Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon, my Darlings. For today’s Femme Fatale Friday blog post, I will be sharing some reflections on my relationships with each of the Mermaids that I will be offering Spellworkings with, beginning this coming Sunday! Below the title and description of each type of spellworking that will be available, you will find brief individual reflections. Oh, and I want to note that these reflections will obviously be built on my own personal gnosis. Without further ado, let’s look at Mermaid Spellworkings!
💦 Rusalka Spell for Self-Love
~The Russian Mermaids, the Rusalki, are deeply magickal. Once honored as protective figures, they are best known for their ability to kill men by drowning them. However, they only drowned men who were willing to be unfaithful to their lovers. In this way, they test the fidelity of these men. This is why I have chosen them for Self-Love magick!
My Relationship: I have always had a deep calling to work with the Rusalki, as I am of Russian and Ukrainian descent on my father’s side. So, hearing tell of Russian Mermaids always felt like a very magickal tie to my father’s heritage. However, I would come to find out that the Rusalki are often described as dangerous and even malevolent. That did make me a bit hesitant to make contact with their energy. However, further research proved that before they were seen as dangerous, they were honored as bestowers of fertility! Beyond that, even their dangerous nature seemed more to be about protecting women from being harmed by infidelity, as the Rusalka is known to lure men who were in relationships. If the man was faithful, he would not be drowned by the Rusalka; instead, he would go safely on his way. That is why I have so deeply tied my concept of the Rusalka to self-love. Working with her during self-love rituals calls on the folklore. Working with the Rusalki feels like a gentle hand reminding me that I deserve to be treated with love and respect, and most importantly, I must love and respect myself! She is a reminder not to be too hard on myself!
💦 Lorelei Spell for Singing the Song of Your Soul
~The German Mermaid, Lorelei, is the Mermaid of the Rhine River, known for her ability to cause sailors to crash on the rocks with her voice. Although she is well-known for her Siren energy and dangerous nature, she is a powerful energy to work with to learn to truly use your voice to Sing the Song of Your Soul, to embrace personal truth!
My Relationship: The Lorelei is another example of a Mermaid who is known for being dangerous and most definitely malevolent. In fact, many books on the Fae will tell you not to contact her. However, I have always found her story fascinating, and I do have a small bit of Germanic heritage on my mother’s side, leading to a deeper desire to get to know her. After my work with the Rusalki proved that there was often more beneath the surface when it came to even dangerous Fae, I decided to carefully begin to build a relationship with the Lorelei. I found that while she (or they, as there may be many Loreleis, although they always appear as a solitary Faery) does hold a dangerous edge to her energy, there is something much deeper there. Her energy is that of a protector of the River, one who will maim or kill to protect her waters. This is the vengeance we should expect from spirits of place when their Sacred Lands or Sacred Waters are harmed. It was this understanding that really forged a newfound appreciation for the Lorelei’s complexity. Over time, I began to also think of her as a wonderful guide into speaking my truth without fear, for her fierceness can aid in galvanizing you with determination! So, yes, there is so much more to her than what others may think. While I would not recommend contacting her, or any more dangerous Fae, without experience or a proper guide, she is much more than people think. That is also why I would love to be a guide for my clients seeking to form a relationship with her to do so carefully and safely. At the end of the day, it is always all about respect with the Fae!
💦 Gwraig Annwn Spell for Scrying the Waters of Change
~The Welsh Lake Maidens, the Gwragedd Annwn, are best remembered for living beneath the Lakes and blessing the world with magickal Faery Cows. Their connection with the Arthurian Lady of the Lake makes them ideal guardians as you Scry the Waters of Change in your life!
My Relationship: Ah, my beloved Gwragedd Annwn! They are such beautiful Faery Women to work with when seeking to develop intuition and step into Priestess energy. I have always felt a pull towards the Gwragedd Annwn, and they were one of the earliest types of Fae I built a relationship with. In fact, I have a Gwraig Annwn as one of my Spirit Guides, and she was one of the first to make herself known to me as I began to walk my path. The deep connection between the Gwragedd Annwn and intuition and Divination makes them the ideal guides in Scrying the Waters of Change, aiding in weathering the transitions we will encounter in our lives!
💦 Mari-Morgen Spell for Sacred Sexuality
~The Breton Mermaids, the Mari-Morgens, have a deep folkloric connection with the Drowned City of Ys. The Princess of Ys, Dahut, became a Mari-Morgen when she was thrown into the Sea. As Dahut is deeply tied to the expression of female sexuality, which is why I associate the Mari-Morgens with Sacred Sexuality magick!
My Relationship: Mari-Morgens were Mermaids that came into my life as magickal guides and partners not long after the Gwragedd Annwn. Much like the Gwragedd Annwn, they are often tied to the energy of Avalon and Morgan le Fay. While the Gwragedd Annwn are tied to Morgana in her connection with the Arthurian Lady of the Lake, the Mari-Morgens hold resonance with her very name! Mari-Morgens are Breton in origin, hailing from Brittany in France, and they likely became tied to Morgan le Fay sometime during the beginnings of the French Arthurian Romances. Later, they would begin to be discussed as Welsh Mermaids, even though there were already other Welsh Mermaids known as Mor-Forwyion, due to their link to Morgana and her Welsh origins. The name Morgen means ‘Sea-born’ in Welsh! As a Priestess of Morgan le Fay, and a Devotee of hers for years before she initiated me as Priestess, I know that it was she who sent Mari-Morgens into my life. Given the story of Dahut of Ys, and Morgana’s own ties to sexuality, I began to work with Mari-Morgens in my Sacred Sexuality work. I have found that they are a perfect companion in this endeavor! As a side note, this Sacred Sexuality work is not about actual sex, so much as about learning to feel comfortable in your own skin and in your own body. The work is based in building a healthy relationship with sexuality, which is often difficult in the modern world!
