The Relationship of the Gods and the Land

In the Welsh Faerie tradition each God and Goddess is represented by a totem animal which symbolizes the power of the deity in our daily life. This relationship between animals and deities, has over the eons, built a complex relationship of religious rituals, energies of the land, and magickal practices. This same philosophy is applied to trees, plants, mountains, springs and the weather. Every Land or tribal location has a Sacred Centre of Divine Being. Following is a summary of major Welsh totem animals and their divinities:

The Owl is associated with Bloeddewedd, and is a symbol of knowledge. The Stag is associated with Cernunnos. This is the aspect of the wild hunt in which the spirits of the dead are transported to the underworld. The horns of the stag are symbolic of the Lord of the Animals. Also associated with Merlin. The Serpent is also associated with the God Cernunnos and is found on Torcs, the sacred neck ornament. Some serpent Torcs also have a ram's head which symbolize the power of nature and animals. The Horse is associated with the Goddesses Epona and Rhiannon. This represents the power and fertility of the horse connected to the Kingship of the clan. The Bear is associated with the Goddesses Artio and Andarta and the Gods Arthgen (Arthur) and Artogenus. The Bear symbolizes the King's connection to the land as well as the Constellation Arcturus, The Great Bear. The Bull is associated with the God Esus, trees, and the three Cranes. The Boar is associated with the Goddess Ceridwen and the God Math. The Pig is thus closely associated with shape shifting transformative powers as well as necromancy and flight. Other important totem animals are: the Raven is associated with the goddess Morrigna, the Salmon of Knowledge is associated with, the Hare is associated with, and the Ram is associated with the God Cernunnos.

The Celtic Cross, the Winged Ankh, and the Pentacle are also symbols of these mysteries. The Celtic Cross is the equal armed cross in a circle which is the symbol of male and female energies confined only by the boundaries of the Universe. The Ankh represents eternal life and the Pentacle represents spiritual and earthly power; the point of the pentacle is always pointed up, meaning good, never down, which symbolizes evil.

We believe that when we die, we travel to that land beyond the veil of Maya, where weary souls repose within the realms of the Horned One and the Great Mother, to grow young again and to be reborn upon the earth. This is that fair land of nod called GWLAD YR HAV or the Summerland. It is the land to which the Wiccae go when they leave this life on earth. This is the abode of the Gods and Goddesses. There are many different deities within the Welsh Tradition.


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