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swansean · 2 years

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Some updates:

celt.ucc.ie

Database that includes stories and texts in translation (like the Metrical Dindshenchas and Táin Bó Cúailnge, as well as links to other resources including ceol traidisiúnta, maps, etc. Thanks to aeolaighfinnartist.

homepage.eircom.net/~archaeology/two/druids.htm

Awesome article on druids that dispels common misconceptions; also notable for a great reading list at the bottom that includes works on druids, early Ireland, and the complicated transmission of pre-Christian beliefs.

“The Morrígan: Celtic Goddess of Magick and Might” by Courtney Weber

Since this book incorporates personal anecdotes and experiences, it’s not always purely factual, but that’s part of the charm? It could offer insights for those seeking more information on the Morrígan. This author also has a book on Brigid, but I haven’t read it 🥴

Introductory Resources for Irish Polytheists

https://youtu.be/X_7OmYLjLlE

A very skilled bard shares some basic stories in a captivating way. A great place to start.

https://bardmythologies.com/

Really palatable introductory character cards and stories, though not always fully faithful to the texts.

http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/celtic/ctexts/index_irish.html

Translated texts, which can be intimidating. Good if you want to do some of your own digging.

https://www.teanglann.ie/ga/

(The best) Irish dictionary for pronunciation and translating needs. Google translate cannot save you; there’s also Focloir.ie if you need it

https://www.duchas.ie/en

This is a database of Irish folklore as recorded and reported by Irish folks. Definitely worth a deep dive, especially if you’re not Irish, in order to get a grasp on the way certain elements or stories are treated.

https://loraobrien.ie

Lora O’Brien (and Jon O’Sullivan) is a big deal. She has a lot of awesome books/does interviews/youtubes. If her name is attached, it’s pretty trustworthy information. Her site also links to the following:

https://irishpaganschool.com

Which offers some free introductory courses from time to time (lora o briens site links to a free intro course if you do some digging, and in the month of may they’re offering a free course on the Morrígan).

https://www.dagdabard.com/

This is Jon O’Sullivan’s blog; it’s abt An Dagda, and while it’s not as informative as Lora’s, it can connect you to some Dagda specific resources if you feel so called.

#irish polytheism #the morrigan #dagda #goddess brigid #tuatha de lugh #celtic witch #irish folklore #witchy #sea witch #baby witch

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swansean · 2 years

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The Morrígan - Masterpost

General Description

The Morrígan (Irish: Mór-Ríoghain) is an Irish goddess of death, war and prophecy.

In the myths, she would often appear to foretell the outcome of a battle or to foretell a doom. When appearing to someone, she would usually take another form which brings us to her next special ability, and that is shape-shifting.

She was a great shape-shifter. Her most famous shape is the one of a raven. Besides the raven, she would also appear as a beautiful maiden, an old hag, a wolf, an eel and a heifer.

The Morrígan is described as a very powerful and sometimes even erotic character. That is why a lot of people see her as a goddess of sovereignty, feminine energy and sexuality too.

A single deity or a trinity?

There is a discussion about whether The Morrígan is a single deity or a trinity consisting of a three different but closely related goddesses - Badb, Macha and Nemain.

In the myths, there is a great inconsistency when it comes to her names. It is stated that The Morrígan is a daughter of Ernmas, but Badb and Macha are also described as his daughters. So, it is possible that The Morrígan is a single deity, who then has two sisters.

However, there is also a theory where the three sisters, Badb, Macha and Anand, are collectively named as "The Morrígna", which would then make The Morrígan a trinity.

In Lebor Gabála Érenn it is stated: "Badb and Macha and Anand, of whom are the Paps of Anu in Luachar were the three daughters of Ernmas the she-farmer." (...) "Ernmas had other three daughters, Badb and Macha and Morrigu, whose name was Anand. Her three sons were Glon and Gaim and Coscar." (...) "Badb and Macha, greatness of wealth, Morrigu - springs of craftiness, sources of bitter fighting were the three daughters of Ernmas."

When it comes to me and my opinion:

I have always seen The Morrígan as a single deity, and not a trinity. Then, Badb, Macha and Nemain (or Morrigu or Anand - The Morrígan) could be single, separated deities, or they are just The Morrigan's different shapes, since she is a great shape-shifter, so they are actually different persons but in their core all of them are actually one person, The Morrígan - that (second) theory seems most logical to me.

