This is the name my father gave to me as a baby. Old Weird Beth. In that instant, I believe he saw my medicine and named it, as he too was a medicine man and great healer. I’ve held this name closely ever since, bringing it out once in a while to feel it’s magic, and question if I am ready. I would then tuck it back down into my medicine bag, saving it for the time when it felt right. Now feels like the right time. The world need us all to take our gifts out of our secret bags and use it.
Weird or Wyrd is an old European name for the Goddesses of fate, destiny, becoming, and magic. At its root it also means, honouring, reverence, and worship. Our Wyrd is who we have been, who we are, and who we are becoming. What we can do with our lives, if we shape our destiny with our own divine intelligence. Our weird is our power, our life essence, our life. The Goddess/ancestors who govern the weird have many names, in my cultural heritage they are called the Norns, or Nornir. They were here at the beginning of time, and they will be here to bring the new time after this one comes to an end.
“Wyrd governs what is revered and honoured, valued, and striven toward, and ultimately, in its deepest linguistic roots, the turning, spinning movement that is Being… The negative modern connotations of “weird” are the result of the severing of witchen spirituality from the cultural mainstream, via a long history of persecution.” Witches and Pagans, Max Dashu
So I am a woman of the Wyrd, sharing my gifts of oracle, prophesy, healing, and knowing with you. I work in the old wise woman ways of singing, medicine making, divination, earth reverence, and the shamanic arts of spirit flight. I am reclaiming my cultural roots as a witch. I have also trained extensively in shamanism and shamanic healing which you can read in my CV. My practices come from a mix of training, and a deep inner knowing and doing that have no teaching but my own instinct and desire to act.
Old Weird Beth prophesizing, or blessing with mudra at the shore in Shediac circa 1972
Professional Education and Training:
-Years of training and practice in solo voice, choir, piano, flute, saxophone, orchestra, jazz, musical theatre, handbell choir, marching band.
-Bachelor of Arts in History, Mt. Allison New Brunswick 1992
-Bachelor of Fine Art, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD) 1998
-Two Week Shamanic Healing Intensive, Foundation for Shamanic Studies with Michael Harner, Centre for Noetic Sciences, California 2005
-Three-Year Program of Advanced Initiations in Shamanism and Shamanic Healing, FSS, Centre for Noetic Sciences, California 2009
-Shamanic Dreamwork, FSS
-Advanced Deposession and Curse Unravelling, Betsy Bergstrom 2011
-Seidr, Norse Witchcraft, Betsy Bergstrom
-Seven Year Advanced Practicum in Weather Shamanism, Nan Moss and David Corbin, Maine 2015
Small course workshop training:
Mayan ceremonial practices, Martin Prechtel,
African ceremony, Malidoma Some,
Celtic Shamanism, Tom Cowan
Tarot Counselling, James Wells
Yoga:
200Hr. Full year, Yoga Teacher Training, Himalayan Institute 2014
Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist, Himalayan Institute 2014
Art:
Botanical Illustration, Rosie Martin
Abstract painting, Leya Evelyn
Walk of Life, Helen Poynor
Concrete Sculpture, Ivan Higgins
-Blessings on your own weird journey
