Pagan Portals - The Morrigan
Ancient and enigmatic, the Morrigan reaches out to us - learn who she is and how to answer her call.
Ancient and enigmatic, the Morrigan reaches out to us - learn who she is and how to answer her call.
Ancient and enigmatic, the Morrigan reaches out to us - learn who she is and how to answer her call.
Goddess worship, Paganism & neo-paganism
On shadowed wings and in raven's call, meet the ancient Irish goddess of war, battle, prophecy, death, sovereignty, and magic. This book is an introduction to the Morrigan and several related goddesses who share the title, including Badb and Macha. It combines solid academic information with personal experience in a way that is intended to dispel the confusion that often surrounds who this goddess was and is. The Morrigan is as active in the world today as she ever was in the past but answering her call means answering the challenge of finding her history and myth in a sea of misinformation, supposition, and hard-to-find ancient texts. Here in one place, all of her basic information has been collected along with personal experiences and advice from a long-time priestess dedicated to a goddess who bears the title Morrigan.
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This was an incredible first approach on The Morrigan and what She represent in the myths She is part of. No matter how complex and wide the subject is, Morgan Daimler knows how to explain it clearly, give her point of view but also let there be enough space for the reader to draw their own conclusions. Although short, this book offers a big help in matters of theory for those interested in learning about The Morrigan. You discover who Morrigu, Macha and Badb, the main three sisters are, but also discover other legendary figures that at some point had the same title. I found Nemain specially interesting, and pretty close to the description of what the Morrigan is. Being mostly a theoretical approach on the subject, there is not too much information on how to approach these Goddesses. However, you will find several prayers, incantations, invocations and calling for all of them, and the book itself gives you material to develop either your own, change those presented or create one from scratch, all of which both the author and I encourage you to if inclined to. Pagan Portals – The Morrigan: Meeting the Great Queens is a must read for those who want to develop their sovereignty, their prophesy skills and survive every kind of war. The myths of the Morrigan gave me hope, strength and faith during these difficult time, they made me smile and look at a brighter future. Sometimes war is not about carnage and death, but about hard, challenging times, about surviving the tides of fear and uncertainty, just what we must do now. Morgan Daimler gives you the weapons in this book, but it is up to each one of us to choose and make a stand. ~ Kyler B
A cracking little book about the Great Queen of many names, this book is written from an Irish perspective, but there are many correlations that will be familiar to all shapeshifting lovers of crows and horses. Morgan Daimler puts the tales of Her many aspects and guises into context, and makes sense of the multiplicity of goddesses who share or bear her names. Macha and Badb of course, Nened and many more. Written with a leavening of personal wisdom and experience, it also acts as a gateway to understanding the many much maligned and misunderstood "Dark Goddesses" around the world, although Ms Daimler does not go into this specifically. A useful bibliography too, for further reading. Don't let the small size (80 pages) put you off! Highly recommended. ~ The Inner Light Magazine, Autumn Equinox 2015 ed. Volume 35 No.4
The Morrigan is the collective name for a triad of Irish warrior goddesses, sometimes regarded as sisters, called Badb, Macha and Morrigu. Badb is a ghost-like goddess sometimes associated with the banshee. Macha was the goddess of the land ruling war, magic and horses. Morrigu combines all aspects of the triad of goddesses. In this short and concise book Morgan Daimler introduces the reader to these important female deites using information from ancient texts, historical records and her own personal experience. Recommended. ~ The Cauldron
Morgan Daimler has written a new entry in Moon Books’ Pagan Portals series, The Morrigan: Meeting the Great Queen. It’s a good addition to the series. Morgan presents us with solid, well researched information on the Irish Morrigans from some of the best academic sources out there, and does it in a way that is engaging and approachable. This is the first book on the Morrigan written from a modern Irish Polytheist perspective, influenced by the reconstructionist method, as opposed to more general Pagan perspectives, and it shows in meticulous research and careful citing of sources. Readers who are so inclined can follow Morgan’s trail, checking her research, seeing where her ideas come from. In any kind of Pagan book, this is refreshing, and still pretty new, though I expect a growing number of books will take this kind of care as the years pass. Morgan also includes her own spiritual experiences with the Morrigan in the book, giving it a feel of immediacy, and a practical element which many readers will find useful. She is careful to distinguish between this kind of personal gnosis and academic research; readers should