I am talking highly theoretically here and theory is not always so important, especially not in Paganism. What matters are our experiences with the deities and our gut feeling, so I would say that you should go for a theory that seems more logical to you and that gives you a better "frame" for your spirituality.

Offerings

These are the offerings that I find suitable for The Morrígan:

Red Wine

Meat

Milk and Diary Products

Fish

Black Tea

Divination

Pictures or symbols of animals that The Morrígan shape-shifted to

Coffee

Dark/Bitter Chocolate

All red fruit and their juices

Sharp Items (swords, blades, knives...)

Visiting a graveyard

Spirit Work

Crow/Raven feathers

Black, purple or red candles

Frankincense

Passages from the myths

The Second Battle of Mag Tuired:

"Then she said to him, 'Undertake a battle of overthrowing.' The Morrigan said to Lug, 'Awake...'"

The Dagda had a house in Glen Edin in the north, and he had arranged to meet a woman in Glen Edin a year from that day, near the All Hallows of the battle. The Unshin of Connacht roars to the south of it. He saw the woman at the Unshin in Corann, washing, with one of her feet at Allod Echae (that is, Aghanagh) south of the water and the other at Lisconny north of the water. There were nine loosened tresses on her head. The Dagda spoke with her, and they united. "The Bed of the Couple" was the name of that place from that time on. (The woman mentioned here is the Morrigan). Then she told the Dagda that the Fomoire would land at Mag Ceidne, and that he should summon the aes dana of Ireland to meet her at the Ford of the Unshin, and she would go into Scetne to destroy Indech mac De Domnann, the king of the Fomoire, and would take from him the blood of his heart and the kidneys of his valor. Later she gave two handfuls of that blood to the hosts that were waiting at the Ford of the Unshin. Its name became "The Ford of Destruction" because of that destruction of the king."

"'And you, Morrigan,' said Lug, 'what power?' 'Not hard to say,' she said. 'I have stood fast; I shall pursue what was watched; I will be able to kill; I will be able to destroy those who might be subdued.'"

"Then the Morrigan the daughter of Ernmas came, and she was strengthening the Tuatha De to fight the battle resolutely and fiercely. She then chanted the following poem: 'Kings arise to the battle!' Immediately afterwards the battle broke, and the Fomoire were driven to the sea."

"Then after the battle was won and the slaughter had been cleaned away, the Morrigan, the daughter of Ernmas, proceeded to announce the battle and the great victory which had occurred there to the royal heights of Ireland and to its sid−hosts, to its chief waters and to its rivermouths. And that is the reason Badb still relates great deeds. 'Have you any news?' everyone asked her then.

'Peace up to heaven.

Heaven down to earth.

Earth beneath heaven,

Strength in each,

A cup very full,

Full of honey;

Mead in abundance.

Summer in winter,

Peace up to heaven.'

She also prophesied the end of the world, foretelling every evil that would occur then, and every disease and every vengeance; and she chanted the following poem:

'I shall not see a world

Which will be dear to me:

Summer without blossoms,

Cattle will be without milk,

Women without modesty,

Men without valor.

Conquests without a king...

Woods without mast.

Sea without produce...

False judgements of old men.

False precedents of lawyers,

Every man a betrayer.

Every son a reaver.

The son will go to the bed of his father,

The father will go to the bed of his son.

Each his brother's brother−in−law.

He will not seek any woman outside his house...

An evil time,

Son will deceive his father,

Daughter will deceive...'"

Táin Bó Cúalnge:

"It is the same day that the Morrigan, daughter of Ernmas, came from the Sid, so that she was on the pillar in Temair Cuailnge, taking a warning to the Dun of Cualnge before the men of Ireland, and she began to speak to him, and 'Good, O wretched one, O Dun of Cualnge,' said the Morrigan, 'keep watch, for the men of Ireland have reached thee, and they will take thee to their camp unless thou keepest watch'; and she began to take a warning to him thus, and uttered her words on high."

"Cuchulainn saw a young woman coming towards him, with a dress of every colour on, and her form very excellent."

"'I will be a help to you. … I shall be more troublesome to you,' said she, 'when I come against you when you are in combat against the men. I will come in the form of an eel about your feet in the ford, so that you shall fall."

"I will drive the cattle on the ford to you, in the form of a grey she-wolf."

"I will come to you in the form of a hornless red heifer before the cattle. They will rush on you on the plains(?), and on the fords, and on the pools, and you will not see me before you."

