Witches, evil queens, good wives + lion cubs,
My brain processes patterns quicker than I’m able to articulate them. As result, I see things that most people don’t. I’m filled with grand plans that I can only make happen in spaces where I’m trusted to do my thing.
In broken systems that prioritize compliance and hierarchy, I’m unable to function and it slowly kills my soul. I know that sounds dramatic, but it’s the natural outcome of existing in world that was not built for my brain.
It’s why I shaped my entire career around advocating for children unable to use their own voices to defend themselves.
This makes a lot of sense to people whose brains function similarly to mine, but to everyone else, it often comes across as a diagnosis I refuse to ever give a child — Oppositional Defiant Disorder. It’s a behavioral condition in the DSM-5 characterized by a persistent pattern of anger, irritability, defiance, and vindictiveness toward authority figures.
To me, this diagnosis feels akin to putting a band-aid on a bullet hole and calling it a day. It’s designed to protect the ego of an authority figure more interested in defending themselves than serving their people.
The myth of hustle culture perpetuates this nonsensical thinking, allowing us to believe that speed is more important than identifying and addressing root cause. It pulled me so far from myself that I lost my words, became quite unruly, and started believing I was the problem.
Every time I’ve lost my footing, a pattern has brought me back. This time, it carried me to the warrior poets of Celtic mythology.
Welcome Back to Summah Camp!
A weekly storytelling series about rewriting our lives through pattern recognition and mythmaking. If you’re new, start with the syllabus then choose your own adventure.
I’m the Mahvelous Ms. B — former teacher, current human. I’ll be your tour guide this season as we journey through the deep end together.
This week’s episode is: Don’t Stop Believing. Let’s dive in. ⬇️⬇️⬇️
A Rebellious Nation of Freckle-faced Hustlers
A few weeks back, I introduced you to the work of Dr. Carl Jung. He believed some patterns run so deep they show up everywhere — in stories, in art, and in the way we move through the world. He called them archetypes. Most of us live inside them without realizing it, but once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
The warrior poet is one of those patterns. It blends two archetypes with their own power: the poet, who remembers and speaks for the people, and the warrior, who protects what matters most. The poet gives the warrior purpose, and the warrior gives the poet a voice that can’t be ignored. Together, they use words to win battles and shape the future.
In Ireland, the warrior poet appears everywhere. They live in the oldest myths and in the pages of history. Their words could shift the outcome of a battle, change the course of a life, and carry a legacy forward long after the people in it were gone.
Amergin — Chief Poet Officer
Legend says the first poet of Ireland was a man named Amergin, and he wasn’t even from Ireland! He arrived as an outsider, leading his people with the intention of taking the island. But instead of beginning with violence, he turned to diplomacy.
Speaking to the land, the sea, and the sky, he offered words that carried both confidence and respect. Through what became known as the “Song of Amergin,” he won the right for his people to settle, and the island was claimed without a single casualty.
Amergin’s legacy is a reminder that any voice, when used with precision and purpose, can change the fate of a nation.
Scáthach — The Teacher on Liability Hill
Scáthach was a master fighter, but her greatest power was in what she taught. She lived in a fortress high on a cliff, and to reach her, you had to cross a narrow bridge. One wrong step could send you right into the water, so most turned back before making it to her door.
Those who chose to stay found a teacher who could see straight through them. She knew who would break first, who would last the longest, and what it would take to turn each one into a living legend.
Her training went far beyond weapons. She taught her students to read a room, speak with authority, and carry themselves in a way that earned respect before a fight even began. By the time they left, they moved and thought differently. They could change the course of a battle without lifting a finger.
Scáthach’s legacy wasn’t just in the warriors she trained, but in the voices she sharpened to carry her influence far beyond her fortress walls.
Cú Chulainn — Her Best Student
Cú Chulainn came to Scáthach young, fearless, and already carrying the spark of someone who would be remembered. He crossed the swaying bridge to her fortress without hesitation, met her gaze without flinching, and learned faster than anyone she had ever trained. His body seemed built for battle, but Scáthach knew his real weapon was his voice.
Under her guidance, he learned to use it with the same precision as a blade. He could challenge seasoned fighters, rally a weary army, and seal an oath so firmly no one dared break it. His presence was as much in his words as in his stance, and people followed him because they believed in him.
Cú Chulainn fought with unmatched skill, but it was his rhetoric that inspired a nation and allowed him to live on long after his last battle.
The warrior poets of Ireland carry a legacy that shows how words can achieve what force cannot. Their stories reminded me that my voice has always been my greatest strength. And while history shows that free thinkers are often called troublemakers by those who benefit from their silence, I know better now.
It’s not defiance. It’s the gift I was given, and I intend to use it. As always, take what resonates and leave the rest. See you next week!
<3 The Mahvelous Ms. B
PS. Click here for this week’s mixtape. We take the history, script it in song, light the torch, then you pass it on. That's right, Macklemore said: lineage through the rhythm, we script it from the palm, and we give ‘til Ireland is on. Bottoms Up! 🎶🎶🎶
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