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| User: | caitriona_nnc (1105396)  Banrigh na Boogie
The Vertigo of the Ulsterpersons |
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| Name: | Kathryn of Nigheanan nan Cailleachan | |||||
| Website: | bandia.net | |||||
| Location: | Quinnitukqut River Valley, Massachusetts, United States | |||||
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| Bio: |  Kathryn NicDhàna, here: EcoFeminist, Celtic Reconstructionist (CR), Gaelic polytheist, priestess and spiritista. Founder of the Pàganachd Bhandia and Nigheanan nan Cailleachan traditions of CR. Practical Mystic. Writer, researcher, artist. Feral satirist. Occasional musician. Dedicated dog-wrangler. I'm living in the mountains with my pack of dogs and humans, and am obsessed with building a woman-centered, Goddesses-focused, CR tradition and community. My rate of success at this endeavour has varied wildly over the years, with the usual expected and unexpected breakthroughs, revelations, pitfalls and pratfalls. I have articles, essays, poetry, satire, songs, visual art, comix and reviews scattered about the Pagan, Feminist and Underground press. I even pop up here and there on some tapes and CDs, drumming, singing and sometimes songwriting. An intuitive mystic, spirit-listener and dreamworker since childhood, I've been active in psychic development and ritual groups since 1980, the Pagan communities since '83, and helped found CR in the late '80s/early '90s. I was recently surprised and bemused to discover I seem to have been the first to use the term "Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism" for what we were doing. (If I'd known at the time it would come to be a tradition name, I would have suggested something far more poetic!) Also, at this point I'm not sure I'd include "Pagan" as part of it. Yeah, by the technical definition it's a form of Paganism, but I'm not sure how much we really have in common with much of the Pagan (or, Neopagan) community these days. These days CR has come to be an umbrella tradition; it encompasses a number of sub-traditions, which may have somewhat diverse styles and areas of focus. We don't all do ritual the exact same way, or believe the exact same things, but we do have some core principles in common, as seen in The CR FAQ.  Oh yeah, Buy the Book while you're at it. Or just Read more about it. My personal tradition, Pàganachd Bhandia, is an EcoFeminist, Gaelic tradition focused on the worship of the Goddesses and the honoring of the Ancestors and Nature Spirits. Nigheanan nan Cailleachan, the founding hearth of PB, consists of my household, plus some of my closest friends and family members. Currently there aren't many of us practicing the tradition - it's basically just the above-mentioned, plus a handful of satellite members. I assume that as we get more material published, PB will become the larger, more public version, while NNC will remain more private and family-based (I include intentional family in that definition, by the way). Those of us using the Gaelic terms Pàganachd, Págánacht and Págántacht are generally the more culturally conservative variety of CRs - we tend to be more concerned with issues of cultural appropriation and maintaining traditional Gaelic culture than some of the other participants in the CR community. I would say we're as "traditionalist" as it's possible to be without having an unbroken tradition (and, sorry, but if you have to learn parts of it from books, you're a reconstructionist, not a traditionalist). Though our political values vary (many of us, myself included, are actually leftists, progressives and radicals), our approach to CR is more traditional than some other branches (though some would argue that some of those other branches aren't actually CR). In line with these principles, we have a new-ish LJ community, ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} paganacht.Though my spiritual practice has been CR-ish since the proto-CR years in the eighties, and aspects of it have been with me all my life (through family influence), I also have a distant background in Hinduism (Tantric, Shakta and Vaishnava), Dianic Craft, Yoruba / Lucumi, and have ritualled with many different sorts of people over the decades. I'm a veteran of