Celebrate Beltane with Gods, Goddesses & a Little Witchcraft

Swarms ASMR is hosting this magical collab, so head over to her channel and check out her other videos! The video description includes a list of several other talented ASMRtists, so be sure to check them out, too!

The idea for this video started with my posting Johanna Polle's (more on her below) Instagram post of Nemetona on a Discord channel that has various ASMRtists. An online friend suggested that JessKCreative do a roleplay as Nemetona and then, the idea snowballed from there with a bunch of ASMRtists getting in on the action. Et voilà, this collab was born! 

Celtic Goddesses

BE FOREWARNED: The story behind goddesses, especially Celtic ones, is a tangled web with conflicting information and similarities since Christianity changed the Pagan information, gods and goddesses evolved and different cultures share similar information, (i.e., Ireland versus Scotland).

Note: The goddesses mentioned below may appear in the video above.

These amazing Goddess prints are designed by Johanna Polle, a wonderfully skilled artist. (Check out her Etsy shop for more prints of gods and goddesses from many different cultures!)

"The legend of Ceridwren contains a mass of elements, varying from possible memories of the period of lake-dwellings down to the time of settled Christianity and the later phases of herb magic but that she may have been a goddess of inspiration is quite likely."

                            - Welsh Folklore and Folk Custom (See "Further Reading" below)

Cerridwren/Ceridwren/Caridwren (kerr-UH-wen) is a Welsh goddess whose name can mean "the beloved white one" or "the hunchbacked witch." She is also called "White Sow" and known as The Keeper of the Cauldron. She has two sons named Afagddu and Morvran ab Tegid and a daughter named Creirwy. 

BACKSTORY

The story of Cerridwen, called The Tale of Taliesin, takes place during the time of King Arthur. She thought her son Afagddu was too ugly to be accepted by men of noble birth, so she sought to create a potion that would provide him with wisdom. She put a man and boy to work for her since the potion had to be brewed for a year and a day. But as the year was ending, she was working around the cauldron, three drops of the potion (Awen) accidentally landed on Gwion Bach's finger. The burning sensation caused the boy to put his finger to this mouth and he gained incredible wisdom. But fearing Cerridwen's wrath, he ran away and she pursued him in anger for stealing from her. They both transformed into various animals during the pursuit until Gwion Bach changed into a grain of wheat and Cerridwen turned into a hen and ate the grain. (Her pursuit of Gwion Bach symbolizes the changing of the seasons, as well as death and rebirth)

I have two books that have different details for this story: Cerridwen either becomes pregnant and bears Gwion as the beautiful poet Taliesin and abandons him by casting him in the sea on April 29th where he is fished out of it on May Day; or Cerridwen regurgitates Gwion into his human form, puts him in a bag and casts him into the sea where he transforms and when he is fished out of the sea on the eve of May Day, he is Taliesin.  

SYMBOLS

The symbol on Cerridwren's shoulder is called a triskele or a triskelion. It represents balance and harmony. The three spirals are land, sea, and sky that are each their own element, but are connected to the others. This symbol is relevant to Cerridwen because she transformed into animals of the sky, land and sea in her pursuit of Gwion Bach. The symbol on the cauldron is a decorative Celtic knot that does not hold significance (confirmed by Polle).

Cerridwen is the goddess of:

• The Moon
• Transformation
• Wisdom
• Inspiration
• Life, Death and Rebirth
• The Grain

People turn to her when they are in need of wisdom, guidance and strength.

The Morrígan is used as the name for one goddess and a Triple Goddess. The Morrígan is also called "The Celtic War Goddess," "Queen of Demons," "The Great Queen," and "The Phantom Queen." 

The Morrígan famously appears in the story of Cuchulainn where he rejects her advances and she seeks revenge.

BACKSTORY

As the single goddess, she is depicted as a shapeshifter with the head of a crow, raven or vulture. While she is most commonly associated with war, fate and death, she is also a birth goddess. Morrígan is said to have been one of many chiefs among Ireland's ancient race called the Tuatha Dé Danann (Children or Tribe of the Goddess Danu). Morrigan is said to have mated with the Dagda (Great God) who was part of the Tuatha Dé Danann. She was called Morrigu and was the "Crow of Battles" while some other chiefs were Badb, the "Goddess of Battles" and Macha, "The Nourisher." These three chiefs were names used for the Triple Goddess called The Morrígans.

