Chaos Magic: Servitors, Thoughtforms, and Godforms

A practice that many chaotes use is the creation of constructs. There are many levels to construct creation, some more complex than others, and each type serves as a wonderful tool for any practitioner. The three topics I am discussing today are energy extensions of ourselves, yet also have the possibility of being separate from ourselves. Their existence fully depends on what you put into them, and can become powerful tools if they are crafted carefully.

The definitions, explanations, and methods I will be discussing today in this article are my own. If you have a differing way of doing and seeing things: great! I respect that and encourage everyone to research and try methods that work for them individually. I am not claiming this article to be gospel on these topics.

Defining Terms

Servitor: A simple construct created to carry out a single task or a very limited amount of tasks. These constructs are not complex enough to act on their own, causing them to be very limited in what they can do. Servitors can be created in a short amount of time.

Thoughtform: A more advanced construct. These constructs are able to evolve and grow, allowing them to take on more tasks. They are more interactive and exist within our “space” more noticeably. With proper rules programmed into them, they will not stray from what they were created to do. However, they have the possibility of doing so if the practitioner was sloppy with the design and inner workings of this construct. Thoughtforms take much longer to properly create.

Godform: A concept in Chaos Magic where a practitioner allows the essence of a certain god in the form of a mental construct to overlap their energy. The practitioner then takes on the attributes of that god within ceremonial or ritual work. While they are not actually interacting or horsing a deity, they are using the essence of that deity or entity to influence their own abilities and work. This definition was lifted from a previous article of mine about shapeshifting that I will reference later in regards to the use of godforms.

Servitor Creation

The main parts of servitor creation rely on a clear idea of what their task is, a sigil representing them, a word representing them, an energy source for them, and a kill switch to destroy them. Optional aspects include an item to connect them to as well as a vivid description of what they will appear as. Regarding an item to connect them to, this is only needed if you wish to keep whatever you have created around for an extended period of time and would possibly like to push them into being a thoughtform. I will include an optional step regarding attaching them to an object below.

Example:

“You are called Romulus. You have thick, brown fur and curved horns on your head. Your eyes are green, with yellow specks in them. You stand at 6’ tall at the shoulders and you have a long tail. When you are around me or others, you smell like sulphur. You appear as a yellow orb or flash of light when you are around me or others. Your task is to be a shield and ward for my house, deflecting and dissolving any negative or malicious energy that attempts to get through. You will never stray from what I tell you to do and you will always follow any task I give you. You will stay alive and be fed by any thought I create about you. When it is time to destroy you, I will say “Vesna” and clap my hands at the same time.“

Optional Step:

If you wish to stop your servitors from what they are currently doing, simply tell them to cease their current task. It is also possible to re-task servitors if you wish to keep them around but don’t want them to carry out their original task anymore. You simply write out everything you wrote out above, but with different tasks. Instead of “birthing” them, you will simply tell them they are to follow these new tasks. If you wish to destroy them completely when they are no longer of use to you, simply use the kill switch. Don’t forget to keep up their energy source as well if you did not give them a passive source of energy.

The most important part to keeping your servitors going is to interact with them often. Visualize them around you often and soon you will not even need to force yourself to visualize them; they’ll simply be around you and you’ll be able to feel them. When the interaction with them becomes constant, the potential for a thoughtform to be created becomes an option.

Thoughtforms

Thoughtforms can start out the same exact way a servitor can. In fact, you can create a servitor first, test its strength, and later “re-write” it into a thoughtform. That, or you can create a construct with the intention of it being a thoughtform immediately upon creation.

No matter how you do it, the important part is maintaining control and programming rules that will not allow your thoughtform to run amok. Along with careful planning, the amount of time spent and interaction you have with your thoughtform is key. As they grow, they will be able to take on tasks for themselves, such as gathering information for you. They are ever growing and ever changing, and can serve as an incredible resource for you. Instead of a sigil representing them, it is wise to create a seal given how complex they are.

I will not be giving any laid out methods on creating thoughtforms in this article, simply because the process is a long one. I will be more than happy to create an article in the future if people wish to see it, as well as discuss the concept of egregores.

Godforms

Again, in this article, I will not be discussing on how to create a godform. I have touched lightly on it in my article about shapeshifting, and a lot of what I described in that article applies to what it is to step into this type of construct. It is essentially a practice in shapeshifting where you allow yourself to take on more powerful attributes by manipulating your energy.

Godforms aren’t limited to constructs that overlap your energy derived from the essence of a god. These overlays can be derived from any powerful source you wish to take on. Again, you are not “stepping into” an actual deity, but rather the aspects that define a deity or being. A lot of people see the term and automatically assume you are becoming that deity or taking control of a deity. That is simply not possible and is, to me, a disrespectful concept to assume one could do that.

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In order to keep this article at a manageable length, I have simplified a lot as well as left out a lot. If the interest is there, I will absolutely write more regarding how to create thoughtforms and godforms.

Thank you for reading.

Stupid Vampire Idea

They don't really live in Transalvania, they live in Ireland and Scotland.

My Proof:

Omg

The Sluagh

I had to separate this from the rest due to its unique nature within the Unseelie Court. The Sluagh are the Underfolk, the Wyld Hunt, the Host of Unforgiven Death; they are the spirits of the unrestful dead. This took me by surprise when Pa explained it to me as a child because they are said to be worse than the most dangerous fae within the Unseelie Court. Humans have seen them as evil sinner souls who are not allowed into heaven, hell, nor the underworld, making them maddened outcasts of the dead.

