Monday, October 03, 2005

The Triple Goddess

The Triple Goddess


The Maiden

The Maiden signifies youth, the springtime of life when all is in bloom, the excitement of the chase, and the newness of life and magick. In human age she would be between puberty and her twenties. She is innocent in some ways, but also a seductress who recognizes the power of her sexuality. She has no mate. Maiden goddesses are often associated with flowers.
Rituals involving the Maiden:

Any new beginning, or even the hopes and plans for new beginnings.
Starting a new job or applying for a new job.
During the first steps of new ideas.
Planning or beginning a complete turn-around in your life.
Beginning a new phase in your life.
Moving into a new house or apartment.
Entering a new school or going back to school after a delay in education.
Taking a journey connected with anticipated changes.
The beginning of a new relationship, love or friendship.
Youthful energy.
Beauty.

Moon: Waxing
Season: Spring
Time: Dawn
Colors: Soft and light pastels, such as white, soft pink, or light yellow.


The Mother

The Mother stands for nurturing, caring, fertility; she is a woman in the prime of her life and at the peak of her power. She protects her own and will ensure that justice is done and done well. This woman is usually mated. In human age, she would be seen as a woman in her thirties to mid-forties. Mother is ripe, full-breasted, at the peak of her womanly powers. She rears children and nurtures others. Mother is Life. She is the Madonna who tenderly rocks her baby, but she is also the lioness who hunts to feed her cubs and will fight to the death to protect them. Mother goddesses are often associated with grain.
Rituals involving the Mother:

Project fruition and completion.
When childbirth is near.
Strength to see matters through to the end.
Blessings and protection.
Guidance in life decisions.
Marriages, or the contemplation of or desire for marriage.
Finding or choosing a mate or companion.
Gardening.
Choosing or accepting an animal.
Protection of animal life.
Making choices of any kind.
Gaining or continuing peace.
Developing intuition.
Spiritual direction.
Fertility
Nurture and comfort
Relationships and family matters
Mentoring

Moon: Full
Season: Summer
Time: Noon, Twilight
Colors: Warmer than that of the maiden, such as green, copper, red, light purple or royal blue.


The Crone

The Crone is a being of age-old wisdom. She is shrew and counsels well. She cares for the Maiden and the Mother as well as the offspring thereof. She is logical and can be terrible in her vengeance. She stands at the door to the dimension of death. In human years, she is approximately 45 or older. The Crone is the most difficult of the three to place in human age. Crone is the benevolent grandmother you can count on for sage advice but she is also the Dark Goddess, a hag who can sometimes be frightening. Crone is the Reaper and Life-in-Death. In many ways she is even more powerful than Mother. There are no secrets from Crone, who is old age, experience, accumulated wisdom and death. Crone goddesses are often associated with mills and cemeteries.
Rituals involving the Crone:
Ending relationships, jobs, friendships.
Menopause, or coming to terms with aging.
A regrouping of energies needed at the end of a cycle of activity or problem.
Rest and calmness before making new goals and plans.
When the garden or plants are ready for winter.
Harassment of any kind.
Retribution on rapists, murderers, abusers.
On the death of a person or pet.
Contemplation at the end of your own life cycle.
To understand the deepest of mysteries, wisdom, and hidden knowledge.
Any banishing, binding, ending.

Sunday, October 02, 2005

Celtic Gods/Goddesses

This is by no means a complete list. It is just something to start with.

Feel free to add your own and the meanings each has for you.

Blessed Be!


Celtic God/ess

ANGUS MAC OG (Makohk) ((Ireland)) *God*
One of the Tuatha De Danann. God of youth, love and beauty.

ANU (An-oo) / ANANN / DANA / DANA-ANA ((Ireland)) *Goddess*
Mother Earth, Goddess of fertility, prosperity, comfort.

ARAWN (Ar-awn) ((Wales)) *God*
God of the underground kingdom of the dead. Revenge, terror and war.

ARIANRHOD (Ari-an-rod) ((Wales)) Goddess
Mother aspect of the Triple Goddess. Honored at the full moon, beauty, fertility, reincarnation.

BADB (Bibe) / BADHBH / BADB CATHA ((Ireland)) *Goddess*
Mother aspect of the Triple Goddess in Ireland. Associated with the cauldron, crows and ravens. Life, wisdom, inspiration and enlightenment.

