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In my own tradition and practice, the Wheel of the Year ...Time...Gods....Sky...Crios of the Heavens, is ruled by sixteen God/desses. Each of the eight major divisions of time and space are associated with at least a pair of Deities in this divination system (some Gods can fit just about anywhere, though they may have traditionally favorite spots). These pairings of Deities are usually in the form of Mother-Son or Husband-Wife. This duality of God/desses for each division is associated with the "good" and the "not-good" days of our system. Sometimes "not-good" will actually mean taking rather than giving. At other times "good" will mean "giving up" or "quitting" rather than receiving or being victorious. Fate and fortune all depend on the stars, the Gods, the Fedha and the Airts, as well as our "Inner Truth". I have detailed some of the characteristics of the Gods below (further reading is heartily suggested and recommended). Please use these suggestions to "color" your reading of the "casts", where they are appropriate (foretelling the future, to break a "log-jam" of indecision, to "tip" the balance, etc...). The Mother of All, the Major Mother Goddess of
Ireland, Mother of the Gods and Patroness of The All Father, Eochaid Ollathair ( Father of All), Ruadh Rofessa (The Red One, Lord of Occult Knowledge), Dagdha (the Good God) Many talented and powerful, Master of the harp and possessor of a dread double ended club. The Chief of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Sometimes he is associated with Bile, Bel (even Balor) and Crom. The Dagda is the god that was good at everything. He represents the practical and immediate application of dán in all of the skills. Directional assignment: All directions, but usually North or West, the Center of Life. The Dark aspect of the Celtic Triple Goddess. The
"Washer at the Ford" (seen washing bloody
laundry prior to battle by those destined to die). The
Battle Goddess, also Queen of the Witches and Goddess of
Magick. Could appear as a Raven, a beautiful Maiden or an
ugly Hag. Marries the Crom "The Dark, Bent One". He was the God that delivered the grain from the fields and the bounty of the harvest from the Underworld. He was called the "Bent One" because he carried the first sheaf of the wheat harvest on his back from the fields to the table (which marked the beginning of Lughnasadh). This sheaf is sometimes said to be golden Ethne, a corn child (a corn dolly, the name meaning "seed" or "corn"). This connection with Ethne is also associated with A/ine as well. Crom is sometimes said to wrestle Lugh or Finn for the gold of the harvest and the rays of the Sun. During the Fall and after the Harvest, bull sacrifices were made to him to insure a good harvest. He is associated with the great stone circle called "The Lios" in Munster, close by Lough Gur. At times, he was seen as an adversary but most times he was considered a friend. He was also seen walking the fields with Ethne on his shoulders. Some say that he was an aspect of The Dagda. If this is so, then it was perhaps he that mated with the Morrigan at Samhain each year. Crom possessed a bull that was said to be immortal. As sacrifices were made to Bel to assure a fertile growing season at Bealtaine (and to safe-guard the herds), so also sacrifices were made from the herds to Crom Dubh at Samhain. The people would share a morsel of the sacrifice's flesh as Crom returned with his bull to the Underworld for the Winter. This event marked the beginning of Samhain. Directional assignment: Northwest, Samhain; Southwest, Lughnasadh. Bóann "She of the white cattle". Irish goddess of the River Boyne. Wife of the water god Nechtan (or of Elcmar in some tales). Both Nechtan and Elcmar are associated with the Boyne river and its famous Brugh. Also the consort of The Dagda, by whom she was the mother of the love god Angus mac n'Og. In her folly, she attempted to challenge the Well of Segais. This involved chanting an "amrun" while going around the well in a tuaisceart or tuathal, (both of which mean widdershins, counterclockwise, or against the sun) direction. She circled the well three times AGAINST the Sun. The well rose against her incantations. Three waves rose up from the well, flowed forth in five streams and drowned her. Being of the Sidhe, she did not die but lost an arm, a leg and an eye in her battle with the well. The five streams of wisdom that flowed forth from this well are the five senses: Taste, smell, feeling, sight and hearing. In her contention with the Well of Segais, Bóann suffered the Druidic/Shamanic "death" of drowning but because she could not truly die (being a spirit and a goddess of the Sidhe), she gained the Wisdom of Conla/Segais as it swept her away. Bóann is a Goddess of fertility and the stars. She connects the Way of the White Cow to the White Mound of the Boyne . It is also my opinion that Bóann