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| Loush is a cutie, but for some reason, I can't get his pictures to work. :( Sorry! |
1) When did you first realize you
were different?
lol I suppose you mean when did I
realize that I could see things that other people couldn’t see. Well I was
always aware that most people couldn’t seem to see the spiritual beings I saw
(Angels, Demons, Totem Animals, Fairies, Spirit-guides, Ancestors, Ghosts,
Etc…). I was kept by my Grand-Mother often and she has gifts. The gifts of
Seership run in her blood-line. I don’t know why I got them being a male child
because usually it was the females who got it. I have always thought it was
because there was no right female person for it to pass to in my family at that
time. I have also thought it might have to do with my sexual orientation….I am
a proud Queer (and or fairy)! lol.
Beyond this... it took me years to
realize that other people didn’t see Auras, I just thought it was they way
everyone saw things. I didn’t know that is what they were called when I was a
child. I just saw Rainbow lights around everyone and everything. I could tell
when some people were sick, closed off, or less spiritual…. because their
rainbows were dimmer or damaged looking in some way. I used to draw these
rainbows around everything I drew.... and a teacher who was disturbed by it
commented to my mother about it. I was scolded for it, but unlike most people
who undergo that…I didn’t stop seeing or experiencing things. I just learned to
stop talking about it to people who didn’t know anything.
2) What was it like growing up?
Well my childhood had a few fleeting
moments of happiness, almost never with my parents however. My household was as
abusive as can be growing up. My father abused us in almost every way,
including physically. My mother…her abuse was more mental, emotional, and
spiritual. I ran away from home at the age of 12 one day and called my Beloved
Gran-Ma, and told her that she had two choices…..she could let me come live
with her or I could kill myself... and at that point I was fine with either
choice. She sent someone to get me where I was hiding. I moved in with her and
my Gran-Da, and my Nan (Great-Grand-Mother). Nan was
getting on in years. I became her caretaker so that my Grand Parents could go
out and work. Nan had Alzheimers and Dementia so that was an interesting time
of life experience. Also for a long time I went to my Gran-Da’s church. They
are in the ministry you see. Our family has been in The Ministry on and off for
four-hundred years we can trace. Though I know that some of my ancestors were
Drui ( Druids - Ancient Celtic Priesthood). When I was around 9, I think it
was... my family underwent a major shift. My uncle went to seminary and when he
came back ...literally over night everything I was always taught to believe was
ripped away from us; they changed the doctrine of the church that fast. It was
a huge spiritual betrayal that left me hallow and un-trusting to a large
degree. I went on a spiritual journey to try on all the different cultures and
religions I had studied about growing up. Mother always insisted on us reading
which is the one great thing I can say about her parent skills lol. I met some
people around the age of 16 and stopped going to the family church and started
going to visit other churches and faiths...which till this day is an issue lol.
Eventually I found Christian Mysticism…specifically for me, wrapped up with the
Celtic side of my Heritage which is the prevailing culture in our family. I
found an ancient sect of Christians called Celi De. Though as a Celi De there
isn’t really organized anything. We are scattered and varied in our beliefs. We
are Christians (or Followers of The Way as the early Christians called
themselves), but we have a distinctly Celtic and even Druidic style to the ways
in which we express our Worship.
I went to private religious school
where I was bullied for not being of their religious persuasion and having at
the time seemingly un-heard of learning disabilities. I left and went into the
public school system in the 5th grade and the bullying, torment, and torture
increased a thousand fold. I had no idea anyone besides my father (or as I call
him my sperm-donor) could be that cruel and evil. I won’t bother telling you
everything I went through. It would be hard for most to read and most people
wouldn’t believe the things I went though at the hands of the public school
system anyway. Though I will say Knives, Guns; Death threats and attempts, as
well as… regular beatings, and never ending verbal bashing played a part in the
abuse at school; and that was just the kids....never mind what the staff did to
me. People don’t want to hear that their children are monsters or that the
school faculty is almost as bad.
I stopped being suicidal half way through the
9th grade and found my true path which has never
wavered since then and never will; I found my true spiritual home tradition.
The only thing I ever really learned in school was how to survive torture. I
left in 10th grade at the encouragement of one of my teachers.
She said one day to me after we had become friends, “I have never said this to anyone before in my 30
plus years of teaching in Europe and America, but for your own sake leave this
place….it is going to destroy your soul…leave and don’t even look back”! I listened to her words….I will never forget
them. Thanks Nancy! I will always believe that leaving that
place was one the best things I ever did in my life. I went to vocational
school after that. I eventually met the woman who would again change my life
forever. My Reiki Master Laura. My spiritual education continued and still
continues. Once you really start it never really stops lol! I will tell you a
truth….forgiveness is one of the hardest and most necessary things to learn. In
the end forgiveness is not about letting the other person off the hook, but
about being willing to let go of the burden of carrying around the fatal poison
of anger. It is not about forgetting… because we can not learn by forgetting.
