No, You're Not a Celtic Shaman

Decolonising your 'Celtic' Paganism and moving towards Right Relationship with native Irish spiritual traditions

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Online class which deconstructs some of the modern spiritual misunderstanding, and helps our students move towards Right Relationship with native Irish spiritual traditions.

New Age Paganism is, unfortunately, something of a hotbed of colonial attitudes and entitlement. At its formation and growth stages, it was perfectly acceptable to take a little from here, a bit from there, and call it your own, and this has led to a culture where such appropriation is normalised. This is largely evident in Irish or 'Celtic' Paganism, and in this class we explore what the native Irish spiritual traditions actually look like, and why it's so problematic to continue the cycle of colonisation of this land and people.



Lora O'Brien has been living personally and working professionally in the worlds of Paganism and native Irish Spirituality for over two decades, and has experienced this from every angle. As an author, practicing Pagan Priest, community organiser, international educator, student of psychology, social and political activist, founding member of Pagan Life Rites (Ireland), independent scholar, and heritage sites manager, she has formed something of a unique perspective over the last 25 years


This Class covers topics such as:

  • What does Celtic mean?
  • What is a Shaman?
  • Cultural Appropriation - a Crash Course
  • Key Elements of Native Irish Paganism
  • What can we do to avoid the bad stuff and work in Right Relationship?
This is a completely self-paced online course . You decide when you start and when you finish. Your Course access enrollment below includes access to:
  • -- Class Presentation Slides
  • -- Class Video
  • -- Class Audio
  • -- Class Chat Log/Resources
  • -- A Guided Journey to Connect with Appropriate Guide/s


When you enroll in this Course, you are receiving lifetime access (with a full 30 day money back guarantee).


Your Instructor


Lora O'Brien
Lora O'Brien

Lora is a modern Draoí – a practitioner and priest of indigenous Irish magic and spirituality. She has been consciously following a spiritual path exploring her native Irish traditions for 30 years, dedicated specifically to the Irish Goddess Mórrígan in 2004, and is the author of seven books on Irish history, mythology, folklore, witchcraft, Pagan practice and priesthood. Her eighth book, on the Mórrígan, will be published by Llewellyn (2025). She professionally developed and managed one of Ireland's most important sacred sites - Cruachán/Rathcroghan - for a decade, and is a co-founder and legal celebrant with Pagan Life Rites Ireland. With her partner, Jon O'Sullivan, she is the co-founder of the Irish Pagan School, and together they create a vast amount of community service content for the Irish Pagan School Blog, YouTube Channel, and Podcast. Lora founded the Ogham Academy in 2022, and has a Masters Degree in Irish Regional History (2023) on the topic of Ogham and Irish Identity. (Pronouns: She/They)


Course Curriculum


  Welcome & Orientation
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  Class Presentation (2 hours, multimedia)
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  Guided Journey (20 minutes, multimedia)
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  Please Let Us Know What You Think!
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Janessa Hill - review of Lora's previous class 'Decolonising your Druidry':

"Taking this class was something I decided to do before I got into any kind of Irish or Celtic spirituality, to ensure that IF I end up practicing any kind of spirituality from a culture which is not my own (Im of mixed european ancestry, born and raised in Canada with some portuguese culture), that I would do it respectfully. This course has given me the confidence that it is possible and has pointed me in the right direction in terms of how to approach it! There's so much discourse about making sure we aren't appropriating other cultures in our practice but this course really shows what you CAN do to practice respectfully. Thank you!"

Frequently Asked Questions


How long will my enrollment last for?
After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this version of the recordings for as long as you remain a member of the Irish Pagan School - across any and all devices you own. So, you can take your time, or get it all done quickly, and revisit it all whenever you want to - it's completely up to you.
What if I enroll, then change my mind?
If you are unsatisfied with your purchase for any reason, contact us within the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund, no questions asked. If you do require a refund, please just contact the Irish Pagan School directly, by email. We will deal with your request and refund your money with no problems!
Do I need to have Irish ancestry to study here?
No, absolutely not. We provide authentic connection to Ireland, with native Irish teachers, for anyone who wishes to learn from us and is willing to put in the time and effort to do this properly... rather than grab a culturally appropriated quick fix.

Jennifer Brown, reviewing Lora O'Brien's teaching, said:

"It is obvious that so much work went into this. And to speak so calmly and take on that teacher's mantle of explaining even when it is a very painful, or anger-inducing, or emotional topic... building rapport with the students and explaining and rewording and going back and giving examples and telling stories and just really going deep for the sake of the students so that they can get it. As a former teacher (language teacher) I appreciate being on the receiving end of that 'good' teacher's hard work. Also relieved to see good scholarship and citation of sources and just a general lack of BS and 'woo'."

How to Get Access...

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