Goddess Cerridwen

Kerridwen Spell Casting Artist unknown Shape-shifting lunar deity, witch, herbalist, and keeper of the Cauldron of Knowledge, Inspiration, and Transformation. This dark goddess of great wisdom, prophetic foresight, and magical shape-shifting abilities lends us her relentless energy and the focus required to achieve our ultimate goals.

Source: http://gypsymagicspells.blogspot.com

Cerridwen's Story:

Cerridwen lived isolated on an island in a lake in The Land Beneath the Waves. She was married to a giant,Tegidfoel, by whom she had three children. A daughter, Crearwy who was the fairest maiden in all the land, and two sons: Morfran ab Tegid, and the youngest Afagaddu. The younger son's name means "utter darkness" - named so because he was considered ugly and deformed. He was known to be the most ill-favored man in all of Wales.

Like most mothers Cerridwen wished for the best for her children believing that Afagaddu was not likely to be admitted among men of noble birth by reason of his great ugliness unless he had some exalted merits or knowledge. So she decided to brew a potion for him to compensate. Once ingested the potion bestowed knowledge, as well as magical, oracular, and shamanic powers.

Only Cerridwen knew the formula that took a tremendous variety of botanicals, ritually gathered under carefully monitored astrological movements then added at just the right moment.

The concoction had to be stirred continually stir for a year and a day. Cerridwen employed a poor, uneducated child, Gwion, to stir the pot, giving explicit instructions to Gwion not to spill anything. Only three drops of the brew would be useful to her son and once used, the rest would turn to poison. 

But on the last day Gwion accidentally splashed three drops of the hot liquid on his hand, lifted his hand to his mouth to cool the burn, and ingested the magic drops. Forseeing Cerridwen's wrath was his first vision. 

So, in very great fear, He fled towards His own land. The Cauldron then burst in two, because all the liquor contained within it, except The Three Charm-bearing Drops, was extremely poisonous. The horses of Gwyddon Garanhir were poisoned by the water of the stream into which the liquor of the cauldron ran, and the confluence of that stream was called "The Poison of the Horses of Gwyddon" from that day until this.

Enraged, Cerridwen, shifted her shape and chased him as he ran home. But Gwion could also shift shape! 

"And she went forth after him, running. And he saw her, and changed himself into a hare and fled. But she changed herself into a greyhound and turned him. And he ran towards a river, and became a fish. And she in the form of an otter-bitch chased him under the water, until he was fain to turn himself into a bird of the air. She, as a hawk, followed him and gave him no rest in the sky. And just as she was about to stoop upon him, and he was in fear of death, he espied a heap of winnowed wheat on the floor of a barn, and he dropped among the wheat, and turned himself into one of the grains. Then she transformed herself into a high-crested black hen, and went to the wheat and scratched it with her feet, and found him out and swallowed him."

Cerridwen knew at that exact moment that she was now pregnant with the boy Gwion, and she resolved to kill the child as soon as he was born. But he was so incredibly beautiful that she could not find it in her heart to kill him.

He was also born with all his memories of all his incarnations, as well as the skills of a Master Bard. Unable to carry out her plan, Ceredwen placed him in a seal-skin bag, and cast him into the sea to the mercy of the Sea God, Manawyddan, on the twenty-ninth day of April. And so it was, that The Great Bard Taliesin - The Radiant Brow, The Twice-Born, made his entrance into this world.

The radiant child Taliesin was rescued from the sea by the Celtic Prince Elphin (Elffin), whom Taliesin served faithfully for many years. He grew to become the greatest of all Gaelic poets with the gift of perfect poetry that could blow the seas into a rage, heal all wounds and foretell the events of the future.

Neud amug ynghadeir o beir Cerridwen!

Handid rydd fy nhafawd

Yn adddawd gwawd Ogyrwen.

Is not my chair protected by the cauldron of Cerridwen?

Therefore, let my tongue be free

In the sanctuary of the praise of the Goddess.

-The Bard Taliesin

Reconnect with Your Inner Cerridwen:

Carry an orange stone to help Cerridwen's powers become apparent in you. Become the magickal being you need to be - shape-shift and adopt a totem's magical properties in order to help you achieve your ambition.

Consider What Would Cerridwen Do?

If she were in your situation, she would she her project through to fruition. She would change her approach to find the path of least resistance. She may even change her appearance - whatever it takes to turn the situation to her advantage.

FACTOIDS

Pronunciation: ker-EED-wehn

Other Names: The White Sow, The Old One, White Lady of Inspiration and Death, The Ruler of Bards, Rvyf Bardoni, Dark Queen of The Lake, Lady of The Cauldron, Goddess of Druids and Bards.

Alternate Spellings: Ceridwen, Caridwen, Cereduin, Ceredwen, Kerridwen, Kyrridwen

Origin: Welsh

Gemstones: Hawks eye, carnelian, coral, agate, brown jasper, amethyst

Color: White

Ruling Planet: The Moon

Element: Water, Fire

Animals: Pig, hen, white sow, otter, hawk, salmon

Trees: Apple, hazel

Plants: Vervain, acorns, sow's thistle

Herbs and essences: blue chamomile, jasmine, vanilla, almond and bergamot

Crafts: Astrology, science, poetry, spells, pottery

Music: Rattles or rain stick

Magickal Tool: Cauldron

Sense: Clairvoyance, clear vision, to see with the third eye names, symbols, and visions

Healing Techniques: Herbal Brews

Holy-days: July 3rd - Festival of Cerridwen, Oct 21st - The Day of Cerridwen

Interesting Fact: Welsh bards once called themselves 'Cerddorion' ("sons of Cerridwen") meaning they received their initiation from Cerridwen Herself.

Mantra: Determination

Key Words: Death, fertility, regeneration, inspiration, magic, astrology, herbs, science, poetry, spells, knowledge.

  

Compiled from various sources including:

The Encyclopedia of Spirits

Raven Emrys

Jones' Celtic Encyclopedia

What Would Goddess Do

Goddess School