Interviews
Official Second Interview: Ayn Cates Sullivan, Ph.D.
by kandscreeley
1. Tell us about your first writing experience.
For most of my life I have been a storyteller and poet. I taught myself to read and write when I was four years old. When I started school, the teachers were puzzled and decided to go ahead and put me in first grade! I published my first poem when I was sixteen in the Artemis Journal, and I've never looked back. I have now written twenty-four books, and am working on three more.
2. What does your writing environment look like?
My life is my work. I have a writing cabin in rural Virginia where I do most of my research, editing and writing, as well as podcasts and interviews. My view is of a lush meadow where horses graze with the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop. I have built an extensive Mytho-Poetic Celtic library over the years, which helps me feel surrounded by myth and magic. I am very disciplined and write daily for several hours, even if I'm traveling or in an airport. I also spend time in Maine, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, particularly London. I also spent twenty-five years in Southern California, where I have a very receptive audience. I find that the location inspires different sorts of ideas, explorations and conversations. Central Virginia is where I was raised and where I work during most of the year, and then I visit other places for the "Awen" or poetic inspiration. Gathering mythology in Britain, France and Ireland excites my imagination.
3. Let's discuss your book Heroines of Avalon and Other Tales. How did you decide on the topic of the characters of Welsh and British mythology?
I have spent a lot of time in southwest England and Wales gathering folklore. The key figures in Heroines of Avalon & Other Tales come from places I have visited in person. If I want to know a deity, I visit the place or places where they mythologically reside. Later I may research a myth to see the correlations between what has been told in the past and what I have received through my poetic imaginings and inner journeys. To get to know Arianrhod, the Welsh goddess of the Silver Wheel, I visited Caernafon Castle and gazed across Caernafon Bay toward the ruined spiral fortress of Caer Arianrhod, which is now an oval reef. Meditating on the island, and sensing the Corona Borealis (the northern crown), it was possible to pierce the veils between worlds and sense realms that run parallel to our own. I also discovered the tale of Blodeuwedd in Wales and took liberties in freeing her from an ancient curse, allowing her to choose how she wished to live her life. Elen of the Ways has always fascinated me, and I wrote her story while walking a Roman road called Sarn Helen, which is associated with her. Walking on the living landscape brings mythological deities to life. There are places on the planet that are filled with stories!
In Glastonbury, I was excited to discover the grail champion Dindraine, who was the first person to achieve the Holy Grail. She is generally unnamed or left out of Arthurian tales, so I felt it was important to name her and describe how she opened the doors to the holy isle of Sarras. These heroines often wish to tell their stories in their own way. Elaine was one of these. She also decided to re-tell her story in a way that was more romantic and life-affirming.
I first encountered Nimue while visiting St Nectan's Glen in Cornwall. She emerged as part of Heroines of Avalon & Other Tales, and her tale became the novel Nimue: Freeing Merlin. The story came to me as I stood beneath the waterfall. At first I was not sure if Nimue was a heroine. I sensed the way she healed her divided nature. In the next novel, Riddles of the Ancestors, she is an established healer and has recognized her demi-god status.
4. How much and what type of research went into the book?
In 1993, I obtained a doctoral degree in Anglo-Irish literature. My focus was Lady Gregory, who was a writer and also the patron of W.B. Yeats. At the time, I became very excited about Irish mythology, especially because under Brehon Law, women and men were considered equal. You can find many powerful women in Irish myth and legend. My first collection of myths is called Legends of the Grail: Stories of Celtic Goddesses. I have been working on this theme since 1985. I continue to study with the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, as well as John and Caitlin Matthews who reside in Oxford. Findhorn Press/ Inner Traditions will be publishing my Celtic Elemental Tarot in the autumn of 2025. Many of the key figures in the "Legends of the Grail" series feature in the cards. It's a great way to learn Celtic mythology.