The Sluagh are their own court. A current update of their state of mind is that they are mainly ruled by madness. Their royalty has been missing for a very long time and it has only been recently that they have been dealt with. I mean dealt with as in political wise, it used to be kill on sight for these fae due to the Seelie Court seeing them as natural enemies and the Unseelie Court being highly unsure of their ability. They are still considered carefully when being dealt with due to their deadly nature.

Their system of hierarchy is strongly placed upon their power and are often caught in bloodmatches as of late. They take these matches to the extreme and often fight to the death. This was also how they solved their issues, with violence. Though they do this they flock in groups and carry out their destructive ways flying about together. Each one was recruited into the Sluagh for war or the Wyld Hunt.

The Wyld Hunt:

~Djabuti Jerald~

The Sluagh

In Ireland, there is a creature called the Dullahan.  Depending on the dialect of the speaker, it can be pronounced ‘DOO-la-hahn’ or ‘DUH-la-hahn’, but this is a terrifying creature, no matter how you slice it. It is, in short, Death itself. And then you have the Dearg-Due.  

You’ve probably heard of the saying, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” No one wants to be on the receiving end of one of those. People native to our beloved Ireland are probably familiar with the legend of the Dearg-Due. One of the most tragic and frightening cases of “a woman scorned,” her legend is still whispered at grave sites. Rocks are still placed over graves in small towns and hamlets because of her. She is a vampire. 

So you’ve now been told of the Dullahan, who takes your life when your time is up. And you now know of the Dearg-Due, who takes your blood if she has the chance. But what about the thing that takes your soul, whenever it pleases? Being a witch, it seems easier to let your mind wander to darker things.  

Imagine a cool, late autumn nights, blustery winds, dry leaves breaking from the trees and rustling in the dark. Shapes and forms manifest where before there were only shadows. And it is out of those shadows, and a westerly wind, that the Sluagh (also called the Underfolk or The Host of Unforgiven Dead), has haunted Irish folklore for thousands of years.

The foulest and most dreaded of the realm of Fae, the Sluagh (pronounced SLOO-AH) was more feared than even Death itself. Death was easy. The Sluagh, now that was something entirely different. Even Death has no choice but to defer to the Sluagh, in an otherworldly race for the immortal souls of the living. 

The Sluagh, meaning “host” in Irish, is a group formed from the darkest, most vile creatures imaginable. Prior to the introduction of Christianity into Scotland and Ireland, the Sluagh was more closely associated with “Fae gone amuck,” if you will. They were believed to be some ill-begotten form of faerie folk, with no reason, no loyalty, and no mercy. However, once Christianity came upon the isles, the Sluagh was transformed into a pack of unforgiven, unrepentant, dead sinners.  

Yes…the Sluagh were thought to be once human. 

And humans are still very much their prey. The Sluagh exists on stealing the souls of the living, and especially the dying. Huddling and hiding in forgotten and dark places, they lay in wait for nightfall. Once the sun has left the sky, they strike out, in what, to the untrained or unsuspecting eye, appears to be a vast and ominous flock of large ravens or other birds. Flapping wings, screeching, and a whirlwind of undulating shadows are all you’d witness as the Sluagh descends for an attack. Owing to the folklore of the Wild Hunt, countless cultures and legends still link black birds (and especially ravens) as evil omens or signals of upcoming misfortune.

In Irish mythology, the Sluagh were said to fly in from the west to steal a dying soul before it was given Last Rites. To this day, doors and windows on the west sides of houses are kept closed if there is a sick or dying person at home. 

However…and it would be in your best interest to pay attention to this…it is possible to also inadvertently call the Sluagh to you, by two means. One is by the mere utterance of the word “Sluagh.” Admittedly, that bit had been injected into the myth long before the introduction of the computer or the Internet, so I’m not quite sure if typing or reading the word is thought to trigger the call. Either way, both me writing it, and you reading it, will test that part of the legend together, I suppose. After sundown, of course. 

The second means to call the Sluagh, is through the silent hopelessness of one’s heart. All of us have felt that crushing weight of sadness or loss at one time or another.  Long has it been said that a person could “die of a broken heart.”  But, is it the sadness, or the Sluagh, that finally finishes you off? Only the dead know…and they’re staying frustratingly mum on the subject.

Be warned: once you’ve drawn the attention of the Wild Hunt, only by placing another in their path will you dissuade them. You must be willing to sacrifice another to be taken in your stead. Then again, if you’re willing to do that, your soul might possibly belong amongst the ranks of the unrepentant, unforgiven sinners, so you may end up as one of the Sluagh after all.

Of course, the Sluagh is not opposed to taking the souls of the happy, healthy, and living, either. In fact, those are the souls sweetest for them to take. Although, admittedly, prying the soul from the body of an otherwise healthy and happy victim does sometimes present a challenge. Unlike with creatures such as Medusa (the Gorgon), if you should happen to catch sight of the Host of Unforgiven Dead, it is not an immediate death sentence. They can be blocked, or evaded, by running (or staying) in doors after dark, or by not tempting fate walking alone in secluded, unpopulated areas (dark forests, empty streets, etc.). 

