I can't pick a favorite and I'm not sure I'd want to do that anyway. I mean, how do I pick a favorite out of those five beings without insulting the others? Yeah, I'm not doing that. Instead, I'll give you a bit about each of my Ladies and how they are ever by my side each and every day.
Let's begin with Brighid. In 2002, She was the first Goddess I encountered as I began my journey along this crooked path. I believe I specifically searched Her out because I was told She was the best and safest place for a new Pagan to start. And since I was "positive" I had Celtic blood flowing through my veins, I latched on to everything I could find. I set up an altar for Her, wrote poems and rituals for Her, everything I did was centered around Brighid. She was my patroness for seven years.
Then Persephone made Herself known to me. This is about the same time I was fighting with myself over the dark side of being Witch. All I had known up til then was light and love and do no harm. Persephone made me, yes, MADE me dig deep into my inner being and search the dark recesses of my soul. I faced my demons, fought them with Her help and then came to realize in order to fully function as Witch on ALL levels one must fully embrace and then learn to work with both the dark and light that lives in all of us.
A someone that used to be extremely important to me sent a message one morning and told me "Oya is your mother". I had NO idea who Oya was so went searching for everything I could find about Her. And while She isn't classified as a Goddess she is an extremely important Orisha. Oya is the powerful Yorùbá Orisha of the winds and tempests. She manifests as powerful winds ranging from a gentle breeze to the raging hurricane or cyclone. I've always had an affinity for storms, the monsoons in the deserts of southern Arizona always brought peace to my soul. Even though they could be as destructive as a hurricane, the power they brought seemed to calm me. "Oya, who is an Orisha of a very fiery demeanor, also seems to have a far-flung connection with the Celtic Bridgit, both in Her Vodou counterpart Maman Brijit, and in Her associated Catholic saint, Our Lady of La Candelaria, whose feast day, February 2nd, is shared with Bride." As an Imbolc child, both Brighid and Oya are very important to me!
Two of my grands have been chosen by Hecate. I had never given a thought to working with Her, simply because some of the people I had hung around with at the time She made Herself know to me felt, in my opinion, they owned Her and if you didn't follow Her in the same manner they did, you were faking your relationship with this all-powerful Goddess. I felt intimidated by these people and refused to be open to hearing Her call my name. I've gotten over that, well, Hecate demanded I remove the influence of others in my spiritual walk and follow Her direction regardless of what anyone else may have to say about it. So, I have and I do. And while MY journey with Hecate may not be what others think it should be, it is MY journey with Her and as long as She's happy with me, I don't care what other people have to say. I now call Hecate my Patroness and her guidance is what helps me through every aspect of my life.
Finally, there is The Morrighan. Yes, I KNOW She's a warrior Goddess and is battle ready at all times. No, I'm not as physical as others who follow Her. Again, this is MY journey with Her, and I'm walking as She directs. My path with The Morrighan is the newest, She made Herself known to me earlier this year. Every day, I learn something new from Her and She keeps me strong when I'd rather give up and crawl into a hole. I don't have much experience with Her yet, but I am willing to learn everything She has to teach me. As the patroness of revenge, night, magic, prophecy, Priestesses, and Witches, She is very much on the side of those who are strong independent thinkers, who refuse to bend to the will of others and that is what I want to be when I grow up.
