(The story of "Jumping Mouse" was written by Hieronymos Storm, from the book "Seven Arrows.")
Let me tell you a story...
MUSICAL TALES FOR THE INNER BEING, harp/storytelling
The Ancient Bards of Ireland could shift the energy in a room with their stories and music. They traveled from castle to castle, bringing the news of village life, wars,whatever was going on. The storytelling I do is a healing art form. It is mostly for adult audiences, for the child within us all.
Fran Stallings*, storyteller, says stories themselves have a special power. They compel us to "hear and attend and listen" in a way that other forms of speech do not. Some stories, told by some tellers, spin the web almost from the first words spoken. The human brain has a special affinity for story form. There are multilayered motifs in stories, and if they are emotionally meaningful in content, they help a person focus concentration inward.They teach you how to listen.
Sometimes a story entrances because of what it doesn't say. Many people have fond remembrances of listening to radio before we had TV, and the delightful imagining we did in our mind as we listened. The most powerful stories attempt some sort of answer to deep questions in life.Live storytelling is much more potent than recordings, and the addition of the Celtic harp accompaniment adds another dimension of listening enjoyment.
Storytelling is a "medicine" as seeds of healing are planted gently, under cover of fantasy or entertainment. And the seeds will germinate only in its own time. The tales I share are transformational. They create a sacred space. I have shared these stories to dying persons, mentally challenged children, new age centers, churches, and a university class. Storytelling is especially valuable as an activity in building community.
The Ancient Bards of Ireland could shift the energy in a room with their stories and music. They traveled from castle to castle, bringing the news of village life, wars,whatever was going on. The storytelling I do is a healing art form. It is mostly for adult audiences, for the child within us all.