About Me
So, who is this chick behind this blog? Well I’m Caelesti. I live in the Twin Cities with my fiance in an old house surrounded by trees. (very druid-y) In addition to working 2 part-time jobs, I occupy my time writing, reading, biking, volunteering, and causing trouble.
My Beliefs
I consider myself an agnostic with a polytheistic worldview- I’m a skeptic who wants to believe in fairies, too whimsical to be an atheist. Star Trek made me a humanist, fantasy novels & mythology made me a pagan.
My beliefs and practices fall somewhere between Celtic Reconstructionism and modern Druidism. I am also a Unitarian Universalist and am beginning to explore an interest in Heathenry, particularly German folkloric traditions.
I am a proud member of Ar nDraiocht Fein, (pron. arn ree-okt fayn) a modern Druid organization. ADF seems a good fit because they too are somewhere in between Reconstructionism and general Neo-Paganism. They are also pan-Indo-European, which means they include not just Celtic but Slavic, Norse, and Greek paganism for example.
I see Celtic spirituality as being inseparable from culture. Therefore I see participating and preserving Celtic languages and cultures, which are currently in danger of dying out, as crucial. Because I follow a culturally-based religion, I find commonalities with Native Americans, Shintoists and Hindus. I think revivalists of European polytheism can learn a lot from these older unbroken traditions.
Check out my other blogs & social networking profiles
Mariah’s Musings -my blog on disability rights and other issues
Roots, Leaves & Threads – book reviews- I may just put the religion/history related ones here & the politically related ones on Mariah’s Musings, haven’t decided yet. It used to be about autism/disability but as you can see I’m writing about that on the above blog.
My Twitter page
Goodreads profile– all about my reading history, book reviews.
Delicious -my huge collection of links. I haven’t used it in a while, so I am working on weeding out broken links. Pagan websites in particular seem to come & go a lot.
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The Lefthander's Path 
1.
seerkind | June 18, 2009 at 7:58 am
wow, we are pretty similar you and I. : ) I consider myself a Celtic/Nordic revivalist because recon is to strong an idea. Unfortunately, we cannot reconstruct our beloved forebarers way of life (eventhough I desperately want to). For one we live in america and two we cannot get away from the modern way of life. My dream would be to run away with a group of people that shared my views and live completely off the grid exactly how the ancients did, but alas that won’t happen until I go to the happy hunting ground.
I believe in the preservation of culture and language too, and I have become increasingly distraught with Americans completely tossing away the culture of their heritage for a “fast-food adicted, technologically inhibited, lazy” American culture united under a false idea. Sorry for the rambling…
I also believe in looking to older religions, especially hinduism to fill gaps in Celtic/Nordic culture because there is a common theme. However, I feel it essential to recognize that there is a difference in the cultures eventhough there is a common theme. In other words, I don’t believe in mixing five different religious systems into one ritual because that wouldn’t be fair to the different cultures that praticed them. I’m drawn to many differents sects of paganism, but I limit myself to choosing one sect for one ritual. I had a “teacher” that one mixed African Ifa, Celtic and Wicca all into one ritual and it was the worst experience of my life!
Branwynn
2.
caelesti | June 18, 2009 at 8:13 am
Hi there! You might want to check out my post about reconstructionism-
I also think you may be interested in ADF- we look for common themes in various Indo-European cultures while recognizing their differences and strike a balance between tradition & innovation. And we don’t believe in mixing pantheons in the same ritual!
If you have a blog or other site, please link to it. I’d love to hear more from you.
3.
seerkind | June 18, 2009 at 8:34 am
I will definately check out your blog on recon. I think it is very useful for those who lean towards CR like us need to save this idea/tradition before it sinks like the Titanic! lol Bring a little innovation in, like you said, before we get a rep like the Asatrur. My blog link is:
http://seerkind.wordpress.com/
Mind you, its sparse right now-just not enough time in the day!
Slán go foill!
Branwynn
4.
heatheraurelia13 | August 2, 2010 at 12:33 am
Wow, if I knew your blog existed I would have been reading it a long time ago.
http://apaganfeminist.com is my blog. I hope I will be able to read more of your fascinating work!
5.
heatheraurelia13 | August 2, 2010 at 12:44 am
Sorry about that, the url is actually http://witchyfeminist.wordpress.com
6.
Masery | November 13, 2011 at 4:38 am
Now that you’re writing on the blog again. I’ll link to it at the Staff of Asclepius. I enjoy your posts very much.
7.
Éilis Niamh | June 9, 2014 at 4:05 am
Dia Duit, a Mariah! Cén chaoi a bhfuil tú? I am wondering, are you still learning Irish? Is Mise Éilis, agus táim beagan Gaeilge agam. Is foghlaimeoir mé. Táim ag foghlaim ar mo fhéin, agus ba mhaith liom aon duine amháin a cainte aige. As in, I’d really love someone to talk to/with. An bhfuil tú suim agat? I am also a druid with the realization slowly dawning that I am probably polytheist and somewhere between Celtic Reconstructionism and neopaganism. I’m very happy to have come across your blog and the wonderful resources here. You might be interested in checking my blog out at http://www.thesoundofwhathappens.wordpress.com, as I have written a great deal about spiritual experiences I have had as well as disability issues over there. You posted about Fionn Mac Cumhaill’s family, may I ask if you walk your journey with them? I ask because they have been my guides in the world beyond. Slainte!
