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Celtic Goddess Meditation LSS

Seeking Guidance from Celtic Goddesses with a Guided Meditations
at the Seattle Scottish Highland Games Speaker Series 2010
Linda Stern

Greetings from Celtic Goddesses who surround you and welcome to the Scottish Heritage location. I am Linda Stern and today we are connecting with Celtic Goddesses to help us move powerfully on our life path to our destiny.

As an introduction, I am an associate minister at Interfaith Community Church in Seattle and one of my areas of interest is the Feminine face of Creator as She shows her face all over the world now, as in ages past which includes Celtic Goddesses. I also am blessed to have Scottish heritage on both sides of my family along with other ancient Celtic linage from Wales, Ireland, England, and France in my background. I’m sort of a Heinz 57 Celtic Mutt. So, when I speak about Celtic matters, I am speaking from my roots, and I feel it in my center- sort of like we feel the drums and the pipes.

I hope you are having a fantastic time at the Seattle Highland Games so far! One of the reasons you maybe having such a wonderful time is that for 1000s of years this time of year has been a Celtic time of celebration- this is the eve of Lughnasadh! Lughnasadh is a Celtic Holy Day timed when the first fruits of the season- traditionally wheat and corn- are harvested.

With Lughnasadh, we give thanks to Mother Earth for her beauty and abundance because it is from these harvests that we eat through the upcoming winter. This is true on a physical level, but it is also true on an emotional and spiritual level as well. I mention Lughnasadh because it is an interesting fact and it’s a perfect time to assess and give thanks for where we are in our lives and then to move forward powerfully with the help of Powerful Celtic Goddesses.

As an aside -in Scotland, we have always honored Lughnasadh and the first harvests……by making the best of alcoholic beverages! The first stalks of corn are called "John Barleycorn" and were used to make the first beer or ale of the fall season and the best Scotch on earth. Many an ode or poem or drinking song has been written to John Barleycorn, then and now. The earliest dated one “John Barleycorn Must Die” is from 1465. Now adays there is a version by Traffic, Joe Walsh, and Steve Wynwood to name a few.

So perhaps later tip a few back to the festivals past and present, to the Goddesses that live now and then and to celebrating our earth’s harvest and our own personal harvests with joy and gratitude.

Lughnasadh is named in honor of Lugh, a Celtic Sun God, but it was really a celebration of a brave woman, his mother Tailtiu, the last Queen of Fir Bolg. For her people’s survival, she single-handedly cleared a field for agricultural use and died from the endeavor. When the people of the area gathered at her deathbed, she told them to hold games in her honor- like the one you are at today. As long as these games were held, she prophesied that the area would never be without song. I think we have heard that prophesy of music and joy come true today.

So, you can see that the Scottish Highland Games are perfectly timed with the Celtic celebration of Lughnasadh and what it can bring into your life.

A word about the Celtic system of spirituality-it is vast and related to elements in nature as the Celtic form of spirituality is deeply tied to the earth, the cycles of the year, and to the cycles of our own body in its infinite wisdom. The Celtic form of spirituality acknowledges beliefs and practices to become aware of the spiritual world outside of us and inside of us and that we are all intimately related in a web of life.

There are so many Celtic goddesses and gods that you can think about them as aspects of a larger whole, or parts of a puzzle. If you look at the gods and goddesses as a whole, they balance each other out. And the goddesses balance each other out too. And the Gods as well. Balance is an important factor in the natural world.

With the Goddesses, for instance there are goddesses of love and vengeance, birth and death, joy and sorrow, sun, and rain and so on- you get my point- balance.

There are so many goddesses including but not limited to wisdom, love, war, fertility, death, birth, the wind, the sun, the rain, birds, animals, the cycles of the earth, the cycles of the universe- the cycles of our bodies- anything you can think of and that aspect will have a god and a goddess. So naturally this includes goddesses of power that assist us in fulfilling our destiny.

Each of the goddesses has their own area of expertise. And each of the goddesses I will speak about today has a story and a reason you might be attracted to one more than another. Your attraction to her may have nothing to do with their area of expertise by the way. I really want to get you out of your logical mind today and into your state of “Blink” perceptions. I want you to feel something about one of these goddesses and go with it- take a chance! Build a relationship with her for a moment or a day or a lifetime.

I don’t know about you but for me at this time in our world situation and at this time in my life, it’s awesome to connect to a goddess for help.

Many centuries ago, I know that in my ancestors practiced Celtic spirituality as this was an everyday approach to life. So, it’s no wonder that sometimes when I need guidance– it’s no wonder that I return to my Celtic roots for a little help. At certain times in all our lives, when we need to step powerfully on our path sometimes our path or life is not so easy and it’s nice to have a little help.

So, today, I am going to share process or a ritual to do that with Celtic Goddesses by asking for their assistance.

Just a note- I believe that anything we need is already inside us but with a Goddess connection we may re-awaken it or give it a kick-start. But first- before you set off on your journey, it’s good to assess your situation and yourself to see where you are and to know where you are going. And doing this on the eve of Lughnasadh with the help of a Goddess is perfect!

We will do this process in 2 parts- first, we are going to connect with one Goddess, a Gateway Goddess- to consider our direction. Then once we have a direction, we will connect with another Goddess to affirm an action for our destiny. The first Goddess we will connect with first will be Bridget who is a triple Celtic Goddess of healing, strength, and inspiration. We could do a whole weekend just with Bridget.

Bridget, who is portrayed in this painting, is the Goddess of many realms but for what we are focusing on today she is the Goddess of seers, intuitive and all creative types. She can help you be in touch with your real yearnings, your real path. Many of Her tools are in this painting and are symbolic of her power- for instance the fire and water. People connect to Bride for many reasons but in this instance, we will ask for her protection and guidance and then go on a journey with her to get clearer about your destiny.

So, to help connect with the Goddess Bridget, I’d like to teach you one of her songs. The words are up here.

Bridget’s fire is burning, burning

Bridget’s fire is lighting my way.

Bridget’s fire is burning, burning

Bridget’s fire is lighting my way

I see the light

I feel the light

I know the light

I am the light.

I see the light

I feel the light

I know the light

I am the light.

Also, I want to teach you a Celtic prayer to Bride, which means

“Oh, Bridget, spread above my head your mantle bright to guide me.”

(Phonetically) A Bat Breed, share osh mo keon- Go vrat fion gom ankal

Now that we have met the Goddess Bridget, I am going to guide you on a small journey to ask her just one question that is living in the depth of you. I will be using my voice and a drum doing heart-beat drumming as it has been done for 1000s of years all over the earth. Ask her and yourself what is your next best step on your journey- what is your direction. Know that an answer will come, know that it is already there. This is called a Guided Meditation, which has been used in many cultures all over the Earth.

So now sit quietly, take off your shoes to wiggle your toes in the grass and slip into the frame of spirit and of mind that allows us to be open to possibilities, to be with the triple Goddess, Bride. Let your feet caress the Earth. Get comfortable and take some deep breaths and relax. You can close your eyes, or you can connect with the painting of Bridget. There are a lot of noises around us- just let them go and focus on your journey and the drum. Listen to your own breath, listen to the breath of the earth, listen to the breath of the Goddess, the breath of the drum. Listen to your heartbeat and feel the calm. Listen to the heartbeat of the drum, listen to the heartbeat of the earth, listen to the heartbeat of the Goddess. Like this we can slip safely from this state of being into one where we can gain assistance from a Celtic Goddess.

Follow me, in your mind’s eye- Find yourself in a clearing and feel the calm all around you. You hear the sound of water, and you follow that sound and find yourself at a river suffused with sunlight. Beside the river is a campfire and beside that is a woman tending the flame. You come closer and she turns around and it is Bridget who greets you. You come closer and sit by her fire. The power of fire and water fill you. You look at Bridget and tell Her that you are looking for your next best direction to build upon where you are now to reap your own personal harvests so far in your life or so far this year. You will recognize your direction- maybe as a word or a picture or a feeling or a sound. Don’t discount anything, as it is all a gift. Remember- your destiny is already inside of you- you will know it and you recognize your destiny!

Ahhh- there’s your destiny shining as a part of you! Receive your gift from Bridget and your Higher Self and say, “thank You”. Bridget sits down and you leave the fire and walk towards the clearing where we started the journey. Now it’s time to come back to the tent with your direction or the start of a direction – take a deep cleansing breath, open your eyes and feel yourself in your chair.

Now hopefully you have a direction for your next best step in life– or at least you’ve had a lovely moment with Bridget. And maybe that’s your message- to Enjoy the moment!

Now that you have a direction- I am going to introduce you to a group of Celtic Goddesses that can assist you with power to fulfill your destiny.

This is just an introduction to some of the many powerful Celtic Goddesses. It was so difficult to select just a few. Remember- each of the aspects of these Goddesses already resides within you, whether you are male or female, young or old, Scottish, or not, Celtic or not. It is not an outside aspect that you are acquiring. You have the aspect already and just need to awaken it. Awaken it to help you step into your path with power.

These Goddesses are not weak or flowery- they are strong with the vibrancy of the Cycle of Life and the power it takes to birth something on this earth in this life. Feel the essence of each one of these Goddesses through her name, thru the words that describe her, thru the stories and thru the Sacred Portals of her energy that accompany her. These Sacred Portals represent them so you can get an idea of their energy.

After a brief introduction to these Goddesses, you can decide which one of them calls to you to establish a relationship to help you on your personal journey now or in the future in the next part of our Guided Meditation.

So here they are:

1.Anu: The Original Mother Earth Goddess of fertility, prosperity, comfort. In the beginning it was Anu who watered the first Oak tree from the heavens and granted life to the earth. From the oak tree fell two acorns which Anu nurtured as her own and in turn they became the God Dagda and the Goddess Bridget. Anu has been known to appear in the form of a swan, representing the purity of the female and gracefulness in motherhood. Anu is considered to be the ancestor of all the Gods. She still looks down on us from the night’s sky where she appears as the constellation Cassiopeia.

2. Arianrhod: Goddess of the moon and stars, karma, the Wheel of Life, and the web of fate. In fact, her name has been translated as silver-wheel, a symbol that represents the ever-turning wheel of life, time, and karma. The wheel may also refer to the oar wheel upon which she carried the dead back to her heavenly northern land of Corona Borealis. Here according to some traditions, the dead souls waited for the Goddess to decide their fate before being reincarnated.

3.Badb: A shape shifting warrior Goddess who symbolizes the cycle of life and death, wisdom and inspiration, and enlightenment.

During battle Badb—along with her sisters, using their magic, would incite fear and confusion among the enemy army, conjuring "clouds of mist and a furious rain of fire" "allowing no rest for three days and nights” so her favored side would win. She would often take the form of a screaming raven or crow, striking more fear into those who heard her, and could also be heard as a voice among the corpses on a battlefield.

4.Cailleach Bheur: a Scottish Goddess- The Veiled One- The destroyer Goddess who rules over disease, death, wisdom, the weather and winter.

In Scotland, she is credited with making large mountains to use as her stepping-stones which is formed with a hammer. The Cailleach rules Winter- by herding animals, and her staff freezes the ground. In partnership with the goddess Bridget -the Cailleach is seen as a seasonal deity ruling the winter while Bridget rules the summer months.

5.Ceridwen: Goddess of herbs, nature, science, inspiration, intelligence, and knowledge. She embodies all three lunar aspects of the Goddess- Maiden, Mother and Crone but is primarily worshipped in her Wise Crone aspect. She is associated with the Cauldron of Wisdom, Inspiration, Rebirth and Transformation. The cauldron has an intimate association with femininity, justice, wisdom and intelligence and goes back to ancient times.

And of course, there is Bridget the Triple Goddess who represents healing, strength, and inspiration that we worked with earlier.

Bridget is a goddess of healing, strength, and inspiration and divination. She was born in a circle of 9 crooning sisters with fire blazing brightly in a column from her head, that burned to the heaven connecting heaven and earth, bringing divine creativity with earthly action. Bride reached up her two hands and broke away the flaming column from her crown of fire and dropped it on the ground bringing inspiration to earth. It is said that this plume charred a branch of an oak tree or apple tree. She took the charred branch and made marks on a flat piece of bark. "These are the talking marks- "They are the way to remember what you don't want to forget." In this story she also invented the Gaelic Ogham alphabet.

So, which one of the Goddesses does your intuition tell you to work with? All of these Goddesses are strong and true and can assist you on your life path. Choose one with purity and joy, and a sense of adventure and gratitude- and let’s head off!

At this point starts the Goddess Meditation. I’m going to guide you again so let’s set up- get comfy, put your feet on the earth, take some deep cleansing breaths and relax. You can close your eyes, or you can focus on the Sacred Portals that represent your Goddess. Slip into the frame of spirit and of mind that allows you to be open. There are going to be many noises around you –that’s ok- let these go and let them flow around you and remain calm and centered.

Listen to your heartbeat and breath and center in your perfection. Listen to your own breath, listen to the breath of the drum, listen to the breath of the earth, listen to the breath of the Goddess. Listen to your heartbeat. Listen to the heartbeat of the drum, listen to the heartbeat of the earth, listen to the heartbeat of the Goddess. Like this we can slip from this state of being into one where we can gain assistance.

Again, I will guide you - You find yourself walking in a glen that has a stand of great oak trees that are in a circle. Walk into the circle of trees and you look around at each tree. The circle of oaks is suffused with sunlight, light is dappling onto the leaves, onto the ground and the air is a twinkle with anticipation. There is a slight breeze that moves the leaves and makes a delightful sound. You can hear birds calling to each other. Walk into the middle of the stand of oaks and admire their strength, their beauty. You find yourself being filled with the sunlight when ----do your eyes deceive you? Are the oak trees transforming into new shapes?

That’s right, the trees are transforming into 6 Goddesses. You turn and acknowledge all of them, but you feel your direction, as sure as you are standing there or sitting here. One of the Goddesses steps towards you as you step towards her. You greet her and make a connection in your own special way. It may be a look, a touch, a word, or a knowing. You state your direction that you have reawakened minutes ago with Bridget and you ask in your own way for a powerful step onto that path towards your destiny. Now just Be with The Goddess. Be with Her in spirit, in joy, and in gratitude for this precious moment. Connect with Her and ask Her to guide you now in the next best step for you to reach your potential that you were born to Be- powerfully. Ask Her for a step to fulfill your destiny. Or just grant yourself the possibility that this will happen. You can remember this ritual and do it again in private and deepen the connection and ask for guidance again and again. If nothing has come know that this too is just right for timing is always important. Just accept the possibility – that it is a possibility.

Be grateful for your guidance and connection to the Goddess and express your gratitude. They wait to be asked for assistance and they appreciate being thanked, as we all do. Say good-bye for now as She returns to the circle around you where all the Goddesses are standing. And then all the Goddesses return to the shape of giant oak trees.

You say thank you to the trees, to the Goddesses and thank you to Mother Earth and Father Sky and walk out of the circle of trees into the glen. It is time to return here so slowly take some deep breaths and return to this reality. Feel your feet on the ground and open your eyes or perhaps wiggle your hands and feet.

Celtic Goddesses can help us to step into our power to walk our path towards our destiny. Coupling that with this time of year, Lughnasa, that is meant to celebrate our bounty, assess our deeds, and look at options for our future… well…. it’s a formula for success. And I wish you success on your road.

And as an ending for today, I’d like to share a traditional Scottish Blessing-

May the blessing of light be on you.

Light from within and light from without.

May the blessed sunlight shine on you

like a great peat fire, so that stranger and friend alike

may come and be warmed by you.

And may light shine out of the two eyes of you, like a candle set in the window of a house, bidding the wanderer come in out of the storm.

And may the blessing of rain be on you,

may it beat upon your Spirit and wash it fair and clean,

and leave there a shining pool where the blue of Heaven shines, and sometimes a star.

Blessings of the Goddesses upon you and thank you for being here.

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Celtic Healing Goddesses

Healing Goddesses Talk
given 2011 at the Seattle Scottish Highland Games
Within the Heritage Speakers Series

Blow Conch, pour water, and throw herbs into the air to call the people and Goddesses and sanctify the area.

Greetings from the Goddesses who surround you in every aspect of nature and welcome to the Scottish Heritage location. Aren’t the sounds of the pipes and drums amazing? I can feel the music resonating right down to my Celtic bones.

My name is Linda Stern, and I am blessed to have Scottish heritage from both sides of my family. Also, my Celtic background runs deep in other veins as I have Welsh, Irish, English and French in my background- and all of these were ancient Celtic sites. So, I’m sort of a Heinz 57 Celtic Mutt. So, when I speak about Celtic matters, I am speaking from my roots, and I feel it in my center- sort of like the pipes.

So, as an introduction, I am an associate minister at Interfaith Community Church in Seattle and one of my areas of expertise is the Divine Feminine face of Creator, as She shows her face all over the world now, as in ages past. So today, I decided to combine 2 of my areas of interest and share about Celtic Goddesses in the area of healing.

There are so many Celtic goddesses and gods that you can think about them as aspects of a larger whole, or parts of a puzzle.

And if you look at the gods and goddesses as a whole, they balance each other out, in fact. This is within the gods and within the goddesses and then in relationship with the feminine and masculine as well. Balance was an important factor- then and now. There are goddesses of love and vengeance, birth and death, joy and sorrow, sun, and rain and so on- you get my point- balance.

So - there are so many goddesses including but not limited to wisdom, love, war, fertility, death, birth, the wind, the sun, the rain, birds, animals, the cycles of the earth, the cycles of the universe- the cycles of our bodies- anything you can think of, and that aspect will have a god and a goddess. So naturally this includes goddesses of healing.

The Celtic system of healing is vast and related to elements in nature as the Celtic form of spirituality is deeply tied to the earth, the cycles of the year, to the cycles of our own body in its infinite wisdom. The Celtic form of spirituality acknowledges beliefs and practices to become aware of the spiritual world around you and in you and your relationship with all that is.

So naturally, because the Goddesses are a part of this system it is believed that their healing powers were derived from nature. The usual power places were thermal springs, water, healing wells, fire, herbs, light, lightening, and the fertile earth to name a few.

Isn’t it wonderful that the natural way of healing is now being returned to and honored? Healing using the natural ways of the earth like thermal springs and sunlight and herbs and plants and our own body’s natural currents that is utilized in acupuncture and acupressure. These were all venerated by the Celts. The ancients were much more sophisticated and wiser than the modern world has given them credit for in recent years.

Each of the healing goddesses had their own area of expertise. And each of the goddesses I will speak about today has a story and a reason you might be attracted to one more than another. Your attraction to her may have nothing to do with their area of expertise by the way. I really want to get you out of your logical mind today and into your state of “Blink” perceptions. I want you to feel something about one of these healing goddesses and go with it- take a chance! Build a relationship with her not just for today- but also as a guide in your healing path.

Two very important ideas for you to remember in healing are: asking for help and being grateful. You have to step on the path and ask for help and they gladly respond –and then after each connection, it’s important to feel gratitude and say thank you.

So, lets embark on our adventure with these 6 goddesses that I gleaned from over 30 goddesses and then we can do a healing ritual at the end.

Here is a story about Bridget and her healing ritual.

The first Goddess I am going to talk about is Bridget in her healing aspect. She is so fabulous in so many ways so limiting my information to that it may be difficult. She is one of several Triple Goddesses and her areas are that of healing, inspiration, and the Holy flame. But if you break that down it includes healing, fertility, the home, martial arts, water, springs, wells, fire, physicians, agriculture, inspiration, learning, poetry, prophecy, smith craft, and did I say? Healing.

Here is one of the stories about healing and Bridget:

Brigit was at her sacred well at Kildare and 2 lepers appeared and asked to be healed.

"Bathe yourself in my well," said Bridget to the first man. At every place Bridget's waters touched the man's skin turned whole again.

"Now bathe your friend," said Bridget to the first man. Turning to see the second man he was repulsed and backed away from his friend. "I cannot touch him,” he said.

"Then you are not truly healed," said the goddess. And she gave the first man back his leprosy and healed the second man by placing her mantle around his shoulders.

"Return to me with compassion," she said to the first man. "There you will find your healing."

So, here was not only the element of healing in the form of sacred water of a well bubbling up out of the earth, but also wisdom, compassion and a mind set to not put up with foolishness.

Symbolically, water, especially water that rises up from the earth, is seen as a portal to the Otherworld by the Celts and was a source of wisdom and healing.

Bridget is a Celtic Goddess of Healing Waters, Wells and Springs. Many wells are dedicated to Brigit and the waters are believed to be blessed with her healing graces. Because Bridget is a goddess of water and fire, sparkling light that dances on the water’s surface is associated with her and believed to have healing attributes, especially healing for the eyes.

Also, Brigit is celebrated on Imbolc, usually February 1 or 2, celebrating the return of the light and the coming of the spring.

Thus, she is the Bringer of Light many months of dark winter. So, this is another area of healing that she brings- the energy of HOPE, renewed enthusiasm, renewal, and new beginnings.

Also, as a Fertility Goddess, Brigit’s Green Mantle (cape) is associated with the green fertile earth, reminding us of our own innate ability to grow and regenerate ----which is another form or part of healing.

Brigit is also associated with Fire being the Lady of the Sacred Flame. In her birth story, she is born in a ring of fire with fire flowing up and down on her body. This bright, fiery energy is the energy of the creative power of our consciousness and also that of transformation. The ancients believed in the power of positive thought and of taking command of your health and fate.

In fact, it is known that the mind is a powerful part of healing. Fire also has the power to transform things from one state to another. What do you want to believe in enough to change in your life, to heal in your life?

So, at the end of the talk if you want to do a healing ritual with Bridget, you will step up to the water to wash away your illness or fire to burn away your concerns…. or both and say the appropriate prayer.

