A Look At A Few Dark Goddesses
By Sarah the SwampWitch
Nuit, Mother Sky-Goddess and Goddess of the Starry Sky
"Nebes, nebes, nebes
Nebes em hotep
Nehes em neferu
Tu a atu...."
Nuit (also called Nut, Nwt, or Neuth) is the ancient Egyptian sky-
goddess. Nuit is the consort and twin sister of Geb, the Earth God;
and is the daughter of Shu and Tefnut (wow, these Egyptian deities
are really into the sibling/mate thing ). She is the mother of the
major Egyptian deities Osiris, Isis, Seth (Set), Nephthys, and
sometimes Haroeris. The circumstances of Their births is described
in the Story of Re. They were born on the five epagomenal days of
the year (in Egyptian, "the five days over the year"). Every year
these days were celebrated throughout Egypt.
Nuit is the personification of the sky and of the heavens,
especially the starry sky of nighttime which all people can look up
into and see eternity. It is said that She swallows the stars every
morning and then gives birth to them later into the night sky. As
sky-goddess Nuit is portrayed either as a cow or as a naked woman
covered with painted golden stars with 5 points who wears on Her
head a vase of water. Many times She is shown as a woman whose hands
and feet touch the ground so that her body forms a semi-circle. Her
hands and feet each touched one of the four cardinal points or
directions and the arc of Her body represents the arc of heaven and
the stars of the Milky Way. Her arms and legs represent the four
pillars on which the sky rests. She is held up by Her father Shu
(the God of the air). Her husband Geb lies on the ground reclining
on one elbow and His knees in the air. In this position He depicts
the hills and valleys of the land. It was said that when Shu raised
Nuit (the sky) above Geb (the earth) He brought an end to chaos and
if He ever left this position, chaos would return.
The principal sanctuary of Nuit was at Heliopolis. The priestesses
of Nuit were known for their erotic dance ritual, the forerunner of
modern erotic dance and stripping. At Heliopolis, Nuit is honored as
a death Goddess and plays a part in the resurrection of the dead.
Nuit's star-studded body is often painted on the inside of coffins
and sarcophagi with outstretched arms, so that she may "embrace the
deceased.". The pharaoh was said to enter Her body after death, from
which he would later be resurrected.
The modern English words "night", "nocturnal", and "equinox" (as
well as the French "la nuit", meaning night) are all derived from
Nuit's name.
Nuit's symbols are the stars, the night sky, and cows. Lapis Lazuli
is also sacred to Her. Nuit is associated with Thursday and also
with March.
Nyx, Goddess of the Night
"Black-winged Night,
Into the bosom of the rebus dark and deep,
Laid a wind-born egg, and as the seasons rolled
Forth sprang Love,
the longed for,
shining,
with wings of gold." (Aristophanes)
Nyx is pivotal in the creation myth of the theology of the Orphic-
Dionysic Mysteries. The ancients believed that before the universe
was created there existed only a void of chaos that was black and
silent. From this chaos rose the first deity, Nyx, also called
Mother Night. She is said to have been in the form of a great black
winged spirit. Nyx then conceived of the wind and laid a silver egg
in the darkness. The upper part of the egg was the sky and the lower
section was the earth.
Nyx actually came from the earliest times of Greek mythology (These
earlier divinities have names that correspond directly to elements
of the natural world, like Gaia, Ouranos, Pontos, Nyx, Hemera). By
the classical times in Greece, Nyx had less of a cult-following. In
this later Greek pantheon Nyx is the personification of the night,
and was its goddess. She was revered for Her ocular powers, and Her
realm was in a cave in the far West beyond the land of Atlas. She
was portrayed as a young woman, dressed in a star-covered gown. On
several Greek vases She is shown riding a chariot pulled by four
horses. Her attribute is a reversed torch. The Greek Nyx is related
to the Egyptian Goddess Nuit, Goddess of the Black Night.
Nyx is associated with the Night; the color black; eggs and birth.
Nyx is a good Goddess to call forth when you need to reclaim your
awareness of your original essential nature.
Nemesis, Goddess of Retribution and Daughter of the Night
"The hand of Nemesis balances the scales of justice.
She untangles the threads spun by the Fates.
Lift the burden of this problem, great Nemesis.
Guide me to the solution.
If there can be no harmony, separate us from the other.
Untangle my life-thread, Nemesis.
This I do ask with a sincere heart..." (ritual for Nemesis, 'Moon
Magick' by D.J. Conway)
When Nyx, Mother Night, gave birth to a silver egg in the sea of
chaos, this was symbolism for saying that She gave birth to the
moon.... From this egg came the daughters of Nyx, one of whom was
Nemesis.
Nemesis is known as the Goddess of Retribution and daughter of the
Night. In the later patriarchal deity days of Greece She is seen as
a monstrous figure of revenge and anger, however in earlier Greece
Her nature was more as an abstract force of justice rather than
retaliation.
In Greek mythology, Nemesis is portrayed as serious and thoughtful
looking woman wearing a silver crown adorned with stag horns. She is
often pictured as carrying a wheel of fortune in one hand and an
apple bough in the other, with a scourge hanging at Her waist.
Nemesis had Her primary sanctuary at Rhamnus, a village in the
northern part of Attica. Nemesis was said to be a check on Tyche,
Goddess of Fortune and also was said to be an attendant to Themeis,
the Goddess of law.
Nemesis is honored in the celebration known as 'Nemesea' or the
Festival of Nemesis on August 23rd. Because of this celebration,
Nemesis is associated with the August full moon, which is commonly
called 'The Corn Moon'.