Living or dying, sinners or not, all souls are ripe for the picking of the Sluagh. And once a soul is taken, there is no mercy, no release to the afterlife or the underworld, and no escape. You are simply doomed to circle the darkened skies, stealing souls, for all eternity.

“Sluagh, the scavengers of the Underworld. Their feral hunger has claimed countless souls. Spirits who now shall never find their rest.”

This revisit lasted a little longer than I intended, ended up going a couple hours into those details, before I decided it was finished, not perfect. Siren, for all you lovely mermaid loving folk out there!

Death Witch Toast

I wanted to share my recipie for my Death Witch Toast. I eat this often for breakfast with a cup of chai tea or just as a snack if I’m craving something sweet. This is also something I share with Hel along with a cup of tea just as a devotional practice every month.

Enjoy!

Things you’ll need :

~ Bread

~ A Toaster

~ An Oven

~ Butter

~ Ground Cinnamon

~ Ground Nutmeg

~ Ground Cloves

~ Brown Sugar

First you’ll need to toast your bread using the toaster, next put some butter and let it melt. Sprinkle some brown sugar for sweetness, follow with cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. Next you’ll want to put it in the oven to make the toast crispy, I usually put the oven on broil. Be sure to stay nearby and watch the oven closely so that the toast doesn’t end up burning. Once it’s nice and crispy and your house smells lovely eat it up and enjoy!

~ Toni

Wheels converted into Romani flags during the International Romani Day in Tirana, Albania. // 2013 

The International Romani Day (April 8) is a day to celebrate Romani culture and raise awareness of the issues facing Romani people.

Celebration in Shutka

Photographer: Sabrina Budon

Roma Interiors. Photography project by Carlo Gianferro.

“The images of Roma Interiors allow us to enter into the intimacy of the Roma houses in Moldova and Romania, where interiors are represented with its inhabitants in order to solder the connection between the life and the lived. The people, the inhabitants and the owners were photographed quickly, without prior preparation, aesthetic tricks or any special choice of clothes: what you see is what there is, what there was at the time of the shooting, what there is every day.

Women with sumptuous traditional costumes and hairstyles that have remained unchanged over time; men who owing to their dealings outside of their community wear Western clothing; youths wearing the universal fashions of today’s youth everywhere, yet all of these sharing a common background characterized by creativity, color, splendour, and cultural tradition.

Roma Interiors is above all a real and accurate portrait of current Romani society, which is still, as it has always been, based on the family, and the house is the backdrop against which the family is represented. Money and the home are the two main parameters which show the other members of the community the importance and power of the family. In this the Roma don’t deviate from universal motivations, but they articulate it in their homes with an innate and personal expression, with the concepts of luxury, prosperity, and especially power represented by decorative overabundance.

Colours are essential to the Roma people and, as with the women’s costumes, colour covers everything, both the inside and the outside of the houses, making fantastic, unreal buildings - as fantastic and unreal as the dream, the desire of having a house, a stable place for a people that for hundreds of years has roamed far from its place of origin.

Freedom, and the intelligent use of it, has allowed the Roma community to redeem itself in the most obvious and confrontational way possible, using rocks, concrete, iron, wood, plaster, and metal to build these monuments to their desires, and into which they then move to live in a joyous, colourful, world of their own.”

every holocaust memorial day, i always ask people to keep romani people in their thoughts, but this year i’d like to clear up some misconceptions that i see every year w/ a psa

we’re the largest ethnic minority in europe, and yet have almost no political power, no land ownership power (in some places, we’re forbidden from owning land entirely), etc. with very few reputable charities- a lot of us reject charity by principle, as well as there being a general lack of education about us- the best thing you can do to help romani people is to just spread information, and help individuals when you can.

My fiancee and I were discussing the worst metal to use to make armor, and the obvious answers are lead and gold, but she cunningly suggested mercury. Which is a fair point, but then I wondered if solid mercury is any good. Googling told me that the melting point of mercury is -38° c (-37° f), so first you get it really fucking cold. At that point, it turns out that mercury has a tensile strength of 1900 mpa, compared to lead’s 18 and steel’s ~500-940 (depending upon the kind of steel).

Now, I know that tensile strength is not necessarily the best measure of a material’s ability to function as armor, but I’m a liberal arts major and didn’t care to actually do that much more research before going straight to, “EVIL ICE DEMONS IN MERCURY ARMOR. THE PCS CAN’T LOOT IT BECAUSE WHEN THEY PUT IT ON IT MELTS AND KILLS THEM.”

Ice Demons wielding weapons made of frozen mercury.  Spearheads that break off & melt inside the target.  Swords that leave tiny bits of melted mercury inside the wound (the swords re-freeze to razor sharpness while in the ice demon’s claws).

Item: blades, spears, and/or arrowheads made of mercury frozen by Ice Magic; can only be used by one with Ice Magic, but deliver whatever damage the weapon type would normally make plus equal amounts of Cold and 1d8 Poison. Once the wound has been delivered, it continues to deliver 1d8 Poison until the mercury has been removed by healing magic, Wish, &c.

