Wild Kin: A Celtic Podcast

About Wild Kin: A Celtic Podcast

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 (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Jess Neary

Category

history · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

20 Sept 2025

Latest episode

29 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

19 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   29 Oct 2026

   Wild Ancestry: How We Celebrate Samhain with Jess & Agne

   Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

2. 

   16 Aug 2026

   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 (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/) References R.A. Stewart Macalister (trans.), Lebor Gabála Érenn: The Book of the Taking of Ireland (https://celt.ucc.ie/indexLG.html) (Dublin: Irish Texts Society, 1938–1956), Part IV. Whitley Stokes, trans., "The Second Battle of Moytura," (https://celt.ucc.ie/published/T300010.html) CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts, University College Cork. Julius Caesar, Gallic War (https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0001%3Abook%3D6), (https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0001%3Abook%3D6) 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 (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/14465/14465-h/14465-h.htm) (1904), Book Two: "Lugh of the Long Hand," Project Gutenberg. Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

3. 

   9 Aug 2026

   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 (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/) 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) (https://voicesfromthedawn.com/teltown/)," Voices from the Dawn, July 25, 2010. - L. Winifred Faraday (trans.), "The Cattle Raid of Cualnge (https://sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/crc/crc00.htm)," sacred-texts.com (http://sacred-texts.com), 1904. - Pádraig Bambury and Stephen Beechinor (eds.), "The Annals of Ulster (https://celt.ucc.ie/published/T100001A/index.html)," CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts, University College Cork, 2008. Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

4. 

   1 Aug 2026

   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 (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/) 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," (https://yourirish.com/traditions/festival-of-lughnasadh.) Your Irish Heritage, n.d., A Clerk of Oxford, "A Little History of Lammas," (https://aclerkofoxford.blogspot.com/2017/08/a-little-history-of-lammas.html.) 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," (https://uisneach.ie/events/lughnasadh-on-the-hill-of-uisneach/.) Uisneach.ie (http://Uisneach.ie), n.d., "Lebor Gabála Érenn (The Book of Invasions): Tailtiu Episode," (https://celt.ucc.ie/published/T106500D/text033.html.) Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition (CELT), University College Cork, n.d. Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

5. 

   26 Jul 2026

   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. References A. Stewart Macalister (ed. & trans.), Lebor Gabála Érenn: The Book of the Taking of Ireland (https://celt.ucc.ie/indexLG.html) (Dublin: Irish Texts Society, 1938–1956). Edward Gwynn (ed. & trans.), The Metrical Dindshenchas (https://celt.ucc.ie/published/T106500D/text033.html) (Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, 1903–1935). Shane Hegarty, "Aonach Tailteann: The Great Exhibition of Irish Art in 1922 (https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2022/0811/1315151-aonach-tailteann-great-exhibition-of-irish-art-1922-jack-b-yeats-harry-clarke/)," RTÉ Brainstorm, August 11, 2022. Navan & District Historical Society, "Tailteann / Teltown (https://www.navanhistory.ie/teltown/)," accessed July 24, 2026. Judith Shaw, "Tailtiu: Celtic Earth Goddess of Endurance (https://feminismandreligion.com/2016/10/26/tailtiu-celtic-earth-goddess-of-endurance-by-judith-shaw/)," Feminism and Religion, October 26, 2016. D. A. Binchy, "The Fair of Tailtiu and the Feast of Tara," (https://brehonacademy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/The-Fair-of-Tailtiu-and-the-Feast-of-Tara-D.-A.-Binchy-E%CC%81riu-Vol.-18-1958-pp.-113-138.pdf) Ériu 18 (1958): 113–138. "Foster Care and Its Roots in Ancient, Mythological Ireland (https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/foster-ancient-mythological-ireland)," IrishCentral, April 27, 2026. Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

6. 

