Lora O'Brien's Blog, page 7

Is it Any Wonder the Irish are So Weird?

Wikipedia says:
" The River Saile  (known also as Weile Weile Waile) is a children's nursery rhyme from Ireland."

That's true like, it is a song I heard as a kid, they taught it to us in primary school, so we would have sung it from about the age of 5 or 6 years old. I got all nostalgic a week or two ago, and stuck a 'Dubliners' CD in the car, for solo journeys where nobody could judge me. Don't judge me.

Seriously, stop that shit, I can feel you judging me.

And I had a complete throwback when the Weile Weile Waile song came on. Ronny Drew's kinda cheery sounding Dublin rasp, and the banjo player plucking away in the background... and I was right back in the midst of the childhood incomprehension of trying to figure out what the hell was going on when I heard the song for the first time. See for yourselves. There was an old woman and she lived in the woods, weile weile waile.
There was an old woman and she lived in the woods, down by the river Saile.

She had a baby three months old, weile weile waile.
She had a baby three months old, down by the river Saile.

She had a penknife, long and sharp, weile weile waile.
She had a penknife, long and sharp, down by the river Saile.

She stuck the penknife in the baby’s heart, weile weile waile.
She stuck the penknife in the baby’s heart, down by the river Saile.

There were three loud knocks come a’knocking on the door, weile weile waile.
There were three loud knocks come a’knocking on the door, down by the river Saile.

There were two policemen and a man, weile weile waile.
There were two policemen and a man, down by the river Saile.

They took her away and they put her in the jail, weile weile waile.
They took her away and they put her in the jail, down by the river Saile.

They put a rope around her neck, weile weile waile.
They put a rope around her neck, down by the river Saile.

They pulled the rope and she got hung, weile weile waile.
They pulled the rope and she got hung, down by the river Saile.

And that was the end of the woman in the woods, weile weile waile.
And that was the end of the baby too, down by the river Saile. There were 13 different versions of this song recorded by Francis Child, before he died in 1896. Known as a 'murder ballad', the versions catalogue a variety of infanticide - from the stabbing knife, to strangling, to burying bound children alive.

So, what are they about?

Besides the obvious like, I know it's about a woman killing her baby. I mean though, why would people sing about such gruesome acts? Is it a version of 'warning about the boogeyman'; a mother killing her child as the most frightening thing possible, used to scare kids into line?

Is it, as my friend Janet suggested, a social commentary on post-natal depression? Or a warning method for new parents, a way of passing information on things to watch out for when you have a new baby, without having to discuss it?

Or do kids (humans) just love being gross and frightening each other? Is it any wonder we're so weird though?!

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tell us what you think!

How to Get 7 Free Gifts that Connect You to Ireland

(Up front guys, this is an offer for Community Members only. Not to worry though, you can sign up now, join the Pobal Community Mailing List, and get your free stuff.)

Have you been feeling a little lost? A bit disconnected? Have you ever wondered what life was like in ancient Ireland, and how it could relate to your modern life? 
Do you know or feel you have Irish ancestors, deep rooted family ties that you've never yet examined in a spiritual or practical way? 
Do you seek knowledge of the Pagan Deities, the Sidhe - the Fairy and Folklore of Eire?Do you wonder about old Gaelic beliefs, customs, the magical craft of Irish Druids, the life and work of early Christian monks? Do you ever feel that the information you've seen so far about Irish culture, heritage, community and spirituality is not very accurate, or authentic? Do you want something that is real, and truly Irish? Don't worry, we have all the genuine Irish Heritage and Spirituality you can handle right here. Seriously, you'll be bloody sick of me before very long. And if you didn't know much about Rathcroghan, or County Roscommon before now - you will soon, I promise ;o)

But enough about all that, where's the free stuff? What do you get?
A Practical Guide to Irish Spirituality Overview Presentation
Introductory Video (avi format) with Lora O'Brien
Guided Meditation and Journeying pdf
Introduction and Resources pdf
Guided Meditation Audio (mp3 format)
Tales of Old Ireland Story and Project pdf
Worksheets and Exercises pdf
Plus - 
Full Irish Heritage and Spirituality Course Details (in case you want more) Just Click Here to Join the Community! 
(and get your free Irish stuff)

Is Ireland Calling Your Heart Home?

