The Morrigan’s Call Retreat is coming in a month, and I’ve been trying to up my meditations, and my chats with her. Sometimes, however, the conversation is started elsewhere- between priestesses. A recent chat with a fellow priestess got me thinking and talking a little to the Great Queen about some things that I think are important. It’s definitely one of her whispers to me.
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I remember my first call, and how, in the moment of devotion and intense energy, how easy it was to make promises to The Morrigan. At the time, I remember thinking that things could be easy, I could keep these promises. -laughs in knowledge and experience-
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This needs to be said to the baby witches (side note, I don’t actually like the term baby witch, but that’s the term most use these days. I’d prefer novice or fledgling.) Don’t jump into promises and oaths. Like ever. Look, I am devoted to The Morrigan, but she is not an easy Goddess to serve. As our relationship has developed, I see her humor- it is wicked in the best of ways, and I feel her affection for myself and for others, for the world and for the attributes she is known for. Strength, resilience, overcoming obstacles, fighting our battles, standing up for ourselves- she thrives on those things.
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But The Morrigan is like a wise teacher and trainer, with a harsh streak. She’s not afraid to trip you to teach you to watch where you are going. She will clothesline you, without hesitation to teach you to be aware of your surroundings. She will hit you with a giant cosmic 2x4 to get you to listen. I’ve had friends, mentees, acquaintances, and companions who have been hit by buses, tractor trailers, fires and more because they weren’t listening, and she needed them to listen.
Ask yourself, do you really want to make an oath that you find you can’t keep to a Goddess who carries a sword, spear, and a temper? Gods and Goddesses are not like us, they have their own agenda, and morals? In all the above cases, things were difficult for the recipients, but each also speak of feeling they were protected too. Being knocked on your ass isn’t always a bad thing. Watch any movie where a hero is training- their teacher almost always has to knock them down a few times before they learn to stand on both feet steadily.
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The Morrigan, and all her aspects, are bad ass goddesses. They are not fluffy bunnies, nurturing mothers or babysitters. They don’t hold your hand and gently pull you to safety whenever you are in danger. Badb will screech at you, screaming and inciting you through your trials, Macha will put the sword in your hand, and Anu will shove you into the burning building. Defend yourself. Slay your fears and destroy the obstacles before you. Emerge victorious (but honestly, not unscathed.) You will toughen, your spine straighter, callouses on your hands, bruised but not broken.
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And don’t get me wrong. The more I’ve developed my relationship with The Morrigan, the more dimensional she is. I said she’s not gentle, but she has compassion. She knows where to press, and where not to press. She knew what would break me beyond recovery. She knew where my weaknesses were, where the worst of my wounds were, and those she worked to heal so that eventually, I could work on them. When I first took the hand she offered me, there were things in my psyche that would’ve made me walk away from her. But this empathy should not make you think that The Morrigan is placid or tame.
In this time and place, for me, I'm getting to where I need to be. I know I can’t dally too much longer on healing, or that cosmic 2x4 will come for me, she’s warned me. But she never pushed me until I was ready. In other places though, she knew (I might not have known) I was ready to overcome things.
So, baby witches. Fledglings, novices…develop your relationship with The Morrigan FIRST. Before any oaths and promises. Think about it this way: how many of us would swear an oath to someone you just met? Most of us have more common sense, right? We develop friendships and relationships first! Anything else comes after. You might hear some of her priestesses talking with respected humor about the relationships, but you should also know that they have developed the relationship that they are able to do that with time, action, and devotion.
When you are ready, oaths can be taken, promises given. Just remember, fulfilling those oaths are important, and a price will be paid if you fail to give what was sworn.
If you are attending The Morrigan’s Call retreat, keep yourself grounded, don’t get swept away by the energy of the event. Keep grounded and centered. Remember that the priestesses are also there for you- not to just serve The Morrigan and look all bad ass. I mean, we do look bad ass, but there’s a difference in aesthetics and purpose. Reach out, and feel free to talk any of us if you need help grounding and clearing your thoughts. Do not look for the fluffy bunny Morrigan, because she doesn't exist.
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