"When Cuchulainn was in this great weariness, the Morrigan met him in the form of an old hag, and she blind and lame, milking a cow with three teats, and he asked her for a drink. She gave him milk from a teat. Then her head was healed so that it was whole. She gave the milk of the second teat, and her eye was whole; and gave the milk of the third teat, and her leg was whole. So that this was what he said about each thing of them, 'A doom of blessing on you,' said he. 'You told me,' said the Morrigan, 'I should not have healing from you for ever.' 'If I had known it was you,' said Cuchulainn, 'I would not have healed you ever.'"

Sources

https://mythopedia.com/celtic-mythology/gods/morrigan/

http://www.yorku.ca/inpar/tain_faraday.pdf

http://public-library.uk/ebooks/59/98.pdf

https://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=8884.0;p=0

Artwork: YaxeMoon (https://www.deviantart.com/yaxemoon/art/The-Morrigan-Celtic-Goddess-796517106)

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swansean · 2 years

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Introductory Resources for Irish Polytheists

https://youtu.be/X_7OmYLjLlE

A very skilled bard shares some basic stories in a captivating way. A great place to start.

https://bardmythologies.com/

Really palatable introductory character cards and stories, though not always fully faithful to the texts.

http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/celtic/ctexts/index_irish.html

Translated texts, which can be intimidating. Good if you want to do some of your own digging.

https://www.teanglann.ie/ga/

(The best) Irish dictionary for pronunciation and translating needs. Google translate cannot save you; there’s also Focloir.ie if you need it

https://www.duchas.ie/en

https://loraobrien.ie

https://irishpaganschool.com

https://www.dagdabard.com/

This is Jon O’Sullivan’s blog; it’s abt An Dagda, and while it’s not as informative as Lora’s, it can connect you to some Dagda specific resources if you feel so called.

#irish polytheism #dagda #the morrigan #tuatha de lugh #goddess brigid #celtic witch #sea witch #witchy #irish folklore #baby witch

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swansean · 2 years

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Potent Love Spell

Gather:

Lemon verbena, bay leaf, rosemary, and an optional taglock

Embroidery thread (pink), and an optional gold or red marker

Love candle, either one specifically made for love spells, or a red/pink one

Rose quartz

Moon water, water from a low tide, or love-correspondenced tea

A love heart- made of selenite, quartz, shells, paper, whatever

Blessed honey

A small conch or other shell, or an earshell

Small cup, bowl, or cauldron

Lovers tarot card and magician card, or drawn sigils that simulate both; one to indicate union, the other to indicate the transformation of raw and powerful energies

Method:

Tie the bay leaf, rosemary, and lemon verbena into a small spray; optionally, one could write the name of the intended lover onto the bay leaf, or use a taglock for extra oomph.

Light the candle, and cast a circle if you are so inclined.

Now, follow the steps below. Every statement of the spell is paired with a corresponding action.

“Honey-sweet,” rub the honey onto one’s

lips

“twin flame,” Light the spray; hold in left

hand

“my other half,” Kiss honey onto the heart

“hear now my voice,” Place heart into cup

“savor my laugh.” Laugh into shell

“So as the moon,” Place shell into cup

“Excites the sea,” Pour in water

“Love of mine,”. Place rose quartz in cup

“Draw close to me.” Sip from the cup, or hold

to your heart, depending

on the edibility of the

elements selected

“Aengus hums my Let spray burn

Song across the breeze.”

“My love will come.” Place spray in cup

“So mote it be.” Blow out candle

Leave the cup to charge overnight with the magician underneath, and the lovers card on top. It’s best to charge this under a full moon in Venus, but any moonlight can do in a pinch.

I received results within two hours of casting, so I would expect the spell to be fully vested by the end of the night.

Practitioners can of course replace the invocation of Aengus Óg with any deity corresponding to love, or your own patron. As with any spell invoking a deity, it’s best to ask permission first.

#aengus #the morrigan #tuatha de lugh #tuatha de danann #sea witch #witchcraft #aphrodite #irish polytheism #celtic witch #dagda

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swansean · 2 years

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Ritual for communing with (Irish) ancestors

For reaching out in good faith for guidance, counsel, and a cup of strong tea

Gather!

Hot water (this can be blessed!)

Tea

Two cups

Optional: blessed honey, cream, etc.

