#the phantom queen

[boypupp]

The Morrigan 𓅨

[scalpelsister]

Finally having an altar with statues is so nice, Im so obsessed with it.

[scarletarosa]

Morrígan

Celtic goddess of war, fate, the cycle of life and death, rebirth, sovereignty, wisdom, and prophecy

Morrígan (also called Morrigu) has her name translate from Irish as ‘Great Queen’. This name is a key to her nature, showing that sovereignty and queenship are core aspects of her identity and power. Though some scholars have given the name an alternate etymology, translating it as ‘Phantom Queen’. As one of the Celtic sovereignty Goddesses, Morrígan has an association with the land itself, and the rulership and protection of the land and its people. 

A recent belief has risen from Wicca claiming that Morrígan is a triple goddess, but this is not so and is inaccurate to her myths. Morrígan has several goddesses who work alongside her, but none represent the stages of one’s life, and Morrigan only appears elderly when she is presenting herself as a death omen to warriors.

Morrígan is deeply associated in her source lore with incitement of heroes toward glory in battle, with the granting of victory, and with their deaths; in her own words, she says to the great hero Cú Chulainn, “I am guarding your death”. In battle, she takes part in the action primarily through the use of sorcery, Druidic magic, shapeshifting, terrorizing the enemy, and giving aid and strategic information to her people. She shapeshifts into many forms in her tales, including crows, ravens, cows, wolves, and eels. She also fulfills important roles with regard to poetry and prophecy, giving poetic incitements to the heroes of the Tuatha Dé Danann to rise to their hour of need, giving prophetic pronouncements of victory or of doom on the eve of decisive battles, and announcing the victories and the tales of great deeds afterward. She also holds some power over life and death, being able to revive fallen warriors in order to allow them to fight again.

Morrígan is part of a group of goddesses who share similar roles: Badb Catha- the Battle Crow of destruction, Némain- frenzy and terror, and Macha- the land, fertility, protection (it is theorized that Féa was included as well). These are all separate goddesses who worked in similar areas of expertise. It is said that Morrígan was so terrifying in battle, that her shrieking war-cries could frighten her enemies to death. Though despite her terror, Morrígan also strives to teach her followers courage, independence, insight, and discipline.

Appearance: a pale woman in her early forties with long black hair, grey eyes, and sharp cheekbones. Her face is very stern and cold, and she wears graphite-black robes, slightly adorned with some crow feathers.

Personality: Morrígan is very serious, withdrawn, mysterious, cold, and sarcastic. She expects her devotees to be disciplined and seek corrections of their weaknesses so they can become stronger, allowing them to prevail. She hardly shows much emotion, and her anger is like ice. Morrígan is also very warlike and values both attack and defense. She is also capable of calling to arms the spirits of the dead (wraiths) to fight for her cause. Morrígan is not afraid of bloodshed, but her focus in war is conquest rather than to revel in killing. This and prophecy are her primary roles, and she does little else since there is nothing she seeks to do out of fun.

Some of her epithets: The Great Queen, The Phantom Queen, The Washer at the Ford, Lady of the Waters, She Who Calls to Battle, Raven Queen, Far-Seeing Sorceress, Bringer of Courage, Protectress, She Who Makes Armies Tremble, and Foreteller of Doom

Offerings: red wine, whiskey, hops, mead, stout beer like Guinness, black tea, blackberries, miniature apples, dark chocolate, venison, roast hog, horse meat, crow/raven feathers or skulls, swords, daggers, blood, black candles, black scrying mirrors, silver jewelry, canine teeth, cow horns, vulture feathers/skulls, ashes, belladonna, dead flowers, animal bones, onyx, garnet, bloodstone, divination tools, strong perfume, black fabric, black pearls, devotional poetry, artwork, crow/raven imagery, and dragon’s blood incense

[mamastumpf]

[wanderlustspider]

My Path, so far~

Some of the deities I have felt pull at me have shifted, through the last couple years. I’ve grown, evolved, and become someone that I can truly say I am proud to be. It was a hard road, and there were times that I was a hair’s width from giving up. They all knew I could do it. The challenge was to believe in myself. Now, for what seems like the first time in my life, I do. I still have days that I falter; days that I question myself, and wonder if I’ve set myself up for too much that’ll end in failure. But my faith in my Great Queen has carried me through each episode. She chose me to be Her Sword. She has placed me into Her Crown, and nestles me lovingly under her Dark Wing. Because of the challenges She has given me, knowing that I could and would conquer them, I have become tempered steel forged by white-hot flames. I will not break. I will not yield. For I am one of Her Battle Ravens.

