Wednesday 30 June 2010

Rhiannon - Celtic Goddess


Rhiannon, the Celtic goddess of the moon was a Welch/Cornish goddess. The goddess Rhiannon's name meant ‘divine’ or ‘great queen’. In her myths, Rhiannon was promised in marriage to an older man she found repugnant. Defying her family’s wishes that Rhiannon, like other Celtic goddesses, declined to marry one of her "own kind".

Instead, the goddess Rhiannon chose the mortal Prince Pwyll (pronounced Poo-ul or translated as Paul) as her future husband. Rhiannon appeared to Pwyll one afternoon while he stood with his companions on a great grass-covered mound in the deep forest surrounding his castle. These mounds, called Tors, were thought to be magical places, perhaps covering the entrance to the otherworld beneath the earth. It was thought that those who stood upon them would become enchanted, so most people avoided them.

So it is no surprise that the young prince was enchanted by the vision of the beautiful young goddess Rhiannon, who was dressed in glittering gold as she galloped by on her powerful white horse. Rhiannon rode by without sparing him even a glance. Pwyll was intrigued and enraptured, and his companions were understandably concerned.

Ignoring the protest of his friends, Pwyll sent his servant off riding his swiftest horse to catch her and asked her to return to meet the prince. But the servant soon returned and reported that she rode so swiftly that it seemed her horse’s feet scarcely touched the ground and that he could not even follow her to learn where she went.

The next day, ignoring his friends’ advice, Pwyll returned alone to the mound and, once more, the Celtic goddess appeared. Mounted on his horse, Pwyll pursued her but could not overtake her. Although his horse ran even faster than Rhiannon's, the distance between them always remained the same. Finally, after his horse began to tremble with exhaustion, he stopped and called out for her to wait. And Rhiannon did.

When Pwyll drew close she teased him gently, telling him that it would have been much kinder to his horse had he simply called out instead of chasing her. The goddess Rhiannon then let him know that she had come to find him, seeking his love.

Pwyll welcomed this for the very sight of this beautiful Celtic goddess had tugged at his heart, and he reached for her reins to guide her to his kingdom. But Rhiannon smiled tenderly and shook her head, telling him that they must wait a year and that then she would marry him. In the next moment, the goddess Rhiannon simply disappeared from him into the deep forest.

Rhiannon returned one year later, dressed as before, to greet Pwyll on the Tor. He was accompanied by a troop of his own men, as befitted a prince on his wedding day. Speaking no words, Rhiannon turned her horse and gestured for the men to follow her into the tangled woods. Although fearful, they complied. As they rode the trees suddenly parted before them, clearing a path, then closing in behind them when they passed.

Soon they entered a clearing and were joined by a flock of small songbirds that swooped playfully in the air around Rhiannon’s head. At the sound of their beautiful caroling all fear and worry suddenly left the men. Before long they arrived at her father’s palace, a stunning site that was surrounded by a lake. The castle, unlike any they had ever seen, was built not of wood or stone, but of silvery crystal. It spires soared into the heavens.

After the wedding a great feast was held to celebrate the marriage of the goddess. Rhiannon’s family and people were both welcoming and merry, but a quarrel broke out at the festivities. It was said that the man she’d once been promised to marry was making a scene, arguing that she should not be allowed to marry outside her own people.

Rhiannon slipped away from her husband’s side to deal with the situation as discreetly as she could . . . using a bit of magic, she turned the persistent suitor into a badger and caught him in a bag which she tied close and threw into the lake. Unfortunately, he managed to escape and later returned to cause great havoc in Rhiannon's life.

The next day Rhiannon left with Pwyll and his men to go to Wales as his princess. When they emerged from the forest and the trees closed behind them, Rhiannon took a moment to glance lovingly behind her. She knew that the entrance to the fairy kingdom was now closed and that she could never return to her childhood home. But she didn’t pause for long and seemed to have no regret.

Rhiannon was welcomed by her husband’s people and admired for her great beauty and her lovely singing. However, when two full years had passed without her becoming pregnant with an heir to the throne, the question of her bloodline, her “fitness” to be queen began to be raised.
Fortunately, in the next year she delivered a fine and healthy son. This baby, however, was to become the source of great sorrow for Rhiannon and Pwyll.

As was the custom then, six women servants had been assigned to stay with Rhiannon in her lying-in quarters to help her care for the infant. Although the servants were supposed to work in shifts tending to the baby throughout the night so that the goddess Rhiannon could sleep and regain her strength after having given birth, one evening they all fell asleep.