It is about coming to a place of true peace within yourself and putting a stop
to other people having control over your life and reality. It is about taking
back your Power! It is one of the most freeing things in all of life! One of
the other most freeing experiences is truly and totally submitting to the
awesome Love of Divine Will! If people could only realize the vast depths of
how much they are utterly loved, all fear and all other negative things would
start to disappear from their lives; and be replaced by all that is good….by
Spirit!
3) Do you have a favorite subject or
area of expertise in the paranormal?
Well yes…a few really. Theology,
Ritualism, and Healing. So I guess I would personally lump all of that under
two categories; Religion and Shamanism. The words I tend to use are Minister
and Facilitator. By facilitator… what I mean, is that I create sacred space for
someone to heal; and or learn, grow, and evolve. I then facilitate rituals and
or various medicine modalities for them to create a change in the quality of
their health. This is my Ministry and Vocation! Having said that…I also
have the scholarly type of work I do. I would probably characterize myself as an
unofficial Mythologian and Symbologist. I have made a life long study of world
mythology and the language of symbols and Archetypes. In fact if I am being
totally honest I would have to say that symbols and the language
of symbols is what my utmost expertise is in;
it plays a part in all I am, do, and think. Symbols have a powerful effect on
our lives and beings. I have been in my life very inspired by the works of C.G.
Jung, and Joseph Campbell. Having said that…my work is not just academic or out
of books…. in a very even physical sense….what I know, teach, and practice
comes from real world and real life experience! I am not impressed with degrees
or pieces of paper. I have met truly intelligent people with and without
degrees. Likewise I have met people with a host of official letters after their
names who were some of the most stupid and often fake people I have ever
encountered…whose arrogance and ego seemed to know no bounds lol. I am
impressed when people really know or seek to know Spirit, and when they are
truly Authentic. I love all sorts of diverse and interesting people. Variety is
the spice of life after all.
If I could share something with you…my two favorite
words to study are Inspiration and Grace. In Celtia we have a concept called
The Awen…the Divine flowing Spirit of Inspiration which nourishes all Life! It
my be well worth people looking up the term and various symbols having to do
with The Awen; which is a force that can be invited into ones life and being….
to serve one and to help one to serve. Grace as well is a powerful word that
more people should devote time to studying and understanding. My relationship
with God goes beyond Faith…I have a Knowing beyond faith. I have a deep vital
loving relationship with God that I do my best to cultivate every day....this
is part of Grace. Some days are better than others lol. It isn’t about being
perfect….it is about the striving for perfection and wholeness! I want to
encourage everyone to do the same thing. Find Spirit in what way you can and do
your utmost to cultivate a relationship with it!
4) What does it mean to be Céli Dé?
Well as I said before… there are no set
dogma’s for everyone who claims that title. Each group may have a set of
teachings and core beliefs but they are varied from group to group... or from
person to person. Céli Dé literally; Spouses of God or Servants of God, is
a sect of Celtic Christian Mystics who have a focus on inner spiritual life,
development, and evolution.
Here is a link to a Post I wrote about it on one of
my Blogs;
We Celi De all seem to have, or try to
foster… an intense relationship with both nature and the spiritual realms or
“The Otherworld” as we often call it in Celtia. We follow a path close to that
of the early Christians. At some point in the history of Indo-Europe we existed
before the time of St Patrickus. Christianity was already in Ireland long
before Patrick got there. What he did was bring the Roman church and Roman
Catholicism into Ireland. He despised the druids and also the early
Céli Dé who lived in harmony and peace with the Druids; and tried his best to
eradicate them. Some druids became monks to hide or survive. Many of the Céli
Dé, were absorbed into the Roman church during that time period and their true
essence was largely lost sadly. I feel like… we… who claim the title today, are
reclaiming the sect… and that this honors our early spiritual ancestors and
predecessors. The first Céli Dé were druids or druid followers who converted to
Christianity but kept their style of worship as it were. They just stopped
worshiping the old pagan gods and started worshiping The Holy Trinity. Many
think they just changed the old gods into saints, but this is not really the
case. Most of the Celtic saints were very real people who did extraordinary
things for their people during their lives; and these so called saints were
often named after the old gods; which was more than common… it was standard
practice at the time. That is not to say however that certain traits from the
old pagan gods weren't grafted onto the saints. I do not claim to be
exactly like the early Christians or exactly like the early Céli Dé ….these are
inspirations for how we are evolving our faith path traditions now.
