As any reader of my Rosie Life series knows, I have been trying to find a new name for The Sighing House since it was complete. It went from being called The Sighing House to being referred to as The Work House. While it is still a work in progress, I have gone through tonnes of Italian names and ideas but nothing seemed right. Then I realised, while the house is in Italy, we are Irish not Italian; I am quite boring, I don’t have a drop of any other DNA in me, I am 100 percent Celtic and we are now part of the house’s history, so why not give it an Irish name that has meaning to what we want the house to represent while we are living in it?
The last year and a half has not been easy and after my brother died two months ago, I have had some soulful experiences that have made me have a life-shift. A new purpose, which you will hear about in Book 5 (Out in the autumn. You can pre-order Book 5 here!). So instead of giving the house an Italian name, we have decided to give it a Celtic name. The Celts were around my town fighting the Roman’s with Hannibal over two thousand years ago so it’s not out of keeping with the history of the area!
The Celts believed that each person had a life-force that radiates light and energy around our physical body. They believed when people were genuinely open and transparent our life-force, or soul, could connect on a spiritual level, mingle, creating a powerful bond and in so doing become each other’s ‘Anam Cara’. In Gaelic ‘Anam’ means ‘soul’ Cara means ‘Friend’. The great modern Irish poet John Donahue wrote a wonderful book about Celtic Spiritual Wisdom called ‘Anam Cara’.
However, the benefits of this connection and profound bond could not happen until a person saw their own beauty and light. Anam Cara is a connection and exchange between souls – a genuine bond and true friendship.
And that is exactly what I want the house to be, a place where true friendships are made.
Welcome to Anam Cara. 🙂
I have lots of exciting news to in the coming weeks so if you are not on my newsletter, jump on now and don’t miss updates!
A Friendship Blessing
May you be blessed with good friends.
May you learn to be a good friend to yourself.
May you be able to journey to that place in your soul where there is
great love, warmth, feeling, and forgiveness.
May this change you.
May it transfigure that which is negative, distant, or cold in you.
May you be brought in to the real passion, kinship, and affinity of
belonging.
May you treasure your friends.
May you be good to them and may you be there for them; may they
bring you all the blessings, challenges, truth, and light that you
need for your journey.
May you never be isolated.
May you always be in the gentle nest of belonging with your anam cara.
– John O’Donohue
I totally get the new name and think it’s perfect and suiting. Patiently waiting on the next installment…I’m sure it will be emotional
Perfect name, for athe house and for you Rosie!
Sorry we couldn’t meet when my friends and I passed through a couple of weeks ago but I fell in love with Passignano so I hope to be back! Meanwhile, looking forward to Book 5!
I listened to the first two books in the series and loved listening to your voice tell your family ‘s story.
When will book three be out on audio?
I actually downloaded the first of your series A Rosie Life in Italy just before I left (Montreal) Canada for a yoga/watercolour retreat in Italy. I listened to most of it on Audible during my stay, between yoga & painting sessions, falling deeper & deeper during my visit! I love Italy & have often thought I would love to retire there but feared the magnitude of complications involved! So, I shall continue to read/listen & live vicariously through your fantastic tales! Incidentally, they are read so wonderfully convincingly, I feel I have lived them! Please keep writing!🍁👍
I hope you enjoyed the rest of the series! Thanks so much!