The Morrigan, Death

[SpiritShadow]

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: The Morrigan, Death

I can help a bit (I think ) The thing about the Morrigan is that she presents many different faces and people see different aspects of her. That much has been true since ancient times, and the Ulster and Mythological cycles in early Irish literature. It's best in a situation like this to go straight to the source as much as you can - one person may say 'You must go about it this way' but to be honest, it's something you have to try and work out for yourself.

So to start you off, look at the name: Morrigan. It's generally accepted to have three likely meanings: Great Queen, Sea Queen or even Phantom Queen. It's up to you which one you feels speaks to you most. If you go for the PHantom Queen you are looking at an interpretation that links up the word 'mara' which in turn links to the Nightmare - a very specific type of entity and very scary indeed. In one aspect of her triple form she is often considered to be a war goddess. But it's important to remember that this is just one aspect. And such a goddess invites you to enter her world and discover what she has to teach (well, I think so, anyway. ) I would be very wary of viewing her only as a goddess of death - at most that is just going to be an aspect of the Morrigan, but not the whole picture.

I hope this little snapshot helps, but please, if you have further questions, do ask. If I don't know the answer, I promise not to waffle!

[SpiritShadow]

Re: The Morrigan, Death

Thank you very much, and yes every little bit helps. I've got to be honest, Phantom Queen speaks loudest to me at a first glance. I do know that there's more too her then merely Death, and I've actually wondered if there are other Celtic deities affiliated with death. The only other I'm aware of is the psychopomp Ankou.

As far as other questions go, I have a whole bunch of them. :P Some of them being more general then others like, "As I walk down the Pagan path, is it still acceptable to take part in Christmas events with my family? or would it be frowned upon?" for example since my family is still Christian. Thats just one of many questions I have. Sometimes I don't know where to start.

On a side note, one thing I've been hearing is that you don't typically choose the deity, rather the deity chooses you. So perhaps I'm going about this all wrong...

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: The Morrigan, Death

As far as other questions go, I have a whole bunch of them. :P Some of them being more general then others like, "As I walk down the Pagan path, is it still acceptable to take part in Christmas events with my family? or would it be frowned upon?" for example since my family is still Christian. Thats just one of many questions I have. Sometimes I don't know where to start.

On a side note, one thing I've been hearing is that you don't typically choose the deity, rather the deity chooses you. So perhaps I'm going about this all wrong...

I've always find that my deities have chosen me - in fact sometimes I've had to go and find out more about them because I haven't much of a clue who they are! So if that happens to you, don't worry. Also, sometimes being drawn to one deity is a signal for others to approach to... don't be surprised if it happens to you.

As for taking part in say, Christmas events, etc., I have to say here that I don't speak for all Pagans (nobody can do that, and don't believe anyone who sets themself up as some sort of spokesperson) - but if you are still close to your family, then why alienate yourself? When it comes to Christmas, it is basically a pagan festival anyway and has retained many of the old pagan traditions. For your own peace of mind, especially in the early days, however, don't start arguing the point with your family. Always pick your battles carefully. I'm sure that even though your family is 'Christian' they don't all share exactly the same level of belief and practice.

There are many members here on the forum who will share their experiences of trying to find their path (though it may be different from yours) and trying to reconcile themselves with family who don't share their beliefs. You're not alone, so ask away!

[Ophidia]

Re: The Morrigan, Death

For the longest time, most of my primary deities have always been those strongly associated with death and the underworld. Out of all of them, Hades & Persephone were the two I considered my patrons. They came to me when I was very young, and have been with me through my entire life.

A lot of people who are new to Pagan path determine that they want to worship or work with deities Who could be considered dark or fearsome. Whether it's because it's seen to be 'cool' or a fashion statement for the goth/emo crowd, or because of genuine interest in death and dying, that's just what they gravitate towards. Sometimes people do need to get a better understanding of their own shadow sides, or there may be a past-life connection to the funeral industry, a need to learn about the intricacies of death... but unless the deities in question actually do choose you or show evidence that They may have a greater purpose for you, I would not suggest trying to cultivate a long-term relationship with any of Them. Take the lessons They have to give and move on. When working with cthonic/thanatoic deities, you leave yourself open to problems like depression, a loss of hope and fatalism.

On a side note, one thing I've been hearing is that you don't typically choose the deity, rather the deity chooses you. So perhaps I'm going about this all wrong...

From asking this question myself I've had several people (on here & elsewhere) tell me that it is perfectly natural to initiate relationships with deities and other spiritual entities. You can do so through prayer, meditation or finding out traditional gifts or offerings to sacrifice to the deity you'd like to get to know better.

