January 6, 2009 by ocean1025
On the Twelfth Day of Christmas
my true love gave to me
Twelve drummers drumming
Eleven pipers piping
Ten lords a’leaping
Nine ladies dancing
Eight maids a’milking
Seven swans a’swimming
Six geese a’laying
Five golden rings
Four calling birds
Three french hens
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree!
Ocean is the creator & manager of this blog. Born deaf into an all-hearing family, she was raised oral and attended hearing schools. Ocean began learning sign language at the ripe old age of 16, and after meeting a Deaf man began her own journey through Deafhood. She graduated from Gallaudet College (now University), and has held positions both within & outside of the field of Deaf Services.
Ocean has been a practicing Pagan for nearly 40 years, and is an ordained High Priestess of the Wiccan tradition. She considers herself "an eclectic witch," with a primary focus on Celtic Spirituality, but an interest in many different areas. A skilled tarot reader, she once donated her services to help raise funds for a Domestic Violence agency. She has also done workshops on aromatherapy, herbalism, & Paganism for the Deaf Community.
Currently Ocean is offering presentations where she discusses the merger of her spirituality as a Pagan with her identity as a Deaf woman, and also teaches workshops on Signs for Pagan Spirituality. Please contact her if you would be interested in sponsoring such a presentation or workshop.
As a passionate advocate, Ocean often speaks out on the need for greater access for Deaf people (Pagan or otherwise) - interpreters, captioned videos, CART, etc...and works to build bridges between the Deaf & Hearing communities.
She lives on the banks of the Ohio River with a grumpy feline wizard named Gandalf, and is currently working on a book discussing the merger of her identity as a Deaf person with her spirituality as a Pagan.
To contact Ocean,
you may email her at oshginva@gmail.com
This sculpture shows the sign for "connect"...and that is what Deaf Pagan Crossroads is all about - making connections. Connections between Deafhood and Paganism, connections between the Deaf Community and the Hearing Community, connections between myself as the writer and you as the reader. I hope you will take the time to read my various posts, some of which are listed below. Welcome to the Crossroads, and I hope you make some connections here!
[…] on the ninth night, and the “four calling birds” on the fourth eve) . Go now and enjoy this last burst of holiday cheer! A Happy Twelfth Night to you […]