The Erinyes, Children of the Night and Daughters of the Earth and
Darkness
"Then fell Tisiphone with Rage was stung,
and from her mouth th' untwisted serpents hung,
Girt in a bloody gown a torch she shakes,
And round her neck twines speckled wreathes of snakes.
Part of her tresses loudly hiss, and part
Spread poison as their forked tongues they dart..." (Metamorphoses,
Book IV)
The Erinyes, the three Goddesses of revenge, are among the most
ancient Goddesses and predated Zeus and all the other Olympians. In
Greek mythology, They are called the Erinyes - in Roman mythology
They are called the Furies ("the furious") or Dirae ("the
terrible"). They are usually represented as three black sisters:
Alecto ("the Unceasing"), Megaera ("the Grudging") and Tisiphone
("the Avenging").
The Erinyes are the children of Gaia and Uranus. They were created
from drops of blood coming from the wounds of Uranus when He was
castrated by His son Cronus and which fell upon the Earth (Gaia).
The first drop of blood formed Aphrodite, which is why She is
sometimes referred to as the oldest of The Erinyes.
Artists in ancient times depicted The Erinyes as women with fiery
eyes and snake hair and with attributes such as torches and whips.
Sometimes They were dressed as hunters.
The Erinyes were placed in Hades and are Goddesses of the dead. They
also are called upon to revenge the crimes - especially those
against women and mothers - of murder, perjury, ingratitude,
disrespect, harshness, violation of filial piety and the laws of
hospitality. They are impartial and impersonal, and pursue these
wrongdoers until they are driven mad and die. But even in death, the
criminal does not find rest until he shows remorse.
The Erinyes are associated with funeral trees: the alder, the black
poplar, and the yew. The color associated with the three is black
and the animal associated with Them is the snake.
The Hesperides, Daughters of the Evening
"...amidst the gardens fair
Of Hesperus and his daughters three,
That sing about the golden tree." ("Comus" by Milton)
The Hesperides are Daughters of Nyx, the Mother Night - although
later mythology has Them as daughters of Atlas or of Hesperus. The
three sisters - Aegle (the luminous one), Erytheia (the crimson one)
and Hesperia (the evening one) - are nymphs who live in a beautiful
garden, situated in the Arcadian Mountains (Greece) or,
alternatively, at the western extreme of the Mediterranean, near Mt.
Atlas. In this garden grows the tree with the golden apples of
immortality. This garden is guarded by Ladon, a dragon with a
hundred heads and who has the gift of human speech. The Hesperides
are known for Their sweet singing voices and also have the ability
to change Their shapes and become trees - Aegle into a willow,
Erytheia into an elm and Hesperia into a poplar.
The only person who ever succeeded in obtaining some of the immortal
golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides was Hercules, who
tricked the God Atlas to get the apples for him. The apples were
later returned to the garden by Athena because the sacred fruit were
not to remain outside the garden.
The Hesperides have as associations: the apple; the color gold;
immortality; gardens; and the trees poplar, elm and willow.
The Moirae, also known as the Fates
"O Fates of Life, I ask your aid.
To clear my path and set me free." (Prayer to the Fates)
The Greek Goddess of Fate is a daughter of Nyx, Goddess of the
Night. In Her singular form, the Goddess of Fate is called Moira;
and in Her triple form She becomes three sisters known as the
Moirae. The Moirae are: Klotho the Spinner, who spins the thread of
a person's life; Lachesis the Measurer, who decides how much time is
to be allowed each person, and Atropos the Cutter, who cuts the
thread when you are supposed to die. The name 'Moira' actually
means 'part' and in fact, the triple form of the Fates mimics the
triple moon phases and the three phases of life - maiden, mother and
crone. Moira is known to the Romans as Fortuna, to the Scandinavians
as Norns, to the Anglo-Saxons as Wyrd, and to the Celts as Morrigan.
During the middle ages, the Fates became known as the Parcae.
As the spinner of Fate, Moira spins out the days of our lives as
yarn and weaves it into a tapestry. The length of the yarn - hence
your life span - is decided solely by the Goddess of Fate. All the
Gods are subject to the whims of the Fates as are mortal man.
Because of this, even though the other Gods are almighty, and
supposedly immortal, even Hera has reason to fear Moira. Moira's
function is to see that the natural order of things is respected and
She possesses the gift of prophecy - Her priests and priestesses are
always oracles or soothsayers (seers of the future). Moira is often
accompanied by the Keres (Dogs of Hades), who are three beings with
sharp teeth and who are robed in red. In ancient times, the Fates
were honored by sacrifices of honey and flowers.
Moira is associated with December's full moon - which is often
called the Cold Moon or the Wolf Moon. The colors of Moira are red,
black and white.
Kali, The Black One
"O Dark Primordial Mother!
Thou givest birth to and protectest the universe,
and at the time of dissolution
does withdraw to Thyself
this world and all beings." (Karpuradi Stotra)
Kali ("the black one") is the Hindu mother goddess, symbol of
dissolution and destruction. She destroys ignorance, maintains the
world order, and blesses and frees those who strive for the
knowledge of God. In the Vedas, the name is associated with Agni,
the god of fire, who had seven flickering tongues of flame, of which
Kali is seen as the black, horrible tongue. This meaning of the word
has meanwhile been replaced by the goddess Kali, the grim consort of
Shiva. Her appearance is fearsome: baleful eyes, a protruding
tongue, and four arms. In Her upper left hand She wields a bloody
sword and in Her lower left hand She holds the severed head of a
demon. With Her upper right hand She makes the gesture of
fearlessness, while the lower right hand confers benefits. Draped
around Her is a chain of severed human heads and She wears a belt
made of dismembered arms. As the Divine Mother, She is often
represented dancing or in sexual union with Shiva. As Bhavatarini,
the redeemer of the universe, She stands upon the supine form of Her
spouse.
