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Today on the show we welcome Pegi Eyers, author of the award-winning book Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community, which examines the loss of our vital ethnocultural connection to tribe and place as well as why there is an evident trend of borrowing identities from other cultures. Peggy is based in Ontario, Canada and self-identifies as a Celtic animist. She is an advocate for the recovery of authentic ancestral wisdom and traditions for all people.
In our conversation, we discuss how Pegi first became integrated into the First Nations community in Ontario and how her book helps those who are seeking an authentic traditional practice without appropriating other cultures. We unpack the concept of European Indigenous Knowledge, what it means, and how the history of colonization has affected our connection to tribe and place; regardless of where we come from. Pegi also shares why she identifies as a Celtic animist, why the term Celtic doesn’t do justice to the diversity of Celtic tribes, and her advice for those looking to learn more about their Celtic roots.
For many people connecting with their heritage can be a painful process, and the journey looks different for everyone. Pegi explains what one can expect from the process and reflects on why so many people struggle to acknowledge and confront the enormity of white supremacy. We also discuss the positive changes she’s seen, especially in younger generations, and why we need to dismantle the patterns we’ve adopted from living within a capitalist system before we can reliably adopt new economies. Tune in for a revelatory conversation on Indigenous Knowledge, departing from colonialism, and what these legacies mean going forward!
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Key Points From This Episode:
How Pegi first became integrated into the First Nations community in Ontario, Canada.
The concept of European Indigenous Knowledge and the history of colonization across the world.
How Pegi’s book Ancient Spirit Rising addresses questions around authentic traditions and appropriation.
The six different Celtic tribes and the movement of Celtic reconstructionism.
Pegi’s advice for anyone who wants to develop a practice and connect to their Celtic roots.
What it means to reclaim traditions that were lost due to colonialism and how that intersects with race and heritage.
Why embracing nature is at the core of Pegi’s beliefs.
The legacy of white supremacy and how to play your part in dismantling it.
Examples of thought leaders who are authentically reconnecting with European indigenous knowledge.
Why we need to deprogram the patterns we’ve adopted from living within a capitalist system before we can reliably form new economies.
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Tweetables:
“It turned into a very large book. It has like 650 footnotes. And it's become really a good reference for people that are trying to shift away from any sort of cultural appropriation in their work, and what a genuine ancestral practice might look like. So it's been quite a journey.” — @pegieyers
“Alternative religions are really, really important. But what was showing up was still a lot of subtle racism, a lot of stereotypes, a lot of ableism, white privilege, people not quite knowing what that was.” — @pegieyers
“And I just found it really shocking that even in the alternative world of spirituality, all of these colonial patterns that the mainstream was holding were still being held by the so-called alternative people.” — @pegieyers
“There's a tendency in the New Age world to really spread out and take in things that aren't really authentic, I see this happening in so many spaces.” — @pegieyers
“It's always really wonderful to be doing this kind of work in a community. So if you can find a group in your own region, that is wanting to recover their Celtic heritage, that can be a real blessing as well.” — @pegieyers
“I think that we just have to focus on loving nature, being really connected to the land, and taking responsibility for reintegrating as human beings. That's really our only choice.” — @pegieyers
“These atrocities happened, our own ancestors did it. We just have to own up to it, but don't get too emotional about it, it's not going to help. That's the only advice I can offer.” — @pegieyers
“We can work with new economies, but if we haven't uncolonized the patterns we have from living within a capitalist system, we may get into the danger of repeating some of those things.” — @pegieyers
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Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Pegi Eyers on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/PegiEyersBooks/
Stone Circle Press — https://www.stonecirclepress.com/
Celtic Reconstruction — https://www.stonecirclepress.com/celtic-reconstruction.html
Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community — https://www.powells.com/book/ancient-spirit-rising
The Irish Pagan School — https://irishpaganschool.com/
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