9 Celtic Goddesses to Know and Work With

Celtic goddesses rise from European mythology like ghosts from lake water.

From the misting, shamrock-green hills of Northern Ireland to the stormy shores of coastal France, this mysterious pantheon encompasses many cultures, landscapes, and traditions.

This quick introduction covers a few Celtic goddesses.

I tried to choose a wide variety.

From well-known goddesses like Rhiannon to lesser-known, but fascinating ones like Airmed, this list is a bouquet of wildflowers.

But it is by no means comprehensive!

Simply get to know these Celtic goddesses by name to enrich your practice.

Or, use it as a starting point to learn to work with them as a practitioner.   For further reading, I included links to learn more.

Either way, knowing at least a little bit about Celtic lore and mythology invigorates any study of the Craft.

Please note:  This post contains affiliate links.  I always try to choose relevant, high-quality links to enhance your experience.  Read more about this practice on Moody Moon’s disclosure page.

Morrigan

Morrigan, or “The Morrigan,” is sometimes depicted as the Celtic triple goddess.

Often translated as “The Phantom Queen,” Morrigan symbolizes death, war, night magic, fortunetelling, and ghosts.

She shares a particular kinship with the crow, an animal with an array of meanings in Celtic mythology.

For further reading about The Morrigan, check out Celtic Lore and Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess:  Invoking the Morrigan.

Call on Morrigan for divination, dream magic and rituals under the dark moon.

Brigid

A major goddess in ancient Irish mythology, Brigid’s associations are many.

Celtic lore credits her with special gifts as both a healer and an artist.

Said to protect livestock and homesteaded creatures, the Celts considered Brigid a protectress of domesticated animals.

She is considered, among many others, a goddess of poetry, cattle, boar, and flames.

Most notably for the modern pagan, the holiday of Imbolc celebrates this goddess in particular.

Call on Brigid to bless your winter hearth fire, to protect the animals of your home, or for spells to overcome writer’s block.

There are many books on the subject of the goddess Brigid.  For an especially popular one with a magical bent, check out Brigid:  History, Mystery and Magick of the Celtic Goddess.

Rhiannon

Rhiannon is an illustrious goddess in Welsh mythology.

Translated as “Queen,” or “Great Queen,” some modern pagans more loosely interpret Rhiannon’s name as “White Witch.”

Celtic mythology frequently associates Rhiannon with horses and songbirds.

To learn more about Rhiannon, check out Rhiannon:  Divine Queen of the Celtic Britons.

Call on her for her during moon rituals, dreams, and faerie magic.

Olwen

Interestingly, Welsh mythology differs from many around the world in its depiction of the sun deity as feminine.

Olwen, the goddess of light and sun, appears in a splendid love tale, Culhwch and Olwen, in which her suitor recruits his cousin, the famous Arthur, to assist him in winning her hand.

Her name, meaning white footprint, alludes to her lore.  It suggests that she stepped with such grace and delicateness that white flowers grew in her footsteps.

How lovely!

Call on Olwen for spells to address seemingly impossible matters of love, grace and beauty.

Ceridwen

As the Celtic goddess of transformation, mythology depicts Ceridwen as a figure of inspiration, rebirth and renewal.

In particular, it portrays her with the image of a “cauldron of poetic inspiration.”

A powerful sorceress, she possesses a strong talent for enchantment.

To learn more about this goddess from a scholarly, historical perspective, check out Ceridwen’s Spirituelle Journey Through Wales’ History.

Call on her for inspiration, transformation or when working with cauldron magic.

Danu

The depiction of Danu (Sometimes called Anu or Dana) as a mature woman designates her a goddess of wisdom and earthly knowledge.

Irish literature refers to her as “mother of the gods.”

Call on her when making the the transition from Maid to Mother, especially if you are struggling with the maternal art of breastfeeding.

Airmed

In Gaelic mythology, Airmed held authority in matters of healing and herbalism.

According to legend, Airmed’s father murdered her brother.  In her despair, her tears fell on her fallen brother’s grave.  From them sprang “all the healing herbs of the world,” covering her brother’s body.

Airmed set about gathering these herbs and putting them to useful order.  But when her father discovered her task, he became enraged, scattering them once more.

Her lore singles Airmed out as the only one who remembers the world’s healing herbs.

Call on Airmed to aid your study of herbalism or practice of the healing arts.

Epona

A Gaello-Roman goddess, Epona protects horses and other four-legged creatures.

In mythology, her association with abundant harvest and abundant tablescapes suggests her status as a fertility goddess.

Call on her when working with four-legged animal familiars and to encourage fertility, both in the garden and in your family.

Erecura

A prolific goddess, Erecura appears in ancient pagan magical texts from Austria to Rome.

Known as the “land goddess,” Erecura appears as a symbol of the sacredness of earth.

Call on her for rituals to ground and center.