Apparently I’ve seen this before? But this EXACTLY matches the description of the Morgul blade in LOTR? It felt like “a dart of poisoned ice” (or something like that), it left a piece in Frodo’s shoulder that slowly poisoned him, and the blade melted away when Aragorn looked at it. And Glorfindel warned them all to handle it as little as possible, too!

Dirt

When hoodoo was created, most of the people using it did not have ready access to the best ingredients and often had to hide their practice. Consequently, a lot of what was used had to be things people could obtain. This is why hoodoo uses various roots, sticks, herbs, honey, sugar, and other household supplies readily available. There is no exception for dirt. Different kind of dirt is used for different kind of things but some examples include:

Dirt from the crossroads: used for many things including hexing/cursing, summoning certain spirits, opening roads, etc.

Dirt from a bank: Most commonly used in money work. I swear by bank dirt. It adds so much potency to money workings and every time I have used it I have gotten great results. Could also be used in works to get a loan, get approved for a house, relieve debt, etc.

Dirt from a church: This is usually used for works that have to do with cleansing, healing, or otherwise “holy” matters.

Graveyard dirt: A staple in hoodoo, used for many different things including curses, healing, ancestor work, goofer dust, hot foot powder, etc.

Some of these are examples of things that have been used traditionally and throughout hoodoo’s history. However, all types of folk magick utilize whatever you have.

I have in the past used dirt from a car dealership(to obtain a car), dirt from a red ant farm(defensive/hexing), dirt from a destroyed/abandoned building(defensive/hexing), and dirt from a specific apartment complex I wanted to live in. *not all of these are my ideas, but some of them are* 

Folk Magick is and was about using whatever you have around you, and often whatever cost less. Do not ever feel like you can’t do effective, life changing magick with twigs and leaves. You can. Our ancestors did, you can too.

Being A Magical Practitioner: 1. Question everything you are told and read. 2. Hell even question this post. Only YOU can decide what is right and what works for you. 3. What may work for someone else may not work for you. What may work for you may not work for someone else. 4. Your practices are YOUR practices.

Support: 1. Ancestral veneration is so important. 2. Communicate with your ancestors daily. 3. They will help and guide you on your journey more than you will ever know. 4. You have several guardian angels and guardian spirits built into your existence, get to know them. 5. There is magic within you. Embrace your own power. 6. Mind your own magic. You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing. You don’t have to explain your practices to anyone else. Do you. 

Tools: 1. White candles are fantastic for every single purpose. 2. You can print your own labels for glass candles and glue them on plain glass candles.  You will save money this way in the long run. 3. You don’t need every single tool to start off with. 4. Water is life. Water keeps the flow of your magic, filters and is a conduit to you and spirit. Keep clear glasses of water in your home. Change them often. 5. Your altar space doesn’t need to be fancy. 6. You do not need expensive herbs. 7. Mirrors and Magnets are the best tools closest to crystals to magnify and amplify your magic. 8. The bible is a book full of spells and divination.

Herbs: 1. You can get most of the herbs you need from your local super market and dollar store. 2. Salt: Protection or cursing. Various Powdered Peppers: Protection and Cursing. Cinnamon: Money and Lust work. Basil: Money and Luck. Bay Leaves: Protection and Granted Wishes. Rosemary: Protection. Chamomile: Peaceful Home Workings. Cloves: Protection, Love, Control and Bindings. Eucalyptus: Cleansing. Thyme: Purification, Healing.

Floor Washes: 1. Do Floor Washes in odd numbers. One series to remove the negativity and one series to bring in good energy. 2. Curse Killer Floor Wash: Hot Water, Ammonia, Lemon, Salt (optional) Open Roads Floor Wash: Cold Water, Florida Water, Parsley, Mint Leaves, Coconut Water (Strained of pulp)

Various Cleansings: 1. Cigar or tobacco smoke is a great alternative to sage sticks. 2.  You can cleanse yourself with an egg and a glass of water. 3. You can cleanse yourself with lemons, limes and oranges. 4. When cleansing your home make sure to open your windows and doors. 5. Start from the back of the home towards the front and then to various rooms to confuse the negative energy. 6. A can of beer and salt will cleanse your aura. 7. When you cleanse yourself, make sure to replace what you removed with good energy.

Powders: 1. You do not need to purchase branded powders from metaphysical shops. Money/luck powder:  Bank dirt, Shredded currency and corn starch. Love/Passion powder: Rose petals, Cinnamon and corn starch. Open Roads powder: Dirt from four corners of a crossroads and corn starch. Add three dimes to bottom of container. Cursing Powder: Graveyard dirt from criminals grave, black pepper, red pepper, cayenne pepper. Protection Powder: Church Dirt, Psalm 91 passage from bible, Psalm 23 from the bible grinded into a powder. Oils: 1. Do not buy oils from the botanicas and metaphysical shops. Most are made with mineral oil, a synthetic fragrance and colorant. If you want that, Get yourself some baby oil, food coloring and scented fragrance oil of your choosing. I wouldn’t recommend it though. 2. Get yourself some Olive oil, Sunflower oil, Grapeseed oil and Vegetable oil at the supermarket along with some Vitamin E oil for preservative. You can make your own charged oils with herbs and a few glass bottles. 3. My favorite simple oils: Lust Oil: Sunflower oil base, Vitamin E,  Cinnamon stick, red rose petals, and Vanilla Bean Money Oil: Grapeseed oil base, Vitamin E, Cinnamon stick, nutmeg, basil and thyme. Protection Oil: Olive Oil base, Vitamin E, Rosemary, Basil, Eucalyptus Life Force Oil: For when you need extra power in your magic. Olive oil base, 3 drops of blood. Blessing Oil: Olive Oil, Vitamin E and Psalm 91 torn from the bible.

