CELTIC GODDESSES

AINE OF KNOCAINE:
(Pronounced aw-ne); Ireland. Moon Goddess; patroness of crops and cattle.
Connected with the Summer Solstice.

ANU
ANANN
DANA
DANA-ANA:
Ireland. Goddess of plenty, another aspect of the Morrigu: Mother Earth; Great
Goddess; greatest of all Goddesses. This flowering fertility Goddess, sometimes
she formed a trinity with Badb and Macha. Her priestesses comforted and taught
the
dying. Fires were lit for her at Midsummer. Two hills in Kerry are called the
Paps of Anu. Maiden aspect of the triple Goddess in Ireland. Guardian of cattle
and health. Goddess of fertility, prosperity, comfort.


ARIANRHOD:
Wales: "Silver Wheel"; "High fruitful mother"; star Goddess; sky Goddess;
Goddess of reincarnation; Full Moon Goddess. Her palace was called Caer
Arianrhod (Aurora Borealis). Keeper of the circling Silver Wheel of Stars, a
symbol of time and karma. This wheel was also known as the Oar Wheel, a ship
which carried dead warriors to the Moon-land (Emania). Mother of Llue Llaw
Gyffes and Dylan by her brother Gwydion. Her original consort was Nwtvre (Sky of
Firmament). Mother aspect of the Triple Goddess in Wales. Honored at the Full
Moon. Beauty, fertility, reincarnation. Call on Arianrhod to help you with past
life memories and difficulties as well as for contacting the Star People.

BADB
BADHBH
BADB CATHA:
Ireland. "Boiling", "Battle Raven", "Scald-crow". the cauldron of ever-
producing
life; Known in Gaul as Cauth Bodva. War Goddess and wife of net, a war God.
Sister of Macha, the Morrigu and Anu. Mother Aspect in Ireland. Associated with
the cauldron, crows and ravens. Life, wisdom, inspiration, enlightenment.

BANBA:
Ireland. Goddess; part of a tried with Fotia and Eriu. They used magick to repel
invaders.

BLODEUWEDD
WLODWIN
BLANCHEFLOR:
Wales. "Flower Face", "White Flower". Lily maid of Celtic initiation ceremonies.
AKA the Ninefold Goddess of the Western Isles of Paradise. Created by Math &
Gwydion as a wife for Lleu. She was changed into an owl for her adultery and
plotting Lleu's death. The Maiden aspect; her symbol was the owl; Goddess of the
Earth in bloom. Flowers, wisdom, lunar mysteries, initiations.

BOANN
BOANNAN
BOYNE:
Ireland. Goddess of the river Boyne, mother of Angus Mac Og by the Dagda. Once
there was a well chaped by nine magick hazel trees. These trees bore crimson
nuts which gave knowledge of everything in the world. Divine salmon lived in
the well and ate the nuts. No one, not even the high gods, were allowed to go
near the well. But Boann went anyway. The well water rose to drive her away, but
they never returned to the well. Instead they became the River Boyne and the
salmon became the inhabitants of the river. Other Celtic river Giddess: Siannan
(Shannon), Sabrina (Severn, Sequana Seine), Deva (Dee), Clota (Clyde), Verbeia
(Wharfe), Brigantia (Braint, Brent). Healing.

BRANWEN:
Manx. Wales. Sister of Bran the Blessed and wife of the Irish King Matholwchh.
Venus of the Northern Seas; daughter of Llyr (Lir); one of the three matriarca
of Britain; Lady of the Lake (cauldron) Goddess of love and beauty.

BRIGIT
BRID
BRIGID
BRIGHID:
Ireland, Wales, Spain, France. "Power"; "Reown"; "Feiry Arrow of Power" (Breo-
saighead). Daughter of the Dagda; called the poeess. Often called the Triple
Brighids. Threee Blessed Ladies of Britain, the Three Mothers. Another aspect of
Danu: Associated with Imbolc. She had an exclusive female priesthood at Kildare
and an ever-burning sacred fire. The number of her priestesses was 19
representing the 19-year cycle of the Celtic "Great Year". Her kelles were
sacred prostitutes and her soldiers brigands. Goddess of fire, fertility, the
hearth and all feminine arts and crafts, and martial arts. Healing, physicians,
agriculture, inspiration, learning, poetry, divination, prophecy, smithcraft,
animal husbandry, love, witchcraft, occult knowledge. Plants: Blackberry
Animals: Oxen and Ram.

CAILLECH:
Great Goddess in her Destroyer aspect; called the Veiled One. Disease, plague,
cursing. Wheat.

CERRIDWEN
CARIDWEN
CERIDWEN:
Wales. Moon Goddess; Great Mother; grain Goddess; Goddess of Nature. the white
corpse-eating sow representing the Moon. Welsh bards called themselves
Cerddorion (sons of Cerridwen). The bard Taliesin, founder of their craft, was
said to be born of Cerridwen and to have tasted a potent from her magick
cauldron of inspiration. Wife of the giant Tegid and mother of a beautiful girl
Creirwy and an ugly boy Avagdu. In her magickal cauldron, she made a potion
called greal (from which the word Grail probably came). The potion was made from
six plants for inspiration and knowledge. Her symbol was a white sow. Death,
fertility, regeneration, inspiration, magick, astrology, herbs, science, poetry,
spells, knowledge. Plants: Vervain, Acorns.

