Imbolc Wytchling

£3.00£30.00

SKU: N/A Categories: ,

Description

“Elen of the Ways is probably the most ancient female Goddess that we have on the mainland Britain today. It is believed that she dates back to the Paleolithic (Old Stone Age).

To our ancestors of the Paleolithic & Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) era, deer were an exceptionally important part of their lives. They relied on them for food and made tools & weapons from their bones. They used their skins not only for clothing but also in the construction of shelters, all parts of the animal would have had a use.

The herds of deer would also guide them in seasonal migrations, leading them to areas where food was more plentiful. Living the same lifestyle that the Saami peoples who are deer herders do today. As in the Saami culture of today the deer would also have been highly revered. And would have given the peoples their spiritual connection and Deities” (sourced from: https://celticearthspirit.co.uk/folklore-mythology-culture/brythonic-deities/elen-of-the-ways/ )

To me Elen is the antlered goddess of the wilderness. She completes the feminine aspect to the Horned God in balance, male and female in harmony. She is my wild goddess full of adventure and courage. She is from the wild lands and moves with the rhythms of the seasons, the heart beat of the land, the whispers in the wind. As she wanders through moon washed nights, she hunts and dances with the ancestors on top of the Tors, at the sacred springs and down in the Coombs. 

Here at home in the wild lands, the moorlands, she is the Wild Goddess defender and protector of the wilderness. So as I look up to the moon and press my fingers to the ground the wild goddess speaks to me, as above so below, “You are always beloved of the land, feel peace, thrive and grow.”

For the Imbolc fire Sabbat I wanted to depict Elen of the Ways instead of the traditional goddess Brigid. Not only because of my deep personal connection with Elen, she is depicted in many of my pieces directly and indirectly, but mainly because, like the deer herds, she guides us back to the sun blessed pastures of spring after the long cold, darkness of winter. 

However I had not found my wytch muse to embody her and the energies of Imbolc until 2024. I was introduced to the muse for this piece by two magical people on two separate occasions, both times her magick with music and her voice was what came through. I listened to some of her instagram reels and I fell in love, as she sang to the sea from Cornish cliffs, serenading Morgawr the Sea giant and the Selkies who haunt the coastlines of Kernow. I was also privileged to hear her sing in person at a handfasting in Kernow. Her voice was like a river of gold winding across the sky, rippling across the grassy plains  and dancing in the sea foam. She had to be my maiden of Imbolc as I always have visions of the goddess at this time of year, walking lightly across the land, breathing back life, singing the song of awakening. 

In this image I wanted to represent the calling of all the elements together, the goddess gathers around the magick needed to bring back life. 

She dances on the stones of the ancestors as she holds the sacred flame, bringing light back to the people. 

She is pure spring water flowing from her to nourish the land and awaken the trees.

She rises from the earth holding snowdrops, the first signs of new life and growth. 

She looks out from the edge of the land, and sings the songs of hope for our world. 

And so all the elements are gathered together in the spirit and heart of the people, so we may we all thrive and grow.   

A huge thank you to Aria Delyth for being my muse and embodying the goddess Elen of the Ways. Here is a poem she wrote in response to this piece.

||Seeds||

We’ve come from darkness,

From the deepest, hidden depths,

Born from the ashes of death herself…

Forged in the fires of our shadows,

Our bones formed in these fertile soils,

Layers torn away until all that was left was a shell,

Empty…

A void…

A seed…

We died so we can now blossom,

Fed by the womb of the earth,

Nourished by her we sprout new roots,

Reaching deeper into the network,

Stronger than before,

A new life created from what was…

We rebirth ourselves with her cycles,

Guided by the seasons and the wisdom our ancestors knew,

We become nature,

We reawaken once more…

And now it’s our time,

Unfurling as the light of the sun finds our bare skin again,

We step back into life,

Touched by wildness,

Forever changed,

Our hearts beating anew,

As our souls come together in song, To welcome in the spring again.

Written by Aria Delyth a bard Witchling of magick Kernow. 

Check out her on Instagram @spiritofdelyth 

Additional information

Weight N/A
Dimensions N/A
Size

A3, A4, A5 Altar Card, A6 Mediation Card