The drums of war continue sounding across the globe. While I am safe and sound in my privileged American life, I feel the pain and suffering. Machine guns are fired; bombs are dropped; and children, women and men suffer horrific injuries and death. How can we still be immersed in this energy of death and destruction in the 21st century? How can human consciousness still be so filled with fear?
Perhaps it’s baked into our genes. Most all of us today are descendants of a warrior tribe who either wiped out or conquered and assimilated with an indigenous population. Though the artifacts of ancient pre-history offer a possibility that we once lived together in harmony, worshipping the Mother Goddess and Earth — history, defined as having a written record of events, is definitely one long litany of cruelty and atrocities, of male dominance and aggression, of violence and war.
Mythology can be a helpful lens through which to view the march of history. The goddesses and gods are archetypes, illustrating the many facets of human experience for us. They light the path of connection between all Earth’s creatures and Earth herself, helping us understand ourselves and our place in this beautiful, yet often difficult, world of duality.
As the world changed and the domain of Mother Goddess turned to a world filled with violent conquest, ancient Celtic sovereignty and fertility goddesses added another aspect to their influence – becoming War Goddesses who struck fear in their enemy’s hearts as they fought to defend their territory.
As a woman who believes in peace, I approach the warrior aspect of the goddess with trepidation. How does one reconcile acts of violence carried out in the name of a war goddess, with a love of peace? What wisdom does a war goddess have for us today?
Very little is know about the Celtic War Goddess, Andraste, but it is very likely she is a later, Brittonic variation of the Celtic War Goddess, The Morrigan. – an ancient goddess who originated in the mists of pre-history. Like The Morrigan, she was also a Sovereignty and Fertility Goddess.
Andraste’s name means “the invincible one” or “she who has not fallen.” Ravens were sacred to Andraste as well as The Morrigan. She was the patron goddess of Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni tribe in 1st century Britain. Her name was invoked before battles to ensure courage and victory. She was a goddess of prophecy whose omens predicted the victor in battle – another similarity to The Morrigan.
Boudicca, whose name means “victory,” led a revolt against Roman rule in 60CE. Her name suggests an association with the Welsh goddess, Boudiga, whose name also means “victory.” It is possible that Boudicca was not her given name but a religious title given to her in the early days of the rebellion. That would make Boudicca an earthly manifestation of Andraste in the eyes of her followers. That could account for her ability to unite the constantly warring Celtic tribes against the Romans.
It is reported that Boudicca released a hare before her great victory as a means of divination. The outcome of the battle could be read by the direction in which the hare ran. Victory for the Celts was predicted, most certainly lending great courage to those taking part.
Andraste’s stories are lost to us today. We mainly know of her through Roman accounts of Boudicca’s sacking of London and other Roman held cities. According to Roman historian Tacitus, Boudicca’s army was extraordinarily savage, especially in retaliation against Roman women who were rounded up, murdered and mutilated in a grove sacred to Andraste.
Having been publicly flogged and her two daughters raped by the Romans (the ultimate insult to fertility and the goddess), was it Andraste who urged Boudicca on to such savagery and blood vengeance. Or was the brutality the Romans inflicted on the Celtic tribes of Britain in general and her tribe, her daughters and herself in particular, what caused Boudicca to respond in such a way?
Boudicca’s victory was short-lived. When the Roman provincial governor Paulinus returned from a military campaign in Wales, the Romans gained the upper hand, completely defeating the Celtic tribes. It is believed that Boudicca and her daughters killed themselves rather than be captured.
And so how do we today gain from the wisdom of a goddess like Andraste?
Might it be that we create the goddesses and gods in our own image — reflections of our own state of consciousness?
The only thing we know for sure about Andraste is that she was worshipped in sacred groves — places that give access to the spiritual realm. Considering the level of destruction humans are capable of today, perhaps we should see our War Goddesses as Spiritual Warriors. As Spiritual Warriors such goddesses can guide us in finding peaceful solutions to our disagreements and conflicts. We must evolve or perish it seems.
Light and dark, good and evil, spirit and matter, male and female — all examples of the duality found on Earth. Andraste, She Who Has Not Fallen, helps navigate these dualities. She guides you through the chaos of transformation to personal empowerment. She lends you courage and strength during times of struggle. She helps you to right injustices and find your true purpose in life.
It is up to each of us to find a way forward that avoids the pitfalls of violence and war.
Judith’s Celtic Goddess Oracle deck is available on her website shop. Click here.
Judith Shaw - Life on the Edge 