Stephanie Woodfield - Celtic Lore & Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess: Invoking the Morrigan

About the Author

Stephanie Woodfield (Brookfield, CT) has been a practicing Witch for over fourteen years and a Priestess for ten years. Her lifelong love of Irish mythology led to a close study of Celtic Witchcraft. A natural clairvoyant and empath, she has worked as a Tarot card reader and is ordained as a minister with the Universal Life Church.

Llewellyn Publications

Woodbury, Minnesota

Copyright Information

Celtic Lore & Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess: Invoking the Morrigan 2011 by Stephanie Woodfield.

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First e-book edition 2011

E-book ISBN: 9780738730851

Book design by Bob Gaul

Cover art 2011 Chris Down

Cover design by Ellen Lawson

Editing by Nicole Edman

Interior Celtic illustrations from Celtic Designs CD-Rom and Book (Dover Publications, 199697), Celtic Designs and Motifs (Dover Publications, 1991) and Llewellyn art department

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Contents

The Call of the Morrigan

Who Is the Morrigan?

The Celts

The Morrigan in Celtic Mythology

The Three Morrigans

Meeting Macha

Meeting Badb

Meeting Anu

The Trinity & Additional Connections

The Faces of the Morrigan

Shape-Shifter

Faery Queen

Earth Mother

Goddess of Sovereignty

Seeress

Queen of Battle

Phantom Queen

Mistress of Magick

Lover

Ancient Goddess, Modern Worship

Altars & Offerings

Patron Deities

Seasonal Rituals

Moon Rites

Answering the Call

Charge of the Morrigan
By Meryt-Meihera

Be still and listen. Enchantment is my name. Hear my voice in the wind, the sea, the land? Reach out and embrace me and I will speak.
My familiar is the carrion crow, knower of the dead, attendee of battles. I am of the land, the moon, and the sea. I am the cow of fertility, the hunting wolf, and the eel of electricity. I am wise, sly, and daring. I am the Queen, the Oracle, the Warrior, and the Witch. I am the Sorceress that will not be ruled, the Weaver of Time, the Teacher of Mysteries. I am kin to the Badb and Macha, for together we are the Sacred Three. Come walk with me near the seas kiss, let me show you the Old Ways and your innate power. Come join me under the moonlight and learn the Ways of the Warrior and the Queen. Let me show you all thats in between. My ways are dangerous and difficult, but my gifts are true and blessed. Swallow your fear and come to me, and you will discover true beauty, strength, and courage.
Will you take the risks and learn my lessons?
Or will you hide from me and all I have to give you? Ponder, now, what will you choose?

Introduction:

The Call of the Morrigan

The beauty and might of this goddess lie not only in her connection to the cycle of death, but also in her ability to mold her power and gifts to the current situation, to the needs of men and women,
to the requirements of the gods.

Michelle Skye, Goddess Alive

T he Morrigan flies through the pages of history and myth like an uncontainable whirlwind. Upon ancient battlefields she appeared as a raven, her wild shrieks and battle cry killing men where they stood. She could be a beautiful lusty maiden one minute and a fearsome hag the next. To some she appeared as a phantom, washing the blood-stained clothes of those destined to die along lonely river banks; to others she brought unparalleled victory and protection. The Morrigan is full of mystery, magick, and contradictions. She is powerful and wise but not always benevolent, her nature not always apparent at first glance, her wisdom not easily earned. Is she a tutelary goddess, or a goddess of war? Is she a friend to the Irish hero Cchulain, or his greatest enemy? Is she loving or spiteful? In Irish mythology, the Morrigan refuses to be boxed into just one role. Just when you think youve figured her out, she changes shape and becomes something else (as a shape-shifter, this seems only fitting). Although she is commonly labeled as a goddess of battle, this is an oversimplification of a very dynamic deity. Like many goddesses of the Celtic pantheon, the Morrigan fills multiple roles: she is a goddess of war, of fertility, of sovereignty, and of magick, all at once.

It isnt surprising that the Morrigan is perhaps one of the most popular Celtic goddesses in modern Paganism. She exudes an air of confidence, power, and magick. She survives in various incarnations within the Celtic tradition, as a goddess, faery woman, ghostly phantom, and mortal queen. Today she remains a popular protagonist in fiction, such as in Marion Zimmer Bradleys The Mists of Avalon and Pat OSheas The Hounds of the Morrigan. Yet despite this, her myths and importance in the Celtic pantheon are often misunderstood. For many, her reputation as a goddess of death and war makes the Morrigan an intimidating figure to work with. Although nineteenth-century scholars interpreted her as a goddess of war, this is not precisely correct. At times she does bring about death, participate in battle, and protect warriors; but she is more accurately called a goddess of sovereignty. She is the patroness of those who wield power, whether it is the power of kingship, prowess on the battlefield, the power over life and death, or personal power.

My own experiences with the Morrigan began a few years after my initiation into Witchcraft. At the time, my life had been very chaotic and a goddess personifying victory over lifes battles and inner strength was quite appealing. But even when the Morrigan began to make her presence known in my life, I hesitated to call upon her. Never one to be ignored, the Morrigan then began getting my attention in dramatic ways. Crows, one of her totem animals, began taking an unusual interest in my home, my office, and even my car. When I left for work in the morning, there was always at least one crow perched on top of my car; sometimes it seemed like an entire flock! At first I thought they were attracted to the garbage cans we kept near my usual parking spot, but after moving the cans to the other side of the house and even attempting to park my car elsewhere, my mornings continued to begin with the harsh cries of some very curious birds. At work my boss asked me if I was feeding the crows, since there was almost always one perched on the window ledge next to my desk several times a day. Several people coincidently (but we know there are no mere coincidences in a magickal life) lent me books that mentioned the Morrigan or Morgan le Fay, or fantasy novels featuring goddesses that bore a strong resemblance to her. I had remarkably vivid dreams where the Morrigan appeared in both human and animal form.