For today’s post, I have decided to take a look at four of the most important Goddesses in Celtic myth and Arthurian legends for this most potent holiday of Beltane! I love Beltane, it is my second favorite holiday of the year, second only to Samhain. These Goddesses are perfect to honor at this time of year. Beltane is tomorrow, May 1st, but you can begin celebrating tonight and keep celebrating until sunrise on May 2! Without further ado, here’s the list of Goddesses and some reasons to celebrate with them at Beltane.
MAEVE
~Maeve’s name literally means “she who intoxicates.” She is all about fierce warcraft and the intoxication of sexual allure! Celebrate with the Irish Sex Goddess by drinking mead, brewing your own honeyed wine, practicing sex magick, and giving yourself over to intoxication of any substance!
RHIANNON
~Rhiannon is the Welsh Goddess of Sovereignty and Horses. She is a Goddess of Sexuality and Fertility, as well. This is through her connection as a Love Goddess who marries the King to cement his rulership of the land. She is also the Mother Goddess who births the son that will become the next great King! Celebrate her by taking time to honor your own sovereignty and singing and dancing, as she is so associated with song through her sacred birds, the Adar Rhiannon! A perfect choice of music is the Fleetwood Mac song Rhiannon, written and sung by Stevie Nicks!
BLODEUWEDD
~Blodeuwedd is the Welsh Goddess of Seasonal Sovereignty, Owls, and Flowers. She is a May Queen and Flower Bride, who was made from flowers by magicians to be the wife of Llew Llaw Gyffes. She found her personal sovereign power by falling in love with Gronw and attempting to kill her husband to be with her lover! Celebrate her by picking flowers, looking for owls in the night sky, and learning about the cyclical nature of yourself and your own body!
GUINEVERE
~Guinevere is most famous as the wife of Arthur in the legends. She is also began as a Goddess that is a May Queen and Flower Bride. Her name even means something like “white phantom” or “white spirit” signaling her magical origins! Her famous tales of taking lovers, most often Lancelot, and betraying her marriage are the main points of her tale. She is often featured in tales as “going-a-maying” which is picking flowers on May Day! Celebrate her by being immersed in the arms of your lover, taking time to be with your loved ones, and awakening to the Queen within yourself!
~Each of these Goddesses is also a powerful Faery Queen in her own right! I hope that one or all of these Goddesses are calling to you to celebrate with this Beltane! Who is calling to you? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is a Guinevere artwork. I found the gorgeous art on https://www.etsy.com/listing/720918983/guinevere-goddess-camelot-fine-art-print.
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Further Reading
- The Irish Queen Medb by Lora O’Brien
- Rhiannon: Divine Queen of the Celtic Britons by Jhenah Telyndru
- Blodeuwedd: Welsh Goddess of Seasonal Sovereignty by Jhenah Telyndru
- The Once and Future Queen: Guinevere in Arthurian Legend by Nicole Evelina
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