Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon my Darlings!   For today’s post, I have decided to write about a topic that came to me in a moment of inspiration at the Ninefold Festival this past weekend!   The topic is how my two most beloved Goddesses, Morgan le Fay and Blodeuwedd balance aspects of Tarot archetypes, in particular the Divine Feminine archetypes!

The High Priestess ~MORGANA~

~I always refer to the High Priestess as the archetype of the Divine Feminine in the Spiritual and Magickal Realms.    She is the channel through which the knowledge of the Otherworld can make itself known in our world.    She is the more passive and feminine form of Divine Magick (whereas the Magician is the more active and masculine form of Divine Magick, which incidentally Morgana also embodies)!    The High Priestess is the initiatrix birthing us into our new way of being, who midwifes transitional times in life to allow us to become our most potently magickal selves (whereas the Magician performs spell work and is a master of manifestation).   Morgana very much embodies this energy in her aspect as leader of the Ninefold Sisterhood of Avalon, where she is also the psychopomp that ferried Arthur to Avalon and prepared him for his journey into the Otherworld!  

The Empress ~BLODEUWEDD~

~Similarly to the High Priestess, I always refer to the Empress as the Divine Feminine in the Physical Realm.   She is the fertility and bounty of the land made manifest in Feminine Form.    Her abundant bounty of sexual allure and her fertile body are the Sovereignty of the land, and it is this Sovereignty that truly gives the King (or in the case of the Divine Masculine card which mirrors the Empress, the Emperor) his right to rule the land.    It is through the marriage to the Sovereignty Goddess, the Flower Bride, and the May Queen, that Celtic Kings are able to cement their dominion.    The sexual congress between the King and the land, in the form of the Sovereignty figure (the Empress of the Tarot) blesses the land with fertility and abundance!    This is directly linked to Blodeuwedd’s tale and her role as a Flower Formed Goddess, who was born of Enchantment to be the wife of Lleu Llaw Gyffes.   Their marriage firmly cemented his right to rule, and the loss of Blodeuwedd’s favor resulted in an attempt on Lleu’s life by his wife and her lover, proving her role as a Seasonal Sovereignty Goddess!

Queen of Swords ~MORGANA~

~The Queen of Swords is the Queen who is firmly rooted in her intellect, as she is associated with the Air Element and the strategy of war.    She is obviously Morgana in her steely and resolved desire to gain her rightful place of rulership, usually seen in her Baddie of the Arthurian Legend days in her attempts to steal Camelot from Arthur.   However, she is also the softer side of Morgana, who as the Lady of the Lake gifted the magickal sword of Excalibur to Arthur!    Finally, she is Morgana in her shapeshifted Crow or Raven form, flying high above the Kingdom, able to see and assess what has happened for a great many miles!

Queen of Wands ~BLODEUWEDD~

~The Queen of Wands is the Queen who is firmly rooted in her warmth and life of the party gregariousness, as she is associated with the Fire Element and the lust of life.    She is Blodeuwedd at the feast of hospitality thrown in honor of the neighboring Lord, who had happened upon her and Lleu’s lands while hunting.   The Lord is Gronw Pebyr, who would become her lover and future true mate, showing the sexual nature and lustiness of this Queen!   

Queen of Cups ~MORGANA~

~The Queen of Cups is the Queen who is firmly rooted in the Unconscious Depths of the Psyche.    She is associated with the Water Element and can be seen as a Guiding Dream or Vision, one who inspires us to move forward with great intent!    She is Morgana in her Lunar Nature and aspect as a Prophetess and in her ability to ensnare others by their emotions.    Morgana’s Val Sans Retour, where she trapped unfaithful knights, or her famed cursed cup, which could prove the fidelity of the women who drank from it, both show this Queen of Cups romantic and psychic energy!   Finally, the Queen of Cups is a powerful ally in Shadow Work and Healing of Trauma, which further connects her to Morgana in her aspect of Priestess and Healer!

Queen of Pentacles ~BLODEUWEDD~

~The Queen of Pentacles is the Queen who is firmly rooted in the Fertility and Stability of the Earth beneath our feet.    She is associated with the Earth Element and can be seen as a Nurturer, Protector, and Proponent of Sacred Sexuality!     She is Blodeuwedd in her Flower Bride aspect when she was very literally made from the Flowers of the Earth.    She is also Blodeuwedd in her form as Sovereign Lover, who finally had the chance to choose her mate for herself after she finally bedded Gronw and began to plot the death of Lleu!   Finally, she is the Blodeuwedd the inspiring Goddess of Sovereignty and Protectress of the Sacred Land.   The Queen of Pentacles is the fertile Earth Mama archetype of Sacred Sexuality that has become more prevalent in my life as I have been studying herbalism, and I have also been feeling the energy of Blodeuwedd very deeply from this card!

~I hope that you have enjoyed this look at Morgana and Blodeuwedd in their associations with the Divine Feminine cards in the Tarot.    What is your favorite Divine Feminine Tarot card?   Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is a very interesting Tarot artwork, which was listed as the High Priestess, but I feel embodies both the High Priestess and the Empress.   I found the image on https://www.pinterest.com/pin/aquarius-and-tarot–308989224408072663/.

Tarot Note: I have a page offering tarot and oracle readings for those interested in these services!    I am very happy to be offering these readings to my treasured readers at White Rose of Avalon!  Link to page: https://whiteroseofavalon.life/tarot-and-oracle-readings/

Further Reading

• Tarot of the Hidden Realm by Julia Jeffries & Barbara Moore
• The Llewellyn Tarot by Anna-Marie Ferguson   
• Vita Merlini by Geoffrey of Monmouth
• Le Morte D’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory
• The Mabinogion translated by Sioned Davies