Owain son of Urien and Mor(fudd) his sister … were carried together in the womb of Modron daughter of Afallach.
—triad 70, pen. 50—trioedd ynys prydein
Later Arthurian legend tells us Morgan le Fay was the wife of King Urien of Wales and the mother of Owain. This overlapping of Modron with Morgan further validates Modron’s connection with Avalon, especially in an ancestral role.
Not only is Modron of Avalonian lineage, but she is also the mother of Mabon, the wondrous youth after whom the tales of The Mabinogi may be named. The Mabinogi is a collection of Welsh mythos thought to have been committed to writing sometime between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries ce and is believed to derive from an ancient, oral tradition. It is interesting to note that while Modron and Mabon do not appear in any of the Four Branches that compose The Mabinogi proper, they appear to represent a template after which each of the branches are patterned; indeed, their very names seem to validate this observation. Modron means “the mother” and Mabon means “the youth,” and a major motif that runs through The Mabinogi is that of the youth separated from his mother. We have already seen this play out in the story of Mabon found in Culhwch and Olwen, a Welsh tale of Arthur often associated with the Four Branches of The Mabinogi.
In the first branch, Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed, we see Rhiannon’s newborn child taken from Her bed by a hideous monster. Fearing for themselves because they fell asleep instead of watching over the baby, Her nurses frame Rhiannon for his murder. She is punished by Her husband Pwyll and forced to serve for seven years as a workhorse, carrying visitors to the court on Her back, and recounting Her tale of loss. In the end, Her child Pryderi is returned to Her and Rhiannon is restored to the throne. In the second branch, Branwen, Daughter of Llyr, Branwen suffers great injustice at the hands of Her husband, the King of Ireland. When Bran, Her brother and King of Britain, comes to Her rescue with his war band, Branwen’s young son is thrown into a fire, initiating a ferocious battle that all but destroys Ireland and Britain’s warriors.
In Manawydan, Son of Llyr, the third branch, we again see Rhiannon separated from Pryderi. In this story, he is imprisoned in an enchanted fort, and when Rhiannon tries to release him, She finds Herself captured as well. Manawydan, Rhiannon’s second husband, eventually frees them both. In the fourth branch, Math, Son of Mathonwy, we see the virgin goddess Arianrhod bear twin boys. One crawls off into the sea, while the other is cared for and raised by his uncle Gwydion. Arianrhod places three prohibitions upon Her second son—refusing him a name, arms, or a wife of the Earth—setting up a tension between mother and son, who eventually gains the name Lleu through trickery. The goddess Blodeuwedd serves as the catalyst that helps Lleu fulfill His Divine destiny, allowing Him to take His place as a god, beside His Divine Mother.
The Tale of Gwion Bach is sometimes included in collections of Welsh mythology along with the Four Branches. In it, the pursuit, devouring, and ultimate transformation of Gwion in the womb of Ceridwen, who then casts him into the sea as the reborn Taliesin, is yet another manifestation of the archetype of Modron and Mabon. In all these tales, the distance between the mother and son is very similar in energy to the Grail quest and the search for the Otherworldly Cauldron. The stories set up a pattern where there is a desire for a reunion between masculine and feminine principles, and an acknowledgment of the pain that exists where no union is to be found. This is echoed in the work of the Avalonian Cycle of Healing, where we seek to bring the darkness of shadow into the light of consciousness.
It is therefore appropriate for us to seek the Goddesses of Avalon in The Mabinogi for two reasons. First, this collection of stories represents the surviving body of Celtic British mythology and is worthy of study. Second, the spirit of Modron serves as a bridge between Avalon and the stories of The Mabinogi, as evidenced in its relationship to Her son and in the archetypal pattern that runs throughout the Four Branches. In many ways, the amorphous figure of Modron holds the primal feminine energy of the Great Mother Goddess, and can be seen as the collective essence of the Goddesses of Avalon—the five who are cooperatively One.
