Well-researched book about The Morrigan and her sisters (and related goddesses). It’s a short one but packed with information for people who don’t know where to begin. I appreciate that the author draws on different sources and lets the reader explore their own experiences with the goddesses. That being said, the author does include a part called The Morrigan in My Life at the end of each chapter.

I already read Táin Bó Cúailnge and Táin Bó Regamna and it made a difference in my understanding. I’m still at the beginning of my study of Irish paganism but so far I found it’s best to read primary sources (myth and lore) as well as authentic secondary sources (and to go back once you gain better understanding).

But back to the book. The first three chapters are about the three sisters and are titled Morrigu – Goddess of Battle,  Macha – Goddess of Sovereignty and Badb – Goddess of Prophecy. Each of them includes historic material, associations, forms and invocations or prayers. Chapter The Morrigan in Mythology discusses different myths and stories where the goddesses appear. Animals of the Morrigan covers the different forms the goddesses take. It includes also explanations why or why it’s so significant (for example why was cattle important in Irish society).

If it’s even possible, the part I loved the most was Finding the Morrigan in the Modern World. The author discusses what are dark gods and why we should redefine them. It creates an illusion that we can divide them into ”dark” and ”light” gods. When in reality, all of them deserve respect and can fuck shit up if we don’t treat them well. We often perceive the dark aspects of life (like death) as something that we should fear, as something we should fight against because our view on death has changed. We don’t kill our food anymore. And we distance ourselves from death. But each deity has positive and negative aspects.

For someone who has no experiences (yet?) with deities, it was interesting to discover the difference between working with gods (neopaganism) and honouring and asking for help (Reconstructionist approaches). The last chapter includes informations about altars, offerings, prayers and meditations (with examples), seasonal celebrations or Reconstructing Celtic Seership with Badb (absolutely fascinating!).