Bridget:

For fire you will throw in a bit of herb and say

“May the Flame of the Hearth

Warm and Cheer Me-

May the Flame of the Healer

Burn Away Dis-Ease and Ills-

May the Flame of Inspiration

Teach and Enlighten my Mind-

May Bridget's Sacred Flame

Lead Me Toward Her Light and heal me.

Thank You, Blessed Bridget

Or for water place a stone in the water and say:

“May the healing waters of Bridget

Wash away all dis-ease and ills-

May the sacred waters protect me

and bring hope

May Bridget’s sacred waters help me to

Grow, regenerate, and create inner strength.

Thank You, Blessed Bridget”

Here is some information about Grainne if you want to do a healing ritual with her. Step up to the fire to burn away your concerns….

Grainne is a Scottish Goddess of herbs and sun/fire purification.

This poem can give you an idea of her-

My golden hair is wheat and oats,

My cloak the ever-changing sky will be

The ladybird my finger bears,

My eyes shine forth in lake and sea.

From the depths of earth my inner sun

Glows through the hearts of all.

Stars and planets- creatures that grow,

Know me as Mother yours to call.

My breath inspires every breath:

The healing rays are mine.

Look upwards, roundabout and down,

For I am there to find.”

If you wish to do a ritual with Grainne, step up to the fire, select an herb and say the following:

Dear Grainne, Goddess of the Sun, and herbs,

Grant me life-giving energy from your transformative rays.

Take my sorrows into the sky and change them into bright dreams.

If you want to connect to Grainne, at the end of the talk, drop an herb into the fire and say: Thank you, Grainne.

Here is some information about Hebetrot and a story.

She is a spinning goddess of spells, wheel of the year, and fibers. Of course, back in the day, fibers where totally natural and a part of the web of life. It is thought that those who could get her to weave for them never suffered from illness.

There is a tale in Scotland about a lazy girl who was instructed by her mother to finish spinning seven hanks of yarn. Well this hurt her poor dear fingers so wandered in search of a stream in which to soothe her hands.

There she encountered an old spinning woman who gave her seven lovely soft hanks of yarn already spun by ghostly women with twisted mouths. She left the old woman and went home. And on the way home, the silky thread attracted a handsome lord who wanted to marry the girl for her spinning skills. The girl let the lord believe that she had spun the wool and they married. But the girl didn’t want to spend her life spinning fiber so she brought her husband to Habetrot who showed him the deformed spinners and predicted that his new lady would soon look that way if he made her spin. Shocked, the lord forbade his wife to spin—permitting her to live the idle happy life that she wanted. The fibers that Habetrot made were thought to be magical and protective.

If you want to do a ritual after my talk with Habetrot you can do it in your seat, or you can step up to the fire or water for some extra umph. Regardless of location-this is what you can say:

“Dearest Habetrot, please make my clothes a protection from life’s storms and illnesses. I see my clothes as a protective womb making me safe within. I see ailments and problems taken away by my protective clothing. Thank you Habetrot.

Here is a story about Coventina and her healing ritual.

She is a Celtic River Goddess. She is associated with childbirth, the womb of the Earth, abundance, new beginnings, life cycles, and inspiration. There are shrines to her near wells that represent the earth’s womb. Again, the Celts felt her power could most strongly be felt at wells and springs which bridged the inner and outer Earth.

From Scotland comes her association with the underworld, where she was the Goddess of featherless flying creatures- sounds like dragons to me, which could pass between the 2 worlds giving knowledge, power and healing. Being a river-goddess, she is connected the ebb and flow of time and this is associated with magical powers.

If you wish to do a ritual with Coventina, you will step up to the water bowl and place some water on your forehead. Feel calm and peace and healing come over you. Say the following prayer while thinking of what you wished healed-

Powerful Coventina, Goddess of the River;

I call to you, please assist me to help me heal.

Womb of earth and flying creatures please assist me

and accept my gift of gratitude.

Thank you, Coventina for the gift of healing.

Here is a story about Aine and her healing ritual.

This Celtic Goddess is linked to the 4 elements of earth, air, fire and water.

It was believed that Aine regulated the body’s vital spark of life's fire. It was believed that her sacred life spark was so strong that it if you did bloodletting on her sacred days 3 days before Lughnasadh your life spark would flow out of your body and you would die. So, don’t blood let on July 29,30 and 31st ….this year!

There are two mountains thought to be her breasts. She was worshiped at the Summer Solstice, at which time people lit torches of hay up on her mountains or breasts, carried them around the hill in a counterclockwise direction, and then took the torches home, holding them up and waving the blessed fire over livestock and crops.

If you want to do a ritual with Aine after my talk: You will step up to the fire and think of what you want healed or what you want to refresh with the vital spark of life’s fire! Throw in bits of sage or sweetgrass and say this prayer:

Here is story about Airmid

She was a member of Tuatha De Danaan the most ancient race of deities and just as they did, she had great powers. Airmid was the daughter of the God of Medicine, who was the Chief Physician and Magician of their tribe.

One of the stories told about Airmid, is when her kings’ arm was severed. Her father decided to replace it with an arm made of silver. Airmid did not like this plan and was actually able to regenerate the King’s own arm to perfect working order. Then her brother, using his amazing surgical skills, took the regenerated arm and re-attached it to the King’s body.

Also, Airmid, along with her brother and father, built the Well of Slaine, which was also known as the Well of Health. They then caste spells over it, so that the well’s magical waters could not only restore life to warriors, it could actually return them to perfect health so they could return to battle.

Airmid also knew the secret healing life of herbs. She discovered after her brother died and she would frequently visit his grave. One day, when she arrived at his grave, she was amazed to find 365 healing herbs growing on and around that grave, with one herb for every joint and organ of his body.

Methodically, Airmid began to gather up the herbs. Then, quite amazingly, the herbs began to speak to her, telling her of the full range of their healing powers. Airmid then separated and arranged the herbs, according to the uses or special properties. With the knowledge she gained from the herbs, she proceeded to heal people who needed help.

If you wish to do a healing ritual with Airmid you will step up to the herbs:

Take a bit of one of the herbs and place it between your palms. Ask the herb and Airmid to speak to you and tell you what you need to do to heal. Ask Airmid to heal and bless you. And say, Thank You, dear Airmid.

Or you could say the following:

Hail Aine, Lady of the healing powers of the Sun-

Source of the sacred spark of life in our blood-

Goddess of love, fertility, and fiery creation-

Who blesses the crops

Who protects the cattle and animals

Queen of the wondrous Fey Folk of the sacred hills

Your torch leads the Midsummer Night procession

We come to praise Thee. We come to honor Thee.

Fiery Aine, please take this ailment and burn it away and replace it with sweetness.

Please replenish my vital spark of life.

Thank you Aine.

The healing goddesses I have spoken about today are willing to be a partner in your healing. Start today to have a relationship with one of them and build for a while.

Feel free to come up to one or all the healing alters and do a healing with the Goddesses. See what each one feels like and take it from there. The prayers I read are at each altar so please feel free to take a copy with you for your use at a later date.

I’d like to end with a traditional Scottish Blessing-

May the blessing of light be on you –

light without and light within.

May the blessed sunlight shine on you like a great peat fire, so that stranger and friend may come and

be warmed by you.

And may light shine out of the two eyes of you,

like a candle set in the window of a house,

bidding the wanderer come in out of the storm.

And may the blessing of rain be on you,

may it beat upon your Spirit and wash it fair and clean,

and leave there a shining pool where the blue of Heaven shines, and sometimes a star.

And may the blessing of the earth be on you,

soft under your feet as you pass along the roads,

soft under you as you lie out on it, tired at the end of day; and may it rest easy over you when, at last, you lie under it

May it rest so lightly over you that your soul may be out from under it quickly and on its way Home.

Thank you and now may you be Blessed.

Healing Prayers and Actions for these Goddesses:

Bridget: Fire

For fire you will throw in a bit of herb and say.

May the Flame of the Hearth

Warm and Cheer Me-

May the Flame of Inspiration

Teach and Enlighten my Mind-

May the Flame of the Healer

Burn Away Dis-Ease and Ills-

May Bridget's Sacred Flame

Lead Me Toward Her Light and heal me.

Thank You, Blessed Bridget

Bridget: Water

For water place a stone in the water and say:

May the healing waters of Bridget

Wash away all dis-ease and ills-

May the sacred waters protect me

and bring hope

May Bridget’s sacred waters help me to

Grow, regenerate and create inner strength.

Thank You, Blessed Bridget

Grainne:

If you wish to do a ritual with Grainne, step up to the fire, select an herb and say the following:

Dear Grainne, Goddess of the Sun and herbs,

Grant me life-giving energy from your transformative rays.

Take my sorrows into the sky and change them into bright dreams.

Then you will drop an herb into the fire and say thank you, Granne.

Habetrot:

If you want to do a ritual with Habetrot you can do it in your seat, or you can step up to the fire or water for some extra umph. Say this prayer:

Dearest Habetrot, please make my clothes a protection from life’s storms and illnesses.

I see my clothing as a protective womb making me safe within.

See any ailment or problems as being taken away by the protective clothing.

And say, thank you Habetrot.

Coventina:

Powerful Coventina, Goddess of the River;

I call to you, please assist me to help me heal.

Womb of earth, flying creatures please assist me and accept this gift of gratitude.

Thank you, Coventina for the gift of healing.

Airmid:

If you wish to do a healing ritual with Airmid step up to the herbs:

Take a bit of one of the herbs and place it between your palms.

Ask the herb and Airmid to speak to you and tell you what you need to do to heal.

Ask Airmid to heal and bless you.

And say, Thank You, dear Airmid.

Aine:

If you want to do a ritual with Aine: You will step up to the fire and think of what you would like to heal or what part, you want to refresh with the vital spark of life’s fire! Throw in bits of sage or sweetgrass and say this prayer:

Hail Aine, Lady of the healing

powers of the Sun-

Source of the sacred spark of life in our blood-

Goddess of love, fertility, and fiery creation-

Who blesses the crops

Who protects the cattle and animals

Queen of the wondrous Fey Folk

of the sacred hills

Your torch leads the

Midsummer Night procession

We come to praise Thee. We come to honor Thee. Fiery Aine, please take this ailment and burn it away and replace it with sweetness.

Please replenish my vital spark of life.

Thank you Aine.

Herbs for the Healing Goddesses Rituals

Sweetgrass- Cleanser

Sage- Cleanser and purifier

Nettle- Pain, allergy, wounds,

Diuretic, stop bleeding, spleen

Mistletoe- Fertility

Goats Rue- Infections, reduce blood sugar,

fever, bites

Moonwort- Spleen, Kidney, liver and Dreaming

Blackberry- Diarrhea, stomach, sore throat

Fennel- Diuretic, stomach, gums, cough

Guest User 6/14/22 Guest User 6/14/22

Goddesses of Love and War

in their Heritage Speakers Series, 2013

Greetings and welcome to the Scottish Heritage Speakers Series and to Celtic Goddesses of Love and War!

I am Linda Joy Anderson Stern, and my family is blessed with Scottish heritage on both sides of my family from many different clans- hope they got along! But knowing one of them, probably not! In my family, the Scots were in the colonies before the Revolutionary War, and some fought in our War of Independence and someone in my family has fought in almost every war since then.

One of my clans is Anderson and when I first saw the clan tent here at Enumclaw several years ago, and saw their vast array of weaponry, suddenly, my family’s history with fighting battles became understandable. Being a Warrior is a familiar role to my particular set of genes, but I am also a Lover.

So, this year, I decided to speak about Warrior Goddesses and to bring a little balance…Celtic Goddesses of Love. I am told that the planets are aligned now to bring in strong Feminine energy but are you a Lover or a Warrior……. or a little of both? Do you notice that at times we are all about Love and at times we are all about War? And that it can change at a moment’s notice? I’ll bet our partners notice that as well! And when you think about it, sometimes Love and War can be two sides of one coin.

As an introduction- I am an associate minister at Interfaith Community Sanctuary in Seattle where one of my areas of expertise is the Divine Feminine face of Creator as She shows her face all over the world- now and in ages past… which includes Celtic Goddesses. And also, besides having Scottish Celtic heritage, I have other Celtic lineages from Wales, Ireland, England, and France so I’m sort of a Heinz 57 Celtic Mutt. So, when I speak about Celtic matters, I am speaking from my roots, and I feel it in my bones- like we can feel the bagpipes.

Before we get to our Goddesses of Love and War, I want to ask are you having a great time here at the Games? Wonderful! I know that one of the reasons you are having such a wonderful time is that for 1000s of years this is the time of a Celtic celebration- this is the eve of Lughnasadh! Lughnasadh is a Celtic Holy Day at the time when the first fruits of the season come in- traditionally Barley, wheat, and corn.

In Scotland, and Ireland and Wales we have always honored Lughnasadh and the first harvests……by making the best of alcoholic beverages of beer, ale, and the best Scotch on Earth! The first stalks of corn are called "John Barleycorn" and were used to make some of these beverages. Many an ode or poem or drinking song has been written to John Barleycorn, then and now. The earliest one from 1465. Now a-days there is a version by Traffic, Joe Walsh, and Steve Wynwood.

So perhaps later tip back a few to the festivals past and present, to the Goddesses that live in your life now and then and to celebrate Lughnasadh and our earth’s harvest with joy and gratitude.

Lughnasadh is named in honor of the Celtic Sun God, Lugh, but it’s really a celebration of a warrior woman, Tailtiu the last Queen of Fir Bolg. History is peppered with many warrior women. For her people’s survival, she single-handedly cleared fields for agricultural use for her people’s survival and died from the endeavor. When the people of the area gathered at her deathbed, she told them to hold games in her honor- like the one you are at today. As long as these games were held, she prophesied that the area would never be without song. And if you listen… I think we can hear that prophesy of music and joy coming true.

So on to our Goddesses of Love and War - these Goddesses are a part of the Celtic system of spirituality, which is vast. The Celtic form of spirituality helps us become aware of the spiritual world both inside and outside of us…… and that we all are intimately related- all humans, animals, plants, and elements.

There are many Celtic goddesses and gods, and you can think about them as aspects of a larger whole, or parts of a puzzle, including but not limited to wisdom, love, war, fertility, death, birth, the wind, the sun, the rain, birds, animals, the cycles of the earth, the cycles of the universe- the cycles of our bodies- anything you can think of and that aspect will have a god and a goddess.

If you look at the gods and goddesses as a whole, they balance each other out. Balance is an important factor in the natural world. Something we may have forgotten now a days. There are goddesses of birth and death, joy and sorrow, sun and rain, Love and War and so on- you get my point- balance.

So, when considering the Goddesses of Love or War, they bring strength and balance not only to the system and themselves but, as guides, to us as well. Light and Dark- Each does not exist without the other, and each makes the other stronger.

In selecting Goddesses for today, I found that there are many more Warrior Goddesses than Goddess of Love. Interesting, isn’t it? And actually, there were no Goddesses of Love as we might think of it today as the soft, fuzzy, sweet item- they all had more depth or umph…. like Goddess of Love and Nature or Goddess of Love and Spring, of Goddess of Love and Duty…or Love and War.

Many of the Goddess that I am going to speak about today, possess dual qualities of love and war…..as in “I will devour you with my love” or “respect my rules of Love or I will punish you” or “my strength taking you to heaven today shows you, my Love.”

One of the major features of Celtic Goddesses is a fusion of powers, like love and war. These goddesses were in effect the Openers and Closers of Life: The Givers and Takers. Many of the old-world Goddesses encompass both love and war and the Celtic people knew these there were 2 sides of one coin. The apparent conflict between a goddess ruling both fertility and death presented no problem to the Celt who knew that death comes from life and life from death.

So, having said all that -here’s a small sampling of Goddesses of War and Love. And we will start with Love!

Our first Goddess of Love is Creiddylad who is a Goddess of Flowers and Love, she is celebrated at Beltane, which is May 1st. She is the eternal May Queen, always seeking peace and stability. She is the promise of love- love enduring through all hardship.

Here is the story of Creiddylad. She was promised in marriage to her heart’s desire. But before the marriage could be consummated, she was abducted, by a man who possessed many dark aspects.

Her beloved then gathered together his warriors and set out to rescue her. A fierce battle ensued, during which, unfortunately, the dark lord emerged as the victor.

So- King Arthur heard of this and marched off to settle the matter. He declared that neither man could marry Creiddylad and returned her to her father. An arrangement was made forcing the two men to battle each other for the hand of Creiddylad every year on May 1st at Beltane; the Forces of Light and Forces of Dark in battle, the Darkness of Winter in battle with the Light of Spring. Creiddylad’s destiny was set; she would remain an eternal maiden; living with her father, until the final battle on Judgment Day. Now that’s a long time to be engaged!

Cryeiddylad’s story is the origin of the Celtic love-triangle of a beautiful young woman who loves a virile hero but is pursued or married to a darkly driven man.

The story is a metaphor for the cyclical nature of time and found in Celtic legends such as Tristan and Isolde and Arthur and Guinevere.

Beltane reminds us of the wisdom of Creiddylad. She emerges when the earth is filled with sweetness and flowers and bestows her gifts of abundance on us all. Not only does She gift humanity with an abundant earth she gifts us with the ability to receive that abundance. And yet to know that the cycle of the earth will return to darkness.

Our second Love Goddess is Branwen. She is The White Raven, a Celtic Goddess of love and duty. In her story- the King of Ireland asked for her hand, and then gave horses to her brother. Another brother of Branwen, mutilated the horses, nearly causing war, but the prospective husband was appeased by the gift of a magical cauldron that resurrects dead warriors.

To bring peace to Wales and Ireland, Branwen wed him, and goes to Ireland, where she births a son. But the Irish began to complain about their foreign queen, and she was banished to the kitchen. After 3 years, Branwen trained a starling to speak and sent it to Wales, to tell her family of her troubles. Her brothers then sailed to rescue her.

For a short while, all is well, and Branwen’s husband agreed to give the kingdom on to their son. Then through many twists and turns the war started again and in the heat of it, many died including her son and 2 brothers. After this, Branwen, who was heartbroken, sails home and dies.

Branwen’s tale shows us that She too knows what it is like to be overwhelmed with emotion. In the end of Her story, she dies from the heartache of the devastation of the death of her brothers and son.

But it was Branwen’s Love and duty that united two lands of Ireland and Wales. And it is Branwen that teaches us that making difficult decisions to benefit others that have negative life results for ourselves…. sometimes need to be made. And that Love is not all Light.

Our third Goddess of Love is Aine. One of the most beautiful, feminine, and powerful Celtic goddesses was Aine, the goddess of love, light, and fertility. She was popular in Ireland all the way up to the Western Isles of Scotland.

The goddess, as a muse, inspired great works of poetry. However, if her writers failed her, it is said that she would drive them mad. Starting to see more of the Light and Dark?

She is often referred to as a mother deity and credited with creation. Some even claimed that she had life-restoring powers, which earned her yet another title- that of the goddess of life and death- another presentation of how light and dark live naturally with each other.

Many stories sprung up about the belief that Aine used magic to mate with mortal men. Mmmm......This was often times done by enchantment rather than by mutual consent. Another mmmmm.

Spellbound by the goddess, these men were said to do whatever she commanded. A handy skill to have, perhaps... But ultimately, the attraction was always fatal for her lovers so I can understand why a little enchantment was required. Here is darkness becoming stronger than Light in Aine.

Because of her associations with fire and water, she was also associated with healing. It was believed that she regulated the vital spark of life, which, circulated through the body in our blood every 24 hours. If bloodletting occurred on her sacred days, which were the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday prior to Lughnasadh, it was believed that the sacred spark of life would flow from the body and the person would die- And just to be aware, if you are thinking about doing any bloodletting -this is that particular time of year….so wait a couple of days!

At this point in our story telling, you can start to see that love goddesses can indeed have a dark side to them, right? That perhaps Light needs Dark and Dark needs light. That no one - not even Goddesses of Love – are all Light- and in fact that would limit their power and ours.

As I said before, Celtic Goddesses fuse fertility powers. These goddesses knew they opened and closed life. The apparent conflict between a goddess ruling both fertility and death presents no problem as death comes from life and life from death.

Now, off we go to Goddess of War! Now it starts to get juicier!

Our first Goddess of War is the Supreme Welsh war Goddess- Cymidei Cymeinfoll!

And who doesn’t like a great story!

She is always paired in stories with her husband- in balance. Together they own a magical cauldron into which they would cast warriors killed in battle. From the cauldron these dead soldiers would come to life….. minus their power of speech.

Cymidei Cymeinfoll means “big belly of battle” is in reference to the fact that she could give birth to a Fully Armed warrior every six weeks. Ouch! I wonder if she gave a war cry with all the birthings! So, with the cauldron and her birth abilities she could stock an army with Warriors.

The next Fierce Goddess is Fiery Bridget shown in this painting, the Supreme Celtic Triple goddess. Brigid’s name means the "Fiery Arrow or Fiery Power." She has three aspects- the Fire of Inspiration, the Fire of Healing, and the Fire of the Forge, 3 in balance with each other. Today I am referencing her Fire of the Forge, as the patroness of smithcraft and martial arts. Notice that Goddesses associated with the forge were more about warfare than blacksmithing.

In Fire aspect the ancient mystery of Alchemy is found hidden in the fire knowledge of The Forge. Wisdom gained through strength- like strengthening metal with fire, the fire of life strengthens us. Celtic Warriors appealed to her for the strength needed to fight their battles with their swords and their spirit. Transformation is associated with the forge of the fire – thru sitting in the fire with your true authentic self.

