THE MORRIGAN’S CALL

RESPONDING TO HER CALL

The Morrigan chooses Her own. Her call can come in a variety of forms ranging from the arrival of calling dreams, a sense of being watched or haunted, vivid supernatural encounters, miracles around life threatening circumstances to sudden prophetic visions, debilitating and persistent nightmares, and grossly atypical corvid experiences. She can be ungentle and cryptic in Her communications with one that She has picked and Her presence in your life can be frightening and disturbing. If She has chosen you it is best to acknowledge Her and attempt to learn what She wants; otherwise the disturbances in your life and psyche will become more and more extreme as She pushes to get your attention.

We very often hear from people who are experiencing this and who ask us how to deal with Her presence in their lives. The answer to this question truly depends on the individual and on what level the individual wishes to interact with Her. Being Hers is a commitment that needs to be considered carefully.

The benefits are many but the responsibilities are weighty. It is not a decision that should be taken lightly. Being Hers means a lifetime of being haunted, to at least some degree. It means those close to you possibly being haunted to some degree as well. Those She claims may find their lives being reshaped, sometimes painfully, to make space for Her demands. It means you yourself will be reshaped, and this can also be quite challenging and even terrifying. But here is what She offers in return: She makes a weapon of you. She delves into your soul and finds the strength, the fierce unconquerable will, the heroic heart you didn’t know you had. She offers you greatness. And She protects Her own, so Her claim also confers protection on both you and your kin.

If She is calling you, the first step you should take is to make room for Her in your life and devotional practice. Learn to speak to Her and to listen to Her. Nightmares, hauntings, and challenging experiences are often Her way of gaining your attention. The frightful quality that often comes with the initial contact will usually transform into a more intimate experience once you establish devotional practice. Your situation will be unique and personal, of course. Generally speaking, the first act you need to do is enter the relationship, acknowledge Her claim on you, and communicate your willingness to engage. This can be as simple as a prayer to Her, from the heart and in your own way. As you deepen your commitment, establish a regular devotional practice, with offerings and time in meditation listening to Her. This gives Her opportunities to communicate Her message to you, and begins to create intimacy. Over time this will tend to refocus Her presence into your devotional practice, thereby easing the nightmares and other uncontrolled manifestations. Ideally you should set aside a place in your home as a shrine/altar dedicated to Her where you make offerings, meditate, and perform other acts of magical service and craft such as divination. This helps to externalize Her presence so that She does not have to constantly occupy your dreams and waking mind in order to have a foothold in your life. It allows you some measure of control over when you engage with Her and when you choose to focus on other things.

Sovereignty is paramount in this work, and if you do not wish to take up Her call, you have that right to say no if the relationship does not feel helpful to you. If this is your choice, our advice is to be respectful in your way of declining Her claim on you. If you must refuse Her, do so with reverence and with gratitude for what’s been offered to you. However, if you’ve ever asked Her for anything, if you’ve called Her name with feeling, you have in essence offered yourself to her, and negotiating out of that may be a bit more precarious and probably something you may need to seek a more trained priest’s help for. You are welcome to contact us if this is the case.

Devotional practice is a personal thing and one’s devotional practice with the Queen will be an individual choice depending on your style of practice. To help you get to know the Morrigan, we recommend this list of resources most of which are translations of primary sources and scholarly works. We urge you to steer clear of highly derivative books that reinterpret the Morrigan through the framework of modern Wicca. The Coru also has a page of chants and invocations that we use in our practice. These are resources that we use as a priesthood in our public rituals and personal devotions. If they speak to you you are welcome to use them. However, more than learning the chants and words, it is vitally important to  learn about Her, who She is and the source culture from whence She came. Be clear about why you are communicating with Her and what your needs are, speak to Her from your heart, honestly and with respect, and then listen. Her voice can be a whisper, or a blood curdling scream, a gentle nudge or a whirlwind of emotion. When you open yourself to Her voice, you will begin to hear it. Once these lines of communication are established with Her, your relationship with Her can truly begin.

If after reading this page, you have further questions about how to respond to the call of the Morrigan, you can contact us here, or through our Facebook page. The Coru have all gone through this process in one form or another and one of our priests can help guide you through the chaos of this initial contact and help you learn to work with Her. Of course, nothing compares to real-time, in-person interactions and we encourage you to join us at any of the public events we are a part of listed on our events page. When contacting us, please note, we do not need your entire life history, or even necessarily all the details of your experience. A brief summary of the major theme of what is happening and a clearly stated question or two will do. If we need more information for background, we will ask it. Sometimes the minute details of an experience are better left untold, as they become clearer with time and experience. All information written to us is considered confidential, though we may discuss it amongst ourselves, and treated with the utmost respect for your personal privacy and safety.