Because I am trying to release myself from severe depression (and a few other reasons), I decided that I needed to wean myself away from Hades & Persephone and move towards deities Who might be somewhat gentler on my soul and more accepting of what I can give in return for Their gifts. For me, this was pretty sticky because all of the deities I've worked with are harsh and not given to great compassion, so it wasn't just a matter of letting go of my patrons, but not having a healthy replacement. I actually turned to another one of my childhood deities, Selene - and that's been going pretty well so far. I still give thanks and honor to the Gods Who have been with me all along, but more as respected ancestors or mentors.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: The Morrigan, Death

On the Christmas issue -

I'd guess that a lot of us here still celebrate Christmas - I know I do. It's always been my favorite holiday because there is such a big to-do about it, what with the preparations, decorating, parties, gifts, getting together with the family, and all that. Honestly, I never even think of it as a religious holiday, just a time to be with friends and family.

And like Tylluan Penry says, it's already a pretty pagan holiday in all but the name and surface.

Don't give up the things that are important to you for a religion - especially if that means giving up good times with family or friends. It's better to just incorporate good stuff into your religion.

[SpiritShadow]

Re: The Morrigan, Death

A lot of people who are new to Pagan path determine that they want to worship or work with deities Who could be considered dark or fearsome. Whether it's because it's seen to be 'cool' or a fashion statement for the goth/emo crowd, or because of genuine interest in death and dying, that's just what they gravitate towards.

Alright I just want to clear the air right now and state that this is not my reason. One of the main reasons I actually avoided Paganism for so long was specifically because I didn't want to get in to it for the wrong reason. Coolness being one of the wrong reasons in my mind. To be honest I'm actually the opposite of anything goth/emo, I dress way too "cheerful" I guess. I think this desire comes form a realization of just how important death is. One argument is that with out death, there could be no life, and I love life very much. Death, in my mind, is what makes life so precious. Perhaps I fall under the ladder, which is a genuine interest in death, but on a more secondary level, I also want to loose my fear of death, and instead embrace it as something close to me. I might not know much yet, but I am at least aware of the consequence of my choices, and am prepared to face them. Thank you for your response and advice, it is appreciated.

-On the note of Christmas

I have to say its a relief to hear you both say that.

One half of my family is Ukrainian, and each Christmas eve we have a traditional dinner with Perogies,Cabbage rolls, Borscht the lot. We socialize, we sing the twelve days of Christmas, its a whole lot of family bonding and I really didn't want to trade that away.

I'm also blessed with two very understanding parents. My Mother and Father are very accepting of the choices I make, they already know I'm Agnostic and I'm sure they'd be accepting of this. Heck one of my Pagan friends had a Pagan wedding when he married his wife, and they invited my parents. My Cristian Mother was so excited about it, she really enjoyed being able to sit in, and took loads of picture too :P so luckily I don't have to worry on that note.

[Dez]

Re: The Morrigan, Death

LOL...we figured you weren't a troll since you've been so respectful, so don't worry on that count(although it will help people remember your posts if you have an avatar--just go to Settings at the top of the page on the right, then scroll down the lists on the right hand side of the page until you get to avatar settings).

I think it's awesome you have such a strong tie to your heritage! That's one of those little things I've found very sweet to me about following my own path. My ancestors all left their heritage behind trying to fit in with their religion and American culture, and so it's actually been a strong impetus for me to find out more about my ancestors past the last 4 or 5 generations.

That made me think, too, that you might find additional spiritual nourishment in hunting down more information about traditional Slavic deities. I don't know much, but I've found this before, as well as some limited information on the god Perun.

[Raven_Rin]

Re: The Morrigan, Death

The Morrigan was the first Goddess that called to me. She is a triple Goddess comprised of three crone Goddesses and governs battle, war, death, and destruction. It is said that she would fly over the battlefields in the form of a Raven and as she circled she would choose who would be successful in battle and who would fall. After a battle the remaining soilders would leave the battlefield overnight so that she could collect what was known as "the Morrigan's acorn crop" which were the heads of the fallen. Morrigan means "the phantom queen" and the three crone Goddesses are Badb, Macha, and Nemain.

Badb ~ pronounced bayv, is "the fury"
Macha ~ pronounced MAAX-ah, is "battle"
Nemain ~ pronounced NIM-awn, is "venomous one"

Many recomend that you work with one of the three crone Goddesses as apposed to calling on the Morrigan, but that's a matter for you to decide for yourself. When calling on the Morrigan caution should be taken as the results of your working can turn violent. She is often called on by service men and women for obvious reasons, she can also be called on for wanning moon magicks such as banishing, overcoming enemies, and passing over rituals

I recomend reading "Celtic Myth & Magick" by Edain McCoy

Hope you find this helpful.