Ashley Price is our guest this week. She’s always been interested in the historical stories of gods and goddesses from different cultures. Out of that came her polytheistic and nature-based pagan practice. Throughout the episode, she emphasizes how her spirituality builds connections with deities and spirits beyond the human world.
Ashley shares the diverse beliefs and practices within paganism and dispels some myths and preconceptions. As a leader of the local group, Prairie Sky ADF Grove, her intention is to make gatherings and rituals as inclusive, family-friendly, and mindful of others’ needs as possible. Consent is an important aspect that allows the group to be a safe space. Using consent makes it easy for people to say “no” to what they don’t feel comfortable doing. Hospitality and the exchange of gifting and receiving is also a central theme. She talks about her recent interest in ecstatic dancing and how body motion rituals can help you be more connected with the spirits around you. While on the topic of connecting with spirits, Ashley also talks about what it’s like to be an animist. This practice helps her form a sense of place and connect with the natural world around her.
Meet Ashley
Ashley Price is a restorative exercise specialist working in Urbana, IL with a unique gift for uncovering the habits and restrictions that lead to discomfort in our daily lives. She is a Neo-pagan Druid, animist, and spirit-worker.
Ashley is the founder and current Senior Druid of Prairie Sky Grove, the local congregation for Champaign-Urbana. The grove is a part of ADF, a denomination of Paganism based on ancient Indo-European traditions expressed through public worship, study, and fellowship. Through her grove, Ashley is working to create the space for an inclusive and place-based pagan culture to develop. Her spiritual practice is informed by her work as a movement teacher and her obsession with dance. She is also an outdoor enthusiast and has a close friendship with an oak tree near her home.
Email Ashley at prairieskyadf@gmail.com
Prairie Sky ADF Grove Facebook page
Resources We Mention
- Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
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