Another year, another Call of the Morrigan…

I’ve been writing about the Morrigan and Her calls since 2012. Every time I think I’m done She pops in with something else She wants me to write. Apparently Her army isn’t big enough for what’s coming, at least not yet.

That’s a scary thought…

Last year it was The Morrigan Calls More Than Warriors. Just because you’re not a fighter doesn’t mean She made a mistake in calling you.

This year I’m hearing from people who say “what could I possibly do for Her with my life the way it is?”

After some divination and meditation, it’s clear that She’s calling people who are at different points in their lives. Even if you’re not young, healthy, energetic, and unattached; even if your ducks aren’t in the proverbial row; even if you don’t know what a Battle Goddess could possibly want with you – that may still be Her call you’re hearing.

Who is the Morrigan?

The Morrigan is the Irish Goddess of sovereignty, of battle, and of the aftermath of battle. She helped the Tuatha De Danann defeat the Fomorians in the Battle of Magh Tuireadh, after which She gave the Peace Prophecy (“Peace to the Sky…”). She fought with the Irish hero Cú Chulainn and indirectly caused his death – why She did is a question still debated by Celtic scholars. Her home is Oweynagat – the Cave of the Cats – at Rathcroghan.

She is one of the more active deities of our time. She’s been recruiting since at least 2011, calling people to reclaim their sovereignty and to prepare for a coming storm. Now that storm is here, and the Morrigan is still calling people to fight for Her causes and to clear the battlefield when the fighting stops.

If you want to learn more about the Morrigan, read The Morrigan – Meeting the Great Queens by Morgan Daimler. Then read The Book of the Great Queen by Morpheus Ravenna. There are other Morrigan books out there – start with these two. Once you read them, you’ll be prepared to separate the good books from the problematic books.

I am not Her priest, but I am Her sworn Druid. One of the things I swore to do is to be Her messenger and write things like this, for people who hear Her but aren’t sure what to make of what She tells them.

Oweynagat – the Cave of the Cats – Rathcroghan, Ireland

You’ve been drafted. No, the other draft.

Some people compare being called by the Morrigan to being drafted into the army. You get a notice saying to go fight and you don’t have any real choice in the matter. For some people, though, it’s less like a military draft and more like a professional sports draft.

I know, most Pagans are too cool for sportsball. But stay with me – this is important. I promise I’ll keep the sports metaphors as brief as possible.

Sometimes a team drafts a player expecting that he (or she – the WNBA and the NWSL have drafts too) will be a star. Sometimes they expect the player will be a solid contributor. Other times, though, a team will draft a player they know doesn’t have the skills necessary to play now. But they see potential, and so they draft them as a developmental project, hoping that over time they’ll grow into a player who’s good or even great.

I see the Morrigan drafting a few developmental players.

I see Her calling people who are young and inexperienced – and a few who are old and inexperienced – who’ve never been in a fight in their lives. But with study and practice they can grow into warriors, or people who support warriors.

I see Her calling people who are so busy trying to balance work and family and health concerns they feel like they have no time for anything else. And maybe they don’t – for now. But life situations never stay the same for long. And sometimes knowing a Battle Goddess is waiting on you is all the motivation you need to make some hard choices and start getting your life headed in the right direction.

I see Her calling people who have neither the desire nor the skills to be a warrior, or a priest, or anything of the sort. But there’s one thing they can do to further Her goals, and so She drafts them to do that one thing.

Just because you don’t look or feel like someone you think the Morrigan would call doesn’t mean She won’t call you.

Training for service – training before service

If you join the US Army, you don’t go straight from the recruiting center to Afghanistan – or any place else. You begin with Basic Training, which currently lasts 10 weeks. After that, you go to Advanced Individual Training for whatever job you’re going to do – that can last from a few weeks to several months. Training helps raw recruits become effective fighters or skilled support staff.

I think it’s safe to say that a Battle Goddess knows as much about the necessity of training as any military commander. She never sent me to polytheist boot camp (whatever that might be) but She’s had me reading, studying, practicing, practicing some more, writing, writing some more, and then practicing even more for the past nine years.

Am I “ready” for what She wants me to do? I don’t ever feel like I’m really ready. But I know I’m a lot more ready than I was 10 years ago, and a little more ready than I was last year.

If the Morrigan has called you but She hasn’t told you why, don’t sit there wondering. Start reading, studying, and practicing. Start learning. Start building new skills, or improving existing ones. Get your mundane life in order.

Your deployment orders will come soon enough – be as ready for them as you can be.

First group of Marine Corps Women’s Reserve officer candidates – 1943. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Maybe She wants you now

Maybe you were drafted as a developmental player. Maybe the Morrigan wants you to train and study for something She’s going to ask you to do five years from now. Maybe She wants you to clear some troublesome things – or some troublesome people – out of your life so you’ll be able to devote your full attention to Her when you’re done.

Or maybe She wants you today.

Honestly, I see that a lot more frequently. “Why do I keep dreaming about battles and battlefields?” “Why do crows keep popping up where crows aren’t supposed to be?” “Last week I didn’t know what sovereignty was and now I’m obsessed with it.”

If we lived in a polytheist society we’d be more prepared to recognize the call of a Goddess. I think She often tries to call people gently, but by the time they hear Her She’s gone from whispering to screaming. And whatever She wanted two months ago is now that much more urgent.

You may not have time to study and train and get your ducks in a row. You may be handed a spear and pointed toward the front lines. If so, blessings and good luck to you.

But if you’re given time to train and prepare, make good use of it.

If you want to go now, but you can’t

Being a part of something bigger than yourself never comes for free. There are always sacrifices to be made. Sometimes that means pouring a shot of whiskey into the fire instead of drinking it yourself. Other times it means letting something go from your life, not because it’s evil or harmful or impure, but because you have to make room for something more important.

But how do you “let go” of an aging parent you’re caring for? How do you “let go” of your obligations to your spouse or children? How do you “let go” of a chronic disease or condition that severely limits what you can do? In many cases the answer is that you can’t.

If your life situation prevents you from doing what you want to do, then focus on doing what you can do.

Read. Study. Practice. Train. Forget what you can’t do – do what you can do, even if that’s only one thing.

The Morrigan is a demanding Goddess. She wants what She wants when She wants it, and She rarely explains why. She values warriors and priests and people who devote their lives to Her values and Her work.

But She is also a shrewd strategist and a wise commander who makes use of all Her assets. I do not presume to know Her mind, but I feel confident in saying She values people in different life situations with different things to contribute – because I’ve seen Her do it.

If you feel the Call of the Morrigan, do not let your life situation keep you from saying “yes.”