William H. Cohea Jr. (Liam O’Cobhthaigh)

From the Beginning To the Beginning

Bill on Iona in 1980, in front of St. Oran’s Chapel and graveyard

Foreword By William H. Cohea Jr.

“Humans of dust, we are nothing but a story.”

—St. Columba

ine is the story behind the St. Columba Chapel, the St. Oran Bell Tower, and all the standing stones on the land of Columcille. My story has two strands: One rises up from my abiding among the an-cient stones of the Appalachian Mountains in Northeastern Pennsyl-vania; the other is wrapped up in the dreams and visions that came to me over two decades of visiting the Isle of Iona, in the Inner Hebrides off the western coast of Scotland.

I am not a child, but an old one. And if I am to be a ferryman of souls, ’tis time for me to share my journey, and what I’ve seen and do know—and time that I take mud out of the mouth of St. Oran. All that I report I suspect to be true, but the way I say things are may not be the way they are at all. For the mystery is my story—and my free-fall goes on.

I am old, and I am young. I realize that I have been around from the Beginning and will be around in the Beginning. As I walk the land of Columcille (daily, as long as I’m able) and visit the St. Columba Chapel, the St. Oran Bell Tower, and the standing stones, I see my life’s journey manifested in stones and etched in the landscape of this mountainside. I have become Oran, and Columba.

Although I have, from time to time, told my story aloud (to trusted confidantes), I have long hesitated to commit it to paper (as my listeners have encouraged me to do): For fear of what? Of being pronounced crazy? Of being misunderstood? Or of actually accepting responsibility for proclaiming what I have seen and do know?

To the Beginning ix

Three years ago, I determined to set aside fear, and take on responsibility. I decided to tell my life story to a virtual stranger, an intelligent, articulate young writer/educator whom I had met in the park. After exploring with him my thoughts on preparing a manuscript, I engaged his professional assistance. Over a period of nine months, he would digest successive chunks of my voluminous collection of papers, letters, and clippings (crammed into six three-drawer file cabinets) and come thoroughly prepared for our scheduled “recording sessions.” On these often-intense afternoons, he would ask of me answers to questions (often painful to confront) that “filled in the blanks” and structured and moved my story along (despite my many digressions). All of these interviews were recorded on cassette-tapes that he then meticulously transcribed, sensibly arranged, and professionally edited. I am filled with gratitude to Mike Deo for his magnificent work.

For this slim volume, I have chosen to lift (up) from that larger book (to be published after my death) only two pieces: that of my life-altering encounters on Iona and the concluding chapter (which I’ve titled my “Blue [Black & Blue] Book”). Following these are selected “Reflections” that I’ve penned in the ten years since Columcille’s publication (in 2003) of previous essays and poems in Come Dance With Me. (That little book is now out of print, but downloadable from my personal website at www.billcohea.com).

It is my hope that voyagers to Columcille—present and future—may in some small measure find in these pages an inspiration to continue their personal spirit journeys with courage, humility, and—always—awe.

x From the Beginning

To the Beginning �

The—Iona Encounters—

The coastline of Iona –David Riggle

To the Beginning �3

—My Blue Book—

Bill dancing with stones – Steve Putzel

To the Beginning 29

—Reflections—

The Pond at dusk –Bill Cohea

To the Beginning 47

From The Beginning To The Beginning“A beautifully written account of the many beginnings in Bill’s life that brought him, his friends, and the stones to the mountain sanctuary that is now Columcille.

“The inspiring photographs, reflections, poems, and bits of wisdom in this volume let the reader wander through the remarkable vision that has shaped Bill’s life and the many lives that he has touched.

“Read it, ponder it, and be touched again.”—Tom Cowan

Founding Member and Board of Directors, Society for Shamanic Practitioners

—Author of Yearning for the Wind:

Celtic Reflections on Nature and the Soul

and several other internationally acclaimed books —www.riverdrum.com

All proceeds from this book are dedicated to The Megalith (Endowment) Fund of Columcille Inc.

Books are available in the Voyagers’ Lounge at Columcille Megalith Park for a $10.00 donation per copy.

Or you may order books by mail. Either send your check or money order to Columcille, 2155 Fox Gap Road, Bangor PA 18301,

or use PayPal on our website: www.columcille.org

The donation requested (including postage and handling) is $15.00 for a single book; $25.00 for two books; $35.00 for three books.