Courtney Weber - The Morrigan: Celtic Goddess of Magick and Might

Courtney Weber's new book, The Morrigan, adds much to the experiential material available on the Morrigan. The book is full of personal stories, interesting interpretations of the Morrigan's mythology, and methods to connect to her. It will certainly appeal to many of the goddess's followers today.

Morgan Daimler, author of
Pagan PortalsThe Morrigan and Fairies

Within the pages of The Morrigan, Ms. Weber has masterfully blended history, mythology, spell work, and personal anecdotes into a book that beautifully explores the depth and breadth of The Great Queen and her associated goddesses. A must for neophyte to adept worshiper.

Amy Blackthorn, priestess of the Morrigan and author of
Blackthorn's Botanical Magic and Sacred Smoke

At what point does a book go from being academic to being one of prose? Courtney Weber does it here with The Morrigan, one of the most exhilarating books to come out on one of the most complicated goddesses of the Celtic Realm. Inspiring, thought-provoking, and a must-read for anyone interested in this central goddess of European myth.

Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone, authors of Lifting the Veil

Magick can arise from many things, but often the most profound magick comes from the places where raw emotions, life truths, heart illusions, and paradoxes meet. Courtney Weber's The Morrigan is genuinely personal yet universal in outlook, otherworldly, yet grounded, and filled with a terrible beauty. In other words, it is a true and faithful account of a journey there and back again to the realm of the Phantom Queen. The book is part scholarship, practical advice, personal sharing, tears, and humor, but most importantly it never forgets the reader is a companion on this journey. If you feel the Morrigan is waiting at the edges of your life, this book will serve you well.

Ivo Dominguez Jr., author of
Keys to Perception and Spirit Speak

Courtney Weber blends a powerful mix of history, myth, magick, and personal journey with the Lady of Many Guises. Let her book help you answer the call of the Great Queen.

Christopher Penczak, cofounder of the
Temple of Witchcraft and author of
Feast of the Morrighan and The Mighty Dead

This well-crafted honoring of the Morrigan warmed my Celtic soul. Educational through excellent research of the ancient texts, practical with ritual, prayer, and spells, it brings alive this great Irish Goddess and her myths and legends in a contemporary way that is understandable and crucially relatable. A seminal book indeedmle buochas, a thousand thanks.

Karen Ward, coeditor of Soul Seers
and author of Moon Mn, annual diary-journal

In The Morrigan, Courtney Weber explores one of the most fascinating and complex deities: Ireland's goddess of many names and many faces. Weber provides a cohesive and brilliant book full of solid historical research, personal experience, and practical application with ease and grace, while guiding the reader to connect and create their very own personal practice and relationship with this ancient goddess. Whether you're already a devotee of the Phantom Queen or you've found yourself recently drawn to her call, this is a book to be cherished.

Mat Auryn, author of Psychic Witch

This edition first published in 2019 by Weiser Books, an imprint of
Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC
With offices at:
65 Parker Street, Suite 7
Newburyport, MA 01950
www.redwheelweiser.com

Copyright 2019 by Courtney Weber
Foreword copyright 2019 by Lora O'Brien
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and
retrieval system, without permission in writing from
Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC. Reviewers may quote brief passages.

ISBN: 978-1-57863-663-1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
available upon request.

Cover design by Kathryn Sky-Peck

Cover photograph Magdalena Kaczan, Song of a Stone Heart?

Interior by Timm Bryson, em em design, LLC

Typeset in Arno Pro

Printed in Canada
MAR
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www.redwheelweiser.com/newsletter

For Judy and Margot:
great queens in this world, and the next.

There are rough places yonder

Where the men cut off the Mast of Macha;

Where they drive young calves into the fold;

Where the raven-women instigate battle.

Dub Ruis

I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar when I met Courtney Weber... nah, just kidding! But by that line you will understand that to work with the Morrigan as directly as I have, for as long as I have, you need a bloody good sense of humor. And sometimes it fails you, as it did with this terrible opening joke. So, let's begin again.

I was working as the manager of the Rathcroghan Visitor Centrethen called the Cruachan Ai Heritage Centrein the medieval village of Tulsk, County Roscommon, when I met Courtney.

Being the general manager of an internationally important archaeological and mythological complex of sites is not an easy job, especially when it seemed you were one of the few in the region who placed a high value and esteem on the sites. Around the time I met Courtney, I had a lot of balls in the air, just trying to keep the doors open and the lights on and the local people happy, never mind my nefarious plans for world domination.

A long, long time agoin 2002, to be exactI moved to Roscommon and began to develop relationships with some of the sites and many of the spirits within the Rathcroghan complex. In the lore, Rathcroghan is recorded as being the location of one of the three great fairs of Ireland, as well as being one of the island's three great heathen burial grounds. It's where our national epic sagathe Tin B Cailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley)started and ended. It's the royal seat of the great Warrior Queen Meadbh (Maeve) of Connacht.

Most importantly to our story, though, is the entrance to the otherworld, described by medieval scribes as Ireland's Gate to Hell, but most often called Uaimh na gCat (Cave of the Cats), anglicised to Oweynagat. This is the fit abode of the Morrigan, and this is where I (eventually) ended up. Sure, what else would you do when your one-year-old nephew is suddenly taken gravely ill? You too, my friend, would head to a known place of power, to communicate with the gods of your land, and maybe cut a deal. Or maybe you'd sit quietly and pray. I dunno. But in that situation, I headed underground.

I was hoping for Dian Ccht, to be honest. Or maybe Airmed. She seems nice. I was definitely there for the healing vibes. You probably already know who actually showed up, though, and are thinking, Well, Lora, what did you expect, going to the Morrigan's cave looking for help? I just wasn't thinking clearly maybe, and I definitely didn't know then what I know now. I really was just expecting some plain old Tuatha D Danann help. But she showed up. And made an offer. Which I negotiated a little (Me working for her for the rest of my natural life? Fine. Me promising her a stake in anyone else's future? Nope. Not mine to give.) and then accepted. A life for a life.