Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon my Darlings. This week’s Femme Fatale Friday is going to focus on Arianrhod in her aspect as a Divine Mother. Now, Arianrhod is far from the common image of a Mother Goddess, who is only nurturing and loving embracing her children and holding them close. That being said, I think that this alternate aspect of Divine Motherhood is just as important to examine and embrace as the more traditional Mother Goddess energy.
The Goddess of the Silver Wheel, Fate, and Time is the mother of Divine Twins Dylan of the Waves, and Lleu Llaw Gyffes. She became a mother by accident and magick that was against her choice. When she was asked to come to the Court of her uncle Math in order to be his new Virgin Footholder. This was because Math was required to place his feet in the lap of a virgin whenever he was not at war or in times of strife. Her brother, Gwydion had suggested her as the ideal Virgin Footholder for Math when his previous footholder was no longer a virgin. When she arrived at Math’s Court, he asked her to prove her virgin status by stepping over a magick wand. Arianrhod gladly did this believing herself to be a virgin at the time. However, this is when she spontaneously gave birth. First, the fully formed Dylan of the Waves, who went to live in the ocean as soon as he was given his name by Math. Later, as she ran from the Court in utter humiliation, a small thing fell from her. At the time, it was not known if this was merely the placenta from the first son or something else. In truth, this small thing was the not fully formed baby that would grow rapidly and look as if a child twice his age.
He would be placed into the chest of Gwydion where he could incubate until he was large enough to be nurtured by Gwydion as a child. When four years had passed, and the child looked to be around eight or nine years old, Gwydion brought the boy to Caer Arianrhod, the Court that Arianrhod ruled over as a Sovereign Goddess. Arianrhod was insanely angry that Gwydion would have the gall to bring the child to her Court, being that he was a reminder of her humiliation in front of her uncle’s Court! It was then that she placed the first Destiny upon her son, that he would never have a name save for one she gave him. Gwydion circumvented this Destiny by tricking Arianrhod into naming the boy, who was named Lleu Llaw Gyffes based on a phrase his mother used to describe him when he was disguised. When Gwydion revealed his trick, Arianrhod placed the second Destiny upon her son, he would not have any weapons save for those which she herself armed him. Gwydion yet again tricked her into arming Lleu, which ended in Arianrhod placing her final Destiny upon the boy, he would never have a wife from the race of the women currently on Earth. This is what caused Math and Gwydion to use enchantment to create a beautiful bride for Lleu from the flowers of Oak, Broom, and Meadowsweet, the Goddess Blodeuwedd!
Arianrhod is mentioned as a Mother Goddess who never changed even as she caused changes in others. This is why she is seen as the weaver of Destiny and the Goddess of Time, Cycles, and the turning of the Moon. She is there to teach women that becoming a mother will change your life, but that you need not lose your autonomous personality to be only a mother. I think this is such an important lesson for women to learn, being a mother is an important and magickal part of our lives, but it should not be the singular thing to define you! Arianrhod teaches us a great way of balancing nurturing lessons and change with not losing yourself to the nurturing of others. She is also a great balance to the nurturing and sweetly loving Modron, who is more of the traditional Earth Mama! In some ways, I think that Arianrhod was more of the mother of Blodeuwedd than she ever was of her sons, as her actual decisions are what led to Blodeuwedd’s creation. Not to mention that Blodeuwedd’s choices later in the Fourth Branch illustrate that when she proved her own Sovereignty she seems to be in line with Arianrhod’s energy and beliefs!
I hope you have enjoyed learning a bit about this special aspect of Arianrhod as a Mother Goddess. What is your favorite aspect of Arianrhod? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is a beautiful artwork of Arianrhod. I found the image on http://kitchenwitchuk.blogspot.com/2012/01/arianrhod.html.
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
- Avalon Within by Jhenah Telyndru
- Mythic Moons of Avalon by Jhenah Telyndru
- The Mabinogion translated by Sioned Davies