Here is a link to a group I think has
several great points about this path (Not that I agree with everything they say
mind you lol);
Also I have always considered myself
part of The Grail Quest. For those that aren’t familiar with that term it has a
lot to do with spiritual interpretation of the Arthurian Legends and how we can
apply the lessons found within those stories to our lives. It is the search for
The Holy Grail or more correctly… it is a spiritual tradition who has as its
major objective to Become The Holy Grail… that servant vessel of God. Finding
The Grail within ones own self and unifying with that truth.
I believe that Spirit is not just for
Sundays. Spirit is supposed to be part of our every breath. Everyday
spirituality is the only way for me to truly live fulfilled and be authentic
and true to myself! Finding the sacred within the mundane and profane is
paramount to my way of life! This also applies unlike in mainstream so called
Christianity to the issue of sexuality! I view sexuality as fluid, natural,
beautiful, and Sacred!!! I am as God made me!
5) Do Céli Dé celebrate Halloween/Samhain? If so, how?
As I said before... we are all
varied. Yes, many of us do however celebrate the old Celtic holidays in our
different ways….I know I do. Personally it is one of the most sacred days of
the entire year to me. I don my ritual robes and regalia… and my clan colors; and
I hold ritual for three days or more. After all of my spiritual workings are
finished for each day I might go out and do something frivolous to have fun
with friends….in elaborate costumes lol. I have always loved making costumes my
entire life. I guess even as a child I was writing characters and becoming them
to experience the world from a different point of view and just never knew
it…not in those terms at least! lol
Samhain pronounced Sow-in, is
the Celtic new year, and it is also The Day of the Ancestors where we honor
those that came before. The Hallowed Eve is followed by New Years day, All
Saints day, and All Souls night. It is common in most traditions to light
candles and honor God and The Saints as well as all our spiritual aids which in
my tradition we call The Brehon. It is also common to pray for the souls of the
dead at this time.
6) Why the name Loush O’Raven? What
does it mean to you?
It is a business name. A reflection
of the name I changed to. My birth name never suited me. Name changes are a
common spiritual practice around the world. God in the bible often changed
peoples names to reflect their new paths. In the ancient Celtic tradition a boy
at age thirteen, and a girl at the time of first moon blood tide... would
choose a new name to enter into full adulthood. I decided that I wanted a new
name that would reflect my new life and my new path. I tried on several
different names over the years until I found the one that suited me. My real
name is Lucien O’Corvi. My business name Loush is a phonetic pronunciation or
transliteration of Luis; the second letter in the old Celtic Ogham alphabet. It
has ties to the Rowan tree which is my Celtic zodiac tree (I am an Aquarius, or
Rowan-Moon). So really I have many names. My Ritual name which I only use for
ritual or teaching, My business name, and my real name. I also have three
pen-names for my writing work. Names are powerful and important and carry
strong spiritual energy and significance. I used to as a youth adopt a new
temporary name for myself whenever studying a new culture as a way to embrace
that culture during my study of it. My real name Lucien O’Corvi …well I have
always been drawn to the name Lucien meaning among other things Light or
Bringer of Light / Illumination. I also wanted to change my last
name….not to dishonor my ancestors but to illustrate that I was on a very
different path than before. I wanted to honor my Raven-Crow which is my main
Totem animal guide; and I wanted something to reflect the Irish part of my
heritage hence the ‘O’ in front of the Corvi. O in Irish meaning basically
Grandson of... is sort of like Mc in the Scottish culture. I chose the Surname
O’Corvi which means Grand-son of The Raven. If there are any people out there
who have always felt their names don’t suit them…go find your real name and
change your name. Don’t go through life as someone else….live fully and
authentically. In the end all we really have that is our own.... to truly leave
behind and also take with us into the otherworld, is Our Name....what we made
of ourselves....what we did with our name and with who we are and that is all!
Blessed Be Most Excellent!
I want to thank you so much for
this most interesting experience Donna! It has not only been fun but it has
helped me re-frame some of my perceptions about my own life! Thank you so much
for the honor of having me on your lovely Blog!
Thank YOU, my friend :) --DM
Thank YOU, my friend :) --DM
Links to my various Blogs;
WARNING!!! Two of my three Blogs are
so not kid or work friendly! The A.G.M.S. Blogsite is kid and work friendly.
The other two however contain very explicit graphic sexual images in many of
the posts. You have been warned lol!
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