The Morrígan, known to many as the Phantom Queen, is not only a complex Goddess; she is one of the most misinterpreted and least understood of the Goddesses in my opinion. When speaking with several priestesses of her cult, I noticed a common experience. Most often a devotee or priestess would tell me they thought they knew her, and then they got to know her. All of her past and current followers know and feel this. When a deity gets trendy, many transformations are added and subtracted, until the core is almost unrecognizable. There is that generic Morrigan we all see from time to time and then there is The Morrígan. The Queen Phantom Queen.
This kind of thing always reminds me of The Wizard of Oz. The black and white wasteland you experience as you await those pops of color and then BOOM! Technicolor! The gods have entered the scene, stage left.
She is the Goddess of Shapeshifting, and that means more than just what shapeshifting was and is in this day and age. It is the ability to protect yourself like camouflage. When danger rises, she gives the ability to fall into the backdrop, blending in safe.
She governs precognitive dreaming and the ability to see far ahead. The Ancient Celts’ power of dreaming prophecy all falls behind the eyelids of The Morrígan. She is the giver of precognitive dreaming and finding your animal guide through The Morrígan was an ancient Celt practice. (In-depth subject but the first animal you dreamed about on your road to adulthood was your guide in tribal Celt tradition before the Christianization of Britannia.)
She shows us the shadow self and this is released through the example of all of the gods. Facing down our darkest thoughts gives us an opportunity to purge cancer within. Think back to a time when you were wronged, the shredded need for vengeance that may have taken hold, we must face those feelings. The Morrígan faces things down and takes control. The casting of raining blood and sorcery at The First Battle of Moytura is an example. She rained down blood long before Slayer, but gods bless those souls for the reminder of what revenge served up as spell casting truly is in the eyes of the elder gods. We must face our deepest descent into darkness.
The Goddess of war, vegetation, death, magic, and more. She is the coming together of all. The…THE.
People often ask why “The” is at the beginning of her name. This is because it is a part of her name. “The” is important because this is the title of her multiplicity. In true Celt fashion, she is The. The Morrígan is a grouping of Goddesses coming together as one sovereign power. The split of each piece, making a picture when the pieces are finally put together. What do we see?
Technicolor.