That's how a friend phrased it recently, and it stopped me in my tracks.  Because it's how I feel too - Irish born and bred here, and Ireland has my heart.

Does she call you too? I'd love to hear your experiences, or about your travels!

Journeying and Guidance - The Bull in Irish and Celtic Mythology

Working with this established Irish power animal can lead you to the experience and insight of finding your own personal animal guide/s. The following can be adapted or utilised to suit your own needs. 

It would be good to have a working partner or group facilitator who could lead you in this sort of journey, even better if they can play a drum in time to their own words. I know, I used to read things like that back in my baby Pagan days and get a sinking feeling, as I always worked alone then. And I didn’t have a handy tape recorder either, to record myself leading myself on a journey. Alone is fine. 

Working alone is even better in some ways, because you create your own rhythm and set your own pace. If you have a drum, beat it as you go. If you don’t have one, or you feel it would distract you, try and get some music to play: something with a heavy drum beat and no words or wailing women.

Settle yourself comfortably. Somewhere outdoors would be good, an open plain or field of rolling grassland would be excellent. Cattlesheds might be going a touch too far, it takes ages to get the cow poo out from between your toes. If you want to focus on a particular Irish Bull, the Donn Cuailgne was to be found in the North East of Ireland, and the Finnbennach in the North West. If you wish to align yourself in either of these directions, that’d be good. Having said that though, bits of Finnbennach ended up all over the country, giving places like Athlone their names in Irish Gaeilge, so I doubt if it matters much which way you point your face. Working with crossed legs and a straight spine is good, but there’s not too many westerners who can hold the lotus position and still keep their mind on the job in hand. Don’t hurt yourself. Try a straight backed armchair, leaning against a tree or wall, or just lie flat on the ground.

Learn to breathe. Focus on each breath as it comes in, filling you with energy, and as it goes out, flowing away all the stresses and strains of your day/week/year/life. Breathe through your nose exclusively. You don’t need to take massive deep ones either, just relax into a steady nasal breathing pattern. I believe this to be healthier and easier to maintain than mouth breathing, as you shift away from conscious thought.

Now, just drift your way to thoughts of Bull. Every time your thoughts drift away, just notice it, let go of the distraction, and guide yourself back to the Bull. What do you know?  What do you see, or smell, or hear, or taste, or feel?  What do you call it, how do you experience it?

Simply keep your focus on Bull, and see what happens. When you’ve had enough, re-focus on your breathing, and on your physical self – where your body touches the earth, what it feels like, what you can sense around you here and now. And when you’re ready, open your eyes and move around a bit. Maybe eat something.

Now, write it down. Do it again later, and write that down too!  Rinse and repeat, and look for patterns, messages, guidance or clarity in the experiences you are having. 

Leave a comment on this post and let me know how you get on!
If you like this post, please share on Facebook and Twitter! There's much more like this in 'A Practical Guide to Irish Spirituality'. Get your copy HERE.

The Bull in Irish & Celtic Mythology- Part 2

Whether the imagery we see, or the larger than life creatures we hear tell of, represented a particular deity or simply the attributes of the animal itself is unclear.  

Miranda Green (‘The Gods of the Celts’: The History Press, 2011) gives an example of a “silver washed three horned bull”, which was found at a shrine in Dorset, England, and dates from the middle of the fourth century CE.  

She gives the figures we can see on it’s back as deities, and makes links with the above mentioned bull carrying three cranes - saying they may be examples of the shape shifting we hear about in the tales.  

