After a ridiculously long absence, we return to the ancient wells of Tanit to dive into the myths and the mysteries of The Big Blue - the waters which surround the island of Ibiza. Episode Six is recorded beside Es Pouet, a historical well in the most unexpected location - on a beach in the built up, highly touristic town of San Antonio on Ibiza's west coast. Here, where ancient history meets mass tourism, I gaze at the sparkling Mediterranean waters surrounding this 'summer holiday island', and undertake a journey into their darker, lesser known facets... We ponder on the meaning and import ..read more

“These caminos are the gateway into the labyrinth…” What do we find if we unpeel the layers of Ibiza’s traditional dirt roads? We discover a hidden mycelial network of interconnected stories, and an insular way of life that was bound together by the paths the people trod. We discover the old, forgotten rhythms of Ibiza, and a sense of what was sacred and important to the Ibicenco people before the arrival of tourism. But in the red earth camino we also unexpectedly find a mirror and a metaphor for the road of life that we all walk, and some nuggets of wisdom as to how best to make that journe ..read more

Episode Ten is an exploration of a theme very close to my heart as a puppeteer - how have puppets, dolls and crafted deities been used on the island of Ibiza in past times? Before me, who else has thought of fashioning a handcrafted figure representing an imaginary being..... why did they do it, what was driving them? Welcome to a world where reality and fantasy are sometimes hard to separate, where dreams can become delusions and where a fairytale can suddenly flip into a nightmare..... this is Episode Ten: Puppets and Dolls. At the myth-steeped Font d'en Lluna well, at the mouth of the rive ..read more

In this episode we dig deep into the theme of Home, in relation to the modern and ancient culture of Ibiza. In the stunning wilderness of the Font d'es Verger, San Jose, with fresh water trickling above and below, we try to figure out what it is about the island of Ibiza that calls to so many people, leading them to search for a home here. We ponder on the 'bohemian island soul' which has become a high priced, VIP commodity in recent years, and try to trace it back to its authentic roots. I chat with an old friend Sol Ortega, about her twenty-year, shifting relationship with Ibiza, which bega ..read more

'I remember when I first laid eyes on 'X'.....' Episode Nine is devoted to the mystery, the myth and the meaning behind the letter 'X', as found in the local place names and language of Ibiza. What is the story behind these 'X's which are found on so many of Ibiza's roadsigns, from La Xanga in the South, to Portinatx in the North? As markings leading us back to Eivissa's Catalan roots, what precious, local information is buried within them? Join me today as I head to the place which first initiated me into the mystery of 'X' - Portinatx,  Ibiza's Northernmost village. Here, I track down ..read more

If we go in search of the original bread of Ibiza, what will we find along the way? No doubt, following the trail of flour, water and masa madre will lead us back to the authentic, ancient culture of the island and tell us about the profound relationship the Ibicenco people had with their land and their soil until the arrival of mass tourism about fifty years ago. Join me today at the Font d'Atzaró spring, a hidden gem deep in the countryside of San Carles, North East Ibiza, where we explore that humble, universally-recognised food staple of bread as a symbol of sustenance, community, fertili ..read more

This second episode of The Wells of Tanit is recorded at the Pou de Labritja, an ancient well near the village of Sant Joan in the North of Ibiza.  In this episode we explore the theme of 'dance', unravelling Ibiza's popular identity as the 'dance music capital' of Europe. We reveal that, as seen from the perspective of ancient mythology and folklore, Ibiza has indeed been an island of dance for several thousand years... the first Phoenician settlers even named the island after Bes, the Egyptian god of dance... In this episode we go in search of a local man who built a temple to the god ..read more

The Wells of Tanit podcast series starts with an episode recorded at the Font de Balàfia, an ancient well near San Lorenzo, in the North of Ibiza. In this episode we explore the theme of 'Water' in relation to the culture, history, mythology, folklore and ecology of the island of Ibiza. What have Ibiza's freshwater sources represented to the islanders through the centuries? How has mass tourism and globalisation drastically changed this relationship, and what does that mean in mythical terms? What are the ancient, mystical secrets to be found in the wells and fresh water sources of this little ..read more

How have the ancient, and modern Migration Routes linking Ibiza with the rest of the world shaped the island's unique, multi-layered and often misunderstood identity?  This is the question I ponder over in Episode Five, at an enchanted well with a jade green door, the Font de Can Pere Musson near San Lorenzo, Ibiza. With the help of an imaginary treasure map, we will journey through those layers of routes which have brought tribes of people, ideas and 'things' to and from this little Mediterranean island, giving it a cultural identity which is complex and staggeringly rich, but which oft ..read more

On Ibiza, an island converted by mass tourism into a 'mecca' for modern day sun worship, what is the authentic cultural and mythological significance of the sun? Join me this month on a quest to the Font d'en Miquelet, a well near to Santa Gertrudis in Northern Ibiza which is painted with mysterious ancient symbols which some associate with the sun. Here, we contemplate the almighty sun as ruler, life-giver and destroyer, and reflect on the moment that people first began to shed their clothes on Ibiza and embrace, rather than shelter from, the sun. Exploring ancient egyptian sun gods and paga ..read more