When they woke to find the cradle empty, they were fearful they would be punished severely for their carelessness. They devised a plan to cast the blame on the goddess Rhiannon, who was, after all, an outsider, not really one of their own people. Killing a puppy, they smeared its blood on the sleeping Rhiannon and scattered its bones around her bed. Sounding the alarm, they accused the goddess of eating her own child.

Although Rhiannon swore her innocence, Pwyll, suffering from his own shock and grief and faced with the anger of his advisers and the people, did not come strongly to her defense, saying only that he would not divorce her and asking only that her life be spared. Rhiannon’s punishment was announced.

For the next seven years the goddess Rhiannon was to sit by the castle gate, bent under the heavy weight of a horse collar, greeting guests with the story of her crime and offering to carry them on her back into the castle.

Rhiannon bore her humiliating punishment without complaint. Through the bitter cold of winters and the dusty heat of four summers, she endured with quiet acceptance. Her courage was such that few accepted her offer to transport them into the castle. Respect for her began to spread throughout the country as travelers talked of the wretched punishment and the dignity with which the goddess Rhiannon bore her suffering.

In the fall of the fourth year three strangers appeared at the gate—a well-dressed nobleman, his wife, and a young boy. Rhiannon rose to greet them saying, “Lord, I am here to carry each of you into the Prince’s court, for I have killed my only child and this is my punishment.” The man, his wife, and the child dismounted.

While the man lifted the surprised Rhiannon onto his horse, the boy handed her a piece of an infant’s gown. Rhiannon saw that it was cloth that had been woven by her own hands. The boy then smiled at her, and she recognized that he had the eyes of his father, Pwyll.

Soon the story was told. Four years earlier, during a great storm, the nobleman had been called to the field to help a mare in labour, when he heard the infant’s cries and found him lying abandoned. He and his wife took the baby in, raising him as if he were their own.

When the rumours of the goddess Rhiannon’s fate had reached his ears, the farmer realized what had happened and set out at once to return the child to his parents. Most legends suggest that the badger actually was the enraged suitor that Rhiannon had rejected who had escaped and taken his revenge by kidnapping Rhiannon's infant son.

Pwyll and his people quickly recognized the boy for Pwyll and Rhiannon’s son. The goddess Rhiannon was restored to her honour and her place beside her husband. Although she had suffered immensely at their hands, Rhiannon, goddess of noble traits, saw that they were ashamed and was filled with forgiveness and understanding.

In some versions of the legend, Rhiannon was the Celtic goddess who later became Vivienne, best known as the Lady of the Lake. She was the Celtic goddess who gave Arthur the sword Excalibur, empowering him to become King in the legends of Camelot.

The story of the Celtic goddess Rhiannon reminds us of the healing power of humor, tears, and forgiveness. The goddess Rhiannon is a goddess of movement and change who remains steadfast, comforting us in times of crisis and of loss.

In magick and ritual Rhiannon can aid you in overcoming enemies, exercising patience, working magick, moon rituals and enhancing dream work.

Correspondences – mares, silver, blood, the waning moon, jasmine, moonstones, the colour white.

Tuesday 29 June 2010

Discworld and Terry Pratchett

I am a huge Terry Pratchett fan, I absolutely love his books, I even have a couple that Terry autographed. My favourites are the ones with the three witches in (of course!), Witches Abroad probably being my most favourite. The plots are inspired, the characters truly wonderful and although set in fantasy so many things relate to our world and life in general, with a Pratchett twist of course!

His new book 'I shall wear midnight' is out on 2nd September - I can't wait....

Information from the Terry Pratchett website http://www.terrypratchett.co.uk/

Terry Pratchett is one of the most popular authors writing today and is the acclaimed creator of the bestselling Discworld series. The first Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983 and there are now 37 books in the series. The first Discworld novel for children, The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents, was published in 2001 and was awarded the 2001 Carnegie Medal.

Long regarded as a significant satirist, Pratchett has won numerous literary awards, was appointed OBE in 1998 and has received eight honorary doctorates.

The Discworld series is a continuous history of a world not totally unlike our own, except that it is a flat disc carried on the backs of four elephants astride a giant turtle floating through space, and that it is peopled by, among others, wizards, dwarves, soldiers, thieves, beggars, vampires and witches. Within the history of Discworld, there are many individual stories which can be enjoyed in any order. But reading them in the sequence in which they were written can increase your enjoyment through the accumulation of all the fine detail that contributes to the teeming imaginative complexity of this brilliantly conceived world.