It is possible.  What evidence we have, in Ireland and abroad, certainly shows a respect for the attributes of the tarbh (pron. Tar-ev). As a Taurean myself, I am totally down with the idea of a kick ass Lord of the Bulls, or one who can shift at will to bull form, with all the wonderful qualities that would bring to a situation. Can you spot the bull bias here?!  However, having yet to be introduced to such an entity, or personally encounter one on my travels, I will content myself with exploring, for now, the idea of working with the bull as a ‘power animal’.

It doesn’t have to be a bull either. I am as sick as the next person of coming across those people who assert in all earnestness that their power animal is something ultra cool, like a super sleek panther, or a super strong stallion, when they remind you of nothing more than an ageing shetland pony, a bit knackered and up for nothing more than a quiet corner of paddock and a hay hammock which runneth over. Hey, who knows, maybe that stallion is in there somewhere, stabled for now but ready to break free at the slightest hint of filly. Stranger things have happened.  
Rest assured though, your power animal doesn’t have to be a soaring eagle or a bristling bear. Or even a bull. Your average mouse has a lot it could teach the modern Pagan. I have a friend, Ailish, who now embraces the fact that the goat is a factor in her life that will probably never go away, and I realised long ago that the humble donkey exerts a bigger influence over me than my sense of street cred is comfortable with. 

There are also associations astrologically between Ireland and the sign of Taurus. William Lilly’s “Christian Astrology”, which first appeared in 1647 and was reprinted in 1985 (by Regulus Publishing Co., London), places Ireland - along with Switzerland and Cypress, among others - as a Kingdom which is specifically associated with the sun sign of Taurus, the bull. The Easter Rising, which marked the establishment of the free Irish Republic and the attainment of political independence in Ireland, was an armed uprising of Irish nationalists against British Rule. It happened on Easter Monday, April 24th, 1916, and centred mainly in Dublin, placing it firmly in the realm of the Bull. 

Since an tarbh is of such importance in the Irish (and Celtic) legends and history, it’s as good a place to start as any.   Come back next week for a Spiritual look at how to interact with the Bull. If you like this post, please share!

The Bull in Irish & Celtic Mythology- Part 1

There is an altar in Paris bearing the inscription “Tarvos Trigaranus”, which means ‘Bull with three cranes’ (as in, birds). Carved in relief is a tree with spreading branches, in front of which stands a bull, with two of the birds perched on it’s back, and the third on it’s head.

In the Gundestrup cauldron (found in Denmark, and dating from the first century BCE), which is decorated in detail both outside and inside in high relief, we see a depiction of the hunting/imminent killing of a huge bull on the interior base plate. A warrior or deity is about to spear the neck of the prostrate bull, which far out-scales him. There are also dogs present, which may lend weight to the possibility of it being a hunting scene.

Pronsias MacCana (‘Celtic Mythology’: Littlehampton Book Services, 1969) links the Irish Donn Cuailgne, Brown Bull of Cooley, to Tarvos Trigaranus, which he calls the ‘three horned Bull’ - indeed he states the two can “scarcely be dissassociated”.  He goes on to speak of “a number of widely attested names which seem to imply familiarity with the notion of a bull-deity”, such as the Gaulish name Donnotaurus, which means ‘Brown, or Kingly, Bull’.  In this case, the Irish epic Táin Bó Cuailgne takes on quite a deeper meaning than the simple theme of overly hormonal bulls having a bit of a territorial spat.  The two great beasts were never of this world, having reached those forms by changing originally from swineherds of two lords of the Otherworld, through a series of forms including ravens, stags, warrior champions, water beasts, demons and water worms.
Bull symbolism appears in vast quantities when dealing with the Celtic world.  From ritual deposits and sacrifices in the late Bronze Age, to carving and other artistic representation of bull figures, to place-names and tribal names representing the animal, and also taking into account the traditions of cattle raiding and ranching which were/are so prominent in Ireland particularly - we see the bull itself, or possibly deity connected with bulls, as a highly significant figure.  

