Questions on Paganism

[SpiritShadow]

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Questions on Paganism

... I’ve done a little research on The Morrigan, but only through online resources. I notice some sites identify her as a Goddess of Death, War and Fertility, but others sites do not see her as a death goddess. So one of my first questions is, is Morrigan in fact a goddess of death.

Secondly, if I were to start worshipping The Morrigan (Or any death god for that matter) how would I go about it? What would be required of me?

Third, if possible I would like to speak directly with someone with a lot of knowledge in this area. Hopefully over Skype if they happen to have it. I want to know as much as I can before going in to this.

Howdy Spirit Shadow & welcome to the forum!

I honestly don't know much about the Morrigan, although the topic has come up a few times. I'm most likely wrong, but from what I've read here, it seems like nobody seems to know a whole lot about the historical Morrigan. Hopefully somebody who knows more about this will come along shortly and help out. Best wishes!

[SpiritShadow]

Re: Questions on Paganism

Thank you very much for the welcome. I forgot to include it in my post but if there's any literature on Paganism that can be recommended to me that would also be appreciated.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Questions on Paganism

I feel bad that nobody has come to help you with your question on the Morrigan yet...

Try posting your question in the Celtic section ("Pagan Traditions & Discussion," subforum "Celtic"). Be sure to put "morrigan" in the title. That way the people who can most help you will be sure to see it.

As far as recommended books go, we used to have a listing of good books, but I can't find it for the life of me. Maybe it got lost in one of the forum re-do's, but I'm hoping that somebody knows where it is and can tell you - it's a useful list.

A good general book about various forms of paganism is Drawing Down the Moon, by Margot Adler. Also, Seeking the Green by Tylluan Penry (who is a member and frequent poster here) is a very good intro book.

A "good book" is going to be the one that gives you the kind of accurate information you are looking for - so the big question is "What else do you want to find out about?"

[Dez]

Re: Questions on Paganism

I didn't see this. I don't have experience with death goddesses, either...Corbin's advice is sound, though.

Something you might hear a lot on here is this: when in doubt, read what reputable sources you can, and then ask the god or goddess in question. A lot of time that personal relationship can tell you much more then anything the rest of us can come up with.

[thalassa]

Re: Questions on Paganism

You might try taking a look around the Pagan discussion section for more general info...but unfortunately we haven't really had any active Celtic types as regular participants in a while...and because the old forum crashed and is pretty much gone, I can't even direct you to any archived thread (which sucks because we have had a few members that were devotees of Morrigan, with a variety of experiences, opinions and research).

[SpiritShadow]

Re: Questions on Paganism

Alright, well thank you very much to the three of you for your help! Its very much appreciated, and its more of a response then I've received from other places. I'll certainly look in to those books you recommended me Corbin. I'll try re-posting this in the section you suggested too.

I'll have a look at that thread Thalassa, and I'll also take your suggestion Rose. Still I'm going to keep looking for someone, a mentor I suppose. Reading is a good way to gain information I know, but it feels a little artificial as opposed to communication. To answer Corbins question, and I know this is going to sound vague but, anything and everything. I'm more or less preparing to change my Religion, and to me this is a big deal which shouldn't be treated lightly. I want to try and know as much as I can.

Thank you again for being so helpful! I honestly really appreciate it!

[Dez]

Re: Questions on Paganism

No, I really get that, Spiritshadow. I've been a member of this board for years, but actually following a pagan path is new for me--just this past year. That's meant I've been asking a lot of questions that are "old hat" for some, including questions that were covered before the board crash, but I just wasn't in a place to really listen.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if as you made this shift, you found that your perspective on what the divine really is changes. I can't say to what, as there's a lot of variation on the board. Folks like Corbin and Thal work with deities as an expression of archetypes, for example. For me, though, a year ago I was really wishing for a mentor too: someone who could teach me about how to best worship the divine I was feeling, who's name I didn't even know yet. What I've found, though, is that my relationship with Frey and Gerda is much less like the devotion from afar I experienced in Christianity, and much more like that mentor/student relationship. I don't plead for them to give me things. I think about it, work out a plan, and then get in touch with them(usually with an offering of food they like), then I lay out my goals and plan. If they want to help me with it, then I offer to do something they value as well, in exchange. Sometimes, what I want to do is it's own offering, like finding an affordable way to switch to local produce, or cutting out white flour (as a grain god, Frey was adamant about that one).

