So this is a guy who's been getting some press in the UK lately,
after receiving official recognition and permission to perform religious services from the Northern Irish government. Just like here in Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, he can officiate at weddings and stuff. On the face of it, that's great! A step in the right direction for religious freedoms and all that. But then you look at the claims he's making.
First of all, he's a "Celtic Shaman" who claims he's now able to perform ceremonies for followers of the pre-Christian Irish religion. His credentials, however, seem to rely on the fact that he's been reincarnated as a "shaman and a seer" many times over, going back to the Paleolthic! Naturally, at least two of those incarnations were as
Native American Shamans:Having lived many past lives as a Shaman and Seer. Patrick (Nighthunter) has many lifetimes of skills to draw upon.
Two of these past lives were in the last 400 years as a Native American Shaman.
With memories of Shamanism all the way back to Palaeolitthic times spanning thousands of years.
Patrick has always been a healer.
Holding memories of these lives, his skills are carried forward from the old ways.
Patrick's skills are from his past memories, the spirit world and his power animals, which has worked with him through all these lives, he still works the same way today as if nothing has changed.
Perhaps that's why he thinks it's OK to wear that awful fake "Native poncho" in the article?
As usual there's nothing actually "Celtic" or "Irish" to any of the services he's offering. Or selling
(like the dreamcatchers). Instead, it's all a mix of bits and pieces ripped off from other cultures. The Irish - or Gaels across the water, like myself - don't have (and never have had) shamans or power animals and we don't have a history of using what seems to be using aromatherapy oils or holistic therapies for healing. Etc. This guy is just another New Ager who's trying to dress up the services he's selling in "prettier" clothing.
Ireland has a massive and rich history of its own pre-Christian beliefs, some of which survive today. But he ignores that and makes ignorant claims about St Patrick "doing away" with the pagans (which he didn't - he wasn't the first Christian missionary, he wasn't the last, and pagans were still around a good 500 years or so after him) and peddles services that have nothing to do with the place he lives in. I'm all for religious freedom and so on, but not when those freedoms are based on fraudulent claims, presenting what he's doing as authentically "Celtic" (or really, authentically anything except New Age appropriations) when it's nothing of the sort. I also see no reason for anyone to feel the need to claim Native American past incarnations, as if that somehow legitimises something that their own culture and history can't. I think that's pretty offensive to both cultures (or groups of cultures in this case, maybe).