   26 Apr 2026

   S3E4: 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 (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/) Further Reading: Sanas Chormaic: Cormac's Glossary (https://www.notion.so/2dc758b05a268033b5d0e633fa1fdd06?pvs=21) Dúchas: The Schools' Collection (https://www.notion.so/17b758b05a2681e4a2d6e7987e492210?pvs=21) Táin Bó Cúailnge: Recension I (https://www.notion.so/UCC-Application-321758b05a2680a0912cc190d0290b9a?pvs=21) Lebor Gabála Érenn (https://www.notion.so/UCC-Application-321758b05a2680a0912cc190d0290b9a?pvs=21) (Book of Invasions) (https://www.notion.so/UCC-Application-321758b05a2680a0912cc190d0290b9a?pvs=21) Foras Feasa ar Éirinn (https://celt.ucc.ie/published/T100054/) by Geoffrey Keating "Manifestations of Sovereignty in Medieval Ireland" (https://www.asnc.cam.ac.uk/publications/Chadwick/HMC%20Vol%2029%202018%20Toner.pdf) The Golden Bough (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3623) by **Sir James George Frazer, 1890 The Anatomie of Abuses (https://www.notion.so/17b758b05a2681e4a2d6e7987e492210?pvs=21) by Philip Stubbes, 1583 Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

7. 

   19 Apr 2026

   S3E3: 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) (https://archive.org/details/cu31924071173474) The Schools’ Collection, 1937–1939 (https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes) “The Needfire Ritual” (https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/abs/needfire-ritual/4944E4D16BCF71227B16F664AD19E34F.) Examples of the Survival in Scotland of Superstitions Relating to Fire” (https://journals.socantscot.org/index.php/psas/issue/view/153) “Four Millennia of Dairy Surplus and Deposition Revealed through Compound-Specific Stable Isotope Analysis and Radiocarbon Dating of Irish Bog Butters” (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-40975-y.) Exploring the Food-Related Intangible Cultural Heritage of Bealtaine (May Day) within the Irish Folklore Commission’s Schools’ Collection Digital Archive (https://journals.openedition.org/etudesirlandaises/12548)” Wild Kin is a podcast and publication reconnecting to Celtic history, mythology, and spiritual tradition. Subscribe on Substack (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/) for more essays, seasonal guides to find your way home to your heritage. Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

8. 

   12 Apr 2026

   S3E2: 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 (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/) Resources - Julius Caesar’s Account of the Gallic Wars (https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Caes.+Gal.+6.16) - The British Museum’s Archive on The Lindow Man (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1984-1002-1) - James Frazer’s recordings from John Ramsay in The Golden Bough (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3623/3623-h/3623-h.htm) - Library of Congress Folklore Blog on Jack in the Green (https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2023/10/green-man-connections-jack-in-the-green-and-more/) Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

9. 

   5 Apr 2026

   S3E1: 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 (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/) 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) (https://celt.ucc.ie/published/T301035.html) via CELT Cáin Lánamna (Brehon Law Text) (https://celt.ucc.ie/published/T102030/) Medb of Connaught (https://heritageireland.ie/2024/11/) Mention of Medb’s Tomb in the Metrical Dindschenchas (https://celt.ucc.ie/published/T106500D/) Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

10. 

    28 Dec 2025

    S2E4: The Wild Winter Mare

    As the year draws to a close, there is a stretch of winter when time feels suspended. The space after holiday celebrations have ended, but before the light truly begins to return. In this episode of Wild Kin, we step into that liminal time, when spirits were once believed to roam freely, and the wild came knocking at the door. Resources: *National Museum Wales: Christmas Traditions: The Mari Lwyd (https://museum.wales/articles/1187/Christmas-Traditions-The-Mari-Lwyd/) *English Heritage: Uffington White Horse (https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/uffington-castle-white-horse-and-dragon-hill/the-uffington-white-horse-project/) *Journal of the Royal Anthropoligical Institute: Rethinking ritual: how rituals made our world and how they could save it (https://rai.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-9655.14048) For more Celtic stories and traditions, check out Wild Kin Studio (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/)on Substack. Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

11. 

    21 Dec 2025

    S2E3: Midwinter Gatherings

    In the heart of winter, when storms rage and resources grow thin, generosity has never been easy, or even optional. In this episode of Wild Kin, we step into the deep history of midwinter to explore why hospitality, gift-giving, and communal care have carried such moral weight across time. From Neolithic stone monuments aligned to the returning sun, to Celtic laws that mandated hosting as a sacred duty, to Christian stories that reframed generosity as divine obligation, we trace how winter has always demanded answers. Resources Winter Solstice at Newgrange (https://www.worldheritageireland.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/1314_World-Heritage-Unit_Winter-Solstice-Research-Report_Final.pdf) — World Heritage Ireland Hospitality and the Law in Early Medieval Ireland (https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2022/0314/1286239-ireland-hospitality-welcome-strangers-medieval-brehon-laws/) — RTÉ Brainstorm Togail Bruidne Dá Derga (The Destruction of Da Derga’s Hostel) (https://celt.ucc.ie/published/T301009.html) (https://celt.ucc.ie/published/T301009.html)— CELT, University College Cork For more Celtic stories and traditions, check out Wild Kin Studio (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/)on Substack. Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

12. 