All of those sorts of things, though, are going to be very different depending on the deities who take an interest in you. What would The Morrigan value? Often, the deities you need find you, not the other way around, too. If someone else comes into your life, are you open to that?

[SpiritShadow]

Re: Questions on Paganism

I hear you, there's certainly a good chance my perspective might change. To be honest though, I know a little more then I give myself credit for. I have three friends whom are Pagan, (One who also follows Nordic gods) and I've even had the chance to be part of a Pagan gathering. (Mind you it was recreational) While was there I spoke with a High Priest and got some general information about practices, white magick, and general rituals. Unfortunately my time with him was brief and its difficult for me to get in to contact with him. I could have gone to my friends for advice, but I wanted to see if I could track down advice more specific to my area, and get a couple fresh outlooks on Paganism.

Hm if someone else came in to my life... I'm open to that yes. In spiritual situations, I tend to just go with the flow for the most part. What would The Morrigan value in me? From what I know she values strong, willful, self sufficient people. If I'm being honest here I'm more then likely lacking in the physical strength area. But I am self-sufficiency, and willful.

On the other hand, now that you bring up deities taking interest in you. Sometimes I get this feeling, and maybe its nothing, but sometimes I just get this little feeling that maybe a Greek deity/deities is watching me, and idea which quite frankly frightens me just a little.

[Raven_Rin]

Re: Questions on Paganism

Merry Meet SpiritShadow,

The Morrigan was the first Goddess that called to me. She is a triple Goddess comprised of three crone Goddesses and governs battle, war, death, and destruction. It is said that she would fly over the battlefields in the form of a Raven and as she circled she would choose who would be successful in battle and who would fall. After a battle the remaining soilders would leave the battlefield overnight so that she could collect what was known as "the Morrigan's acorn crop" which were the heads of the fallen. Morrigan means "the phantom queen" and the three crone Goddesses are Badb, Macha, and Nemain.

Badb ~ pronounced bayv, is "the fury"
Macha ~ pronounced MAAX-ah, is "battle"
Nemain ~ pronounced NIM-awn, is "venomous one"

Many recomend that you work with one of the three crone Goddesses as apposed to calling on the Morrigan, but that's a matter for you to decide for yourself. When calling on the Morrigan caution should be taken as the results of your working can turn violent. She is often called on by service men and women for obvious reasons, she can also be called on for wanning moon magicks such as banishing, overcoming enemies, and passing over rituals

I recomend reading "Celtic Myth & Magick" by Edain McCoy

Hope you find this helpful.

[Ophidia]

Re: Questions on Paganism

On the other hand, now that you bring up deities taking interest in you. Sometimes I get this feeling, and maybe its nothing, but sometimes I just get this little feeling that maybe a Greek deity/deities is watching me, and idea which quite frankly frightens me just a little.

Working with the Greco-Roman pantheons is much easier than some of the others, simply because the Greeks & Romans wrote everything down, and not much of the writing was lost to Christian over-editing. Unless, of course, it's an obscure deity, one more associated with a specific locale like a spring, grove or cave instead of one of the major Gods/Goddesses. Many of the Greco-Roman deities are also a little more 'human' and involved in every-day life.

[Clive]

Re: Questions on Paganism

I may be thinking of something else, but isn't McCoy's "Celtic Myth & Magick" supposed to be notorious for containing erroneous information?

[thalassa]

Re: Questions on Paganism

^I think its more notorious for its UPG (common for her, from what I have read) and some added bad scholarship (but I could be wrong, since its not one of her books that I've read).

[PainAndLight]

Re: Questions on Paganism

^I think its more notorious for its UPG (common for her, from what I have read) and some added bad scholarship (but I could be wrong, since its not one of her books that I've read).

Three Words: Irish Potato Goddess

That's all I'm sayin'.

---------- Post added at 02:51 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:43 AM ----------

Anubis, Osiris, Mot, Hades, Hel, Thanatos, Izanami, Nyx, Baron Samedi, The Morrigan, to name a few. Out of all of the deities , however, I found myself drawn to The Morrigan.

For what it's worth, Nyx really isn't a goddess of death. Nyx is really much more a pretty straightforward goddess of the night- to the ancient Greeks, she really was quite literally the night. She is the mother of several gods of death such as Thanatos, but she is not a deity of death herself. In fact, in a couple of the Greek creation myths, Nyx, in the form of a giant bird, laid the cosmic egg from which all life hatched.

http://www.theoi.com/Protogenos/Nyx.html