Rhiannon -I

In this article I`ll give some short points on who was Rhiannon, her legends, her appearance, magical abilities and sacred symbols. (total pages -6)

     I. Who was Rhiannon?

    She was an old Celtic goddess, connected with moon energy, earth, fertility, birds songs, magic, wind, herbs, trees, seasons. She is symbol of feminine sovereign power and abilities to defend her own freedom, to stand for her values. She has incorporated also the two aspects – of earth goddess of day (riding white horse) and ruling over Moon. She was connected with goddess Rigantona and Epona. Her name was probably derived from “rhiain” [ maiden ] and Annwon [ meaning in Welsh Otherworld ] She was named “Great Queen”, or “Queen of fairies”.

Rhiannon and Pawyl ~

One day prince Pawyl [ closely to the name Paul, Pooul ] was playing with his companions in the beautiful green grass mound of Tors, in a forest near to his castle. This mound was claimed to be magical place, full of spirits and ghosts, so people avoided to step there. It was thought, that people who stood in such place would become enchanted from fairies. That didn’t stop the prince to enjoy that place in his horse.

Suddenly Pawyl noticed from far away lovely young girl, riding on white horse and dressed in glittering golden robe. He thought this is phantom and not real, so he started chasing her. Avoiding the recommendations of his friends to not follow her, the brave man rode fast behind her, but Rhiannon was swift as the wind, so no one could catch her. Finally the mesmerized prince took the fastest horse, but still he didn’t succeed to come very close to mysterious maiden. She soon disappeared from look. The next day the restless prince returned to the same mound in search of the woman on white horse. She appeared and was fast riding her horse with speed of arrow, hardly touching the ground. But whatever efforts he made to ride faster his horse, the distance between them remained the same. Finally exhausted, the prince stopped his horse and called on Rhiannon to wait. She stopped and waited him surprisingly.

She said to him, it would have been much easier and more kind of him to just call on her, instead of chasing her horse.

She admitted her love for him, astonished and happy, the prince wanted to take her quickly to his castle. It is never so easy to marry a goddess –they had to wait one more year, before being able to be united.

One year later ~

Rhiannon appeared as before in the place of magical mound, on her white horse. Pawyl was expecting her, so he rode after her in the deep woods. The trees welcomed them, whispering with language of birds and wind. The branches of trees parted to open the way in front of him. The goddess led him to the magnificent palace of her father, surrounded by a lake. The castle was divine and was build of special silvery crystal, going high into heavens. She was not allowed at first to marry a mortal man, but she defended her willing in front of gods and her father. So she had success and finally married the prince Pawyl with lavish festivals.

Now, as she made her choice to stay with the mortal people on earth, she could never return again to her heavenly castle of gods.

Back to the earth kingdom ~

They went back as wedding couple to the palace of the prince, through the tick magical forest. People admired her for her beautiful face, mystic eyes and amazing singing. Two years then went away without Rhiannon to be able of giving birth and secure the throne with heir. On the third year she delivered a healthy baby, a son. Sadly he became also source of big sadness for the kings family.

Misfortune ~

One day all the six servants who took care of the little infant, fall asleep. When they woke up, they found the cradle empty, so they started to be afraid of hard punishment for the missing baby. The made a horrific plan to accuse the beautiful Rhiannon of hard crime against her own child. They killed a puppy and smeared some of its blood on face of sleeping goddess, scattering little bones around her bed. She was blamed of gravious sin of eating her child.

The Punishment ~

The story tells of amazing harsh punishment on the innocent Rhiannon. She had to stay seven years outside of the castle, with a heavy horse collar on her neck, and her task was to tell her story (about eaten child) to anyone who visited the castle in any time. Moreover she had the humiliation to carry the man on her own back to the castle. This was her symbolical transformation as a horse. Rhiannon endured for long years this punishment with acceptance of her fate.

Rhiannon visualization (appearance) ~

She can be visualized with dark brown waving hair and blue eyes. Dressed in white long gown with golden glittering stars on it. She has bracelet of red crystals. Her hair is decorated with red flower – rose or peony. Sometimes she is seen with golden star on her head pendant on the fore head. She is swift and has the ability to disappear and to fly. You can see her surrounded by animals – specially birds, and horses. Sometimes riding white horse.