    14 Dec 2025

    S2E2: The Holly Tree

    Holly is more than a Christmas decoration — it’s one of winter’s oldest guardians. In this episode of Wild Kin, we trace holly’s path from pagan threshold magic and medieval law to ogham lore, wandering spirits, and the evergreen symbol we still hang above our doors today. Resources & Further Reading Ilex aquifolium (Holly) — University College Cork (https://www.ucc.ie/en/tree-explorers/trees/a-z/ilexaquifolium/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) Auraicept na n-Éces — CELT Edition (https://celt.ucc.ie/published/G502003.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com) Bríatharogam (Ogham Kennings) — Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Br%C3%ADatharogam?utm_source=chatgpt.com) Celtic Tree Alphabets — Nigel Pennick Trees in Early Ireland — Fergus Kelly (PDF) (https://www.forestryfocus.ie/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Trees-in-Early-Ireland.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com) To hear more, check out The Artio Journal on Substack (https://artiojournal.substack.com/podcast) Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

13. 

    7 Dec 2025

    S2E1: The Winter Crone

    The first frost isn’t just a shift in weather — it’s the moment the Cailleach rises. Mountain-shaper. Storm-bringer. Guardian of the wild herds. This week on Wild Kin, we travel into the heart of her mythology:how the winter crone shaped the landscape, why she appears at the turning of the season, and what her ancient stories reveal about aging, power, and the wisdom found in darkness. Resources and References Blackie, Sharon: If Women Rose Rooted. September Publishing, 2016. Jones, Mary: Cailleach Bérri: The Lament of the Old Woman of Beare (https://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/beare.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com). (Primary text translation.) Martin, B. K.: Lament of the Old Woman of Beare: A Critical Evaluation (https://www.jstor.org/stable/43627561?utm_source=chatgpt.com). Medium Ævum, 38(3), 1969. PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences). Post-reproductive Lifespan in Humans and Whales (https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1903844116). 2019 (Grandmother Hypothesis reference) Ritari, Kati. Images of Ageing in the Early Irish Poem Caillech Bérri (https://journal.fi/scf/article/view/7419/5771).Studia Celtica Fennica, 19, 2022. Whyte, A. C. The Cailleach in Scottish Place-Lore and Place-Names (https://clog.glasgow.ac.uk/ojs/index.php/JSNS/article/view/58?utm_source=chatgpt.com). Journal of Scottish Name Studies, 14, 2020. Check out Wild Kin Studio (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/) on Substack for more Celtic-inspired stories. Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

14. 

    26 Oct 2025

    S1E5: Samhain (Halloween)

    Long before Halloween, the ancient Celts gathered under darkening skies to mark Samhain, the festival that ended the harvest season and began the dark half of the year. From Neolithic monuments aligned to the autumn sun, to Iron Age bonfires, and medieval tales of spirits and heroes crossing between worlds, this episode follows how Samhain evolved through the centuries into the Halloween we know today. Resources & References National Museum of Ireland – Rites of Passage at Tara (https://www.museum.ie/en-ie/museums/archaeology/exhibitions/rites-of-passage-at-tara) Mound of the Hostages, Hill of Tara (https://www.knowth.com/mound-of-the-hostages.htm) Excavations at Tlachtga, Hill of Ward, Co. Meath (https://the-past.com/review/books/excavations-at-tlachtga-hill-of-ward-co-meath-ireland/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) – The Past Magazine Review (https://the-past.com/review/books/excavations-at-tlachtga-hill-of-ward-co-meath-ireland/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) Daniel Kirkpatrick – Etymology of Irish Festivals (https://www.danielkirkpatrick.co.uk/irish-language/etymology-irish-festivals/) The Secret History of Bonfire (https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/the-secret-history-of-bonfire) – Merriam-Webster (https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/the-secret-history-of-bonfire) CNN Feature: All Saints’ Day Explained (https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/01/world/all-saints-day-2021-trnd) The Stingy Jack Story: The Jack-o’-Lantern Origin in Irish Folklore (https://www.theirishjewelrycompany.com/blog/post/the-stingy-jack-story-the-jack-o-lantern-origin-in-irish-folklore) Soul Cake (Wikipedia) (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Soul_cake&useskin=monobook#Souling) The History of Trick-or-Treating (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-history-of-trick-or-treating-goes-back-centuries-79408373/) – Smithsonian Magazine (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-history-of-trick-or-treating-goes-back-centuries-79408373/) How the Irish Famine Brought Halloween to America (https://www.irishpost.com/heritage/how-irish-great-famine-brought-halloween-to-america-161376) – The Irish Post (https://www.irishpost.com/heritage/how-irish-great-famine-brought-halloween-to-america-161376) Halloween Spending Reaches Record $13.1 Billion (https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/nrf-consumer-survey-finds-halloween-spending-to-reach-record-13-1-billion?utm_source=chatgpt.com) – National Retail Federation (https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/nrf-consumer-survey-finds-halloween-spending-to-reach-record-13-1-billion?utm_source=chatgpt.com) For more Celtic-inspired stories, check out Wild Kin Studio (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/) on Substack Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

