Jhenah Telyndru > Quotes

“There are many ways to approach this Goddess and to engage with her stories; one such way is to look at her myths from a psycho-spiritual perspective. In her most ancient form as the embodiment of the throne of Egypt, Isis serves as the foundation upon which sovereignty is based.”
― Jhenah Telyndru, On the Wings of Isis: Reclaiming the Sovereignty of Auset

“And yet, within us… arising from the depths of our grief, comes strength. An intuitive wisdom that both honors our pain and is able to harness its power to put ourselves back together again, piece by harrowing piece. This deep wisdom knows how to ask for help when needed, like Isis seeking the support of Nephthys, and is willing to embrace the Shadow in order to affect true and lasting healing. What results from this union is a new and precious source of light, a rekindling of the inner flame that allows us to see ourselves and the world with new eyes. Although we may yet mourn what has passed, when we enter into conscious partnership with our unconscious self the gifts that have been buried within us begin to rise to the surface. Thus acknowledged, these once-hidden gifts are carried forth by the waters of our intuitive selves. They spill over the earthen banks of our now-outgrown limitations and bring with them an abundance that reinvigorates our landscapes – both within us and around us.”
― Jhenah Telyndru, On the Wings of Isis: Reclaiming the Sovereignty of Auset

“When our conscious and unconscious selves are in balanced relationship with each other, we are able to act with sovereignty in the world, creating our reality in accordance with our will and as a reflection of our authentic selves. When outside forces and situations beyond our control shift us from our center, we experience imbalance. This imbalance can trigger our Shadow instincts – unconscious responses to challenges which are rooted in old wounds and unacknowledged shame – to rise up in reaction to these experiences. We become trapped in outmoded and destructive patterns, and thus imprisoned like Osiris in his coffin, we are deprived of the ability to respond with clarity or reason. We become lost in the watery realms of emotional attachment and unconscious reaction until we are overcome and shattered into pieces.”
― Jhenah Telyndru, On the Wings of Isis: Reclaiming the Sovereignty of Auset

“The three foundations of learning: Seeing much; studying much; and suffering much.”
― Jhenah Telyndru, Avalon Within: A Sacred Journey of Myth, Mystery, and Inner Wisdom

“Whether aspiring bard or spiritual seeker, creator of poetry or paintings or children or communities — there are many reasons for us to seek the Awen… many ways that we can become catalysts for change. Ceridwen calls us to become our best selves — to become a whole and holy vessel able to be filled with the creative force of her divine inspiration, and able to pour it out in service to the world and inspire others in return. May her prophetic poetry ever pass through our lips, her masterful meters guide the rhythms of our lives, and her sacred sieve help us to separate the seeds of our sovereignty from the chaff of what no longer serves us.

Lady of the Cauldron, fill us with your Streams of Illumination so that we may find the depth of our vessels and test the true nature of our mettle — so that, in your service, we may be active co-creators of this world.

Holy Woman of Song, teach us the art of transformation so that we may become all that we are meant to be, harnessing the cycles of change as our old form breaks and we surrender to your will — in pursuit of your wisdom, in pursuit of our wholeness.

Sacred Muse, inspire us to peer into the Utter Darkness of our limitations so that we may reveal the Fairest Treasure within us – the divine potential of our souls.

Mother of Awen, warm us with the flame of your unconditional love, as we strive towards excellence and seek to reborn of you — our brows ablaze with your holy light.”
― Jhenah Telyndru, The Wisdom of Cerridwen: Transforming Her Cosmic Brew

“The Shadow contains our outmoded psychological defense mechanisms: the things we were taught to hate about ourselves and our internalized shame. It holds the triggers for self-abuse through addictions, as well as self-deprivation. It sustains our belief in our unworthiness, our fear of loss and pain — and above all, our worry that others will see us as we see ourselves and will come to loathe and reject us as well.”
― Jhenah Telyndru, The Wisdom of Cerridwen: Transforming Her Cosmic Brew

“I am fond of saying that myths endure because they have something to teach us. Becoming a Universal Goddess in ancient times, the continued popular and renewed devotion to Isis in the present day suggests that she has returned to our consciousness here and now because she holds necessary wisdoms. And just like the stories that have inspired me from Celtic traditions, I am moved by the way the tales of Isis provide us with a mythic map that can guide us in the direction of our own Sovereignty.”
― Jhenah Telyndru, On the Wings of Isis: Reclaiming the Sovereignty of Auset

“When we are engaging with the work of spiritual alchemy that helps us transform aspects of our personal Shadow into the wisdom drops of Sovereignty, we may find that there are parts of ourselves that may never be healed — but it does not mean that they cannot be mastered or overcome in a different way. The things that cannot be changed in our lives are often things that we can learn to carry with grace and self-acceptance. When we walk a spiritual path, the wise person learns to seek wholeness rather than perfection. And what a beautiful lesson it is to know that our self-actualization is not reliant on our purity, but rather on our ability to see ourselves as we truly are — both the sovereignty and the shadow — and love ourselves just the same.”
― Jhenah Telyndru, The Wisdom of Cerridwen: Transforming Her Cosmic Brew

“What I have learned from my years of engagement with Sovereignty from Celtic lore is that an excavation of the symbolic language embedded in the narratives of these tales reveals an alchemical formula which we can use to guide us through the profound psycho-spiritual transformations required to reclaim our personal Sovereignty. I define personal Sovereignty as “fully conscious self-determination.” This is a state of being that requires an enormous degree of self-knowledge, particularly in regard to the recognition and acceptance of the parts of ourselves which are grounded in authenticity, as well as those which are mired in the illusions of Shadow.”
― Jhenah Telyndru, On the Wings of Isis: Reclaiming the Sovereignty of Auset

“Our words are spells made manifest —
Our poems, weavers of prophecy.
Our songs reverberate in the darkness,
catalyzing change and kindling light.

