White Rose of Avalon

Arthurian Legend

  • The Arthurian White Hart

    In Arthurian tales, and by extension, the Arthurian Tarot the White Hart is a symbol of magic, love, and lovers.   The white hart is also sometimes called the white stag, since the word hart is an archaic term for stag.   In this post I will use stag and hart interchangeably.    White animals…

  • Guinevere and Sovereignty

    Guinevere can be seen as representing a sovereignty goddess.   She married a king and cemented his reign.    In this vision of Guinevere as sovereignty incarnate we find an explanation for her romance with Lancelot.    She could never be more than lover of Lancelot because if she took him as a husband she…

  • Ancestral Mythology

    The concept of ancestral mythology is a very intriguing one.   This is the mythology that our physical ancestors would have believed in.   We each have a deeper connection to the myths and folktales of our own ancestors than to those of other cultures.   This makes for an innate feeling of interest (for…

  • Lancelot’s Celtic Roots

    Lancelot was taken in by and raised by the Lady of the Lake.   He was therefore raised by a faerie woman.   Lancelot is often tied to the Isle of Avalon due to his fosterage by the Lady of the Lake.    He becomes an amazing knight, and a true warrior thanks to his…

  • Avalonian Goddesses

    The Avalonian Goddesses refers to the goddesses worshipped by modern Avalonian witchcraft.   They are the five goddesses whose stories appear in The Mabinogion.   Cerridwen, Blodeuwedd, Rhiannon, Branwen, and Arainrhod are all powerful goddesses in Welsh Celtic tales.   In the Avalonian tradition Cerridwen, Blodeuwedd, and Rhiannon each take a third of the year…

  • The Blodeuwedd and Guinevere Connection

    Blodeuwedd and Guinevere have many commonalities in their tales.   Both could be seen as sovereignty goddesses that had marriages that gave kingship to their husbands.   Both had marriages that began as happy, but devolved into unhappiness on the part of the wives.   Both found true love when they were already married, and…

  • Banshee

    Banshees were the wailing women of Celtic belief.   These faery women had cries that could pierce the ears of the listeners, and served to herald death.   The goddess the Morrigan is considered the first banshee.   Many television series have been inspired by the story of the banshee.    In Ireland many families…

  • Doppelgängers

    Doppelgängers are doubles, oftentimes evil ones, that come into people’s lives and often cause great changes.    The concept of evil twins comes from doppelgänger.   Physical doubles of ourselves are common themes in literature, film, and television. Dante Gabriel Rossetti painted a work called How They Met Themselves while on his honeymoon with Elizabeth…

  • Symbolism of the Color White in Tales of the Supernatural

    Since ancient times colors have had deep symbolism.   Today I want to look at the symbolism of the color white, and its association with the supernatural!   In ancient Celtic tales white was a symbol of faeries.    This symbolism of white with faeries and the Faery realm carried over into Arthurian legends.  …

  • Blodeuwedd and Flower Brides

    Blodeuwedd is a faerie bride, and Celtic goddess, who appeared in the fourth branch of the Welsh Mabinogion.   She was also known as “Flower Face” (the meaning of her name), “May Queen”, and “May Bride.”   Since I will soon be a May bride myself, I could not resist doing a post on this…