is a version of the Mother Goddess Danu (there are similarities to the names). She is the mate of The Dagda and it is she that gives her name to the preeminent Brugh in all of Ireland, Brugh na Bóinne. Directional assignment: North or Northeast, Mid-Winter."The Young Son". Angus is the son of The Dagda and Bóann. It is he that was "conceived at sunrise and born before dusk" in a single day at the Brugh na Bóinne. He was raised by his foster father Midir at Bri Leith until he was reunited with The Dagda. Angus was able to obtain the Brugh na Bóinne for himself by the use of the same "year and a day" Magick that The Dagda had used. He also was a God of Love and Life. He wooed Caer Ibormeith as a swan and flew with her every other year at Lough Bel Dracon. Angus is frequently able to give advice that is beyond his years (reference his Ogham list given later in this paper). He is also associated with dreams and the Soul. Angus is the new son of the Sun's rebirth at the Brugh na Bóinne each Winter's Solstice. He has the gift of Life within his Breath and can restore the Dead to Life. Directional assignment: North, Mid-Winter. Breo saighead (Fiery Arrow or Power) Often called the Triple Brighid or the Triple Mother. Also associated with Danu at times. The daughter of The Dagda. She was said to have been married to Bres prior to his banishment from the Tuatha Dé. Goddess of the Sacred Flame of Kildare. Goddess of poets, feminine crafts, the hearth, smithcraft, healing and inspiration. The White Maiden aspect of the Triple Goddess. Her Feast is the Major Celtic Festival of Imbolc. She who gives hope and new beginnings. The Celtic Church could not replace her, so they absorbed her as the "foster-mother" of Christ and as St. Brigit, the daughter of the Druid Dougal the Brown. Brighid is very like the Greek Goddess Athena, a Goddess of Wisdom, yet she also has the nurturing warmth of the heart, the home and the hearth within Her. Directional assignment: North-east, East or South, Imbolc. "Beauty", Irish (Celtic) god of fertility and agriculture, briefly a leader of the Tuatha Dé Danann and husband of the goddess Brighid and father of Ruadan. His mother was Ériu (or Brighid in some tales), the Goddess of Sovereignty, his father Elatha was a king of the Fomorii. He possessed great beauty ("as beautiful as Bres" was a common saying). As newly elected chief of the Tuatha Dé, Bres parlayed with Sreng, the battle leader of the FirBolg. He suggested they divide Ireland between the two peoples. No agreement was reached and the first Cath Magh Tuireadh occurred. He succeeded to the kingship of Ireland after Nuada lost a hand (in battle with Sreng) at the first battle of Magh Tuireadh. Due to his lack of hospitality, Bres proved to be an unworthy ruler. He was satirized by Corpre and deposed in favor of Nuada, whose temporary silver hand had been replaced by a real one, making him fit to rule once more. Bres fled into exile and rallied the Fomorii against the Dé Danann. When the Fomorii were defeated at the second battle of Mag Tuireadh, Bres was captured during the battle. His life was spared by Lugh when he promised to instruct the Dé Danann in the art of agriculture. He is responsible for the flow of milk from cattle as well. He is a major God of Agriculture. Bres's lack of hospitality may well be associated with the bleak end of Winter's harshest weather, when supplies would have been low (or non-existent). He directly contrasts with the hospitality of the home and hearth that is associated with his wife, Brighid. Directional assignment: Northeast, Imbolc. The "Sun Faced" One, ("Grian-aineach"), so called because he was a God of Wisdom and of speech. He invented the Ogham and was also a great Warrior. He was Nuada's battle champion. Sometimes associated with the Greek Herakles. He was one of the main challengers to Lugh during the rites of admission to the company of Tara. He was the possessor of Orna, the talking sword of Tethra. Ogma challenges those who would enter the company of the gods. He also guards the fires of inspiration. We can associate Ogma with blades as well. His knife carved the first Ogham. His sword had the gift of speech. One of his grandsons was Mac Cecht, the son of the Plough. Perhaps this means that Ogma was the father or inventor of the plough for the Irish? As Nuada’s champion, I would also expect him to wield the Sword of Light (that among other things, separates the darkness from the dawn). Along with Lugh and The Dagda, Ogma planned the battle strategy for the Tuatha Dé in the Cath Maige Tuireadh. He is also said to be the Irish God of music, spells, the arts and eloquence. There are many legends surrounding Ogma under his name of Cermait (which means "Honey-mouthed"). He was one of the three sons of The Dagda (along with Aedh and Angus). He was born at Brugh na Bóinne and was said to have been killed by Lugh who was jealous of Ogma attentions to his wife. Ogma’s