Moon 6
The Moon of Activation
Moon Six of the Avalonian Cycle of Revealing is called the Moon of Activation, and is associated with the herb meadowsweet (Filpendula ulmaria). It is the second of four moons during the Time of Blodeuwedd, and the lunar month begins on the first full moon when the sun is in Aries, with the full moon in Libra.
Cultivating an honest understanding of ourselves is a critical part of our soul work. With increased clarity comes greater discernment, and both are crucial for an honest evaluation of the longstanding circumstances of our lives, as well as our most deeply held beliefs and perspectives—whether about the world or about ourselves. When we start to question some of our beliefs, or feel resistance to meeting certain expectations, or begin making choices that cause others to feel challenged and defensive, it is the sap of our personal agency which is beginning to arise within us. This is a powerful place to be as it permits us to evaluate our choices, our lives, and the people in it from a more authentic place—a place that is increasingly centered in our growing understanding of the person we have become, as well as the person we know that we are able and destined to be.
The Mythic Portion
The marriage of Blodeuedd and Lleu permits him to enter fully into manhood, bestowing upon him the ability to rule in his own right. Now that he has a wife, the last of Arianrhod’s three tynghedau has been overcome. His great-uncle Math gives him lands to rule, and Lleu, whose name potentially means “light,” is diligent in his care of them, often leaving his court at Mur Castell in Ardudwy to oversee his other holdings, as well as to visit Math at his court of Caer Dathyl. Blodeuedd is the very paragon of the perfect and dutiful wife, caring for the court in her husband’s absence, and extending the expected hospitality to the neighboring lord, Gronw Pebyr of Penllyn, when his hunting party tarries late on Lleu’s lands. However, the two of them fall in love, and sleep with each other for three nights; Gronw at last departs before Lleu returns.
The Work of the Moon of Activation
Since ancient times, humanity has taken notice of flowers which track the motion of the sun as it moves across the sky. Tenacious in their pursuit of the light, these open blossoms absorb the rays of the sun, which warms their pollen and attracts the pollinators needed to fertilize the plant. As beautiful as flowers are, and as sweet as their fragrance may be, they exist to serve a very specific and powerful task, and the rest of the plant relies upon them to accomplish it. Creating a woman made from flowers to marry a being with authority over the light was a very shrewd thing for Gwydion and Math to do on Lleu’s behalf; she could not help but be drawn to him, attentive to his every move.
Similarly, from a very young age we are groomed to believe we have a particular role to play in society that is oftentimes related to our gender presentation. Further, it is during this formative time, before we have any concept that we possess any personal agency, that the foundation is lain for social and familial expectations to which we will be held accountable. And, for many of us, it is during this time that the filters through which we will view the world for the rest of our lives is formed, and the perspectives we hold about many things is set, unless we deliberately choose otherwise.
Some of these perspectives are actively transmitted to us by our families of origin, by our faith communities, in our educational systems, through our civic requirements, and from our understanding of the law. We adopt other perspectives in a more passive manner: unconsciously receiving instruction about societal standards, cultural taboos, and social expectations from the media, through observation of others, and from personal experience of what happens when and if we deviate from the norm in any given way. As a survival mechanism, we learn to reflect the world around us onto the world within us. Driven by these cultural forces, therefore, the development of this inner adaptation is supported by our being rewarded for conformity to external expectations and punished for transgressing against these expectations.
As a consequence, many of our views on the world—for example, the things we consider “normal,” the behaviors we deem to be morally correct, the elements we feel are necessary to have a good life, the metrics we use to determine success—are often those that have been taught to us from a young age, rather than ones that we have developed for ourselves. These aren’t necessarily bad things per se, but they are unconscious things that greatly influence our choices in life. When we believe that life is supposed to look a certain way and meant to include certain experiences and follow a specific trajectory, we reject opportunities that present themselves to us simply because they do not conform with this unconscious model.