Deities: 1. You do not have to have a deity in your practice. 2. You can practice secular magic. Secular magic is a practice that does not refer to, venerate and otherwise “work with” any deities (or, in some cases, any supernatural beings at all). This is perfectly okay. 3. If working with deity, never promise what you can’t provide. 4. Feed your spirits and deities. This can be with food, alcohol, energy, light, darkness, anything. 5. Know the spirits and deities you are working with. 6. Listen to your intuitive pulls when it concerns your deity. 7. No one can tell you the right or wrong way to worship and work with your deity BUT you should learn their mythos and their base wants, needs and what offends them. Misc Magic Info: 1. Your magic will not punish you because you can’t practice every single day. We are human, and sometimes life gets the best of us. It is okay. 2. Magic should never ever replace mental and physical health diagnosis and services from healthcare professionals. 3. “Black magic” is a racist term used to demonize the practices of people of color that are seen as “barbaric” or “uncivilized” to Europeans. Therefore “White magic” is considered good and “black magic” is considered bad. Energy is energy. Do not allow anyone to dictate your practice. That racist term is bullshit. Our melanin is magic. Our cultures and our roots are power. 4. You can purchase a Tarot deck from Amazon. You don’t need it gifted to you. 5. ALWAYS have a fire extinguisher in your home. 6. NEVER leave candles unattended in your home. 7. Coffee grounds speed up work. 8. Meditate. Leave the fuckery of the day at the end of the day. You will thank yourself in the long run. 9. Keep info to yourself. Not everyone needs to know what you are doing or all your secrets. 10. Do not bring your shoes into your home.

- M E D I U M S H I P -

Why I call the Morrigan “Mother” (Please Hold Your Hate Mail Until the End)

You know, I think when most people are speaking of the Morrigan, even the aspect of the Morrigan that they work with, something like this is what first comes to mind.

(The Morrigan, artist unknown)

And this is both right, and fine. Because no matter whatever other aspect you work with her in, or whatever constellation of the Morrigna has called to you, the Morrigan is a war goddess (or spirit, as I have heard others say, but this post here will offend you enough…we’ll get to that in another post…), and very likely her biggest focus is war, all aspects of war. But especially victorious, bloody war. She is not a soft goddess. She is not a tender touch. She rains fire and blood on her enemies (literally, read the lore), her battle scream incites her favored side to rage and strikes fear into the hearts of those who oppose her. She is the death of Cu Chulainn, one of the greatest heroes of Ulster, because he unknowningly offered her extreme disrespect. She is still, despite her growth in popularity, one of the more feared and respected goddesses in the modern pagan world along with Hekate, Kali (when we appropriate her from Hinduism, that is) and Hel. She is Weapon, she is the Weapon of Weapons, as she is Leader and Beserker and Strategist, the worst atrocities of war and the best, most bloody results. At the end, she is the gatherer of Macha’s Acorns: the heads and souls of the slain. (The head was the spiritual seat in the Celtic World.) She is bloody death smiling at you at the end of a spear point, and the crow calling out your name.

Which is why so many people look at me like I’ve grown a second head whenever I call her “Mother” and insist that motherhood is one of her little known areas.

And the images that come to them are likely something along these lines…

Happy, lovely, fluffy mother who loves us all and will heal our boo boos and make the earth bloom with flowers and unicorns! (This is “Gaia” by an unknown artist, by the way.)

Well, no, mostly no.

Or they think of this one!

Fecund! Fertile! Bursting with life! The all-source of life that serves as Mother to All and that is her only REAL function! (Venus of Willendorf that we all know and love.)

Erm, no. Again, mostly no. I mean…no.

She’s a Maiden, Mother and Crone since she’s a triplicate! Of COURSE she’s a mother since it’s a part of the…

…I can’t even finish that. Good Heavens No!

(I think this sculpture is by Maxine Miller, who actually did a very nice Morrigan statue.)

Okay, and since I am who I am, I am going to get this out of way now…

She’s the peaceful, pacifist, loving mother! In her heart! She secretly wants everything to be all peace and all good and she wants to do nothing but watch over us and pray for us…

Again. No. No no no no no.

Have we got that out of our systems, now? All the ridiculous assumptions that are often made when connecting the Morrigan with the word “Mother”? Good. Let’s talk about how the Morrigan IS a Mother, and how the Morrigan accomodates such a role, and how limiting our gods/spirits is just as bad as making them out to be everything for everyone.