Witches were a bit like cats. They didn’t much like one another’s company, but they did like to know where all the other witches were, just in case they needed them – A Hat Full of Sky

The whole of life is just like watching a film. Only it's as though you always get in ten minutes after the big picture has started, and no-one will tell you the plot, so you have to work it out all yourself from the clues - Moving Pictures

Magrat was annoyed. She was also frightened, which made her even more annoyed. It was hard for people when Magrat was annoyed. It was like being attacked by damp tissue - Witches Abroad

If you haven't read any Terry Pratchett yet - go do it now!!



Tansy
x

Monday 28 June 2010

Spiritual Glastonbury


I shall be making a visit to Glastonbury soon, to meet up with a group of lovely Sacred Mists witches to lead my very first 'offline' ritual. I am a little nervous, although I have lead rituals online before, never one outside of the computer ;-) But I am looking forward to it. I have been looking up some information on Glastonbury itself. I have visited a few times before and each time I have been struck by the amazing energy and spiritual feeling the whole town has.

Here is an exerpt from The Goddess in Glastonbury by Kathy Jones, entitled - The Tor Goddess

From a distance the most noticeable feature on the Isle of Avalon is the Tor as She rises out of the flat Summerlands. She sits like a Great Goddess, a huge bounteous female figure in the middle of a landscape bowl or Cauldron. To see Her is to love Her. To the north the Mendip Hills form the rim of the Cauldron while smaller hills lie to the south and east. Stretching out towards the west the land is below sea level.

Her Body is bounteous, fleshy, full of dips and folds. Her large belly, hips and thighs emphasise Her full sexual nature. She is the fecund Goddess of Love, Rhiannon, Aphrodite, Venus, the Morning and the Evening Star. She is Kundalini, rising Serpent Goddess of sexual energy and wisdom. She calls all to union, at-onement with Her. She is Goddess of the waxing Moon. Experienced by women during ovulation, She is full of desire, wisdom and creative potential.

There are many legends surrounding the Tor. It is one of the Hollow Hills where the Faerie Folk now live with their Queen, forced into exile when human beings forgot to acknowledge them. It was around such a Hollow hill at Beltane, that Pwyll, King of the Summerland adoringly followed the Goddess Rhiannon, as She rode on Her white horse. No matter how fast Pwyll rode, Rhiannon always remained the same distance away from him, until he said the right words – "Rhiannon, stop for me". Rhiannon was then happy to stop for him. Their love for each other became legendary.

Rhiannon of the Birds is the Virgin (meaning complete within Herself) Goddess of sexual love, tied to no man, free to love whom She chooses.

Veiled in white She rides a white horse. She is the original powerful sexual image for all brides, now degraded in the patriarchy to symbolising a non-sexual virgin bride who loses her right to sexual freedom when she marries. She belongs to her husband. Rhiannon is also the archetype for Lady Godiva, the shameless woman who rides naked beneath a veil upon a white horse.

Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross
To see a fine Lady ride on a white horse
With birds as her halo
and bells on her toes,
She shall have music wherever she goes.

Somewhere upon the slopes of the Tor lies the entrance to the Underworld of Annwn and the Cauldron of the Dark Goddess. It may be near Her heart or through Her Yoni. There are tales of subterranean tunnels and caves where strange apparitions lurk, of people who went into the Tor through the hidden entrances, only to return years later old and white-haired or mad. On the north side of the Tor is a manhole cover, where the sound of continuously roaring water can be heard. Beneath this cover is a room belonging to the Water Authority, full of dials and wheels which control the water flow in the reservoir beneath the Tor. Seeing this room makes the idea of underground tunnels seem real.
Luffang

It is not only the underground world of the Tor which holds a mystery. Upon the surface of the Tor there are seven levels of terracing, some easy to see and some lost in part by erosion. These are the present remains of a great three-dimensional maze based upon the same pattern as the ancient Kretan Labrynth of the Goddess. This pattern appears on coins from Krete, one of the major civilisations of the Goddess in the ancient world, on rocks at Tintagel and is found among the Hopi Indians as a symbol for Mother Earth.