15. 

    19 Oct 2025

    S1E4: Ancestral Spirits

    From feasts for the dead and sacred burial mounds to the shimmering Otherworld of Irish mythology, this story explores how Celtic spirituality saw death not as a departure, but a transformation- a continuation of relationship. We follow how this worldview evolved through Christianization, the Victorian spiritualist revival, and into the modern fascination with ghosts and consciousness studies, showing how our oldest beliefs in the unseen still echo today. Resources & References Julius Caesar, De Bello Gallico: Perseus Digital Library (https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text.jsp?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0001%3Abook%3D6%3Achapter%3D14) Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Book 5: University of Chicago Penelope Project (https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Siculus/5B*.html) “Feasts for the Dead in Iron Age Europe:” Folklore Studies Journal Archive Pew Research Center: “Spirituality Among Americans” (2023) (https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2023/12/07/spirituality-among-americans/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) Division of Perceptual Studies, University of Virginia: “Mediumship Under Controlled Conditions” (2011) (https://med.virginia.edu/perceptual-studies/wp-content/uploads/sites/360/2016/12/KEL13JNMD-2011-Mediumship-Paper.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com) PubMed: “Anomalous Information Reception by Mediums” (2021) (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34147342/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) The Society for Psychical Research: spr.ac.uk (https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text.jsp?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0001%3Abook%3D6%3Achapter%3D14) Check out Wild Kin Studio (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/) on Substack for more Celtic-inspired stories, rituals, and seasonal reflections. Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

16. 