World-wide, bulls represent powers of strength, fierceness, and virility, and we have no reason to doubt that the Irish viewed their bulls any other way.  

Bull statuary and iconography survives mainly in Gaulish, and some British finds.  Being an unnatural form, the triple horned bull mentioned above seems to have been particularly a sacred image.  This carries through when we see it being found in shrines, temples, and even the grave of a child (Colchester, England).  Perhaps the triplication of the horns is a way of increasing the potency of the animal’s fertility and virility power; three horns are better than two!  Three is also a power number in itself in Irish and Celtic cultures, showing up many times over in relation to many different things.  
Come back for Part Two next week, and please share the post on Facebook or Twitter if you like it!

Ever Wondered How to Write a Book?

A lot goes into writing and producing a book. Well, duh, it's kind of a big deal like.

So I thought it might be interesting to give a wee behind the scenes glimpse of some of the elements that went into 'A Practical Guide to Irish Spirituality'.

This was the first cover draft. I didn't really like it, though elements of it really appealed to me - and actually, the publisher didn't like it much either.

The idea for this book had started out a few years previously, with a workbook concept called Faigh ar Ais (pron. F-eye air Ash) - A Guide to Irish Magic, Ancestry, Language, Mythology, Archaeology, and Other Interesting Things.

Faigh ar Ais

(pronounced F-eye air Ash) simply means 'to get back again' or 'retrieve', and is a workbook and guide which has come about due to the volume of interest I have received since writing my first book on Irish Witchcraft, far too many moons ago, and working for the last 2 years in the daily management and guardianship of a key Irish sacred heritage site. 

People are looking for honest and responsible guidance as they walk their path of Irish magic, spirituality, or heritage.  This structure is designed for those of you who would like to begin the journey of retrieving or re-creating your own personalised modern system of Irish magic and spiritual practice. 

That's a quote from the original book proposal, way back in 2009 (as I'd started at Rathcroghan Visitor Centre in 2007). It continued on:

This book, or any course or workshop you take, will not confer status of Irish witchcraft, druidry, or any such thing to you.  If that is what you seek, look elsewhere.  I know there are many eager individuals who are more than willing to convince you that they, and only they, have the power to teach you exactly what you need to know to guarantee your bona fides, and they are delighted to do so for the bargain price of…  Blah.  

Don’t get me wrong now, I have no issue with an honourable craftsperson charging a fair price for their skills, to help a person genuinely with their journey – whether that be as a reader, healer, or teacher.  As long as you understand that you are doing the work on this.  Your ‘qualifications’ will be based on the experiences you gain, the hard graft you put in, the relationships you form, and the people you help and support along the way.  Your ‘status’ is whatever you make it.  Honourable action and respectful interaction are self-evident, especially within the tight communities in which people like us live and work. 

You will be whatever you make of yourself; that is up to you.

What I can give you is a firm and solid grounding in Irish traditions and beliefs, a sound knowledge of what exactly is available to us to utilise, an outline of the resources we have available to us, and how best to start making use of them, along with advice and guidance on how we can incorporate the knowledge into modern magic and spirituality.

I would earnestly appeal to everyone… who wishes to see the Irish nation produce its best - surely whatever our politics are we all wish that - to set his face against this constant running to England (the rest of the world) for our books, literature, music, games, fashions, and ideas. I appeal to everyone whatever his politics - for this is no political matter - to do his best to help the Irish race to develop in future upon Irish lines, even at the risk of encouraging national aspirations, because upon Irish lines alone can the Irish race once more become what it was of yore - one of the most original, artistic, literary, and charming peoples of Europe.

Douglas Hyde, November 1892

Our Douglas (he's a Roscommon man, did you know?) had a big influence on me, and researching his work led me off on a wee sidetrack, and I edited and annotated one of his wonderful works for eBook publication.  It's been really popular, and my publisher is currently considering a tree book version.

