Praise Arianrhod

Divine Arianrhod,
	Beloved Goddess.
Your truth is an inspiration
	to all living beings.
As you weave the light and the dark 
	so do you scatter.
Joy is in our hearts 
	while you live among the heavens.

Celestial Arianrhod,
	Your crown shines among the stars.
You are the Goddess of the silver wheel
	upon which all magic is bound together.
Fortunate are we
	that you are a child of the land and the sky
and mother of the sea and the sun. 

Generous Arianrhod,
	Your beauty is greater than
the greenest fields in the fairest weather.
	You bring the bounty of Beli Mawr’s blue seas
and the nourishment of Dôn's fertile lands.
	Your feet rest on the ground,
not in the lap of kings.
	Your mortal children know this
as we reap the rewards you offer.

Defender of truth,
	You know not other than you are.
When Gwydion betrayed you
	your anger was potent and fierce;
tempered only by your affection for Dylan
	that flowed from your love of the sea.
And your curses of Lleu
	were to protect us from the sun’s arrogance.

Unbounded Arianrhod,
	Joy surrounds you at Caer Sidi
as you dance with your maidens on the rocky shore.
	You share your love freely
with the people of the dark waters.
	Your wisdom tempers the thrice imprisoned Taliesin 
so he may intwine your magic into his words
	and bring us hope for our future.

Inspired Arianrhod,
	spin your shining wheel.
Weave us a tapestry of sun and moon,
	bound by celestial threads and glittering stars.
Summon the waters of the seas and the glaciers 
	to cleanse our broken planet.
Call the winds of change to manifest healing.
	Bring the fire of inspiration to our leaders.

And till I die old,
	with death’s constraint upon me
I’ll not be happy,
	save to praise Arianrhod.

Of all the women in the Welsh tales, Arianrhod is perhaps one of the most beloved among modern pagans. According to Judith Shaw, Arianrhod is a Sky Goddess who connects us with the collective consciousness of our ancestors. She rules death and rebirth.

Arianrhod’s mother was Dôn (land) and the Welsh Triads give her father as Beli Mawr (sky). She is the sister of the magician Gwydion and Gilfaethwy. Most of her story is told in the fourth branch of the Mabinogi where she is challenged by Gwydion and magically gives birth to two sons, Dylan ail Don (associated with the sea) and Lleu Llaw Gyffes (possibly associated with the sun). She was said to live at Caer Sidi, a legendary fortress where the great Bard Taliesin (c. 534 – 599) claimed to have served three periods of imprisonment.

Note: This poem was crafted in the form of a praise poem, similar to those written by Taliesin (c. 534 – 599) to the warrior monarch Urien Rheged.

Image adapted from The Compass Points Ahead by Dax Perrin, Silverdale, Washington. Source: BBC Sky at Night Magazine.

May these words bring truth
and healing through open hands and hearts.
And then, let it flow back into our Mother Earth
for the love of all her beings.