Others have played their part, as well. There was a time when Freyja opened my eyes to the importance of self-love. This lesson gave me a greater understanding in the manifestation of my own Self and my self-worth. In the end that was what I needed in order to realise the Great Queen’s lessons of sovereignty - She is self-love and self-worth in tandem; compassion and determination realised.

Fenrir still lingers, but his role in aiding me I feel has come to an end. He fueled my savagery, which in the end opened my eyes to just how strong I really am. He helped me lose my fear of pushing boundaries that seemed too vast for me to cross. This helped me to realise that my being chosen by my Queen was not a mistake - it was merely a stepping stone to being molded into Her Beast. I believe he lingers for the days that I waver, an occurrence which has dwindled with each month. When it does happen, She whispers the words he would so often shout at me in my times of struggle - Use it.

Jörmungandr remains ever present, aiding me in my evolution as I conquer the shadows of my past and new threats that might challenge my growth. He is a persona of compassion where there would be self-hate, and a reminder that with each old layer shed, a new one takes its place both hard and soft - and ever-refined.

Cernnunos is never-changing; a gift of the life hidden under every rock, the light which feeds each new blade of grass, the full moon being constant even when veiled by the darkness of the night. He has shown me an enlightened peace in the cycle of life; darkness cannot live without light, and light cannot shine without darkness. Life cannot thrive without death to feed it - metaphorically and literally. It must be in constant motion. To be stagnant is true death.

[moonstoneandlabradorite]

My stuff from @sylverra arrived today!! I'm so happy!

Frigg statue for my Frigg altar, The Morrigan statue for my partner, Snowflake Obsidian pyramid for Skadi, Smoky Quartz skull and Labradorite heart for Hel, Obsidian sphere for my partner, and a Moss Agate bowl for our shared Freyr altar.

💙💙💙

[politely-haunting]

Friggin’ magic Ghost queens....

Morrigumon, while usually reasonable and diplomatic Digimon, if provoked are capable of producing an aura of suffocating fear that can scratch at the most stalwart minded individuals. This Megas presence commands the utmost respect from ghost type Digimon that will often follow their orders without question.

They are very rare and far and few between, though most noticeably found in the Obsidian Citadel as its acting Monarch.

It’s full nature still isn’t quite understood.

[theoldstone]

Oweynagat, also called “The Cave of Cats” is a kistvaen which serves as a portal to the Otherworld in Irish folklore and from which various destructive creatures emerge during Samhain (pronounced SAH-win, the Gaelic festival marking the end of the summer harvest season and one of the progenitors to our modern celebrations of Halloween). It is located at Rathcroghan, a complex of archaeological sites in Ireland and typically just called the Cruachan.

One such creature is the Ellen Trechen, some kind of 3-headed monster that supposedly rampaged across the country and was killed by Irish mythological hero Amergin. Other creatures include flocks of small red birds that wither every plant they touch, and a herd of pigs with similar powers.

Though perhaps the most famous creature is The Morrigan (also known as Morrigu, or “the Phantom Queen”). It’s unclear on what exactly she is, but often times she’s believed to be a manifestation of the Gaelic goddess of the Earth and Sovereignty. Other times she’s one third of a triumvirate of beings that are both three individuals and one whole. In most cases though, she’s simply an omen of doom and death, particularly in battle, and often appears as a crow, with one singular exception. On Samhain she emerges from the Oweynagat in a flaming chariot pulled by a one-legged chestnut-coloured horse and a company of creatures, often the kinds already mentioned above.