In the coastal town of Skerries, nestled along Ireland’s eastern shores about a 40-minute drive due-northeast of Dublin, Jen Murphy is weaving together the threads of ancient wisdom and modern longing.

Founder of The Celtic Creatives, Murphy has dedicated her life to helping women reconnect with lost parts of themselves through Irish feminine mysticism. Her journey, shaped in childhood and defined by folklore, was later refined through both a personal and professional journey that spanned anthropology, human rights, and deep personal transformation.

“I grew up in a lively working-class suburb of north Dublin,” she recalls. “My grandmother, Frances O’Sullivan, filled my ears with Irish folklore – stories passed down through generations.”

Those first forays with folklore left a lasting impression, setting Murphy on a path to study Medieval Irish and Celtic Studies before plying her trade for 14 years as an anthropologist in human rights education.

Life, however, had other plans.

“In 2019, while pregnant with my second son, I had a cervical cancer scare. It changed everything; I left my career as I knew it and dove deep into the feminine – training in somatic modalities, Jungian psychology, and dreamwork. From that, The Celtic Creatives was born.”

Murphy’s work is not merely the surface study of esoteric ideologies, however – it is the hands-on, everyday practice of those principles that enables the process of authentic self-discovery.

“For women to discover lost parts of themselves through Irish feminine mysticism, they must reconnect with what I call the three bodies: the Earth Body, ancestral connection to nature; the Creative Body, following our dán, an Old Irish term for one’s calling; and the Moon Body, the unconscious self waiting to be integrated.”

She brings this philosophy to life through offerings that blend creativity with spirituality, including one-on-one mentoring, a vibrant Substack community, self-guided courses, and in-person retreats in Ireland. Her most popular course, The Celtic Woman’s Voyage, guides participants through the Celtic Calendar alongside Irish goddesses.

“Everything I do is infused with co-creation with my ancestors and the Celtic Otherworld. Modern interpretations of Celtic mythology often miss two vital aspects: the feminine and the body. But our ancestors understood their importance.”

Her work with others evolved as her own journey took shape and progressed.

“When I started, I was focused on feminine embodiment coaching. Now, it’s about the art of belonging – coming home to our authentic nature. Research shows that people who feel they belong are nearly three times more likely to have a greater sense of well-being. This includes belonging to our lineage.”

Her path hasn’t always been easy. “Running a business while raising two young sons, I have had to surrender to the current of life, aligning my creative work with the wisdom of the Celtic Calendar. It makes everything flow easier.”

Despite the challenges, she reaps the very rewards that she seeks to bring to her clients.

“Living my dán, my creative calling – is a gift. And seeing what a connection to Celtic spirituality does for others is extraordinary…”

Though her work is deeply rooted in Irish tradition, Murphy’s clients come from across the globe, with many of Irish heritage seeking to reconnect with their roots in meaningful ways.

“They’re often overwhelmed by modern life and patriarchal structures and carry a deep longing to re-enchant their lives, sensing that their ancestors knew something vital. But they might be unsure how to access it.”

Connecting with others initially through her website, social media, podcast appearances, and events, the real transformations happen in person, with many clients expressing, “I feel like I’ve finally come home.”

Although Murphy may feel right at home guiding others through the process of personal transformation, she is also excited to continue her own journey.

“I want to open a mythic arts center in Skerries – a space where people can gather, collaborate, and co-create with the Celtic Otherworld.”

In the meantime, she is busy launching Celtic Soul Garden, a course for creatives seeking to align their projects with the Celtic Calendar, as well as planning for a retreat that she will host in the sacred Boyne Valley this autumn. She is also writing a book proposal and undertaking a three-year research program in dreamwork and ancestral stories.

In a world that often leaves many of us feeling disconnected and uncertain, Murphy sees an increasing hunger for spiritual depth. “The global polycrisis is waking people up. They’re realizing there has to be another way. And there is.”

She points to an old distinction in Irish culture as a clue to the solution: “sous” and “imbas.”

“Sous is book knowledge, formal study. Imbas is poetic wisdom – insight gained from nature, ancestors, and the soul. Today, we have plenty of sous, but not enough imbas.”

celticcreatives.com
@celticembodiment