Decoding The Mabinogi
It is imperative to honor these goddesses by studying Their myths, seeking out Their symbolism, and coming to understand the lessons They bring to us. In reading The Mabinogi, it is especially important to identify those elements which reflect the patriarchal Christian world in which the stories were written; these have nothing to do with the true essence of the goddesses and the teachings inherent in Their myths.
We must remember that the social standing and privileges of British Celtic women were very different from those of women at the time the stories of The Mabinogi were committed to writing. Once we can read the stories of the Welsh goddesses without the filter of medieval mores and Christian philosophy, a very different portrait of Them emerges. The “betraying harlot” becomes the Giver of Sovereignty, free to choose Her mate as She wills, granting kingship to whom She deems best. The “abandoning mother” becomes the Great Teacher and the “devouring witch” is revealed as the Initiatrix into the Mysteries.
The fact that these stories were written down by people outside the original cultural context that revered these figures makes all the difference in the tone of their portrayal and the overall interpretation of story elements. As befits oral tradition, the Divinities of the British Celts did not benefit from having their myths written down by those who worshiped Them. We are not inheritors of an intact tradition, and must look between the lines to discover symbols that have made the transition from oral to written form. It is for this reason that we must immerse ourselves in studying Celtic culture so that we may piece the bigger picture together and reclaim what we can.
Avalonian Cosmology
Just as the cyclic patterns of the universe repeat in all aspects of creation, the Great Cycle is reflected in the cosmology of Avalon. Manipulating the matrix of the All into its various forms, collecting energies and transforming them into the thread of infinite manifestation, we see the Goddesses of Avalon working through the mechanism of what we have come to know as the Divine Spindle.
One of the most universal symbols of women’s work, the spindle is an apt archetypal resonance for a female-centered cosmological paradigm. It is a tool that transforms raw materials into a basic resource for creation: the cyclic pattern that gives form to energy, creating the thread out of which the warp and weft of all life is created. The central axis of the spindle serves as the focus around what spins is concentrated. Surrounding and grounding this action is the whorl, the circular object that transforms raw substance into a usable form. The Cycle, therefore, is the Universal Whorl—that which changes and is itself unchanged.
Following this pattern, the Avalonian cosmology can be represented in this way:
the spindle: the long central axis—is Branwen, the fixed and steady center.
the whorl: is Arianrhod—movement around stillness, embodying the Cycle and yet not of it.
the cycle goddesses: Blodeuwedd, Rhiannon, and Ceridwen—divide the Cyclic Whorl into thirds, three being the number of physical manifestation and the Celts’ sacred Triad of Existence. Each of these three goddesses presides over a corresponding aspect of the Cycle, each third transforming into the next in an ever-shifting continuum.
It is the motion of the Whorl, impelled by the spark of creation and through the lessons of its three aspects, which fuels the transformation of all that rides the Cycle. The female aspect of the Divine thus transforms the amorphic essence of the universe into a specific pattern—as the Kabalah teaches—the creation of form from force.
The Spindle of Transformation can only work the materials presented to it; it cannot determine, therefore, whether it spins rough wool or golden thread. Learning to consciously ride the Cycle gives us an opportunity to affect the degree of our transformation because it is we who provide the energetic materials to be spun. The ha
rder we work and the deeper we look, the more profound the change we can accomplish; the depth of our efforts is what determines the quality and quantity of the fiber we have gathered to be spun. The more thread we have at our disposal, the greater the tapestry we can weave. The finer the filament we have created, the more elegant the stitch work we will be able to execute. Our choices determine our changes; the universe can only magnify that which we set into motion ourselves.