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/ ... 8888502808
5. The book features powerful mythical women. Which is your favorite?
If I have to pick a favorite mythical woman, I would choose by landscape and ritual. In Ireland, I love the life affirming dance between Cailleach, the Queen of Winter, and Brigit, the Queen of Summer. These ancient deities can also be found in Scotland. Yet my favorite Scottish heroine is the magical Scatach, who taught men to become heroes. In Wales, I often follow Elen of the Ways, who has helped me for years on my travels. In Cornwall, Nimue has emerged as a favorite. The mythical woman I am most fascinated with currently is Ganieda, the twin sister of Merlin, who is the protagonist in my forthcoming novel Riddles of the Ancestors.
6. The book was illustrated by Belle Crow duCray. What was it like to work with an illustrator? Did all the images come out the way that you imagined?
I have worked with illustrator Belle Crow duCray since 2012 on many award-winning books. We started with the fable of an apple tree called A Story of Becoming (which won 18 literary awards) and then focused on the Sparkle fairytales. We have just finished The Fair Folk Oracle, which Findhorn Press/Inner Traditions is publishing in the summer of 2026. We are currently working on a third set of cards, which we hope to reveal in 2027.
Belle Crow duCray and I have an uncanny connection. Usually while I'm writing and dreaming a story, or series of tales, Belle will be drawing. Then once a week or so we share our work with each other and to my great surprise, she has often drawn what I have seen in my visualizations. Belle Crow duCray is immensely talented and she has been helpful in helping me anchor my visions! She is a pleasure to work with. She's a super tarot reader too!
7. What was the most difficult part of writing the book for you? What was most rewarding?
The most difficult part of writing the Legends of the Grail series has been feeling the ways in which women's stories have been demonized, intentionally overlooked, and neglected. The most rewarding part has been to tell their stories for the generation in which we live now, where women have more freedom. Long may it be so! The tale of the Cailleach dates back ten thousand years, and there is much we can glean from myth and legend. Storytelling is how we keep wisdom alive!
8. What's next for you? Any books in the works?
I have mentioned the Celtic Elemental Tarot, which will be followed by The Fair Folk Oracle. My novel Riddles of the Ancestors, is also forthcoming. I'm actually working on the third novel in the series now, which I hope to complete by next year. With twenty-four books, there is lots of explore and read, or listen to if you prefer audible.
I like to end with fun questions.
9. What's your absolute favorite myth, fairy tale, or urban legend?
Stories that are not retold die, so it's important to keep telling them! I have been in love with Arthurian Legend since I was a child. I love the way the tales have morphed from the 5th Century onward and continue to grow with us as we evolve as a humanity. I also love Lady Gregory's collections of myths such as Gods and Fighting Men and Cuchulain of Muirtheme. I am fascinated by Greek mythology, and love the Iliad and the Odyssey.
It is important to learn a few stories by heart, so an ancient tale can be told spontaneously on a special night. I like to tell the story of Taliesin the bard on Halloween/Samhain. I also write poetry, and feel it is important to learn classic poems by heart. I have memorized poetry by W.B. Yeats, W.H. Auden, Robert Frost, and others. Yeats often uses iambic pentameter as well as other metrical forms that have a rhythm, almost like a boat rocking on the Celtic Sea. Poetry written with a storyline and in traditional stanza forms are easier to memorize. Many poems have influenced my poetry as well as my prose. I am also a big fan of Shakespeare's plays.
10. If you could pick one household chore to never do again, what would it be?
I tend to write instead of doing housework. About once a week I have a good clean, then go back to writing again. My least favorite house chore is vacuuming because I dislike loud noise. I think the spiders dislike it also. Ha!
11. Are you organized or messy?
I am both extremely organized and messy. When I am working on a body of work, it can be found in stacks with images stuck on the walls. To me that is organization, but my husband finds it messy. Luckily I have rooms for writing that are entirely my own!
12. What do you listen to on a road trip?
I often listen to mythological or historical fiction on road trips. I recently enjoyed Circe by Madeline Miller. I love the Arthurian saga books by Mary Stewart. Octavia Randolph's book in The Circle of Ceridwen Saga is very enjoyable. I also love just about everything Caitlin Matthews has written, although sadly, none are on Audible.
