Celtic Woman's Manifesto
celticembodiment.com Celtic Woman's Manifesto
I stand and face the East I give thanks that I have risen on this day Guided from my slumber by the light of the rising sun I let the waves of the Irish sea wash me into flow I am the Selkie reclaiming my own skin.
I stand and face the South A golden mist of enchantment descends on me As I walk into Brigid’s fire, the exalted flame I stir my cauldron of creativity And drink its potent brew.
I stand and face the West The wild landscape of the setting sun Home to Warrior Queen Medb, she who intoxicates I am rooted in my power, my sovereignty, this earthly body My ghostly fear is my weak opponent. I surrender to my truth.
I stand and face the North The bitter wind blows lifeforce into my bones As the Cailleach fattens me in her apron, in wisdom’s embrace The voices of my ancestors whisper “It’s time to come home” - to come home to me.
I stand in the Heart of this land Dancing to the rhythm of its sacred beat I am ready to unfold into my life With the shapeshifting grace of Étaín I am ready for my beautiful becoming.
CELTIC SCHOOL OF EMBODIMENT | PAGE 01 Mythical Women and Pronounciation
Selkie ("SEHL-kee") - The East
Means 'Seal Folk'. A selkie is a shapeshifting* mythical creature that resembles a seal in the water but assumes human form on land. Stories of selkies feature in Irish, Scottish, and Nordic folklore. These coastlines are wild and unpredictable, and one which humans and seals share. In Ireland, the tradition includes stories of the Maighdean Mara, the ‘Sea Maiden’. This refers to a type of mermaid (half-woman, half-fish) or a selkie.
Brigid ("BRIGH-jud") - The South
Means 'Exalted One'. A pre-Christian deity, Bríg and later a saint, Brigid. Bríg was a Tripartite Goddess. She and her two sisters, who all bore the same name, were revered for healing; fire and smithcraft; and poetry and the arts. It is said the filí, our ancient poets and guardians of traditional lore, worshipped her as their matron.
Medb ("MAY-v" or "MEDH-uhv") - The West
Means 'she who intoxicates'. Medb is a Warrior Queen and a Sovereignty Goddess (a protectress of the land). She was Queen of Connacht in the west of Ireland and ruled from its royal capital Crúachan Aí (Rathcroghan). Medb is fierce in both personality and sexual vibrancy. She is one of the most awe-inspiring female characters in Irish mythology.
The Cailleach ("KAL-yach") - The North
Means 'Veiled One'. Also, the modern Irish word for a witch. There are many sites in Ireland that bear her name. Most well known is the Cailleach Beara, 'The Hag of Beara' who roams the Beara peninsula in Co. Cork. It is said the Cailleach created this land by dropping rocks out of her apron. She is our ancestor deity, a Sovereignty Goddess, a Winter Goddess, a shapeshifter. She is the wise woman who is as old as time.
Étaín ("AY-deen" in modern Irish or "AY-dine" in Old Irish) - The Centre
May mean 'passion, jealousy'. Étaín is a Sovereignty Goddess, a woman of the síd ("sheedh", a fairywoman), a shapeshifter. Her surname Echraide means "horse-rider", some draw associations with her and Welsh goddess, Rhiannon. In the myth, Tochmarc Étaíne, 'The Wooing of Étaín', the druidess, Fúamnach casts a spell on Étaín that instigates her shapeshifting. No matter what form Étaín is in, she is always true to her essence.
*Shapeshifting is the ability to shift from one form (or shape) to another, usually human to animal, and vice versa.
CELTIC SCHOOL OF EMBODIMENT | PAGE 02 A Daily Invocation
Rise each day with the Celtic Woman's Manifesto:
Find a quiet, safe space. In your home, or perhaps outside in nature with your feet on the grass, the soil, the rock, or the sand Locate the direction you are standing in (your phone or an app can help) Close down your eyes and allow your awareness to open the door to your inner- world Place one hand on your heart, the other on your pelvic bowl. Invite your breath to flow all the way down into your womb space. Waking up the country of your sacred place Beginning in the east, chant and move with the audio, or simply allow the words to wash over you Invoke the power of each mythical woman and feel into their resonance in your own body. What might it mean for you to reclaim your own skin, or stir your cauldron of creativity, or feel rooted in your own power on this day? Allow this experience to evolve in whatever way is meaningful for you (see below)
CELTIC SCHOOL OF EMBODIMENT | PAGE 03 An Evolving Archetype
The archetype of the Celtic Woman is not complete. She is forever unfolding. In our diverse expressions of her embodiment, we can shape her meaning as contemporary women.
‘Celtic Woman’ is not a singular identity, she is the expression of every woman who feels her call in her bones, no matter what identities we hold.
Take some time now to uncover the Celtic Woman that lives inside of you. Create a nourishing space for yourself. Light a candle, make a warm cuppa, burn oils, incense or a sacred herb, have your journal at the ready.
Close your eyes and allow the words of the Celtic Woman's Manifesto flow into your body. Simply notice what bubbles up in response. There's no need to force this experience. Allow your inner Bean Feasa, your 'Wise Woman', to reveal her wisdom to you. These prompts may support your explorations:
1. What does 'Celtic Woman' feel like in your body? 2. Can you locate where you feel her energy in your body? 3. What wisdom does she whisper to you? 4. What do you long for in her? 5. What does she long for in you?
The selkie emerging from her sealskin in The Secret of Roan Inish
CELTIC SCHOOL OF EMBODIMENT | PAGE 04 celticembodiment.com
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"I am ready for my beautiful becoming." Celtic Woman's Manifesto