Magical symbols (attributes) of Rhiannon ~

Element – wind, air, clouds, middle earth

Direction – west, north

Incense – sandalwood, myrrh, rose, geranium, cedar wood

Flowers – rose, rosehips, daffodils, cedar, pine (all herbs), sage

Geometry form – circle, sphere, sphere with rose

Crown – head wear with golden star (pentagram); roses, peony

Sacred sign – pentagram in a circle (golden), rose in sphere

Planets – Neptune, Saturn, Venus

Minerals – lapis lazuli, blue topaz, turquoise, blue moonstone, bloodstone

Other names – Divine Queen, queen of fairies, lady of birds. Lady of Wind

angelic color – dark blue, dark green, turquoise

earth color – garnet red, golden

Birds – hummingbirds, dove

Working with Rhiannon includes magical rituals for binding of wind, cloak of invisibility, time freezing, ability to see beyond the veil, herbal potions. Moon phase – waning, fig tree, blossoming trees, blue butterflies. 

...I hope you enjoyed my article, feel free to share it and add your comment below! thank you. 

References ~ 

~ Rhiannon - sacred wicca

~ Rhiannon -journeying to the goddess 

~ Rhiannon - crystal wind ca 

[ nina Lea-nura * ]

Morgana Le Fay - I

This is my article dedicated to the amazing queen of witches, deva of the Blue ray, and character from the Celtic legend of king Arthur.

Who was Morgan Le Fay?

   The links to the name of Morgan Le Fay are traced back to the old British – Celtic and Irish legends. First her features can be recognized in the face of powerful goddess of Death, darkness and destruction –Morrigan (with her totem symbol crow). She was also blended in the names of Lady of the lake and Nimue or Vivienne. In many ways she is connected with water nymphs, underworld, esoteric knowledge and magic. She was also shown as fatal woman (similar to Ishtar - Inanna), who had ability to attract lovers in her trap of sorcery.

Connections with Morrigan ~

   Goddess of fate, war and death (similar to Ishtar, Rhiannon), she was also ruling the earth and responsible for fertility. She was very powerful Triple Goddess in many Celtic myths. Her symbolic animal was crow, often seen in battle field near the dead soldiers.

Mysterious enchantress ~

   Morgana Le Fay was believed to be even historical figure, who lived in time of kind Arthur. She was great enchantress, and possessed many spiritual talents and magic power. She was known as “wise” woman (or witch), that can influence environment and things in her favor. In the story of King Arthur, Morgana appears as an evil character, daughter of Queen Igreine and King Gorlois (her first husband), she was also a half-sister of Arthur. Morgana felt hatred to her brother, visible in all legends.

According to legend by Thomas Malory (1415 – 1471), Morgana was unhappily married to King Urien. She has also many lovers, and was great temptress (she attracted Merlin with his own power).

Connection with Merlin ~

   The famous magician Merlin fell in love for Morgana, in her appearance as “Lady of the Lake” near fountain. Some stories give light and make parallel between Morgana and Lady of the lake Nimue, who kept the magical sward Excalibur in her kingdom in bottom of the lake, before giving it to king Arthur through Merlin` s magic.

Merlin was in the trap of his fatal love to Morgana (Lady of the Lake), so he didn’t hesitate to make her close student in art of magic, and entrust her great esoteric power. She was his scribe and his lover too. Morgana then used his own teachings against him, abandoned his love and closed him in a glass tower.

Affection to Lancelot ~

   The story of her strong unrequited love to hero Lancelot sounds very similar to the myth of Inannas love to Gilgamesh. Both Lancelot and Gilgamesh didn’t fall in her trap of sorcerer and fatal woman. That` s why the love of Morgana was without end, unmanifested. Morgana managed to keep Lancelot closed in prison with her magic spells power. But not for too long. After he gets ill and near to die, the sorcerer releases him, which shows the depth and purity of her feeling.

Morgana as beautiful witch ~

   Her main characteristic was her appearance as a witch possessing great magical power. She could transform herself into any animal (specially black crow, or horse). She became Queen of island Avalon, where she moved to live with other women, according to the legends. The final myth shows Morgana as one of the three ladies covered in black hoods, who took the body of the dead Arthur to the island Avalon.

Until today she plays role in witch craft pantheon and loved by many people, who are inspired by art of magic. She was symbol of high magician, enchantress and fatal woman, who will make all her sexual desires fulfilled. 

Morgana as Fairy Queen ~

   In later days, the legends of Morgana make focus on her magical powers and ability to work with natural elements. Her natural connection to earth lows, specially in island Avalon (place in border between life and death), made her famous as Fairy Queen. There are reasons for that – she was working her witch spells, herbal potions and essences with help of fairies that lived with her on Avalon. In old folklore of Britanny, special kind of fairy spirits were called “mari-morgans”. 

...I hope you enjoyed reading this article, feel free to share or add your comment below! thank you. 

[ nina Lea-nura * ]