PCR Director Ocean (Lisa SG) shares this piece about Caer Ibormeith, originally published in the Fall 2020 issue of Witches Magazine UK. Here, Ocean introduces her personal connection to the goddess:
“Caer Ibormeith is a goddess that came to me when I started working with dream magic. She is the goddess of liminal spaces, dreams, sleep, and prophecies. I’ve been blessed with a few prophetic dreams, one that possibly saved my life. This goddess is well known, though her name is rarely known at all. She is the lady that turns into a swan on Samhain with her 150 maidens. I reach out to her when I need guidance, rest, and when I want a glimpse of what may be.”
About the contributor
Ocean (Lisa SG) is a Juris Doctor and an author that works in support services for the people of the United States. Lisa has been an editor, author, and content creator for several pagan publications and Los Angles-area pagan organizations.
Original publication: Witches Magazine UK · Instagram
The Swan Queen: Caer Ibormeith
by Ocean (Lisa SG)
Samhain is the beginning of the celebration of the dark half of the year. A time when the veil between the worlds is thin and magic and miracles of all types are possible. The sacred opportunities that fill this time when the ancestors are near, and the call of nature refuses to be ignored, are unfathomable.
One goddess, Caer Ibormeith (kyre IV-or-MAH), captures the transformative essence of the season when the world passes from growth to death, from that which is certain to that which is ephemeral. You probably don’t know her name but you know her story. She is the lady who stands on the edge of the waters of transformation and turns into a swan.
On Samhain, legend states that Caer Ibormeith stands in liminal space on the banks of a lake and changes from human to avian. She doesn’t make this transition alone; her mate, Angus Og, and her troop of 150 maidens, join her on the path of leaving humanity behind. Much like a spirit leaves the body behind to fly free when we die, the flock of swans rise to the heavens and spend a year in the instinctual form before returning to the land of men and reclaiming their place for a year before the cycle continues again.
As we approach Samhain, consider calling out to Caer Ibormeith. She is the lady of sleep, dreams, and prophecies. She has true love at her beck and call. Loyal companions join her as she rises above the tethers of certainty and what should be possible to achieve the fantastic.
What could you do to work with this abundant energy created by the shift from light to dark? Perhaps you could create a dream sachet with lavender, mugwort, and thyme. Ask Caer Ibormeith to bless you with a prophetic dream.
Or make a tea of honey, chamomile, valerian, and passionflower. Ask the Swan Queen to give you restful and dreamless sleep.
Another option to work with Caer Ibormeith would be to meditate on what it feels to shift from human to bird. To go from land locked to having the freedom to take to the skies. How soft are your feathers? How deep is your love? Can you feel the comradery of the flock? Call in the birds-of-a-feather that would provide the loyal companionship you desire.
Perhaps you seek the sweet succor of love? Swans mate for life. Ask Caer Ibormeith for a glimpse of your true love. Stand in the liminal space near a waterway and offer a white feather so that she may bring you the lasting love of your true mate.
Caer Ibormeith is a lady that thrives in the places where other people lose control. She is at her best when dreams are all that exist. Her sharp vision looks into the future and sees beyond the uncertainty and confusion. She loses the tight control of her humanity and embraces the side of herself that is pure nature – wild and untamable. Fierce and loyal. Loving and flexible.
Seek this energy for yourself in your own life. As light shifts to dark, look inside and consider Caer Ibormeith. She is a psychopomp, guiding souls through the silent bed of stars. Her guidance is a gift to those that seek her energy and move through the world with her power.
Reach out to the lady who inspires us with her willingness to change. Ask for her guidance as you seek to build magic and miracles in your own life. The lady of the gates between the mundane and magical will show you the way.
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