A note on tea: as you know, some herbs are correlated with divination, cleansing, positive energy, etc. Select (or blend!) your tea based on the question you want guidance on.

Method:

Open up the windows, cast a circle; prepare your space.

Set the table for tea, reinforcing the intent of welcome, and asking for guidance

Pour water over your tea or teabags, asking: “An mbeidh leat an gcupán tea?”

Brush off or pull out the seat intended for the ancestor to sit, again asking: “Or a place for a short stay?”

Place the sweeteners, add-ins, or blessed honey, saying: “Cuirim fháilte roimh, mo ghaol.”

Stir both cups three times clockwise, with intention: “If you’ll join me for this meal.”

Sip your tea in the presence of your invited guest, inquiring as to the matter at hand. By the time you finish your cup, the answer should be apparent to you.

Thank your guest, perhaps asking for their blessing if they seem amiable, and send your troubles away ahead of them; (at times I have sent my problems tumbling off with a good “imeacht gan teacht uirthi!” with the help of my guest).

Close the circle, shutter the windows, clean up, and cleanse.

Some notes:

Inviting an unknown guest into your home can be very dangerous without the proper protections. Those without strong experience warding and banishing should not attempt this ritual- there are other ways to answer a question which are not so invocational.

Customizing for Witches of Other Persuasions:

This ritual is perfect for Green or Kitchen witches, as you can get very intentional with the tea, water, and sweeteners. ALSO if you read tea leaves/are into tasseomancy, this is for sure the ritual for you!

Invocation for Non-Irish Folk:

“Would you like a cup of tea?

Or to come and rest with me?

I welcome you, my kin and flock

As steam rises from the pot.”

#irish polytheism #witchcraft #spells #charms #the morrigan #dagda #tuatha de lugh #aengus

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swansean · 2 years

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Charm for Protection, Power, and Brilliance

🌑Gather🌑

-small jar

-black tourmaline, tiger’s eye, and hematite chips

-sage and rosemary

-marigold

-salt, pepper, egg shells

-incense ash, correlated to protection (I used lilac)

-red and black candles (you can use orange or yellow in place of red)

-small glass or box (I use a triangular dice tray)

-carnelian, sunstone, and mugglestone (or other solar plexus-y, sunny, protect-y stones)

-Tarot cards or a sigil associated with protection, power, and inner confidence of your choosing (I used The Sun, the Page of Pentacles, and the Magician)

-selenite or clear quartz

Note(s): If you have black salt or banishing powder, you can substitute that for the salt/pep/eggs. I typically use pink salt in protection spells, as it gains its pink color from iron, which repels the daoine sídhe (and I find iron chips hard to come by).

If you work with a deity or other entity, it’s always a good idea to ask for their help! Empowered casting is the bombe.

🌑Method🌑

- Cast a circle, cleanse your space, etc. Light your candles.

- Add salt, pepper, eggshells, sage, rosemary, and incense ash (or banishing powder, etc.) while reciting the following with intention:

With each element I add,

I protect my Home, my Wishes, my Vitality

With each element,

Protection from those who would do me harm

I am protected- negativity be gone

- Now, adding the black tourmaline, marigold, tiger’s eye and hematite:

As in the east rises the sun,

So I rise, so blessings come

For empowered I am,

Brave, bold, and true ,

And what evil you send from the evil in you,

The warrior in me will send back to you.

- Cork your bottle(s), seal with wax from both the red and black candles, and say:

Brilliant I am, Brilliant will I be.

-Now to charge! Place your bottle(s) in the cup/box/etc. with the carnelian, sunstone, and mugglestone, then cover with your protective sigil or chosen tarot cards (I use three or four cards, then cover with a drawn triquetra or celtic knot). Place the selenite or quartz on top of the entire thing, then place in a sunny spot, under the full moon, etc.

🌑Variations for Other Callings🌑

Witches who work with sun deities will find this spell naturally suited to their craft! Those who tend to work with the sea would want to cast this at high tide, perhaps incorporating a hag stone and moon snail shells. Green witches can incorporate more herbs and flowers into the jar itself- bay, thyme, lilac, and others could make good additions. Irish polytheists like myself may want to incorporate iron, rowan and oak wood, and perhaps the blessings of Lugh, The Morrígan, or An Dagda.

#witchcraft #celtic witch #irish polytheism #aengus #dagda #the morrigan #apollo deity #sea witch #green witch

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