—Why we can’t limit her to lore, why we can’t rely only on UPG—

The lore is all we have to get culturally significant information on the Morrigan and concerning the Tuatha De Dannan. Notice I didn’t necessarily say “accurate”- the Celts did not keep much in the way of written records, at least not for the time period wer’re looking at… for materials that speak of a pre-Christian age, most of them were written down by Christians from the twelfth century onwards. While the great cycles of Irish Mythology have been recorded for us to enjoy, they were not exactly copied down by people without motive or who did not change the texts to suit their own religious views. This is not to say that everything, or even the majority, was changed to demonize or ridicule the old gods, but we’re pretty sure it happened. An example is the appearance of the Dagda being described as “gross”, with a tunic that barely covers his stomach or backside (depending on who you ask) and a penis that drags the ground in a comic display. We all know the Dagda as a great King, mighty Warrior and Father god who had a voracious appetite for life, women, mead and porridge. We know that Christians sometimes twisted the appearance or characteristics of the pagan gods to make Jesus seem better by comparison. We also know that fertility gods and humorous appearances (especially extra large genitals) go together like peas and carrots, and if you don’t believe me, google “Sheela Na Gig”. There are places where it is really hard to tell!

Further, it’s likely safe to say that the lore we have is likely not all of it. There are myths from many cultures that have been lost to time, and it is a possibility that important myths of the Morrigan are included in that group.

However, the lore is what we have, and through it, we are able to glimpse the stories and mythos of the Tuatha De Dannan, because much still survives that pulses with the life from before the first century. While this should be our first source, we must also keep the other points in mind.

Sometimes, the Morrigan will grant us UPG (Unverified Personal Gnosis). Sometimes, this is something meant for you and the Morrigan only, and this is fine. Sometimes, UPG might hearken back to lost lore, and the best way to judge that is to see how many others end up drawing the same conclusions…like following a thread. You can’t prove it, but something about it rings with authenticity. And…sometimes you’re just hearing what you want to hear. We all do it. I can usually tell this happened to me or someone else if the UPG fizzles fast, or if someone clings to it for dear life. If there is something to it, the UPG will stand for itself. Don’t discount your UPG, but don’t run after all your UPG…compare it to the lore.

A good example…why do so many of us assume the Morrigan’s hair is black? I mean, yeah, she loves her ravens, but there aren’t a lot of references to the Morrigan with black hair. The majority of the lore states the Morrigan has blazing red hair, red eyes brows and in one instance, “9 undone tresses” which means her hair is likely very, very long! Or full. She even appeared to Cu Chulainn in mostly head to foot red: hair, eye brows, dress, cloak. I have even seen references to her eyes being red. There are even references to her being “white” or “brilliant in color!”

And yet…so many of her representations are primarily dressed in black, adorned with black hair, with the head of a raven, with raven’s wings…and she is pleased! It’s because this UPG has become part of her presentation, and since it does not conflict with her nature, she is pleased by it, can be connected with by it. Is it explicitly in the lore? No. But it works!

Finally, keep in mind that the Morrigan may choose to change (even more than a hairstyle), and while we would still have her past forms still valid, there are also new forms that may or may not make themselves known. Brigid is an excellent example of this: She was/is Brigid the goddess of poetry, smiths and midwifery (among other things), she was/is St. Brigit, also called Mary of the Gales and proved to be mostly, if not entirely based on Brigid, and she is also Mama Brigitte, one of the few white lwa (in Voodoo, wife of Baron Samedi) and a result of the comingling Haitians and Irish (I think especially in New Orleans, but I could be wrong). (The more romantic story is the Baron fell in love with Brigitte, seduced her and brought her from Ireland to Haiti.) The same life runs through these figures, and each form is powerful, true and alive in it’s own right. Each form is still accessible without taking from them other, through the story still moves forward.

And yes, the above is my own UPG. Tear it apart later, there is more.

—The Morrigan is MY Mother—

Just like so many have matron goddesses, tutelary spirits and others that take a motherly role, the Morrigan has taken a motherly role with me. I address her as mother. Even over the years when I pursued other interests, she has always been there as my mother. And now, she has gone from being in the background to taking me in hand. Since then, she has not only acted as my High Queen, my High Priestess and my Lady, she’s been my mother, too.

This is solely a personal part of our relationship. I’ve seen her come to others this way, and I’ve seen her come to others a different way. It doesn’t have to be the same for everyone, but this is actually the number one reason I call her mother.

That’s it. That simple.

—The Morrigan is a mother, and no, it doesn’t necessarily make her a Mother—

I’ve not often seen references to the Morrigan’s children, though they do exist and I will mention them briefly.

1. Meche, sometimes said to be in the form of a drakkon, sometimes not, definitely said to have a heart, or three hearts that were filled with three serpents that would devour all of Ireland. He was killed by Dian Cecht.

2. Sometimes she is said to have Danu’s triplet sons who were smiths, their names escape me. (I’m writing most of this off the top of my head.)

3. Sometimes she is said to have 20-30 sons and 20-30 daughters (or even 50 of each!)…a testament to her fertility and strength, surely.

Being a mother doesn’t necessarily make her a Mother goddess. But to deny her motherhood in this way is insulting to Herself. To borrow from another mythos, Nephytys was the mother of Anubis but NOT considered a Mother goddess. To outright say, “Just because she gave birth doesn’t make her a mother” is really blasphemous, and the same goes for the Morrigan.

Even if you never agree that the Morrigan is a Mother, she is always mother.

(The Morrigan by Unknown…see blog in water mark)

—The Morrigan’s Many Faces—

There are honestly so many ways to see the Morrigan, so many ways she can appear, that it makes your head spin…part of this is because she’s a shape shifter and can pretty much appear the way she wants. This is made abundantly clear in the Tain, when she and Cu Chulainn are making their respective animosities known to one another. So already, we have a goddess who can appear as she pleases and who, by her nature, takes up many aspects.