numerous feminist, queer, AIDS, anti-racist, anti-war, global justice and other radical/progressive actions, happenings, organizations and movements. I'm more reclusive these days, less of a street warrior, but I still do my best to live my politics and agitate-educate-organize. I want a bigger community, and possibly a larger household (though we'd need an addition to the physical house at this point!), but can be rather particular about who I let into my space, let alone my heart. My love life is a paradox - with a stable circle of old friends and (mostly-)former lovers, but still a sense of searching for the right one(s) to complete the pack. I vacillate between feeling content and... not quite. When not at the computer, I can usually be found in the woods by the river (or in the river), hanging out with the trees, listening to the Spirits, and writing it all down. Or drumming and flailing about to music that has screaming in it. Or reading reading reading. Or doing divination. Or ritual. Or wandering the Happy Valley, lusting after inappropriate crushes, and conspiring to kidnap some of them and spirit them off to my cave in the hills. It's a quirky life. Not exactly what I planned for, but interesting, engaging, and full of plenty of challenges to keep me on my toes. Beannachdan nam Bandia Leibh. Wishlist: Though I prefer people to support their local independent booksellers, I do have a wish list on Amazon.com, for anyone desiring to bribe me or support my research habit (and Leos do love presents). However, in support of the First Nations Boycott of Amazon.com, I've mostly migrated it to Powells (type kathryn at bandia dot net (converted, of course, to the actual address) to reach my page). If not at Powells, the types of books I shop for are usually found cheaper (or even just found) at abebooks or Celtic Books for Scholars, but, alas, no wishlist functions there. For now I'm keeping the Amazon.com wishlist posted only as a reference for the books the others don't have in stock, but please avoid supporting Amazon.com. CR: If you want to know more about this CR thing we're always going on about, check out the above-mentioned, rather comprehensive, CR FAQ, and/or the much shorter Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism tradition essay - which is a more basic, and somewhat flawed, introduction (but a quicker read). Both projects were put together by a diverse collective of CR practitioners, including some of the founders of the tradition, using a consensus process. Though some compromises were necessary to get something we could all live with, and I don't vouch for the other work of everyone else who contributed to the project, it's the best place to start for info on CR. A couple points we could have made clearer in the essay, but which we have hopefully cleared up in the FAQ: 1. We greatly value the study and preservation of Celtic languages and participation in the living Celtic cultures. Language is the key to understanding a culture's mindset, and while fluency in a Celtic language is not a prerequisite to participation in the CR community, people serious about the tradition do almost always dedicate themselves to language study as part of their CR practice. 2. CR is not eclectic. When we speak of studying comparative religion for ideas of how to elaborate on some of the Celtic religious practices for which we have scant information, we are not advocating importing rituals, practices or beliefs from other traditions. What we are doing is using cross-cultural study - usually of closely-related cultures like the Norse - as an aid to figuring out the way our ancestors may have done something. This is one of the places where CR is markedly different from so-called "Celtic Shamanism". Everyone that I am aware of who calls themselves a "Celtic Shaman" is simply ripping off First Nations practices (sometimes under the guise of cultural thief Michael Harner's "Core Shamanism") and sprucing them up with a smattering of Celtic terminology (and perhaps some Celtic Deities and myths taken out of context). It's coming from a different mindset than authentic Celtic tradition, is usually a display of cultural ignorance and/or laziness, and is offensive to both our Celtic ancestors, the living Celtic communities, and the