Reawakening the Celtic Soul: An Interview with Ayn Cates Sullivan
Luka Dragovic Writer
Published On May 31, 2025
Ayn Cates Sullivan’s journey into the heart of Celtic mythology is both a scholarly adventure and a deeply personal quest.
In this exclusive interview with MysticMag, she shares how her academic research at King’s College London and spiritual connection to ancestral lands inspired her acclaimed Legends of the Grail series. Blending myth, mysticism, and storytelling, Sullivan brings ancient Celtic goddesses and heroines to life with fresh relevance.
Through her work, she invites readers to reconnect with the sacred wisdom of the past and explore the deeper mysteries of the soul.
What inspired you to delve into Celtic mythology and create the “Legends of the Grail” series?
In 1985, I was given an overseas research award to King’s College London, where I eventually obtained my doctorate. I spent a decade studying Irish and Celtic mythology. I was born and raised in Virginia, which is in the United States. Because of my philosophical father, I was well versed in Greek and Roman mythology. I had heard stories of our Scots-Irish ancestors, and I was curious about these historical figures, particularly the knights of Northumbria and the early Irish kings and queens. I used to make up stories about them, and I still do.
Living in Britain, I was able to visit Northumbria in northern England, Ireland, and Scotland, and discover more about the roots of my mother’s family. My father’s lineage is mostly Welsh, English, and French. Visiting ancestral lands is a terrific way to learn history.
My doctoral thesis was on the works of Lady Gregory, an Anglo-Irish noblewoman who collected the folklore of Ireland and was determined to preserve it. Her books include Gods & Fighting Men and Cuchulain of Muirthemne. I was very inspired by these tales, which are written in a blended English and Gaelic syntax called Kiltartanese. The poet W.B. Yeats was also inspired by the folklore Lady Gregory collected and added to the flowering of the Celtic Twilight, which embraced Ireland’s cultural heritage. Fortunately, I was able to visit Lady Gregory’s property called Coole Park. It is a place filled with literary magic and fairy tales.
Over the years, people asked me to share these Irish tales, and eventually, it evolved into the Legends of the Grail series. The first book is a collection of stories of Celtic goddesses and heroines, mostly from Ireland. I really could have called it Stories of the Faery Grail, because many of the strong feminine heroines in the book predate Christianity. The second book is called Heroines of Avalon & Other Tales, which includes short stories about British goddesses and grail heroines. This book includes the tale of the first person to achieve the Holy Grail — a woman by the name of Dindraine! Once the stories started to flow, I kept writing.
I then wrote and published my first novel. Nimue: Freeing Merlin is based on an old British tale of Merlin’s magical lover Nimue, who sealed him up in a tree. The book begins in present-day Britain when a woman realizes she is the reincarnation of Nimue and must go back in time to release Merlin, and winds up falling in love with him.
The next novel in the series is Riddles of the Ancestors, which takes the reader from modern London into the druidic isle of Mona and other mythic realms. It begins when young Merlin and his sister Ganieda discover a Round Table that holds secret star codes that can activate a template for the New Epoch. Before Gaea (Mother Earth) can be reborn, several riddles must be solved in different timelines that involve the druids of Mona, the Olympians, and King Arthur’s court. A group of demigods must gather in 21st-century London for the shift in ages to occur, but there is always resistance. I am currently working on my third novel, which does involve the many wives of King Arthur and the importance of his return.
How do your personal spiritual practices influence the themes and narratives in your books?
The path of the Celtic mystic has unfolded naturally within me. I have found firm roots in the Celtic world and do experience Celtic Spirituality as an all-encompassing spiritual path. Writing fiction based on earlier myths has sent me on multiple wondrous quests for deeper spiritual meaning. I appreciate the way the older Druidic traditions interweave with Christianity. I now have the sense that the divine is with us as a living field of wisdom. We might have moments when we are more – or less – aware of this living divinity that is always around us and is part of us. Walking in the living landscape, we sense a direct connection with spirit. Celtic Spirituality also uses storytelling and art to explore the many threads of spirit and direct connection with the divine. I am currently working on a book about the mystical path of Celtic Spirituality.
