When I mentioned to the Witch Hiker that I was just about to attend a Caroline Myss course based on her new book Entering The Castle (an Inner Path to God and Your Soul) and that I was very much looking forward to it, not least spending 3 nights at Turnberry Hotel, she immediately
asked if I would write a review of my experience. At the time I enthusiastically said yes and it is only on reflection I wonder what magic powers she has to encourage me to agree to such an unfamiliar task.

Quite how I came about to be attending this course in the first place is still a bit of a mystery to me. I had not actually read any of her books, but through a number of seemingly random events I ended up spending a very interesting few days at Findhorn Foundation last year on one of her
workshops and when I was offered the opportunity to book onto the 4 day course at Turnberry which included 1 day’s workshop at Culzean Castle I jumped at the chance.

So, on a beautifully sunny afternoon in April I drove from Glasgow down the Ayrshire coast and up the driveway to one of Scotland’s top hotels. The views from the front of the hotel of the Irish Sea, the Isle of Arran and Ailsa Craig are spectacular, the rooms are lovely and the beds are
Heaven. We were extremely well fed at breakfast, lunch and dinner, although I was particularly appreciative of the yummy shortbread that was served with the morning and afternoon tea and coffee.

Caroline Myss’s latest book is Entering The Castle (An Inner Path to God and your Soul) and she explains that it is based on work by 15th Century Mystic St Teresa of Avila who wrote a book called The Interior Castle. The Castle is a metaphor for your own Soul and the workshop provides
an opportunity to explore different aspects of this inner journey with the support of Caroline herself. She uses a number of guided meditations and visualisations to do this, together with question and answer sessions and some small group sessions sharing experiences.
My own experience of Caroline Myss is that she is an extremely witty and entertaining speaker. She is also a powerful teacher who is passionate about her beliefs and appears to have a great deal of love and compassion for her audience, although this is not of the warm, fuzzy variety. She
expects you to take responsibility for yourself and if you are brave enough to ask a question be prepared for an honest answer.
The first couple of days took place at Turnberry and involved becoming familiar with our castle. The third day took place at Culzean Castle and when we arrived, crossed over what would have been the moat and in through the front doors the experience of actually entering the castle was
incredibly powerful. Physically taking the steps of a journey already created in the mind and the emotions was quite profound and I found this third day to be particularly intense.

I’m sure it comes as no surprise to hear that I didn’t find this weekend an entirely comfortable one (except in the physical sense which was a lesson in itself) but I do think this workshop provides a tremendous opportunity for change. It’s a bit like clearing out that spare room of all the junk that
has accumulated over time. Much of it is stuff you thought you could not do without or might need one day only to discover you can and you didn’t. It leaves you feeling lighter and with the possibility of using the space for something you really want it for.
This workshop is not for the faint of heart, and if you want a warm, cosy, feel good few days then maybe it’s not for you. However, if you are ready to take a look at your relationship with yourself then I would recommend it.