Starling Oracle

Murmuration Divination
Nourishment and Guidance from the Somerset Starling Murmurations

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What is Starling Oracle?

It’s starling murmuration season.Starling Oracle is a divination practice created by artist and spiritual practitioner Tessa Wills, inspired by the extraordinary patterns of starlings gathering at dusk.As the flock moves, turns and reshapes itself across the evening sky, Tessa reads the murmuration as a living oracle, offering a different way of thinking about the questions, changes and uncertainties in your life.Bring a question. Bring a feeling. Bring something you're seeking.A Starling Oracle session begins as the light fades and the murmuration gathers. Together, we watch the flock and listen for what emerges. Tessa translates the shapes, movements and patterns of the starlings into a personal reading, offering reflection, clarity and guidance.You don't need to believe in anything in particular to take part. You can simply come with curiosity and see what happens.Now entering its second year, Starling Oracle is growing into a wider programme of readings, gatherings and practitioner development. Alongside Tessa's own readings, the programme is developing group and family experiences, seasonal events and training for new Starling Oracle practitioners.Come and listen to the murmur of the Oracle with Tessa.Join the Flock.

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About your guide

I have spent decades working as a performance artist, counsellor and space-holder in schools, festivals, museums and witch camps.My practice has always explored liminality - the spaces between things. In the murmurations, I found a living expression of this: chaos becoming pattern, dissolution becoming unity.Through spending time with the starlings, I found a powerful source of guidance and reflection, and began developing my own reading practices and tools for interpreting the dynamics of the flock.For me, Starling Oracle brings together many strands of my work: performance, observation, intuition, spirituality, facilitation and my fascination with the spaces where things change and become something else.The starlings themselves are a free natural phenomenon, and everyone is welcome to come and witness them. Starling Oracle offers something different: an enhanced experience of the murmuration, with space to bring your own questions, feelings and uncertainties and explore what the flock might have to say.If you are seeking guidance, interpretation, reflection or simply a different way of experiencing this extraordinary natural phenomenon, Starling Oracle may be for you.

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Want to know what the starlings are saying next?

Join the Starling Oracle mailing list for news, new dates and invitations as the season unfolds.You can expect:• Early access to bookings - hear about new Starling Oracle readings and events before they're released more widely.
• Special offers and community discounts - including occasional reduced-price and free places.
• Seasonal news and invitations -including special Samhain, solstice and other murmuration events.
• Magic in your inbox - stories, reflections and articles from the world of Starling Oracle.
• Hear first about future practitioner trainingCome closer to the flock.

Thank You

Email us: [email protected]

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Book Starling Oracle

£20 per ticket1st November & 20th December

Come and experience the murmuration at dusk through a Starling Oracle reading with artist and spiritual practitioner Tessa Wills.As the starlings gather and the light fades, Tessa observes the movement of the flock and creates a personal divination for each participant, using the murmuration as a living oracle.Bring a question, a feeling, or something you're seeking clarity around or simply come curious.What happens?We'll begin together before making our way to the starlings.Tessa will introduce you to the Starling Oracle practice and give you time to settle on a question or intention for your reading.As the murmuration begins, we'll watch the flock together. Tessa will take a snapshot of the movement for each person in turn, creating a schema drawing of the murmuration.They will then interpret the reading for you, offering reflection, clarity and guidance in relation to your question.After the session, we'll walk back to the meeting point together. You are also welcome to stay longer and watch the starlings continue to gather and roost as the light fades.What should I bring?Please come prepared to spend time outdoors at dusk. We recommend warm, weather-appropriate clothing and suitable footwear.The exact location and practical joining instructions will be sent to you with your booking information.If you would like to arrange a private, family or group session, or would like to ask about a date that isn't currently listed, please get in touch:[email protected]Come and listen to the murmur of the Oracle.

