WElcome KiN
As the folk tale sees, I see.
As the folk tale lives, I live.
And the path to my door, that too is folktale.
Coming here, you either undergo what people undergo in a folktale,
Or you’ll never lift my latch.
Little wonder I so rarely hear my latch being lifted.
Little wonder I so rarely hear my latch being lifted.
Little wonder I so rarely hear my latch being lifted.
— John Moriarty, Invoking Ireland
A WILD HEART
A lifetime of translating scientific, spiritual, and ecological concepts led her to this work. Inspired by her Celtic ancestors who lived closely to the land, waters, and seasons, she lives as an animist.
Spirit, grace and a deep, unyielding love of the Earth is at the heart of all she does and her work tends to contemplate the myriad aspects of a sovereign life, seeking to reveal the wonders of the etheric in service of connection, reverence, and deep, honorable communion.
She has been communing and partnering with the unseen world her entire life and she is one who is called to honor, protect, and venerate the wild, fierce, and untamable heart of nature. She has been called a ‘Rosetta Stone for the soul’ and her natural practice is that of an oracle or seer, walking the paths of the Celtic mystics.
APPRENTICING TO EARTH & SPIRIT
In all her studies and training, from formal academic degrees in environmental science and environmental law to meditation, psychology, myths, tales, Eastern spiritual practices, and ancestral Celtic wisdom traditions, she has found that it is the other-than-human world, the spirits of nature herself and the gods and goddesses of old, that have been her most profound teachers, companions, and guides.
Each element has held her, guarded her, broken her open, and been a compass of connection. The trees and the bees are her kin, just as the stars and the stones. Her ancestors are fierce, extraordinary, compassionate, and wise, and she bows to them daily for holding, guiding, and reminding her of the continuum of existence. The Celtic pantheon of ascended masters, goddesses, gods, druids, witches, warriors, healers, and teachers hold her hand and steady her gaze, especially with regard to her word, movement, ceremony, and song.
She’s guided with grace directly by by the works of many including Glennie Kindred, John Moriarty, Sharon Paice MacLeod, Mary Oliver, Dr. David Suzuki, and Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés.
The vessel that she inhabits (her human skin, her mammal self) is a profound guide and through dance and song reminds her daily that this short human walk on this magnificent planet is truly an expression of the divine.
THE ANCESTORS & SPIRITS OF THE LAND
Her bloodlines are of the Gaels, Picts, and Insular Celts.
When not exploring the lands of her blood ancestors (Alba and Éire) she spends time between her birth country of Australia on the unceded ancestral lands of the Cammeraygal Clan of the Eora Nation as well as the Bundjalung Nation of the Arakwal, Minjungbal, and the Widjabul people.
When in the USA she stewards space on the traditional lands of the Ute Peoples (Nuche), the Arapaho Nation (Hinono'eiteen), and the Seven Council Fires (Oceti Ŝakowiŋ).
In solidarity, I humbly acknowledge that the land that I currently live and work on, the land that holds me, is land that holds structures of lore and maintains knowledge through oral traditions that have been practiced for thousands of generations by indigenous first peoples.
I honor their lore and their laws.
I honor their strength, wisdom, myths, customs, and cultures.
I honor their ancestors and their living children.
I honor their elders and their teachings.
I honor their spirits and animal allies.
I honor their love of our great mother Earth.I live as their humble sister and human ally who is listening, who is sorry, and who offers her hands, ears, and heart in service of healing and moving forward, together.
If you feel so called, you are warmly invited to connect.
“The secret and the sacred are sisters. When the secret is not respected, the sacred vanishes. Consequently, reflection should not shine too severe or aggressive a light on the world of the soul.”
— John O’Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom
Training & Influences
Three cauldrons are born in every person.
Rather than distill the winding river of Heather’s life and training into a single list, a small sampling of experiences and influences is offered below inspired by the Three Cauldrons of Poesy. What is not included below is her resume, which has also deeply influenced her walk. For the past decade, in addition to her spiritual and creative callings, she has walked in two worlds, working in private and public philanthropy as an advisor and administrator, overseeing social programs in disaster relief, global health, medical education, the arts, scientific research, and contemplative practice, amongst other things.
Prior to philanthropy, she was an award-winning director of a sustainability and resiliency consulting practice, and for a couple of years after corporate burnout explored film and television acting. She still occasionally acts and does voice work for film and television. She has never stopped defending the wild wonders of the Earth, and she never will, for they are one.
Balancing power is at the core of her work. It always has been, and always will be. It feels like both an inherent and learned trait, initially influenced by the pain and angst she experienced as a child witnessing the destruction, manipulation, and disregard of the natural world by humans, equally reflected in the violence and abuse of her childhood. In her estimation, there is no healing, no harmony, when power is skewed, corrupted, and misused.
She will always be a voice for the voiceless and in service of this undertakes continued studies with the Right Use of Power Institute including having completed the Right Use of Power for Spiritual Leadership program.
THE CAULDRON OF celtic MYSTICISM & ANIMISTIC PRACTICE
Member (current) | The Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids
Aoife Lowden | Slí na nDaoine Feasa - ‘The Way of the Wise Folk’ (current)
Jen Murphy | Áes Dána Incubator
Kris Hughes | Celtic Mythology & Myth-Telling
Danu Forest | Celtic priestess, wise woman, and fae traditions
Rachel Weitz | Animistic, ancestral, and plant relationships
THE CAULDRON OF THE ARTS & CREATIVE INSPIRATION
Jen Murphy | The Celtic Creatives (current)
Angharad Wynne | CYFARWYDD, An Enchantment of Women's Stories
Nao Simms | SWAN STORIES & The Myth and the Muse
Danielle Dulsky | The Witching Hearth: Story-Keeping for the Wise & Wicc'd
Dr. Joanna Gilar | The Fairytale Atlas
Truthful Acting Studios | Master Meisner Program
THE CAULDRON OF EARTH & HUMAN HEALING
University of Sydney | MEL, Master of Environmental Law
University of Sydney | BScEnv(Hons) Environmental Science & Human Geography
Shauna Janz | Sacred Grief
CTAA | PTSD Counseling Diploma
TPA | Solution Based Counseling Practitioner
IAOT | Stress & Anxiety Management Certification
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Neo-shamanic (core-shamanism) training:
Graduate of a Three-Year Shamanic Healing Practitioner Training (2017-2019)
Journeying with the spirits of nature, medicine for the Earth, and healing with spiritual light
‘Celtic Shamanism’ with Jane Burns
Please note: though these trainings informed some of my walk through this world, I do not use the word ‘shaman/shamanic’ instead choosing to study, practice, and affiliate with the ancestral paths of my people and the seership and healing names accorded to them. I have known several teachers of ‘shamanic’ practice to behave in strange, cruel, and manipulative ways and to not walk in accordance with the spirit ethos of integrity that I consider fundamental and paramount to any spiritual practice. If you’d like to learn more, you are welcome to reach out here.
“One blessing of this human walk is that we can reclaim our own sovereignty with each dawn that rises.
It is our divine birthright to live in harmony with ourselves and the world around us.
This pursuit of sovereignty lays no claim over any other being; this is not about the pursuit of control and condemnation of humans or the Earth.
This pursuit lays claim to all that is yours; every piece of your heart and mind, every word you speak, every action you undertake.
To live a life replete with sovereignty is to live as a whole human in full accordance with the splendor of one’s soul.
This reclamation of self results in inner peace and prosperity that begets outer respect, contemplation, patience, and honor.”
— Heather L. Porter, On Nature & Sovereign Authority