Bridget is teaching us, that sometimes we need to feel the fire, to react to the fire, to be changed and charged by the fire. … into a lioness, into a warrior, into the strength needed to put one foot in front of the other to walk our own particular path. Fire is Light that burns brightly in us and in the dark to show the way. Sometimes if we get too close to the flames, we may just get burned --but the strength that it takes to jump into the flame transforms us into something new, and much stronger.

Our 3rd powerful Goddess is– Scathach of Scotland, goddess of healing, magic, martial arts, prophesy, and protection. Called the Shadowy One, She Who Strikes Fear, she was a warrior woman and prophetess who lived in Alba- ancient Scotland, on the Isle of Skye, where she taught martial arts there with her sister and daughter.

She was the Gaelic Goddess of the Dead, who searched the battlefields for the souls of the slain and guided them along their Death Journey or "Journey of the Soul", to Tir Nan Og, The Land of Eternal Youth.  It is also the duty of Scathaich to drop those who acted poorly in life on one of the islands of the other world, where they pay their debts and learn their folly. These actions took an amazing form of love in the Warrior Goddess.

Scathaich was a formidable being, a teacher of war-craft and a Druid prophetess. She was reputed to be the matron of self-defense and female independence as well as the guardian of young people who seek to know their full potential.

It is to her that CuChulainn, the greatest Celtic warrior comes in his youth to learn his craft. It was from Scathach that CuChulainn received his formidably barbed spear whose thrust was always fatal.

Now on to my favorite story of a powerful, lustful, light and dark filled Goddess of Love and War, Light and Dark…...Maeve.

Maeve is a Celtic Goddess of Earth, fertility, personal power, war, and sovereignty of the land. She was a great conqueror and enjoyed enslaving the men of the Armies that she defeated…. as spoils of war to pleasure her. A lusty woman, it was said she needed 30 men a day to ease….her sexual appetite.

Queen Maeve was infamous for her beauty and her sexual prowess. She had an array of lovers, most of who were officers in her army... thereby ensuring the loyalty of her troops. Her bravest warriors were granted sexual favors, so the men fought hard and courageously on the battlefield for a chance to enjoy Maeve's "willing thighs."

It is said that the ancient kings of Ireland married this Goddess when they took their place of power. She would bestow her many gifts upon them, and they could claim their sovereignty over the land.

Women, real life women, of the ancient Celts held much power. In the Celtic nations, women's rights equaled those of men. They owned property and occupied powerful positions within the society. Whomever brought more wealth and property into a marriage was considered the ruler of the household, be it man or woman. This is important to this story.

So, in the Irish kingdom of Connaught, sovereignty of the land passed to a woman, Queen Maeve. Her consort was Ailill, who received his royal status only by marrying the queen.

One morning after Al-ill and Maeve lay in bed basking in the afterglow of lovemaking, he began taunting her, claiming that she was more fortunate for marrying him because of the power and wealth he brought into their partnership. Well… Maeve laughed and retorted by saying she possessed great wealth and power without him, and he was nothing but her "kept" man. The quarrel escalated as they began comparing their wealth, assets, and influence...matching one another, until Maeve discovered that Al-ill had a bull of superior breeding the likes of which she did not own making him, technically, the ruler of their household.

This was unacceptable to the proud warrior Queen, so she found a bull of similar quality that was owned by the King and Queen of Ulster. When they refused to sell the bull, so Queen Maeve took her army and invaded their land with the intent of stealing the prized beast. Her troops were met by the infamous red knights of Ulster and their great hero, Cuchulainn, who was trained on the Isle of Skye by another Warrior Goddess Skactach and thus the famous battle ensued.

It was said that Maeve could outrun the swiftest of horses, she rode at the head of her battalion, and her presence and power made her army invincible. She was so powerful that battles would stop while she was menstruating.

So, in this particular clash- Maeve rode into battle in an open car, with four chariots surrounding her. She was so beautiful that she could slay the armies of any land just by looking at her because no man could look on Maeve without falling down in a frenzy of desire. What a way to go!

One version of the end of the story states that both armies suffered great losses, but Maeve eventually got the bull of Ulster- It seemed she always got her Bull….. BUT when the Maeve and Al-ill’s bulls were penned together, the two beasts killed each other. And so, after all the death, Queen Maeve, and King Alill finally had equal wealth...BUT not equal power. So, Al-ill eventually left Connaught rather than live in the shadow of Queen Maeve.

What does the legend of Maeve mean for us? Well.... she was a

love-goddess that was equally associated with war. The goddess Maeve is the intoxicating power of passion...the passion we feel in love, desire, sex, as well as in anger and battle- 2 sides of one coin. Perhaps there really is a thin line between love and hate. If we lose control of that passion and are not mindful of our intent, or honorable in our actions, we can easily cross a line.

Also, when Maeve lost a battle- whether in bed or on the battlefields, she did not dwell in the negative aspects, and she moved forward in the present moment. She teaches us to do the same in our life. To not make excuses for why certain things happen, and to learn to accept things the way they are and move on strongly. Maeve is a confident and strong Lover and warrior Goddess who tells us to accept ourselves the way we are and to become a warrior in our own life.

Was Maeve a mortal woman who was exalted to the status of goddess, or was she a Goddess, whose story was watered down over the years, making her a mere mortal? Could it be both? Unfortunately, since the Celts did not keep written records of their history and legends, we'll never know for sure.

All these Goddesses inspired mortal Celtic warrior Queens, such as Cartimandua, Queen of the Brigantes, Queen Boudicca who led armies against Rome and Marcia Proba, a Celtic warrior queen who lived around the third century BCE.

And the goddesses inspired Celtic women to not be held to any confines in life. They played an active part in all life. They could be warriors, healers, judges and poets. Powerful real-life women; just like us.

These Goddesses were all both Love and War, Light and Dark and have helped guide the way for real women for centuries as they can guide us now. Love and War, Light and Dark tied to each other in a dance of strength for an outcome. We need the strength of to thrive in our worlds.

So, here’s to a healthy balance of both Light and Dark in all of us all!

Guest User 6/14/22 Guest User 6/14/22

Celtic Goddesses in a Guided Meditation

Celtic Goddesses
in a Guided Meditation Seattle Scottish Highland Games Heritage Speakers Series in 2014.

Greetings from Celtic Goddesses who surround you! And welcome to the Scottish Heritage tent! I hope you enjoyed the massing of the pipes and drums and our whole wonderful Scottish family. Did you all feel the Celtic energy and sound resonating down to your bones? I know I did.

I am Linda Anderson Stern, and I am blessed to have Scottish heritage on both sides of my family- from two different clans- both of which were in the colonies before the revolutionary war. One of my clans is Anderson and when I first saw the clan tent here at Enumclaw several years ago, and saw their vast array of weaponry, suddenly, my family’s history with fighting in every war in the history of America became understandable.

As an introduction of myself- I am an associate minister at Interfaith Community Sanctuary in Ballard where one of my areas of expertise is the Divine Feminine face of Creator as She shows her face all over the world- now and in ages past… and this includes Celtic Goddesses. Also, besides having Scottish Celtic heritage, I have other Celtic lineages from Wales, Ireland, England, and France so I’m sort of a Heinz 57 Celtic Mutt. So, when I speak about Celtic matters, I am speaking from my roots, and I feel it in my bones- like we can feel the bagpipes.

Before we get to talking about Celtic Goddesses, I want to ask are you having a good time here at the Games? If you are having a great time, one of the reasons might be that for 1000s of years this is the time of a Celtic celebration- this is the eve of Lughnasadh! Lughnasadh is a Celtic Holy Day which celebrates the first harvests of the season - which was traditionally barley, wheat, and corn.

With Lughnasadh, we give thanks to Mother Earth for her beauty and abundance because - it is from these harvests that we eat through the upcoming winter. This is true on a physical level, but it is also true on an emotional and spiritual level. In Scotland, (and Ireland and Wales) we have always honored Lughnasadh and the first harvests……by making the best of alcoholic beverages- beer, ale, and THE BEST SINGLE MALT WHISKEY on Earth - SCOTCH!

So back in the day- the first stalks of corn are called "John Barleycorn" and were used to make some of these beverages. Many an ode or drinking song has been written to John Barleycorn, then and now. The earliest one was from 1465. Now a-days there is a version by Traffic, Joe Walsh, and Steve Wynwood.

So perhaps later…. tip back a few to the festivals past and present, to the Goddesses that live in your life now and to celebrate Lughnasadh and our earth’s harvest with joy and gratitude.

Lughnasadh is named in honor of the Celtic Sun God, Lugh, but it’s really a celebration of a warrior woman, Tailtiu the last Queen of Fir Bolg. History is peppered with many real-life warrior women. For her people’s survival, she single-handedly cleared fields for agricultural use for her people’s survival and then died from the difficult work. On her deathbed, she told those gathered to hold games in her honor- like the one you are at today. As long as these games were held, she prophesied that the area would never be without happiness and song. And as you can see and hear at these games- that prophesy is true.

Before I share about Celtic Goddesses, I want to say a little about the system they exist in - Celtic system of spirituality. The Celtic system of spirituality is vast and is deeply tied to the earth, the cycles of the year and to the cycles of our own body. The Celtic form of spirituality acknowledges beliefs and practices to become aware of the spiritual world around us and in us and our relationship that exists with all there is. Celtic Gods and Goddesses are a part of that system of spirituality – much like that Gods and Goddesses of the Hindu faith or Gods and Goddesses of indigenous people. All part of a larger whole.

There are so many Celtic goddesses and gods that you can think about them as aspects of a larger whole, or parts of a puzzle. If you look at the gods and goddesses as a whole, they balance each other out. And the goddesses balance each other out too. Balance is an important factor in our natural world and in Celtic spirituality. There are goddesses of love and vengeance, birth and death, joy and sorrow, sun, and rain and so on- you get my point- balance.

There are so many goddesses including but not limited to wisdom, love, war, fertility, death, birth, the wind, the sun, the rain, birds, animals, the cycles of the earth, the cycles of the universe- the cycles of our bodies- anything you can think of, and that aspect will have a god and a goddess. So naturally this includes goddesses that can assist us in fulfilling our destiny.

I want you to know there really are no soft and fuzzy Goddesses. Like, for instance, there aren’t Goddesses of Love as we might think of it today as the soft, fuzzy, sweet item- they all had more depth or umph…. like Goddess of Love and Nature or Goddess of Love and Spring, of Goddess of Love and Duty…or Love and War. All elements that require strength, like we do to thrive.

One of the major features of Celtic Goddesses is a fusion of powers, like love and war. Goddesses were in effect, the Openers and Closers of Life. The Givers and Takers. Many of the old-world Goddesses, encompass both light and dark and the Celtic people knew these there were 2 sides of one coin. The Celts knew that death comes from life and life from death.

Each of the goddesses has their own area of expertise. And each of the goddesses I will speak about today has a story or a reason you are attracted to one more than another. Your attraction to her may have nothing to do with their area of expertise by the way. I really want to get you out of your logical mind today and into your state of “Blink” perceptions. I want you to feel something about one of these goddesses and go with it- take a chance! Build a relationship with her not just for today- but also as a guide in your life path.

Many centuries ago, I know, that in my ancestors practiced Celtic spirituality, as Celtic Spirituality was an everyday approach to life- like eating or breathing. So, it’s no wonder that sometimes when I need guidance, I return to my Celtic roots. At certain times in our lives, we need to step into our power to walk our personal journeys and Celtic Goddesses and spirituality can help us all along our way. I am going to talk about a small number of Celtic Goddesses that you may connect to now and in your future.

The traits of Celtic Goddesses are already a part of our collective human psyche. Anything we need is already inside us but with this Goddess connection we may re-awaken it or give it a kick-start. At a deep level we are already perfect and whole and strong and powerful but sometimes it helps to remind ourselves of that. It’s an understanding of who you are, standing in your center and moving towards your next step with power.

This is just a brief introduction to these powerful Goddesses. It was so difficult to select just these few. Remember- each of the aspects of these Goddesses already resides within you, whether you are male or female, young or old, Scottish, or other, Celtic or not. The aspects are a part of your Higher Inner self. It is not an outside concept that you are acquiring. You have it already and just need to awaken it. Awaken it to help you step into your path with power.

These Goddesses are not weak or flowery- they are strong with the vibrancy of the Cycle of Life and the power it takes to birth something on this earth in this reality. So, listen to the names and aspects of each of these Goddesses that represent aspects of the Divine Feminine that reside in your own higher self and decide which one of them calls to you.

Anu- Mother Earth Goddess of fertility, prosperity, comfort. In the beginning it was Anu who watered the first Oak tree from the heavens  and granted life to the earth. From the oak tree fell two acorns, which She nurtured as her own and in turn they became the God Dagda and the Goddess Bridget. If you ever desire assistance in nurturing a person or an idea or strength in the role of mother, Anu is the Goddess to connect with.

Áine- One of the most beautiful, feminine, and powerful Celtic goddesses was Aine, the goddess of love, light, and fertility. As a muse she has inspired great works of poetry. However, if her writers failed her, it is said that she would drive them mad. Give and take, light and dark.

Aine is often credited with creation. Some even claimed that she had life-restoring powers, which earned her yet another title- that of the goddess of life and death- another presentation of how light and dark live naturally with each other.

Aine's blatant sexuality brought her into disfavor when Christianity began to take hold. The goddess, like many of her Roman and Greek counterparts, believed in free love and wasn't about to be bound by the ties of matrimony. Many stories sprung up about the belief that Aine used enchantment to mate with mortal men. Spellbound by the goddess, these men were said to do whatever she commanded. Unfortunately, the attraction was always fatal for her lovers.

It was believed that she regulated the vital spark of life, which, circulated through the body in our blood every 24 hours. If bloodletting occurred on her sacred days, which were the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday prior to Lughnasadh, it was believed that the sacred spark of life would flow from the body and the person would die- And just to be aware, if you are thinking about doing any bloodletting –these are those very days…...so wait a couple of days!

As I said before, Celtic Goddesses fuse fertility powers. These goddesses knew they opened and closed life. The apparent conflict between a goddess ruling both fertility and death presents no problem as death comes from life and life from death.

Airmid- She was a member of Tuatha De Danaan the most ancient race of deities and just as they did, she had great powers.

One of the stories told about Airmid, is when her kings’ arm was severed. Her father, the Chief Healer and Magician, decided to replace it with an arm made of silver. Airmid did not like this plan because she knew she could regenerate the King’s own arm to perfect working order. So, she did and then her brother, using his surgical skills, took the regenerated arm and re-attached it to the King’s body.

Airmid, along with her brother and father, built the Well of Health. They then caste spells over it, so that the well’s magical waters could not only restore life to warriors. It could actually return them to perfect health so they could return to battle. Water is often times present with healing.

Airmid also knew the secret healing life of herbs. After her brother died and she would frequently visit his grave. One day, when she arrived at his grave, she was amazed to find 365 healing herbs growing on and around that grave, with one herb for every joint and organ of his body.

Methodically, Airmid began to gather up the herbs and quite amazingly, the herbs began to speak to her, telling her of the full range of their healing powers. Airmid then separated and arranged the herbs, according to the uses or special properties. With the knowledge she gained from the herbs, she healed people who needed help.

If you are ever in need of healing, appeal to Airmid for help. She is powerful and helps with healing herbs but also in perfecting our mind and body connection to create perfect health.

Bridget- is the Triple Goddess who represents healing, strength, and inspiration, shown in the painting.

I’d like to teach you a song about Bride. The words are on the chalkboard.

Bridget’s fire is burning, burning

Bridget’s fire is lighting my way.

Bridget’s fire is burning, burning

Bridget’s fire is lighting my way

I see the light

I feel the light

I know the light

I am the light.

I see the light

I feel the light

I know the light

I am the light.

I want to also teach you a Scot Gaelic prayer to Bride that asks for her protection you can use at any time: Which means in “Oh, Bridget, spread above my head your mantle bright to guide me.” (Phonetically) A Bat Breed, share osh mo keon- Go vrat fion gom ankal.

Here is one of the stories about healing and Brigit: Brigit was at her sacred well and 2 lepers appeared and asked to be healed. "Bathe yourself in my well," said Bridget to the first man. At every point that Bridget's waters touched, the man's skin turned whole again.

"Now bathe your friend," said Bridget to the first man.

Turning to see the second man he was repulsed and backed away from his friend. "I cannot touch him,” he said.

"Then you are not truly healed," said the goddess. And she gave the first man back his leprosy and healed the second man by placing her mantle around his shoulders.

"Return to me with compassion," she said to the first man. "There you will find your healing." So, here was not only the element of healing in the form of sacred water of a well bubbling up out of the earth, but also wisdom, compassion and a mind set to not put up with foolishness.

Symbolically, water, especially water that rises up from the earth, is seen as a portal to the Otherworld by the Celts and was a source of wisdom and healing.

Brigit is celebrated on Imbolc, usually February 1 or 2, celebrating the return of the light and the coming of the spring. So, this is another area of healing that she brings- the energy of HOPE, renewed enthusiasm, renewal, and new beginnings.

Also, as a Fertility Goddess, Brigit’s Green Mantle is associated with the green fertile earth, reminding us of our own innate ability to grow and regenerate ----which is another form or part of healing.

Brigit is associated with Fire being the Lady of the Sacred Flame. This bright, fiery energy is the energy of the creative power of our consciousness and also that of transformation. The ancients believed in the power of positive thought and of taking command of your health and fate.

fight their battles with their swords and their spirit. Transformation is associated with the forge of the fire – thru sitting in the fire with your true authentic self.

Cailleach Bheur- is a Scottish Goddess- The Veiled One- The destroyer Goddess who rules over disease, death, wisdom, the weather, and winter.

In Scotland, she is credited with making large mountains to use as her steppingstones which is formed with a hammer. The Cailleach rules Winter- by herding animals and bringing cold weather with her staff freezes the ground. In partnership and in balance with the goddess Bridget -the Cailleach is seen as ruling the winter while Bridget rules the summer months.

Ceridwen- Goddess of herbs, nature, science, inspiration, intelligence, and knowledge. She embodies all three lunar aspects of the Goddess- Maiden, Mother and Crone but is primarily worshipped in her Wise Crone aspect. She is associated with the Cauldron of Wisdom, Inspiration, Rebirth and Transformation. The cauldron has an intimate association with femininity, justice, wisdom, and intelligence and goes back to ancient times.

Coventina- is a Celtic River Goddess. She is associated with childbirth, the womb of the Earth, abundance, new beginnings, life cycles, and inspiration. There are shrines to her near wells that represent the earth’s womb. Again, the Celts felt her power could most strongly be felt at wells and springs, which bridged the inner and outer Earth.

From Scotland comes her association with the underworld, where she was the Goddess of featherless flying creatures- -dragons- which could pass between the 2 worlds giving knowledge, power, and healing. Being a river goddess, she is connected the ebb and flow of time, and this is associated with magical powers.

Creiddylad- a Goddess of Flowers and Love, she is celebrated at Beltane, which is May 1st. She is the eternal May Queen, always seeking peace and stability. She is the promise of love- love enduring through all hardship.

Here is the story of Creiddylad. She was promised in marriage to her heart’s desire. But before the marriage could be consummated, she was abducted, by a man who possessed many dark aspects.

Her beloved then gathered together his warriors and set out to rescue her. A fierce battle ensued, during which, unfortunately, the dark lord emerged as the victor.

King Arthur heard of this and marched off to settle the matter. He declared that neither man could marry Creiddylad and returned her to her father. An arrangement was made forcing the two men to battle each other for the hand of Creiddylad every year on May 1st at Beltane-- the Forces of Light and Forces of Dark in battle-- the Darkness of Winter in battle with the Light of Spring. Creiddylad’s destiny was set; she would remain an eternal maiden; living with her father, until the final battle on Judgment Day. Now that’s a long engagement!

Beltane reminds us of the wisdom of Creiddylad. She emerges when the earth is filled with sweetness and flowers and bestows her gifts of abundance on us all. Not only does She gift humanity with an abundant earth, She gifts us with the ability to receive that abundance. And yet she reminds us of the cycle of the earth that will return to darkness.

Cymidei Cymeinfoll- is the Goddess of War is the Supreme Welsh warrior who is always paired in stories with her husband- in balance. Together they own a magical cauldron into which they would cast warriors killed in battle. From the cauldron these dead soldiers would come to life….. minus their power of speech. Cymidei Cymeinfoll means “big belly of battle” is in reference to the fact that she could give birth to a Fully Armed warrior every six weeks. Ouch! Wonder if she gave a war cry with the birthings! So, with the cauldron and her birth abilities she could stock an army with Warriors.

Grainne- is a Scottish Goddess of herbs and sun/fire purification.

This poem can give you an idea of her-

My golden hair is wheat and oats,

My cloak the ever-changing sky will be,

The ladybird my finger bears,

My eyes shine forth in lake and sea.

From the depths of earth my inner sun

Glows through the hearts of all.

Stars and planets- creatures that grow,

Know me as Mother yours to call.

My breath inspires every breath:

The healing rays are mine.

Look upwards, roundabout and down,

For I am there to find."

Now on to my favorite story of a powerful, lustful, light and dark filled Goddess of Love and War, Light and Dark…. Maeve.

It is said that all ancient kings of Ireland married this Goddess when they took their place of power. She would bestow her many gifts upon them, and they could claim their sovereignty over the land.

Women, real life women, of the ancient Celts held much power. In the Celtic nations, women's rights equaled those of men. They owned property and occupied powerful positions within the society. Whomever brought MORE wealth and property into a marriage was considered the ruler of the household, be it man or woman. This is important to this story.

So, In the Irish kingdom of Connaught, sovereignty of the land passed to a woman, Queen Maeve. Her consort was Ailill, who received his royal status only by marrying the queen.

