Spiritual Coach Willowhawk

Introduction

According to most sources, Arianrhod and her Silver Wheel is a common motif in Celtic mythology. It represents the wheel of the year and the wheel of birth and rebirth. It my contention that to understand the behavior of this Goddess in the Mabinogion is to examine her Goddess form. Once one has completed this one can incorporate these lessons into one's spiritual path the lesson and essence of the Silver Wheel.

Arachne and Lunar Astrology

One natural creature stands out as creator of a silver wheel. The Spider, yes, this strange creature who is not an insect, with 8 legs and a unique ability to spin webs. Most of these webs are circular, and last for one night to trap its prey. As is nature's way, the spider traps the insects, eats them, and uses the energy to create more spiders. Another wheel of life.

In astrology, there are actually 13 signs. There are the common 12 and the Sign of Arachne or Ophiuchus, is no longer used in the zodiac yet prior to the 5th century, (Anonymous 379) this constellation was used. The arcane knowledge indicates that individuals who were born under this star had a proclivity to be healer or scholars.

According to Patricia Crowther in her work Covensense recognition of this 13th zodiac sign is one of the special practices of the Craft of the Wise.

Arianrhod - The Goddess

She is the Goddess of the Silver Wheel, and her very name in Welsh is Silver (arian) wheel (rhod).

Therefore, we can say that she IS the Silver Wheel. Other cultures represent the Silver Wheel as the Moon in its full stage. In Welsh traditions she is the Goddess of the Otherworld tower of Initiation, (Caer Sidi), where each bard went to learn the great wisdom, (understanding) and where the dead go between their incarnations. She is the Goddess of childbirth, the moon, fertility, and fate. For some Welsh family traditions, she is the full moon, and her home is Caer Arianrhod, the Corona Borealis, or Northern Lights.

What exactly is the significance of death and rebirth. We know in old Path beliefs and religions that have an agricultural root, that death and rebirth are related to the agricultural cycle. Each year, the earth "dies" (winter), and is "reborn", (spring). Even in non agricultural societies, new animals were born in the spring and summer months.

Therefore, she has become associated with both the spider, the wheel of life, and the wheel of the year.

The Mabinogion and Silver Wheel Explained

Now let us return to the fourth branch of the Mabinogion. We remember in the previous article that Arianrhod, a "virgin", gave birth to the twin sons, Llew, and Dylan. Dylan became the God of the Sea, and Llew, was burdened with a taboo, from Arianrhod to never have a name, armor, or wife of earthly kind. Using our understanding of the Silver Wheel, let us examine this myth.

At first, Arianrhod said she was a virgin. What exactly IS a virgin? Judeo Christian theology would have us believe that it is a woman who never had sex. However, according to dictionary.com it can also be said that a virgin is an unmarried girl or woman or saint. What is a saint? Again from the same source a saint is a person of great holiness, virtue, or benevolence.So, putting both of these together we get a new definition of a virgin.

A virgin is an unmarried female who shows great holiness, virtue and benevolence. Sounds like a good definition of a Goddess to me.

Let us continue, when Math used his magick and the two children appeared from Arianrhod, it shows that her honor was impinged upon by him. She was rightly upset, as she WAS unmarried. Math for his part, devoted Dylan to the Goddess and the God, and he, (Dylan), became a God himself. As to the second, dark, small, son, he was spirited away and neither Math, nor Arianrhod had an opportunity to see or name him.

We do see that Arianrhod, ( who had no intention of acknowledging this son),can be associated very easily as the Goddess of Childbirth and Fertility.

Next, as she is "tricked" into giving her unacknowledged son, a name, and armor, it is not unexpected that she would be associated with fate as well. Again, let us examine the definition of the word fate.

Just $4.00

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, fate is defined as the will or principle or determining cause by which things in general are believed to come to be as they are or events to happen as they do. Remember that the last taboo from Arianrhod was that her son Llew would have no earthly bride. Math and Gwydion made him a wife out of flowers. This wife purportedly betrays her husband (a later article), which leads to an entire series of events resulting in the symbolic death and rebirth of her son. Therefore, we see that Arianrhod is related to death and rebirth as well.

Lastly, we need to examine how she comes to be the Goddess of Bards, or true knowledge. For this we only need to objectively examine the entire story. She grants this knowledge to her son with each of her actions as discussed above. She gives him a name, and armor, and indirectly, all participants learn a valuable lesson in the later events. Truly, Llew, ends up without an earthly wife, while becoming a true warrior of spirit.

Therefore, it is fitting that Arianrhod the Silver Wheel, is the Goddess of death, rebirth, childbirth, and bardic knowledge.

Return to The Fourth Branch of the Mabinogion and Arianrhod
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