Moon 7
The Moon of Revelation
Moon Seven of the Avalonian Cycle of Revealing is called the Moon of Revelation and is associated with the herb nettle (Urtica dioica). It is the third of four moons during the Time of Blodeuwedd, and the lunar month begins on the first full moon when the sun is in Taurus; the full moon is in Scorpio. This full moon corresponds with the Station of Emergence in the Avalonian Cycle of Healing, and it is the holy day of Calan Haf.
It can be a shock when at last we discover our soul’s purpose. It can be a profoundly life-changing event that may dissemble our sense of self down to the core of us in anticipation of our building it up again, centered around this new understanding of who we are and what we are meant to be. Sometimes this revelation is catalyzed by someone or something in our lives, while other times it comes as a result of the inner work that we are doing and the way we have begun to walk in the world as a result of it. The work has just begun, however, and this precious, tiny sapling of the authentic you has a lot of growing to do. At this time and in this place, which is neither a time nor a place, commit to manifesting this deep soul desire out into the world. Begin to chart the path you will take, outline the real-world steps you will make, and remember to be patient with yourself and your process. The bridge from one state of being to the next can be a long one, especially if you’ve not journeyed down this pathway before.
Breathe. Envision. Become.
The Mythic Portion
On one occasion of Lleu’s absence from court, Gronw Pebyr, the lord of the neighboring land of Penllyn, was hunting a stag on Lleu and Blodeuedd’s lands. He brought it down on the banks of the River Cynfal. He was tarrying to skin the stag and bait his dogs, so it was almost nightfall by the time he and his retinue passed by the gate of the court. Not wanting to dishonor a neighboring lord, Blodeuedd offered Gronw Pebyr hospitality with the support of her household servants. At the feast she laid before him, Blodeuedd and Gronw were infused with love for each other, and slept together that night. He tried to leave in the morning, but Blodeuedd bade him remain with her, so he did. He tried to leave again the next morning, but she asked him to stay one more night with her, saying she would let him go the next day. On the third morning before Gronw departed, the couple planned how they could remain together, and determined that Blodeuedd would discover how it was that Lleu could be killed under the guise of being concerned for his well-being.
When Lleu returns that night, Blodeuedd tells him she is worried about what would happen if he should die before her. Trying to set her mind to rest, Lleu confides in Blodeuedd that the only way he can be killed is under very specific circumstances: he cannot be indoors nor outdoors, nor can he be on horseback or on foot, and he can only be killed by a spear that was crafted over the course of a year and a day, and only worked on during mass on Sundays. Expressing relief to Lleu in the moment, she nevertheless sends this information to Gronw, and he sets to work on creating the spear.
When the year and the day has passed and the spear is ready, she prepares for Lleu a bath in a large cauldron on the banks of the River Cynfael, and above it constructs a structure consisting of a thatched roof with no walls. Blodeuedd brings a buck beside the bath, and after Lleu has bathed, she asks him to show her how he would have to stand in order to fulfill the requirements that would bring about his death—neither indoors nor outdoors, not on foot nor on horseback—just to reassure her it could never happen. He puts on his trousers and places one foot on the edge of the tub and the other on the back of the buck, standing beneath the wall-less roof. Immediately Gronw rises from his hiding place and casts his spear, striking Lleu in the side. Instead of dying, Lleu is transformed into an eagle that flies off, wounded. Now free to be together, Blodeuedd and Gronw return to Mur Castlle. Adding them to his own, Gronw takes over all of Lleu’s lands and rules them with Blodeuedd
The Work of the Moon of Revelation
Changing your life to obtain that which you most desire is a noble pursuit, especially when what you want is in alignment with the person you are actively working to become. The more you change, the more you pull away from people and situations that have become toxic to you and your goals, the more centered in authenticity you become. In the face of the difficulties you may be encountering from others around the positive changes you are making, you must learn to set good boundaries for yourself, lest you allow others to push you off your mark.
Do not be surprised when the people in your life object to a path you have chosen, the changes you have made, or the things you no longer do because they only ever existed to meet the expectations of others. Unless you are embarking upon a dangerous journey, or else are in the grip of shadow illusions so strong that you are being reckless, these objections are often rooted in others’ own fears and wounds and their inability to see themselves with clarity.
People sometimes get angry, feel hurt, and don’t know how to relate with someone they’ve known for a long time who has made significant changes in their life—particularly when it affects the relationship. Often they will pull away, especially if you refuse to stop becoming someone they no longer recognize; sadly, you may be the one they blame for pushing them away.
The greater part of wisdom is coming to know how to live your truth. Once you have found who you are meant to be, it is up to you to make the choices that will allow you to manifest this potential. Sometimes the obstacles in our paths seem insurmountable—all you need to do is ask the way and it will be revealed to you.
Searching Deeper
There is more to Blodeuedd’s betrayal of Lleu than what meets the eye; in order to see the underlying themes, we must consider the cultural context of the story and not read it from a modern perspective. Blodeuedd acts with personal agency for the first time when she meets Gronw. She offers him hospitality, as would be expected of her, but when the two fall in love, she boldly asks him to remain with her for three nights. Each night he asks permission to leave, but she refuses and instead asks him to stay another night. Although this is not made explicit in the text, it is likely that the medieval audience would have recognized this to be one of the legal unions provided for by Welsh law which recognized nine different types of marriage. Each union held a different status ranked by the degree of honor each held and the amount of protection each afforded the woman in terms of property, dowry, and compensation during divorce.