Exploring the themes and deities in my books, I created two sets of cards with illustrator Belle Crow duCray. Celtic Elemental Tarot (Findhorn Press/Inner Traditions 2025) is one way to learn Celtic myth and legend. Within the court cards, we find the families of the Irish hero Cuchulain, the Arthurian court of Camelot, the court of the Fisher King, and the early Welsh deities. Most of these figures are also part of the Legends of the Grail Series.
Our second deck will be released in early 2026. We are very excited about The Fair Folk Oracle: Communicating with the Tuatha Dé Danann (Findhorn/Inner Traditions 2026). In this oracle deck, we meet Mother Danu and her superhuman children, as well as many nature spirits and elementals. The oracle is an invitation into the attuned and caring realm of the Sidhe.
I also wrote a book with my mother, Gwendolyn F Cates, called Mythic Adventures. This coffee table book is of her paintings and my poetry. In the way of Celtic Spirituality, we use art and poetry as the medium to connect to a greater field of living wisdom. The cover artwork on the book is called “Goddess Creating Eve.” In the book, we explore the realms of the goddess and the inspirational beauty of the natural world.
I have written twenty-four books. Most have spiritual or mythological themes, several are books of poetry, there are many children’s books, and retold fables. A Story of Becoming, the tale of an apple tree, won 18 literary awards and is one of our enduring classics. The Sparkle series has been very popular amongst young readers.
Can you discuss the mission and vision behind Infinite Light Publishing & Media?
I worked briefly in the British publishing world before returning to America. I spent twenty-five years in California and was encouraged to move away from the traditional model of publishing into independent publishing. Writing a book is only a fraction of what independent writers and publishers do. We work with editors, graphic designers, and printers before our work appears in print.
Mike Daniels is my publishing coach, and he has taught me a lot about book sizes, prices, paper quality, book cover options, end sheets, copyright pages, distribution, and so much more. Because of our attention to detail, our books have won over sixty literary awards and are distributed globally.
I initially formed Infinite Light Media and Publishing to publish my own fables and children’s books, but have also published books by Iva Kenaz, Marcela Benson, Gabriel Cousens, Hannah Hocking, and others. It is always a pleasure to see a vision become a physical book.
What messages or lessons do you hope readers take away from your “Sparkle” children’s series?
The popular Sparkle series has been such a joy to create and produce. Initially, I wrote the books for my children. My daughter Kathryn always wanted five books at bedtime, so I wrote these as multiple tales within one book. My friend Belle Crow duCray saw the stories that had been illustrated by my children and insisted that she should illustrate them, and we should publish them. The first in the series was Sparkle & The Gift, and then Sparkle & The Light. I had no idea that there were industry standards for children’s books, and so we called these “out-of-the-box books for children of all ages.”
After visiting the London Book Fair and being told that these were not children’s books, I called them fables. They have won multiple literary awards and have sold about five thousand copies, which is a win for independent children’s books. The average is about two hundred books. The biggest issue with Indie books is distribution. The books are buried on Amazon, and so I began working with BCH Fulfillment, which distributes indie publishers globally. The books are also available as eBooks. In the beginning, POD or print-on-demand books were not of high quality, but that is now changing. We spent a lot of time editing to refine and perfect the content. Belle carefully selected the fonts. We used thick 100lb paper, debossed titles on the book covers, and many more features that have been very well received.
After learning more about industry standards for children’s books, we took one story from each book and made the Sparkle Easy Reader series, which includes: Kachina’s Rose, Ella’s Magic, and Undina’s Spell.
Interestingly enough, our longer “out of the box” fables continue to be very popular, especially A Story of Becoming, which is an indie classic. We could call the fables our rebel books. Having said that, one of our industry standard books, Undina’s Spell, won a Gold Nautilus Book Award and a Gold Mom’s Choice Award.
