Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon, my Darlings. For today’s Mermaid Monday blog post, I have decided to discuss embracing the energy and archetype of the Arthurian Lady of the Lake in your Winter Spiritual Practices!
I have always felt pulled towards the Lady of the Lake, and the Gwragedd Annwn generally, during the Winter season. I suppose this could be to do with the fact that the Lady of the Lake energy is very aligned with both Priestess and Ancestral energy, making this archetype incredibly potent as we go within during the Dark Half of the Year. The nurturing energy of the Lady of the Lake is quite profound, especially when we look at her in the Arthurian legends.
Her role as the foster mother of Lancelot is the ideal lens through which to view the potent maternal energy of the Lady of the Lake! This is also seen in the Lady of Llyn y Fan Fach, where the titular Lady of the Lake blessed her human husband with great prosperity during their marriage. Even the stories of the Gwragedd Annwn tending their Faery Cattle, the beautiful and magickal pure white cows that produce the best dairy products available, show this nurturing energy perfectly.
Now that I have discussed a bit about what the Lady of the Lake Archetype is in her most nurturing form, let’s look at how to embrace this energy during the cold of Winter. One of the simplest, but most profound ways to embrace the energy of the Lady of the Lake is to Water Scry. Staring into the depths of the Water, whether you are Scrying into a Bowl, a Cauldron, or a Chalice, is an incredibly soothing experience. You may begin to see images reflected on the Water’s Mirror-like and glassy surface, or you may reach a trance state, or you may even Astral Project. However, for some people, Water Scrying does not give messages in this way, as different forms of Divination work best for different people, but I know that some who do not actually see when they Water Scry at least feel a sense of peace. This calm and peaceful energy is much akin to being held, and that is a beautiful expression of the Lady of the Lake’s energy, even if you do not access the Sight!
Another way to embrace the Lady of the Lake as an archetype is to spend time Journaling about your feelings concerning different versions of the Lady of the Lake story. What are your thoughts about Nimue, Vivienne, and Morgan le Fay, the Arthurian Ladies of the Lake? What are your feelings about the Lady of Llyn y Fan Fach? What are your feelings about the Gwragedd Annwn? This practice of Journaling can aid you in identifying what your personal relationship is to the Lady of the Lake archetype!
Finally, the last way I want to share to begin embracing the Lady of the Lake Archetype is to meditate on the Lady of the Lake in artwork. These artworks can be classical illustrations of Arthurian legends, figurines, or statues meant to be the Lady of the Lake, or the Lady of the Lake on Tarot or Oracle Cards. I find that this type of meditation allows a connection to the visual representations of the archetype, inspiring new ways to embody the energy!
I hope you have enjoyed reading my thoughts on embracing the Lady of the Lake Archetype. What is your favorite way to connect with the Lady of the Lake? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is “Waving her hands and uttering the charm, [she] presently enclosed him fast within the tree.” Lancelot Speed’s illustration for James Thomas Knowles’ The Legends of King Arthur and His Knights (1912). I found the illustration on https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Merlin_And_Vivien_by_Speed_Lancelot.jpg.
LINK TO AVALONIAN ROSE FAERY MYSTERIES PATREON: patreon.com/AvalonianRoseFaeryMysteries
Further Reading
- Le Morte D’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory
- Idylls of the King by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
- Ladies of the Lake by Caitlin and John Matthews
- Welsh Fairies by Mhara Starling