The maze is a single pathway which winds back and forth seven times around the steep slopes of the Tor to the centre. The path must be retraced on the way out. There is no choice to be made in the pattern of this maze only to follow, the path and to continue when the going gets tough.

The entrance to the labrynth lies at the western end of the Tor near the bottom of Wellhouse Lane, and is marked by large fallen standing stones. The first turning of the maze is on the third level counting up from the bottom of the Tor and marked by a stone. The labrynth follows a pattern of 3 2 1 4 7 6 5, ending on the fifth outer circuit. It is here that psychically or in the past physically the journeyer in the maze, enters Her Body, near to Her heart. This maze pattern lures the lover of the Goddess to their psychic death within Her depths.

On Krete the pattern of this maze was received by the priestess in ritual communion with Ariadne as the Snake Goddess, source of inspiration and creative sexual energy. The Labrynth was laid out as a ritual dance floor and was sacred to the Moon Goddess in Her three aspects. The sacred Bull horns shaped like the Moon and symbol of the Taurean epoch were to be found at the centre. The ancient Crane dance which uses combinations of nine steps, representing the Ninefold Goddess, was danced into and out of this maze.

The Tor Maze. The pattern of a great three-dimensional maze is marked by terraces on the slopes of the Tor. This maze is based on the Kretan Labrynth or Moon-maze of the Goddess.

The labrynth took on a much more sinister meaning when the Minotaur the dangerous god/man/animal was imprisoned at the centre of a three dimensional Labrynth. The whole story symbolises the takeover of the major peaceful Goddess civilisation by the invading brutalising forces of patriarchy.

Like all mazes the journey to the centre is a journey into the Self to face the divine Goddess and/or the dangerous Minotaur. The seven levels can be viewed as the seven chakras with their associated qualities. They can also be seen as different physical, emotional, mental, psychological and spiritual states which alter as we change direction within the maze and as we climb up and down the slopes of Her Body. The Labrynth represents the fixed pattern of our destiny in Herworld. We cannot change its direction only how we live it.


Tansy
x

Sunday 27 June 2010

The Wild Boar Totem


Recently through a series of meditations devised by my dear May King, Talorgan within Sacred Mists I discovered a new life totem animal...The Wild Boar.

Self-Reliance, Protection, Prosperity, Spiritual Strength, Warrior strength, warrior mind, fierceness in battle, chivalry, nobility, strategic skills, deadly accuracy, personal power, re-birth, organization, successful confrontation, comrade, respected leadership and pure masculine energy.



The Boar is a very powerful totem.
It is a totem of prosperity and spiritual strength
and a strong protector totem.
Boar is deeply connected to Mother Earth
and the mysteries of Nature.


The Wild Boar has been the symbol of warriors for centuries. The Celts believed that the Boar, which they called Torc or Bacrie, was their ally in war and there are many Celtic myths surrounding this noble animal. A famous Irish legendary boar was Orc Triath, which the Goddess Brigit owned. In the Arthurian tales of the Mabinogion the boar Twrch Trwyth was a terrible foe to Arthur. The White Boar of Marvan sent inspiration to its master to write music and poetry.

Native American Indians make war masks in the likeness of the Wild Boar to frighten and intimidate their enemies. The Wild Boar is mostly seen as a masculine entity and Totem, enriching the male virtues of bravery, nobility and fierceness in battle. The Wild Boar spirit will balance out male energy and ground the more virtuous aspects of the masculine nature.

The powerful Wild Boar has large tusks that can be deadly. They are fierce animals and signify the warrior spirit. This animal needs close body contact and tends to live in groups of fifty or more. They are clannish in nature but are wary of outsiders. Wild Boars are mostly thought of as noble and brave animals that enjoy social interaction within their group.

The Wild Boar possesses many animal virtues that are powerful and valuable and which any person would be wise to emulate or divine. One who has the power of the Wild Boar will see enhanced courage, fearlessness, and nobility; an increased ability to strategize and plan action aimed at obtaining success. Prosperity, re-birth and chivalry are also all part of this noble totem’s magic.

If boar shows up as your totem, he could well be asking you to stand up, have faith, and move forward without fear. If you do this, whatever fears you had will soon become distant memories rather than present reality and life can be experienced in a new and more positive manner.

The boar’s medicine is deeply connected to the earth energies for they can often be seen rooting and foraging in the undergrowth of plants and trees, and although they have poor eyesight, they have excellent hearing and a sense of smell that helps them remain alert and aware of everything around them. This teaches us to look beneath the surface at things that may be troubling us, to uncover what lies hidden and effectively deal with it by fine-tuning our senses and paying attention to whatever is around us.