In terms of a Triple Goddess, The Morrígans consisted of three war goddesses:

• Macha, who was also called Dana/Danu/Anu and Badb (meaning crow or raven); she is a mother earth goddess that symbolizes fertility. 
• Morrígan, who was also called "Black Annis" and equated to Morgan Le Fay of the Arthurian tales.
• Nemain (alternative names: Neman, Neamhan, Neamhain, Nemon), whose name means "frenzy." She is lesser known, but she is the goddess of the battle frenzy. While the other goddesses associated to The Morrígan are fighters, Nemain is more of a vocal presence, stirring up panic and frenzy among the soldiers on the battlefield. This can lead to her associated to the Banshee, but Nemain is not fae or connected to a family. Some myths say she is not part of the Triple Goddess, but instead it's Morrígan, Macha and Badb.

The Morrígan may also have been the name for another Triple Goddess of Ériu, Banba and Fóhla or they were Morrígan's siblings along with Macha and Badb.

SYMBOLS

The Morrígan, the single goddess, often appears as an old laundress or washer woman (the Washer of the Ford) cleaning the clothes and armor of soldiers destined to die, which connects her to war, fate and death. Because of her appearance and symbolism, she is sometimes confused for the Banshee, which is a fae being who resembles an old woman. When a Banshee's wails or screams are heard, it means someone in the family the Banshee is connected to will die. 

The Morrígan wears what looks to be a crow or raven skull in the print above and is wearing the feathers of those types of birds. The blood moon matches her theme of war.

The symbol on the skull is called a triskele or a triskelion. As mentioned above, it represents balance and harmony, but it's also a sign of strength, representing the will moving forward. This is appropriate for The Morrígan. 

Brigid (aka Brigit, Brighid, Bride, Brigantia, Briganti, Braint) is a solar deity. The root of her name brig means:

• Power
• Fertility
• Strength
• Vigor
• Force
• Essence

BACKSTORY

February 1st is St. Brigid's Day where she is said to re-enter each household in the form of a doll child that would be laid in a crib prepared by the household for the celebration. 

Brigid is associated with the home and fertility. She is a Triple Goddess because she is said to have two sisters with the same name, according to Irish tales. She and her sisters were daughters of the Dagda, one of several leaders of the mythological Irish people, the Tuatha Dé Danann. He mated with the Morrigan, but it is unknown whether that made her a mother to any of the Brigids. The Morrigan is associated to being a Triple Goddess herself, but more on that above. 

SYMBOLS

In Scotland, Bride means "the Exalted One" and she is associated with many skills:

• Metalwork
• Poetry
• Dairying
• Protecting cattle and sheep
• Weaving
• Medicine
• Tending to the domestic hearth (fire)

The same skills and duties are divided among the three Brigids of Ireland. 

Bride is also a Goddess of the Well, which explains the Scotland village of Bridewell.

Behind Brigid in the print above is the symbol of a triquetra, which many may recall on the book cover in the TV show Charmed. It's a Celtic knot that symbolizes the three stages of motherhood: Maiden, Mother and Crone. In one of her hands, Brigid is holding a St. Brigid's Cross that is traditionally hung in kitchens to ward away evil and celebrate Imbolc, the start of spring. In her other hand, she may be conjuring up a flame to represent the fire of each household's hearth.

Hekate/Hecate is a Greek goddess whose name means "worker from afar." 

She witnessed Persephone's abduction and participated in the search for her in the Underworld. It is for this reason that she is depicted in a singular goddess form holding a flaming torch while wearing a robe, which can be seen in the print above. Hekate is also associated to crossroads; pillars and doorways at crosswords are sometimes called "Hecataea" in her honor. Like the print above, Hekate is also represented as a Triple Goddess with her forms standing back-to-back to see in all directions. Because she is a Goddess of the Underworld, the print depicts skulls.

APPEARANCE

Hekate is depicted with a spiked halo. You can see an example of her as a Roman statue wearing the headpiece here. I was wondering how Hekate went from a Goddess in Antiquity to a Goddess of Witches. I haven't come across anything concrete. I see websites saying the spiked halo is Wiccan, but how is it Wiccan? Why? What does it represent? While I don't have confirmation, I did find something interesting: Helios, the Roman sun god, is depicted with a halo or crown of rays and Hekate is often associated to Helios because she is depicted as holding torches and bringing light into darkness, so perhaps this is why she wears what appears to be spikes, but may in fact be rays. If anyone has concrete information on this, let me know in the comments below! 

