The Goddess of Avalon

Rhiannon

The Goddesses of Avalon are the heart and soul of the Sacred Landscape, each weaving a transformational energy into the matrix of the archetypal realm. Once we have successfully made contact with the landscape areas and established a good working relationship which each of these places of power, we can use them to connect with the Ladies of Avalon. These five Divine Ancestresses will further our quest for positive change, personal Sovereignty and the wisdom that comes from drinking deep from the cauldron of our souls.

Bloudeuwedd

The Avalonian Tradition draws its inspiration from British, rather than English, culture. Wales was able to maintain and preserve the culture, language and traditions of Celtic Britain far longer than the rest of England, so we look to Welsh language, literature and folklore to understand the beliefs of the Britons.



Hymn to Isis

I call upon you, Isis, most graceful and high of the High Ones
Hear your lowly servitor and grant your blessings
Most full and gentle
You whose crescent moon and stars
Encompass the world.

Wave your arm, and strew the glittering dust of many worlds
Like seeds to be planted in the vast blackness of space
Step gently across the bridge of many colors
And rest in the mountains of flowers I wish for your offering
That they may shine.

Swell the fruit of the land, make mother with child
Cause flying birds to nest, and bees to swarm
Make the endless procession of life grow full and bountiful
Bring water to the well and rain to the clouds
Cause your veils to fall upon barren earth
And make it holy.

Working with the Dark Goddess

The darker aspect of the Goddess can be a rather strange and unsettling figure who has been inhabiting a corner of our minds since the beginning of time.  Within written memory, she was merged in ancient Greek drama and literature, she appeared in fairy tales, myths and songs; and she has also made herself known amongst the pages of sacred text, such as the Bible.

Tykhe - the Goddess of Luck

Within Greek mythology, the Goddess associated with fortune, providence and fate is Tykhe, who was also honoured as Eutykhia, the Goddess of good fortune, luck, success and prosperity. 

The daughter of Hermes and Aphrodite, Tykhe was represented with different attributes.  Holding a rudder, Tykhe was conceived as the divinity guiding and conducting the affairs of the world, and in this respect she was called one of the Moirai (or Fates); with a ball she represented the varying unsteadiness of fortune - unsteady and capable of rolling in any direction; with Ploutos or the horn of Amalthea, she was the symbol of the plentiful gifts of fortune. 

Prayers to Inanna, the Queen of Heaven

Mighty, majestic, and radiant,
You shine brilliantly in the evening,
You brighten the day at dawn,
You stand in the heavens like the sun and the moon,
Your wonders are known both above and below,
To the greatness of the Holy Priestess of Heaven,
To you, Inanna, I sing!

When a Language Becomes a Mother/Goddess

I came across a rather interesting essay about Tamil, a language spoken by over 70 million people in India and Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, as well as other parts of the global South Asian diaspora.

Rivaled only by Sanskrit, Tamil inspired the praise and adoration of many of its speakers from its early recorded literary history.  In the later half of the 19th century in colonial India, this admiration intensified to the point that the language was imagined as a mother/goddess variously referred to as Tamiḻttāy, Tamil Aṉṉai, and Tamiḻ Tēvi.

Over the course of the first half of the 20th century, the veneration of and devotion to the Mother/Goddess Tamil variously fueled powerful movements for religious revitalization, the deepening of linguistic pride and love for Tamil literature, a vigorous assertion of Tamil identity, even a separatist movement for independent statehood free of India.

Prayer of Becoming

May clarity grow within me
Open my eyes to life's many wonders
May I feel the pulse of all creation within me
Open my spirit to Awareness
Fill my heart with deeper Understanding
May my life be of service to Earth and the Goddess

Open my ears to the needs of those around me
Make my hands strong, sure, & gentle in your service
May I remember always, the Goddess works through me

~ Abby Willowroot © 1999

Hekate: Her Sacred Fires

Since 2010, occurring around the May Full Moon, an international event occurs in honour of the Goddess for the Three Ways, Hekate.  Originally coincided with the launch of a wonderful international anthology Hekate: Her Sacred Fires (edited by Sorita d'Este), literally thousands of people took part in this rite, including the Temple of the Dark Moon, with even more attending in 2011.

This beautiful devotional rite was written by Sorita who has generously shared it, together with providing extensive background information, on the Sacred Fires web site.  The appeal of such a rite is obvious with it having been translated into many languages with devotees from over 60 countries around the world, openly sharing their experiences, from elaborate group rituals, to intimate and personal solitary ones.