8.
caelesti | June 19, 2014 at 2:06 am
Yes, I’m still studying Irish, though it’s not quite on the tip of my tongue/brain right now! I understood most of what you said though. It takes a lot of discipline to keep on it, as with spiritual practice (writing is really my main spiritual practice!) It would be great to practice some time with you! I started following your blog, and will add the link to my blogroll. I’m writing about Fionn mac Cumhail as part of the 30 Days of Deity Devotion project. https://paganleft.wordpress.com/blog-challenges-2014/30-days-of-deity-devotion/
9.
taramaserymiller | June 17, 2014 at 3:58 pm
Thanks for mentioning the anthology Rooted in the Body Seeking the Soul and my blog the Staff of Asclepious. My name, though, is Tara “Masery” Miller. I can tell you really enjoy writing so I hope it continues to fulfill your days.
10.
caelesti | June 19, 2014 at 2:01 am
Sure thing! Sorry about messing up your name, I went and fixed that. Yes, writing is one of things that keeps me sane (or at least helps!)
11.
taramaserymiller | June 19, 2014 at 5:28 am
Thanks a lot!
12.
Versatile Blogger Awards | Part Time Monster | July 16, 2014 at 9:01 pm
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13.
THANK YOU PART TIME MONSTER FOR THE AWARD | THE DEAD GAME by Susanne Leist | July 18, 2014 at 2:04 am
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14.
Rose F | September 6, 2014 at 1:45 am
Wondered what you thought about this article…
http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2014/09/special-needs-in-strange-worlds-corrina-lawson-on-autism-and-superpowers/#more-97138
Had a couple of people send it to me this week and one offered to reach out to the author as a possible guest poster on my blog. She’s got some good things to say, but there are parts I’m uneasy about, so I’m polling readers/friends with autism.
15.
caelesti | September 9, 2014 at 8:03 pm
Thank you. Like you, I have mixed reactions to it. She seems to want to depict characters with autism and other mental conditions with realism and sensitivity. But basing them on specific people she names is rather ethically iffy- especially a kid. Does she have consent from these people? Parents write publicly about their experiences raising kids with autism or other special needs without considering what the kid will think when he/she gets older. I also dislike her characterization of regular autistic people as “superheroes” for dealing with the challenges they face. However, since this lady is already out there writing books, what I’d suggest is giving her an interview, and asking her polite but keen questions about the social context of what she’s writing, her responsibilities to disability communities, etc.
16.
Rose F | September 9, 2014 at 8:45 pm
That’s a good idea, thanks!
17.
Rose F | November 27, 2014 at 11:05 am
I’m not sure of the etiquette involved in what I’m about to ask, so if it’s weird, feel free to tell me or say no. Do you have an email address I could write to? I’d like your opinion on something, but I’m not sure it’s appropriate to discuss in blog comments.
18.
caelesti | November 27, 2014 at 9:38 pm
Sure no prob- it’s caelesti AT gmail DOT com Thanks for asking.
19.
mh2468 | December 12, 2014 at 7:08 am
The polytheistic religion of Hill Evidencism is only based on evidence and logic: http://hill-evidencism.blogspot.com/.
20.
brentblonigan | February 22, 2015 at 5:47 am
I am originally from Wayzata. I miss the Twin Cities. I used to enjoy the lakes, the trails, and the seasons.
21.
georgiakevin | April 4, 2015 at 1:19 am
You seem like such a kind caring lady, your writing is wonderful. i can’t wait to read more of it.
22. New Blogs I Am Following: Blogging 101 Day Three | The Hammered Raven | June 11, 2015 at 9:33 am
[…] The Lefthander’s Path concerns magic and Druidism and the esoteric. She is a member of the ADF and has a Celtic outlook where mine is more influenced by the North. She does write some on the Northern Gods and heathenism, and I find her fascinating even when I disagree with her wholeheartedly. It was through her blog that I found the Heathen Round Table. I suspect that Round table will be a huge influence on my writing habits. […]
23.
Anne Newkirk Niven | July 1, 2015 at 9:06 pm
Love your writing voice! I’d like to propose recruiting you to blog on PaganSquare.com. Contact me via email or call 503-430-8817,
24.
caelesti | July 2, 2015 at 12:30 am
Oh, thank you!
25.
Authority in Religious Traditions | Dowsing for Divinity | February 10, 2017 at 5:28 pm
[…] values, including a willingness to play nicely with others. They do share a worldview, an ethos. As Caelesti writes in this excellent blogpost, Belief vs. […]