SYMBOLS

One website explains that she was associated to certain symbols, some we have already mentioned, and then after the fifth century of Christ, a more fearful portrayal of Hekate was widespread (I don't know why) where new symbols were added to her collection. Because Hekate is a sort of protective Goddess, she was depicted to have dogs that act as guards. It has been believed for centuries that dogs can see spirits, which is another reason they are paired with Hekate.

The snake (seen in the print above) is a newer addition and its symbolism is broad. From regeneration (such as the Ouroboros in alchemy) to fertility to healing to the dead, the snake fits many of the same symbols that are associated with Hekate. Snakes were also used in magic and necromancy and believed to be able to see spirits.

In the print above, Hekate is wearing a key around her neck. The key could be the key that opens the Underworld or it can be the key to the cosmos since Hekate has power over the heaven or moon, earth and sea.

One website may have the answer as to why the symbol of the three moons (see print above) is associated to Hekate. It mentions that since "Hecate is sometimes said to be the Moon-Goddess in Her dark form, as Artemis was the waxing moon and Selene the full moon." Or Hekate is associated to the triple moon because of her Triple Goddess form. 

Her background is a bit uncertain, as no one can decide on who her parents were, although, they are usually said to be Titanes Perses and Asteria. Additionally, Hekate is confused with other nature goddesses, including Artemis and Demeter.

Hekate is also the Goddess of:

• Witches and Witchcraft
• The Night
• Necromancy
• Magic
• Ghosts

The depictions of her in art varies to those in literature, so that's another reason why Hekate's story and representations vary like those of the Celtic goddesses. 

Learn more about Hekate.

The Triple Goddess Wand 

I bought this amazing wand from INVICTUSARCANA, whose craftsmanship is mind-blowing!

The website said the wand was inspired by several goddesses of the moon: Diana (Roman), Selene (Greek) and Hecate/Hekate (Greek).

A wand of 12 inches, the handle is molded into the face of Hekate and on the underside is a silver medallion depicting the symbol for the Triple Goddess: the crescent moon, the full moon and the waning moon. Because Hekate is considered a goddess of the Underworld, the wand depicts various skulls.

The accompanying parchment focuses on Hekate, explaining a version of her backstory, some of which I mentioned above.

The Witches Prayer to Hekate  - Photo from witchstagram_

Magick at Home by Johanna Polle

"The home is so much more than a physical space where a human resides permanently--It has an energy of its own." 

 

In addition to the prints, I also purchased Johanna Polle's illustrated Magick at Home book that acts as a guide for beginners who wish to connect with their home's energy and who may want to start a Grimoire or Book of Shadows. The end of each chapter contains prompts for readers.

Made with thick stock paper, as well as lovely designs and portraits in the same style as her gods and goddesses, Polle's Magick at Home covers a wide range of topics, including: cooking, cleansing, spirits found in the home and common plants that can be found in a witch's garden.

The book is a guide and tells the reader that they need to practice their magick and find their own way of practicing because witchcraft is personal. It's essential for the reader to always listen to their intuition. Intuition, energy and intention are necessary parts that make your magick work. (This reminds me of Cassie Nightingale from the Hallmark movies and TV show The Good Witch.)

Writing the Broomstick Podcast

If you're interested in writing and all things witchy and magical, check out the Writing the Broomstick podcast (available on Spotify and iTunes). Gen and Katrina talk about stereotypes, discuss book genres, and just have a lot of fun while passing on writing wisdom. They're already up to 10 episodes, so go have a listen! They post every Wednesday. They're on Twitter and Instagram, so follow them to stay updated.

Further Reading

Here are some reference books I've come across that give more details about different gods and goddesses:

• Pagans Progress: A Ge-ography Primer by Michael Dames (I used some of the information from this book for this post)
• The Book of Celtic Magic: Transformative Teachings from the Cauldron of Awen by Kristoffer Hughes
• *Lebor Gabala Erenn (The Taking of Ireland) includes more on The Morrígan, but I have not read it, only read about it.
• Welsh Folklore and Folk Custom by T. Gwynn Jones contains more details about Cerridwen.
• Celtic Myths & Tales: An Anthology of Classic Tales by Flame Tree Publishing (Foreword by Jake Jackson.

Services

Need an editor, beta reader or book reviewer for your novel or short story? Check out my website to learn more about my services or email me about your project at smurphy.writer1@gmail.com!