One morning after Alill and Maeve lay in bed basking in the afterglow of lovemaking, he began taunting her, claiming that she was more fortunate for marrying him because of the power and wealth he brought into their partnership. Well… Maeve laughed and retorted by saying she possessed great wealth and power without him, and he was nothing but her "kept" man. The quarrel escalated as they began comparing their wealth, assets, and influence...matching one another, until Maeve discovered that Al-ill had a bull of superior breeding the likes of which she did not own- making him, technically, the ruler of their household.

This was unacceptable to the proud warrior Queen, so she found a bull of similar quality that was owned by the King and Queen of Ulster. When they refused to sell the bull, Queen Maeve took her army and invaded their land with the intent of stealing the prized beast. Her troops were met by the infamous red knights of Ulster and their great hero, Cuchulainn, who was trained on the Isle of Skye by another Warrior Goddess Skacthack and thus the famous battle ensued.

One version of the end of the story states that both armies suffered great losses, but Maeve eventually got the bull of Ulster- It seemed she always got her Bull. BUT when Maeve’s’ and Al-ill’s bulls were penned together, the two beasts killed each other. And so, after all the death, Queen Maeve and King Al-ill finally had equal wealth...BUT not equal power. So, Al-ill eventually left Connaught rather than live in the shadow of Queen Maeve.

Maeve was a love-goddesses that was equally associated with war. The goddess Maeve is the intoxicating power of passion...the passion we feel in love, desire, sex, as well as in anger and battle- two sides of one coin. Perhaps there really is a thin line between love and hate. If we lose control of that passion and are not mindful of our intent, or honorable in our actions, we can easily cross a line.

Also, when Maeve lost a battle- whether in bed or on the battlefields, she did not dwell in the negative aspects, and she moved forward in the present moment. She teaches us to do the same in our life. To not make excuses for why certain things happen, and to learn to accept things the way they are and move on strongly. Maeve is a confident and strong Lover and warrior Goddess who tells us to accept ourselves the way we are and to become a warrior in our own life.

Scathach- of Scotland; goddess of healing, magic, martial arts, prophesy, and protection. Called the Shadowy One, She Who Strikes Fear, she was a warrior woman and prophetess who lived in Alba- ancient Scotland, on the Isle of Skye, where she taught martial arts there with her sister and daughter.

She was the Gaelic Goddess of the Dead, who searched the battlefields for the souls of the slain and guided them along their Death Journey or "Journey of the Soul", to Tir Nan Og, The Land of Eternal Youth. It is also the duty of Scathach to drop those who acted poorly in life on one of the islands of the other world, where they pay their debts and learn their folly. These actions took an amazing form of love in the Warrior Goddess.

Scathach was a formidable being, a teacher of war-craft and a Druid prophetess. She was reputed to be the matron of self-defense and female independence as well as the guardian of young people who seek to know their full potential. It is to her that CuChulainn, the greatest Celtic warrior comes in his youth to learn his craft. It was from Scathach that CuChulainn received his formidable, barbed spear whose thrust was always fatal.

So.........which one of the Goddesses does your intuition connect you with? All of these Goddesses are strong and can assist you on your life path. Choose one with a sense of adventure and gratitude head off!

I’m going to guide you so let’s set up- get comfy, put your feet on the earth, take some deep cleansing breaths and relax. You can close your eyes, or you can focus on the Sacred Portals that represent your Goddess. Slip into the frame of spirit and of mind that allows you to be open. There are going to be many noises around you –that’s ok- let these go and let them flow around you and remain calm and centered.

I will guide you - You find yourself walking in a glen that has a stand of great oak trees that are in a circle. Walk into the circle of trees and you look around at each tree. The circle of oaks is suffused with sunlight, light is dappling onto the leaves, onto the ground and the air is a twinkle with anticipation. There is a slight breeze that moves the leaves and makes a delightful sound. You can hear birds calling to each other. Walk into the middle of the stand of oaks and admire their strength, their beauty. You find yourself being filled with the sunlight when ----do your eyes deceive you? Are the oak trees transforming into new shapes?

That’s right, the trees are transforming into Goddesses. You turn and acknowledge all of them, but you feel your direction, as sure as you are standing there or sitting here. One of the Goddesses steps towards you as you step towards her. You greet her and make a connection in your own special way. It may be a look, a touch, a word, or a knowing. Now just Be with The Goddess. Be with Her in spirit, in joy, and in gratitude for this precious moment. Connect with Her and ask Her to guide you now in the next best step for you to reach your potential that you were born to Be- Powerfully. Ask Her for a step to fulfill your destiny. Or just grant yourself the possibility that this will happen. You can remember this ritual and do it again in private and deepen the connection and ask for guidance again and again. If nothing has come know that this too is just right for timing is always important. Just accept the possibility – that it is a possibility.

Celtic Goddesses can help us to step into our power to walk our path towards our destiny. Coupling that with this time of year, Lughnasadh, that is meant to celebrate our bounty, assess our deeds, and look at options for our future… well…. it’s a formula for success. And I wish you success on your road.

I’m going to end with a traditional Scottish Blessing

May the blessing of light be on you.

Light from within and light from without.

May the blessed sunlight shine on you like a great peat fire, so that stranger and friend may come and be warmed by you.

And may light shine out of the two eyes of you, like a candle set in the window of a house, bidding the wanderer come in out of the storm.

And may the blessing of rain be on you,

may it beat upon your Spirit and wash it fair and clean,

and leave there a shining pool where the blue of Heaven shines, and sometimes a star.

Thank you and Blessings of your Road.

Guest User 6/14/22 Guest User 6/14/22

Unique Celtic Goddesses

7 Unique Celtic Goddesses
Seattle Scottish Highland Games Speakers Series in 2015

Greetings from the Celtic Goddesses that surround you to the Scottish Heritage Speakers Series. I am Linda Joy Anderson Stern and I’m the chair of this Series, so I hope you come back and enjoy all our wonderful speakers.

As an introduction of myself- I am a minister at Interfaith Community Sanctuary in Ballard where we honor all the paths that lead to the Divine. One of my areas of expertise is the Divine Feminine face of Creator as She shows her face all over the world- now and in ages past… and this of course includes Celtic Goddesses.

Also- I am blessed to have Scottish heritage on both sides of my family- from two different clans- both of which were in the colonies before the revolutionary war. One of my clans is Anderson and one is Mitchell, and this is the Anderson Tartan. When I first saw the Anderson clan tent here at Enumclaw years ago, and saw their vast array of weaponry, suddenly I understood my family’s history with fighting in every skirmish and war connected with our American history. I have found that connecting to our roots can really help us understand who we are.

Also, besides having Scottish heritage, have other Celtic lineages from Wales, Ireland, England, and France so I’m sort of a Heinz 57 Celtic Mutt. So, when I speak about Celtic matters, I am speaking from my roots, and I feel it in my bones- like we can feel the bagpipes.

Before I share about Celtic Goddesses, I want to ask are you having a wonderful time here at the Games? Great! One of the reasons you might be enjoying the experience is that for 1000s of years this is the time of a Celtic celebration- this is the eve of Lughnasadh! Lughnasadh is a Celtic Holy Day, which celebrates the first harvests of the season - which was traditionally barley, wheat, and corn

With Lughnasadh, we give thanks to Mother Earth for her beauty and abundance because - it is from these harvests that we eat through the upcoming winter. This is true on a physical level, but it is also true on an emotional and spiritual level.

In Scotland, and Ireland and Wales we have always honored Lughnasadh and the first harvests……by making the best alcoholic beverages- beer, ale and The Best Single Malt Whisky on Earth- Scotch!

Lughnasadh is named in honor of the Celtic Sun God, Lugh, but it’s really a celebration of a warrior woman, Tailtiu, the last Queen of Fir Bolg. History is peppered with many warrior women- in the lands of the Celts, and it’s no different. For her people’s survival, Tailtiu single handedly cleared fields for agricultural use and then died from the difficult work. This speaks about the sacrifice that women make to guarantee the continuance of our children. This is true of Mother Earth, Celtic goddesses, and human women.

On Tailtiu’s deathbed, she asked those gathered to hold games in her honor- like the one you are at today. As long as these games were held, she prophesied that the area would never be without gratitude for the sacrifice of women, and there would always be happiness and song. And as you can see and hear at these games- that prophesy is true. Strong goddesses and strong women, making for a strong future.

So perhaps later…. tip back a few to the festivals past and present, to the Goddesses that live in your life now and to celebrate Lughnasadh and our earth’s harvest with joy and gratitude.

So, looking around this tent, I would bet that most of us have roots in Celtic Lands. I believe that a good way to understand a little bit about who we are is to gain knowledge of who we were in the past, which includes knowledge of the Celtic form of spirituality, of which goddesses are a part.

In times past, connecting to Goddesses was a way of life. The ancient Celts saw that the female face of the creation, held the key to fertility and birth both in themselves, and in the plants and animals of earth. And the Celts saw the relationship of the goddesses and human women and respected women in their clans. Females were equal to males and held just as much power.

Celtic Priestesses were highly revered and birthed children into this world, sang the dying to sleep, preformed ceremonies to ensure food to feed people and were healers in times of need.

Celtic Goddesses are a part of the Celtic system of spirituality, which is deeply tied to the earth, the universe, the cycles of the year and to the cycles of our own body. The Celtic form of spirituality acknowledges the spiritual world inside and outside of us and that we are intimately related to all there is.

There are so many Celtic goddesses and gods that you can think about them as aspects of a larger whole, or parts of a puzzle. If you look at the goddesses as a whole, they balance each other out. If you look at the gods as a whole, they balance each other out. If you look at the God and goddesses together- they balance each other out. They needed each other for that healthy balance- as did the humans in the Celtic societies. In fact, this balance was a sign of a healthy culture. Balance is an important factor in the natural world and in our world. It is something that our modern world has gotten far away from and perhaps that is one of the reasons our world is in such a crisis both from an ecological standpoint and a human one.

There are goddesses including but not limited to wisdom, love, war, fertility, death, birth, the wind, the sun, the rain, birds, animals, the cycles of the earth, the cycles of the universe- the cycles of our bodies- anything you can think of, and that aspect will have a god and a goddess.

I want you to know there are no soft and fuzzy Goddesses. Goddesses all had more depth or umph…. like Goddess of Love and Nature ...... Goddess of Love and Duty…or Goddesses of Love and War. Elements that require strength, like we do to thrive.

One of the major features of Celtic Goddesses is a fusion of powers, like love and war. Goddesses were in effect---- the Openers and Closers of Life: The Givers and Takers. Many of the old-world Goddesses, encompass both light and dark and the Celtic people knew these there 2 sides of one coin…… in balance.

Many centuries ago, I know, that in my ancestors practiced Celtic spirituality, as Celtic Spirituality was an everyday approach to life- like eating or breathing. So, I feel, it’s no wonder that I sometimes return to my Celtic roots. And for you, perhaps knowing about the path that some of your ancestors walked will give you a different perspective on how to walk your life path now.

So, as I speak about these Goddesses, see which ones you connect to and which ones you may want to investigate. Trust your intuition- it may have nothing to do with the information I give you- it may be a spark of recognition, a blink of an intuition, she may be speaking to your Heart.

After I speak you can come up here to the fire, water, herbs or flowers and connect with any of these goddesses. So off we go!

Our first goddess today will be Áine: who is a goddess of love, creativity, and fertility………. who has a very dark side- As a muse she has inspired great works of poetry. However, if her writers failed her, it is said that she would drive them mad. A little give and take, a little light and dark.

Aine's blatant sexuality brought her into disfavor when Christianity began to take hold. The goddess believed in free love and would not be bound by matrimony. Stories sprung up about the belief that Aine used enchantment to mate with mortal men. Spellbound by the goddess, these men were said to do whatever she commanded, and the attraction was always fatal for them. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t seen that it takes enchantment for men to want to mate!

It was believed that she regulated the vital spark of life, which, circulates through the body in our blood every 24 hours. If bloodletting occurred on her sacred days, which were the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday prior to Lughnasadh, it was believed that the sacred spark of life would flow out of the body and the person would die- And just to be aware, if you are thinking about doing any bloodletting –that is next weekend!

Also, Aine is credited with life-restoring powers, which earned her the title of the goddess of life and death- an example of how light and dark live together naturally.

Here with Aine, you can see that goddesses can indeed have a dark side to them. Perhaps Light needs Dark and Dark needs light. That not even Goddesses of Love – are all Light- and in fact that would limit their power and ours. As I said before, Celtic Goddesses fuse powers. The apparent conflict with a goddess ruling both fertility and death presents no problem, as life and death are an ever-cycling event.

Next is Airmid- who is a member of Tuatha De Danu - the most ancient race of deities.

One of the stories told about Airmid, is when her kings’ arm was severed, her father, the Chief Healer and Magician, decided to replace it with an arm made of silver. Airmid didn't like this plan as she knew she could regenerate the King’s own arm to perfect working order. So, she did and then her brother re-attached it to the King’s body.

Also, Airmid, along with her brother and father, built the Well of Health. It was said that waters could not only restore life to warriors, but it could also actually return them to perfect health so they could return to battle.

Airmid also knew the secret healing life of herbs. After her brother died, she would frequently visit his grave. One day, when she arrived at his grave, she was amazed to find 365 healing herbs growing on and around that grave, one herb for every joint and organ of the body.

Airmid began to gather up the herbs in her cloak and quite amazingly, the herbs began to speak to her, telling her of their healing powers. With the knowledge she gained from the herbs, she became a master healer and taught all those who desired this skill.

And then there is Bridget- the Triple Goddess of healing, smithcraft, and inspiration, the One in the painting, who was revered by all Celtic cultures.

To give you an idea of her -Here is the story of her birth.

A long time ago, at the first crack of a pink dawn,

near the waters of the magic well,

the goddess Bridget slipped into the world and

the waiting hands of the nine sisters who swayed and crooned in a great circle around her.

The waters of the magic well gurgled their joy.

Suddenly, up rose a column of fire out of Bridget’s head that burned to the very heavens connecting the above

with the below.

Then she reached up her hands and broke away a flaming plume from her crown of fire and dropped

it on the ground before her.

There it leapt and danced. Leapt and Danced!

The nine sisters hummed and crooned, and the waters of the magic well trembled as Bridget built a chimney around the dancing fires, uniting above with below, inner and outer.

From this fire, Bridget used both her hands to draw out a leaping tongue of flame, swallowed it, and felt the fire burn straight to her heart.

There stood the goddess,

fire crowning her head,

fire licking out from her heart,

and fire glowing, shooting, and dancing from her hands.

The Goddess Bridget was Born!

Brigit is associated with Fire as she is the Lady of the Sacred Flame. This fiery energy is the energy of creative power of our consciousness and transformation. Bridget is associated with both the inner fires of the soul as well as the physical fires of the hearth underscoring the wisdom that the inner and outer worlds live in unity. Again- Balance

Bridget is teaching us, that sometimes we need to feel the fire, to react to the fire, to be changed and charged by the fire to walk our own life path. Fire is Light that burns brightly in us and in the dark to show the way.

Here is one more story about Bridget as a healer and her sacred wells. Symbolically, water, especially water that rises up from the earth, is seen as a source of wisdom and healing. And Bridget is the Celtic Goddess of Healing Waters, Wells and Springs.

One day Bridget was at her sacred well when 2 lepers appeared and asked to be healed. To the first man she said- "Bathe yourself in my well.” At every point that Bridget's waters touched, the man's skin turned whole again.

"Now bathe your friend," said Bridget to the first man. Turning to see his friend, the first was repulsed and backed away. "I cannot touch him,” he said.

Then Bridget said, "You are not truly healed," And she gave the first man back his leprosy and healed the second man by washing him herself with the healing waters. Then Bridget said to the first man- "Return to me with compassion and there you will find your healing."

So, here was not only the element of healing with sacred water of a well, but also wisdom, compassion and a mind set to not put up with selfishness.

Next is Cerridwen: The Goddess of herbs, inspiration, and wisdom who is also associated with the Cauldron of Wisdom, Inspiration, Rebirth and Transformation.

It was said that she lived on an island, in the middle of a Lake with her husband and two children, a beautiful daughter, and an ugly son. To help her son for his unfortunate appearance, Cerridwen brewed a magical formula, which would make her son the most brilliant and inspired of men. For a year and a day, she kept six herbs simmering in her magical cauldron, with the help of another boy named Gwion.

One day, while Gwion was stirring the formula, hot liquid splattered on his hand. In pain, Gwion, sucked his burned hand, and, suddenly, he could hear everything in the world, and understood all the secrets of the past and future.

With his new foresight, he knew how angry Cerridwen would be that he- even accidentally- stole the wisdom meant for her son.

So, he ran away, but Cerridwen pursued him. With his new knowledge Gwion changed into a hare, and Cerridwen chased him as a greyhound; he changed into a fish, and she pursued him as an otter; he became a bird, and she flew after him as a hawk; finally, he changed into a kernel of corn, and Cerridwen, triumphant, changed into a hen, and ate him.

During this chase, Cerridwen forced Gwion to acquire new wisdom and knowledge, as they both ran and shape-shifted in response to each other. And in the end, when she devoured him, he transformed into new and greater identity, that of the legendary poet, Taliesin.

Our next goddess is the Goddess of Love and hardship, Creiddylad. She is celebrated on May 1st at Beltane and is the eternal May Queen, bringing the promise of love that endures all hardship.

Here is the story of Creiddylad. She was promised in marriage to her heart’s desire but before the marriage could be consummated, she was abducted by a knight possessing many dark aspects.

The man of her heart then gathered together his warriors and set out to rescue her. A fierce battle ensued, during which, unfortunately........the dark lord emerged as the victor.

King Arthur heard of this and marched off to settle the matter. He declared that neither man could marry Creiddylad and returned her to her father. And then an arrangement was made forcing the two men to battle each other for the hand of Creiddylad every year on May 1st at Beltane until Judgement Day—The Forces of Light and Forces of Dark in battle—the Darkness of Winter in battle with the Light of Spring. Now that’s a long engagement!

As we all know- Spring is victorious but winter always comes. Creiddylad’s destiny was set however- she would remain the eternal maiden, living with her father, until the final battle on Judgment Day. Creiddylad reminds us that light emerges from dark, and all life is a cycle.

She emerges from a cold earth bringing sweetness and flowers and bestows her gifts of abundance on us all. Not only does she gift humanity with an abundant earth, but she also gifts us with the ability to receive that abundance. And yet she reminds us- the cycle of the earth will always return to darkness.

And finally, one of my favorite stories- the powerful and lustful Goddess Maeve. Maeve is a Celtic Goddess of personal power, the passion of love and war, and sovereignty of the land. She is definitely Light and Dark fused together.

She was a great conqueror who enjoyed enslaving the men that her Armies defeated…. as spoils of war....to pleasure her. Queen Maeve was infamous for her beauty and her sexual prowess. She had many lovers, most who were officers in her army. If they fought courageously on the battlefield, they might enjoy Maeve's "willing thighs."

As I said before, in ancient Celtic nations, women's rights equaled those of men. They owned property and occupied powerful positions. Whomever brought more wealth and property into a marriage was considered the ruler of that household, be it man or woman. This is important to Maeve's story.

So, Maeve held the power of the land as she was High Queen and had a consort named Ailill who then enjoyed royal status.

One morning after Maeve and her consort lay in bed basking in the afterglow of lovemaking, he began taunting her, claiming that she was fortunate being with him because of the power and wealth he brought into their partnership.

Well… Maeve laughed and said, “I possess great wealth and power without you, and you are only my "kept" man.” The quarrel escalated as they began comparing their wealth, assets, and influence...matching one another, until Maeve discovered that Her consort owned a bull of superior breeding- better than the one she owned- making him, technically.......the ruler of their household.

This was unacceptable to the proud warrior Queen. So, she found a bull of better quality that was owned by the King and Queen of Ulster. When they refused to sell the bull, Queen Maeve decided to take her army and invade their land with the intent of stealing the prized beast.

She and her troops were met on the battlefield by the most famous of knights- who was-BTW- trained by a Scottish warrior goddess on the isle of Skye.

It was said that Maeve could outrun the swiftest of horse, she rode at the head of her battalion, and her presence and power made her army invincible. So, in this particular clash- Maeve rode naked into battle in an open car, with four chariots surrounding her. She was so beautiful that she slayed the army just by them looking at her as they fell down in a frenzy of desire. So, she got the bull of Ulster. But at the end......when Maeve and her consort's bulls were penned together........they killed each other.

Thus, ending the competition for household ruler- Maeve won. But at what expense? When does being right or being first become too high of a price to pay?

Maeve is a goddess who is equally associated with the passion in love AND the passion in war, Light and Dark living together. The goddess Maeve IS the intoxicating power of passion...the passion we feel in love, desire, sex, as well as in anger and battle- 2 sides of one coin. And sometimes, there is a thin line between states of being. If we lose control of passion and are not mindful of our intent, or honorable in our actions, we can easily cross a line.

Maeve teaches us that when we lose a battle- whether in love or the battlefields, not to dwell in the negative aspects but to move forward in the present moment. To not make excuses for why things happen, and to learn to accept things the way they are and move on strongly. Maeve is a confident and strong Lover, warrior and Goddess who tells us to accept ourselves the way we are and to become a warrior in our own life.

Our last goddess today is Skahthahgh of Scotland, goddess of healing, martial arts, prophesy, and protection. She is called the Shadowy One, She Who Strikes Fear- she was a warrior woman and prophetess who lived in Alba- ancient Scotland, on the Isle of Skye. She trained Culcullakin who fought Maeve.