The Morrigan very obviously oversees death and war and sorcery, which I think we’ve covered above. She also oversees prophecy (as evidenced by the prophecy she gave at the end of the war with the Formorians…) and poetry. Not the same kind of poetry as Brigid, but specifically poetry linked to prophecy or war. Nevertheless, I doubt that skill in the craft is lost on her. She oversees sovereignty (likely through her association with Macha) and guardianship of the land…some say she IS the land (hang on, we’re getting there), and fate, and I’ve even seen some people insist upon rebirth since she is so intimate with death. Same with performing the role of psychopomp, being compared to Norse Valkyries. Perhaps we are straying from lore, but some of this is relevant. I have even seen that the Morrigan represents the full circle of life, to represent water and overflowing emotions (and boy, is THAT another post!) and, finally, that she is indeed a mother, and a fertility goddess. Which is appropriate, since she’s also a goddess of sex, sacred sex and the marriage with the land in particular (see the Dagda). She is also associated with ghosts, with the Sidhe and witchcraft, usually of the darker or negative kind. Livestock was also a big part of her guardianship, as are storms, which can be linked back to the rain of fire and blood mentioned before. Some of this, we will return to.

So, wither or not we can find this in the lore (and most of it we can), we can certainly see where a lot of this comes from. I’ve heard a lot more over the years, but I’ve only included a short variety of what I personally give credence to. Your mileage may vary, and that’s okay. But let’s continue into briefly talking about the Morrigna.

The Morrigan is often simply listed as a singular entity, The Morrigan. And as any of us know, the Morrigan can be seen to seen to be a name or a title: An Mhor Rhaign, usually translated as “The Great Queen” or “The Phantom Queen”. Seeing this, I’d say that Queenship and Sovergnity, along with Identity with the Land, go hand-in-hand with this. Just sayin’!

She is often associated, or identified with other goddesses with their own identities, termed the Morrigna (or as I heard before, each Morrigna is like a piece of the whole Morrigan…don’t know how I feel about that, but I thought I’d include it anyway). Sometimes, the Morrigna as seen as sisters of the Morrigan, or as sisters that make-up the Morrigan.

Many of the Morrigna are as follows…I’ll leave their Wikis rather than do a lot of writing and distract from the article:

Badb: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badb

Macha: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macha

Nemain:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemain

Fea: Sorry, she doesn’t have a wiki, but you can find her online.

Anu:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anu_(Irish_goddess)

Most often, you will see references to Badb, Macha and the Morrigan. This is the primary triplicity in the lore.

Sometimes, you’ll see Badb, Macha and Nemain or Badb, Macha and Anu. I’ve even seen 3 Badbs or 3 Nemains. I’ve seen UPG combinations. The list goes on.

But let’s go back to the primary triplicity…this one is found in the lore, I might mention. The listing is for Badb, Macha and the Morrigan, whose name is Anand. Which, in case you didn’t know, is one of the cognates of Anu.

Now, we can look at this two ways:

1. So this just means that Anu is one of the goddesses associated with the Morrigan. Anu, who everyone probably associates with all those pictures of mothers that I posted to be antagonizing. Who personifies the land, might be the same as Danu (who IS Mother of the Tuatha De Dannan, IS a Mother Goddess)…who is all about all those life and rebirth and fertility things I mentioned…

or

2. Anannd is the Morrigan. Which means Anu and the Morrigan are the same goddess in different aspects. What about Danu? Which means Anu REALLY isn’t who we think she is, at least personality wise.

I really have doubts about #1. For the simple fact that the other goddesses are associated with her, and Anu was said to BE her, outright. So that really leaves us with #2…which we should look into further.

— Anu and the Morrigan—

Some information on Anu…Anu is mostly known for being a bounteous Earth-mother type, associated with the wealth and abundance of the Earth. Morpheus Ravenna (Pg.101) also suggests alternative definitions of the name, such as womb or vessel. Hmmm! Her breasts are immortalized as the Paps of Anu (and I do believe the Morrigan has a similar monument): two mountains in green and lovely Ireland in the shape of breasts, with expertly placed cairns on the top and center. While she doesn’t have any known myths herself, she has been described as “the one who nursed the gods”, and she has often been put in the shadow of, or completely identified, with Danu (more in a minute). To quote Ravenna, again, “…once we have disentangled her from the shadow of Danu, we can more easily recognize her own maternal identification as a territorial land-goddess and provider of wealth and plenty through the land itself…Anu is mother not in the sense of primal creatrix, but in the sense of one who nurses, nourishes and sustains.” (Pg.106) A goddess of the Earth, of the fertility of the land.

As I will say below, there is more than one way to Mother.

(By the way, “Book of the Great Queen” by Morpheus Ravenna is my absolute favorite out there, and is worth every penny to get it. I heartily suggest you get your own copy.)

Okay, fine: I’ve pointed out that the Morrigan and Anu are equated and I’ve talked a bit about Anu. It sounds like they have nothing in common and we should leave Anu and Danu together and forget this whole mess.

Well…except that Anu and the Morrigan DO have some pretty important things in common.

- not only is she equated with the Morrigan several times (yep, several), she is listed, with Macha and Badb, as a daughter of Ernmas.