    12 Oct 2025

    S1E3: The Irish Werewolf

    This episode explores the origins of Ireland’s werewolf legends — from Celtic wolf-warrior rituals and shapeshifting myths to the medieval Werewolves of Ossory and the extinction of real wolves in Irish history. Blending Celtic mythology, folklore, and history, it traces how these sacred symbols became stories of fear and fascination from ancient Ireland to the modern world. Resources & References Topographia Hibernica (https://scalar.usc.edu/works/praxis-of-social-imaginaries/topographia-hibernica?utm_source=chatgpt.com) — Gerald of Wales (analysis via Praxis of Social Imaginaries) (https://scalar.usc.edu/works/praxis-of-social-imaginaries/topographia-hibernica?utm_source=chatgpt.com) The Werewolves of Ossory — Kilkenny Castle Archives (https://www.kilkennycastle.ie/the-ossory-werewolves/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) St Patrick and the Werewolves of Ossory — (https://www.medievalists.net/2020/03/st-patrick-ossory-werewolves/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)Medievalists.net (https://scalar.usc.edu/works/praxis-of-social-imaginaries/topographia-hibernica?utm_source=chatgpt.com) “The Wonders of Ireland” — Maynooth University Research Archive (https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/id/eprint/5623/1/EB-Wonders.pdf) The Curse of Cromwell and Ireland’s Wolves (https://www.irishtimes.com/news/curse-of-cromwell-extended-to-ireland-s-wolf-population-1.769291) — (https://www.irishtimes.com/news/curse-of-cromwell-extended-to-ireland-s-wolf-population-1.769291)Irish Times (https://www.irishtimes.com/news/curse-of-cromwell-extended-to-ireland-s-wolf-population-1.769291) The Kóryos: Indo-European Wolf-Bands (https://www.historicmysteries.com/archaeology/koryos/32045/) — (https://www.historicmysteries.com/archaeology/koryos/32045/)Historic Mysteries (https://www.historicmysteries.com/archaeology/koryos/32045/) The Curious History of the Irish Wolfhound (https://www.irishpost.com/life-style/the-curious-history-of-how-the-irish-wolfhound-avoided-extinction-to-become-part-of-brand-ireland-116934?utm_source=chatgpt.com) — (https://www.irishpost.com/life-style/the-curious-history-of-how-the-irish-wolfhound-avoided-extinction-to-become-part-of-brand-ireland-116934?utm_source=chatgpt.com)Irish Post (https://www.irishpost.com/life-style/the-curious-history-of-how-the-irish-wolfhound-avoided-extinction-to-become-part-of-brand-ireland-116934?utm_source=chatgpt.com) Want to Explore More? - Highly recommend watching WolfWalkers (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5198068/) — a gorgeous animated film inspired by the Irish legends. - Though wolves vanished from Ireland in the 18th century, conservation groups are still debating their potential reintroduction to the Irish wilderness. You can learn more through Rewilding Europe (https://rewildingeurope.com/rewilding-in-action/wildlife-comeback/wolf/). Check out Wild Kin Studio (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/) for more Celtic-inspired stories! Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

17. 

    5 Oct 2025

    S1E2: The Banshee

    Before she became a ghostly omen in folklore, the banshee began as a woman whose voice bridged the living and the dead. Her cries were not curses, but calls of love and remembrance, echoing the ancient Celtic tradition of keening: ritual laments that helped souls cross to the Otherworld. In this episode of Wild Kin, we trace the origins of the banshee from these ancient traditions of early Ireland and how this ancient act of mourning is being revived today as a powerful expression of grief and connection. Resources & References: BBC: The Women Reviving Ireland’s Ancient Keening Tradition (2023) (https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-67462985) Six authentic recordings from Ireland and Scotland (1955-1965) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgts7_b1JWY) Ulster University 2023 Study on Mourning Practices — exploring how traditional Irish rituals help process grief. (https://pure.ulster.ac.uk/en/publications/the-psychological-burden-of-bereavement-in-the-general-population) If you’d like to learn more about preserving Irish oral traditions, consider exploring: The Irish Traditional Music Archive (https://www.itma.ie/) The National Folklore Collection at University College Dublin (https://www.duchas.ie/en) For more Celtic inspired stories and resources, check out Wild Kin Studio on Substack. (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/) Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

18. 

    1 Oct 2025

    S1E1: The Bear Goddess

    Thousands of years ago, Artio was revered as a goddess of wilderness, transformation, and abundance. Worshipped by the Helvetii tribe of Switzerland and later remembered in Roman-era inscriptions and statues, she embodies the wild strength of the European brown bear and the cycles of the natural world. Resources & References: The bronze statue of Artio from Bern, Switzerland (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artio?utm_source=chatgpt.com) UNESCO: Białowieża Forest (https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/33?utm_source=chatgpt.com) U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) (https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/species/7642?utm_source=chatgpt.com) 🌲 If you’d like to support bear conservation, consider looking into: Yellowstone Forever (https://www.yellowstone.org) Vital Ground Foundation (https://www.vitalground.org) Want more Celtic-inspired stories and seasonal resources?Subscribe to Wild Kin Studio on Substack (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/). Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

19. 

    20 Sept 2025

    Wild Kin Official Trailer

    Your first sneak peek at Wild Kin, a seasonal podcast that reconnects us with Celtic myths and traditions. Join your host, Jess Neary, as she brings ancient legends to life and explores how these pagan stories still shape our modern world. Each season, Wild Kin follows the Celtic calendar, with episodes dropping around Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh. Every week during these festivals, you’ll hear an original immersive story followed by the history and modern meaning of the goddesses, gods, and traditions they honor. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the first episode on October 1. And if you’d like to dive deeper, check out The Artio Journal on Substack (link). Get full access to Wild Kin at wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe (https://wildkinstudio.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Contact Wild Kin: A Celtic Podcast

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.