She is also known as Kalikamata ("black earth-mother") and Kalaratri
("black night"). Among the Tamils She is known as Kottavei. Kali is
worshipped particularly in Bengal. Her best known temples are in
Kalighat and Dakshineshvara.
Variations on the name Kali for female divinity can be found in many
ancient cultures outside India, which suggests that in the distant
past a common or related matriarchal religion pervaded much of the
world. For example, in pre-historic Ireland people worshipped a
powerful goddess known as Kele (Her priestesses were known as
Kelles), in ancient Finland there was the all-powerful Goddess Kal-
ma, in the Sinai region of the Middle East there was the Goddess
Kalu, and in ancient Greece an aspect of the Goddess was known as
Kalli. It is likely that these very similar names for the Great
Goddess in different cultures was the result of the export of
spiritual ideas and practices "out of India" by early invasions.
Ereshkigal, Sumerian Death Goddess
"Kakka went down the long stairway of heaven.
When he reached the gate of Ereshkigal, he said,
'Gatekeeper, open the gate to me!' (Sumerian Myth)
Ereshkigal is the Sumerian and Babylonian Death Goddess. She was the
Queen of the Dead and of the Underworld long before she was joined
by a male god (and then Nergal managed to become co-ruler of the
Underworld only by raping her). Ereshkigal is so terrifying that the
Sumerians never described Her in any detail, though the Babylonians
said that when She was enraged, Her lips were black and Her face was
a livid blue.
Ereshkigal has a palace in the Underworld and is due a visit by
those entering. When Inanna, (Goddess of Life, Love and War)
trespassed on Her domain by descending into the Underworld,
Ereshkigal dealt with Her as She dealt with all newcomers to the
Land of the Dead. At each of the gates of the Underworld, Inanna was
ordered to remove a piece of jewelry or clothing until She stood
before Ereshkigal naked. Ereshkigal then spoke a single word that
slew Inanna instantly:
"She spoke against her the word of wrath.
She uttered against her the cry of guilt
She struck her..."
(from "Gilgamesh, Enkidu and the Underworld")
And then Ereshkigal hung Inanna's nude corpse up on a stake. The
Goddess of Death had swallowed up the Goddess of Life. But having
done so, Ereshkigal began to suffer the pains of childbirth. Yet the
Goddess of Death could not give birth and so She lingered in misery.
At last, Enki, God of Abzu (the watery abyss and also semen) and
Wisdom, grew anxious over Inanna's failure to return and so created
two special beings to go to the Underworld and rescue Her. Being
made as sexless neuters, the creatures did not violate the laws of
the land of Death. They found Ereshkigal in Her painful and
fruitless labor. They sympathized with Her pain, echoing Her cries
and complaints. Grateful for their attentions, Ereshkigal offered
them any gift they wanted. They asked for no gift but Inanna's body,
still hanging from its stake. The Goddess of Death gave it to them
and only then was Inanna restored to life with the Bread of Life and
the Water of Life.
As a dark moon Goddess, Ereshkigal represents the devouring of life
and its subsequent renewal. She rules over the magickal arts, secret
knowledge, and oracles. Her animals are those that live beneath the
earth - dragons, serpents and snakes - and those that love the
night - owls, ravens, crows, black dogs and black horses.
Hel, Ruler of Helheim
"Thaukt will wail
With dry tears
Baldur's bale-fire.
Let Hela keep her own." (from The Death of Baldur)
In Norse mythology, Hel (also known as Hell, Hela or Hella) is the
ruler of Helheim, the realm of the dead. She is the youngest child
of the God Loki (Loki is a giant who became a member of the Aesir
when Odin made Loki His blood brother. Loki is the god of mischief,
a trickster, and very cunning.) and the giantess Angurboda. Hel has
two brothers: Fenrir (Fenris-wolf) and Jormungand (Midgard serpent).
Hel is usually described as a horrible hag, half alive and half
dead, with a gloomy and grim expression. Her face and body are said
to be those of a living woman, but Her thighs and legs are those of
a corpse, mottled and moldering. Other descriptions of Her say She
is half white and half black
The other Gods feared the offspring of Loki and had abducted Hel and
Her brothers from Angurboda's hall. They then had cast Hel into the
underworld. She now resides in Helheim ("house of Hel"). This cold,
dark and misty abode of the dead is located in the world of
Niflheim, on the lowest level of the Norse universe. It is in this
land that Hel distributes those dead who are sent to Her, the dead
referred to as the 'dishonored dead'. The dead who die of old age or
disease and those not killed in battle go to Helheim - while those
who die bravely on the battlefield go to Valhalla. Once they enter
Helheim, not even the Gods can leave the place, because the
impassable river Gjoll flows from the spring Hvergelmir and
encircles Helheim. The entrance to Helheim is guarded by Garm, a
monstrous hound, and Modgud. The giant Hraesvelg ("corpse eater")
sits at the edge of the world, overlooking Helheim. Hraesvelg has
the form of an eagle and with his flapping wings he makes the wind
blow.
Hel built Her hall called Eljudnir (misery) in Helheim. She is
tended in Her hall by a manservant and maidservant named Ganglati
and Ganglot, both of who's names mean 'tardy'. They are so slow that
no one can tell that they are moving. On Her table sits Hel's plate
which is called Hunger, Her knife which is called Famine. In Her
hall is Her bed named Sick Bed and Her bed hangings are called
Glimmering Misfortune.