In general, therefore, following the paradigm of the Divine Spindle, we can sum up the functions of each Avalonian goddess in this manner:
The Cycle Goddesses: Blodeuwedd, Rhiannon, and Ceridwen
These goddesses are concerned directly with personal process. They advise and support us on our journey to wholeness through issue resolution and alignment with Cycle. Blodeuwedd is the Lady of Initiation. She calls us to cast off the garments of expectation and to peer into the darkness of the self to find and ultimately live our inner truth. She teaches us to fly where others would see us grounded. Rhiannon is the Lady of Manifestation. She calls us to stand strong regardless of the challenges to our truth. She teaches us to ask for what we need, and grants abundant and loving support to carry us through our dark times.
Ceridwen is the Lady of Transformation. She calls us to enter into our darkness to seek out the seeds of our wholeness. She teaches us that the only path to wisdom is through trial and experience. In Her Cauldron, the mysteries of death and rebirth are revealed, and we emerge to initiate the process once more. We ride the Wheel with our newfound insight and understanding, so that we may illuminate the next phase of our journey with what we have learned.
The Polarity Goddesses—Arianrhod and Branwen
These goddesses are concerned with creating the fabric of existence; Arianrhod is the weaver and Branwen is the web. Together, they represent the interplay of force and form, the active and passive essences that are the primary energetic differentiations of the All. Holding the energy of the active principle, Arianrhod is the Great Teacher. She is the embodiment of the Wheel, yet not Herself subject to it. She is the force of bound and rebound, the karmic Lesson Bringer that brings the universe into balance. All cycles and time are within Her realm of influence. Arianrhod is the source of Awen, the Divine spark of Inspiration, although it is through Ceridwen that Awen is bestowed.
Holding the energy of the passive principle, Branwen is the embodiment of Sovereignty and is the Guardian of Avalon. She is the whole, the center, the axis mundi. She is the goddess of the land made manifest, as well as its spiritual essence. On Avalon, Branwen was primarily consulted in matters dealing with Her realm—that is, concerning the full tapestry of Avalon, rather than the individual stitches. She is the goddess of the grand scheme of things, the broader perspective that allows the greater patterns to be revealed.
The Avalonian Pantheon
We who walk the path of Avalon primarily work with the Cycle Goddesses, riding the wheel of personal growth and evolution. This work is the Service to the Self, coming to understand ourselves so that we may come into our wholeness. By embracing this rarifying process of issue resolution, we progress into greater clarity and deeper understanding of our potential, our life purpose, and ourselves. The work of the Cycle never ends; we are constantly in progress, always unfolding.
It is then that the lessons of Arianrhod come to us, through the Cauldron of Ceridwen that holds the Cycle in its depths. Arianrhod will set our tasks before us when we are ready to embrace them; to hear Her clearly, we need to have bypassed the twin pitfalls of fear and ego. The work of Arianrhod is that of Service to our Sisters, for our work not only brings change and growth to us as individuals, but it is through acting in this world that we also catalyze growth and change in others. The deeper mysteries of the Avalonian Tradition are revealed through this service.
Service to Avalon is the work of the goddess Branwen, and necessitates a high degree of clear self-knowledge, a strong foundation in the Tradition gained through the teachings of Arianrhod, and a calling to selfless service. Working with Branwen means being concerned with the greater whole, almost never addressing the individual. Concerned with the totality of Her realm, Branwen brings large-scale awareness and the revealed wisdom of the full tapestry.
While all five goddesses have correspondences with the Landscape and the Cycle, the majority of the work of the Cycle of Healing is done with the three Cycle goddesses—Blodeuwedd, Rhiannon, and Ceridwen—leaving the two Polarity goddesses—Arianrhod and Branwen—to provide periodic “big picture” insight into the pattern and the whole, respectively. It is for this reason that the Cycle goddesses predominate during the turning of the wheels of moon and sun, while the deep reflective work of the Polarity goddesses sees Them honored during very specific lunar events—Arianrhod at times of full lunar eclipse, and Branwen during the Blue Moon, which occurs every three years and is reckoned using its original definition as being the second full moon during the sun’s transit of an astrological sign.
