CELTIC GODDESSES
AINE OF KNOCAINE:(Pronounced aw-ne); Ireland. Moon Goddess; patroness of crops and cattle.
Connected with the Summer Solstice.
ANU
ANANN
DANA
DANA-ANA:
Ireland. Goddess of plenty, another aspect of the Morrigu: Mother Earth; Great Goddess; greatest of all Goddesses. This flowering fertility Goddess, sometimes she formed a trinity with Badb and Macha. Her priestesses comforted and taught the
dying. Fires were lit for her at Midsummer. Two hills in Kerry are called the Paps of Anu. Maiden aspect of the triple Goddess in Ireland. Guardian of cattle and health. Goddess of fertility, prosperity, comfort.
ARIANRHOD:
Wales: "Silver Wheel"; "High fruitful mother"; star Goddess; sky Goddess;
Goddess of reincarnation; Full Moon Goddess. Her palace was called Caer Arianrhod (Aurora Borealis). Keeper of the circling Silver Wheel of Stars, a symbol of time and karma. This wheel was also known as the Oar Wheel, a ship which carried dead warriors to the Moon-land (Emania). Mother of Llue Llaw Gyffes and Dylan by her brother Gwydion. Her original consort was Nwtvre (Sky of Firmament). Mother aspect of the Triple Goddess in Wales. Honored at the Full Moon. Beauty, fertility, reincarnation. Call on Arianrhod to help you with past life memories and difficulties as well as for contacting the Star People.
BADB
BADHBH
BADB CATHA:
Ireland. "Boiling", "Battle Raven", "Scald-crow". the cauldron of ever- producing
life; Known in Gaul as Cauth Bodva. War Goddess and wife of net, a war God.
Sister of Macha, the Morrigu and Anu. Mother Aspect in Ireland. Associated with the cauldron, crows and ravens. Life, wisdom, inspiration, enlightenment.
BANBA:
Ireland. Goddess; part of a tried with Fotia and Eriu. They used magick to repel invaders.
BLODEUWEDD
WLODWIN
BLANCHEFLOR:
Wales. "Flower Face", "White Flower". Lily maid of Celtic initiation ceremonies.
AKA the Ninefold Goddess of the Western Isles of Paradise. Created by Math &
Gwydion as a wife for Lleu. She was changed into an owl for her adultery and plotting Lleu's death. The Maiden aspect; her symbol was the owl; Goddess of the Earth in bloom. Flowers, wisdom, lunar mysteries, initiations.
BOANN
BOANNAN
BOYNE:
Ireland. Goddess of the river Boyne, mother of Angus Mac Og by the Dagda. Once there was a well chaped by nine magick hazel trees. These trees bore crimson nuts which gave knowledge of everything in the world. Divine salmon lived in the well and ate the nuts. No one, not even the high gods, were allowed to go near the well. But Boann went anyway. The well water rose to drive her away, but they never returned to the well. Instead they became the River Boyne and the salmon became the inhabitants of the river. Other Celtic river Giddess: Siannan (Shannon), Sabrina (Severn, Sequana Seine), Deva (Dee), Clota (Clyde), Verbeia (Wharfe), Brigantia (Braint, Brent). Healing.
BRANWEN:
Manx. Wales. Sister of Bran the Blessed and wife of the Irish King Matholwchh.
Venus of the Northern Seas; daughter of Llyr (Lir); one of the three matriarca of Britain; Lady of the Lake (cauldron) Goddess of love and beauty.
BRIGIT
BRID
BRIGID
BRIGHID:
Ireland, Wales, Spain, France. "Power"; "Reown"; "Feiry Arrow of Power" (Breo- saighead). Daughter of the Dagda; called the poeess. Often called the Triple Brighids. Threee Blessed Ladies of Britain, the Three Mothers. Another aspect of Danu: Associated with Imbolc. She had an exclusive female priesthood at Kildare and an ever-burning sacred fire. The number of her priestesses was 19 representing the 19-year cycle of the Celtic "Great Year". Her kelles were sacred prostitutes and her soldiers brigands. Goddess of fire, fertility, the hearth and all feminine arts and crafts, and martial arts. Healing, physicians, agriculture, inspiration, learning, poetry, divination, prophecy, smithcraft, animal husbandry, love, witchcraft, occult knowledge. Plants: Blackberry Animals: Oxen and Ram.