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FAQ

Accessibility & Practical InformationStarling Oracle takes place in a living landscape. The starlings move, the weather changes, and we cannot know in advance exactly where the murmuration will happen.We experience the process of finding the starlings as part of the journey towards an answer. In some ways, the reading begins before you arrive, on the drive to Ham Wall, in the weather, in what you notice, and in the movement towards the birds.We also know that uncertainty can make access planning difficult. We want to give you as much practical information as we can.If you have particular access requirements, please contact us before booking. We are also developing other accessible ways of experiencing Starling Oracle for people for whom the walk or landscape at Ham Wall is not suitable.• How far is the walk?It is impossible to give an exact distance because we cannot control where the starlings will choose to gather.As a useful guide, last year the murmuration was usually around 0.5 miles from our meeting and ritual area.Sometimes we may find a closer place from which to meet or watch the birds. If that happens, we will let booked participants know before their session, so please keep an eye on messages from us.Remember that the walk is there and back, as well as any movement involved in finding a good viewing position.• Is the route wheelchair accessible?The main paths at Ham Wall are accessible in principle, but this is an outdoor nature reserve rather than a smooth urban environment.There are uneven sections, loose or bumpy surfaces, mud and puddles. For someone using a wheelchair, we think a powered wheelchair or robust outdoor mobility aid is likely to be considerably more comfortable and practical than a standard manual wheelchair.It may be possible to make the journey without one, depending on your mobility, but we don't want to promise that the route will be comfortable or manageable for everybody.Please contact us before booking if you would like to talk through your access requirements. We are happy to think creatively with you about what might work.• Is there uneven or muddy ground?Yes.Although much of the route follows established stone paths, there can be uneven ground, mud and substantial puddles, particularly in winter.The conditions vary according to recent weather.• How much walking is involved?Last year, a typical walk from our meeting place to the murmuration was around half a mile each way.However, the starlings decide where the starlings go. The distance on your particular day may be shorter or longer.We don't rush.If you need to walk very slowly, take breaks, or manage your energy carefully, please tell us beforehand and we will do our best to accommodate that.• How long will I be standing?Once we find the starlings, we normally watch them for approximately 30 minutes.You may not want to stand for all of that time.There are some seating areas around Ham Wall, and if the starlings gather near those areas we can use them. This was often possible last year, but we cannot guarantee where the birds will be.If sitting is important for you, we strongly recommend bringing a lightweight folding chair or other portable seat.• What if I can't walk the whole route?Please tell us before the session.Depending on where the starlings are gathering that week, we may be able to change the meeting place, reduce the walking distance or find another way for you to participate.We are also developing Starling Oracle experiences thatdon't depend upon making the full Ham Wall walk.
Access requirements are welcome information, not an inconvenience.• What should I wear?Dress for a cold, damp Somerset nature reserve in winter, rather than for an indoor event.We recommend:• proper walking shoes or wellington boots;
• warm layers;
• a waterproof coat that protects both your body and your head;
• waterproof trousers if rain is likely;
• gloves, hat and warm socks on colder days;
• a small torch if appropriate for the time of day;
• and a portable chair if you are likely to need one.Layers are useful because the walk can make you surprisingly warm even when it is cold while standing still.• What happens if the weather is poor?Starling Oracle is an outdoor experience, so ordinary cold, drizzle and winter weather are part of it.However, we will not run sessions where we believe conditions are unsafe or excessively unpleasant.If there are severe-weather warnings, very high winds, dangerous conditions or rain that looks likely to make the experience unworkable, we will cancel.You can then choose either to rebook or receive a refund.• What happens if the starlings don't murmurate?The starlings are wild animals. A murmuration can never be guaranteed.Finding them (or sometimes not finding them) is part of working with something that is alive and outside our control.The Oracle experience will still take place. We will spend time with the landscape and whatever the starlings offer us that evening.• Where does the session take place?Starling Oracle currently takes place at RSPB Ham Wall in Somerset.Exact meeting instructions will be sent to you after booking.• Is there parking?Yes. There is parking at Ham Wall.Murmuration season is extremely popular, however, and the reserve can become very busy. Please leave more time than you think you need for arriving, parking and finding us.• What time should I arrive?Please aim to arrive 15 minutes before your booked starting time.Parking during murmuration season can be intense, and arriving late can create difficulties because the group may need to start walking in order to reach the birds before dusk.Your booking confirmation will give you the exact meeting time and location.• Are there toilets?Yes. There are toilets at Ham Wall near the visitor/parking area.There are no toilets once we have begun the walk, so we strongly recommend using them before the session begins.• How many people are in a session?Our sessions are deliberately small.12 people maximum can take part in each group experience.Keeping the group small makes it possible for us to move through the landscape carefully and to give sufficient attention to each person.• Is the experience suitable for children?Starling Oracle is primarily designed for adults and older young people.Children are welcome to accompany you where appropriate, but readings are only available to people aged 14 and over.Any child attending needs to be able to manage the walk and outdoor conditions, and remains the responsibility of their accompanying adult throughout.Because the experience involves waiting quietly, walking in winter conditions and sustained attention, it will not be suitable for every child.• Can somebody come just to support me?Yes.You are welcome to bring a PA, carer or other support person.Please tell us when booking so that we know they are coming and can reserve sufficient space within the group.If you need a support person in order to access the experience, please contact us if the booking system creates any difficulty.• Can I bring a friend or partner?Absolutely.In fact, experiencing Starling Oracle as a pair, family or small group is strongly recommended where that feels right for you.There is something particular about witnessing one another's questions and encounters with the Oracle.You can book a dyad, family or group experience. Enquire at [email protected].• Can I book a private session?Yes.Private Starling Oracle experiences are available subject to availability. Enquire at [email protected].• Can I have a one-to-one reading without attending a group session?Yes.You do not have to attend a group experience in order to receive a Starling Oracle reading. Enquire at [email protected].• Do I need to believe in divination?No.You don't need to believe anything particular about divination, tarot, oracle cards or spirituality.You can understand the Oracle in whatever way is useful to you: as divination, artistic practice, a method of reflection, a conversation with chance, a way of noticing patterns, an encounter with the landscape, or something that you haven't decided how to name.Curiosity is enough.• What if I don't have a question?That's completely fine.Sometimes a question arrives during the process.You can come with a very specific question, a vague feeling, a situation you are thinking about, or nothing at all.Part of the practice can be discovering what the question actually is.• Are readings recorded?No.We do not audio- or video-record your reading.• Are readings confidential?Your reading is treated as confidential and we do not share the personal content of your reading as part of the project.If there are any exceptional safeguarding circumstances in which we cannot maintain confidentiality, we will explain this clearly.• Can I bring my dog?No.Please don't bring dogs to Starling Oracle sessions.The experience takes place in a wildlife habitat and we need to minimise our impact on the birds and other animals living there.• Is there anything else I shouldn't bring or do?We are visitors in a wildlife habitat.Please avoid anything that is likely to disturb the birds or other wildlife. In particular:• don't bring dogs;
• don't play amplified music;
• don't use bright lights or flash • photography around the birds;
• don't leave established routes or enter sensitive habitat unless instructed that this is permitted;
• don't leave litter, offerings or other materials in the landscape;
• and please follow any instructions given by reserve staff.Starling Oracle is about encountering the starlings rather than controlling the encounter.• What is a schema drawing?A schema drawing is a simple visual map that helps us look at the relationships, patterns and positions that emerge during a Starling Oracle reading.It isn't an art test and you don't need to be able to draw.Rather than trying to illustrate something beautifully, we use marks, words, lines, shapes and positions to make a relationship or pattern visible.The drawing becomes another way of thinking alongside the cards, the conversation and the landscape.

