TIRA OF THE GROVES: A BIOGRAPHY
by Nemo Stewart©
Tira Brandon-Evans asked me to write this brief
biography in order to satisfy the natural curiosity of her apprentices, many of
whom will not be able to meet her in person. There are two main reasons for
this: First, Tira must maintain a 'clear centre' for Otherworld journeys and,
secondly, her work for the Society and her writing leaves very little time for
personal contacts in Ordinary Reality. Despite this, she maintains close contact
with her students. She has established two e-lists and two chat lines so that
they can 'speak' with her on-line. Tira also reads and appraises each of her
apprentices' quarterly reviews and closely follows their Otherworld journeys. In
this biography I will limit myself to stating the facts as I find them and will
let the reader draw their own conclusions.
Tira Brandon-Evans lives in the Fraser Valley in
southern British Columbia, not far from the US Border, surrounded by the natural
beauty of the Cascade Mountains. Her home shows her love of the forest and
secluded places. It is surrounded by tall trees and, once inside the gate, the
grounds are mostly all garden. At first, I thought it looked overgrown and
dis-organized. Upon closer inspection I saw that what I had first thought were
weeds were, in fact, herbs and that there was an organization to things. This is
achieved not by bending nature but by working with it. In addition to the house
there are several small buildings, a cottage, and vine-covered lattice-walled
structures. The lattice 'grottoes' appear to serve no obvious purpose other than
to provide small, secret places to sit and meditate. Tira calls her little park
Clas Myrddyn or Merlin's Enclosure in honour of her Ancestor Guide.(1) Clas Myrddyn is her spiritual retreat. There she is surrounded
by her animal and ancestor guides and the elementals.
If a biographer doesn't make his subject nervous, he isn't
asking the right questions. Throughout the interviews Tira was eager to talk
about her work but reluctant to speak of more personal matters. I believe the
reason for this is her fear of becoming the centre of a 'personality cult'. The
expression is mine and not hers but it is the only way I can say it. She wants
her message and not herself, as messenger, to be remembered. In any case, I
finally extracted a list of accomplishments she should be proud of.
Tira is a Priestess of Breo-Saight(2) having received her ordination into the Fellowship of Isis by
attunement directly from Lady Olivia Robertson of Clonegal Castle, Eire. She is
also a Reiki Master/Teacher of the Divine Lineage of Usui and a Tera Mai
initiate. She is a Chartered Herbalist, having received her degree from the
Dominion Herbal College. In addition, Tira is a published author and poet. She
is a teacher and has taught creative writing, novel writing, and Celtic art
courses at the University College of the Fraser Valley.
When you enter Tira's home one of the first things you
notice are the books. She reads extensively and her walls are covered with books
that have been read and reread and will be read again. The fact that she is an
expert on Celtic heritage and ancient history is beyond dispute. She has more
than an interest in all things Celtic; she is obsessed. She uses the energy of
her obsession to reintroduce the ancient Celtic faith to Celtic descendants,
wherever they live today. She is the Moderator of the Society of Celtic Shamans,
which she founded. She edits and publishes their magazine Earthsongs. Tira
occasionally leads workshops, conducts public rituals celebrating the Goddess,
gives the odd media interview, and still finds time to write. She presently has
three books 'in the works'.
I was curious to know how someone could become so dedicated
to a single ideal. Once again I met with resistance when I began to ask personal
questions but, by the end of the interview, I learned these facts. Tira was born
in Shreveport, Louisiana on December 15, 1944, at 9:08 am. Looking at her natal
chart after the interview, it was obvious that she is living up to her destiny.
Her first Otherworld experience occurred during a serious illness when she was
just five years old. She was taken out of her body and into the Shining Realms.
It was several days of our time before she returned. She never lost the gift of
hearing the voices of the Fair Folk after her return. As a child she learned not
to tell anyone about what she was experiencing but she secretly depended on the
Faeries for help and guidance. She showed the first hint of what was to come
when, at the age of nine, she developed an overpowering interest in the Medicine
Way of the American Indians. She read of these traditions and spent as much time
as she could outdoors applying what she'd read. By age eleven she had found the
Egyptian and Greek myths. Tira learned she had a strong devotion to the
Goddesses Isis, Pallas Athena, and Artemis. At that time she received her
vocation to serve the Goddess as a priestess though it was not to be for many
years. Despite having this in her heart, she continued to attend a Christian
church until age eighteen when she finally realized her childhood faith could
not fulfil her spiritual needs.
Like so many before her, Tira turned to the East. She became
a yogi and spent many years both studying and teaching yoga. She also delved
into the holy books of India, China and other Eastern traditions. She followed
the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism and the Way of the Tao. In 1980, after
several years of constant urging from her Otherworld voices, Tira began to seek
out and study books about the Celts. She told me that she felt as if she was
'coming home' and that every word she read about her ancestors was 'water for a
thirsty soul.' Over a period of fifteen years she learned everything she could
about her Celtic ancestors. Along the way, with the help of her ancestor guides,
she rediscovered an ancient method of constructing complex Celtic knotwork
drawings. She taught this method at nearby college while she continued her
Celtic studies. This research was not limited to history and religious
traditions. Her guides also assisted Tira in relearning many ancient arts
including spinning and weaving and manuscript illumination. She was actively
working in the Inworlds with the Shining Folk during this period and credits
them with many of her accomplishments.
In 1996 her Ancestor Guide, Grandfather Merlin, instructed
her to found the Society of Celtic Shamans and teach the ancient path with his
guidance. Tira believes that everything in her entire life has been in
preparation for this task and that she could not refuse this calling even if she
wanted to. Today the Society is growing. The ancient faith is being reintroduced
to Celtic descendants everywhere. "The work is all that matters," Tira told me.
"It is the work I came into this world to do and that is why I love it
so."
It is my hope that this short biography will help Tira's
apprentices and members of her far-flung spiritual community to know her better.
May this knowledge bring understanding.
1. Tira frequently states that her Ancestor Guide, Grandfather Merlin, is NOT the Merlin of King Arthur's court but is a much older being. Clas Myrddyn, was one of the original names of Britain, long before the Romans came. BACK
2. Spoken Bree-zheet. The Fiery Arrow of Wisdom and Inspiration. One of the names of Brighid. BACK