- She is EXPLICITLY IDENTIFIED with the Morrigan, as the goddess bearing the name as a title. Morrigan, who is Anand could be read as “The Great Queen, who is Anand”, using the name Morrigan as a title.

- They both intimately identify with the land and fertility and they both have similar monuments, i.e. the Paps.

- Both are linked to poetry.

-Anu, like the Morrigan, is thought to be one of the wives of the Dagda.

-Sometimes, Anu is said to bear three sons who are smiths, similar to the Morrigan.

On the surface, they are very different. But underneath, through the cult of the land, fertility and sovereignty, they link intimately. The lore we have to identify with even identifies the two as one. You CAN’T get more explicit as that!

(Ravenna, Pg. 102-105)

However, that leaves the question of Danu. Some like to say that Anu was absorbed by Danu, and that the two are one divinity. They certainly seem to have more in common.

Except that scholars and pagans are split over wither or not Danu existed in the ancient world. Unlike with Anu, Danu’s existence may be purely literary as even her name is a reconstruction from the name of her people. Many of the traces we do find of her can be attributed to either Anu or the Morrigan. She and the Morrigan have the same father and again, Danu is the mother of the same set of triplets.

However, I would like to say that the Tuatha De Dannan would not be the same without Danu, and whatever her origins, she is a living, vibrant goddess now! (Perhaps, evidence of UPG gone right.) As opposed to Anu’ s earthy fertility, Danu has become a Mother in the way of Divine Creatrix, an ancestral figure, a maternal source of secrets, strategy and wisdom…the personification, if you will, of the divine waters of creation.

And while I leave it up to you to make up your own mind, I do not equate the two. I think of them (The Morrigan and Danu) as sisters with tastes in common, but who are different enough as they wouldn’t be mistaken one for the other. Perhaps the absorption of Anu’s cult, at whatever time, has done this? Finally, I do not equate the two since it is not in the lore, and is not at all mentioned.

And so, Anu/Anand and the Morrigan are one…Anu gives the Morrigan a whole different presence, the Morrigan gives Anu a different vibe. Perhaps both names fit the same complex, savage, loving, wonderful goddess.

This is actually why I call myself Anand Morrighan- in homage to my mother as a Mother of Life, as the land upon which I stand that feeds me, helps be get stronger, shapes me and then will eat my bones and drink my blood when I am placed back in her arms.

(Yes, I am aware that my Irish is terrible. I’m working on it. In the meantime, it is what it is!)

Because of course your Land shapes you. Where you live. Where you’re from. Where you’re going. Where you will rest. It’s a two-way relationship, though we don’t know it anymore.

—So, what kind of Mother IS the Morrigan?—

Well, to draw from other cultures, she’s not Demeter. She’s not Isis. She’s not the Coatlicue or Gaia and she’s not any other you can think of. Although, these mothers also have their terrible aspects.

But considering everything, and using the Wiki definition (since it’s there and easy to get to), “A mother goddess is a goddess who represents, or is a personification of nature, motherhood, fertility, creation, destruction or who embodies the bounty of the earth”…The Morrigan can MORE than add “Mother” to her titles, based on this alone.

Let me ask you one question…why assume an Earth Mother is soft? Is Gaia soft? Would Uranus call her soft, who loved him and them had him castrated? How about Coatlicue, who wore a necklace of human hearts, hands and skulls, and was depicted as a loving mother and insatiable monster…still a mother? Is Demeter always soft, who would have let creation die unless her daughter was returned to her, who still lets the world freeze, in some parts to death, waiting for Persephone? I’m sure you can think of other examples.

But don’t worry, the land is a brutal mother, and she has to be- I am not saying that the Morrigan is a fluffy, sugary mother. Quite the opposite. Because, well, what is life, if not war?

In our cushy lives, we’ve forgotten that survival is not a guarantee. Some places in the world truly know this. The same land that lifts up the crop devastates it, or withholds it all together. Storms run through and our blood feeds the earth, just as the same storm cleanses the junk we’ve stuffed the land with. She, as the fertility of the earth, makes the buds blossom and as the land in blight, makes them wither. Livestock flourish, as if cradled, and then fall to disease. The weak and feeble among the newborn do not survive the winter. The same hand that blesses, chastises.

The Morrigan is the mother who would fight to the death to defend her children, who would sacrifice our of her own self to nourish us and watch us thrive…but she’s still the same mother who would cull the pack, leave behind who couldn’t follow and, without hesitation, fatally wound to ultimately cure.

Because life is war, in the end. And the Morrigan is a goddess of war. All aspects of war. But especially victorious, bloody war. And life is a bloody endeavor from the beginning.

Our Mother is a good mother…but she’s a brutal Mother, too. I believe the term often used is “Dark Mother”? She is strong, warlike and uncompromising, even in her tenderness and her love. But having her love is more than worth it.

(Mother by Someone really awesome)

General magick practitioner names, and titles

General names:

Skill-based names:

Stage magic names:

If you have any more names, or titles that you would like added to the list, or if you see anything wrong, tell me about them and I would love to add them and/or fix them.

Get ready for climate-based Necromancers:

Tropical Necromancers (Beach/Rainforest/Sea)

Arid Necromancers (Deserts)

Tundra Necromancers (Ice/Mountains/Snow)