From dirty footed heroes, to weasels who say thank you, a journey with the fairies to rescue (or kidnap, depending on your point of view) a daughter of the King of France, dancing corpses, boiling a head until the ears drop off, an awfully polite giant who happens to be the son of the Old God Balor, a pope with a surprisingly Irish accent, and making babies with a single kiss - this collection of Irish Gaelic Folk stories has it all. Add to this the meticulous collection, translation and explanation of a man famed for his Irish language expertise and passion (who later became the first President of Ireland); and the skilled, careful compilation, editing, and formatting by an established modern authority on Irish Heritage, which brings this invaluable Irish Research resource right into the modern digital publishing age.  Now we have an accessible, pleasant to read and easy to understand, treasure trove of Irish Stories.

You can Get Your Copy Here, or read more about Douglas Hyde in This Blog Post. From original book proposal for the 'Faigh Ar Ais' workbook, to publisher contract, there was a stretch of nearly 5 years.  Well, I got sidetracked by rather a lot of other things too!

The book proposal plan looked something like this:

Over the coming 9 chapters you will cover introductory information on the Irish traditions. To my knowledge, there is no complete system of magical training or earth based spiritual practice existing today which has survived from ancient Irish practices, either in Ireland or outside of it.  And I have searched!  So what I have done, and continue to do, is build my own working system based on what has survived.

 ~ World of Earth ~
Explores in 3 chapters that which can pertain to the realm of Earth.

Chapter 1 is concerned with Ancestry; from your physical location to your genealogy.
Chapter 2 is concerned with Ancient Places; from well known sacred sites to your local woodland.
Chapter 3 is concerned with Sacred Cycles; from seasonal celebration to your life stages. 

~ World of Sea ~
Explores in 3 chapters that which can pertain to the realm of Sea

Chapter 4 is concerned with Gods and Goddesses. 
Chapter 5 is concerned with the Sidhe. 
Chapter 6 is concerned with Otherworld journeys.

~ World of Sky ~
Explores in 3 chapters that which can pertain to the realm of Sky

Chapter 7 is concerned with surviving written material.
Chapter 8 is concerned with Celtic Christianity and its influence. 
Chapter 9 is concerned with Bardic skills and magical training. Then I asked for a cover that was striking, maybe with something like a path or roadway to indicate a journey, in a good strong colour so it'll show clearly on the thumbnail pics for Amazon and the like. And my lovely publisher came back with this, which was just what I asked for.

And I didn't like it. So he patiently changed it.

I decided I'd really like some reader input through the process, so I took to Facebook and Twitter and asked a few questions.

I asked:
If you were reading a book on Irish traditions, what would you want to know about Deity, and the Sidhe (Irish Fairies)?

A clear explanation of the various groups of invaders, the various regional tribes of Gods, and how they differ from and are similar to other Celtic and world pantheons, without getting too fanciful.  Also I’d be interested in how to interact with them, especially from personal experience, doubly especially if the experience was with more obscure deities.  Alden

How to not piss them off.  Neil

If I was reading about them, I’d like it to be down to earth, bit of history + mythology, how it’s relatable to us today (+for people who don’t just live in the countryside and have hearths + fires), plus personal story/anecdote bits, humour, anything that helps it be more real to the reader.  Sarah

Identification, for me the Sidhe are collective and I have never been able to separate them out.  I would like to know how to do that.  John

I’d want to know the differences between them and any other wights I might encounter, how to politely interact with them, and why I might want to besides simple proximity.  Alden

How to/how not to address them, that they are capricious, to always be aware of ‘the fine print’ that there are different tribes/clan.  Janet

Where do they come from?  Where did they go?  Are they still around?  What are their stories?  What are the rules…?  Where might I meet/sense them and how should I behave?  Ian

All of which, ya know, got me thinking rather a lot. 