Boar initiates transformation through self-discovery by using all our senses efficiently. Those with boar for a totem would be wise to follow his lead, for by doing so, you can strengthen and develop your character and improve the quality of your life. Boar is a powerful totem to have, but not an easy one to work with, for order and efficiency in all we do is a main part of his medicine.

In times long gone the boar was one of the most ferocious and aggressive animals a person was likely to encounter, it was also one of the best and most popular animals to hunt being admired for both its strength and courage. Many warrior’s helmets bearing boars-head crests have been found in archaeological sites, and are thought to have been worn as a symbol of the wearers courage in battle. In Beowulf, the epic Anglo-Saxon poem (c. 700), Beowulf himself led his warriors into battle wearing a boars-head helmet as a symbol of his power and leadership.

To the ancient Celts the boar was thought to have great sexual power and was regarded as a symbol of fertility, abundance and future prosperity. Charms and amulets made from a boars tusk were commonly worn for protection, and the boar was depicted on many cult objects. One can clearly be seen on the Gundestrup Cauldron (circa. 100 BCE, discovered in a Denmark peat bog in 1891), as one of the animals attending Cernunnos the Celtic Horned God.

Tansy
x

Friday 25 June 2010

FULL MOON


Saturday 26th June 2010 is a full moon.

I love the sight of the full moon, it is so beautiful.

The Sciency bit:

The appearance of a full moon is caused by the orbit of the moon around the Earth, and through the Earth's orbit around the sun. As the moon moves behind the Earth, so that the Earth is between it and the sun, more and more of the moon will appear illuminated in a cycle called “waxing.” When the moon is all the way behind the Earth, the sun's light will completely illuminate the visible side of the moon, making it look like a large white disc in the sky. As the moon moves around to the front of the Earth again, the visible disc shrinks, in a process referred to as waning, until the moon appears totally dark because the illuminated portion faces away from Earth.

Although the moon generally takes a little over 27 days to completely orbit the Earth, it takes another few days for the Earth, moon, and sun to be in the proper alignment to create a full moon. As a result, the lunar cycle takes around 29 days in total. Since the lunar cycle is such a present and obvious part of life, it lent its name to the word “month,” which is derived from “moon.”

Occasionally, two full moons will appear in the same calendar month. This is known as a “blue moon,” and it is quite rare. Some people consider blue moons to be highly auspicious, because of their rarity. More rarely, the month of February will have no full moon, since it is usually only 28 days long. When this happens, January or March will be marked with a blue moon. The full moon is also periodically eclipsed, thanks to its position behind the Earth. When the three planetary bodies reach the perfect alignment, the Earth's shadow will cover the moon partially or totally.

STRONG SUN MOON

In June, the sun has taken over and the fields are growing. Flowers have bloomed, we're beginning to see some early summer fruits and vegetables (a great time for strawberry crops!), and the days are getting longer and longer. It's a far cry from the darkness of winter, and we typically try to spend as much time outside as possible. It's a time for bonding with friends and family, and forging what connections we can. Nurture your relationships, your garden, your career, and your soul this month.

Correspondences:
Colors: Sun colors -- gold, yellow, orange
Gemstones: Topaz, agate
Trees: Oak, maple
Gods: Isis, Cerridwen, Persephone
Herbs: Parsley, mosses, skullcap, mugwort
Element: Earth

This is the month where magical workings are well suited to maintaining and enhancing things you already have. Weed your garden, prune the bushes, give your lawn all the tender loving care it needs. Take time to let your personal life blossom as well -- focus on things that improve your job or education, as well as your relationships with family and friends.

Magickal Workings

Use the full Moon for any immediate need: a sudden boost of power or courage; a change of career; location or travel; psychic protection; healing acute medical conditions; a large sum of money needed urgently; consummation of love or making a permanent love commitment; justice, ambition and promotion.

This is the day of full power but also of instability, as astrologically the Moon is in opposition to the Sun. Since the full Moon rises close to sunset you can have the Moon rising in the East and the Sun setting in the West, a powerful backdrop for any change you intend or wish to make.

