From "East of the Sun and West of the Moon: Old Tales from the North" by Kay Nielsen. Image from Art Today.

Her Legend: Her name means 'Silver Wheel', or 'Keeper of the Wheel', her wheel being all the stars in the Milky Way. Her story from the Mabinogion: Arianrhod's brother Gwydion raped a royal virgin, leaving King Math without a royal virgin footholder. Trying to regain Math's good graces, he put forth Arianrhod for the position. Math required a magical test of virginity: Arianrhod was to perform the rite of stepping over a wand, which would either confirm or deny her maiden state. When she stepped over the wand, two small bundles fell from her, a child who immediately went to live in the sea., and another child that her brother took away. Obviously, she failed the test. A few years later, Gwydion showed the boy to his mother. Arianrhod was furious and cursed the boy. She decreed that he would have no name until she herself should give him one. She had no intention of doing this, she denied him the "real life". But Gwydion tricked the goddess into bestowing a name upon the child. She was furious again, and cursed the boy again. This time, she decreed that he would never bear arms until she herself bestowed them on him. Gwydion tricked her again. Her last curse was that he never would have a wife of the race that now inhabits the earth. So they made one out of flowers. The flower bride later betrayed them, and Arianrhod retreated to Caer Arianrhod.

She is the goddess that wouldn't be forced into a position as a man's footholder, and more. She's a Star Goddess: Some say she lives in the constellation called Corona Borealis, named Caer Arianrhod by the Welsh. We call it the Northern Crown. Some say she lived in otherworldly tower of initiation, called Caer Sidi, where poets learn starry wisdom and where the dead go before rebirth. A Spider Goddess: Her name, Silver Wheel, could be be a reference to a spiders web. This also attributes her as a weaver goddess, a very important Celtic role, as weavers control the interactions of the lives of the mortals of earth, and even of creation itself. An Arthurian Goddess: According to some, she later became incorporated into In Arthurian legend as Argante, the queen of Avalon. Funny how so many roads seem to lead to Avalon.

From East of the Sun and West of the Moon: Old Tales from the North, by Kay Nielsen. Image from Art Today.

"Sails of Gold", artist unknown. Image from Art Today.

What She Can Mean to You and Me: She's associated with the crescent moon, stars, moonbeams, and sacred kingship. The stars stretch above you like a silvery spiderweb. She's up there somewhere, in the ethereal mists of the Milky Way, weaving her web of the universe. I think of her at night, when I'm lying wakeful and worried. What can truly go wrong, when she is up there, waiting, and weaving?