Order of the White Moon Presents

Morrigan

Morgana le Fay

Morgan, Morrigu, Morrighan

© Shalimar
All original material in this site is under copyright protection and is the intellectual property of the author.
This website created as a level one final project for Sisters in Celebration.

I would like to thank all of the people who gave their kind permission to include their works and information for my site. I would like to especially thank the extremely talented and beautiful Jessica Galbreth for her permission to use her wonderful paintings. ~Shalimar

Artwork by kind permission is the property of Jessica Galbreth

http://www.enchanted-art.com/

Raven Shadow of the Moon

Power of the Night

Ancient Messages of Days Gone By

Grant Me Your Hidden Sight

Goddess of the Darken Moon

Fly to Me on Blacken’d Wings

I Call the Ancients for a Boon

Path of the Old, My Heart Does Sing!

~by Shalimar

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Morrigan battled the dark that covered the land as the ancient ways were slowly forgotten. She fought as Lady of the Night, so we might remember that through death, we are reborn. At the end of the night, comes the bright light of day, as the cold melts away, spring sings her song again. So, too, we sing with the bright new spring day. The Goddess Morrigan waves her victory banner. She is returned. Like the flower, her face shines with the sun!

Morgana Le Fey

Artwork by kind permission is the property of Jessica Galbreth

http://www.enchanted-art.com/

There is some controversy as to whether Morgan and Morgan LeFay is the same Goddess. It is my belief that Morgan LeFay is Morrigan as a Goddess incarnate of the times of Avalon. Welshpedia states that “Morgan LeFAY” was a “Welsh death-goddess; Morgan the Fate. Glamorgan in Wales is said to be her sacred territory,” and that “she can cast a destroying curse on any man.” There is an equal amount of controversy over the events of her life. In the beginning of accounts of Morgan LeFay, she was celebrated, but over the course of accounts passed down, the accounts of her by scholars deteriorated, as well, did the Christian churches views of the Goddess, and this may well account for the change in the views passed down by these scholars. Morgan LeFay was considered powerful. She was trained by the Merlin. She was seen in history with the 9 sisters of Avalon as one of the Priestesses of Avalon of the Isle.

Ancient Queen of the Night

Artwork by kind permission is the property of Jessica Galbreth

http://www.enchanted-art.com/

Ancient Queen

You are many

You are one!

I see me through

Each face you show

I hear what it is you’d have me know.

Ancient Mother

In your battle dress

You fight for sacred light

You gave no quarter to your foe

When darkness touched the land

They mocked the Goddess

Sweet loving mother

They buried you beneath the land

But your children did not forget!

We hold the banner with you now

We wear the Priestess upon our brow

The highlands sing the knowledge how

The Goddess never died!

The Goddess lives on this night!

Dear Goddess, we’ve won the fight!

~by Shalimar

Morigan is part of a triad of three Goddesses. Mythmaiden states that “Morrigan (Ireland, Wales and Britain) was a shapeshifing war goddess of lust, magic, prophecy, revenge and war.  She kept company with Fea (hateful), Badb (fury) and Macha (battle).  Variants of her name were Morrigu, Morrighan and Morgan.”

She was a shapeshifter, her ravens/crows, the backdrop of mystic seers. They depict the dead, the living and the otherworld. Through our meditations with them, we are granted passage through the gate of the underworld. They are known as tricksters, yet they help you to see through to the deeper meanings. They are the depiction of transformation, death and rebirth, the circle. Encyclopedia Mythica states that “Badb is the Irish (Celtic) goddess of war. She often assumes the form of a raven or carrion-crow (her favorite disguise) and is then referred to as Badb Catha, meaning "battle raven". Not only did she take part in battles themselves, she also influenced their outcome by causing confusion among the warriors with her magic. The battle-field is often called 'land of Badb'”.

Honor Johnson, from the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, states of Morrigan, “She is a bird goddess, an earth goddess, and her breasts not only nourish the living they also regenerate the dead. Her breasts were believed to form the hills in County Kerry called Da Chich Annan. ( the paps of Anu) She is the Irish Morrigan, Goddess of Death and Guardian of the Dead. She has in these early Celtic apparitions, a bird’s head (often a crow, raven or vulture) and breasts, and on the vessels depicting her there is a symbol for the number three. Sometimes three lines are connected and depict a triple energy that flows from her body, as she is giver and sustainer of life. Very early she is understood to be a triple goddess, a shape shifter, a three part person. Her names are plentiful and sound like her original name.”

Cernonnos in Leahbar Draioaht, the online book of A book of Druid Magick and Lore states that she was the “Celtic Goddess of war and death who could take the shape of a crow or raven. Supreme warrior Goddess. She is associated with the sometimes frightening aspects of feminine energy. Married to the Daghda. She symbolizes the power of fertility.” The dark Goddess, she stands for “prowness, death, war and fate. As part of the triple Goddess, she is associated with Macha, Badb, and the Battle Raven, and Nemainn. Macha was the “Celtic Irish Goddess of war, life and death. She was the Goddess of “cunning and death. Sear physical force; protector'es in both battle and peace. She was known as the crow or raven as she wore a cloak of raven’s feathers.”