The most respected form of marriage was called priodas, which was a union of two people of equal rank and financial stature; examples of priodas is illustrated in Y Mabinogi by the marriages of Branwen and Rhiannon. In contrast, Blodeuedd and Gronw engaged in a llathlud twyll (false or secret elopement), a type of marriage called caradas (marriage for love), wherein a woman chose a man without the permission of her family and slept publicly with that man for three nights in a row.
Whoever sleeps with a woman for three nights from the time when the fire is covered up until it is uncovered the next day, and wishes to repudiate her, let him pay her a bullock worth twenty pence and another worth thirty and another worth sixty. And if he takes her to house and holding, and she is with him until the end of the seven years, he shares with her as with a woman who had givers.14
While this was a legally recognized marriage, it did not carry the same respect and legal protection afforded by priodas until seven years into the union, after which it would hold the same legal standing as priodas. If Lleu and Blodeuedd’s marriage was not lawful, as she is not shown to give her consent to the union as mentioned earlier during our discussion of the Moon of Activation, then perhaps it would have been clear to a medieval audience that her elopement with Gronw was within her legal rights to make—a fact that would change the tenor of the affair completely.
Seeking Sovereignty Within:
Journaling Prompts and Self-Reflective Questions
Moon Seven
The Moon of Revelation
The Time of Blodeuwedd
Mythic Focus: Blodeuwedd falls in love with Gronw Pebyr, and chooses him over Lleu.
Personal Insights Around This Moon’s Mythic Portion: Meditate upon the portion of Blodeuwedd’s story associated with this moon and reflect it within yourself. Her story is your story.
The Focus of the Moon of Revelation by Phase
Seek the lessons of the Moon of Revelation at each moon phase by using the Stations of the monthly Cycle of Healing; be sure to journal all of the insights, symbols, and guidance you receive from each goddess at each moon phase. As you work with the information you receive between each phase, perhaps following the daily process outlined in Chapter 3 of this book, and using tools such as trance postures and doorways as detailed in Avalon Within, be sure to record those insights in your journal as well.
Full Moon: Connect with Blodeuwedd at the full moon. Review the work of the previous month and the insights it brought to you, set up your work for the coming month, and ask for insights on the issue of focus which may have shifted or deepened due to the work you have done. This is also the Station of Emergence in the cycle of the sun, marked by the holy day of Calan Haf, and so will establish the work of the light half of the year.
Third Quarter: Station of Descent in the cycle of the moon. Bring the issue of focus to Rhiannon to explore through the filters of the Station of Descent and the Moon of Revelation.
Dark Moon: Station of Confrontation in the cycle of the moon. Bring the issue of focus to Ceridwen to explore through the filters of the Station of Confrontation and the Moon of Revelation.
First Quarter: Station of Emergence in the cycle of the moon. Bring the issue of the focus to Blodeuwedd to explore through the filters of the Station of Emergence and the Moon of Revelation.
Night before the Full Moon: Station of Resolution in the cycle of the moon. Bring the issue of focus to Arianrhod to explore through the filters of the Station of Resolution and the Moon of Revelation.
At any point in the month, bring the issue of focus to Branwen to explore through the Station of Integration and the Moon of Revelation. Some women will do this on the night after the dark moon in counterpoint to working with Arianrhod on the night before the full moon.
Herbal Ally for the Moon of Revelation
Nettle (Urtica dioica)
Creating the Mother Elixir: On the night of the full moon, create your Nettle Lunar Elixir using the directions found on page 107 of Chapter 4. Be sure to label and date the bottle you are using to store the Mother Elixir. Journal any of your experiences around the creation of the Nettle Elixir.
Prepare the Daughter Elixir: After you have made the Mother Elixir, use the directions found on page 110 of Chapter 4 to prepare a dosage bottle for use in the daily experience of this elixir throughout the month. Remember to use a blue or amber dropper bottle for this purpose and to clearly label your Daughter Elixir.
Daily Work with the Nettle Elixir: As discussed in Chapter 4, begin your daily exploration of the nettle elixir. Be sure to journal everything you can about how the elixir makes you feel, what you think its energetic actions are, where it sits in your energy body, and any and all impressions, insights, symbols, visions, and memories it presents to you:
Week One of Moon Seven: Immerse yourself in the lunar elixir by taking it every day, reflecting upon how it makes you feel, and journaling all of the insights that come to you when you meditate upon the energies of the elixir.
Week Two of Moon Seven: Continue to take the lunar elixir daily, but this week spend time experiencing and comparing the energetic impact of nettle as an essence, and nettle as a magical herb that you burn, as detailed in Chapter 4. Again, reflect upon how each makes you feel, and journal all of the insights that come to you when you meditate upon the energies of the elixir and the energies of the herb itself.
Week Three of Moon Seven: Continue to take the lunar elixir daily, but this week spend time researching the medicinal, folkloric, and magical uses of nettle, beginning with the information provided in Part Three of this book. Compare your findings this week with your direct experiences, being sure to journal all of the insights and connections you’ve made.
Week Four of Moon Seven: Continue to take the lunar elixir daily, but this week meditate upon the mythic portion of the month and reflect upon the ways in which the energies of nettle are related to the present portion of Blodeuwedd’s tale, and how it helps you to build a relationship with Blodeuwedd herself.
End of Moon Reflections: Under what circumstances could you see yourself using the nettle elixir in support of your work and personal process? If you had to describe the actions of this lunar elixir using one word, what would it be? What about using one sentence? What about using a whole paragraph? Again, be sure to journal everything.
14. Jane Cartwright, Feminine Sanctity and Spirituality in Medieval Wales (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 2008), 169.