She was the Gaelic Goddess of the Dead, who searched the battlefields for souls of the slain, and guided them along their "Journey of the Soul", to Tir Nan Og. It is also the duty of Skahthahgh to drop those who acted poorly in life on one of the islands of the other world, where they pay their debt and learn their folly.

Skahthahgh was a formidable being, a teacher of war-craft and a Druid prophetess. She was reputed to be the matron of self-defense and female independence as well as the guardian of young people who seek to know their full potential.

All these goddesses can speak to us at some point in our lives. To which of the Goddesses does your intuition connect you at this moment in your life? Choose a Goddess- or be open to being chosen by her- with a sense of adventure and gratitude. You probably already know which one- or perhaps just close your eyes and see her name or face. Then come up to the centers of Fire, or water or herbs or flowers to connect to Her. Don’t be shy…. she is waiting!

I’d like to end with an Old Scottish Blessing-

May the blessing of light be on you.

Light from within and light from without.

May the blessed sunlight shine on you

like a great peat fire,

so that stranger and friend

may come and be warmed by you.

And may light shine out of the two eyes of you,

like a candle set in the window of a house,

bidding the wanderer come in out of the storm.

And may the blessing of rain be on you,

may it rain upon your Spirit and wash it fair and clean,

and leave there a shining pool

where the blue of Heaven is reflected

and sometimes a star.

Blessings to you all and I thank you.

Guest User 6/14/22 Guest User 6/14/22

The Strength and Guidance of Amazing Celtic Goddesses

The Strength and Guidance of Amazing Celtic Goddesses
at the Seattle Highland Games Speakers Series in 2016

Greetings from the Celtic Goddesses that surround you to the Scottish Heritage Speakers Series! I am Linda Joy Anderson Stern and I’m the chair of the Series, so I hope you come back to hear some of our other fabulous speakers both days.

As an introduction- I am a minister at Interfaith Community Sanctuary in Ballard where we honor all the paths that lead to the Divine. One of my areas of interest is the Divine Feminine face of Creator as She shows herself all over the world- now and in ages past, which includes Goddesses.

Also…. I am blessed to have Scottish heritage on both sides of my family- from different clans- two of which were in the American colonies before the revolutionary war. Today, I am wearing the Anderson Tartan, but I have ties with other clans that go back to ancient Scotland. When I first connected to my Scottish roots at the Highland games, I understood so more about my family. I have found that connecting to my roots really helps me to understand who I am. I hope your experience at the games does the same for you, in a new way each year.

So…. are you having a great time at the games today? One of the reasons you might be enjoying the experience is that this weekend for 1000s of years has been a Celtic celebration- called is Lughnasadh where we give thanks to Mother Earth’s for her beauty and abundance.

Lughnasadh was named in honor of the Celtic Sun God, Lugh, but it’s really a celebration of a warrior woman, Tailtiu, the last Queen of Fir Bolg. History is peppered with many Celtic warrior women, and she is one. For her people’s survival, Tailtiu single handedly cleared fields for agricultural use and then died from the endeavor. On Tailtiu’s deathbed, she asked those gathered to hold games in her honor- like the one you are at today. As long as these games were held, she prophesied that the area would never be without gratitude and there would always be happiness and song. And as you can see and hear at these games- that prophesy is true.

In Scotland, Ireland, and Wales we have always honored Lughnasadh and the first harvests……by making beer, ale, and the best single malt whisky on earth- Scotch! So perhaps later…. tip back a few to the festivals past and present, to the Goddesses that live in your life now and to celebrate Lughnasadh and our earth’s abundance with joy and gratitude! Slainte!

Looking around this tent, I would bet that most of us have at least some roots in Celtic Lands, as the Celtic lands were vast. And knowing about how our ancestors lived can perhaps give us a different perspective for our life now.

And 1000s of years ago, I know, that in our ancestors practiced Celtic spirituality, because it was an everyday approach to life. Celtic spirituality is tied deeply to the earth, to the cycles of the year and to the cycles of our own body. And Celtic spirituality acknowledges the spiritual world inside and outside of us, and that we are intimately related to all there is. The Celts did not form a single religious or political unity, like Christianity.

They were spread across a vast and diverse area and as a result there were 374 deities and most (300) are found once as a local deity. The Main Pantheon of Gods and Goddesses totaled 33, which is a sacred number in Celtic literature and religion.

So why did I choose to speak about goddesses of strength? Well, I think it is timely, as women the world-over are stepping into positions of responsibility. And women the world-over still have to deal with less than equal status. Also, as the Dalai Lama has said western women will lead the world to our healing. So, I hope that some of the stories of these goddesses might inspire you to embrace the strength found in you to make a positive difference in our world. You see, Goddesses, were a shining star to guide the path of Ancient Celts, as men and women alike revered Goddesses for their strength, intelligence, protection, healing, and many other ideals. You see, they were role models.

Many of the old-world Goddesses, encompass both light and dark and the Celtic people knew these as 2 sides of one coin-in balance. Strength comes in many forms, and this is true with Goddesses as well. Some of the Goddesses I will speak about today will seem rather dark, but these areas are just as real and important as areas of light and were needed for survival.

In times past, the ancient Celts knew the source of life, in themselves, plants and animals, was associated with females…. So, for them it was natural to feel that the creator of life was…. Female. And because…. the Celts saw the relationship of the goddesses and humans they respected women in their clans. Females were equal to males and held just as much power and responsibility and linage descent was most often traced through the mothers.

One more thing I want to mention to you to keep in mind as I talk, is that in the land of the Celts, sometimes a woman led such a spectacular life that she was elevated to a Goddess after her death. Similar to how the Catholic Church elevated a person to status of a saint. So was Tailetu, a woman or goddess? And many women were named after goddesses in tribute hoping to acquire some of her traits. As the information about the goddesses and Celtic spirituality is mostly spoken myths and legends- perhaps sometimes the line between goddesses and female historical figures gets blurred. Celtic women were very strong figures, and you have to think that the goddesses they worshiped had to be at least that strong.

So, as I speak about these Goddesses of Strength, see which ones you connect to. It may have nothing to do with the information I give you- it might be a spark of recognition or a blink of intuition. After I speak, please feel welcome to come up to the centers of fire, water and herbs and connect with these goddesses and ask questions. Off we go!

The first Goddess I want to talk about is the Goddess portrayed in the painting up here and her name is Bridget. The Goddess Brigit is a beloved Celtic Triple Goddess. Her titles are Goddess of Healing, Inspiration and Smithcraft but she is so much more. Her connections include…...and this is a large list so it shows you how revered she is….... Fertility, New Growth and Birth, Patroness of Poetry,

Inspiration, Healing, Goddess of divination, prophecy, Smithcraft, and smithcraft includes the arts connected to Fire and things having to do with a hearth found in a home, she is also a Warrior Goddess and a Protectoress of the people and the land.

So, to give you an idea of from whence she came into the world
I give….. Bridget’s Fire Birth Story.

A long time ago, at the first crack of a pink dawn,
near the waters of the magic well, the goddess Bridget
slipped into the world and into the hands
of 9 swaying and crooning sisters
who formed a great circle around her.
The waters of the magic well gurgled their joy.

Suddenly, up rose a column of fire out of Bridget’s head
that burned to the very heavens connecting the above with the below.

Then she reached up her hands and broke away a flaming plume
from her crown of fire and dropped it on the ground in front of her.
There it leaped and danced, leaped and danced.

The nine sisters hummed and crooned and swayed around her,
and the waters of the magic well began to tremble
as Bridget built a hearth, stone by stone around the dancing fires
again, uniting the above with below, and the inner with outer.

From this fire, Bridget used both her hands
to draw out a leaping tongue of flame and she swallowed it!
And she felt the fire burn straight to her heart.

There stood the goddess,
fire crowning her head!
fire shooting from her heart!
and fire dancing from her hands!
The Goddess Bridget was born!

Brigit is obviously associated with Fire as she is the Lady of the Sacred Flame. In fact, her name means, “Fiery Arrow or Bright One”. She is the Flame of Inspiration and the Flame of our Creative Consciousness. Bridget is associated with both the inner fires of the soul as well as the physical fires of the hearth and forge underscoring the wisdom that the inner and outer worlds live in unity.

She is celebrated on February 1 or 2. Her feast day celebrates Bridget returning light to the world for Spring, which she steals back, by the way, from another powerful Scottish goddess, the Cailleach Bridget is the Bringer of Light after the dark months of winter, she brings hope, renewal, and transformations.

In her Fire aspect we find the hidden and ancient mystery of Alchemy. Wisdom gained through the fire of life, strengthens, and transforms us. Bridget is teaching us, that sometimes we need to feel the fire, to react to the fire, to be changed and charged by the fire to walk our own life path. Fire is Light that burns brightly in us and in the dark to show the way.

Celtic Warriors appealed to her for the strength they needed to fight their battles with their swords and their spirit. In her aspect as a Warrior Goddess, Brigit is the Protectoress, she is a devoted and steadfast guardian to all who call upon her. Within the protective embrace of Brigit’s cloak, we feel safe and supported.

Here is a prayer for you in Scot Gaelic asking Bridget for her protection:

Which means Oh, Bridget, spread above my head your mantle bright to guide me. (Phonetically) A Bat Breed, share osh mo keon-Go vrat fion gom ankal

So…. there was a woman named after the goddess Bridget, who later is called St Bridget and she shares most of the aspects as the Goddess Bridget. So, this is an example of cross over between goddess and human and goddess and saint. There is so much more to say about her Bridget’s strength- she is limitless as we all are. But on to our next Goddess!

Our next goddess is one having the strength to travel to the land of the dead and come back unscathed. Her name is Skahthakh, and it means “She who strikes fear in others”.

She was a prophetess who taught from her warrior’s school on the Isle of Skye in the Hebrides. At one time, she was thought to be mortal and as she was a great warrior and teacher, it was said the Tuatha de Dannan, the ancient Gods and Goddesses…. and transformed into a Goddess herself. So, this is another example of which came first…. the goddess or the human woman.

She is a Gaelic Goddess of the Dead, who accompanies souls slain in battle on their death journey like the Valkyrie of the Norse. She would search the battlefields for the souls of the slain and guide them along the Imrama na Anem or Journey of the Soul to Tir Nan Og, the Otherworld.

It was also the duty of Skahthakh to drop those who acted poorly in life, on a mystical island, in the Otherworld, where they pay their debts and learned their folly.

The greatest warriors of the land came to Skahthakh’s warrior school to be trained, and this included the Red Branch warriors and Cuhuleann. She taught martial arts, discipline, how to work iron and steel, healing, the ways of the seer, the art of love, and the deadly use of weapons. Like the Lady of the Lake in the Arthurian legends, she bestowed on her most deserving pupil a magical sword. So, it was to Cuhuleann, that she gave a sword whose thrust was fatal.

She was famous for battle methods such as the battle yell which was a used effectively by the Scots in battle and when the Scots came to this country the yell was past to the Confederates as the rebel yell.

As a Protectoress, her great battle shield was said to guard the barriers between the Otherworld and here. One night a year, her shield was lowered to allow access back and forth over the veil so the spirits of the dead could walk amongst the living. The dead could enjoy food and be entertainment and be honored.

Even in the world today, Skahthakh inspires people, as there is a group in BC, called the Order of Skahthakh. There they train women in her philosophies to make a positive difference in the world while being strong. Something we can all aspire to.

Next, we come to an ancient Goddess who predates even Celtic times but survived to be a part of the Celtic pantheon. Her story is all about the strength of leadership, perseverance, and new beginnings.

Her name is Cessair and she was a Partholan, which is thought to be one of the first groups to occupy Ireland and it is said she was a ruler. So, here is another story that maybe human woman or maybe Goddess. Her story goes like… when she and her people were denied a place on Noah’s Ark, Cessair leads them to escape the Flood by sailing to Ireland. They set out in three ships… a mystical number… and reach Ireland after a long journey. On the journey was Cessair, her husband, 2 other males and 150 mothers from….all around the world. She must have picked them up on the way there! The women on the voyage can be seen as creating a microcosm of the world's population, like Noah does on the arc. On this trip, two of the men died and her husband was left with all the women and eventually, he is unable to cope ….and so he flees by jumping into the ocean and turning into a mystical salmon.

This story shows how the people saw the Mother Goddess as a source of regeneration and strength. Cessair’s "I was here first" image was so strong, that the Christians, who came after her, could not eliminate her so they made her a relative of Noah. Cessair survives thru 1000s of years and at least 3 spiritual affiliations, and she is a role model of strength in leadership.

Our next Goddess is Calleeach, who is strongly connected to Scotland but also in Ireland and Briton. She rules over the weather, especially winter, and has unrelenting strength.

In Scotland she is the Mother of All, who created the earth with her hammer, who splinters mountains and raises weather. It is said that she made the mountains and hills to use as her stepping-stones to cross the great lands. She is strength uncontained.

The Calleeach rules Winter- freezing the ground with her staff and herding animals into protective lands. In partnership with the goddess Bridget -the Calleeach rules the winter while Bridget rules the summer. Calleeach, the Goddess of Winter, steals the light and brings the start of cold weather but she also leads us to our internal time, to learn and to grow in mind and spirit.

Farmers knew their dependence on the weather and had rituals that would appease her to have a longer growing season. So, the last farmer who completed their harvest was officially “the winner” family and had to watch over the Calleeach for the winter. So, they would provide her with offerings of food and rituals. And she always noticed and gifted her protection to this family.

She is in presented in the older wise woman phase. In some stories, a knight of the realm accepts her for who she is which transforms back to a beautiful young maiden. But we all know that wisdom and strength and beauty inside, win out over transient physical beauty and the Calleeach returns to her true state as a wise woman, which contains the strength, for which she is known. This is a lesson we all can take away- that our strength lies in being who we truly are.

Our next goddess is Macha who is a Warrior Goddess who started as a healer. She represents the cycle of life and death, sheer physical force, victory, wisdom, and enlightenment.

She is generally thought of as one part of the Triple Death-Goddess, the Mórrígan. All three sisters could take the form of ravens and fly over battlefields. In one form, as a screaming raven, she was the voice of the dead on the battlefield, which caused panic amongst the warriors. They could also cause fear and confusion in other ways. During one such battle, Macha, and her sisters, created clouds of mist and a furious rain of fire, giving their enemies no rest for three days and nights and causing them to lose the battle.

But after a battle, in respect for the fallen warriors, Macha and her 2 sisters would gather the souls of the fallen warriors in their wings and fly them to Tir Nan Og.

Macha started as a healer goddess but changed into battlefield warrior goddess. The sister goddesses changed when change was needed. Is this not the way of women?

Celtic women often fought in wars, and they needed a Goddess of the Battlefield as did the men– and so Macha, changed from a gentle healing goddess, who was depicted as a Sacred Cow, whose milk was the antidote to the poison of weapons, into a battlefield Goddess. So here is an example of the strength of Light and Dark together for survival.

For our last goddess today, we will look at Strength that comes in the form of intelligence with the goddess Airmid. Airmid was a member of Tuatha De Danaan, the most ancient race of deities and just as they did, she had great powers. She happened to be the daughter of the God of Medicine, who was the Chief Physician and Magician of their clan and their King.

One of the stories told about Airmid, is that when her kings’ arm was severed in battle, her father decided to replace it with an arm made of silver. Airmid did not like this plan and she went against her father’s idea, and she regenerated the King’s arm with her powers to perfect working order. Then her brother, using his renowned surgical skills, re-attached the regenerated arm to the King’s body. This was extremely important to the Tuatha De Danaan and the King, because according to its laws, no one could ever be king, whose body was not completely whole. So, she and her brother saved the King. Strength in sticking to what you know is right, is important.

In another story about Airmid, she and her brother and father, built the Well of Health. When it was complete, dead warriors could be brought to its magical waters, and not only did it restore them to life, but it returned the warriors to perfect health….so, they could immediately go to battle.

But the most important story about Airmid was that she knew the secret healing life of herbs. Her knowledge of this came out of grief, however.

It is told like this: Airmid’s dear brother had recently died, and she would frequently visit his grave. Watered by her tears of sorrow, all the healing herbs of the world sprung up on the grave of her brother. Surprised, Airmid collected the herbs in her mantle. And……. she found that as she listened, they told her their secrets of healing. She collected all the 365 herbs- one for each part of the body and each day of the year, and she organized them all, spreading them out on her cloak. But her father lashed out, and scattered the herbs, not wanting anyone to have the knowledge. However, Airmid could not be stopped, and she shared her knowledge of their sacred healing powers with the world. We can learn from her…. to share our gifts with the world to help healing- even if someone tries to step into our way.

These amazing Goddesses were blazing stars to guide the Celtic people. They were role models for the women and men. And sometimes, amazing women were elevated to the state of Goddess after they died, as may have been the case with Skahthakh, Cessair and Macha. And some women were named after the goddesses in tribute to acquire their traits, like Bridget. So, I thought I would share a few examples of historical women that became Goddesses.

During the 3rd century BCE, there was a woman named Marcia Proba who was a Celtic warrior queen who was elevated to a Celtic Goddess. Her laws, known as the Marcian Statutes, gave equal status to women and were thought of by some to lay the groundwork for the Magna Carta.

And there was Triduana, from Scotland. She is an example of a woman elevated into a Goddess who is also canonized by the Catholic Church. Triduana is said to have plucked out her eyes to eradicate her own beauty and presented them to a Pict king rather than submit to his advances. Celts admired her strength, and she became a healing Goddess for eyes using water found by oak trees. And she was canonization on the same principle, as people would pray to her for cures for their eyes successfully.

Sometimes the line is blurred between a human woman and a goddess. I believe that we all have that strength in us, the goddess strength in us, to do great works here in our time. So, may you gather strength from the stories that precede you and may you use your strength now to share your gifts with the world and inspire others.

I’m going to end with a Gaelic blessing and after the blessing, please come up to the centers of water, fire or herbs to connect with the goddesses- they are waiting.

May the blessing of light be on you,

Light from within and light from without.

May the blessed sunlight shine on you like a great peat fire,

so that stranger and friend alike may come and be warmed by you.

And may the light shine out of your two eyes,

like candles set in the window of a house,

bidding the wanderer come in out of the storm.

And may the blessing of rain be on you,

and may it rain upon your Spirit and wash it fair and clean,

and leave there a shining pool

where the blue of Heaven is reflected

and sometimes a star.

Blessings to you all and I thank you for being here.

Guest User 6/14/22 Guest User 6/14/22

St Margaret, Queen of Scots

at the Scottish Highland Games Speakers Series in 2017
Linda Stern

Greetings, I am Linda Stern, and I am the 27th great-granddaughter of Margaret, Princess of Wessex, Queen of Scots, who 150 years after her death became St Margaret of Scotland.

I have Scottish heritage on both sides of my family and my relation to her is through my grandmother on my father’s side, the Mitchells. I am speaking about her not because I am a descendant, but because she is an example of a strong woman with a vision for her people who worked tirelessly for her goal, and she is a great role model for a life supported by faith.

St Margaret, Queen of Scots has long fascinated historians as one of the most complex women in medieval history. She is chronicled by her own personal confessor in the Catholic Church and written about by historians in her lifetime and after. More is known about Margaret than most medieval queens and she is thought to be an intense woman of piety, conscience, charity, compassion, and intelligence, who had very great influence on her husband, and through him over Scottish history.

St Margaret, Queen of Scots…. was born an English Princess in the House of Wessex. Her father was Prince Edward the Exile, and her mother was Agatha, of royal Hungarian blood. Delving into your ancestors is exciting and somewhat fictionalized history. You will see many times in history, that unless a woman is high born AND has great historical or cultural worth, the facts & stories about her may not exist or be questionable.

Margaret’s exact birth date is not known for sure but is thought to be September 8th, 1045, and by the way… that’s my birthday too, just separated by 900 years.

A little background info- Before Margaret’s birth, her father- Prince Edward, the exile, had been taken out of England as a toddler to escape the wrath of the new conquering ruler, Cnut, the Great the King of Denmark, and Norway and also England. Another story says that Cnut had the family taken to Sweden to have them murderer. But because the king of Sweden, where the family was sent, was a good man he did not murder the children, so they escaped to Kiev. The king, btw, was a saint (St Stephan) so why Cnut thought he would murder them, I don’t know. So eventually, Margaret’s father came to the court of St Stephan of Hungary where he met his future wife, they married, and they had 3 children. The family resided in royal and religious courts in Sweden and Kiev and Hungary as devoted Catholics.

So back to the drama in their homeland of England! After Cnut, there were 2 more Danish/Norwegian rulers and then the House of Wessex regained the throne of England. The king who regained the throne was Edward, the Confessor, and when he heard that Margaret’s father was alive in Hungary the family was recalled back to England in 1057. This was because King Edward the Confessor had taken a vow of celibacy and had no children so next in line was Margaret’s father Edward the Exile. So, the family arrived back to England so that Margaret’s father would be the successor to the childless King.

Within 3 weeks of arriving, Margaret’s father was crowned and then killed… by poisoning. In fact- Margaret was present at his death and for the rest of her life, she wondered if she could have saved him somehow. If you have watched Game of Thrones or The White Queen or the White Princess…. think of the positioning of all those elements and you sort of have how it was. It was very dangerous to be in line for the throne.

So, Margaret’s family, now without her father, was abandoned in Briton. His widow, Agatha, needed to raise and protect the two princesses, (Margaret & Christina) and the small prince- Edgar the Atheling, who was slated to inherit the throne of England. Actually, at one point, Edgar was proclaimed King of England, BUT…. William the Conqueror saw this as a great time to invade, and it was so he invaded, and he won. At this point, Margaret’s royal family was out again! As I said- very dangerous to be in this family or inline for any throne, back then.

