Sisters of the Burning Branch Goddess Gallery Presents...

GODDESS RHIANNON


“Divine Queen of the Fey”
by WillowMoon


Rhiannon is the Celtic Goddess of the Moon, fertility, rebirth, wisdom, magick, transformation, beauty, artistic inspiration, and is the patroness of poets, as well as the Divine Queen of the Fairies.  She is reputed to be extremely beautiful and have a tremendous singing voice.  She was born at the first Moonrise, and much of what we know about her comes from the Mabinogen, an ancient book of Welsh folklore.

She is generally pictured as being dressed in gold and riding a ghostly pale horse, with birds around her head who are reputed to be able to sing the living to sleep and raise the dead with their song.  Wiccans usually celebrate her feast day on July 4, but she is also celebrated at Beltane.

She has associations with the horse goddess, Epona, the ancient Goddess, Rigatona, and The Lady of the Lake, Goddess Vivienne.  She is traditionally worshipped in forests or in a grove of trees, with natural altars made from materials found in the forest.  The ultimate time for worshipping her is at night, when the Moon is at Her highest.
 

According to the Mabinogen, Rhiannon fell in love with a mortal and refused to marry one of her “own kind”, much to the distress of her family.  The lucky guy was Prince Pwyll.  They first met by Pwyll’s castle, at The Tors, a place reputed to be just above the entrance to the underworld, and was thought to cause enchantment and love.  Pwyll immediately fell in love, and when Rhiannon rode by, he followed her.  On and on they rode, Pwyll persuing her, however he could never bridge the distance between them, no matter how fast or long he rode.  When he could ride no more, he called out to her in desperation and she stopped to wait for him, smiling to let him know all he had to do is ask for her.

 

They were married at Rhiannon’s family’s castle with the fey, and there was much feasting and merriment.  The wedding almost went off without a hitch, except for Rhiannon’s former intended, who made quite a fuss.  To solve the problem, Rhiannon turned him into a badger and threw him in a sack into the river.  As they left their wedding for Pwyll’s castle in Wales, Rhiannon had to leave the realm of the fairies forever.  However, she was welcomed by Pwyll’s people, and was much admired for her tremendous beauty and singing prowess.

A couple of years later, Rhiannon gave birth to a son, Pryderi, at the Winter Solstice.  This should have been a time of great happiness for his parents, however the baby went missing that first night, and the servants panicked.  They schemed and decided to put puppy blood on Rhiannon’s face as she was sleeping, and scattered puppy bones all around her.  Everyone believed Rhiannon had eaten her baby!  As punishment, she humbly stood at the castle gates with a horse’s collar around her neck.  She was obliged to offer to carry anyone who came to the gates inside to their destination.  She never complained over the long seven years she was humiliated this way.  One day, her son came to the gate, and mother and son immediately recognized each other, and Rhiannon’s good name was restored.  This shows how incredibly forgiving and truly regal she was.  She knows hardship, and comforts us with understanding when we call on her.

She is a goddess of love, even sexual love, giving her associations also with Venus, and her transformative powers are strongest when used for love of others or self.  She is thought of as an example of true love and beauty, and it is said one can only completely know Rhiannon when they truly love themselves.  She also shows us, through love and intent,  that transformation is really possible.  She represents the constant ebb and flow of life and how we are ALWAYS able to create change.

Rhiannon is also known as a Goddess of Doubt, in that she helps us to work out the doubt we have in our lives, and helps us listen to our instincts.  She encourages us to seek answers to our questions and not to blindly trust.  In order to repair our self-esteem and truly be on a journey towards wholeness, she helps us to question ourselves and our world to help us gain the knowledge we seek, and not let doubt and despair lead us off our life path.

 

Poem to Rhiannon

By WillowMoon


Your beauty and humility fill me with awe

What lessons in humbleness you have for us all.

Queen of The Fey, you who lead the way

To happiness  and growth, where we need it the most.

Your curly locks,

Your sparkling frocks,

You are Beauty Divine

Where I seek I may find

You, so majestic, riding your pale white horse

I cannot catch you so far up course.

“Rhiannon, please be with me!” I cry.

You stop and wait for me, giving a smile.

“You have only to ask for me, and I will be there,

To tend to your needs with love and with care.”

O, Rhiannon, I thank you for pausing for me,

For showing me beauty: in nature and me.

                                                                 

Things Sacred to Rhiannon

General: The Moon, gates, the wind, the number 7.

Animals: Horses, frogs, dogs and puppies, songbirds (i.e. canaries), dragons, badgers, and hummingbirds.

Plants: Rosemary, Sage, Narcissus, pansies, daffodils, cedar and pine.

Incenses/Oils: Lavender, Geranium, Narcissus, Sandalwood, Bergamot, and Neroli.

Metals and Stones: Crystal quartz, Bloodstone, Silver, Gold, Cat’s Eye, Moonstone, Amethyst, Garnet, Ruby, and Turquoise

Colors: White, Silver, Red, Grey, Dark Green, Gold, Maroon, Black and Brown.

 

Rhiannon's Ritual of Love

Around the time of Beltane (May 1st), go outdoors to a natural place where you won’t be disturbed. (A place of fairies would be ideal!)  Take with you a gift for Rhiannon.  Become comfortable, closing your eyes, centering and taking some deep breaths.  Be aware of your body and consciously relax all your muscles.  Sit in silence for a few minutes.

Place your hands on the Earth directly, and say,

“Rhiannon, Queen of the Fey Folk,

White Mare Ancestor, Lady of Love,

I call to You from The Earth.”

Raise your hands upwards towards the sky and say,

“Rhiannon of the Birds, Rider Between the Worlds,

I call to You in Heaven”

Place your hands on your heart, feeling your entire body fill with love, and say,

“Rhiannon, Goddess of Sacred Union,

Goddess as Lover, my heart pours out to you,

And I call to You in Love,

Come unto me so I may know you in me”

Sit and feel Rhiannon’s love for awhile.  While you’re in this loving state, ask to be shown those parts of yourself you don’t love.  Take some time to think about what you really don’t like about yourself.  Let these parts flow through your mind, then see them sprout wings, as a golden bird and fly away from you.  Then visualize a beautiful pinkish white light surrounding you.  You hear the sound of hooves and feel the white mare’s breath on your neck.  Breathe in the light surrounding you into your body, mind and spirit, filling up completely.  As you come back to reality, see Rhiannon’s energy fade away and offer Her love and flowers from your heart.  Center and ground by growing roots into the Earth.  Before leaving, leave your gift for Rhiannon.           

 

Sources and Links

*www.goddesswithin.co.uk/apri_rhiannon.htm (ritual)

*www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/celtic_goddess_rhiannon.htm

*www.angelfire.com/va/goddesses/rhia.html

*www.answers.com/topic/Rhiannon

*www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhiannon

*The Book of Goddesses : A Celebration of the Feminine Divine,

          By Kris Waldherr,  pgs. 98-100 (Rhiannon image, also)

*www.epona.net/later.html

 

This page is the intellectual and creative property of WillowMoon

July 2009

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