I myself shall be attending the Sacred Mists Full Moon ritual! (www.workingwitches.com)

Tansy
x

Faery Artwork


Continuing on yesterday's theme of the Fae, I wanted to introduce you to one of my favourite fae artists - Linda Ravenscroft, I even have a tattoo adaptation of one of her drawings on my back! Her work is so beautiful, I also have several framed prints that I have ordered from her website in the past, all have arrived with a personal note from Linda.

From Linda's website www.lindaravenscroft.com

About Linda:
I was born in 1963, A very typical Pisces, always preferring to live in a dream world, a world which I have painted ever since I can remember, and one which as a child I could retreat to whenever things became tough. I still pay regular visits to my dream world, though with a lot more of the real world thrown in…

It’s where I go to paint.

I live in the beautiful county of Cheshire, England (famous for its Cheshire Cat, of course) with my long suffering husband John, daughter Vivien and numerous pets.

My home is situated near a very small wood, which is a constant source of inspiration to me, I use many mediums for my paintings, though my favourite has to be watercolour, I adore the way that the paint blends creating almost transparent washes, and yet the colours can also become quite vivid.

I dont think I will venture down the way of digital painting - I would miss the unpredicability of my watercolours, I also feel that digital images are far too perfect in their appearance, almost false in some way, like digitally airbrushing glamour models - that sort of thing - but that's my personal opinion, though I can see the advantages and the wonderful effects that can be achieved with digital medium, so I guess I should never say never

(just in case - lol).

It's also nice to have that special one off completed piece of work - that original painting - the one everyone wants!!

My inspiration comes from many sources. I rely mostly on my dreams and inner feelings as I have done since I was a child, along with my love of nature, instilled within me from an early age by my parents, and their wonderful tales of myths and legends which they would share with me at bedtime.

Now as an adult with more experience of the world, I am influenced by artists from the past, such as Alphonse Mucha and William Morris, and the era in which they lived and worked, I also have a fascination for the supernatural and unexplained, all of these elements help to fire my imagination and enable me to create my images.

The idea of the Faerie Folk or earth spirits, call them what you will, dates back as far as time itself, to me they represent the natural world we live in and whether you believe in the fae or not, I feel that they have a place in our modern day society, even more now than they ever did in the past.

It's time to look at our beautiful world and take stock of our feelings and behaviour towards our fellow man, time to open our eyes to see what harm we are doing.

I find it easier to translate some of my feelings into my work, ironically, the sort of feelings that make you feel powerless to do anything about can be turned into the most enchanting images. These are usually some of my larger more complicated paintings, each one containing my messages of hope, perhaps a gentle reminder to take care of the world and each other.

Most of my images are serine and benign, although we all have a darker more passionate side waiting to emerge..... “After all we are only human.”

I truly believe that we all have a little bit of Faerie magic within our hearts, helping us to make the right decisions within our everyday lives, we just have to look for it.

Shine Brightly and live your dreams.
Linda


Please take a moment to look at her website, her artwork is quite breathtaking.
Love
Tansy
x

Thursday 24 June 2010

Fairy Day.....


Today is National Fairy Day, take a look at www.fairyday.com. Jessica Galbreth, fairy artist, is founder of Fairy Day. Jessica's website is www.enchanted-art.com you can purchase her art from her website.

The Fae

The word fairy or faerie comes from the ancient French faes, derived from the Latin fata. It was first used around the 13th or 14th century to describe spirit beings who had been central for hundreds of years in the oral folk tradition of many lands.

Faerie or fairy originally meant a state of enchantment or glamour, the power of illusion, reflecting the power of beings who might bring blessings or curses and ambivalence towards such beings. It was fear of angering the faery folk by speaking their name that led to their being given a variety of euphemisms that might, by a process of magic, attract only their benevolence.
What do you think of as faeries?

There are of course many, many races and species of faerie – as wide and diverse as ours, if not more so and quite possibly none of them have ever worn a pink tutu.

Scientists remain unconvinced about the existence of such insubstantial creatures, they cannot be pinned down long enough to be measured or tested, or to answer a questionnaire on whether they prefer acorns or buttercups.

Travellers in the modern world rarely walk across lonely moorlands with only lantern light or sleep under the stars in the shelter of ancient stones or a grove of trees and very few self respecting fae would linger on the subway late at night or frequent a neon lit service station.