💦 Merry Maid Spell for Playful Pleasure
~The Cornish Mermaids, the Merry Maids, are best remembered through the story of the Mermaid of Zennor. The Mermaid of Zennor fell in love with a human man and took him as her husband, with them living in the Sea. She was a very musical and playful figure, leaving the Sea to sing. That is why I associate Merry Maids with magick for Playful Pleasure, spells reminding us of the importance of prioritizing enjoying life!
My Relationship: When I first began working with the Merry Maids, the first thing I realized was just how joyful and playful they are. It almost always feels like laughter in my soul when I am working with or channeling their energy! This energy is truly full of youthful vitality. That is why I began working with the energy of the Merry Maids when I felt I needed a bit more joy in life, times when energy began to feel heavy, and they have always filled me with a sense of playful pleasure; hence why they are associated with this type of working!
💦 Selkie Spell for Authenticity
~The Scottish and Irish Seal Maidens, the Selkies, are best known for their ability to transform into a Seal when wearing their Seal Skins. In folklore, the Seal Skin is stolen, and the Selkie Maid is trapped on land and married to a man who holds her skin. When she finds her Seal Skin, she returns to the Sea. The Selkie is deeply tied to Authenticity and living in your truth, which is why I call on her energy for Authenticity spells!
My Relationship: Selkies are another type of Mermaid I have had a long relationship with. They are such beautiful and deeply soulful Fae, whose energy always feels comforting and as deep as the Ocean herself! It felt like the most obvious thing in the world to begin calling on the Selkies when I felt I needed a boost in strength to give me the confidence to fully live in my authenticity. It is so easy to allow fear to keep us mired in doing things just because others tell us we should do them. It takes courage and confidence to be your fully authentic self, and the Selkie knows all about this and can teach us so much in this regard!
💦 Merrow Spell for Protection
~The Irish Mermaids, the Merrows, are known in folklore for their transformational abilities; when with their magickal caps, they can transform into Faery Cows on land. Given that Merrows are known to be beneficent in folklore, I associate them deeply with protective magick!
My Relationship: Ah, Merrows are another type of Mermaid that have called to me in part based on heritage. They, along with Selkies, are found in Irish folklore, and my maternal grandfather had Irish heritage; he was very proud of this heritage. So, I think that is why Merrows, and Selkies also, called to me very quickly when I began working with Mermaids and other Fae! It was wonderful to realize that Merrows are generally seen to be helpful in folklore, as it makes working with them less daunting early on. I have chosen them to be the Mermaids I call on for protection spells for clients because of their gentle and quite caring presence!
💦 Mor-forwyn Spell for Personal Freedom
~The Welsh Mermaids, the Mor-forwynion, are known for their deep connection to the Sea, always longing to return to the Sea (cursing those who prevent it), and holding power over the weather and waves. Their connection to the freedom of the Sea is why I associate them with magick for tapping into Personal Freedom!
My Relationship: The Mor-forwynion are actually the most recent types of Mermaids that I have developed a relationship with, only going on for a couple of years or so. They began coming into my presence as I deepened my studies of the Welsh language and dove even deeper into Welsh folklore. I have found that the energy of the Mor-forwynion feels utterly boundless, with hearts as vast as the Sea! They are very open and free-spirited, always encouraging me to seek freedom, which is why I have chosen them for spells for personal freedom. This also aligns perfectly with the story of the Conwy Mermaid, whose freedom was taken from her by people parading her through town instead of helping her return to the Sea, leading to her placing a curse with her dying breath. Oh, yes, freedom is as paramount to the Mor-forwynion as respect!
💦 Banshee Spell for Grieving
~The Bean Sidhe, the Irish Wailing Woman, the Banshee, is best known as a Death Omen. She is the Woman of the Faery Mounds who cries, screams, and keens at the impending death. While she is not often associated with Mermaids, she is one, for she appears near water, and the Celtic Realm of Sea is connected to the Ancestors. Her connection to death is why I associate the Banshee with spells for grieving!
My Relationship: Yes, I realize that many may fear the Banshee more than any other Fae I have discussed here. However, she is so much more than people give her credit for. After all, far too many people view her as some sort of demonic screamer who kills people, instead of the gentle and caring Death Omen that she is! The Banshee is another example of a type of Fae I have worked with for a very long time. This could be in part my Irish heritage, or it could be because of my openness to seeing through the Veil and honoring the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. I have found immense comfort in calling on the Banshee during times of grief, as she is there to hold space, mourn with me, and also provide a bridge to the Ancestors! That is why I just knew I had to offer a working with the Banshee for grief.
~I hope you have enjoyed this reflection on my personal relationship with each of these Mermaids. Do you work with any of these Mermaids? Are you interested in a Mermaid Magick Spellworking with me? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is a Mermaid illustration by Edmund Frederick. I found the art on https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mermaid_illustration_by_Edmund_Frederick.jpg.
LINK TO AVALONIAN ROSE FAERY MYSTERIES PATREON: patreon.com/AvalonianRoseFaeryMysteries