In light of some of the recent comments about Celtic Reconstructionism that have surfaced elsewhere (apparently in the wake of some controversy in heathen circles), Gaol Naofa would like to make it clear that we take a strong stance against racism, oppression, discrimination, sexism, and bigotry in all its forms.
In Gaol Naofa our community is about culture and connection, mutual respect and accountability to one another, not blood quantum. While we honour our ancestors, we also highly value our interfaith work, and our relatives and loved ones from all racial and ethnic backgrounds who form the fabric of our living communities. We are not a “folkish” organisation and we do not believe that racist, “folkish” views have any place in Gaelic Polytheism or CR as a whole. Those who know the history of Celtic Reconstructionism (and its subset, Gaelic Polytheism) know that any insistence that members be “white” goes against the very founding principles of CR in general. The same goes for the ridiculous belief that the nuclear, straight family or modern, conformist gender roles (or gender expressions) are in any way necessary or relevant to our lives. Our ancestors, and our communities now, are more suited to diverse, extended families of choice as well as blood. Those who claim otherwise are either ignorant of our history and living cultures, or simply racist, and bigoted.
CAORANN – Celts Against Oppression, Racism, and Neo-Nazism
The CR FAQ statement on racism
Gaol Naofa’s membership requirements and code of conduct
It cannot be stressed enough that we believe that Gaelic Polytheism is not something that is or should be dictated by race or ethnicity, sex or sexual orientation, ability or disability, gender or gender expression, blood line, marital status, nationality, or political party. If this is something you don’t agree with, then please look elsewhere.
August 25, 2016
Original photo by Kyle Brown – Dawn on the Mississippi River
Although Gaol Naofa as an organisation is generally neutral when it comes to politics, as a council we have decided this is too important and vital an issue to stay silent. In addition to our avowed stance on Indigenous Solidarity, we believe that as Gaelic Polytheists we have a duty to honour and respect the land spirits of wherever we reside, and advocate for the protection of the environment and sacred sites that will be affected by things like this proposed pipeline.
In that spirit, a number of our members, along with those in our related organisation, CAORANN, have been joining in prayer with our friends and relatives who are at the demonstrations and prayer vigils in Washington DC, at sacred sites all along the proposed route of the Dakota Access/Bakken Pipeline, and at the sacred waters all over the world. Some of the people on the front lines of this struggle have been instrumental as advisors to our organisation, and without them, we probably would not exist.
The young people from Standing Rock reservation have run all the way from the Dakotas to Washington, DC to bring awareness to the danger facing our water supply. We are so proud of them.
We have been praying at the water, making offerings, singing and praying for protection. We are sending love, strength and gratitude to the runners and the land/water defenders who are carrying this forward for all of us. Slàinte Mhath.
Prayer
From the Center of the Land
A Shail-Spioradain,
The spirits are guarding the water
The spirits are guarding the land
Who speaks for the waters?
Who speaks for the land?
Sacred waters of Turtle Island
Watershed of Oceti Sakowin
Ogalala Aquifer, sacred
Rivers Mnišoše, Mníšošethaka, Iowa, Illinois
and every tributary and well and stream
feeding spreading flowing
into us all.
The water is in us all.
Every time you feel the thirst
Every time you reach for water
you hear us. The spirits of the land and waters
The ancestors upon whose bones you stand.
Hear us.
Sacred waters from which we are born
flowing from the lands of our ancestors,
Abhainn Chluaidh, Uisge Dhè, An Life, An Bhóinn,
Flowing to the ocean, dancing across
to the shores of Turtle Island
merging and twining as one.
Who speaks for the water?
Who speaks for the land?
From sacred Standing Rock, reaching out worldwide,
to the all the sacred rivers, flowing, and circling back
to the center again. As one.
Land defenders crying, praying, “Come, Protect the water!”
Land defenders rising, singing, “We Protect the Water!”
The waters flow free. Clear. Strong. As one.
Pure. Sacred. Forever. As one.
Slàinte Mhath.
With love and gratitude to the youth, Elders and allies of Standing Rock and all the water runners, in Solidarity. – An Chomairle Ghaol Naofa
Notes:
- A Shail-Spioradain – Gaelic for “Oh Guardian Spirits”
- Turtle Island – name used by many Indigenous North American Peoples for the North American continent
- Oceti Sakowin – The Seven Fires Council aka The Great Sioux Nation or the Lakota and Dakota people
- Mnišoše – Lakota (Lak?ótiyapi) name for the Missouri River
- Mníšošethaka – Dakota (Dakhótiyapi) name for the Mississipi River [please note, the second-last “a” is supposed to be a
- Abhainn Chluaidh, Uisge Dhè, An Life, An Bhóinn, – In both Gaelic and Irish, “River Clyde, River Dee, Liffy and Boyne”
- Standing Rock – The Lakota reservation where they are blocking the proposed pipeline, and where the runners began their journey on foot to Washington D.C.
- Slàinte Mhath – Gaelic for “Good Health/Strength/Wholeness”
August 9, 2016
Prayers for protection, healing, peace
and comfort during this time of grief
and righteous rage.
To everyone in Orlando
To the streets of Pride, worldwide.
To all of our LGBTQ2 loved ones
Family, lovers, friends, children, grandchildren
and ourselves.
Holy.
Ancestors.
You whose hands we held, dying of AIDS,
of gaybashing, of hate crimes, of misogyny
of all the phobias turned outwards
that took our loved ones’ lives.
We call your names. Guide us now.
Goddesses of healing and battle, Brigid, Morrígan,
hold and comfort our wounded,
rally our dead and fight like hell for the living.
We call you now.
In pride, in power, in resistance.
Slàinte Mhath.
Our prayers are with everyone in Orlando, and everyone who’s been affected by this homophobic and racist hate crime (for anyone who didn’t know, not only was the shootout at a gay club during Pride month, but it was Latino night and a drag show).
For those of us who lived through earlier eras, this is bringing back hard memories of when we, too, were shot at or jumped just for going to a gay club, when we held vigils for people murdered by gaybashers, where people we had been with on the barricades turned up dead after being hassled at Pride. Those days are not that long gone, and this is a flashback to when our marches were not “Pride,” but “Liberation.”
This meme includes one of the Winged Victories from a monument in Dublin. She has a shield of protection and has taken away the sword from the enemy and broken it. The background is a photo by Diana Davies of the very first Gay Pride rally, aka Christopher Street Liberation Day, aka The Gay Liberation Run, held on the first anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.
Be safe out there, folks.
Winged Victory courtesy Wikimedia. For more about Diana Davies photos of the Gay Liberation Front.
Original post
June 13, 2016
