It's that time of year! I started the 31 days to the Morrigan prompts two years ago under my personal Instagram account. The first time I did it, I called it the 31 days of Samhain. Last year, I felt it should be 31 days to The Morrigan because most of the prompts I picked were for The Morrigan, or one of her aspects. I use these prompts as a way to promote studying The Morrigan’s lore, her aspects and finding herself through contemplation of the prompts. It’s an exercise in devotion and relationship development, one particularly useful to polytheists and pagans.
I’m not a believer in simply invoking whatever God and Goddess you have a need from. To me, that’s like going up to a stranger and asking to borrow money, or asking them to help you mow your lawn. You don’t normally ask those sort of favors from strangers- that’s something you ask from friends, people you’ve built a relationship with. I start by getting to know my deities- introducing myself, talking to them, reading their histories and stories, understanding their culture before I ask for anything. (And even then, Gods aren’t prayer vending machines. I don’t insert a prayer and get a wish granted.)
I used Morpheus Ravenna’s oracle deck to pick some of the prompts. It's a great little deck, though it's more for intuitive readers. There's no huge book that lists the meaning of each card- just a small list that doesn't even include most of the cards, just the more complicated ones. I recommend it, but be warned if you aren't someone who enjoys reading cards in that way!
Some of the words are based on Irish lore, some about the Morrigan, and some about the Tuatha de Danann in general. Some are my own UPG (unverified personal gnosis) or a shared gnosis that has no real basis in the lore. (Example- many of those who work with the Morrigan shared the gnosis that whiskey is a good offering- as far as I know, this is not based on anything but an accepted belief shared by many.) Some words might not resonate with you, but all have been chosen for a reason.
The first three prompts are the three realms.
1. Land
2. Sea
3. Sky
I picked the next prompts based on what I felt our ancient ancestors would feel were important or hold value of in their spiritual practice.
4. Ancestors
5. Good neighbors (Fae)
6. Offering
7. Battle scar
The next four prompts are the Four Treasures of Ireland. I saw someone change a prompt last year, saying they didn’t associate The Morrigan with a sword, and while that is their belief, I wasn’t basing it totally on The Morrigan alone. Because the history of her people, and her tribe would be important, and to understand her, we must understand these things as well. The four treasures of Ireland are The Dagda's Cauldron, The stone Lia Fáil, The Sword of Nuada and The Spear of Lugh.
8. Cauldron
9. Stone
10. Sword
11. Spear
The next 10 prompts were picked through divination (Morpheus Ravenna’s The Morrigan oracle deck) or words I simply associated with The Morrigan, her stories or her aspects.
12. The Talisman
13. The Shield
14. Favorite Lore Story
15. Prophecy
16. Crown
17. Peace
18. Oath
19. Nightmare
20. The Slain
21. The Hero
The next four are some of the animals she shapeshifted into within the Lore.
22. Wolf
23. Eel
24. Heifer
25. Crow
26. Shapeshifter
And finally, the last 5 days are the things that I associate with The Morrigan, either through her stories, or my own workings with her. Otherworld was one of the few words that I was told I had to include in the list, and as to the why- I don’t know yet. It was just something she wanted included in there.
27. Victory
28. Blessings
29. Curse
30. Death
31. Otherworld
The concept is simple- start on October 1 (or if you prefer dark moon to dark moon, please feel free to do that, although the math will be a bit off!) and go through the prompts one by one. Contemplate on the prompt, then journal, draw, photograph, or write poetry, song or prayer of some conception of the word. I love to do a mix- sometimes a prayer, sometimes a poem, sometimes a photo that makes me think of the prompt and The Morrigan, and sometimes a journal page of art and just writing my thoughts when I meditate on the prompt. I use a little of everything too, paint, pencil, clippings for a true art journaling experience.
I picked the hashtag #31daysMorrigan to make typing a little easier, and it sets it apart from any other 31 days of prompts that might be running! It’s my hope that you will use these 31 days to develop a deeper understanding and relationship with The Morrigan and her aspects that continues on, past the 31 days of prompts. I hope you'll join me on Instagram!
Hail An Morrigu!