And then I got the frighteners put on me by the particular Irish Goddess I work with, and I suddenly understood that I'd faffed about for far too long, and the book had to be written by Samhain. Which, at that point, was 3 months away.

Sometimes I hate that Bitch. But mostly because she's usually right, even when I don't like what she's telling me I have to do. Because I did it; I wrote the whole damn book in 3 months, while working a full time day job too. You can see a Slideshare Presentation on the finished book HERE. Or just go Buy Yourself a Copy. Or... have a look at the Online Irish Heritage Class. It's all good!

Community Leadership

This has always been a difficult one for me. We are in so many respects, a young Spiritual community here in Ireland, and I was very young (16-18 years old) coming to it first, although I slotted in with a long standing group and mentor from my 18th birthday, so I guess I was in the thick of it from my first community forays.

The BNP (Big Name Pagan) label is an American one; we don't have it here, except more recently to use it ironically, to maybe slag each other when we get 'too big for our boots' - or rather, when we do something (like a national media interview, or present to a big conference/audience, publish a book, etc) that might put us in danger of getting ahead of ourselves, as the Irish say.

That being said, there are of course those in the community who (whether they admit it or not, even to themselves) crave or grow to need the inevitable ego boost that comes with the BNP experience. Let's be honest, it feels good to be adored and sought after, who wouldn't enjoy that? Thing is, if you're feeding off that with no responsibility, or even awareness in some cases, you get mad addicted to it. And it obviously becomes very unhealthy very fast.

I very much relate to what Peter Dybing says in his article '
That is why I lead, when I lead - because there's work that needs to be done, and I have a somewhat natural (though developed by years of practice, and many mistakes!) ability to get stuff done, to help people figure things out, and to solve problems when other people are stumped. 

There is a part of me that LOVES being centre stage, being adored, being right - and I get that 'fix' for myself in very aware and consensual ways; so that need in me doesn't bleed into the work I do on a day to day basis. 

Now, part of that work, the work I do and the work that my community looks to me for, IS to be a 'BNP' on occasion. I am a writer, a blogger, an activist and a speaker - and I often speak for those who can't speak for themselves, particularly in the context of rural Ireland's restricted views around religion and spirituality, equality, or personal liberty of choice.

Maybe if my life was different, and I hadn't spent a good 10 years being firmly grounded by having kids and animals and country life - cleaning up piss and snot and shit and puke on a regular basis makes it tough to be all that self important - maybe I'd be different, more in danger of getting ahead of myself. But maybe not, because I am usually the one moving chairs, cleaning toilets, singing songs, making sure everybody has what they needed... and listening, observing, waiting to be called to work. 