But, all the possible explanations for the existence of the fae, contribute to our understanding of a spiritual force that can be sensed if not seen in places of natural beauty. It may even be that faeries are becoming more visible, as they were in pre industrial days, because we need a reminder of the consequences of a consumer society in which instant gratification has assumed undue importance.
The danger of being seduced by our own visions of faery gold and glamour. By using different faery forms as a focus for ritual, clairvoyance and psychic development we can explore different aspects of our own nature and strengthen our connections with creatures and places as a source of personal power.

Where does the realm of Faerie exist?
The Faerie realm is just that, a realm in its own right that runs alongside ours and every so often our world’s intersect. Media and literature would have us imagine all sorts of wonderful, mystical, far away places to be the land of the fae. But in actual fact faery is all around us. Nature provides us with the portals, we just need to open our inner eyes to see them.

The fae do like meeting with humans, but they are quite particular. The most important things to remember that the fae require are RESPECT and TRUST.
As witches we would never even contemplate destroying nature – because of who we are and what we believe, but what we also need to think about is that nature is where the fae hang out. To destroy their habitat or meeting places would not put you in their good books.

The fae are also famous for their sense of humour and their practical jokes, so you also need to be able to laugh with them.

If you are open with them, respect them and their habitat, honour them, show them your trust then you will be able to work with them. Most importantly NEVER COMMAND them or DEMAND anything from them, this sort of action with break all ties with them. If you would like to work with them then invite them or request their company as you would with a special friend.

Many Faerie Queens are linked to goddesses. Many goddesses are described not only as a faerie goddess but also as Queen of the Faeries. Diana is one of these. She is primarily cited as a Roman moon goddess but is also regarded as a Queen of the Fae too.

The Snow Queen or Frau Holle, Holde or Dame Venus is a goddess and a Faerie Queen figure. Possibly one of the most well known Queen of the Fae is Queen Mab or Medhbh, Maeve or renamed by Shakespeare as Queen Titania. Morgan Le Fay or Morgana, Morgaine and Morgan – her name means Morgan the Faery.

Queen Oonagh or Oona or Una is the Irish Faerie Queen at the court of the Daoine Sidhe. Queen Caelia is a Celtic Queen of the Fae. Queen Argante is the Faerie Queen of Avalon and connected to Morgan le Fay.

What about the Faery King? These have been described as demoted Celtic gods who were forgotten and faded into the realms of Faerie Land. King Finvarra is a King held in high esteem and a member of the Daoine Sidhe, the race of Faerie Kings who dwell within the hollow hills of Irelnd.

He is also known as Finnbheara, Finnbarr and Fionnbhar. His father was Dagda, once known as the chief god of the Tuatha de Danaan and later a Faerie King.
King Oberon was adopted by Shakespeare to provide a faerie element in A Midsummer Nights Dream. He is however presented throughout folklore in many varying aspects, but always as a Faerie King. Gwyn ap Nudd is a Celtic ruler of fair Elfland.
King Sil or Zel who is claimed to be buried under Silbury Hill in Avebury in the UK. King Donn Fierna is an Irish Faerie King. King Midar or Midhir or Midir was once an Irish god of rebirth but now a Faerie King of the Tuatha de Danaan.

A warning – I would suggest you always work with protection when working with the Fae. Laziness and complacency when working with faeries can lead to undesirable results. Protection and grounding routines every time!

And of course, NEVER dance or partake of food and drink when on a visit to the realm of the Fae! This can lead to entrapment. Although I have heard that witches are said to be among the only mortals who may blurr these rules slightly, but it has never been tested.

Tansy
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Monday 21 June 2010

Cerridwen


Cerridwen (Scottish, Welsh)

During the reign of Arthur in the Penllyn region a man named Tegid Foel and his wife Cerridwen had a beautiful daughter Creirwy and a son Morfran, he was extremely ugly and hideous and was also known as Afagddu. To compensate for the looks of her son, Cerridwen who was skilled in witchcraft and sourcery decided to make a potion in her cauldron of inspiration to give her son clear sight, poetic majesty and knowledge of the future. The potion took a year and a day to brew, so Cerridwen appointed a blind mad, Morda to tend the fire and Gwion Bach to stir the brew. The potion was called greal and was made from six different plants.

When the brew was ready Cerridwen put Morfan next to it and went herself for a sleep. By this time Gwion was extremely tired. Morfan got in his shadow so Gwion pushed him out of the way, as he did so three drops of the brew spilt from the cauldron onto Gwion’s finger. It was hot so Gwion instinctively put his finger in his mouth and immediately gained the knowledge of all things and the remainder of the brew in the cauldron was changed to poison, the cauldron then burst. It spilled into a river and the horses of Gwyddon Garahir were poisoned by the water.