CAILLECH:
Great Goddess in her Destroyer aspect; called the Veiled One. Disease, plague, cursing. Wheat.
CERRIDWEN
CARIDWEN
CERIDWEN:
Wales. Moon Goddess; Great Mother; grain Goddess; Goddess of Nature. the white corpse-eating sow representing the Moon. Welsh bards called themselves Cerddorion (sons of Cerridwen). The bard Taliesin, founder of their craft, was said to be born of Cerridwen and to have tasted a potent from her magick cauldron of inspiration. Wife of the giant Tegid and mother of a beautiful girl Creirwy and an ugly boy Avagdu. In her magickal cauldron, she made a potion called greal (from which the word Grail probably came). The potion was made from six plants for inspiration and knowledge. Her symbol was a white sow. Death, fertility, regeneration, inspiration, magick, astrology, herbs, science, poetry, spells, knowledge. Plants: Vervain, Acorns.
CREIDDYLAD
CREUDYLAD
CORDELIA:
Wales. Daughter of the sea God Llyr. Connected with Beltane and often called the May Queen. Goddess of summer flower, love and flowers.
THE CRONE:
One aspect of the Triple Goddess. She represents old age or death, winter, the end of all things, the waning Moon, post-menstrual phases of women's lives, all destruction that precedes regeneration through her cauldron of rebirth. Crows and other black creatures are sacred to her. Dogs often accompanied her and guarded the gates of her after-world, helping her to receive the dead. In Celtic myth, the gatekeeper-dog was named Dormarth (Death's Door). The Irish Celts maintained that true curses could be cast with the dog's help. Therefore, they use the word cainte (dog) for a satiric Bard with the magick power to speak curses that came true.
DANU
DANANN
DANA:
Ireland. Probably the same as Anu. Major Mother Goddess; ancestress of the Tuatha De Danann; Mother of the gods; Great Mother; Moon Goddess. She gave her name to the Tuatha De Danann (People of the Goddess Danu). Another aspect of the Morrigu. Patroness of wizards, rivers, water, wells, prosperity & plenty, magick, wisdom.
DON
DOMNU
DONN:
Ireland, Wales. "Deep sea"; "Abyss". Queen of the Heavens; Goddess of sea and air. Sometimes called a Goddess, sometimes a God. The equivalent of the Irish Danu. In Ireland, Don ruled over the Land of the Dead. Entrances to this Otherworld were always in a sidhe (shee) or burial mound. Control of the elements, eloquence.
DRUANTIA:
"Queen of the Druids"; Mother of the tree calendar; Fir Goddess. Fertility, passion, sexual activities, trees, protection, knowledge, creativity.
ELAINE:
Wales, Britain. Maiden aspect of the Goddess.
EPONA:
Celtic, "Divine Horse", "The Great Mare". Goddess of horses, fertility, maternity, protective of horses, horse breeding, prosperity, dogs, healing, springs, crops. Animals: Horses, goose.
ERIU
ERIN:
Ireland. One of the three queens of the Tuatha Da Danann and a daughter of the Dagda.
FLIDAIS:
Ireland. Goddess of forests, woodlands & wild things; ruler of wild beasts. She rode in a chariot drawn by a deer. Shape-shifter.
GREAT MOTHER:
The Lady; female principle of creation. Goddess of fertility, the Moon, summer, flowers, love, healing, the seas, water. The "mother" finger was considered the index finger, the most magickal which guided, beckoned, blessed & cursed.
MACHA:
Ireland. "Crow"; "Battle"; "Great Queen of Phantoms"; Mother of Life and death;
a war Goddess; Mother Death; originally a Mother Goddess; one of the aspects of the triple Morrigu. Also called Mania, Mana, Mene, Minne. Associated with ravens and crows. She was honored Lugnassadh. After a battle, the Irish would cut off the heads of the losers and called them Macha's acorn crop. Protectress in war as in peace; Cunning, sheer physical force, sexuality, fertility, dominance over males.
MARGAWSE:
Wales, Britain. Mother aspect of the Goddess.
THE MORRIGU
MORRIGAN
MORGIAN
MORGAN:
Ireland, Britian, Wales. Great Queen, Supreme War Goddess, Queen of Phantoms or Demons, Specter Queen. Shape-shifter. Reigned over the battlefields, helping with her magick but did not join in the battles. Associated with crows & ravens.