Hel will make Her last stand at the twilight of the Gods when She
brings Her hoard of dead up and out of Nifilheim to join Her father
and the other giants in the final battle of Ragnarok.
Naunet, Goddess of the Primordial Abyss of the Underworld
"Hail, Naunet
Protector of the void,
Guardian of the abyss......"
The Egyptians had many different versions of a creation myth. In all
of them, the original God sprang from Nun (also called Nu) who was
described as being 'the primordial waters'. Nun was more than an
ocean, He was a limitless expanse of motionless water. Nun was
portrayed as a bearded man with a blue or green body, symbolizing
water and fertility. In one hand He holds a palm frond, a symbol of
long life and wears another one in His hair. Since He is known as
the "Father of Fathers and the Mother of Mothers" and is sometimes
shown with female breasts as well, His feminine aspect is known as
the Goddess Inu. In another Egyptian version of the deities, rather
than have a feminine version of Nun, He is said to have a consort
named Naunet (sometimes called Nunet). Naunet is considered to be
the Goddess of the Primordial Abyss of the Underworld. Naunet is a
member of the Ogdoad of eight primordial deities who together
personify the essence of the primordial chaos before the creation of
the world. The Ogdoad created from Themselves the mound upon which
lay the egg from which the sun god emerged. This Sun God, named
Atum, became the first God of the earth. Eventually, Atum became
associated with Ra. Ra-Atum was the coming of the light to disperse
the darkness of Nun and is symbolized by the Phoenix in this
context. His next task was to create other gods, which He did by
masturbation, not by having a mate. This was not offensive to
ancient Egyptians, but in fact intensified His power in their minds.
As the Goddess of the Primordial Abyss of the Underworld, Naunet
protects the 12 veils of negation. These are gateways to the void...
cracks in the fabric of creation. Naunet embodies the primal womb in
which the cycles of birth, life, death and rebirth are carried out.
She frees all beings to follow their individual cycles of life.
Sekhmet, Lady of the Place of the Beginning of Time
"Eye of Horus, Eye of Ra,
Gentle Mother, tooth and claw
Family lover, ruthless maw,
Bast will nuture, Sekhmet awe..."
The Goddess Sekhmet (also sometimes called Sakhmet or Sekhautet) is
undoubtedly one of the most ancient Deities. She came into Egypt
from a place unknown and unrecorded, and so is also known as "One
Who Was Before the Gods Were." Sekhmet is a fiery warrior Goddess
associated with war and divine vengeance. Her name comes from the
word 'Sekhem' which means strength or power. She is often depicted
as a woman with the head of a lioness. Her main center of worship
was the Old Kingdom capital of Memphis and there She was worshipped
as a member of a divine triad with Her husband Ptah and Her son
Nefertem.
What is best known about Sekhmet comes from a single myth
called "The Myth of the Destruction of Mankind." In this myth humans
entered into a conspiracy to overthrow the Gods. Hearing of their
plan, Ra (the main Sun God) called the most powerful of the ancient
of deities together. After a long meeting they decided to send for
Sekhmet who would punish all the conspirators. When Sekhmet went
among mankind, She destroyed them, night after night, wading in
their blood. She became so drunk with the lust for slaughter on the
blood that the Gods became afraid that She would destroy all of
mankind. They made a mixture of powerful mind altering drugs and
blood and poured this liquid out upon the ground. When Sekhmet came
to this area She drank all of this liquid and "Her heart was filled
with joy" and She no longer wanted to destroy mankind. From that
time on, this liquid was used to celebrate (without the blood) at
orgiastic festivals. The people danced, played, and shook the
sistrum. From that time on Sekhmet was celebrated as "Beautiful"
and "Brilliant" and came to represent the ecstasies of love.
However Sekhmet also is known as a Goddess of War, and in this role
She was often said to accompany the Pharaoh into battle, where She
aided him by shooting arrows at his enemies. Sekhmet is also
the "Lady of Pestilence" who can send plague and disease. She is
also revered as a healer of these ailments, a role which seems
paradoxical in such a bloodthirsty deity.
Sekhmet is also Protectress of the Divine Order and, as such,
protects the Gods and Goddesses against evil forces. Like the
lioness, She fiercely protects what She loves and that for which She
is responsible. She has never been known to initiate an attack, but
welcomes the opportunity to respond to aggression and Her power is
dedicated to righteous ends. All of Her actions stem from loyalty
and love. Sekhmet is a wonderful Goddess to call upon for protection
for these reasons.
Hekate, Queen of the Night
"Come Hekate, Beloved of all Grandmothers!
Goddess of Transformation. Goddess of all Sacred Changes!
Sing praises to Old Women and Hags! Glory be to Crones!
Sing praises to Old Hekt! Welcome, Mother of all magical, healing
words!
Beloved Grandmother! Bringer of life - too short but never ending."
Hekate (also spelled Hecate) is a primordial Goddess whose genealogy
goes back to Her birth at the beginning of time as a daughter of
Nyx, Ancient Night. Hekate may have been originally derived from the
Egyptian midwife goddess Heket, who in turn evolved into Heq or the
tribal matriarch of predynastic Egypt. In Greece, Hekate was a pre-
Olympic Goddess, but unlike many other primordial deities, Hekate
was absorbed into the classical Greek pantheon.