First Nations folks who do not want their traditions ripped-off. The reason importing other cultures' practices and calling them Celtic is offensive to the Celtic ancestors is that, by doing this, we are neglecting the re-discovery, preservation and revitalization of what they actually believed and did. We're ignoring their work, their lives, and their values, in favor of something that may seem easier and faster and, perhaps, more "exotic". If someone wants to be eclectic, or be adopted into a legitimate First Nations family/community, they should pursue that, not call their eclecticism "Celtic" in hopes of disguising cultural theft. I personally support The Lakota Declaration of War, as well as the 2003 Statement on the Protection of Ceremonies, and I'd like to see other CRs take a supportive stance on this. I began my CR practice because my Ancestors and Deities were asking that we develop something that was our own, that was culturally rich enough that we would not need to steal from anyone else's culture. Of course, this is taking a lot of time, and a lot of work. It will be a long time before CR, or Pàganachd agus Págánacht is that fleshed out. But that is my goal and the goal of my nearest and dearest CR colleagues. I'd also add that CR is not pan-Celtic. Every CR I know focuses on a specific Celtic culture. Most of us seem to tend towards the Gaelic (Irish, Scottish, Manx), with a sizable number of the Gaulish. We seem to have fewer Welsh Reconstructionists at this point, though there are some out there, and only a smattering of the other Celtic nations represented. As far as I know. Every now and then I'm surprised to find a community I've never heard of, so it is possible there could be all kinds of things going on out there that The Usual Suspects are unaware of. "Friend"ing: I'm most likely to "friend" people who post original content and use cut tags. If you friend me and don't do these things, I'm more likely to just bookmark your site and read it occasionally. I'll often read someone's journal for a while before I decide whether to friend them. Though some of the people on my "friends" list are real-life friends of mine (some very good friends or family, actually), in general, it would be more accurate to call it, "list of journals I read or, for whatever reasons, keep an eye on." Please don't assume that having someone's screen name on that list necessarily means anything more than I look over their journal sometimes. Some people are here because, well, someone has to keep tabs on them. Politics/Principles: In case it's not obvious, the fact that I subscribe to some journals does not necessarily mean I agree with all, or even most, of the things people post in those journals. FEAR MY AWESOME MOD POWERS: I currently co-mod paganacht, cr_r, ne_cr, and brighidwomen. I am a backup mod on out_hedge. Doesn't mean I agree with everything there, either ;-) Privacy: Since being indexed by some bloggers sites, this journal is now mostly friends-only, with the occasional public rant. I didn't initially intend it to be as well known as it now is, and had asked that it not be indexed. But I got over it. I have accepted that the public posts are very public and have adapted accordingly. I also have a more public blog: Pàganachd Bhandia, which is also syndicated on LJ here. Unless otherwise indicated (such as in lemmings, responses from friends, or quotes from friends' previous comments) all content in this journal, or in responses I author in other LJ fora, is copyright ©2008 kpn/katharsis ink, all rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without written permission from the author (me).     I'm a hera for women everywhere - even if I'm a little scary. | |||||
| Memories: | 203 entries | |||||
| Pictures: | over 40 public | |||||
