Returning to Roots – Selkie Song & the Spirit of Brigid

On Saturday, August 9th, the Romulus Folio Gallery was transformed into a sanctuary of myth, music, and shared reflection as we welcomed Kathryn Farrell for the pilot workshop in her Reconnecting to Roots series.

Kathryn’s deep reverence for story, song, and ancestral memory shone through every moment. With her stunning voice, she carried us into the mythic realms of the Selkie — a being of sea and skin who moves between worlds, and into the sacred presence of Goddess Brigid, protector of poets, healers, and midwives.

Between songs in Irish Gaelic, Kathryn guided us through gentle writing prompts, moments of personal reflection, and rich conversations about belonging. These threads wove together a tapestry of shared experience, one where myth and memory met in a living, breathing present.

The gallery, surrounded by the works of the Embers exhibition by resident artist Angelina Mirabito, serendipitously echoed the themes of the day: the embers of what does not die but discovers itself anew, after the fire.

As Nahuat Pipil Knowledge-Holder Tata Juan Nelson Rojas says:

“We dream the past to remember the future.”

This gathering felt like exactly that, a dreaming-together across cultures, lands, and lineages, known or unknown. All were welcomed, and all left carrying something quietly powerful.

We’re also proud that this event supported Hometree, a nature restoration charity in the west of Ireland working to re-establish native temperate rainforests. A portion of every ticket helped further this cause, connecting our afternoon here in South Melbourne to a living landscape across the sea.

It was a beautiful afternoon, one that will stay with us like the echo of a song.