Later Greek myths give other accounts of Her parentage rather than
that She was a daughter of Nyx. In one version She is the daughter
of Aster and Perses (both symbols of shining light) and Hekate is
portrayed as a torch-bearing Moon Goddess who wears a gleaming
headdress of stars. Later traditions make Hekate the daughter of
Zeus and Hera and reduce Her power to only that of the underworld
and the waning dark moon. However, no matter what her parentage was
said to be, Hekate was a key figure in reuniting the mother and
daughter in the story of Persephone's abduction into the underworld
by Hades, and her periodic return to her mother, Demeter. This myth
was the basis for the Eleusinian initiation rites of birth, death,
and rebirth, which were derived from the mysteries of natures'
seasonal cycle.
Hekate, was known by many names: 'Queen of the Night', 'Queen of the
Dead','Queen of the Ghosts', 'Mother of Witches', and 'Mistress of
Magic'.
By medieval times, Hekate became particularly diabolized by Xtian
Catholic authorities. The church projected onto Her their own sexual
hang-ups and spiritual insecurities, and turned Her into the ugly
hag as Queen of the Witches. It was Hekate who was now responsible
for inciting the Pagans to supposed acts of devil worship and dark
rites.
Hekate is one of the most ancient embodiments of the Great Triple
Goddess, in which form She is associated with Artemis and Selene as
a moon triad. Hekate is most often linked with the dark of the moon
and presides over magic, ritual, prophetic vision, childbirth,
death, the underworld, and the secrets of regeneration. As mistress
of the crossroads, She dwells in caves, walks the highways at night,
makes love on the vast seas, and is the force that moves the moon.
As Queen of the Dead, Hekate is a wardress and conveyor of souls
through the underworld. As Goddess of Magic and enchantments, She
sends prophetic or demonic dreams to humankind. Her presence is felt
at tombs and scenes of murders where She assists in liberating the
souls of the newly dead. Hekate is also worshipped as a goddess of
fertility, whose torch can be carried over freshly sown fields to
symbolize the fertilizing power of moonlight.
All wild animals are sacred to Hekate, and She is sometimes shown
with three animal heads - the dog, snake, and lion, or alternately
the dog, horse, and bear. However, Her primary animal form and
familiar is the dog. She is associated with the three-headed dog,
Cerberus, who derived from the Dog Star Sirius, whose rising
foretold the annual flooding of the Nile. At night, particularly at
the dark moon, Hekate can be seen walking the roads accompanied by
Her howling dogs - which are usually black in color.
The black poplar and yew trees are sacred to Hekate. The yew is
considered the central tree of death, and is associated with
immortality because it takes longer than any other tree except the
oak to come to maturity. Hekate's cauldron contains 'slips of yew'
and Her sacred tree is said to root into the mouths of the dead and
release their souls and it also absorbs the odors of death. The
willow tree and bark is also sacred to Hekate as it is to all the
Moon Goddesses.
Other symbols of Hekate are: torches; the dark and pre-new moon;
crosses and crossroads; a crescent crown with mandragon leaves; the
Dove (a Goddess symbol of freedom); Baetylic (a black type of
meteorite which is Hekate's magic stone); and winged serpents.
Because of Hekate's role as a Triple Moon Goddess who typifies the
cycle of birth, life, death and re-birth, She is a good Goddess to
call upon when you wish to lose something of yourself or when you
wish to end something in your life.
Rhiannon, Horse Goddess
"Rhiannon rings like a bell thru the night
And wouldn't you love to love her
She rules her life like a bird in flight
And who will be her lover...
And who will be her lover...
All your life you've never seen
A woman - taken by the wind
Would you stay if she promised you heaven
Will you ever win...
She is like a cat in the dark
And then she is the darkness
She rules her life like a fine skylark-
And when the sky is starless-
All your life you've never seen-
A woman - taken by the wind
Would you stay if she promised you heaven
Will you ever win...
Dreams unwind.
Love's a state of mind."
(by Stevie Nicks, sung by Fleetwood Mac)
Rhiannon (also called Rigantona (Gaulish) or Regina) is a Welsh Moon
Goddess, Horse Goddess, and War and Battle Goddess. She also is a
Goddess of Fertility, Death and the Otherworld. Her name translates
as "divine" or "great queen" and there are those who think that She
is a Welsh version of Epona.
Rhiannon's father is Heveydd the Old, and She was married to both
Pwyll and Manann. Rhiannon is usually pictured riding Her pale white
horse. Some say that Rhiannon's home is near the magical mound of
Arberth, not far from St. Bridget's Bay in Wales, since Rhiannon has
often been seen there riding by in golden silk brocade. Others say
that Her home is on the island of the Sidhe folk where the souls of
the dead reside. There She has been seen with three sacred birds
that perch upon Her shoulders.
Most of the stories about Rhiannon appear in the Mabinogion, which
is a collection of Welsh myths. In one of these, the story of
Rhiannon's marriage to Pwyll is told. Rhiannon, riding Her horse,
appeared to Her future husband Pwyll three different times before he
was allowed to catch Her. Though promised in marriage to Gwawl Ap
Clud, a minor sun deity, She was determined to have Pwyll. Pwyll
went to ask for Her hand, but instead was tricked into giving Her to
Gwawl as a matter of honor. A year and a day later Rhiannon used Her
magick, a bit of conspiracy, and the guise of honor, to get away
from Gwawl. Gwawl followed them, but Pwyll caught him up in a bag
and then tried to have him slain by telling everyone he was a
badger.
After her marriage to Pwyll, Rhiannon gave birth to a son who was
named Pryderi (which means "trouble"). Later Rhiannon was falsely
accused of killing Pryderi, who was actually kidnapped. All six of
Her handmaids fell asleep when the child disappeared and, fearing
they would be punished for their negligence, they killed a dog and
smeared Rhiannon with the blood. They then sat bones near Her bed,
and accused Her of eating the child. Rhiannon was deemed guilty, but
Pwyll, instead of having Her killed, stood Her at the gate of his
city to carry people in on Her back like a horse. Her lost child was
returned years later when a servant discovered him on Bealtaine.
