Arianrhod- My favorite

To my Celtic folk, magic welders, and pagans of all kinds Welcome!

Well, I got news for you all, As I was researching many goddesses for the article this week I found not just a great but an amazing goddess. I picked her because of her triumphant story and her ideas on the definition of a virgin. Now without further ado the Goddess I picked in the name is Arianrhod.

She is both Celtic and Welch, but I find it hard to be both Celtic and Welch but I digress.

Many other names she is known for are The Silver Wheel and Silver Circle for the symbol to represent both her ability to take a full circle and turn her life around and but also for the symbol of her wheel she holds.

High Fruitful Mother who turns the wheel of heaven, to symbolize Virgin White Goddess of birth, initiation, death, and rebirth; Silver-circled Daughter of Don; Queen of the castle at the back of the Northwind, the Land of Death, where the souls of kings, chieftains, poets, and magicians await rebirth; Name-giver; She Who arms Her child. Her myth is badly distorted by patriarchal interference. She is also Star Goddess and Sky Goddess not as just a mere Sky Goddess but as a goddess that embraces the Stars and the Sky.

This brings me to the part about her superpowers or better yet what she ruled over. She was known for reincarnation for the location of her castle. She also was a goddess of fertility and as well childbirth, as most goddesses are, but to explain more I will tell you about the story of her and her family ( and how screwed up they are).

Some of the other things she rules over are the arts. Arianrhod loved poetry, paintings, sculpting, and songs. A poem I found describes where she lives and what importance she has to our lives.

Mistress of poets dwells in Caer Sidi

the Lady of the Silver Wheel

she shines her light on Earth to light our way

Great Mother, she knows how we feel.

Her light reflects her glory on the seas

and stars kiss dark waters of night.

Arianrhod, our Lady of the Wheel

shine on us with heavenly light.

As the circle turns the wheel goes around

O Mother of the Celtic flame

your bards shall sing your praises throughout time

as it was is now the same.

As she did live in this place she also left Cear Sidi to have a career at court and this is the story now.

The story of how Arianrhod was deceived is recounted in the fourth branch of the Welsh collection of stories, known as The Mabinogion, dating back in their oral form to the 4th century BC.

The Mabinogion was not set in written form until the early medieval period. It is the story of the ancient, tribal gods and goddesses who through time morphed into mortal queens and kings.

This story gives a clear picture of the disempowerment of the Goddess (and thus women) as patriarchal society replaced the ancient Goddess worshipping societies.

The ages had turned; new fashions entered the realm and the idea of chaste virginity entered human consciousness.

Arianrhod became enamored of the glamour of this fashion, yet with no intention or desire of practicing said idea. Arianrhod’s uncle, the magician King Math, was under a strange taboo which required him to keep his feet in the lap of a virgin whenever he was not actively engaged in battle.

Gwydion, with the intent of his own, suggested Arianrhod for this role.

Thus Gwydion, who was Math’s successor and student in the magical arts, set out for Caer Sidi to present the offer to Arianrhod.

During his stay with Arianrhod, Gwydion had a different suggestion for her; he proposed marriage.

The true heir to the house of Don could only come through the female line and Gwydion wanted his seed to father that heir.

But Arianrhod valued her position as an independent woman without the need to be tied to a man. Perhaps she longed for the excitement of court; perhaps she wished to obtain some of Math’s magical powers herself.

Arianrhod journeyed with Gwydion to the castle of King Math.

The king demanded proof of Her virginity. She had to step across a magical rod, which caused Her to birth twin boys.

The first, who Math named Dylan, fled to the sea and swam away.

Remember Arianrhod’s preference for mermen. The second boy or perhaps the afterbirth, unnoticed by all present, was scooped up by Gwydion, birthed by magic, and raised in a magic forest. Gwydion, as Math’s apprentice, must have known of the powers of this rod and thus through guile and trickery forced Arianrhod to conceive his child.

When Arianrhod learned of this betrayal, she laid three curses on the boy.

She denied the child a name or the right to bear arms – the right of Welsh mothers, which gives a clear indication of the ancient power of women.

But Gwydion tricked Arianrhod into granting them. The third curse – “the boy shall have no wife of the race that is now on the earth,” Gwydion broke by creating a woman of flowers, Blodeuwedd, to be his son’s wife.

Humiliated, defeated, and betrayed, Arianrhod spent the rest of her days at Caer Arianrhod.

When the sea reclaimed the land, Arianrhod and her realm drowned and an epoch ended.

When Arianrhod speaks to you delve into your own soul; seek the knowledge of past lives; release the past; allow rebirth and renewal to occur.

Be aware of the moon and the magic of her flowing changes.

Open your heart to the infinite possibilities of the stars.

Be in the open mind of the initiate who seeks the truth of self and of others.

From this story we learn that yes, people in other pantheons have screwed up families but also learn to overcome your challenges. Arianrhod is one that is both fascinating and amazing to listen to because, despite the fact that mothers are responsible for giving there son's there the ability to defend themselves but also, Arianrhod walked in naive and clueless as to what she wanted and after all of this she still came out on top.And with that i leave to a wonderful night and a blessed week.