The idea of Morrigan, as the dark Goddess often frightens people. She is seen as the Dark Goddess, the Goddess of war. Celtic Realm states that she was the “’The great queen’. Archetypical form of the mother goddess in Ireland. She was three-shaped: Badb, Macha and Nemainn. She fought aiding the Tuatha de Danaan. Mainly seen as a goddess of war and love. Some references to the sumerian goddess Inanna.” Meditations of her often show a powerful woman, a Warrior'es, a protector of her children, a fiercely protective mother who will come to your aid in good times and bad. She will lend you strength when you are down, and she will bring a powerful energy with her, which lets you know you are never alone. She is the Warrior Goddess, and she is the symbol of the strength that lies in women who are the bearers of children and the healers of the earth, Morigan is the sign of our strength. The Goddess of the power of women.

The Morrigan, an oil and pencil painting
by Jessica for this upcoming series.
All Rights Reserved

I see the shadow of your wing

I hear you calling me

Your hidden words flow though my veins

I am your prophecy

You speak to me, your ancient words

Old knowledge of days gone by

You want the world to hear your verbs

A healing with a sigh.

You ask your child to sing old songs

Of rituals long ago.

The ancient magicks of which we’ve longed

Now ring within our souls.

I answer to your calling ways

My hear beats to the drum

Sing me your songs thru all my days

The world will hear it sung!

Beat through my veins, your calling me

I pledge to sing your songs

Of you, My Lady, I do see

I am your prophecy.

Then use my tongue to still the night

And use my hands to share

The healing words and with the sight

I am your Lady’s seer.

I’ll teach the ancient songs of old

And bring your healing grace

Through my old hands I’ll bring your words

To pass the worlds of time.

~by Shalimar

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Artwork by kind permission is the property of Jessica Galbreth

http://www.enchanted-art.com/

Her Battle Raven

Wise old mystic seer,

Transform the old

With the death of the new!

~by Shalimar

Artwork by kind permission is the property of Jessica Galbreth

http://www.enchanted-art.com/

Ritual of Ancient Knowledge

Items you will need:

Incense:

-Sandalwood-spirituality and protection

Blend Seers Balm:

-1/4 C. Myrrh to aid in meditation

-1/4 C. Mugwort to aid psychic powers and prophetic dreaming

-1 tsp honey

-1 tsp olive oil

(These came to me in trance, so I looked them up in Scott Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Herbs). Simmer mixture and put in a tiny container.

Three Candles:

-One for the Goddess-red

-One for you-your choice

-One for the spirit/ancients-white

Your spiritual journal and a pen.

Three stones, large enough to stack the largest on the bottom, the smallest on top.

-Meditate on the symbols to go beneath the stones for three nights.

-Begin in the hours just past the dark moon.

Your Circle

Sweet Mother of the scared Moon

Just as you are round

I call your moonbeams as a boon

To see this Circle sound!

To Call Morrigan

Ancient Goddess of the night

I invoke you, hear my plea!

I ask that you attend this rite

To bring old knowledge to me

To sing the old songs

The words which hold the key!

	To Call the Quarters: I call the East to bring the Light Of the rising Sun! I call the South to bring the Knowledge That my will is done! I call the West to bring the Wisdom Of other days gone by! I call the North that I may sit Between the Earth and Sky!
	Great Mother whose heart beats Below me Great father sky above My I have the grace to know When I’ve been shown great love!
-Pick up the large stone, and write the first symbol. You will know the order. -Pick up the second stone, write the symbol and stack it on the first. -Pick up the third stone, write the symbol and stack it on the second.
	As the stones know to lay Within the arms of time As they hold the ancient knowledge Between your world and mine. Now I stand between the worlds And know the way each lays. So, from this day I will remember The old songs from the pyramids they gave. As my ancestors brought the knowledge And the people soon forgot I remember within the void That silence brings the drop.
	Meditate Write down what you are shown.
	Watch the rain dear child. As each drop brings the new. They become part of the old. Thank you , Mother Blessed Be!
	Thank the four directions for their knowledge and wisdom within your circle. Close the circle. ~by Shalimar

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Cited Works:

Welshpedia: http://www.welshpedia.co.uk/wiki/wales/index.php?title=Ancient_Welsh_and_Celtic_Gods

Celtic Twilight

http://www.celtic-twilight.com/camelot/infopedia/m/morgan_le_fay.htm

Celtic Realm:

http://inanna.virtualave.net/celtic.html

Encyclopedia Mythica

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/b/badb.html

The Enchanted Art of Jessica Galbreth

http://www.enchanted-art.com/

Cernonnos in the online book of Leahbar Draioaht, Druid Magick and Lore

http://www.angelfire.com/realm2/cernonnos2/

MythMaiden

http://www.mythmaiden.com/celtic.htm

Honor Johnson, The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids

http://www.druidry.org/obod/deities/morrigan.html

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