After Pwyll's death Rhiannon married Manawydan (Manannan).
In Her role as a death Goddess, Rhiannon can sing sweetly enough to
lure all those in hearing to their deaths. When Her song is joined
by the singing of Her magickal birds, it is said that the song is so
beautiful that it can wake the dead to life and heal all sadness and
pain. In Magick and Ritual, Rhiannon can aid you in overcoming
enemies, exercising patience, working magick, moon rituals, and
enhancing dream work. Rhiannon is associated with horses, especially
pale white mares (the horse represents the power and fertility of
the Kingship of the clan); silver; blood; the waning moon; jasmine;
moonstones; and the color white.
There are two Pagan festivals connected with Rhiannon. 'Gwyl o
Rhiannon' (the Feast of Rhiannon) is celebrated at sundown on
December 2. 'Rhyfeddod Lleiaf o Rhiannon' (the Lesser Mysteries of
Rhiannon) is celebrated from sundown March 3 through dawn March 6.
Both these dates are still celebrated in modern times by some Welsh
Witchcraft traditions.
Morrighan, Queen of the Ghosts
"Morrighan, Morrighan. Three times Three,
Hear the words I ask of Thee.
Grant me vision, Grant me power,
Cheer me in my darkest hour.
As the night overtakes the day,
Morrighan, Morrighan. Light my way. . .
Morrighan, Morrighan. Raven Queen,
Round and round the Hawthorn green.
Queen of beauty, Queen of Art,
Yours my body, Yours my heart.
All my trust I place in thee,
Morrighan, Morrighan. Be with me. . ."
Morrighan (also called Morrigan, Morgan, Morgause, Morgeian, Morgan
LeFay, the Morigu, Morgaine and Morgana), is a Celtic Goddess of
battle, strife, destruction, the Otherword, death, and fertility; as
well as being Goddess of Glastonbury Tor. The Irish version of Her
name (Morrighan) means 'Phantom Queen,' or 'Queen of the Ghosts'.
Other versions of Her name, such as Morgana and Morgaine, make
reference to the sea - which in Celtic religion is associated with
the Otherworld. She appears as both a single Goddess and as a trio
of Goddesses (usually known in this form as The Morigu), which were
the Badb ('Vulture') and Nemain ('Frenzy') and Macha ("Battle"). She
is one of the Tuatha De Danann (People of the Goddess Danu) and She
helped defeat the Firbolgs at the First Battle of Magh Tuireadh and
the Fomorii at the Second Battle of Mag Tured. Morrighan has
different consorts in different areas, including both the Dagda and
Mannanan Mac Llyr - both Gods of the Otherworld.
Morrighan has other roles other than being a Goddess of the Dead.
Morrighan is a Goddess of magic and sorcery and is sometimes shown
as ancient and withered or conversely as preternaturally beautiful.
Morrighan is also the Goddess of Sovereignty and in many myths She
approaches a would-be King or Hero in Her aged form, demanding
sexual favors. When the Hero makes love to the aged woman, She
transforms into a beauty in his arms and prophesies his rise to
Kingship. Morrighan figures in the myth of King Arthur as Arthur's
magical half sister Who is sometimes a friend and sometimes an
antagonist, but Who in many versions ultimately conveys Arthur to
the magical realm of Avallon (the Otherworld).
As a Goddess of Battle, Morrighan is said to fly across battlefields
in the form of a black and sleek raven. There is certainly evidence
that the concept of a raven goddess of battle wasn't limited to the
Irish Celts. An inscription found in France invoking
Cathubodva, 'Battle Raven', shows that a similar concept was known
among the Gaulish Celts. An Old English poem, Exodus, refers to
ravens as 'choosers of the slain'.
Morrighan is a wonderful Goddess for strong, independent women,
especially those on a warrior path. Call on Her energies for
overcoming an enemy or use Her force for waning moon magick or for
banishing magick.
Her correspondences include: the crow; the raven; obsidian; rubies;
the waning and the dark moons; yew; onyx; nightshade; henbane; and
black dogs.
Exploring The Dark Goddess of Mythology
http://www.necofwicca.org/newsweb/AI091804.htm
Women and Dark Moon Magick
In the earliest societies that revered the Moon as the Goddess, the
third dark phase was personified as the Dark Goddess---wise,
mysterious, and compassionate. The story of the Dark Goddess begins
thousands of years ago in a time before recorded history, when the
Moon was worshiped as a primary feminine divinity. The Dark Moon
Goddess was loved and honored, and they accepted Her wisdom and Her
mystery teachings of the dark. In her wisdom, which arises from
experience, she encompasses the season of Winter and the underworld.
Grounded in Her inner strength, the Dark Moon Goddess is filled with
compassion and understanding. The Crone is the Sorrowing Mother who
dispenses justice with both love and sadness.
The Crone knows the laws must be upheld, but this does not keep Her
from feeling sorrow when the verdict appears harsh to us. Injustice
and imbalance, whatever forms, are detested by Her. We may not
understand or see the balancing of life's scales, but the Crone
never rests until those scales are balanced.
She rules over the magickal arts, secret knowledge, and oracles. Her
animal totems are those which live below the earth such as snakes,
serpents, dragons; bird of the night which are the Owls; ravens,
crows and horses.
