White Rose of Avalon

Celtic

  • The Uses of 3 and 9 in Celtic Belief

    The Celtic beliefs placed a large amount of significance on the numbers three and nine.    Both numbers appear in many different myths and symbols within Celtic culture!    The number three is the triple goddess, maiden mother and crone, that is utilized in some variation by most ancient cultures.    The number nine is…

  • 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…

  • Celtic Astrology

    Celtic astrology is always something I have been more intrigued by than the more widely used zodiac signs.    I feel that my Celtic astrology signs, both animal and tree, are more in line with my personality than Virgo is.    I am a Swan and a Vine in the Celtic astrological traditions.    It…

  • 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…

  • 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…