On hearing the cauldron burst Cerridwen awoke. Now he had the powers provided by the potion, Gwion immediately saw the dangers that would befall him so he fled to his own lands to hide from Cerridwen. She fell into a rage when she saw what had happened and chased after Gwion. He used his new powers and changed into a hare, Cerridwen changed into a greyhound and followed him. Just as she was about to catch him, he changed into a fish and slipped into a river. Cerridwen became an otter and chased him. Once again just as he was about to be caught he changed into a bird and flew up into the sky. Only to find that Cerridwen had changed into a hawk. Gwion suddently noticed a pile of wheat below him and changed into a tiny grain, dropping into the pile. Cerridwen spotted what he had done and took the form of a black hen, she pecked all the grain until she found and ate the grain that was Gwion. They tiny seed took root within her womb and began to grow. When the day came that Gwion was born to her, she placed him in a leather sack and threw him into the river, this was two days before the first of May.

The name Cerridwen may be based on the roots ‘caru’ – to love, ‘cerdd’ – poem or song. The term ‘wen’ literally means white, but in the names of the deities it usually means ‘sacred’. So her name probably means Blessed Poet or Blessed of the Verse. She is the guardian of the cauldron of inspiration and the awen-muse. She is the Welsh grain and nature goddess. She is also the grail queen of Arthurian legend.

Cerridwen is sometimes called ‘the old one’, she is a lunar deity, master magician and a herbalist. She favours the shape of a woman or a great white sow. She is linked with the Roman Diana and Hecate. She is a triple goddess. She is the goddess of dark prophetic powers. She is the waning moon or the Crone of Wisdom. She is the Great Mother, Druid Arwen Initiation Mother, primal landscape God consort. Called the White Lady of Inspiration and Death. Her cauldron contains Awen, meaning the divine spirit.

The symbolism of the story is that of the cycle of life – death and rebirth but also that of balance and opposites – day and night, male and female, summer and winter. Her persuit of Gwion symbolizes the changing seasons.

Cerridwen may also be spelt Ceridwen, Keridwen or Kerridwen.

Gwion Bach later became Taliesin. He founded the Welsh Bardic craft. Following in this tradition the Welsh bards refer to themselves as Cerddorion (the sons of Cerridwen).

Invoke Cerridwen for rituals concerning death, fertility, regeneration, inspiration, magick, astrology, herbs, science, poetry, spells and knowledge.

She brings wisdom, visions, dreams and the powers of divination. She also brings understanding and acceptance of fate, for she is the goddess of rebirth. She presides over all that has to do with deep emotions and feelings.

She is the crone aspect forming the triad with Blodeuwedd and Arianrhod. She is considered to be one of the five goddesses of Avalon.

Correspondences - pigs, cauldrons, vervain, the dark moon, hens
This is my interpretation of information found from various books and the internet.
Tansy

Litha - The Summer Solstice

Today is the Summer Solstice - Litha

We celebrate the longest day of sunlight!

Summer is in full swing - mid summer. The roses in my garden are in full bloom, the lavender is starting to flower, the herbs are all growing like crazy and I have planted up my hanging baskets with petunias, all in flower.

I celebrated Litha on Saturday with some very good witchy friends of mine, all members of my coven - The Sacred Mists. We had a fantastic day - lots of food and even more laughs. We all wrote scrolls full of our hopes, our wishes and our thanks and burnt them along with a corn dollie in the fire.

Midsummer is a time to celebrate the bounty of the earth, the power of the sun. The fields are flourishing, the blossom of the fruit is on the trees. We will have a rich and bountiful harvest.

My altar is decorated with a green cloth to signify the grass and growth, I have yellow flowers, pink roses and yellow ribbons. Together with pictures of the sun and a phoenix. Along with lots of pretty sparkly glass stones.

I shall be celebrating today with my fellow Sacred Mists student in an online ritual.

Litha Blessings to all
Tansy
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My first blog...

Welcome, this is the first time I have ever owned a blog page!

I hope to write and post interesting items here to do with all things witchy. Also some of my own thoughts and feelings about particular items. Along with reviews of witchcraft and pagan books. Of course, I will also keep you all updated on items in the Kitchen Witch shop www.kitchenwitch.org

Tansy
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