Unfortunately, there are those who follow the pre-plotted map, and get to the point in their lives where they have checked all of the boxes of what a well-lived life is supposed to look like, only to realize that they are not truly happy. They may come to recognize that the life they have lived followed someone else’s model instead of being an authentic reflection of the person they truly are. This is why working to know ourselves as best as we can—our hurts, our gifts, our fears, our desires—is such a key part of living a life of Sovereignty. No choices are “wrong”—instead, it is critical that we understand the reasons why we make the choices that we do, and armed with this knowledge, we can move forward on a path of authenticity.
To this end, questions we can ask ourselves include: In our lives, what are the garments we that we wear and the roles we play? How in sync are these roles with our divine purpose? What is our divine purpose? How can we bring forth the changes required by the cauldron’s insights? What aspects of our lives make us happy? What fulfills our life’s purpose? What is simply present because it is what is expected of us? What must we change to live a life of authenticity?
Searching Deeper
Medieval Welsh law contains an entire section detailing the rights of women where it concerns marriage, divorce, and inheritance. These laws specify that a woman cannot be given into marriage by her kin without her consent: “… a woman must be a free consenting party to her marriage and could not be disposed of against her will … there was no selling of a woman in marriage.” 13
We see the dynamic of consent at work in Y Mabinogi in several places. In the First Branch, it is Rhiannon who pursues Pywll so as not to marry a man she does not love, and in the Third Branch, Rhiannon consents to marry Manawydan at the suggestion of Pryderi, her son. In the Second Branch, Branwen agrees to marry Matholwch, the King of Ireland, after conferring with her family, and it is her family who comes to her aid when she is mistreated by her husband. Yet, in the Fourth Branch, Blodeuedd is not shown to give her consent to the marriage, nor does she have a family to advocate for her and to make the marriage arrangements. Because of this, it is possible that her marriage to Lleu was not a legal one—a fact that would have likely been understood by the tale’s medieval Welsh audience.
She has been created for one purpose only—to marry Lleu so that he can obtain his status in the world, despite the prohibitions placed upon him by his mother. The perfect bride, Blodeuedd is everything a man of this time could want: beautiful, attentive, and compliant. The creation of Blodeuedd out of flowers not only bypassed—or perhaps if considered in another way, fulfilled—Arianrhod’s requirement for her son, it also represented the well-established Celtic folkloric motif that required the king to make a sacred marriage with the land in order to claim his right to rule.
The motif of the Flower Bride has many resonances in Celtic mythology. She is the vessel of Sovereignty—she who bestows kingship with her body through the sympathetic union of the king and the land. How better to illustrate this than by manifesting a woman made completely from flowers—a component of the land? If Blodeuedd is a Sovereignty figure, then she is already divine when she is called through the veil to take form on the physical plane by Math and Gwydion.
Seeking Sovereignty Within:
Journaling Prompts and Self-Reflective Questions
Moon Six
The Moon of Activation
The Time of Blodeuwedd
Mythic Focus: Blodeuwedd is wed to Lleu, and he comes into his power as an adult man, ruling over lands granted by Math.
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 Activation by Phase
Seek the lessons of the Moon of Activation 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.
3rd 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 Activation.
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 Activation.
1st 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 Activation.
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 Activation.
At any point in the month, bring the issue of focus to Branwen to explore through the Station of Integration and the Moon of Activation. 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 Activation
Meadowsweet (Filpendula ulmaria)
Creating the Mother Elixir: On the night of the full moon, create your Meadowsweet Lunar Elixir using the directions found on page 105 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 Meadowsweet Elixir.
Prepare the Daughter Elixir: After you have made the Mother Elixir, use the directions found on page 107 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 Meadowsweet Elixir: As discussed in Chapter 4, begin your daily exploration of the meadowsweet 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 Six: 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 Six: Continue to take the lunar elixir daily, but this week spend time experiencing and comparing the energetic impact of meadowsweet as an essence, and meadowsweet 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 Six: Continue to take the lunar elixir daily, but this week spend time researching the medicinal, folkloric, and magical uses of meadowsweet, 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 Six: 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 meadowsweet 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 meadowsweet 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.
13. T.P. Ellis, “Legal references, terms and conceptions in the Mabinogion,” Y Cymmrodor 39 (1928): 124–125.