So, in 1066 (it took a little while), Margaret’s mother, Agatha, planned an escape back to the continent- back to Hungary- to save her children from a life of being a political prisoner or death. So, the escape was planned, they slipped out at night, but during their escape, ….as in all good stories……while sailing over raging seas, they shipwrecked along the northwestern coast of Scotland, on a land belonging to what they believed to be barbarians- the Scots. This location is a beach now called St Margaret’s Hope and is a place people go to pray and connect St Margaret.

The Scottish king, Malcolm Ceanmor (Malcolm Bighead) heard of the shipwreck, went to the beach, and rescued the family. He offered the royal family sanctuary and…. as in all good love stores - the king soon found love with Margaret, and he asked for her hand in marriage. BTW…. Malcolm knew the importance of a marriage with one of the few remaining members of the Anglo-Saxon royal family. She was after all, the sister to the rightful king of England. And Margaret’s family knew this as well seeing it as a way to get Edgar back on the English throne.

Margaret’s plans actually were to continue her education and become a nun but for the good of all her family, England and the Scottish people, she decided to marry the king. So, they were married in 1070.

Raised in royal courts on the continent and England, Margaret knew that her husband needed polishing to be considered part of the world power. Being involved in world power is what both families wanted. This was important for her family, as they wanted to put her brother, Edgar back on the English throne. So, Margaret crafted Malcolm's transformation from a warlord barbarian to a worldly medieval king. By her care, the king himself became more civilized and so did the people of Scotland.

Having been raised in royal courts, she found Scotland and the Scots very rough and began to introduce English manners and ways, which the Gaelic people did not like. But Malcolm saw and knew that the English ways were going to prevail, so he helped Margaret as much as he could. She had a great influence on her husband, and through him over Scottish history, especially in its religious aspects.

She is called the Pearl of Scotland as she worked tirelessly to bring charity, religious reform, and refined culture to her adopted land of Scotland, and she earned the love and trust of the people as she worked long and hard to benefit the poor and less fortunate.

Margaret initiated religious reforms in Scotland, to make the worship practices of the Church in Scotland--- conform to those of Rome. She also invited the Benedictine order to establish a monastery at Dunfermline. She established free ferries for the poor pilgrims journeying to St. Andrews. Many days, the Queen's rooms were full of ladies working on vestments for the church.

Her dedication to the church had started at the youngest of ages in Hungary and continued with wanting to be a nun but also continued in the life of a Queen. She would rise at midnight each night to attend church services. Each night. Also, there was a hidden cave, which she made into her personal place of devotion and prayer. She also at times would disguise herself as a male to enter a church forbidden to women. Imagine a woman forbidden to enter a sacred space. And yet we worked tirelessly for the Church. She prayed, fasted, admonished, and celebrated with fanatical intensity Queen Margaret had trouble with the priests who spoke Gaelic in Scotland. They had ways of doing things, which were different than the Roman Catholic Church. Margaret debated these priests, and King Malcolm translated what each side was saying. Margaret did well in these arguments, but the Gaelic-speaking people did not want to be taught English ways. It was eventually her pure spirit not the ways of the RC church that convinced others to change. I also think it was the pressure from her husband, the King.

Malcolm wanted to please his wife. Although he could not read, he had some of the books bound in gold and set with precious stones of topazes, sapphires, and rubies. This is part of one of her stories.

St. Margaret is not famous as a worker of miracles. But the priests who lived at her Court spoke of an interesting occurrence. One day Margaret, Malcolm and their entourage were on a journey. The servant, who carried the Four Gospel book, accidentally dropped the book into the river without knowing it. When the Queen asked for her book, the servant saw it was missing. They searched along the road, but the book seemed lost.

At long last the book was found in the river, open, and rolling about among the pebbles. But not a single letter had been damaged. Not one single jewel was gone. The book looked as if it had never touched by the water, except a tiny stain on the margin. Because of this occurrence, the Queen became even fonder of her book when it was brought back to her. You can see this book at the Library at Oxford.

Margaret and her husband had many children- 8 in total but she loved all the children of Scotland. She would serve orphans and the poor with her own spoon before she ate, and she would wash the feet of the poor in imitation of Christ to encourage compassion. And she also gave away her garments to the poor, which encouraged other well to do families to do the same.

Concerning Margaret and Malcolm’s children, she was very careful in their education. Of those children there were 3 kings of Scots, one traitor to the Scots, one Abbot of Dunkeld, one Queen of England married to King Henry 1, one Countess of Boulogne and a son who died in battle at the age of 22. One of her sons, David was the best of the old kings of Scotland, and this is the line that I descend from.

Margaret knew that others could benefit from the gold in Scotland’s treasury. For instance, she stole from the King’s gold to give it to the poor on rides about the countryside. Also, Scotland jails were full of poor prisoners who were captured in England during the war for ransom. Margaret found the prisoners, paid their ransom (from the royal treasury!!) and sent them home. The priest who wrote about her life says that he admired her works of mercy more than miracles. And it was reported that the king was fond of her pious plundering, and he good-naturedly threatened that he would have her tried and punished and he called her- his Little Thief.

After she had been Queen for nearly 25 years, she became weak and tired. A friend sent a messenger to fetch the priest, and when he arrived, she told him that it had been revealed to her, she was soon to die.

Unfortunately, Malcolm was away fighting a war with two of their sons. Margaret had no way of getting news about him, so the priest was startled she said: "Perhaps this very day a great misfortune will fall on Scotland- such a sorrow that has not been felt for many years.” And it happened that on that very day Malcolm and the eldest son were slain in battle. Margaret didn’t know that her words had come true.

After praying in her chapel, she returned to her bed as she was in great pain she asked for the Black Rood. The Black Rood was considered to be part of the True Cross on which Jesus died. It was said that she brought the priceless relic from Hungary to England and then on to Scotland with her. She lay quietly in her bed, with the Rood at her heart, when her son Edgar came in. He had been fighting with his father and brother, but he escaped the battle.

At first Edgar could not speak, then in broken words he told the story of how he had saw his father and his brother fall, sword in hand. Edgar was in deep grief not only for his father and brother but because he knew bad times were ahead as Gaelic-speaking people would rebel against him as he was partly English. And as if this was not enough, he was watching his mother die. She said a last prayer and left this world.

So it was that in 1093, her beloved husband, King Malcolm was killed in battle alongside their son…. and the queen died of within 3 days. Margaret was not yet fifty, but a life of constant austerity and fasting, probably led to her death.

The queen was declared a saint 150 years after her death in 1250 for country wide religious reform and charity. She almost single-handedly led the people of Scotland into modern times both in culture and in religious reform. She showed the power of one woman motivated by faith.

There are several stories, told centuries after her death. In one, Margaret and Malcolm’s burial place was being changed to a new location. So, Margaret's coffin was removed from the original position- first. But the workers carrying it found it so heavy that they had to set it down. And ….as they set it down…. they realized they put it down…...right next to the grave of her beloved husband, Malcolm. Only when they moved King Malcolm’s coffin first, were they able to lift St Margaret’s coffin to its new location. Legend says that the queen’s spirit, out of love and respect for her husband, prevented her coffin from being moved first to their new resting place.

It is said that tiny, beautiful lights float around areas where St Margaret spent time, which some say --means that she still watches over Scotland and her people to this day. I wish I could have met this powerful woman but because so much is written about her, I feel as though I am getting to know her across the centuries as she encourages us all to be strong and be led by faith.

Thank you very much for listening to the story of one of the strong women in Scotland and may the blessing of St Margaret be on you.

Guest User 6/14/22 Guest User 6/14/22

The Strength and Guidance of Celtic Goddesses, Saints and Women

2017

Greetings my name is Linda Stern and I love sharing about Scottish Goddesses – they are all such amazing role models. So much so, that it is difficult to choose which Goddesses to speak about. But choose, I must…. so today I have chosen to speak about crossovers. Crossovers between intense Scottish women, and fiery, fierce Scottish goddesses and impassioned Scottish saints.

But why should you be interested fiery, intense, impassioned women? Well, it’s because I hope the stories of these goddesses and saints and women will inspire you to embrace the strength found in yourself to make a positive difference in our world…. just like they did.

So as an introduction of myself- I am a minister at Interfaith Community Sanctuary in Ballard where we honor all the paths that lead to the Divine and one of my areas of interest is the Divine Feminine face of Creator as She shows herself all over the world- now and in ages past, so this of course includes Celtic Goddesses and Saints.

Also, you might like to know, I am blessed to have Scottish heritage on both sides of my family- from different clans that were in the American colonies before the revolutionary war- one as early as 1652 when Henry Mitchell and Pricilla Jarrett Mitchell, who were from Orkney Island, came at 18 years of age to the Virginia colony.

On the other side of my family is Clan Anderson and today, I am wearing the Anderson Tartan in the form of an Arisaidt. The Arisaidt, was worn by Scottish women and was usefully for many reasons- to keep warm, for sleeping, to get out of the rain, to hold a child, to gather vegetables or to conceal a weapon for protection!

Over the last 40 years, I have delved into my family’s genealogy, and I have discovered my roots---- which go back to ancient times in Scotland- before it was called Scotland- past the times of the Celts to the times of the Picts. Truly, I have found that connecting to my roots has helped me understand who my family is and who I am. So, I hope you investigate your roots, Celtic or not.

Looking around this tent, I bet that most of us have at least some roots in Celtic Lands as Celtic lands were vast and knowing about how our Celtic ancestors lived can give us a different perspective for our life now. To give you some of that perspective about Celtic life and to start our journey about Scottish women, goddesses, and saints- I want to tell you a little about this time of year, the Celtic spiritual path and a woman named Tailtiu.

This time of year, in the old Celtic religion is called Lughnasadh. It is 2 days from now on August 1. Lughnasadh was and is a celebration to give thanks to Mother Earth for her abundance and beauty. So, if you are having a great time, it might just be…. that you are connecting to the spirit of the past Celtic celebrations of Lughnasadh and Highland Games. How is that, you ask?

Well, let me tell you ….by sharing about my first strong Scottish woman. Her name is Tailtiu, and she is the force in back of Lughnasadh … even if the celebration is named after the Celtic Sun God, Lugh. Tailtiu was the last Queen of Fir Bolg and to save her people, she single-handedly cleared huge fields for agricultural use….and gave her life in the doing of it. On Tailtiu’s deathbed, she asked her clan, her family, to hold celebrations- like the game you’re at today- to honor the Earth and Earth’s abundance. She prophesied that if the games were held there would always be happiness and gratitude and connection to each other and the earth. So, what do you think? Do you think her prophecy was successful? I do! We are at a joyful celebration right now!

The Old Religion, that most of these women I will speak about were a part of, was practiced for 1000s of years and was a part of everyday life. The Celtic spiritual path was deeply tied to the earth, deeply to the cycles of the year and deeply to the cycles of our bodies. Also, Celtic spirituality acknowledged that the spiritual world lives inside and outside of us, and that we are all are intimately related to everything that exists. Everything.

And Celtic Goddesses were a part of that spiritual path. They were revered for their strength, intelligence, protection, healing, and many other reasons. In times past, the ancient Celts knew the source of life in themselves, in the Gods and Goddesses, and in plants and animals, was feminine. And because…. the Celts saw the relationship between the goddesses and women- they respected women in their clans. Women owned and kept their possessions after they married, they held political power, they trained warriors, they led those men into battle, they worked as druids, healers, and leaders.

Also- In the land of the Celts, sometimes when a woman led a spectacular life after she died…. she was elevated to the status of a Goddess - similar to how the Catholic Church elevates a person to status of a saint.

So was Tailtiu, a mortal Celtic queen or a Celtic goddess? Or both? Was it myth or History? Who Knows? Stories about goddesses were mostly spoken history, spoken myths and spoken legends- so perhaps the line between a goddess and a female historical figure gets blurred. And of course, this maybe the case with Saints as well.

But whether intense mortal woman, fierce Scottish Goddess, or Impassioned Scottish Saint or - or all three- their pluck and intelligence have inspired people for millenniums.

As I speak about these Goddesses, Saints, and women, see which ones you spark your interest and after I speak, please come on up the center of fire, or water or herbs and connect with them. So…off we go!

I always include the Goddess Bridget. You might say she is my go-to Goddess. That is because she has been a beloved Celtic Triple Goddess for thousands of years. Her main titles are Goddess of Healing, Inspiration and Smithcraft but she is so much more.

The circumstances that she helped people with is a vast and shows you how revered she was and still is….... it includes Fertility, New Beginnings and Birth, Healing with water, Poetry, Creative Inspiration, divination, prophecy, anything connected to Fire and the home, and she is the Main Goddess of Druidry, and she is a Protectoress of the people and the land.

She was like their North Star.

So, to give you an idea of from whence she came into the world
I give you..... Bridget’s Fire Birth story.

Suddenly, up rose a column of fire out of Bridget’s head
that burned to the very heavens connecting the above with the below.
Then she reached up her hands and broke away a flaming plume
from her crown of fire and dropped it on the ground in front of her.
There it leaped and danced, leap and danced.

The nine sisters hummed and crooned and swayed around her,
and the waters of the magic well began to tremble
as Bridget built a hearth- stone by stone around the dancing fires
again, uniting the above with below, and the inner with outer.

From this fire, Bridget used both her hands
to draw out a leaping tongue of flame and she swallowed it!
And she felt the fire burn straight to her heart.

There stood the goddess,
fire crowning her head!
fire shooting from her heart!

and fire dancing from her hands!
The Goddess Bridget was born!

So, obviously….she is connected to Fire! She is the Flame of our Creative Consciousness and is associated with both the inner fires of the soul as well as the outer physical fires of the hearth, showing the wisdom that the inner and outer worlds live in unity.

In Bridget’s Inner Fire, we find the ancient mystery of Alchemy. Wisdom gained through the fire of life strengthens and transforms us. Bridget is teaching us, that sometimes we need to feel the fire, to react to the fire, to be changed and charged by the fire- to walk our own life path. Fire is Light that burns brightly in us and in the dark to show us the way.

Also- Bridget is connected with many forms of sacred healing water. So, I want to tell you a story about Bridget’s healing waters:

One day, Brigit was sitting at her sacred well and 2 lepers appeared and asked to be healed. "Bathe yourself in my well," said Bridget to the first man. He went to the well and at everyplace, Bridget's waters touched his skin, he turned whole.

"Now bathe your friend," said Bridget to the first man.

So, the healed man turned and looked at his friend. He was repulsed and backed away. "I cannot touch him now,” he said.

"Then you are not healed," said the goddess. And she gave the first man back his leprosy. She then healed the second man by dipping her cloak into the sacred water and placing her mantle around his shoulders.

She turned again to the first man and said, "Return to me with compassion and there you will find your healing."

So, here was not only the element of healing in the form of sacred water, but also her wisdom, compassion and the mind set… to not put up with selfishness.

As a Protectress, Celtic Warriors appealed to her for the strength they needed to fight their battles with their swords and their spirit. She was a devoted and steadfast guardian, to all who call upon her. Within the protective embrace of Brigit’s cloak, we can feel safe and supported and guided.

So, I want to teach you a prayer in Scot Gaelic you can say to feel her cloak of protection and guidance around you. It means “Oh, Bridget, spread above my head your cloak bright to guide me.” (phonetic)A Bat Breed, share osh mo keon- Go vrat fion gom ankal.

The goddess Bridget has been worshipped for 1000s of years. And then…. around the 5th century, there was a mortal woman named Bridget who led a life of service and helped others. Some say she may have been a Druidess at a temple for the goddess Bridget.

Anyway, after the death of this woman named Bridget, who led a good life, she was venerated and called Saint Bridget. Both the Goddess and the Saint had the same name, both the Goddess and the Saint had the same feast days, both the Goddess and the Saint had the same legends and folk customs. Some suggest that the woman took on the goddess Bridget’s name and attributes to gather followers to Christianity. What we do know is that chronologically, Bridget was definitely a Goddess before a Saint.

In the world today there is a sanctuary with a sacred flame that is kept burning 24/7 to honor….which one? The Saint? The Woman? The Goddess? Perhaps all 3. Perhaps the saint and goddess and the woman are one in the same- just showing Herself in a different form when the world needed a different form.

On to the next goddess who is named Skahthakh. She was afraid of nothing. In fact, her name means “she who strikes fear in others.” She walked with the dead, she taught how to be a warrior, led them in battle….and lovemaking.

Skahthakh is a Gaelic Goddess of the Dead. It was she who accompanied souls who were slain in battle on their death journey. If they led a good life, she would guide them on their, Imrama na Anem or Journey of the Soul to Tir Nan Og, their Otherworld.

But she also acted as a judge of sorts- when she found a soul who acted poorly in life, she would take them to another island in the Otherworld- one where no one wanted to be. One where they learned what they had done wrong and….paid their debts.

Skahthakh taught from her warrior’s school on the Isle of Skye in the Hebrides. There she taught martial arts, discipline, healing, the ways of the seer, the deadly use of weapons and the art of making love. The greatest warriors of the land came to Skahthakh’s warrior school to be trained. This included the Red Branch warriors and Cuhuleann.

As a Protectoress, her great battle shield was said to guard the barriers between the Land of the Dead and the Land of the Living. One night a year, she would lower her great shield, to allow access over the veil. This way, the dead could walk amongst the living and the living could honor the dead. Life and death in relationship, not fear.

Some say that Skahthackh was a mortal woman. She was an important leader, teacher, warrior, and role model. Remember- that I mentioned that in Celtic society, women trained warriors and lead them into battles and that if a mortal woman led a spectacular life she could be elevated to a Goddess? So it was that the Tuatha de Dannan, the ancient Gods and Goddesses…. transformed Skahthakh from a mortal woman into a Goddess. But mortal or goddess, she was and is an inspiration.

The next example is a woman from ancient times who was transformed into a Celtic Goddess and was made a part of the story of Christianity. Her story is about strength of leadership, perseverance, and new beginnings. Her name is Cessair, and she was originally from the Iberian Peninsula. Both Scots and Irish have been shown to have a strong DNA foundation from the Iberian Peninsula so again so a wee bit of myth and legend, and a wee bit of science and history in this story.

Her story goes like this… The Great Flood was coming- and Cessair asked for a place on Noah’s ark, but he said no. So, she said, “No Problem!” and she found her own ships to escape the flood. So, they set out in three ships… a very mystical number… on their very long journey. Cessair had rescued them all.

On the journey was Cessair, her husband, 2 other males and 150 mothers from…all around the world! These 150 women were seen as creating a strong Celtic diversity- much like Noah did with animals on his arc.

The Celtic people saw this Woman-Mother-Goddess as a source of regeneration and strength. Cessair’s “I was here first" energy was so strong, that when the Christians came, they could not eliminate her…..so, they just made her a part of guess who’s family? That’s right; Noah. This is another example of a strong woman and/or goddess, blending into the Christian faith to attract followers.

Cessair thrived in 3 cultures- and she was a role model of strength in leadership in all of them.

The next story is about an amazing woman named Triduana, and even though it is a small story it is worth a mention. She is an example of a woman elevated into a Goddess who is also canonized by the Catholic Church. Her story is this: Triduana was a beautiful and strong woman who being harassed by a Pict King. And rather than submit to his advances, she plucked out her eyes and ruined her beauty and presented them to the King. Some might say it was like cutting off your nose to spite your face- well cutting out your eyes……but to the people it showed that she would not allow herself to be abused. Celts elevated her to the status of a Goddess for her strength and anything having to do with healing of eyes. And the Catholic Church canonization her for the same reasons. Another example of a cross-over between a woman, goddess, and saint, to attract followers to Christianity.

And lastly, I’d like to talk about a Saint who was a great inspiration to the culture and country of Scotland during the 10th century. She is my 27thgreat grandmother, St Margaret, Queen of Scots. Margaret’s birth date is not known for sure but thought to be September 8th, 1047. BTW-that’s also my birthday, Sept 8th just separated by 900 years.

St Margaret, Queen of Scots has long fascinated historians as one of the most complex women in medieval history. We know so much about her because her personal confessor shared his writings ……so much for privacy…. And also because many historians both in her lifetime and after wrote about her. She is thought to be a woman of conscience, charity, clarity, compassion, and intelligence. And intensity. She is amazing.

Margaret was born an English Princess in the House of Wessex, to Prince Edward the Exile and Agatha, who was either Russian or Hungarian. Margaret’s father had been removed from England as a child to save him from being killed by a new conquering ruler.

So, at some point, her father married Agatha and they resided in royal courts in Sweden, Kiev, and Hungary, and they were devoted Catholics.

Then in 1057, the family was recalled to England because her father was the successor to the English throne. But......it was a ruthless political time within 3 weeks of arriving…. Margaret’s father was crowned king and killed by poisoning- right in front of her! Just think…. Game of Thrones and you’ll have the feeling.

The next in line for this “opportunity” for the throne was Margaret’s brother, Edgar who was proclaimed King of England! But this didn’t last long, as William the Conqueror invaded and took the throne. So again……the family was out! This kind of thing happened a lot in history. If any of you have watched White Princess or White Queen- you will know what I mean.

Margaret’s mother planned an escape to the continent to save her children from either death or a life of being political prisoner in the tower or in abbey.

At night, they boarded a ship and escaped bound for the continent…but as in all good stories…. There was a raging storm……. that blew the ship off course… and they shipwrecked along the northeastern coast of Scotland. This place is still called St Margaret’s Hope.

And…….as in all good love stories... Malcolm, the King of Scots, my 27th great-grandfather, rescued them and offered the royal family sanctuary. Within a short period of time, the king fell in love with Margaret and asked for her hand in marriage and they wed. Both families knew how important this political marriage was for Scotland and for the house of Wessex.

Margaret never wanted to marry- She was well educated and wanted to continue her studies so to do that as a woman, she needed to become a nun but for the good of her family and the Scottish people, she wed.