BANBA ((Ireland)) *Goddess*
Part of a triad with Fotia and Eriu. They used magick to repel invaders.

BEL /BELENUS / BELINUS / BELENOS / BELIMAWR ((Ireland)) *God*
Closely connected to the Druids. Science, healing, hot springs, fire, success, prosperity, purification, crops, vegetation, fertility. A sun and fire god.

BLODEUWEDD (blod-oo-eeth) / BLODWIN / BLANCHEFLOR ((Wales)) *Goddess*
The maiden form of the Triple Goddess. Goddess of the earth in bloom, flowers, wisdom, lunar mysteries, initiations.

BOANN (Boo-an) / BOANNAN / BOYNE ((Ireland)) *Goddess*
Goddess of the river Boyne; mother of Angus mac Og.

BRAN THE BLESSED / BENEDIGEIDFRAN (Bran) ((Wales)) *God*
God of prophecy, the arts, leaders, war, the sun, music, writing.

BRANWEN (Bran-oo-en) ((Wales)) *Goddess*
Goddess of love and beauty.

BRIGIT (Breet) / BRID (Breed) / BRIG / BRIGID / BRIGHID ((Ireland, Wales, Spain, France)) *goddess*
Associated with Imbloc. Goddess of fire, fertility, the hearth, all feminine arts and crafts and martial arts. Healing, physicians, agriculture, inspiration, learning, poetry, divination, prophecy, smithcraft, animal husbandry, love, witchcraft, occult knowledge.

CERNUNNOS (Ker-noo-nos) / CERNOWAIN / CERNENUS / HERNE THE HUNTER ((Known to all Celtic areas in one form or another)) *God*
God of nature and all wild things. Virility, fertility, animals, physical love, nature, woodlands, reincarnation, crossroads, wealth, commerce, warriors.

CERRIDWEN / CARIDWEN / CERIDWEN ((Wales)) *Goddess*
Goddess of nature. Death, fertility, regeneration, inspiration, magick, astrology, herbs, science, poetry, spells, knowledge.

CREIDDYLAD / CREUDYLAD / CORDELLIA ((Wales)) *Goddess*
Connected with Beltane, often called the May Queen. Goddess of summer flowers, love.

THE CRONE ((Known in all Celtic regions)) *Goddess*
One aspect of the Triple Goddess. She represents old age or death, winter, the end of all things, the waning moon, post-menstrual phases of women's lives. All destruction that precedes regeneration through her cauldron of rebirth.

THE DAGDA ((Ireland)) *God*
Protection, warriors, knowledge, magick, fire, prophecy, weather, reincarnation, the arts, initiation, the sun, healing, regeneration, prosperity and plenty, music, the harp.

DANU / DANANN / DANA (Thana) ((Ireland)) *Goddess*
Probably the same as Anu. Mother of the Gods, Great Mother, Moon Goddess. Patroness of wizards, rivers, water, wells, prosperity and plenty, magick wisdom.

DIANCECHT (Dian-ket) / DIAN CECHT ((Ireland)) *God*
Physician-magician of the Tuatha. God of healing, medicine, regeneration, magick, silver working.

DON / DOMNU (Dom-noo) ((Ireland and Wales)) *God*
Ruler of the land of the dead and entrances to the otherworld. Control of the elements, eloquence.

DRUANTIA ((All Celtic regions)) *Goddess*
Mother of the tree calendar. Fertility, passion, sexual activities, trees, protection, knowledge, creativity.

DYLAN ((Wales)) *God*
God of the sea.

ELAINE ((Wales)) *Goddess*
Maiden aspect of the Goddess.

EPONA ((Britain, Gaul)) *Goddess*
Goddess of fertility, maternity, protectress of horses, horse breeding, prosperity, dogs, healing springs, crops.

ERIU (Err-i-oo) / ERIN ((Ireland)) *Goddess*
One of three queens of the Tuatha Da Danann.

FLIDAIS ((Ireland)) *Goddess*
Goddess of forests, woodlands and wild things.

GOIBNIU / GOFANNON / GOVANNON (Gov-ann-on) ((Ireland and Wales)) *God*
God of blacksmiths, weapon makers, jewelry making, brewing, fire, metalworking.

