Morgan Daimler - The Morrigan: Meeting the Great Queens

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT

THE MORRIGAN

Morgan presents us with solid, well researched information on the Irish Morrigans from some of the best academic sources out there, and does it in a way that is engaging and approachable.

Segomros Widugeni , previously known as Aedh Rua , author of Celtic Flame: An Insiders Guide to Irish Pagan Tradition

Pagan Portals: The Morrigan , is a well-researched and heartfelt guide to the Morrigan from a fellow devotee and priestess. Morgan Daimlers impeccable scholarship and devotion to the Morrigan offers readers both sound historical resources as well as the authors personal experiences with this complex goddess. A perfect guide for those taking the first steps towards understanding the Morrigan.

Stephanie Woodfield , author of Celtic Lore and Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess

There are so many faces of this amazing goddess and Daimler brings them together in a very readable way that enchanted me into turning page after page.

Elen Sentier , author of Elen of the Ways and Trees of the Goddess

For those who seek the Morrigan and related goddesses, Morgan Daimlers short book packs a lot of information into a small space. Balancing historical information with modern insights and practices, it is an excellent text for new seekers and devotees. Each section of the book contains both the results of her reading and short discussions of her personal experience, giving it a valuable and much-needed balance between research and practice. I particularly enjoyed the section on her insights about reconstructing seership practices with the goddess Badb.

Erynn Rowan Laurie , author of A Circle of Stones and Ogam: Weaving Words of Wisdom ; co-author of the CR FAQs

First published by Moon Books, 2014
Moon Books is an imprint of John Hunt Publishing Ltd., Laurel House, Station Approach, Alresford, Hants, SO24 9JH, UK
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Text copyright: Morgan Daimler 2014

ISBN: 978 1 78279 833 0
Library of Congress Control Number: 2014945005

All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publishers.

The rights of Morgan Daimler as author have been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

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CONTENTS

Dedicated to Macha, the Goddess I serve may I always serve you well. Id like to thank everyone who inspired this book, especially the wonderful people of Morrigus Daughters (and Sons). To Stephanie, Mayra, and Natalie, for helping me see the joy in service, and to Ivy and Melody, the Pine Cabin Crew, for letting me see the Morrigan through new eyes. To Ed, Michelle, Gina, Dawn, Jenna, and everyone else at the Morrigans Call retreat. To Maya for constructive criticism and Allison for helpful suggestions.
To my husband Scott and my children Amara, Paige, and Terence for supporting me when I write with love, backrubs, and enforced computer breaks. This book is for everyone who seeks the Morrigan and doesnt know where to start.

Authors Note

There are many very good books out there on the Morrigan, most of which are academic and some of which are very hard to find due to cost or age. People who are just finding themselves drawn to this increasingly popular but often enigmatic Goddess are left with a quandary; long, in-depth books which may be hard to get through on one hand, and a sea of questionable internet resources which are short and easier but often untrustworthy on the other. This book was written as a resource for seekers that will offer both solid academic material and anecdotes of connecting with the Morrigan in a format that is accessible and designed to be easy to read. It is meant to be a basic introduction to this Goddess and several closely related Goddesses by the same name, and also a bridge for beginners to feel more comfortable with the longer, more scholarly texts.

In writing this I have drawn on many different sources and have carefully referenced and cited all of them. My own degree is in psychology so I prefer to use the APA method of citations. This means that within the text after quotes or paraphrased material the reader will see a set of parenthesis containing the authors last name and date the source was published; this can then be cross references with the bibliography at the end of the book. I find this method to be a good one and I prefer it over footnotes or other methods of citation, which is why its the one I use.

While this book can and does serve as a stand-alone work, ideally I hope that the reader will be drawn to learn more and decide to continue seeking. To help with this I have provided a list of both the references I used in my writing and also of recommended further reading at the end of the book under the bibliography. I have tried to offer books which represent an array of options for people with different viewpoints and approaches to honoring the Morrigan.

I do not think ultimately the framework we choose to use for our religion matters as much as that we make the effort to honor the old Gods and bring their worship into the modern world in ways that respect their history. I dont think a person has to follow a specific religion, be it Reconstructionist, Wiccan, or Celtic pagan, to do this if they are coming to the Gods with a sincere heart and good intent. To that end this book is written without any specific spiritual faith in mind, beyond polytheism, and it is up to the reader to decide how best to incorporate the material. However, my own religious path is Irish Reconstructionist polytheism and so that is bound to color some of my opinions in the text.

I have been an Irish pagan since 1991 and actively honoring the Morrigan since around 2000; I am a priestess of the Goddess Macha, often named as one of the Morrigans. I can say with certainty that her path isnt an easy one and it is one that will always push a person to keep learning and moving forward. In each chapter I am going to include a little section on my own personal experiences with the Morrigan, because I want to help people see that she is an active force in the world today and how we can honor her, beyond the bounds of any one faith. For some people this book may be the first step in a life-long journey. For others, perhaps, she doesnt call to you in that way, but nonetheless something valuable can be gained here, if only a greater understanding of the Goddess, her history, and modern beliefs and practices associated with her.

Introduction

The Morrigan was an important figure in Irish mythology and she is active still in the world today. She reaches out to us from the pages of the old myths, in the stories of the traditional storytellers, and in modern songs. She comes to us on shadowed wings, in the still darkness, and in flashes of dreams. We hear her voice in the pounding of our own pulse, in the cry of the raven, and in the wild wind. She is a powerful force, but one that is often difficult to understand for those seeking her.

When we first feel the Morrigans call we are confronted by a dizzying array of books and online sources purporting to teach us who she was and is. It quickly becomes clear though that the truth about the Morrigan is not so easily uncovered. Modern approaches to this ancient Goddess are often divorced from historic evidence of her; in contrast the older material can be harder to find and difficult to understand. Some put too much emphasis on personal experience while others ignore it. Ideally a modern seeker should try to find balance between all of these extremes.

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