Starling Oracle Cancellation Policy

Starling Oracle takes place outdoors, in winter, with wild birds whose movements we cannot control. We will always do our best to make sessions happen as planned, but sometimes weather, access conditions or other circumstances mean that we need to change or cancel a session.If you cancel:If you cancel more than 7 days before your booking, we can offer either:• a full refund; or
• transfer of your booking to another available date.If you cancel between 48 hours and 7 days before your booking, we can transfer your booking to another available date, but we do not normally offer a refund.If you cancel less than 48 hours before your booking, or do not attend, the booking is normally non-refundable and non-transferable.We understand that illness, disability, caring responsibilities and unexpected circumstances happen. If something genuinely prevents you from attending, please contact us. We will always try to respond reasonably and compassionately where we can.If we cancelIf we need to cancel the session, you can choose either:• a full refund; or
• transfer to another available date.We may need to cancel because of severe weather, unsafe conditions, access problems, illness or other circumstances outside our reasonable control.Weather:Starling Oracle is an outdoor winter experience. Cold, light rain, mud and damp conditions are part of the experience and will not normally result in cancellation.We may cancel where there are severe weather warnings, very high winds, flooding, unsafe ground conditions, intense rain or other conditions that we believe would make the experience unsafe or unreasonably uncomfortable.We will contact you as soon as we reasonably can if we decide to cancel because of weather.What if the starlings do not murmurate?The starlings are wild animals, so we cannot guarantee that a murmuration will happen, how large it will be, or where the birds will gather. The session will not be refunded or transferred.The Starling Oracle experience is about entering into relationship with the landscape, uncertainty and the movements of the birds. The reading and the rest of the experience will still take place even if the starlings behave differently from what we hoped or expected.Late arrival:Please arrive at the time given in your booking information.Because the group may need to begin walking in order to reach the birds before dusk, we may not be able to delay the session for late arrivals.If you are late, please contact us as soon as possible. We will try to help you join the session where practical, but we cannot guarantee that this will be possible.A missed session because of late arrival is normally treated in the same way as a no-show.Changes to your booking:If you need to change the date of your booking, please contact us as early as possible.Changes are subject to availability and cannot always be guaranteed.Accessibility-related changes:If an unexpected access issue means you cannot safely take part in the booked experience, please contact us.Where possible, we will try to offer a transfer, an adapted version of the experience or another accessible way of participating.Refunds:Where a refund is due, it will be returned to the original payment method.Any refund will cover the amount paid for the Starling Oracle booking itself. We cannot normally reimburse travel, accommodation or other costs associated with attending.