Because she was raised in the high courts in both England and on the continent, Margaret knew that her rough and tumble husband needed some polishing to be considered part of the world’s stage and being a part of the world’s power is what King Malcom wanted.

Margaret crafted Malcolm's transformation from a warlord barbarian…..to a worldly medieval king. By her care, the king became gentle and civilized and so did the Scots.

She is called the Pearl of Scotland as she worked tirelessly to bring charity, religious reform, and refined culture to her adopted land of Scotland, and she earned the love and trust of the people.

She would rise at midnight to go and pray in a hidden cave- which was her personal place of devotion. And at times she defied authority and disguised herself as a male to enter a church forbidden to women. She prayed, fasted, admonished with such intensity that she damaged her physical body.

Margaret fed orphans and the poor before she would ever eat and gave away her clothes to those in need, which encouraged other families to do the same. She stole her husband’s gold to give to the poor and she released ransomed prisoners.

She viewed the Church of Scotland as primitive and encouraged religious reforms to become more in line with Rome. She built churches and monasteries, she fed and clothed the poor, she brought Benedictines to the country, and she started a free pilgrim ferry for the poor to St Andrew’s.

In 1093, her beloved husband, King Malcolm was killed in battle alongside their son…. And Queen Margaret died within 3 days. Her will- which had led a culture onto the world stage faded. Her will to live was gone.

Queen Margaret was declared a saint in 1250 for religious reforms, for extensive charity and almost single-handedly leading the people of Scotland into modern times.

She showed the power of what one woman who believed she had a purpose could do.

I wish I could have met this amazing woman but because so much is written about her, I feel as though I know my 27th great grandmother, who across the centuries encourages us to be strong, and to make a positive difference in the world.

So…. these women I have spoken of- Mortals- Goddesses- Saints. Sometimes the “reality” of who they were is blurred in history. Remarkable Celtic women could be elevated to the status of Goddess; Remarkable women could be venerated to Sainthood. And there are the cases of women who were Celtic Goddesses who were also Saints, enabling the transition from one spiritual path to another.

But whether intense mortal woman, fierce Scottish Goddess, Impassioned Scottish Saint, or all 3……their pluck and intelligence and strength can inspire us.

I believe that we all have that strength in us

the goddess strength in us

the saint strength in us –

to do Great works in our own time.

So, may you gather strength from the stories that precede you

and may you use your own strength now

to share your gifts with the world and do great works

and then to inspire others.

I’m going to end with a Gaelic blessing and after the blessing, please come up to the centers of water, fire or herbs to connect with the goddesses and saints. They are waiting.

May the blessing of light be on you,

Light from within and light from without.

May the blessed sunlight shine on you

like a great peat fire,

so that stranger and friend

may come and be warmed by you.

And may the Light shine out of your two eyes,

like 2 candles in a window,

bidding the wanderer come in out of the storm.

And may the blessing of rain be on you and

may it rain upon your Spirit

and wash it fair and clean,

leaving a shining pool where the blue of Heaven is reflected

and sometimes a star.

Blessings to you all and I thank you.

Guest User 6/14/22 Guest User 6/14/22

Inspiring Scottish Women, Saints and Goddesses

A talk given at the Seattle Scottish Highland Games Speakers Series 2018

Welcome everyone! Welcome to a celebration of intense Scottish women,
impassioned Scottish Saints and fierce Scottish goddesses.
I love speaking about them – they are truly amazing role models.

But why should you be interested in these fiery, intense, impassioned women? I believe it’s because their stories may inspire you to embrace the strength found in yourself to make a positive difference in our world…. just like they did.

As an intro of myself- I am a minister at Interfaith Community Sanctuary in Ballard where we honor all the paths that lead to the Divine and one of my areas of interest is the Divine Feminine face of Creator as She shows herself all over the world- now and in ages past, so this of course includes Celtic Goddesses and Saints.

Also, I am blessed to have Scottish heritage on both sides of my family- from different clans that were in the colonies as early as 1652 when Henry Mitchell and Pricilla Jarrett Mitchell, who were from Orkney Island, came at 18 years of age to the Virginia colony.

On the other side of my family is Clan Anderson and today, I am wearing the Anderson Tartan in the form of an Arisaidt. The arisaidt was worn by Scottish women and was usefully for many reasons- to keep warm, to sleep, to get out of the rain or sun, to hold a child, to gather vegetables to feed the family or to conceal a weapon for protection!

Looking around this tent, I would bet that most of us have at least some roots in Celtic Lands as Celtic lands were vast-and knowing about how our ancestors lived and what they valued can give us a different perspective for our life now. To give you some information about Celtic life and to start our journey- I want to tell you a little about this time of year and the Celtic spiritual path.

This time of year, in the Celtic religion is called Lughnasadh which is on August 1. Lughnasadh …. was and is a celebration to give thanks to Earth for her abundance and beauty. So, if you are having a great time here at the games, it might just be…. that you are connecting to the spirit of past Celtic celebrations. Why is that, you ask?

Well, let me tell you, I Say! ….by sharing my first story about strong Celtic women. This woman’s name is Tailtiu and she is the force in back of Lughnasadh even if the celebration is named after the Celtic Sun God, Lugh. So Tailtiu was the last Queen of Fir Bolg, and to save her people, she single-handedly cleared huge fields for agricultural use….and gave her life in the doing of it.

On Tailtiu’s deathbed, she asked her clan, her family, to hold celebrations……like the one you are at today…. to honor the Earth and Earth’s abundance. She prophesied that if celebrations were held…there would always be happiness and gratitude and connection to each other and the earth. So what do you think? Do you think her prophecy was correct?

The Celtic Spiritual Path was practiced for 1000s of years and was part of everyday life. The Celtic spiritual path was deeply tied to the earth, deeply tied to the cycles of the year, and deeply tied to the cycles of our bodies. Also, Celtic spirituality acknowledged that the spiritual world lives inside and outside of us, and that we are all are intimately related to everything that exists.

The Celtic women and Goddesses I will speak about were a part of that spiritual path. They were revered for their strength, intelligence, protection, healing, and many other reasons. In times past, the ancient Celts felt the source of life in themselves, in the Gods and Goddesses, in plants and animals- was feminine.

And because…. they saw the relationship between the goddesses and women- they respected women in their clans. Women lead families, they owned and kept their possessions after they married, they held political power, they trained warriors, they led those men into battle, they worked as druids, healers, and leaders.

In the land of the Celts…. sometimes when a woman led a spectacular life…she was elevated to the status of a Goddess after she died ……similar to how the Catholic Church elevates a person to the status of a saint.

So, was Tailtiu a mortal Celtic queen or a Celtic goddess? Or both? Was it myth or History? Who knows? Stories about goddesses were spoken history, spoken myths and spoken legends- so perhaps the line between a goddess and a female historical figure gets blurred. And of course, this is the case with Saints as well.

But whether intense mortal woman, impassioned Scottish Saint or fierce Scottish Goddess, or all three… their pluck and intelligence have inspired people for millennium.

So, as I speak about these Goddesses, Saints and women, see which ones spark your interest and after I speak, please come on up to the centers of fire, water or herbs and connect with them and ask questions. So…off we go on our journey!

The first Goddess I will speak about today is a goddess of inspiration, knowledge and transformation and her name is Ceridwen. She is associated with cauldrons and cauldrons throughout Celtic mythology are associated with inspiration, transformation, wisdom and female spirituality.

The defining story of Ceridwin is this: It is said that Ceridwin lived on an island, in the middle of a lake with her husband, a beautiful daughter, and a hideously ugly son. To compensate her son for his unfortunate appearance, Cerridwen brewed a formula, which would make her son the most brilliant and inspired of men- it would grant him the gift of Awen. Awen, very simply, is the spark and energy of creativity and wisdom found in the Universe that in other spiritual traditions is known by other names.

A mixture of herbs simmered in her cauldron of inspiration for a year and a day. A young boy named Gwion stirred this potion which was made from six herbs also for inspiration and knowledge, the first 3 drops of which gave wisdom and inspiration…. but the rest of it -was fatally poisonous.

So, the last day, while Gwion was stirring the cauldron,

3 drops of scalding, simmering liquid bubbled up and spattered his hand- just three drops. Remember- 3 drops gave inspiration. In pain, Gwion, did as we all would do .....he sucked his burned hand, and, suddenly, he could hear everything in the world, and understood all the secrets of the past and future including how angry Ceridwen would be when she found he had acquired the inspiration meant for her son.

So Gwion ran away in fear. But Cerridwen pursued him with anger. With Gwion’s new knowledge and power from the potion,

he changed into a hare, but Cerridwen chased him as a greyhound.

he jumped into the river and changed into a fish, but she pursued him as an otter;

he became a bird and flew away, but she flew after him faster as a hawk.

And finally, he changed into a kernel of corn, but Cerridwen, changed into a hen and victoriously ate him.

But this is not the end of the story. The potion was not destroyed- it was just in another form of Gwion- a kernel of corn, which was now inside of Ceridwen. Ops…. Ceridwen ……in your anger what have you done! She had consumed the kernel of corn……taken in a seed…. you know…..a seed….and the seed was within her body.

When Ceridwen resumed her human form, she found she was pregnant with a child growing in her womb from the kernel seed the seed of Gwion. She was so angry! He not only survived but he was inside of her…. growing in her womb. She was so angry that she resolved to kill him when he was born.

But, when he was born, he was so beautiful that she could not do it. So, she placed him inside a bag and threw him into the ocean. The child did not die but was rescued by a Welsh prince and he grew into the greatest Druid bard ever born- Taliesin.

During the chase, Ceridwen forced Gwion …to acquire new wisdom and skill, to stay alive. And when she devoured him as a kernel of corn, his death as Gwion and rebirth as Taliesin and transformed him into a new and greater identity- the legendary Bard and poet, Taliesin. This is a familiar theme of death and rebirth via a female body.

Cerridwen teaches us to be inspired and to use creativity and transformation to survive.

She says, “Use your wisdom - Grow or die.”

She can fill us with inspiration and creativity and help us draw upon the wisdom of the universe ….to survive….to inspire….

to Be what we came here to Be…. in whatever form that takes.

She is a transformational goddess and so is our next Divine being, Bridget.

You might wonder why I always include Bridget because she has been a beloved Celtic Triple Goddess for thousands of years. She is one of the most powerful spiritual figures in Celtic Lands and transcended territories, providing unity between warring tribes. She was the one thing that could be agreed upon, no matter how different they were in traditions or locations.

She is known by many names in many lands including Bridget, Brigid, Brigit, Breed, Britannia and in Scot Gaelic she is Bride, Bridie, and Breeshja.

Bridget’s main titles are Goddess of Healing, Inspiration and Smithcraft but she is so much more. The areas in which she helped people are large and varied which shows you how revered she was.

Some of those include creative inspiration- like Cerridwin, New Beginnings and Birth, Healing using water, Poetry, divination, prophecy, purification by fire, and anything connected to Fire and the home. She is one of the main Goddess of Druidry, and she is a Protectoress of the people and the land.

You see, she was like their North Star.

To give you an idea how she came into the world, I’ll tell you the story of birth that is proclaimed by water and ignited with fire.

A long time ago, at the first crack of a pink dawn,
near the waters of the magic well,

The goddess Bridget slipped into the world
and into the hands of 9 sisters who swayed and crooned
in a great circle around her.
The waters of the magic well gurgled its joy.

Then suddenly, up rose a column of fire out of Bridget’s head that burned to the heavens connecting heaven to earth, the above to the below.

She then reached up her hands and
broke away a flaming plume of fire from and dropped it to the ground where it leaped and danced.

Then Bridget built a hearth around the dancing fire, stone by stone uniting above with below, the inner and the outer. The nine sisters hummed and crooned and the waters of the magic well started to tremble!

From this fire, Bridget reached both her hands in and drew out a leaping tongue of flame and swallowed it, and felt it burn straight to her heart.

There stood the goddess,
fire   crowning   her head,
fire    leaping    from her heart,
and     fire dancing   from her hands.
The Goddess Bridget was born!

Obviously…. Bridget is connected to Fire! Her Flame is associated with both the inner fires of inspiration in poetry, art, and music as well as the outer fires of the hearth and forge.

Her inner fire can be seen as the energy of creative consciousness and transformation.

In Her Fire, the ancient mystery of Alchemy is found.
Fire is about transformation,
Alchemy is about our transformation.
Bridget is about transformation-
Transformation thru sitting in the fire with
your true authentic self.

Fire is Light that burns brightly in us and in the dark to show the way. Sometimes if we get too close to the flames, yes, we’ll get burned --but the courage that it takes to jump into the fire of life, transforms us into something new and stronger.

Also, Bridget is connected with water- especially water that rises up from the earth, which is seen as a source of wisdom and healing. Here is a story about Bridget, healing and her sacred well.

One day, Bridget was sitting at her sacred well and 2 lepers appeared and asked to be healed. "Bathe yourself in my well," said Bridget to the first man. He went to the well and every place, that Bridget 's waters touched, he turned whole.

"Now bathe your friend," said Bridget to the first man.

So, the healed man turned and looked at his friend, but he was repulsed and backed away. "I cannot touch him now,” he said. So, the goddess said to him, “Then you are not healed.” and gave the man back his leprosy. "Return to me with compassion and there you will find your healing. "She then dipped her own cloak into the sacred water and placed it around the second man’s shoulders and he was healed.

So, here was not only the element of healing in the form of sacred water, but also her wisdom, compassion and the mind set… to not put up with selfishness.

Bridget is also the Bringer of Light after many long months of dark winter, which is celebrated Feb 1 at Imbolc. A thousand or more years ago, it was a battle to survive the winter, so when Bridget brings back the sun, the light, it is no small thing. It is survival. It is life and the people knew it. She brought them hope and new beginnings.

The goddess Bridget has been worshipped for 1000s of years. But around the 5th century, there was a mortal woman named Bridget-- or a woman renamed as Bridget- who lead a life of service to others. After the death of this woman, she was venerated and called Saint Bridget.

The evolution from the Goddess…. to the saint…. linked Celtic traditions and Christian traditions with Bridget acting as the bridge.

Both the Goddess and the Saint have the same name,

Both the Goddess and the Saint have the same feast day,

Both the Goddess and the Saint have the same legends and customs.

Some suggest that the woman named Bridget took on the goddess Bridget’s name and attributes to gather followers to Christianity. Who Knows? What we do know is that, chronologically, Bridget was definitely a Goddess before a Saint.

In the world today, there is place called St. Bridget’s Shrine in Kildare. Many believe that this location was taken over by Christians and before that time, was an ancient site that trained priestesses to honor the Goddess Bridget. So… at this St Bridget’s Shrine, there is a sacred flame that is kept burning 24/7 ….to honor which one? Is it to honor…The Woman? The Saint? The Goddess? Perhaps all 3. Perhaps the saint and goddess and the woman are all one – just showing Herself in a different form when the world needs a different form.

There is so much more to say about her Bridget’s strength- she is limitless……as we all are. But…… on to our next Goddess!

And our next is the goddess, Airmid. Airmid was about healing, standing up to power, believing in yourself and not backing down.

Airmid was the daughter of the God of Medicine, and the Chief Physician and Magician. She was a gifted healer who listened to the voices of nature and shared her knowledge with the world. She was a member of Tuatha de Danann, the most ancient race of deities and just as they did, she had great powers.

Airmid came from a family of healers- her brother a skilled surgeon and her father the chief god of medicine and magician. So, it is no surprise that the 3 built the Well of Slaine, known as the Well of Health. They transformed the well with their abilities so that the water became magical. The water not only restored life to warriors killed in battle; but actually returned them to perfect health so they could return to battle.

Another story told about Airmid, wisdom and doing what is right, even if someone powerful and you trust is telling you the opposite. In a fierce battle, one of her kings’ arms was severed. Her father, who was the God of Medicine, decided to replace it with an arm made of silver but Airmid knew this was a bad plan. So she took it upon herself to regenerate the King’s arm to perfect working order and have her brother, using his skills, reattached that arm to the King’s body.

The King was extremely grateful, and he was grateful because he knew that to the Tuatha de Danann he could not be king if his body was not completely whole. And Airmid by her powers of creation regenerated the king’s arm making him completely whole.

Airmid used her strength of will and her belief in herself to go against her father to do what she knew was right. She did not just give in to the powers that be when she knew she could save the king.

But Airmid is probably most remembered for the following story about wisdom, intelligence and sharing the healing ways of herbs. As with most stories of the Celtic people and goddesses, the story of this is bittersweet because while receiving a valuable gift, something precious was taken away.

One day, Airmid was told that her beloved brother had died. Some say, it was her jealous mean-spirited father who killed him, some say in battle.

In her grief she would frequently visit his grave. She would lay on the ground where her brother was buried and cry for days on end …… watering the ground with her tears.

One day, when she arrived at his grave, she was surprised to find healing herbs growing on the burial mound: 365 herbs- one for every joint and organ of the body and one for each day in the year. Watered by her tears of love and sorrow, all the healing herbs of the world had sprung up.

So Airmid began to gather up these herbs in her cloak and quite amazingly, the herbs began to speak to her,
whispering in her ear,
telling her their stories
singing their songs
so, she would know their purpose.

She was amazed that she could understand the language of the plants.

So Airmid separated and arranged the herbs on her cloak, according to the knowledge they shared.

But once again, her jealous father tried to stop her. He followed her to the grave and saw what she was doing. As the god of medicine, he was a jealous healer and did not want the knowledge to be shared with her or mortals. So, he raged onto the sacred ground and scattered all the herbs. But to his dismay, all the knowledge and healing Aar u mead learned from the herbs, she continued to share with all those who asked. And the plants continued to speak to her…. not to her father.

Airmid teaches us that wisdom and knowledge is to be shared. And to believe in ourselves and do what we believe is right, even if the darkness that opposes you is someone powerful. May Aar u mead’s principles lead you to help the world with your strengths and gifts, even in the face of adversity.

The next story is about an amazing woman named Triduana, and even though it is a small story it is worth a mention. She is an example of a woman elevated into a Goddess who is also canonized by the Catholic Church. Her story is this: Triduana was a beautiful and strong woman who was being harassed by a Pict King. But rather than submit to his advances, she ruined her beauty by plucking out her eyes and presenting them to the King. A drastic move, sure, but to the people it showed that she would not allow herself to be abused. Celts elevated her to the status of a Goddess for her strength and anything having to do with healing of eyes. And the Catholic Church canonization her for the same reasons. A woman, a goddess, and a saint. May Triduana’s strength inspire you to be strong in your life.

And lastly, I’d like to talk about a woman, a Saint, who was a great inspiration to the culture of Scotland during the 10th century, my 27th great grandmother,

St Margaret, Queen of Scots.

St Margaret, Queen of Scots has long fascinated historians as one of the most complex women in medieval history. We know so much about her because her personal confessor shared his writings ……so much for privacy….and also because many historians both in her lifetime and after wrote about her.

Margaret was the daughter of Prince Edward the Exile of England, and Agatha, who was of royal Hungarian blood. In 1057, Margaret and her family were recalled from Hungary to England because her father was the successor to the English throne.

But ....it was a ruthless political time within 3 weeks of arriving…. Margaret’s father was crowned king AND killed by poisoning- right in front of her! Just think…Game of Thrones and you’ll have it.

So after her father’s death there was a struggle for power, as there always was and it was dangerous to be in England so Margaret’s mother planned an escape to the continent, to save her children from either a life of being a political prisoner in a tower or an abbey somewhere…. or death.

So, at night, they boarded a ship and escaped, bound for the continent and Hungary… but as in all good stories. There was a raging storm…….that blew the ship off course…… and they shipwrecked along the northeastern coast of Scotland on a land they thought belonged to barbarians………The Scots!

And as in all good love stories...Malcolm, the King of Scots, my 27th great-grandfather, rescued them and offered the family sanctuary. Within a short period of time, the king fell in love with Margaret and asked for her hand in marriage.

As a woman, Margaret never wanted to marry- She was well educated and wanted to continue her studies and become a nun. But for the good of her family, England, and the Scottish people, she wed Malcolm.

Margaret knew that her rough and tumble husband needed some polishing to be considered part of the world’s power and being a part of the world’s power is what Malcolm and Margaret and their families wanted. So Margaret crafted Malcolm's transformation from a warlord barbarian…. to a worldly medieval king which brought the culture of Scotland into the world stage as well.

She was called the Pearl of Scotland. This was because Margaret fed orphans and the poor before she would eat. She washed the feet of the unfortunate to inspire compassion. She gave away her clothes to those in need, which encouraged other families to do the same. She stole from her husband’s gold to give to the poor as she traveled the country and….she used the royal money to pay ransoms for prisoners the Scots had captured so they could just go home. She worked long and hard and she earned the love and trust of the people of Scotland.

She built churches and monasteries, she brought Benedictines to the country, and she started a free ferry to St Andrew’s for the poor. She did and encouraged many acts of charity.

In 1093, her beloved husband, King Malcolm was killed in battle alongside one of their sons…. And within 3 days Queen Margaret also died. Her strength- which had led a country and a culture onto the world stage faded and she died and 150 years after her death, Queen Margaret was declared a Saint.

Why I’m speaking about her is …..because she showed the power of what one woman who believed she had a vision and a purpose could do. And I believe that by her example, she encourages us all to be strong to make a positive difference in our world.

So…. these women I have spoken of-

Mortal Women- Goddesses- Saints.

Sometimes the “reality” of who they were is blurred in history.

Remarkable Celtic women could be elevated to status of Goddess.

Remarkable Celtic women could be venerated to Sainthood.

And then there are women who were

Celtic Goddesses and also were Saints, enabling the transition

from one spiritual path to another.

