An American in Dublin

I am truly an American in Dublin, but no longer feel myself to be a stranger here. I’ve been coming for over ten years now for up to a month at a time. I find most Dubliners to be quite hospitable and ready for a friendly chat. This is a fast-paced city and, walking briskly about, I see more youthfulness than in most American cities. This also seems to be true of the clients I see while here. They are markedly young, in their 20s and early 30s compared to the more middle-aged group I serve back in California.

Who are these Dubliners, and what brings them to seek out an astrologer/intuitive? Many are seeking their path in life and needing a mirror to objectify what is nascently felt from within, but often times not yet fully validated. A perfect stranger, like myself, can read and scan quickly without personal bias, confirming those inner yearnings that need encouragement. It feels good to ‘be seen’ at a level that goes deeper than mere surface.

I am deeply encouraged by what I do see in these blossoming Irish souls. Many are already melding alternative and mainstream together such as the young model/actress who also practices Reiki with clients, or the business man who inspects buildings and is now desirous of sharing his mind-boggling psychic experiences with others.

One fine Dubliner named Vincent is a sterling example of just what I love about these Irish. He is an accomplished electrical engineer currently working on a major project in London at the Heathrow Airport. This, in turn, affords him the opportunity to continue his studies in astrology at The Centre for Psychological Astrology while there. Back home, here in Dublin, he owns the Olive Tree Studio, www.olivetreedublin.com The business card reads, “We at Olive Tree Studio like to look after people. Says an Olive Tree to its Master: ‘Look after me and I will nourish you. Water me and I will enrich you.'”

This studio at 15 Grantham Street provides a beautiful space for yoga, pilates, and other forms of Mind, Body, and Soul work such as Synergy Dance, which Danielle teaches. I walk one Saturday morning from her home in Ballsbridge along the canal, that runs through the heart of this city, for over a mile to the Olive Tree. The brisk air is invigorating and the canal walk is idyllic with weeping willows along its banks, ducks floating in the water, and an occasional dog with owner strolling by. I walk past the birthplace of George Bernard Shaw on Lennox St. a couple of blocks before arriving at Vincent’s place where, yes, the small olive tree grows healthy and strong in the front courtyard of his studio. I feel right at home because back in California our home has an enormous, forty-foot high olive tree towering in our front yard. The olive, by the way, as a flower essence, is highly restorative.

Entering his Georgian era home is like getting a chakra tune-up. The sitting room is red, the hall way is yellow, the kitchen bright blue. The crystal chandeliers have colored dew drops to match each color of the rooms. Simply enchanting!

I meet Veronica from Sweden who teaches yoga here. She is also a fine painter and some of her works hang on Vincent’s walls. She is typical of the international flavor of Dublin now. She has lived in Dublin a good many years, but also plans to perhaps study and travel in the US if the opportunity arises. Veronica has traveled extensively in her pursuit of knowledge, including studies in India. She, like Vincent, is incredibly eclectic. Her business card (Livingyoga.ie) shows her doing a handstand in the lotus position, so we know she knows her stuff! She also practices therapeutic yoga healing and is becoming a Journeywork Practitioner.

Fiona drops in for a quick look at her horoscope on Vincent’s computer screen. Here at the studio she practices BodyTalk and Chitaka Light Work, but, as she explains, she really allows herself to open and just move energy when working with a client. I think of master pianists, who once the techniques are learned, can play for the pure enjoyment of it. There seem to be a lot of these people here in Ireland.

Ina is another such woman. She works with Autistic adults in her more mainstream professional role, but practices the art of bodywork at The Olive Tree. She has hair down to her hips and calls herself a ‘hippie’. She is colorful and full of whimsy and mirth. The room just lights up with her energy and warmth. Her good friend, Paddie, a tall gorgeous blonde, also displays this aptitude for fun that is so characteristic of the Irish, but Paddie is an—yep—American in Dublin married to a South African in Dublin. Their little boy, like our granddaughter, is born and raised in Ireland. International seems to be the norm around here!

Do I love to visit Ireland? You bet I do. The people are just so grand, spirited, and open-hearted. And the green countryside, isn’t so bad either.