THE MORRIGAN
A Goddess Dedication

By: Luna Esque
Adept, Sisters in the Goddess Tree

Ernmas, a mother Goddess, gave birth to a triad of Warrior Goddesses—Badb, Macha, and Anu, also known as the Morrigan, a triumvirate. The Morrigan is an ancient Celtic goddess of battle, strife, war and perhaps ironically, fertility. She is called: morrigan (Moor-rig-oo) / MORRIGAN (Mor-ee-gan) / MORRIGHAN / MORGAN (Moor-gan) (Ireland, Wales, and Britain) Supreme war goddess. Queen of phantoms and demons, shape-shifter. The crone aspect of the goddess, great white goddess. Patroness of priestesses and witches. Revenge, night, magick, prophecy. She is often depicted in the form of a crow or raven.
Similar to the Valkyries in Norse mythology, the Morrigan uses her magic to hinder or help warriors. The Morrigan is of Irish tradition and is often depicted as a singular woman. Crows and ravens follow her spirit wherever it goes, and if you see crows or ravens around you it could mean her spirit is around you guarding you and watching for impending battle. The Irish Goddess of fertility, war, and death would often appear on battlefields in the form of a crow or raven and would consume the dead. Her name means "Great Queen". In the Ulster cycle, she also takes on the forms of an eel, wolf, and a cow.
The Morrigan is also a Moon Goddess and is associated with Baba Yaga, Kali, Anahita, Sheila-Na-Gig, Coatlicue, and Sekhmet. The Morrigan is a power Goddess that helps to find the truth and fights at your side for Justice. During the beginning of a legal battle, her spirit starting coming to me and is still with me.  I am always surrounded by crows or ravens. That is Her spirit.  The Morrigan shape shifts into a crow or raven and flies over the battlefields of life ‘calling upon the spirits of slain warriors.’

The Morrigan is a Triple Goddess; Anu, the maiden of flowering fertility; Babd, the mother who produces life; and Macha, the great crone also known as the Queen of the Phantoms or Mother Death. In some artwork, The Morrigan is depicted as a bird Goddess with the body of a woman and the head of a crow or raven.
In the tales of the first people of Ireland, the Tuatha De Danann (literally the people of the Goddess Danu), Morrigan was said to have blown a protective fog over all of the land, so that they would not be invaded. This shows the strength of Morrigan, and the protection the people received from her. Morrigan is also connected with death, destruction and battles. One story tells that Macha was forced to race while pregnant with twins, and when she (easily) won she gave birth to the twins. She was so angry at her tormentors for giving birth in public, that she cursed them with the pain of childbirth before enemies were closing in. For nine generations when Ulster came under attack the men would experience the pains of childbirth (p. 192 Kimball).

Morrigan is a "Goddess of rivers, lakes and freshwaters” and she was seen by Cu Chulain before his death, washing the clothes and arms. It is said that if one sees Morrigan by the river washing their clothes or body, it is a prediction of death before going into battle. Looking at this story, one can see the river or water as a place of rebirth, that Morrigan as the Goddess is washing, anointing the body before being reborn.

Calling upon the strength of a Goddess that can fight off armies, and wash the dead is very powerful. Darkness and death is a natural part of life, and brewing in the cauldron of rebirth is new life. The following is a popular prayer to the Morrigan.


PRAYER TO THE MORRIGAN

Morrigan Morrigan three times three,
Hear the words I ask of thee.
Grant me vision, Grant me power,
Cheer me in my darkest hour.
As the night overtakes the day,
Morrigan Morrigan light my way.
Morrigan Morrigan Raven Queen,
Round & round the Hawthorn green.
Queen of beauty, Queen of Art,
Yours my body, Yours my heart.
All my trust I place in thee,
Morrigan Morrigan Be with me.
 Author unknown



image by David Gaillet

The Morrigan is a powerful source for when someone is going through rough times. Sometimes her calling is so obvious with her coming to a person in the form of a crow or a raven calling you to your battle and letting that person know that She is on your side. It can be very unnerving at first, but She is there for a reason. To connect with her, one can do a ritual. The following is a ritual outline I have put together to help someone understand the role of the Morrigan in their own life.


Ritual Outline:
Incenses: Mandrake, Dragon’s Blood, Frankincense, Bay leaves (divination), and Basil. Bay leaves put under the pillow at night can bring on prophetic dreams.
Candles: White for new birth, red for blood and passion, and black to dispel negativity.
A black cauldron with water in it, and a large silver type coin to represent the full moon in it, for she is a Moon Goddess.
Put a picture on the altar and the four quarters of The Morrigan, and invoke her for the four quarters. The following is an invocation written to The Morrigan to be read at the beginning of the ritual.

INVOCATION TO THE MORRIGAN

 Mother Morrigan of life and death
I call you for guidance and strength
Help me to speak with you on my breath
And fight my battles wisely at length
Help me to understand the situation at hand
And make the correct decisions to defend my land
Grant me wisdom in all that I do
I call on you now to see me through


Then gaze into the cauldron at the silver coin representing the full moon, remembering that the Morrigan is a Moon goddess. Focus on your third eye sight. Concentrate on the Morrigan and any messages she has for you. After the ritual, ground yourself and close the circle. Don’t forget to put Bay Leaves under your pillow as you sleep so you can receive dreams of divination and prophecy.

• original ritual written by Luna Esque