Because leadership is service, and priesthood is the responsibility on all levels, to the best of your ability, to ensure your community is being cared for, worked for, spoken for - when their own voices are silenced.
~~~

This piece was written as part of the Cherry Hill Seminary 'Real World Pagan Ethics'class, one of a few Pagan Ministry modules I'm taking this year. If you have any comments, I'd love to see them below, and if you like this post, please share!

Community Leadership

This has always been a difficult one for me. We are in so many respects, a young Spiritual community here in Ireland, and I was very young (16-18 years old) coming to it first, although I slotted in with a long standing group and mentor from my 18th birthday, so I guess I was in the thick of it from my first community forays.

The BNP (Big Name Pagan) label is an American one; we don't have it here, except more recently to use it ironically, to maybe slag each other when we get 'too big for our boots' - or rather, when we do something (like a national media interview, or present to a big conference/audience, publish a book, etc) that might put us in danger of getting ahead of ourselves, as the Irish say.

That being said, there are of course those in the community who (whether they admit it or not, even to themselves) crave or grow to need the inevitable ego boost that comes with the BNP experience. Let's be honest, it feels good to be adored and sought after, who wouldn't enjoy that? Thing is, if you're feeding off that with no responsibility, or even awareness in some cases, you get mad addicted to it. And it obviously becomes very unhealthy very fast.

I very much relate to what Peter Dybing says in his article '
That is why I lead, when I lead - because there's work that needs to be done, and I have a somewhat natural (though developed by years of practice, and many mistakes!) ability to get stuff done, to help people figure things out, and to solve problems when other people are stumped. 

There is a part of me that LOVES being centre stage, being adored, being right - and I get that 'fix' for myself in very aware and consensual ways; so that need in me doesn't bleed into the work I do on a day to day basis. 

Now, part of that work, the work I do and the work that my community looks to me for, IS to be a 'BNP' on occasion. I am a writer, a blogger, an activist and a speaker - and I often speak for those who can't speak for themselves, particularly in the context of rural Ireland's restricted views around religion and spirituality, equality, or personal liberty of choice.

Maybe if my life was different, and I hadn't spent a good 10 years being firmly grounded by having kids and animals and country life - cleaning up piss and snot and shit and puke on a regular basis makes it tough to be all that self important - maybe I'd be different, more in danger of getting ahead of myself. But maybe not, because I am usually the one moving chairs, cleaning toilets, singing songs, making sure everybody has what they needed... and listening, observing, waiting to be called to work. 

Because leadership is service, and priesthood is the responsibility on all levels, to the best of your ability, to ensure your community is being cared for, worked for, spoken for - when their own voices are silenced.
~~~

This piece was written as part of the Cherry Hill Seminary 'Real World Pagan Ethics'class, one of a few Pagan Ministry modules I'm taking this year. If you have any comments, I'd love to see them below, and if you like this post, please share!

A Spiritually Ethical Tour Guide?

I manage a major Irish spiritual/sacred site, a vast archaeological complex of sites actually, with a ceremonial history stretching back as long as there have been people on this island. I started as a tour guide, many moons ago, and I'm still very much in demand for the 'Spiritual Tourism' groups and individuals who visit Rathcroghan.

There's two sides to the ethical issue around all this.

First: my own boundaries and guidelines. Spiritual guardianship of these sites is very much a part of the 'work' I do for my matron deity here, right along with the instruction to "get real information out there". I have a very personal deep down connection to this place, to these energies, stories, and gods... so it'd be very tough for me to coldly take cash and pimp out my paganism to gullible groups. On the other hand, there are so many genuine seekers coming here, more each year, and if I'm not helping them find a genuine experience, somebody else will. 

So, I have to walk a very careful line between giving too much of my personal spiritual self to strangers, and supporting them in their journey, as is my job (both everyday mundane, and in a priestess capacity).

Second: there's the community I work in. The Visitor Centre I manage is a local community initiative, with a voluntary board of directors, and it's often tough for them to understand all the facets of the spiritual side of our business. Spiritual tourism is the fastest growing sector for us, with the highest spend per visitor of any other special interest group, so they can see the practical side to marketing this aspect carefully and responsibly. However, when we run events, or feature in the media for this market, there is - every time - a local kerfuffle in the community with regard to the "witch that runs the centre", or for example after our international 'Goddess Gathering' in November, I'm still dealing with open hostility because I "brought witches to the village".

There's a balance to be kept there too, this is after all their place more than mine, and without community support and involvement we're at nothing. Money talks, as they say, so it's up to me to make the case for commercial and economic benefit to supporting the spiritual tourism market.

It's not easy, I must admit, but my attitude - both personally and professionally - has always been to make the case openly that Paganism is not wrong, or indeed even very different to the Ireland of not so long ago, and to be an open door as far as people's questions or concerns need to be addressed. I'm not doing anything wrong here, quite the opposite in fact... and slowly, slowly, the Irish communities are changing.
~~~

This piece was written as part of the Cherry Hill Seminary 'Real World Pagan Ethics' class, one of a few Pagan Ministry modules I'm taking this year.