition Revealed through Compound-Specific Stable Isotope Analysis and Radiocarbon Dating of Irish Bog Butters” Exploring the Food-Related Intangible Cultural Heritage of Bealtaine (May Day) within the Irish Folklore Commission’s Schools’ Collection Digital Archive” Wild Kin is a podcast and publication reconnecting to Celtic history, mythology, and spiritual tradition. Subscribe on Substack for more essays, seasonal guides to find your way home to your heritage. Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe

  7. Apr 12

    Beltane E2: Spring Sacrifice

    As the first of May approaches, the ancient Celtic festival of Beltane marks a turning point as a threshold between seasons. In this episode, we explore how communities may have prepared for the coming summer with rituals that hint at something darker. From the preserved body of Lindow Man, to 18th century Beltane customs recorded by John Ramsay, to the later May Day figure of Jack in the Green, a pattern begins to emerge. While separated by centuries, these traditions reflect a shared human response to uncertainty, and the question of what must be given in return. For more Celtic-inspired stories, check out Wild Kin Studio on Substack Resources - Julius Caesar’s Account of the Gallic Wars - The British Museum’s Archive on The Lindow Man - James Frazer’s recordings from John Ramsay in The Golden Bough - Library of Congress Folklore Blog on Jack in the Green Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe

  8. Apr 5

    Beltane E1: The Bull, the Queen, and the Balance of Power

    What does it mean to hold power, and what does it take to claim it? In this episode of Wild Kin, we step into the world of early Ireland through the story of Medb, a queen remembered for her ambition, her strategy, and the war she waged to secure her place as an equal ruler. But beneath the drama of cattle raids and battlefield tactics lies something deeper. Medb’s story opens a window into a society where wealth, land, and authority were closely intertwined- and where power within marriage, leadership, and even the land itself followed a very different logic than what we know today. From early Irish law to sovereignty traditions and later reinterpretations, we explore how Medb’s story has endured, evolved, and continues to resonate. If you'd like more Celtic stories & resources, check out Wild Kin Studio on Substack Resources: Primary texts are drawn from the CELT (Corpus of Electronic Texts) archive at University College Cork. Táin Bó Cúailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley) via CELT Cáin Lánamna (Brehon Law Text) Medb of Connaught Mention of Medb’s Tomb in the Metrical Dindschenchas Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe

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Wild Kin is a seasonal podcast exploring Celtic myths, deities, and traditions. Hosted by writer Jess Neary of Wild Kin Studio, each episode blends immersive storytelling with history and reflection to show why these legends still resonate today. New episodes drop around the Celtic festivals of Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh. wildkinstudio.substack.com

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