My first experience seeing an apparition with my physical eyes occurred at the age of 15 while I was babysitting. I will never forget the moment when I went to the kitchen to put a glass in the sink and I looked up to see a transparent face staring at me through the window. It looked like a dark skinned Native American. This was my first encounter with the spirit world, since then, I have learned that they are not always transparent and can appear very solid, and very real.My brush with Morrigan last year was not a startling experience, but was the first of its kind for me. I was driving down the road during the day and I looked towards the lake. I saw a solid woman standing, looking towards the water, she was wearing 1860’s type clothing in a burgundy (red) and black dress and I believed she was a real woman in costume until the black parasol began to transform into a giant raven. The bird became her head and I wasn’t able to see her face because the giant black bird was connected to her shoulders. It must have happened in seconds because the scene I saw was over and I wasn’t able to look back due to driving the car. At this time, I had heard of Morrigan but knew nothing about her. Not long before this occurred, I was trying to figure out what Goddess Energy I should bring into the first Earth Goddess Rising event that I host, and I asked “which Goddess represents what we are doing?” Therefore, I can’t help but believe there was a connection with her showing up even though I happen to live in SW Colorado, not Ireland (where she is famous).
I believe she represents a woman misunderstood; her story has become something fearful through a bygone warrior society. The Morrigan was a powerful priestess that walked between both worlds; she is one of the Tuatha Dé Danann (“Tribe of the goddess Danu”). Her archetype has become the Celtic Goddess that represents death and rebirth; as most of us know this does not always mean a physical death. When we experience transformation, we let go of the old self, it dies in order to make way for the new self, and new life. The Crow does not kill; instead it cleans up what is left behind. I do not believe for one moment that she was responsible for the death of warriors. Perhaps in those days, with the practice of black magic, they needed to create a dark version of her for their evil bidding before going off to battle.
I am planning a women’s goddess retreat trip to Ireland this year and I can’t help but wonder what is in store for us as we reconnect with the sacred sites of our ancestors. I’ve had a vision of dancing at dusk in a circle with others in a forest. We are not alone during this dance. We are surrounded by tall, swirling green, pink, blue and yellow pillars of light. I often wonder if this a past or future event that I’ve had the privilege of seeing? Could this be spirit of the Sidhe that we have all heard about? As of today, I have many questions that go unanswered. Whether I’ll actually see Morrigan again is not important, as she showed herself at a time when I needed to connect with this energy. Not only for my own nonphysical death, but for my renewal process. She is my friend, not an evil creature as some have made her out to be. Author: Devina St Claire
*Sources: weatheredwiseman.wordpress.com
Art: artist unknown
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