Celebrant's biography
I am blessed to call Maine my home, a beautiful state rich in natural beauty and history. Maine enjoys the four seasons and abundant wildlife. We are the nation's most wooded state, with 89.5 % of the land being natural forest. We are home to 17.7 million acres of forest. We are also the state that sees the first rays of sunlight each morning as it moves across the rustic shores of the Atlantic and falls upon the easternmost point of land in the lower 48 states. Our sunrises are unparalleled! Maine has 3,478 miles of shoreline, and counts more than 3,000 islands. Maine is home to over 6,000 lakes, over 93 rivers, and countless streams, babbling brooks and other bodies of water. We are in tune with Land, Sea and Sky, and it is a place of deep spirituality.
My name is Jason Desneiges and I have been on an Earth-Based spiritual path since 1992 when I first discovered the various expressions of paganism. I studied in a Wiccan group in my early years as a practitioner, and later went on to join many other groups and circles over these past 30 years. I came to discover, with time, that I had been a Druid all along, but didn’t know it. In 2014 I started to explore Druidry more deeply, and in 2018 I joined the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. https://druidry.org/ I am a bilingual celebrant fluent in both English and French, and can bring a bit of language and culture into your ceremonies. We can hold them in either English or French, or can have a bilingual celebration. Because I live in a bilingual region of Maine, and am just a few miles from the French Canadian border, I can also work with Canadians looking for a celebrant in the region. I deeply enjoyed my experience along both the Bardic and Ovidic path, and I am currently in the midst of my Druid training. I expect to enjoy the journey of the 3rd grade within the Order for some time. It is a lifelong journey. My Druid path is infused into my celebrations as I incorporate the bardic arts of poetry, music and story. I connect most with my local landscape here in Maine and honor the Indigenous Peoples and traditions of this region, namely the Wabanaki People. In this area of Maine, I have come to deeply appreciate and respect the Mi'kmaq and Maliseet (Wolastoqiyik) Tribes. I practice a Celtic-Based spirituality that harmonizes with the people (both human and non-human) of this place I call home. In addition to my Celtic practices, I am familiar with other Natured-Based spiritual paths such as Norse, Germanic, and otherwise Animistic expressions of spirituality. I have a Catholic background from my childhood, and in my younger years was invited to discern the priesthood and monastic brotherhood. I was invited more than once to embark on that spiritual journey. Though I did not pursue that path to ordination, I did do graduate studies in Pastoral Theology. This coursework has greatly enriched my life and has given me a wonderful background upon which to offer my services as a Druid Priest and a Celebrant. I work in the helping fields because I love to be of service to others. When I am not acting in my capacity as a Celebrant, I am in the classroom. I have been in academia for many years and have been a high school teacher and college instructor for over a quarter of a century. I am a teacher and an Advisor. I have held a variety of leadership roles such as Department Chair, Instructional Leader, PLC Leader, Teacher Mentor, and many others. I hold undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as a variety of professional licenses and certifications. In addition to my training within the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, I am a student of their affiliated School of Celebrancy having studied under River Jones. I hold certificates in a variety of areas of Celebrancy. From Celebrating Earth (a course in which I am currently enrolled) to Serving the Living and the Dead. In the Spring I will be keeping current in my formation by taking a course on Celebrating Life. The School of Celebrancy gives me the tools I need to be the best Celebrant I can be, and highly recommend their programs for those seeking this kind of service to others. School of Celebrancy https://schoolofcelebrancy.com/ My educational background, life experience, and spiritual training make me a qualified Celebrant to lead the ceremonies you are looking for here in Maine. |
Photo used under Creative Commons from christinejwarner