The Crone aspect of the Goddess; Great White Goddess; Great Mother; Moon Goddess; Queen of the fairies. In her dark aspect (the symbol is then the raven or crow) she is the Goddess of war, fate death; she went fully armed & carried two spears. The carrion crow is her favorite disguise. Goddess of rivers, lakes
& fresh water. Patroness of priestesses & witches. Revenge, night, magick, prophecy.
MUSES:
Greek, Goddesses of inspiration who vary in number depending upon the pantheon used.
NIAMH:
Ireland. "Beauty"; "Brightness". A form of Badb who helps heroes at death.
NORNS:
Celtic; the three sisters of the Wyrd. Responsible for weaving fate - past, present and future.
RHIANNON:
Wales; "The Great Queen" Goddess of birds and horses. Enchantments, fertility, and the Underworld. She rides a swift white horse.
SCATHACH
SCOTA
SCATHA
SCATH:
Ireland, Scotland. "Shadow, shade"; "The Shadowy One She who strikes fear"
Underworld Goddess of the Land of Scath. Dark Goddess; Goddess in the destroyer aspect. Also a warrior woman and prophetess who lived in Albion (Scotland)
probably on the Isle of Skye and taught the martial arts. Patroness of blacksmiths, healing, magick, prophecy, martial arts.
WHITE LADY:
Known in all Celtic countries. Dryad of death; identified with Macha; Queen of the Dead; the Crone form of the Goddess. Death, Destruction, annihilation.
Baphomet & Opfer
From Opfer, Fenrir Vol. II, no 2
The word 'opfer' generally refers to the sacrifice that occurs - symbolic
or otherwise - during certain rituals. There are, generally, two types of
opfer: (1) associated with rites to open a nexion (or 'Star Gate'), between
Aeons - when such an opfer(s) is considered necessary in terms of the
'energy' required;(2) those associated with traditional beliefs regarding
the 'working of the cosmos'.
('Opfers' associated with death rituals form a third type.)
The second type, according to tradition, was chosen once every 17 years and
this sacrifice was regarded as necessary to retain 'the cosmic balance' -
in modern terms, keep a nexion open (and thus preserve the associated
higher civilization etc). The chosen one was made an honourary Priest (this
type of opfer was always male) and there was a joining between him and one
or more women, as Priestesses. This joining was a simple type of
'hierosgamos', and the offspring of the union(s) were given great honour.
At the ceremony itself, the head of the opfer was severed and displayed -
usually for a night and a day (although this period may have been longer in
the very distant past). The Rite was conducted outdoors in a 'sacred' place
- often a circle of stones or hill top.
The chosen one was able, because of the sacrifice, to partake of an acausal
existence - becoming thus an Immortal. Thus 'willing sacrifice' was
possible, although it is easy to imagine that in later times, the opfer was
not so willing.
Traditionally, this type goes back to Albion, and while originally the
ritual was probably a community affair, it became more secretive. What
survives to the present day (The Ceremony of Recalling with 'opfer' ending)
probably reflects the essence of this earlier tradition rather than the
detail (the words, chants etc). This essence may be apprehended in the role
of the Mistress of Earth - representative of Baphomet, the Dark Goddess. It
was to Baphomet that the sacrifice was made - hence a male opfer. Indeed,
the whole ceremony (of Recalling) can be seen as a celebration of the dark
goddess - the Earth Mistress/goddess in her darker/violent/sinister aspect.
The severed head was associated with the worship of Baphoment - the cult
deriving from Albion - hence the traditional representation of Baphomet.
The identification of Baphomet as the Bride of Lucifer/Satan probably dates
from around the 10th or 11th century, as does the use of the name
'Satan'/Satanas as the Earth-bound representative of the Dark Gods.
It is important to remember that in earlier times (eg. in Albion during the
Hyperborean aeon) there was no clear and/or moral distinction between the
'light' and the 'sinister': the two were seen as different aspects of the
same thing. Thus, what we know as the Mistress of Earth (the 'goddess') was
both what we now call Baphomet (the dark aspect) and Gaia (the Earth
Mother). Likewise with the male aspect - Satan and Lucifer - or
Dionysus/Kabeiroi and Apollo. We now understand all such symbols as
unconscious/conscious projections onto 'reality' (where 'reality' = the
region of causal/acausal mergence) - as 'gates'/nexions to the acausal
itself, with the seven spheres of the Tree of Wyrd being a 'map' of these
gates understandable by 'non-Adept' consciousness. Thus, the sphere of
Mercury re-presents Lucifer/Satan - Mercury, Mars and Sun being "male"
spheres, and moon, Venus, Jupiter the "female" ones (Saturn beyond such
opposites - Chaos itself).