| Interests: | 150: african dance, alba, an morrígan, ancestors, androgyny, anti-consumerism, anti-patriarchy, antioch, anu, aos sí, artists, astrology, awen, ban-dia, ban-diathan, bandia, bandraoi, bodhran, brighid, buffy the vampire slayer, cailleach, cailleachan, caorann, celtic goddesses, celtic paganism, celtic reconstructionism, celtic reconstructionist paganism, celtic studies, clann nan cailleachan, community building, culture jamming, danu, daoine-sìth, david bowie, deep ecology, divination, diy, dogs, domnu, doumbek, draoi, dreamwork, dykes, ecofeminism, elder trees, faerie faith, feminism, fey, feánna, fidnemed art-ré, filidecht, filidh, filí, flaming crones, folk practices, folklore, gaeilge, gaelic, genderfuck, glam rock, global justice, goddesses, green politics, guerilla theater, gàidhlig, hags, hawthorn, hecafe, iggy pop, imbas, immram, intentional community, ireland, kali, keeshond, kundalini, lry, macewan, mcs, mediumship, moonstone circle, mysticism, nature spirits, nigheanan nan cailleachan, nin, ogam, ogham, orisha, oshun, otters, oya, paganachd, paganachd bhandia, pagantacht, patti smith, physical feminism, poetry, polytheism, possession, priestess, priestessing, pro-choice, publishing, punk, pàganachd, pàganachd bhandia, págánacht, págánacht bhandia, págántacht, queer, radical feminism, radical politics, rites of passage, ritual, rock and roll, rowan, satire, scotland, sean-nós, self defense, shakta, sheela na gig, shiba inu, social justice, sustainable living, sìth, síla na géige, síle na géige, taibhsearachd, tantrika, the coffee cult, the death crones, the storm hags, thorn, traditional gaelic culture, tree lore, tribal bellydance, tribal cultures, tribal dance, underground culture, velvet underground, women's community, women's mysteries, women's spirituality, womyn, writing, yemaya, yoruba, zero population growth, Éire | |||||
| Schools: | None listed | |||||
| Friends: | ||||||
| Mutual Friends: | 83: _graywolf_, aeneas_atavus, alderwounds, archanglrobriel, awenannwn, bantuathaid, baronghetto, blackfyr, br_ogam, brannen, caitriona_nnc, caoimhghin, cathal83, conchobhar, eumelosdrizzle, faoladh, femblagh, feonixrift, feonixrift.wordpress.com, fionnabhar, firedrake_mor, freakchylde, gj2666, gra_is_stor, hagazusa, hazelbranch, heilun_coo, hija_de_yemaya, hilleviw, hothead, illuviel, imafarmgirl, iomramh, ivy_rain, joyful_storm, keryx, kingofthewho, ladymorgaine, lastwaykeeper, laurieannhaus, lysana, macnacailli, madrun, mavia, mcmillan, medievalist, migfcruz, miss_adventure, misslynx, morlader, nemea23, nicdhana, nualabloom, nverzeanu, ogam, onespider, panorphelia, paul_hamish, pkmorrison, r_monoxide, red_priestess, rowanf, rufio, sensibleken, sgeimh_solais, shadows_harem, siorathru, sukipot, sunua, susanstinson, technovate, thasolumn, thewronghands, thomasflannery1, tjuice, tlachtga, urocyon_c, urthlvr, wire_mother, wisewomanjudith, witchchild, wordslinger, yuriverse | |||||
| Also Friend of: | 29: _ravenscry_, aislinn_faolan, allisburning, anomalee, awallens, celticartist, celticwench82, deuodatos, dulcimergoddess, earthrowan, eclecticpath, eireannoir, elwen_rhiannon, faerieruth, finnchuill, gemmaelf, goleafsgo, hrafnson, inferno366, ladyteal, liluri, mehmet, nicanthiel, sati19, seanobrien, seeker_of_paths, stardragonca, thewenchywiccan, west_ | |||||
| Member of: | 107: academicpagans, amldduwiaeth, apothecarium, as_gaeilge, bellydancegear, bonobogirls, brighiddevoted, brighidwomen, brigidshearth, buxom_witchtits, callsforpapers, canadabound, celtic_music, celtic_ogham, celticart, celticmyths, chicagocelts, cp_201, cr_r, craobh_caorann, culturejam, ditto_cops, diyrevolution, dot_pagan_snark, druidry, dyke_androgyny, dykes2watchout4, ecofeminism, edinburgers, eirearchaeology, fairy_lore, feminist, feminist_rage, feri, fivecollege, flame_keepers, fogeygoff, folklore, fsa_fsg, gaeilge, gaidhlig, gay_musicians, gay_new_england, girlfags, glbt_pagan, global_justice, grownup_dyke, hampsters, harpandhammer, hogswatch, hothead_paisan, indi_issues, irish_history, keltiad, linguaphiles, ljireland, ma_pagan_pages, masspagans, menstrual_cups, menstrualhut, mhorrioghain, mothertongue, nativeamerican, naturalliving, naturalskin, ne_bellydance, ne_cr, nndiscuss, nonfluffypagans, orishaloa, out_hedge, paci, pagan_music, pagan_shimmies, paganacht, paidmembers, panreconjournal, pastjewels, pioneer_queers, pioneervalley, poly_grrls, polyamory, poor_planning, porn_rage, priestesses, pvgoth, queercelts, queergirlsbooks, radicalwomen, recons, rootworkers, sanatana_dharma, save_tara, sccharmschool, shiba_inus, sobriety, southeastern_cr, thecrfaq_br, treelore, tribaldance, troll_alert, umass_amherst, warrior_queens, wikipedians, women_not_girls, womenofstrength, womensmysteries | |||||
| Account type: | Paid Account | |||||
