Animals Divine - 1 The Magician - Cerridwen

Ivy Rhiannon

Picture: http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd443/TrinityQueen/1-TheMagician-Cerridwen.jpg

First Impression: My first impression of Cerridwen was that this card was really beautiful. I liked it a lot because I love Goddess Mythology and the animals pictured here.


Description: Here we see Cerridwen, with a glowing aura, standing by a water source surrounded with curious animals. She holds by her heart a wand and her other hand touches her stomach by a medicine pouch at her side. The tree behind her buds with the first signs of spring.

Gender: Feminine

Colors: Mint Green, Lavender, Orange, Cafe Brown, White, Light Blue, Black.

Senses: I feel one of my feet touching the cool water, and the heavy cloth of my robe on my skin. I can hear all the forest sounds and the animals that surround me. I can see clearly my intentions, and taste anticipation for the work I am about to perform. I smell the grass, water, and animals.

Symbols: Cerridwen, Fox, Boar, Deer, Budding Tree, Water, Roots.


Story [Intuitive]: She walks steadily through the forest. Already she knows the work that will be done. She has prepared a long time for this moment. When she reaches the designated spot she stands gathering her focus and grounding herself. Her foot reaches out and touches the cool, clear spring drawing from the waters of life. Her aura begins to radiate power and strength. Curious some of the forest animals draw near. The do not fear her, they know her spirit and it is good. Sighing peacefully she takes the wand from her side and places it at her heart. Here she will state her intentions clearly. The other hand gently touches her stomach at her womb. Here she will birth the magic necessary to create change. The wind stirs gently as the magic begins to flow, she smiles confidently...the time has come.

My Experience as the Magician: This card reminds me of spell work. Being a witch I have often used intention to create change in my life. I have also found without focus a lack of intention or direction can create a lot of chaos.


Astrological Reference: Planet - Mercury, and for one year and a day, Cerridwen added herbs at all the correct astrological times to her potion for her son. Story below...

Cultural Reference: The Welsh Goddess Cerridwen is the goddess of wisdom, rebirth, transformation, and inspiration. She is often worshiped in her crone form and pictured with her cauldron of knowledge. She teaches us all the power of feminine knowledge, and how inspiration can lead to beautiful transformation in our lives.

* According to the late medieval Tale of Taliesin, Morfran was hideously ugly, so Ceridwen sought to make him wise. She had a magical cauldron that could make a potion granting the gift of wisdom and poetic inspiration. The mixture had to be boiled for a year and a day. Morda, a blind man, tended the fire beneath the cauldron, while Gwion Bach, stirred the concoction. The first three drops of liquid from this cauldron gave wisdom; the rest was a fatal poison. Three hot drops spilled onto Gwion's thumb as he stirred, burning him. He instinctively put his thumb in his mouth, and instantly gained great wisdom and knowledge. So Ceridwen chased Gwion. He turned himself into a hare. She became a greyhound. He became a fish and jumped into a river. She turned into an otter. He turned into a bird; she became a hawk. Finally, he turned into a single grain of corn. She then became a hen and ate him. When Ceridwen became pregnant, she knew it was Gwion and resolved to kill the child when he was born. However, when he was born, he was so beautiful that she couldn't do it. She threw him in the ocean instead, sewing him inside a leather-skin bag. The child did not die, but was rescued on a Welsh shore. The reborn infant grew to became the legendary bard Taliesin. [story source Wikipedia]

Elemental Reference: I see the waters at her feet and the earth of the budding trees and raised roots.

Numerology Reference: 1 - Leader, Independent, Original, Determined, Self Assured, Creative, Ambitious.


Keywords: Creation, Confidence, Magic, Channel, Intention

Possible Meanings: Making one's dreams a reality, being a pure channel for ideas, having the confidence to create change, knowing one's intentions clearly.

Reversed: Making mountains out of molehills, Using one's power unwisely, creating chaos, feeling powerless to "do" anything about a situation.

Quote: "Life isn't about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself." ~ Anon
 

divinegoddess

First Impression: I love the Celtic-ness of this image! It’s just a very pure and beautiful image, very serene also

Symbols*: The magician uses a crystal-topped wand to direct energies. Crystals represent clarity and strength and enable the user to channel internal resources in a productive manner. The magician carries a bag containing wisdom yet to be uncovered. She wears a band with designs echo the eye motif and provide windows to enlightenment. Animals surround the magician: the fox representing cunning, the deer symbolic of rejuvenation, and the boar representing fertility, strength, and magic. The boar drinks from the fertile water of unconscious knowledge thus bridging the upper and lower worlds. The dove represents quiet reflection concerning higher matters. The tree roots represent consciousness. Ivy crawls up the tree and the magician’s robe, reminding us that we have the ability to connect with other planes of consciousness. The magician soaks up the energy afforded to her by connecting with nature.

Description*: Cerridwen was an ancient fertility goddess associated with creative inspiration and knowledge. She had two children: a daughter who was deemed a beautiful child and a son who was considered the ugliest boy around. In order to compensate for her son’s ill fortune, Cerridwen concocted a brew of knowledge comprised of six plants. It was necessary to allow the brew to be prepared for a year and a day. Cerridwen employed Gwion Bach to stir the formula but, when drops of it splashed on him, he sucked the hot liquid off his finger and was instantly endowed with knowledge. Upon realizing the worth of the brew, Gwion ran off, with Cerridwen pursuing him close behind. In order to escape the angered goddess he attempted to change into a hare, but Cerridwen changed into a grayhound and continued to make haste. Then he transformed into a fish but she became an otter. Then he became a bird in an attempt to fly away and she became a hawk. Finally he metamorphosed into a kernel of corn and Cerridwen shapeshifted into a hen and swalloed him up. Upon consuming Gwion in the form of corn, she became pregnant. Nine months later she gave birth to Taliesin, who became a well-known bard.

Keywords: Creation, Confidence, Magic, Channel, Intention, Creativity, Learning Magic, Directing Energies, Making one's dreams a reality, being a pure channel for ideas, having the confidence to create change, knowing one's intentions clearly.

Possible Meanings*: The drinking of knowledge can have both positive and negative effects. It is important to allow knowledge to gestate before becoming overzealous with it. But it is also important to remember that change and periods of darkness can lead to the birth of new ideas. Like the cauldron containing the liquid of knowledge, the unconscious waters contained in our psyches can offer a vast pool of collective material. Tapping into this aspect of the psyche can offer a tremendous conduit for creative exploration.

Senses: I feel my feet firmly in the ground, one in water, the other on the pavement. I feel powerful and trangquil, I feel like I know what I’m doing. I feel very strongly connected with the Earth – the area where I stand, with the animals and all the nature. Universe is guiding me, giving me the power I need. Universe is giving me this aura/halo around me, so I can shapeshift into what ever form I need in order to complete coming work. These animals are my guides. The water touching my foot and my gown, is giving me emotional power.

Thoughts/Points to Ponder: The shift from Native American to Celtic is divine, she is the perfect Magician. Perfect transition.