In Caiseal Mor's bestselling THE CIRCLE AND THE CROSS, tales of the Faerie realm, passed down from generation to generation, had become the stuff of legend. But there was a time when the Faerie folk, the Tautha De Danaan and the Fir-Bolg, still walked the earth as mortals and called their homeland Innisfail. In a small barren area to the west of Innisfail, Brocan, the last king of the Fir-Bolg, is locked in bitter dispute with King Cecht of the Danaans. His once powerful people are gradually abandoning their time-honoured traditions, beguiled by the ways of the Danaans. Driven by a hatred generations old, King Brocan, stubbornly resists all change, determined to preserve the ancient ways. But his struggles are destined to be in vain. Sailing for Innisfail's bountiful shores are invaders with weapons and skills so powerful that nor even the Druids' magical songs can keep them at bay: the Gaedhals. The Druid Assembly has ordered the Fir-Bolg to unite with the Danaans against the coming of these invaders. Dalan, the Brehon, is sent to enforce their edict. But this learned Druid is beginning to suspect that a threat greater still than the marauding foreigners hangs over the land. A powerful and determined adversary has been roused from lethargy to descend on the people of Innisfail - a force conceived in evil and set upon revenge.
Since childhood Caiseal Mór has been haunted by a deep, abiding, autistic obsession with the Holy Grail. As a teenager he made a personal vow to dedicate his life to the Quest. In his early twenties he set off alone to travel the world, following any clue that might lead him to the Sacred Treasure. He was living near Glastonbury, in the U.K. when he embarked on an exhaustive study of Celtic legends and folklore, eventually travelling to Ireland to hear the old stories first hand. Over the next twenty years he gained a degree in Theatre Arts, published twelve novels centred around Irish tales he'd collected and another two non-fiction books based on his research. He also recorded six CDs of original music to accompany the books. His autobiography, "A Blessing and A Curse- Autism and Me", was published in 2007 to critical acclaim. Since then he's produced a further five CDs of original music, published another novel, "The Lady of the Lamp" and a personal account of his encounters with the miraculous, titled; "What is Magic?"
Caiseal is an author, musician, painter, sculptor and spiritual seeker. He lives and works in Australia with his wife, the portrait artist, Helen Wells.
The accompanying video, "Pilgrimage" is from his CD "Alchemy for the Heart", published in May 2011. More samples of his music may be heard on his website;
http://www.mahjee.com
