Applications are open for Meeting At The Ford: A Morrigan Immersion
This is a four-day, three night in-person gathering amid the spectacular beauty of the Columbia River Gorge, November 14-17, 2024. This is a chance to better know The Morrigan from authentic native Irish sources and develop spiritual tools to spark personal transformation under the guidance of professional wellness facilitators. Sessions will be led by Iyawo Carla Gaskins-Nathan, Lora O’Brien, Jon O’Sullivan, and Courtney Weber. More information and application at this link.
The Morrigan—a mysterious Irish goddess known for her role in battle, speaking truth to power, and shape-shifting.
It could be argued that The Morrigan’s role in warfare is her best-known. It could also be argued that her role as a shape-shifter is the most mysterious. Indeed, many modern mythology students and spiritual devotees are left scratching their confused heads over why The Morrigan, and her associated sisters, shift their form.
In the myths, The Morrigan shifts into:
- A black bird
- A lovely daughter of a king
- An old woman
- A she-wolf
- An eel
- A heifer
Other Morrigan sisters have their own identity shifts, such as Badb shifting between a “hag” and a beautiful, regal woman decked in find attire, and Macha transforming into a leper.
In the myths, a shape-shifting Morrigan is often a poor omen for the person witnessing it. Then again, the very appearance of The Morrigan or a Morrigan sister could itself represent a warning, whether she or they shift or not. It could also be interpreted that the shape the Morrigan takes informs the fate of the person seeing her.
These myths are ancient, and much of the cultural context of the era is either lost or frequently misunderstood by modern practitioners. The Morrigan’s shape-shifting could have represented some kind of connection to the land, which changes through the seasons and could be caring or punitive, depending on the environment. Then again, it could have simply been a hallmark of The Morrigan’s power and status as a divine being. It’s possible that it represented an unknowable aspect of the divine or of existence, period. We can make good guesses, but will never truly know (…and that’s okay!).
Learning about, or having an spiritual experience with, the shape-shifter Morrigan can be confusing, or even frightening. Both are quite likely to leave us with more mysteries than answers .
To me, the Morrigan is a great mover—and by reflecting on the Morrigan as shape-shifter, we can find inspiration to grow, evolve, learn, survive, and thrive in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.
Embracing lessons from the Shape-shifter might mean:
- Allowing our thoughts or perspectives to shift from one in which we are in the role of the down-trodden to one in which we are in the role of the sovereign
- Recognizing changes and cues in ourselves and our environments as a symbol of things we may want to change, address, or prevent.
- Embracing a practice of recognizing the Divine in a multitude of shapes…maybe even seeing The Morrigan for ourselves in a form that is not necessarily detailed in the myths, but may be a way for us to personally connect with the Morrigan, ourselves.
Embracing lessons from the Shape-shifter does not mean:
- Permanently walking through life pretending to be someone or something that we’re not
- Putting on a guise to replace our own identities, out of insecurity or self-loathing.
- Treating the mythology as a problem to solve, instead of embracing mystery for its own sake
In exploring the nature of Shape-Shifting, it may be helpful to start by asking yourself one or more of these questions:
- When do you find yourself Shape-shifting, e.g., behaving one way around family and another around friends; putting on a demeanor appropriate for your profession when you head out to work? How does this serve you, if at all? How does this exhaust or harm you, if at all?
- What shifts in your environment cue or warn you to address a problem, protect yourself, or make a change e.g., a partner going quiet may mean something is bothering them and you may want to check in with them, a shift in the wind and clouds may mean it’s time to get a rain jacket, sudden tension at the company could indicate instability and may mean it’s time to update your resume and look for another jobs.
An important note: This work is not meant for self-criticism, e.g., “I stay quiet at the family gathering to avoid criticism when I’m a naturally boisterous person and I shouldn’t be…I should always be myself.” or “Geez, I’m usually oblivious to tension in the workplace…I guess that’s a problem?” Neither are problems to solve. Sometimes we have to shift a bit to protect ourselves. We may also be pretty focused on ourselves in certain situations and not aware of what’s happening outside of us…which is not a crime!
The practice of noticing is itself an act of Magick.
By taking the time to intentionally notice how we may shift in certain situations or how our environment changes, we practice having a better awareness of the nature of a Shape-shifting deity such as The Morrigan.
Looking for more resources on The Morrigan?
- Check out “Meeting At The Ford: A Morrigan Immersion.” Applications are now open, and close April 20.
- Order my book The Morrigan: Celtic Goddess of Magick and Might. Foreword by Lora O’Brien.
- Check out both The Irish Pagan School and The Morrigan Academy. Both sites are chock-full of resources—reasonably priced, and many, many are free!
To access a ritual and prayer for working with The Shape-Shifting Morrigan, join a paid tier of The Cauldron Calling at this link!
