Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I was born in Aberdeen Scotland, but I don’t really remember it much, I was too young. I grew up in rural Kent and Surrey before spending 10 years in London. It’s there that I developed an interest in Druidism among other spiritual paths. I first visited Ireland in 1991 with my future wife and I moved to Ireland in 1999 permanently.  I’ve been writing a while, my latest book is my 11th, but I’ve also been involved in music, graphic design, painting, photography and horticulture. I’m still involved in Druidism today and I also edit Pagan Ireland magazine.

How would you describe your spiritual pathway?

I guess I’m very much a Druid, but I also have a big interest in Buddhism and a few other world religions. I’m more of a gnostic than anything- I believe in a unique and personal connection with the Creator or Spirit. To me the Gods are avatars of the source or Creator and I’d be very much an animist  in my thinking about nature and deity.

How and when did your spiritual journey begin?

I was raised as a Roman Catholic but I discovered Buddhism from my uncle at 15. Reading the ‘Dhammapada’ really changed my life and opened me up to alternative ways of seeing the world. It showed me that how we experience reality is very much determined by our internal state, as much as what is going on outside us.

How does nature feature in your pathway?

Nature has always been a huge part of my life. As long as I can remember there were always pets and animals around and trees, and gardens. I began ‘helping’ with growing veg at 6 or 7, although I was more interested in running off to play back then. Even when I lived in a city for 10 years, I always felt the connection to nature and the need to escape from all the concrete and pollution. Nature is a huge part of my life and by now I think I could not live in a town or city ever again.

What does a regular ‘day in the life of’ feature for you?

Ooh that changes over time. I do a certain amount of ‘work’ but then with creativity it goes in phases. I’ve spent a few years at a time focussing on one or more art forms, and then changing. I’d like to get back to painting which I haven’t really done for close to 15 years now. Currently I’m still in writing mode, but I think that will also end, at least for a while, for me to focus on a different form of creativity. I always get outside every day, even if it’s only 30 minutes, I need that, I’d go nuts otherwise! Food is important to me, I like to cook and enjoy a good meal. I love to listen to music and read when I can, but I also love going to the cinema and to meet up with friends from time to time.

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Do you have any specific daily spiritual practices?

I do some prayers and Reiki pretty much every day. I try to do yoga and either Qi Gong or Aikido as often as possible, but that can be tough to fit in at times. I try to meditate fairly often, although it’s not daily any more – I struggle to find time and TBH I am a bit lazy. I tend to put more effort in when I know I have to do spiritual work with others or I have some kind of event or celebration approaching.

How does music feature in your life?

I could live without a TV but not a stereo. I also love to have a guitar around, but as I’m short on time quite a lot, I don’t play it as much as I’d like. Music has been part of my life since I was a kid and I learned to play the recorder at 7 before moving on to other instruments. I was a professional musician for some years, on and off, and made a bunch of records, but I am retired from that now. I still love to play, when I have time, which is something I’d like to get back to in the future, but only for my own enjoyment.

What suggestions do you have for how we can all help save the environment?

This is both a very complex and a simple problem at the same time. The simplistic contribution that we can make, that is probably the most powerful one too, is to stop buying stuff! A lot of people are addicted to buying things and most of what we buy is pretty unnecessary IMO. I tend to buy most items second hand if I can and I make them last until they are literally falling apart.
Another massive difference we can make is to plant as many species of plants as possible, even if it’s in containers. Monocultures are like death to nature – such a thing never exists in a human-free environment, and just grass is of zero benefit to the world. A variety of species is both interesting and beautiful to look at, but more importantly it helps nature to sustain itself.

What or who inspires you in your spiritual pathway?

Ooh that’s a difficult one. Two people I often mention are Martin Luther King Jr and Mohandas Gandhi – what they did was revolutionary and changed the world beyond anything they probably imagined they could achieve. Others who have inspired me are some of my teachers over the years and also writers such as Jiddu Krishnamurti, John Moriarty, Alan Watts, Terence McKenna, Russell Means, Rachel Carson and Aldous Huxley. Some musicians have also impacted me deeply too, such as Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone and Bob Dylan and the life of Vincent Van Gough is also a great life lesson of perseverance in adversity, when no-one believed in what he was doing at the time. The past is full of amazing people who can inspire us today and probably will continue to do so, long after you and I are gone.

What new ventures or projects are you working on?

I’ve a new book out at the moment that I am excited about, but I have a couple more book projects in progress and ideas for some art, if I can get away from the writing for a while. I’m also working on a major gardening project right now and planting a new Druidic grove here in Kerry. I’m always saying I’m going to stop and do nothing for a few months, but somehow that never seems to happen!