To understand the Crone is to understand the deepest Mysteries. The
Dark Mother is the ultimate Teacher of the very deepest of spiritual
Mysteries. Her Mysteries include the contacting of spirits. It is
through Her that we learn prophesy, seeing clearly backward and
forward through time. If we do not acknowledge the Crone, how can
we "remember ourselves." Through the Dark Mother, and the records of
our past lives, we learn the necessity of focusing our energy onto
important things such as spiritual growth, living our lives the best
we can and seeking the Goddess within. She does not seek us, we have
to seek her. When we have finally reached the Divine center and sit
at the Mother's feet to receive knowledge, the Crone appears and
beckons. The Dark Mother guides us with Her lantern of ultimate
truth and wisdom, not running ahead as does the Maiden, but just
before us with a firm, confident step. She teaches us that there are
unlimited treasures within the treasures. We must seek the Crone for
our magickal teachings, psychic powers and prophetic knowledge.
These are things the Witch could never obtain in her day to day
life. It is the night and to the Crone that she must turn to. The
Crone holds the key of life; She is the light within the darkness,
the Power behind the Mother's throne. With Her aid, our eyes are
opened to the deepest of spiritual mysteries, and we gain the
knowledge that is needed.
Over the course of history, the original role of the Dark Goddess as
a renewer was forgotten, and she became to be feared as the
destroyer through patriarchal myths, as She is still thought of in
today's paganism. Throughout many world mythologies, She is
portrayed as the Temptress, the Terrible Mother, the death bearing
Crone, the destroyer and the terrible, or the fearsome bent figure
of a woman bearing a scythe, instead of the loving, wise Crone. This
is because man has feared the Crone, because they do not understand
Her. We must remember that to say something is destroyed, implies it
is done away with completely; the cycle has stopped. This means that
re-creation would have to start at an absolute beginning. In the
Goddess' cycle, nothing is actually destroyed. Although things die
constantly, everything that dies is merely reorganized,
redistributed, reformed, then reborn.
What happened to cause this change and to now see the Crone harsh
and something to fear? This change probably took place at around
3000 BCE, where there occurred a transition in the predominant
religious and political structure that governed humanity.
Matriarchal societies, which had worshiped Goddesses of the earth
and moon such as Innana, Ishtar, Isis, Demeter and Artemis gave way
to patriarchal societies, which followed the solar Gods and heroes
such as Gilgamesh, Amen Ra, Zeus, Apollo and other Olympian Gods and
then later on to Yahweh. From there, while originally the Goddess
reigned supreme and alone, the patriarchal cultures later relegated
Her to a position of secondary importance, as the Mother of the
God/King such as Isis as the mother of Horus. The Goddesses were
also forced to accept Gods as their husbands, without whom they were
powerless-such as the marriage of Hera to Zeus and Isis to Osiris.
It has even bled over into the Crone aspect wherein some pagans in
the name of duality matches Her up with a God in rituals not
realizing that the Crone stands alone, independent and free within
Her own right. The dependent status of the Goddess was later
intensified when she was made the daughter instead of wife of the
omnipotent Father God/King and inherited his characteristics. This
pattern was symbolized in the birthing of Athena from Zeus' head,
and she maintained her elevated position as her father's favorite by
denying that she ever had a mother at all and by destroying her
matriarchal antecedents, such as Medusa and Pallas. It has spilled
over even into today's followings in modern paganism which is called
Wicca, which many call the "old religion". The teachings of the
Great Mother have long since been replaced with the Wheel of the
Year of the Sun God and the Sabbat celebrations centering around his
life cycle. The all encompassing Goddess with myths of love and
compassion in all her phases are now replaced with the Dark Goddess
as something to be feared and warrior Gods eating their children or
life being continued through trickery and rape.
If followers of the Goddess wish to return to the true "Old
religion" and worship the Great Goddess as daughters of yesteryear
did, many frown at this and consider it lacking the balance of the
male and female and that one cannot survive without the other, never
realizing that it is the Goddess herself that keeps the balance. The
true "old religion" entailed honoring the Goddess in her many facets
and not simply as a sex partner and mother. What most do not
understand is that the Moon (feminine) and the Earth (feminine)
evolve around each other as they dance across the nightly sky each
month and share with each other's energies.
There is also confusion in that now everyone calls the Dark Moon the
New Moon. The New Moon is a patriarchal word. The dark phase of the
moon, not to be confused with the dark side of the Moon, occurs each
month in the three days preceding the actual Dark of the Moon, which
most consider the New Moon. Over the centuries, as people no longer
worshiped the moon as Goddess, nor used the Moon as the calendar,
they began to fear the dark and everything associated with the dark,
including the name itself. Unfortunately, because they feared the
dark, is it no wonder that they feared the Dark Goddess, whom they
do not understand. So, instead of the Moon being called the Dark
Moon, it became the New Moon. But today's Witches are claiming Her
rightful name of Dark Moon and Her independence, strength and
freedom of standing alone without a God.
For all women, the lunar cycle is linked to women. The dark moon
phase is linked to women when they are shedding their blood. When
the lunar cycle is overlaid on the menstrual cycle, the full moon
corresponds to ovulation and fertility, and the dark moon is
analogous to the actual shedding of the blood. The ancient Goddess-
worshiping cultures of yesteryear understood that when they bled, it
is woman's most powerful time of the month; a time when her psychic
and spiritual energies are most highly sensitized. At this time of a
woman's cycle, she tends to want to withdraw and go within, to look
upon her darker self, but in this masculine world of today, women
are prevented in doing that. The renowned Aleister Crowley preferred
to have sexual acts with women when they were shedding their blood,
as even he knew it was a most powerful time of their body, as blood
is very powerful. If it is considered a powerful time for women
during the dark moon menstrual cycles, then it should also be
considered a powerful time of the month when the Moon is in Her dark
phase. But just as with the rise of the male god cultures of Zeus
and Horus and in which women's menstrual cycle became taboo, so has
working magick when the Moon is in Her dark phase become taboo. The
cycles of the Moon and women feeling its energies are a women's
gift.