GREAT FATHER ((All Celtic regions)) *God*
The Lord. The horned god, (Not Satan) lord of winter, harvest, land of the dead, the sky, animals, mountains, lust, powers of destruction and regeneration. The male aspect of creation.

GREAT MOTHER ((All Celtic regions)) *Goddess*
The Lady. The female aspect of creation, goddess of fertility, the moon, summer, flowers, love, healing.

THE GREEN MAN ((All Celtic regions)) *God*
See Cernunnos. A horned deity of trees and green growing things of earth. God of the woodlands.

GWYDION (Gwi-dee-on) ((Wales)) *God*
Greatest of the enchanters, warrior-magician. Illusion, changes, magick, the sky, healing.

GWYNN AP NUDD (Gwin ap Neethe) ((Wales)) *God*
King of the fairies and the underworld.

GWYTHYR (Gwee-theer) ((Wales)) *God*
Opposite of Gwynn ap Nudd. King of the upper world.

HERNE THE HUNTER ((All Celtic regions)) *God*
See Cernunnos, The Horned God, and Green Man.

THE HORNED GOD ((All Celtic regions)) *God*
Lord of the wild hunt. The masculine, active side of nature. Earth father, growing things, wild animals, alertness, fertility, desire, physical love, agriculture, flocks, brewing.

LLYR (Thleer) / LEAR / LIR (Hlir) ((Ireland and Wales)) *God*
God of the sea and water.

LUGH (loo or loog) ((Ireland)) *God*
God of skills. Druid, physician, smithing, war, magick, commerce, reincarnation, lightning, water, arts and crafts, manual arts, journeys, martial arts, poets, musicians, historians, sorcerers, healing, revenge, initiation, prophecy.

MACHA (Maax-ah) ((Ireland)) *Goddess*
Protectress in war as in peace, goddess of war and death. Cunning, sheer physical force, sexuality, fertility, dominance over men.

MANANNAN MAC LIR (Mannan-awn maklir) ((Ireland and Wales)) *God*
God of the sea, navigators, storms, weather at sea, fertility, sailing, weather forecasting, magick, arts, merchants and commerce, rebirth.

MARGAWSE ((Wales)) *Goddess*
Mother aspect of the Goddess.

MATH MATHONWY (Math math-on-oo-ee) ((Wales)) *God*
God of sorcery, magick, enchantment.

MERLIN / MERDDIN / MYRDDIN (Meer-din) ((Wales and Britain)) *God*
Great sorcerer, Druid, magician. Illusion, shape-shifting, herbs, healing, woodlands, nature, protection, counseling, prophecy, divination, psychic abilities, foreseeing, crystal reading, tarot, magick, rituals, spells, incantations, artisans and smiths.

THE MORRIGU (Moor-rig-oo) / MORRIGAN (Mor-ee-gan) / MORRIGHAN / MORGAN (Moor-gan) ((Ireland, Wales, and Britain)) *Goddess*
Supreme war goddess. Queen of phantoms and demons, shape-shifter. The crone aspect of the goddess, great white goddess. Patroness of priestesses and witches. Revenge, night, magick, prophecy.

NUADA / NUDD/ NODONS ((Ireland and Wales)) *God*
Similar to Neptune. God of the water, oceans, fishing, the sun, sailing.

OGMA / OGHMA / OGMIOS ((Ireland)) *God*
Similar to Hercules.

PWYLL ((Wales)) *God*
Ruler of the underworld.

RHIANNON (Hri-an-non) ((Wales)) *Goddess*
The great Queen. Goddess of birds and horses. Enchantments, fertility and the underworld.

SCATHACH / SCOTA/ SCATHA ((Ireland)) *Goddess*
The shadowy one. Goddess in the destroyer aspect. A warrior woman and prophetess who lived in Albion (Scotland), probably on the Isle of Skye and taught the martial arts. Patroness of blacksmiths, healing, magick, prophecy, martials arts.

TALIESIN (Tal-i-ess-in) ((Wales)) *God*
God of the bards. Poetry, wisdom, wizards, music, knowledge, magick.

WHITE LADY ((All Celtic regions)) *Goddess*
Associated with the Crone aspect of the Goddess. Dryad of death, destruction, annihilation