Numerologically, five is the number of the quest and three is the number of physical manifestation; both numbers have powerful Avalonian associations and represent different approaches to the work. While exploring the landscape in search of the wisdom of the Cauldron and at the heart of the Apple, it is appropriate to connect with and gain experience from all five Ladies through Immrama. As we quest for the grail of our personal Sovereignty, the fivefold scheme provides us with the ability to map out the Avalonian archetype, seeking to understand the lay of the land and the geography of the soul.
Yet, when riding the Cycle for personal growth and evolution, we use the primary perspective of the Threefold. The whorl of the Divine Spindle represents the Cycle goddesses as it spins the transformation of the individual. Present, but outside of the sphere of the day-to-day personal growth tended by the three Cycle goddesses, the Polarity goddesses guide the motion of the Spindle and hold its still center, providing insight into the whole and the understanding of the great pattern.
Although there is a specific structure and path of progression to working with these Ladies, it is important to not equate work being done and goddesses being served with a hierarchy of achievement. It is not an indication of spiritual accomplishment or level of ability within the tradition to be working with, say, Arianrhod rather than Blodeuwedd. Attachment to such ideas is counterproductive to one’s growth and is a function of ego rather than spirit. There will be women for whom service to Ceridwen and the work of the Cycle will be their spiritual calling. Others will feel the steady hand of Branwen on their shoulders. There is no meaning in this beyond the path of service to which each woman has been called.
Let us begin our journey to understanding the nature and lessons of these powerful allies on our path to Sovereignty. What follows is a brief overview of each of the five Avalonian goddesses as they relate to the Avalonian Cycle of Healing, providing resources for further study and important correspondences that will help foster a relationship with the Lady of the Land.
The Ladies of Avalon
Rhiannon
avalonian landscape: The Red Spring
avalonian cycle of healing: Station of Descent
sacred times
Cycle of the Sun: Full moon before Gwyl Awst to full moon before Calan Gaeaf[1]
Cycle of the Moon: Waxing gibbous to waning gibbous (tenth night after the dark moon through the seventh night after the full moon)
Cycle of the Stars: House of Cancer to house of Libra (cardinal to cardinal)—The Changer
mythological sources: The Mabinogi—Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed and Manawydan, Son of Llyr
Rhiannon is a powerful ancestress who holds the key that allows passage between worlds. Hers is the Silver Branch that calls the seeker to the Otherworld. Through Her, we pass into the Beyond. The song of Her birds lulls our souls to sleep—opening us to receive unconscious wisdom as we enter that which lies within.
To lift Rhiannon’s veil we must seek the Divine Queen within. Unhindered by illusion, we must connect with our inner essence to reveal the truth about the self. To reveal the beauty of what lies beneath, we must remove the masks forged by our fears, wounds, and by the expectations of others. Often, we must endure much to hold fast to our authenticity, and Rhiannon teaches that no burden borne of truth will ever be too great.
Pulling back the golden veil, we strip away consciousness, and with intention, enter the realm of the unconscious. Rhiannon guides us into the Otherworld, sitting astride the dark and light halves of the Cycle—the dark and light halves of the self. Descent into the unknown is the first step in the quest for wholeness. With trust, we lift the Apple of Wisdom to our lips—not knowing if it will be sweet or sour, pure or poisoned—and take the first bite.
Invocation to Rhiannon
Holy Rhiannon, Lady of the Otherworld, fill me with your boundless love and endless compassion. Great Queen, teach me to ask for that which I need most and to endure the trials set before me on the path to obtaining that which I most desire. Nurturing Mother, help me to bear my burdens with strength and grace so that, empowered and empowering, I may serve others in turn.
Ceridwen
avalonian landscape: The Tor
avalonian cycle of healing: Station of Confrontation
sacred times
Cycle of the Sun: Full moon of Calan Gaeaf to full moon of Gwyl Mair
Cycle of the Moon: Last quarter to dark moon (seventh night after the full moon to the night of the dark moon)
Avalon Within Page 22