Síde was called Airceltrai (which seems to mean something like: "First Spear" or "Eastern Visage"). Directional assignment: East (facing the Rising Sun), Spring Equinox (a time of ploughing and battles). "She Who Strikes Fear". The Shadow self that walks the Mists. The Irish/Scottish Goddess of martial arts. The Destroyer aspect of the Dark Goddess. A great sword warrior and instructor. Native to the Isle of Skye. Teacher of CúChulainn. Patroness of martial arts, prophecy, blacksmiths and magic. She lived on the otherside of a bottomless pit or "void" that could only be approached by making the "salmon leap" onto her Magical bridge. She taught CúChulainn the "feat of the Bolga", a spear that was thrown with the foot through a stream of water. Scathach waits across the Void for those who can make the "salmon leap" across the narrow bridge between the mundane and the mystical. Directional assignment: East, Dawn/Spring. Áine This is the Lush green Mother Goddess whose "paps" are the two well known hills of Munster. She is the earthen manifestation of Danu as well as being a sister of the Sun Goddess Grian. Áine has her own Rath in Munster (Cnoc Áine) and is a goddess of love and fertility. At Mid-Summer, young girls run through the fields with flaming torches to assure the safety of the herds and fields as well as to promote fertility and increase. Directional assignments: Southeast, Bealtaine; South, Mid-Summer. Bíle "Shining" or "Fair Shining One". A widespread Celtic god, of fire and/or of the sun. He was worshiped from northern Italy to Britain. He is sometimes associated with the Irish god Bíle though this is not certain. His festival was Bealtaine on May 1 (actually on the Full Moon in Taurus). The two sacred fires of Bel (Bile?) were lit using a "fire drill" by the Druids. At this time, cattle were driven through the "fire mouth" to purify them from disease and to prepare them for the summer pastures. Belenus was naturally identified with Apollo by the more Romanized Gauls (though the Irish assign this role to Lugh or even to Grian, the Sun Goddess). As Beli he is the Welsh god of Death. Similar to Bíle and the husband of Don/Danu. As Bíle he is known as the father of gods and men and perhaps cognate with the Gaulish god Dis. In this role he is said to be the husband of Danu, mother of the gods. In some Irish genealogies Bíle is said to be the father of Milesius the leader of the Gael from Spain. (Spain is usually another name used for the Otherworld in Irish mythology.) In Ireland, Bíle is the name given to the Sacred Tree. This Sacred Tree is considered to be the center of the clan or Tuatha. As such, it represents the connection between the people and the three worlds of Bith: The Skyworld, The Middleworld, and The Otherworld. Bíle or Bile, Bel, Belenos represents the father and protector of the people and is truly the husband of the great Mother Goddess. Directional assignment: Southeast or South, Bealtaine, Mid-Summer. The Goddess of
Sovereignty The Land and the King were wed through many ceremonies. Essentially the fate of the King and the fate of the Land were One and vice versa. The Favor of the Goddess could be granted by some heroic act or by being Magically chosen (The Lia Fail could do this, more later). Women who held the Sovereignty of the land were often referred to as the Goddess (Such as Medb, Boudicca and Macha-Red Mane). Directional assignment: Center or Mid-Summer/Grianstad. The King and battle leader of the Tuatha Dé Danann, Possessor of the Magical Sword of Findias, Lost his sword hand in the First Battle of Moytura, against the Fir Bolgs, stepped down from the Kingship (because the King could have no blemish) even though he was outfitted with a Magical hand of silver. He eventually had his hand Magically restored to lead the Tuatha Dé Danann against the Fomorii in the second Battle of Moytura. In this battle he was physically killed so he returned to the Lands of the Sidhe. Directional assignment: East or Mid-Summer/Grianstad. Daughter of the Magh Mor, King of Spain, and the wife
of Eochaidh Mac Erc, a FirBolg king. She was the foster
mother of Lugh. She died clearing the forest of Breg so
that its fields could be used for agriculture. She was
buried at Tailtenn and it is the funerary games that Lugh
held for her that are now known as Lughnasadh. She is a
primal earth Goddess and a patroness of the crops and
