Wednesday 23 March 2016

Dark Goddesses by Thia

Dark Goddesses by one of our lovely Students Thia (Priestess of the Oak & Ash):

The Dark Goddess is the Crone. She is the balance to the Maiden and the evolution of the Mother. She holds both within her and augments them with the wisdom of life’s lessons.

She is the mature and aged Maiden and Mother, who possesses the wisdom and experiences of youth, adulthood and old age and who stands as a bridge between death and rebirth.

The Dark Goddess is our guide through the illusion of fear. It is through facing our fear and seeing it for what it is, that we can move through it. In embracing our fear, it melts away and we are bathed in the light of wisdom. We find comfort in her arms because our fear was only an illusion. But we have to go through the fire of self doubt, anger, fear, sadness, regret, and anguish so that we can be reborn on the other side. She represents the cross roads. The cross roads of life to death, fear to acceptance, ignorance to wisdom. 

What are the commonalities in Dark Goddesses?

The Dark Goddess is often shown as the crone or a hag. She is frightening and often violent. The patriarchal societies used the archetype of the scary, ugly crone as a witch to scare and warn away women from their true power. She represents the fury of being suppressed, abused, belittled, controlled, and debased. What better way for a patriarchal society to hide their fear of women than to make use distasteful and worthy of scorn and punishment.

Another commonality is the Warrior Goddess. Bloodthirsty, sword in hand, taker of souls on the battle field, consumer of men. She is vengeful and merciless in her warrior form.

She is also taboo – that which is hidden, secret, unknown and unknowable. She is the shadow, the night, the mist, the darkness. She can embody obsession, sex, and lust. She speaks to our hidden desires. 

What is the role of the Dark Goddess?

The role of the Dark Goddess is to reach across the chasm and help us find the courage to confront and eventually embrace our own dark side. To embrace that which we are afraid of and that which we loath. To help us burn through our rage. To help us stand after being overcome by despair.

She is the balance to light, joy, sunshine, happiness. She is darkness, despair, rage, and fear. From the balance we find rebirth, acceptance and wisdom. She lights the path through the mists of confusion and doubt until we can find our own pathway.

The Dark Goddess works in the shadows. She works with the subtle energies and the unseen. You won’t necessarily know she is there. If you become attuned to her you can perhaps feel a shift in the energy, like a shadow that has crossed the moonlight, or a breath of cool air that is there, and then gone.

You cannot have light without darkness. You cannot know joy without despair. You cannot know peace without rage. The Dark Goddess brings us the gifts of the darkness to bring balance to the light. Without her we live but half a life. 

What is there to celebrate and honour in the darkness?


There is so much to honour about the Dark Goddess. I personally love the mystery, intuition, transition and transformation. I love the serenity that comes from meeting and embracing the darkness. I embrace the rage because it is the fire that creates transformation. I embrace the Winter and the darkness because we rest in the Earth only to be reborn in the Spring. I hope that when I pass I will embrace the journey to the other side with peace knowing that there is someone there to guide me. 

Working with the Dark Goddesses

The Dark Goddess helps us with spells to protect us from negativity and to find strength in ourselves. Here are some examples of how to work with her:

· Protection spells, especially for children

· Banishing fear, bad habits, nasty people and ugly energy

· Conquering fear and internal darkness

· Bring balance to our energy

· Give us courage

The Dark Goddess is a pathway for prophecy, divination and intuition.

She is the key to wisdom and empowerment. 

Symbols and Associations

There are many symbols for her Darkness, as well as many associations.

Crone/Hag
Dark Moon
Crow/Raven/Owl
Cauldron
Black
Autumn and Winter
Warrior
Death
Fate
Winter
Destruction
Night
Revenge
Sex
Obsession
Transformation
Taboo

Meditation with a Dark Goddess

Because I associate the underworld with the Lower World used in journeying, I am not going to use that allegory for this meditation. I am instead going to use a meditation about going into the darkness.

Close your eyes. Welcome the darkness there. Get a sense of the darkness. How does it feel. Are you afraid, or do you welcome it? What does it represent? The unknown? Possibility? Ill intent? The Void? See how it feels.

Now imagine yourself walking in the twilight towards the darkness. As you take each step towards the darkness feel yourself going deeper and deeper into a state of relaxation. When you are ready, breath in the darkness and exhale the mundane world.

Walk along and notice surroundings. Look for signs of the Dark Goddess. Do you see ravens? Owls? Is the moon out? Are you in a forest or the mountains? By the beach or in a field? When you have a sense of place, look for her. See if she will show herself. Does she appear as a hag? As a seductress? Is she you or someone else? Show respect. Thank her for being there.

Ask her how you can serve her. Ask if there is something she would like you to know. See if there is something she would like you to do. When you feel the encounter is complete, thank her for appearing. 

When you are ready, walk back out of the darkness towards the twilight. Deepen your breath. Rub your hands together or feel your body to start to come back. 

Once you are back, drink water. Write down what you learnt.

Really she doesn’t require anything from us mere mortals…but a little acknowledgement of the darkness as well as the light is nice. The Dark Goddess works with the unseen in the back ground. How she works is not always that obvious. You have to know how to look for the unseen in the shadows to perceive her.

Spell with the Dark Goddess

Set the environment with dark crystals.
Burn a black candle.
Set out the Moon Tarot card if you want.

Goddess of the Darkness
Goddess of the Night
Bring to me your Power
Bring to me your Might
I call on you to help me move beyond where I am now.
I need your power to create new opportunities
I need your courage to strike out in new directions
I need your resilience to move forward though I don’t know how
I need your perseverance to continue on, even in the face of rejection
I need your warrior spirit to slay uncertainty and indecision.
Bring me those opportunities that will further me along the path.
Fire up my intuition to find the right direction.
Sprinkle this direction with good fortune and serendipity.


I know with your guidance I will come through this period of now knowing and emerge on the other side wiser and with a new course.

Goddess of the Darkness
Goddess of the Night
Thank you for your Power
Thank you for Might




1 comment:

  1. Wonderful beautiful well done sister well done namaste

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