The cult of Baphomet was the worship of the dark aspect of the "female"
energies - where in this context, worship means a striving toward
understanding/conscious integration. Traces of the worship of the 'light'
aspect survive in the Septenary tradition in the name "Aktlal Maka" and the
natural form of the Nine Angles rite. The darker aspect survives, in
essence, in the Ceremony of Recalling and the traditions associated with
the Mistress of Earth and Baphomet. As to the original name of the goddess
in both her aspects, there is a tradition which gives 'Darkat' (early form
of Lilith) as the name used before Baphomet became the common usage.
However, 'Azanigin' has also been suggested - as has 'Aktlal Maka' for the
'light'/Gaia aspect, although both these are merely 20th century
suggestions, not based on any oral tradition. Some aspects of the cult of
the (dark) goddess are said to have survived into Greek times in the form
of the 'mystery cults' (qv Kabeiroi - and also Eleusis for the 'light'
aspect), this being an 'indirect survival', the 'modern' Septenary
tradition being a direct one, from Albion.
The use of the name 'Baphomet' probably derives from the 10th or 11th
century although the traditional pictorial representation of Baphomet is
undoubtedly much older. If there was an oral tradition connected with the
origin of the name Baphomet, it has been lost.
Thus, there are no indications as to the 'original' names of the 'light'
and 'sinister' elements on the 'male' side - known to us as 'Lucifer' and
'Satan'. These latter names probably also derive from around the 10th or
11th century - although 'Karu Samsu' (or something very similar) has been
suggested for the 'Lucifer' aspect and 'Sapanur' as the 'sinister' aspect.
The rites associated with the first type of opfer - such as 'The Sinister
Calling' - cannot be either dated with certainty or seen to be derived from
an earlier tradition. In all probability, they derive from the 12th or 13th
century, although it is quite possible that earlier versions/forms existed.
Some
have even considered The Sinister Calling as a later version of the
Ceremony of Recalling. Again, if there was an oral tradition, it has been
lost - all that remains are the rituals themselves.
The 'Black Mass' itself (and indeed most of the ceremonial rituals in The
Black Book of Satan) probably originated around the same time as the
Sinister Calling. The original Mass was said in Latin, although by the
middle of the 20th century a translated version had found its way into the
Black Book - of necessity, although some Latin chants remained.
NOTES: The significance of the 17 year cycle is unclear. In the past few
decades, some theories have been advanced, but they are unconvincing.
Aktlal Maka is a chant sometimes used in the natural Nine Angles Rite by
the Priestess if the glade has a spring of water. It means 'the flowing
waters of Earth' and is chanted in homage to Gaia since natural springs are
regarded as her children.
The 'mysteries of the Kabeiroi' (sometimes spelt Cabiri) is one of the
esoteric traditions associated with the Hellenic Aeon. In its original
form, 'the mysteries' concerned certain deities often represented in the
form of griffins and connected with the sea as well as Demeter - the
'mother Earth' or Gaia. According to esoteric tradition, the mysteries
concerned the Dark Gods - in various 'shapechanging' forms - and related
how Demeter gave the first Initiates of this tradition a crystal (later
venerated at a shrine near Thebes where a sacred grove to Demeter existed)
as well as showing how an individual, through various Rites which involved
Gaia, women, sacred marriage and so on, could be transformed to a different
realm of consciousness. This transformation, as in other Greek Mystery
Cults, was achieved mainly through personal involvement in
ritual/ceremonial action often of a mythological kind.
Later, this tradition became divided - Eleusis representing the
'Apollonian' element, the Kabeiroi the 'Dionysian' or darker aspects, for
it is said that all Initiates of the Cabiri had to have committed a crime
greater than common ones.
The mysteries of the Kabeiroi were often celebrated in mountain shrines
(certain combinations of rock and underground water being regarded as
sacred - that is, capable by their magickal power of transforming the
consciousness of individuals (cf. various sacred sites of the Yezidi who
upheld a more garbled version of Dark Gods tradition) and to reach these
shrines was considered part of the process of Initiation.
Greeks called the Kabeiroi the 'great gods'.
- Order of Nine Angles -
http://www.nasz-dom.net/
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