In the Craft, and most particularly in your mainstream traditions,
it is said that you should never do magick when the Moon is in its
dark phase of three days. They say it is a time of rest; a time to
retreat behind closed doors, as the Dark Goddess roams the land with
Her destructive powers. They say that Her powers are too strong and
that we should not visit with the Crone, and if we do, that we
should not tarry too long for fear that we could not handle the
Crone's harsh energies.
Even in the Craft today, we have confusing and sometimes negative
associations with the concept of the Dark Mother and of the energies
that She carries. They say that pagans not long in the Craft should
leave working with Her dark powers to the adept, to the ones who
have been with the Craft for many years and whom can handle Her
harsh energies. These same pagans are unfortunately putting fear of
the Dark Mother in the minds of others.
In most pagan books you do not even see many rituals for the Dark of
the Moon or for the Full Moon. Occasionally you will see an article
wherein you are to embrace the dark power by means of performing a
ritual. However, the Dark Lord is most of the time called in as
well. This is not necessary, and you really only need to embrace and
call in the the Dark Mother during the waning to Dark of the Moon.
For the Dark Goddess represents inner strength, independence from
duality for She IS the Hermit in the Tarot with Her torches leading
us to wisdom. She and She alone holds the power and gives the power
to those seeking it. The Dark Moon is there in the night sky and it
stands there alone in all Her power, even though we cannot see Her.
During Her dark phase, the feminine Earth comes between Her and sun,
giving Her her much needed rest from the demanding male energies of
the Sun, as we, too, need our rest from the masculine world in which
we live. The sun does not contribute to the Moon's energies but only
allows us to see what phase She is going through. It is not the Sun
who helps effect the tides during Full or Dark Moon for only the
Moon effects the tides of the ocean and the tides of woman and man.
Her powers are there just the same.
She stands alone and She stands strong. The Crone teaches us
survival. She has survived all things and from Her we may learn that
we, too, will survive all things. But first, we must seek Her to
learn of Her teachings. Many do not truly understand the Dark Mother
because to understand her, you must walk with Her. Women are
daughters of the Goddess, and we carry Her gifts naturally. We know
Her no matter what Her phases is, as She is Mother and Crone to us
all. We women feel her like no other because we are Her.
The Crone represents a time in looking into the void, into the
unknown and to find the truth that is hidden in the darkness. It is
a time for meditation, psychic power enhancement or for looking into
past life memories to help better understand current difficulties.
Dark Moon energy also lends itself to divination and matters where
truth is an issue. We need to seek the Crone each month to release
those things that we have hidden in the dark recesses of our mind
and are afraid to face.
The Dark Moon represents the mystery, performing different types of
magick, divination arts such as the tarot and scrying, and the
banishing of negative energies and seeking wisdom from the greatest
teacher of them all, the Crone. It is also a time to meditate with
the Dark Goddess and to listen to the messages of wisdom that she
has to share with you. It is a time to move back into ourselves,
disappearing, hiding and dwelling within our inner selves so that we
may be reborn and are able to look at things in a different
light....the Crones inner light.
There are a lot of Witches who seem to come more alive during the
waning moon up and into the Dark of the Moon. There would be many,
many more Witches feeling the magickal powers of the Dark Moon, if
they would push the taboo teachings of fearing the Dark Goddess and
her energies that some teach in today's covens. We need to go back
to yesteryear daughters of the Goddess, back to before the
patriarchal Gods with myths of war, rape, destruction and killings
which took over the world and squashed the wise teachings of the
Dark Mother.
Embrace the Dark Goddess and Her magick. When embracing the Dark
Goddess and performing magick, always do ritual and magick three
days on or before the Dark of the Moon. Some say that you can do
dark moon magick two days before the Dark Moon, on the Dark Moon,
and two days after. Through years of research, we have come to
understand the Moon more so than ever before. Once the moon turns to
its true dark phase at that given moment, it will soon start to
shift into its waxing phase. Until it does shift into its waxing
phase, the moon's energies are erratic. It is best not to do any
banishing rituals 24 hours after the Moon is considered dark which
most astrology calendars give the time when the Moon reaches Her
darkest phase.
When doing Full Moon magick, many pagans say that you can do full
moon rituals two days before the Full Moon, on the Full Moon, and up
two days after the full moon. This is not accurate, as the moon's
energies start to shift one minute after the actual time of the Full
Moon. It is best not do any positive magick 24 hours after the Moon
is full. For an accurate time when the Moon is full, consult the
U.S. Naval Observatory website.
But Daughters of the Goddess, do not fear the Dark Goddess but
embrace Her, once a month, and better it be when the Moon is dark,
and there ye shall assemble yourself in some secret place and adore
Her, the Crone, and sing, dance and perform magickal rites all in
Her honor! We must teach ourselves to once more see Her as She is
and not as the annihilator, the destroyer, the pain giver and
perpetual suffering that patriarchal myths portray Her.
Many pagans think you need a God along side the Goddess for balance,
but in the end, it is the Crone who keeps the balance in all things.
The Crone is the deep love, the teacher, the wise one, the
comforter, and She is understanding. It is through the Crone that we
can learn life's mysteries. It is the Crone who keeps the balance