have no problem with confusing them. In terms of format, the book is divided into chapters dealing with several of the more important Morrigans: the Morrigu proper, Macha, and Badb, as well as a chapter on other possible Morrigans, one on the Morrigan in mythology, which covers every significant appearance of the Morrigan in Irish mythological texts, and chapters on animals of the Morrigan, and the Morrigan in the modern world. Each chapter is followed by a section called “The Morrigan in my Life”, which details the author’s experience with that particular deity or topic. The scholarly sections of each chapter don’t give just the author’s opinions, but also give a variety of other perspectives, in a way that is fair minded and allows the reader to think for him or herself. The writing throughout the text is colloquial and approachable. Even when dealing with complex research, Morgan is able to put complex concepts into very readable, understandable language. The Pagan Portals series is meant to be a group of short introductions to a given topic in modern Paganism. In consequence, the book is short, and written for the beginner. Nevertheless, a book this comprehensive and well-researched will be a gift for the more advanced practitioner as well. I have no problem with recommending it uncritically. ~ Segomâros Widugeni, previously known as Aedh Rua, author of Celtic Flame: An Insider's Guide to Irish Pagan Tradition
The Morrigan is a lady I’ve long felt to be one I love. Our dealings to date have been mostly confined to the crows who live around here. I love them, magical birds along with all the corvid family. Daimler has brought the Morrigan alive for me in other shapes when she shows me how, “… the Morrigan is associated most strongly with cattle Macha is connected equally strongly to horses and Badb to crows; all three together share a connection to crows and ravens.” She does this for me all the way through the book; I’m learning and having a very enjoyable read at the same time. There are so many faces of this amazing goddess and Daimler brings them together in a very readable way that enchanted me into turning page after page. She has broadened and deepened my view of the Morrigan so that I now feel much better acquainted with the goddess and will be looking out for her in places I didn’t know before. ~ Elen Sentier, author of Elen of the Ways and Trees of the Goddess
"Morgan has created a fascinating and endlessly useful volume for anyone who has either been called by or is seeking the Morrigan. I have honoured the Morrigan for many years and was pleased to see so many of her different aspects explored; her different names, her personality, her creatures and her 'darker' aspects. Most importantly, Morgan uses her own experiences to show how relevant the Morrigan is in the modern world, and how to find her power, magic and majesty. This book combines serious academic research with deeply personal experience to build a balanced yet evocative image of this Irish goddess. A brilliant read for anyone interested in Celtic spirituality but absolutely essential for anyone studying the Morrigan and her sisters." ~ Mabh Savage, author of A Modern Celt: Seeking the Ancestors
Morgan presents us with solid, well-researched information on the Irish Morrigans from some of the best academic sources out there, and does it in a way that is engaging and approachable. ~ Segomâros Widugeni, previously known as Aedh Rua, author of Celtic Flame: An Insider's Guide to Irish Pagan Tradition
Pagan Portals: The Morrigan is a well-researched and heartfelt guide to the Morrigan from a fellow devotee and priestess. Morgan Daimler’s impeccable scholarship and devotion to the Morrigan offers readers both sound historical resources as well as the author’s personal experiences with this complex goddess. A perfect guide for those taking the first steps towards understanding the Morrigan. ~ Stephanie Woodfield author of Celtic Lore and Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess
There are so many faces of this amazing goddess and Daimler brings them together in a very readable way that enchanted me into turning page after page. ~ Elen Sentier, author of Elen of the Ways and Trees of the Goddess
For those who seek the Morrigan and related goddesses, Morgan Daimler’s short book packs a lot of information into a small space. Balancing historical information with modern insights and practices, it is an excellent text for new seekers and devotees. Each section of the book contains both the results of her reading and short discussions of her personal experience, giving it a valuable and much-needed balance between research and practice. I particularly enjoyed the section on her insights about reconstructing seership practices with the goddess Badb. ~ Erynn Rowan Laurie, author of A Circle of Stones; Ogam: Weaving Words of Wisdom; co-author of the CR FAQs
Morgan Daimler gives us a look at her own practices and beliefs relating to the Morrígan, rooted in the ancient tradition and flowering in the world she inhabits. Rather than trying to fit the goddess into a predetermined modern framework, Daimler lets her stories and her ancient devotees speak for themselves. Fáilte, a Mhor-Ríon! Toisc go bhfuil muid do sheirbhísigh dílis, a thabhairt dúinn do chuid beannachtaí! ~ C. Lee Vermeers, author of Teagasca: The Instructions of Cormac Mac Airt; co-author of the CR FAQs