Here is one of our five-star reviews:
Undina’s Spell is an epic fantasy storybook for children written by Ayn Cates Sullivan, Ph.D., and illustrated by Belle Crow duCray. Eva was a gifted young girl who instinctively felt at home in the forests and woodlands. She could converse with the animals and plants she found there and knew about the healing properties of every plant, tree, and vine. Eva was asleep in the meadow one day when the animals and the water spirit, Undina, came to see her. The animals sang an ancient and magical song as she slept. White Stag and the assembled creatures believed that Eva was the one being who could find the Dragon’s missing emerald and restore harmony to the planet. When Eva awoke, Undina explained what had happened and asked for Eva’s help. Could Eva be the one who finds the missing emerald and returns it to the Rainbow Dragon? The Rainbow Dragon’s Emerald gave me shivers as I followed Eva’s acceptance of her quest. I especially loved how the author merges modern-day concerns for the environment with the classic fantasy theme of her story. I appreciated the influence of classic fantasy visionaries like George McDonald and Hope Mirlees, and found this a story worth reading over and over.
Belle Crow duCray’s colorful and lovely illustrations work so well to enhance the story and display its roots in both nature and high fantasy. Each panel is a work of art suitable for framing and hanging on a child’s wall or in a classroom. Sullivan’s choice of a young girl for the quest sends a marvelous message to young girl readers. Eva is not a princess but a quest-taker whose courage and intelligence are summoned to save the world. A perfect selection for story time or bedtime, this book is also suitable for new readers to read on their own. Undina’s Spell is most highly recommended.
How does your podcast, “Wisdom of the Ages,” complement your written work and outreach?
All during the pandemic and for several years afterwards, I was the host of Wisdom of the Ages on the SuperPowerNetwork. We had a wonderful time, but the network has now decided to go a different direction. One year, my show had five million downloads, which helped me realize that people love shows with spiritual content, particularly Celtic Spirituality. At present, I have turned my focus to my two emerging decks: Celtic Elemental Tarot and The Fair Folk Oracle, which are forthcoming. I have several in-person retreats and workshops, which can be found on my events page. I am also developing a few online courses. They can be found on my events page.
If you want to learn more about the books, book an author coaching call, or an intuitive reading, you can do so through my booking page.
What upcoming projects or topics are you most excited to explore in your future writings?
I am being called back into the teaching arena, and I am excited to share what I’ve learned over the years with a like-minded community. So that I can continue to produce a lot of material, I generally take the time around Samhain and Winter Solstice – the winter months – to retreat with my beloved into the mountains where I can dream and write. In the spring and summer, I travel, see friends, and am more available to students.
I write a lot of poetry in the summer, often in Maine, and tend to work on the lengthier material in the winter when I have time to focus deeply. The creative muse has her own way of working, and there are always surprises!
I will be doing several book launches in the UK and USA this autumn, which will be listed on my events page. I am also offering two Celtic Spirituality retreats in Virginia in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. We will be able to gather in a safe space and delve into the Celtic mysteries. The title is: “AWEN: Inspiration from the Ancient Irish Ancestors” and will be held as a weekend retreat on Oct 31-Nov 2, 2025. At the beginning of 2026, I will be hosting another retreat called “Brigit & The Fair Folk Oracle” to delve into the teachings of Faery. There is a limit of twenty at each retreat, so the courses may sell out quickly. Contact Debra Scott at the Mountain Light Retreat for more information or to book your space.
Another of my passions is healing with horses, and I have a number of “unicorns” that have assisted me over the years. But that is the subject of another tale.
Do sign up for my newsletters. I write a few a year, so I promise not to overwhelm you with messages. If you want to be in touch, message me on my Facebook fan page.
What I am most excited to explore now is an ever-deepening path of Celtic Spirituality. Fables, folklore, cards, and non-fiction are emerging from a path that picked me up forty years ago. I love nature, poetry, and art, and sharing “awen” – inspiration – with the community. I hope to see you on my travels!