But whether intense mortal woman, Impassioned Scottish Saint, fierce Scottish Goddess, or all 3…… their pluck and intelligence and strength can inspire us!

I believe that we all have that strength in us….

the goddess strength in us…. the saint strength in us –

to do GREAT works in our own time.

So, may you gather strength from the stories that precede you

and may you use your own strength now to share your gifts with the world to do great works …….and then may you inspire others.

I’m going to end with a Gaelic blessing and after the blessing, please come up to the centers of water, fire or herbs to connect with the goddesses and saints. They are waiting.

May the blessing of light be on you,

Light from within and light from without.

May the blessed sunlight shine on you

like a great peat fire,

so that stranger and friend

may come and be warmed by you.

And may the Light shine out of your two eyes,

like 2 candles in a window,

bidding the wanderer come in out of the storm.

And may the blessing of rain be on you and

may it wash your Spirit fair and clean,

leaving a shining pool where the blue of Heaven is reflected

and sometimes a star.

Blessings to you all and thank you for being here.

Guest User 6/14/22 Guest User 6/14/22

Kick-Ass Celtic Goddesses

6 Kick-Ass Celtic Goddesses
Seattle Highland Games Heritage Speakers Series 2019
Linda Stern

Welcome! Welcome everyone! Welcome to a celebration of Celtic Goddesses! I’m Linda Stern and today I will be speaking about powerful, fierce, intense, intelligent, kick-ass Celtic goddesses and women!

I love speaking about Celtic Goddesses – they are amazing role models for attaining and using strength and power with a balance of wisdom.

Another reason I love speaking about Goddesses is I believe that Goddesses can inspire us to embrace a strength, or a gift found in ourselves to make a positive difference in our world.

These Goddesses that I speak of are not weak or flowery- they are strong with the vibrancy and power of Life that it takes to birth something on this earth- like an invention or a creative inspiration or a new business or a child, or a revolution. As you can see, I believe the strength of the goddesses has spread to me!

As an introduction- I am a minister at Interfaith Community Sanctuary in Ballard where we honor all the paths that lead to the Divine and one of my areas of expertise…. is the Divine Feminine face of Creator as She shows herself all over the world- now and in ages past, so this of course includes Celtic Goddesses.

Also, I am blessed to have Scottish heritage on both sides of my family- from at least 3 different clans that were in the American colonies as early as 1652 when Henry and Pricilla Mitchell, came to the Virginia colony at the age of 18. Can you imagine that? Now that’s courage and strength in the face of uncertainty.

And besides Scottish heritage, I also have other Celtic ancestors - I’m sort of a Heinz 57 Celtic Mutt. So, when I speak about Celtic matters, I am speaking from my roots, and I feel it in my center- sort of like we feel the drums and the bagpipes. I hope you investigate your ancestors: whether they are Scot, Irish, Welsh or like me… a bit of all of them.

Also, besides the Mitchell and Jarrett Clan in my heritage, there is also Clan Anderson. And today, I am wearing an arisaidt made from the Anderson tartan. The arisaidt was worn by Scottish women and was usefully for many reasons- to keep warm, to sleep, to get out of the weather, to hold a child, to gather vegetables for dinner or to conceal a weapon for protection! Cum do laimhan leat fhèinsa! Which means: Don’t mess with me! (Phonically: Koom do lavin lath hein-sa!)

So!!! I want to know, are you having a fantastic time at the Games this year? Great! One of the reasons I believe y’all are having a wonderful time at the games is because…. for 1,000s of years, this time of year, has been a time of Celtic celebration. This is the eve of Lughnasadh! Lughnasadh is a Celtic Festival to celebrate the harvest – usually wheat and corn. It is about giving thanks to Earth for her abundance.

In Scotland, we have always honored Lughnasadh and the first harvest, by making the best of alcoholic beverages- beer, ale and…. the best single malt whisky on earth- Scotch! So perhaps later tip back a few to the festivals past and present, to the Goddesses that lived then and now and to celebrate our earth’s harvest with joy and gratitude. Slante!- good health to you!

So…. this festival of Lughnasadh - has at its heart, a strong Celtic Queen who became a Goddess. I am referring to a woman with the strength of a mothers’ love. Her name is Tailtiu, she was the last queen of Fir Bolg, and some say she was a part of the Tuatha de Danu, the ancient goddesses and gods. Here is Tailtiu’s story.

Lughnasadh is named in honor of the Celtic Sun God, Lugh, but it is really a celebration of the strength Tailtiu. For her people’s survival, she, and she alone- cleared large sections of land for planting and then she died. On her deathbed, she asked her clan, to hold celebrations- like the one you are at today---to celebrate Earth’s abundance with joy and gratitude,

The celebration, back then, was sometimes called Tailteann Games, after her. And the games included much of what you see today- music, drinks, athletic contests, barter/ trading, ceremonies, dancing, and the sacrifice of a bull. Take out the bull’s sacrifice and you have much the same celebration that was done 1,000s of years ago. I’m sure you can see that this time of year has a long history of celebration of abundance.

Lughnasadh, Tailtiu and Goddesses were a part of Celtic spirituality, which was a part of everyday life for 1000s of years.

The Celtic spiritual path is related to nature and is deeply tide to the cycles of the earth the cycles of the year and the cycles of our own body. The Celtic form of spirituality acknowledges that the spiritual world lives both inside of us and outside of us and acknowledges that we were all intimately related to everything in a web of life. All animals, all plants, humans, elements, stars, planets, gods and goddesses- everything. Everything a part of a larger whole like a 3D integrated puzzle- all connected.

And as powerful as the gods were in Celtic spirituality, the Celtic goddesses were even more powerful, as people saw women as the source of life in themselves, and in plants and animals. And because the Celts saw the relationship between the goddesses and women- they respected women in their clans.

Women owned and kept their possessions after marriage, they held political power, they trained warriors, they led those men into battle, they were clan chieftains, healers, and priestesses. Every role you could be, a woman was- including a Goddess.

I also want to mention that in the Celtic way of life….sometimes…. when a woman led a magnificent life, a life to inspire others she was elevated to the status of a Goddess at her death or during her lifetime- similar to what the Catholic Church does with saints.

So was Tailtiu, who I spoke of…. was she a mortal Celtic queen or a Celtic goddess? Or both? Was it myth or History? Who Knows? Stories about goddesses were mostly spoken history, myths, and legends- so perhaps the line between a goddess and a female historical figure gets blurred. But whether a woman was a strong intelligent mortal or a fierce Goddess - or both- their pluck and intelligence have inspired people for millennium, as they can now.

As I speak about these Goddesses, see which ones spark your interest and after I finish, please come on up to the centers of fire, water or earth and wind and connect with them or to ask questions. So…off we go on our Goddess journey!

Let’s start with a saucy enchantress goddess, who’s sacred days are right now. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Her name is Aine. She can connect us to the life-giving light of the sun and the inspiration-giving light of the moon. She is also a goddess of love and the Queen of the Fay.

It was believed that Aine’s life-giving sparks traveled in our blood. In fact, it was thought that if bloodletting, occurred on her sacred days of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday before Lughnasadh…. it was thought that her sacred spark of life would flow out of the body and the person would die. And to remind you again, that time of year is right now so no bloodletting - or donating blood- until after Aug 1!

As a goddess of creative inspiration, she gave gifts of brilliance, but the gift was a double-edged sword because Aine’s inspiration could take them over the edge to madness!

Wild in the light of the moon, enchanted by the goddess, poetry flowed from their hearts and lips. Many choose this creative madness to uninspired regular life.

Here is a story weaving together creative brilliance, enchantment, love, and madness!

One night, in the long ago, there was a poet, who was describing the beauty of Aine’s favorite tree.

At the finish of one particular verse, at the base of Aine’s favorite willow tree, the poet saw a woman. The woman’s hair and body blended in perfectly with the branches and the leaves-- so much so that the poet couldn’t be sure…was it the tree or was it a woman?

So, the poet watched the woman sway and bend with the wind in the branches and was taken by her beauty— some say enchanted by the light of the moon.

Of course, little did the poet know this was not a woman; this was a goddess, the Queen of the Fay, Aine. She and the fairy realm had been listening whilst sitting in the willow tree, by a magical stream. In fact, multitudes of fairies were sitting in those branches listening to the poet.

But at one point, the poet stopped… totally stopped talking and creating and telling the story about the beautiful tree! All the fairies sighed and begged for more in their language, but the poet thought it was just the sound of the wind in the leaves.

So, the fairies begged Aine, “Please, please, help the poet create more as we are overjoyed, thrilled, blissful! Please Aine! This human knows the beauty of the trees, the beauty of nature, the beauty of the earth.”

As the goddess knew this was true, she walked out of the branches and came towards the poet. The poet was struck by her beauty. In the moonlight, Aine glowed with the light of another world.

The poet asked her name and Aine responded,

“I am the spirit of the land and the spirit of the tree.

I am the queen of the Fay.

I am the spirit of your poems and your dreams and

I ask you to continue your poetry, as all the creatures and beings of the forest are listening.”

The poet paused and then replied, “I have been inspired by the beauty of nature all my life and I would continue but…. I am in need of…. inspiration.”

So Aine came close and said, “Poet, dear, I can offer you inspiration, but the gift may come with a price, a price of madness. But in that madness will have the creative inspiration you desire.”

The Poet thought about Aine’s offer and her warning and replied, “Yes, Lady Aine! Yes! I seek the inspiration you offer so that I may continue praising the beauty of nature. I fully accept the dangers that come with this gift.”

So Aine touched the brow and the cheek of the poet with her finger and the poet’s lips with hers and the poet was instantly transformed. In the shimmer of the moonlight, the poet was opened to inspiration and was creating again. Praising the trees and the moon and the stars and the fragrance in the air, and the fireflies and all that dance in the moonlight.

The realm of the Fay were greatly pleased and most of all, the goddess Aine.

And when the poet finished creating and speaking about the beauty of the willow, they made love in the silver moonlight under the branches and became one.

Aine can show us the strength that our creativity can bring to every part of our lives and to not be afraid of the brilliance and love found in moonlight. Look to Aine to inspire your creative brilliance in whatever form that takes. And to embrace love in every part of your life to banish fear.

The next story is about an amazing woman named Triduana, and even though it is a small story, I love telling it. She is an example of a woman who was elevated into a Goddess was also canonized by the Catholic Church. Her story is this:

Triduana was a beautiful and strong woman who was being harassed by a Pict King.

And rather than submit to his advances, she plucked out her eyes to ruin her beauty and presented her eyes to the King. Some thought this a bit extreme……but to her people it showed that she would not allow herself to be abused.

The strength of Tridunna can assists us when we need to reach deep into ourselves to stop abuse and to know that we are as powerful as we need to be to conquer our challenges.

Our next goddess, Bridget, is a part of the Tuatha de Danu and has been a beloved Celtic Triple Goddess for literally thousands of years. She is one of the most powerful spiritual figures in Celtic Lands and she brought unity between warring tribes. No matter how different they were, she was the one thing they could agree upon,

She is known by many names in many lands including Bridget, Brigid, Brigit, Breed, Britannia, Bride, Bridie, and Breeshja and many, many others. A rose by any other name....

Bridget’s main titles are Goddess of Healing, Inspiration and Smith craft but she is so much more. Some of those areas include creative inspiration, New Beginnings and Birth, Healing using water, Poetry, divination, home happiness, prophecy, purification by fire- on and on.

She is one of the main Goddess of Druidry, and she is a Protectoress of the people and the land.

You see she was like their North Star,
she was their guiding light for 1,000s of years.

To give you an idea how she came into the world, I’ll tell you the story of her birth that is ignited by fire and praised by water.

A long time ago, at the first crack of a pink dawn,near the waters of a magic well,

The goddess Bridget slipped into the world and into the hands of 9 swaying and crooning sisters who formed a great circle around her.

The waters of a magic well gurgled its joy.

Then up rose a column of fire out of Bridget’s head that burned to the heavens connecting heaven to earth, the above to the below.

Bridget then reached up her hands and broke away a spiral of fire from and dropped it to the ground where it leaped and danced.

Then Bridget built a hearth around the dancing fire; stone by stone uniting the above with the below, the inner with the outer.

The nine sisters hummed and crooned and swayed even more while the waters of the magic well started to tremble!

From this hearth fire, Bridget reached in both hands and drew out a leaping tongue of flame that danced in her hands and swallowed it, and it burned straight to her heart.

There stood the goddess,

fire crowning her head,

fire leaping from her heart,

and fire dancing from her hands.

The Goddess Bridget was born!

So obviously…. Bridget is connected to Fire! Her Flame, the element of fire, appears in many forms with Bridget.

There is the outer fire of the hearth, which symbolizes the heart of a home, the inner fire of life which burns away disease so that healing may happen, and life may continue, the outer fire of the forge which creates metal works and alchemy, and then there is the inner fire of the head, which sparks our creativity, wisdom, and transformation. Transformation thru sitting in the fire with our true authentic self, burning away what is no longer needed in our life.

Bridget is teaching us, that sometimes we need to feel the fire, to react to the fire, to be changed and charged by the fire. … into a lioness, into a warrior, into strength that is needed to put one foot in front of the other to walk our path of life.

Bridget also shows us that fire is Light that burns brightly in us and in the dark to show the way. Not only for ourselves but for others as well.

Sometimes if we get too close to the flames, yes, we’ll get burned --but the courage that it took to jump into that fire of life, can change you, can charge you, can transforms you into something new and stronger.

Bridget is also in balance connected to Water- especially water that rises up from the earth like wells or hot springs, which is seen as a source of wisdom and healing.

Here is a story about Bridget’s sacred healing waters.

One day, Bridget was sitting at her sacred well and 2 lepers appeared and asked to be healed. “Bathe yourself in my well," said Bridget to the first man. So, he went to the well and every place that Bridget’s waters touched, he was whole.

"Now bathe your friend," said Bridget to this first man. So, the healed man turned and looked at his friend, but he was repulsed and backed away. “I cannot touch him now,” he said.

So, the goddess said to him, “Then you are not healed” and she took away his healing and gave the man back his leprosy. And then she said to this man, "Return to me with compassion and there you will find your healing."

She then turned to the second man and dipped her own cloak into her sacred healing waters and placed it around the second man’s shoulders. Wherever her sacred waters touched him, he was instantly healed.

The second man turned to Bridget and said, “Thank you for your healing waters and went to the other man and said, “I forgive you.”

Bridget’s healing wells still attract 1,000s of people even now with hopes of cures.

Another side of Bridget is that she is the Bringer of Light after many long months of winter, and she is celebrated Feb 1 at Imbolc.

A thousand years ago, it was a battle to survive the winter, so when Bridget brings back the sun, the light, it is no small thing. It is survival. It is life and the people knew it. She brought them hope and new beginnings every year.

The goddess Bridget has been worshipped for 1000s of years. And then around the 5th century, there was a mortal woman named Bridget-- or a woman renamed Bridget- who led an exceptional life of service to others. After her death, she was venerated and called Saint Bridget.

The evolution from the Goddess…. to the saint…. linked Celtic traditions and Christian traditions with Bridget acting as the bridge.

Both the Goddess and the Saint have the same name,

Both the Goddess and the Saint have the same feast day,

Both the Goddess and the Saint have the same legends and customs.

In the world today, there is place called St. Bridget’s Shrine in Kildare.

Many believe that this location was taken over by Christians

and it was an ancient site where priestesses honored the Goddess Bridget.

At this Shrine, there is a sacred flame that is kept burning 24/7. And I ask to honor which one? The Woman? The Saint? The Goddess? I say all 3.

Perhaps the saint and goddess and the woman are all one just showing Herself in a different form when the world needs a different form.

So, look to Bridget, regardless of her form, for strength in your life to burn away all that is not needed in your life, to become all that you are meant to be.

On to the next goddess whose name is Skahthakh. She was afraid of nothing. In fact, her name means “she who strikes fear in others. Skahthakh accompanied souls who were slain in battle on their death journey. If they led a good life, she would guide them on their Imrama na Ahnem or Journey of the Soul to Tir Nan Og, the Otherworld.

But she also acted as a judge- when she found a soul who acted poorly in life, she would take them to another island in the Otherworld- one where no one wished to be. One where they learned what they had done wrong in life and…...paid their debts.

Skahthakh’s warrior school was on the Isle of Skye in the Hebrides where she taught the deadly use of weapons, and in balance the art of making love, healing, and the ways of the seer. The greatest warriors of the land came to Skahthakh’s warrior school and there are many stores of this.

Also, as a Protectoress of the People, her great battle shield, was said to guard the barriers between the Land of the Dead and the Land of the Living. One night a year, on Samhain, she would lower her great shield, to allow the dead to walk amongst the living and for the living to honor the dead. Life and death in relationship and balance, not fear. She has the power to separate the realms with her shield, to honor and balance and protect each one.

Some believe that Skahthackh was a mortal woman. She was an important leader, teacher, and warrior. Remember that in Celtic tribes and culture, women trained warriors and lead them into battles AND that if a woman led a spectacular life she could be elevated to a Goddess. So it was that the Tuatha de Danna, transformed Skahthakh from an inspiring mortal woman into a goddess.

In any case, whether mortal or goddess, she was and is an inspiration. Look to Skahthakh for strength to conquer fear so you can follow your heart to your destiny.

The last Goddess I will speak of today is a Goddess who was at the beginning before all the other Goddesses and as she birthed all life to this reality- including them. Her name is Danu.

She birthed everything in the universe out of chaos, which of course includes birthing the galaxies and the earth and stars, plants, animals, human and gods and goddesses- everything. She is the ultimate source of All.

Here is a story about Danu-Once, long ago, before the stars shined, before the earth breathed, before people were a twinkle in the eye of Creation, there was a divine Mother named Danu.

For some reason that we do not understand because we are mere mortals, Danu decided to dream, to create and to manifest a reality. Being the source of inspiration and wisdom, she created a reality of balance that contained light and dark, birth and death, feminine and masculine, chaos and peace, here and there, with all things in balance.

Here she created a green and blue earth, and she created a silver moon. She created fire and water. She created trees and animals. She created woman, and in balance, she created man. She created goddesses and gods. And so on, and so on. And all was good.

She birthed all things on earth from little acorns dropped off Her mighty oak tree. The oak tree that reaches from its roots in the Otherworld to its branches in the heavens, near the constellation of Cygnus.

Acorns that embedded themselves in the fertile earth and grew and grew like a forest. A forest of humans, a forest of plants and animals, a forest of goddesses and gods all from a little acorn of the mighty oak.

To the people she created on Earth, she said- “Respect and honor the earth, care for Earth, the way that earth will care for you. Learn lessons of wisdom from the mountains, the growing things, the waters, the elements, and each other.” The people loved her dearly and followed her guidance.

In fact, her people and gods and goddesses were called the Tuatha de Danann, who you have heard me speak of today, which means, the folk of the Goddess Danu.

But, one day, as it happens in life, there came a group of people who did not honor the Earth or Mother Danu and the crops began to fail, animals began to die, waters became unclean, trees no longer shared their fruits, the seasons no longer flowed with each other. Life was out of balance.

Danu warned these people that were misusing the sacred earth by saying, “Remember to honor Earth as she is one of my living breathing creations, a sister to you in the web of live. Remember, that as abundant as Earth can be Earth can also bring death to those who do not honor her.”

People saw that life was out of balance and they were frightened and cried out in fear. They realized they had broken their part of the promise.

So, the people went to a sacred place to pray among the water, salmon, and the trees. They asked forgiveness and wisdom to heal earth and to open their hearts for right actions. Danu answered their prayer and said, “My children of earth, remember you are but one part of my family and as one-part lives, so does the other. Honor, respect, love and care for Earth and each other and all will be well.”

In time, the people changed their actions and at long last, the skies cleared, and the oceans were as before, and the trees and the land shared their fruit and sister moon waxed and waned and the animals bred new life. Danu helped the people to remember to honor Earth and balance was restored and abundance returned.

Danu is the voice of wisdom, creation, and intellect, and the voice of forgiveness and compassion. But she is also the firm voice of a Parent who reminds us of our responsibilities. She can share new beginnings with you if you live within the promise of the web of life.

So, let the wisdom of Danu guide you to manifest new actions to heal yourself, your community, your world and to create a reality of beauty.

These amazing Women and Goddesses I’ve spoken of were blazing stars to guide the Celtic people. Sometimes in history the line gets blurred between a historical mortal woman and a goddess.

Remarkable Celtic women could be elevated to status of Goddess.

Remarkable Celtic women could be venerated to Sainthood.

And then there are women who were both Celtic Goddesses and Saints, enabling the transition from one spiritual path to another.

But whether intense mortal woman, Impassioned Scottish Saint or fierce Scottish Goddess, or all 3…… their pluck and intelligence and strength can inspire us.

You see, I believe that we all have that strength in us….

the goddess strength in us…. the saint strength in us –

to do GREAT works in our own time.

So, may you gather strength from the stories that precede you-

and may you use your own strength now -

to share your gifts with the world to do great works-

and then may you inspire others.

I’m going to end with a Gaelic blessing and after the blessing, please come up to the centers of water, fire or herbs to connect with the goddesses and saints. They are waiting.

May the blessing of light be on you,

Light from within and light from without.

May the blessed sunlight shine on you

like a great peat fire,

so that stranger and friend alike

may come and be warmed by you.

And may the light shine out of the two eyes of you,

like candles set in the window of a home,

bidding the wanderer come in out of the storm.

And may the blessing of rain be on you

and may it rain upon your Spirit

and wash it fair and clean,

leaving a shining pool where

the blue of Heaven is reflected

and sometimes a star.

My blessings to you all and I thank you.