The upcoming fall equinox is marked for September 22, coinciding with Mabon in the Pagan calendar. This festival is a time to express gratitude, celebrating the conclusion of the harvest period and honoring both our primal nature and the spirits of nature. Mabon symbolizes a day of equilibrium, where daylight and darkness exist in perfect harmony, leading us into the winter’s dark embrace.
Flidais: The Multifaceted Celtic Goddess
Flidais (pronounced flee-ish) is a richly layered Celtic Goddess, embodying various narratives and attributes. She symbolizes both the wild and domestic aspects of life, making her an ideal deity to invoke during this moment of balance. In ancient mythology, she emerges as an Earth Mother figure, giving birth to legendary Irish agricultural heroes, such as Arden and Bé Téite, and the “she-farmers” Bé Chuille and Dinand. Through her influence, these figures were empowered to cultivate the land for their communities.
In contemporary Celtic pagan practices, she is revered as a woodland Goddess. Known as the Lady of the Forest, her role is to safeguard the diverse life forms within the wilderness. Mythologically, her connections extend to both wild and domestic creatures, with particular reverence for deer and cattle, whom she even refers to as her “cattle.”
Her maternal divine nature is evident through her offspring. Flidais’s strong ties with milk and nurturing proclaim her abundance and fertility. During the pivotal Cattle Raid of Cooley (Táin Bó Cúailnge), her enchanted herd provided sustenance for the entire militia every week.
Beyond her nurturing identity, Flidais is characterized as a shape-shifter, a deity of sexuality, and a healer. She is associated with the Tuatha Dé Danaan, a group believed to be predating Christianity in Ireland. Similar to the Welsh tales within the Mabinogion, the Irish Ulster Cycles evolved into written form during the medieval ages. As time went on, the deities of the Tuatha Dé were transformed into human monarchs and heroes.
Her name Flidais Foltchaoin translates to “Soft-haired” or “Fair-haired,” with some scholars interpreting it as “wet one,” while others, like Monaghan, equate it with “doe,” linking her to Artemis, the Greek Goddess of the Hunt. A faction of scholars argues that Flidais may have been a mere literary invention from the 10th and 11th centuries, questioning her authenticity.
Flidais’s narrative includes various accounts of love and matrimony. Within the Middle Irish glossary “Fitness of Names,” she is depicted as the wife of High King Adamair and the mother of Nia Segamain. Her relationship with her son was marked by shared passion for animals; she endowed him with the “Faery power” enabling him to milk their cattle, bringing wealth and plenty. Conversely, another text suggests she was the mother of Fand, a Celtic Sea Goddess.
In the Ulster Cycle tale “The Driving off of Flidais’s Cattle,” she takes a central, albeit mortal, role. This narrative weaves her attributes of sensuality and connection to the Earth. Flidais finds herself wed to Ailill Finn while experiencing deep longing for Fergus mac Rog, whose legendary exploits intrigue her. Promising to supply him with her deer and cattle if he would claim her from her spouse, she fulfills this pact, allowing one of her cows to feed 300 warriors with just one milking. Furthermore, the tale showcases her consummate skills in love; Fergus is unable to find fulfillment without her, requiring the company of seven women to do so.
In her role as an Earth Goddess, Flidais is associated with the earth tones of brown and green. The deer stands as her sacred animal, and opinions differ among researchers regarding her status as Our Lady of the Forest. Some posit that she glided through the woods in a chariot drawn by these revered creatures. Trees also hold sacred significance in her realm, as she serves as their guardian alongside the animals inhabiting the forests. She is viewed as a protector of the marginalized, offering refuge and solace to those in distress.
Invoke Flidais when you find yourself at an imbalance, as she signifies the continuous cycles of growth and transformation. She encompasses the duality of our domestic and wild selves, guiding us toward inner harmony. Flidais enables us to reconnect with the deeper, more primal aspects of our sexuality and helps alleviate the societal guilt imposed on us. She embodies empowerment, willing to grant her nurturing, generous, and sensual attributes to those she selects. Through her transformative abilities, she opens new avenues in our lives, revealing offerings of abundance and creativity. May her profound love for her “cattle” resonate deeply within your spirit.
