Faery Godmother

     The faery godmother is the faery who brings her special gifts to the newborn.  The godmother's ancestors are the Celtic Triple Matres, or Mothers --who watch over special places such as wells, springs, and the home, and over the course of our lives -- and the Greek Fates, the three women who spin, measure, and cur the thread of man's destiny.  In Albania godmothers are known as Fatit, appearing the third day after a child's birth to bestow the gifts of fate.  In Latvia, the Laume, a household faery, presides over the three major events of life; birth, marriage, and death.

     Godmothers are well-known figures in the fairy tales of many lands where they mitigate curse, point the way through treacherous terrain, and saw inexperienced young heroes from danger ... and from themselves.  In many tales, the faery godmother must deflect the curse of a bad faery who feels slighted or offended.  In the case of Sleeping Beauty, a bad faery was not invited to a princess's baptismal feast.  She took great offense and cursed the child with death at the onset of puberty, but the last of the twelve faery godmothers mitigated the bad fairy's curse.  These stories remind us not to forget to invite the faeries to important events.  It is wise to acknowledge their presence and graciously accepts their gifts.

     The moon-wise godmother pictured here brings us sacred gifts from the land of Faery.  She holds a golden apple from the magical Isle of Apples (also known as Avalon).  This glowing fruit of immortality and fertile creativity radiates the rich, penetrating warmth of the summer sun.  She also brings us the apple's complement: a crystal of pure moonlight to stimulate clear thinking .  With these gifts of the heart, of sun and moon, of male and female in balance, she asks us to place our lives in balance and to find and fulfill our true purpose.

     The crescent moon she wears is a symbol of her power.  It is a receptacle or cradle holding the sacred seeds of our future -- and also a boat in which we can safely sail through the storms of life.  Her dazzling halo is made of the bright sparks of faery consciousness.  These sparks from a mystical constellation, mapping out our destiny; these are the lucky stars we must remember to guide ourselves by, and to thank.

     Leaving us, this godmother transforms herself into an owl, a bird of wisdom and farsightedness.  When times are dark, she will fly back again to be the good mother each of us needs, nurturing our spiritual well-being.