CREIDDYLAD
CREUDYLAD
CORDELIA:
Wales. Daughter of the sea God Llyr. Connected with Beltane and often called the
May Queen. Goddess of summer flower, love and flowers.

THE CRONE:
One aspect of the Triple Goddess. She represents old age or death, winter, the
end of all things, the waning Moon, post-menstrual phases of women's lives, all
destruction that precedes regeneration through her cauldron of rebirth. Crows
and other black creatures are sacred to her. Dogs often accompanied her and
guarded the gates of her after-world, helping her to receive the dead. In Celtic
myth, the gatekeeper-dog was named Dormarth (Death's Door). The Irish Celts
maintained that true curses could be cast with the dog's help. Therefore, they
use the word cainte (dog) for a satiric Bard with the magick power to speak
curses that came true.

DANU
DANANN
DANA:
Ireland. Probably the same as Anu. Major Mother Goddess; ancestress of the
Tuatha De Danann; Mother of the gods; Great Mother; Moon Goddess. She gave her
name to the Tuatha De Danann (People of the Goddess Danu). Another aspect of the
Morrigu. Patroness of wizards, rivers, water, wells, prosperity & plenty,
magick, wisdom.

DON
DOMNU
DONN:
Ireland, Wales. "Deep sea"; "Abyss". Queen of the Heavens; Goddess of sea and
air. Sometimes called a Goddess, sometimes a God. The equivalent of the Irish
Danu. In Ireland, Don ruled over the Land of the Dead. Entrances to this
Otherworld were always in a sidhe (shee) or burial mound. Control of the
elements, eloquence.

DRUANTIA:
"Queen of the Druids"; Mother of the tree calendar; Fir Goddess. Fertility,
passion, sexual activities, trees, protection, knowledge, creativity.

ELAINE:
Wales, Britain. Maiden aspect of the Goddess.

EPONA:
Celtic, "Divine Horse", "The Great Mare". Goddess of horses, fertility,
maternity, protective of horses, horse breeding, prosperity, dogs, healing,
springs, crops. Animals: Horses, goose.

ERIU
ERIN:
Ireland. One of the three queens of the Tuatha Da Danann and a daughter of the
Dagda.

FLIDAIS:
Ireland. Goddess of forests, woodlands & wild things; ruler of wild beasts. She
rode in a chariot drawn by a deer. Shape-shifter.

GREAT MOTHER:
The Lady; female principle of creation. Goddess of fertility, the Moon, summer,
flowers, love, healing, the seas, water. The "mother" finger was considered the
index finger, the most magickal which guided, beckoned, blessed & cursed.

MACHA:
Ireland. "Crow"; "Battle"; "Great Queen of Phantoms"; Mother of Life and death;
a war Goddess; Mother Death; originally a Mother Goddess; one of the aspects of
the triple Morrigu. Also called Mania, Mana, Mene, Minne. Associated with ravens
and crows. She was honored Lugnassadh. After a battle, the Irish would cut off
the heads of the losers and called them Macha's acorn crop. Protectress in war
as in peace; Cunning, sheer physical force, sexuality, fertility, dominance
over males.

MARGAWSE:
Wales, Britain. Mother aspect of the Goddess.

THE MORRIGU
MORRIGAN
MORGIAN
MORGAN:
Ireland, Britian, Wales. Great Queen, Supreme War Goddess, Queen of Phantoms or
Demons, Specter Queen. Shape-shifter. Reigned over the battlefields, helping
with her magick but did not join in the battles. Associated with crows & ravens.
The Crone aspect of the Goddess; Great White Goddess; Great Mother; Moon
Goddess; Queen of the fairies. In her dark aspect (the symbol is then the raven
or crow) she is the Goddess of war, fate death; she went fully armed & carried
two spears. The carrion crow is her favorite disguise. Goddess of rivers, lakes
& fresh water. Patroness of priestesses & witches. Revenge, night, magick,
prophecy.

MUSES:
Greek, Goddesses of inspiration who vary in number depending upon the pantheon
used.

NIAMH:
Ireland. "Beauty"; "Brightness". A form of Badb who helps heroes at death.

NORNS:
Celtic; the three sisters of the Wyrd. Responsible for weaving fate - past,
present and future.

RHIANNON:
Wales; "The Great Queen" Goddess of birds and horses. Enchantments, fertility,
and the Underworld. She rides a swift white horse.

SCATHACH
SCOTA
SCATHA
SCATH:
Ireland, Scotland. "Shadow, shade"; "The Shadowy One" "She who strikes fear"
Underworld Goddess of the Land of Scath. Dark Goddess; Goddess in the destroyer
aspect. Also a warrior woman and prophetess who lived in Albion (Scotland)
probably on the Isle of Skye and taught the martial arts. Patroness of
blacksmiths, healing , magick, prophecy, martial arts.

WHITE LADY:
Known in all Celtic countries. Dryad of death; identified with Macha; Queen of
the Dead; the Crone form of the Goddess. Death, Destruction, annihilation.