herds. Directional assignment: Southwest, Lughnasadh.. Samildánach (many skilled). This is the Celtic Mercury. The grandson of Balor (leader of the Fomorians and the son of Cian and Ethniu, a Sidhe princess. His feast is Lughnasadh, a celebration of the death of his "foster mother", Tailtu. He is the combination of the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Fomors. He replaces Nuada as the King and battle leader of the Tuatha Dé Danann and leads them to ultimate victory in the second Battle of Moytura. He is sometimes called the "Shining One" and/or Lugh Lamfada (of the "long arm"). He also has attributes of a carpenter, mason, poet, Druid, physician and a goldsmith. He can be considered the Irish God of just about everything. He was also the father of the great Irish hero, CúChulainn. Directional assignment: East, South or South-west, Lughnasadh. Chief Irish God of the sea. Not a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann. A happy-go-lucky gypsy type. Always carried "the Crane Bag", ` a kind of Magick "horn of plenty". It is said that he gave the last 5 Ogham to the Druids (also called the "Crane Bag"). He preferred to roam among the people in disguise and aid their exploits. He could change his shape at will. Consequently, he is known by many names: Orbson, Gille-Decair, even Culann the Smith. Despite his many names and his antics, he was an extremely powerful God and was usually associated with fertility, rebirth, weather, sailing and Magick. He also had a Magical ship that moved without sails and was directed by the mind. Linked to the Isle of Man. Manannan is know as the keeper of the secret ways and serves as a gatekeeper between worlds. Directional assignment: East or West (towards the sea), Fall Equinox. The Cailleach This is the "Old Woman" of Beara who went through seven youthful periods. She was said to be a giantess and to have dropped many large boulders from her apron as she walked across the land. Her home was the Beara peninsula of the Southwest of Ireland. Another name for her was Bui ("yellow"). Under this name she was one of the wives of Lugh. She can be a Hag or a beautiful maiden and represents Sovereignty and renewal. Even as Ogma guards the ways of inspiration, The Cailleach wards the entrance to the Cauldron. Those who would risk her kiss and chance their fate, are rewarded. Those that cannot endure such an embrace are fated to remain on the pathways of the ordinary and the expected. Directional assignments: West and Southwest, Lughnasadh and Fall Equinox. Irish (Celtic) god of death, King of the Fomorii. Son of Buarainech, husband of Cethlenn (Cathlionn). He was know as Balor "of the Mighty Blows". Balor had one eye which had the power of striking dead anyone who looked upon it. This was the well known "evil eye" found throughout Celtic lore. At the Battle of Mag Tuireadh (Moytura) he slew the Dé Danann king, Nuada, as well as Macha but was slain in turn by their battle leader Lugh. This fulfilled an ancient prophecy. The Druids had prophesied that Balor would be killed by his own grandson. To prevent this, he had his only daughter Ethlinn locked within a crystal tower on Tory Island. But Cian, one of the rival Tuatha Dé Danann, managed to romance Ethlinn with the aid of a druidess named Birog, and slept with her. Ethlinn gave birth to a boy, whom Balor discovered and threw into the sea. The druidess Birog saved this boy, who was subsequently fostered by the sea god Manannan mac Lir, and the boy grew to become Lugh Lamfada of the Long Arm, or Lug. Directional assignment: Northwest, Samhain. Remembering the references to days that are "Mat" or "An" from the Coligny Calendar helps us to select the appropriate Deities to choose for our divinations. On the "Bright" or "Mat" days I choose the deities that are closest to the center of the Wheel. On the "An" or "Dark" days I chose those that surround the perimeter. In either case, divination is an activity that requires us to be calm and quiet; awaiting the awareness that the time is right and that we are connected to our own Sacred Center. When I stand within the Sacred Center, I stand next to the Red, Wise One, The Dagda, Ruadh Rofessa. I stand with my feet firmly planted upon Anu of the Fertile Paps, Earth Mother. I face Ogma of the Sure Strokes and the Sunface, Grian-aineach. To my right is Brighid of the Three Fires, Breo-Saighid. At my back is Manannan of the round eye, Wave Runner and Crane Dancer. To my left is the Morrigan, Black War Raven; Magick Maker. I am surrounded by Danu of the Swift Waters, Starwise and High One. If I look within, I find Samildánach, Lugh of the Long Hand to aid me in my endeavors. Beyond the fold is Domnu of the Darkness, the Great Unknown. This is a "NOT" place where even gods walk lightly. On the Dark Days When Darkness reigns within Bith, I shelter within the spiraling arms of Bile, Bright One and Way Shower. I am warded by Scathach, Swordwoman and Shadow Walker, To my Left is Angus mac n'Og, the Ever Young. At my back is the Cailleach Bheara, Bui of the Seven Youthful periods. To my right is Aine of the Sun Brugh, Night Sister of An Grian. Tethra rules the Star Cattle and Storm Gods that are beyond me. For aid and protection, I seek the Silver One, Nuada Argetlamh, Twice King. What waits within the unseen future is Crom's secret, locked behind nine shields and guarded by Balor's Evil Eye. [_members/blfsnhdtcqmgngstraoueieaoiuiioae/members/daireclass/_private/_amrún_foot.htm] |