For it is through us that Ceridwen
Sings all things into existence
From whose cauldron streams the light of the Awen
From whose lips the songs of bards spill forth.
She who is the vessel of alchemical mystery
Through whose gates life surrenders
Through whose gates life is reborn.

So let us sing of Holy Ceridwen
The bent, crooked woman
Who is the Sifter, and who is the Song…”
― Jhenah Telyndru, The Wisdom of Cerridwen: Transforming Her Cosmic Brew

“To seek Ceridwen is to seek our own breaking — our own unmaking… the dissolution of the self. It is to pursue a course of inner distillation… a catabolism into katabasis — a breaking down into our inherent elements so that we may become rarified in her alembic — so that we may be born anew from her cauldron.

To seek Ceridwen is to trade innocence for illumination, to trade limitation for liminality. It is to discover the furthermost edges of our being and the ways in which we must learn to step into the spaces of separation between ourselves and others — shapeshifting into new forms, new thoughts born of empathy, new perspectives arising from outmoded beliefs.

To seek Ceridwen is to see the truth of who we are in the waters of her cauldron. The light and the shadow, the fairness and the foulness. For we are Morfran and Creirwy both… part actualized, part hidden — part Sovereign, part Shadow… but the whole of us beloved by our Mother.”
― Jhenah Telyndru, The Wisdom of Cerridwen: Transforming Her Cosmic Brew

“Like other Sovereignty Goddesses I have studied, Isis is a shape changer. She uses her magic to disguise herself as an old woman so she can be near Horus to help him in his battle with Set –how reminiscent of the hag in Celtic myth who tests the would-be king! Isis is also transformed by her grief, and along with Nephthys, the sisters are often depicted mourning over the body of Osiris in the form of kites – carrion-eating birds of prey whose cries sound like the wails of the bereaved. How like the association of crows and ravens with Celtic Sovereignty Goddesses such as the Morrigan, Badb, and Cathubodua!”
― Jhenah Telyndru, On the Wings of Isis: Reclaiming the Sovereignty of Auset

“The place of women in society has also degraded, and ecofeminist theories have linked the status of women in society with environmental awareness and the nature of our cultural relationship with the Earth. When the planet is honored and respected, women are similarly treated; when the land is seen simply as a resource from which to profit, women’s lives and bodies experience the same treatment. Whether literal or metaphorical, there is a connection between women and the land, and the degree to which culture at large is in balance with one is mirrored by its relationship with the other. It makes sense that we who are seeking Sovereignty do so by taking an accounting both of our inner and outer landscapes—the realms over which we preside.”
― Jhenah Telyndru, The Mythic Moons of Avalon: Lunar & Herbal Wisdom from the Isle of Healing

“We are called to bring the light of wisdom into the darkest regions of the Self; to seek knowledge of the truths within us — the pain, the wounding, the fear, the shame. Once obtained, this knowledge allows us to acknowledge the truth of the situations that created these within us. We can look at these parts of ourselves for what they truly are — for the wounds that are brought into the light can be healed, when possible, and can be accepted for what they are, if not. Light cleanses, sterilizes, and heals — and with that healing, comes empowerment and Sovereignty.”
― Jhenah Telyndru, The Wisdom of Cerridwen: Transforming Her Cosmic Brew

“As her worship spread, the domains over which Isis held power expanded as well. In addition to her roles in Egyptian religion, she became associated with the moon, the seasons of the year, the fertility of the Earth, and considered to be the force which controlled the patterns of the cosmos. A guardian of women in general, and mothers in particular, Isis was also invoked to protect ships and harbors, and to assist armies in their defense of their nations. She came to be known as Isis Myrionymos – She of Many Names.”
― Jhenah Telyndru, On the Wings of Isis: Reclaiming the Sovereignty of Auset

“This movement to perpetuate a character assassination of Ceridwen, who was never depicted as a hag in previous accounts but rather as a mother in the prime of her fertility, is believed to be the origin of later perceptions and depictions of Ceridwen as an ugly hag and witch — a dabbler in sorcery and devourer of children, rather than the sacred source of the creative power of Awen. But even within the story of Taliesin, where she is at her witchiest and most terrifying, one need but scratch below the surface of the tale to find remnants of her former self and the role she played in bardic tradition. However, it is likely that the modern idea of Ceridwen as a Goddess of Witches and Witchcraft has its origins in this movement to discredit her and malign her femininity… for as far as the patriarchy is concerned, there is nothing worse than calling a woman an ugly hag , while accusing her of wielding demonic magic. After all, how could a *woman*, of all things, be the source of a force as powerful as the Awen?”
― Jhenah Telyndru, The Wisdom of Cerridwen: Transforming Her Cosmic Brew

“To seek Ceridwen is to pursue change — change of form, change of heart, change of mind. Hare into salmon, into wren, into seed. Into death and rebirth. Gwion into Taliesin. From small innocent into shining brow. And when the transformation is complete, she asks that we be an agent of change… shifting into that which she requires of us.

For she bids us sing with sharpest tongue that scolds and scalds the faces of tyrants with words forged in bile’s righteous brew. And then, she asks for the balm of blessings dripping mead-sweet from our lips to soothe the mind and mend the hearts of those who are tested, those made weary by the trials of life… Until she asks for verses that conjure courage — that awaken sleeping souls into action, that embolden tentative whisperings into resounding shouts against injustice.

For once we get a glimpse, no matter how fleeting, of the world as it could be when banished is the darkness of deceit and avoidable death, of profit over people, of separation over community… for once our brows are set alight by her divine breath — our world will never be the same.”
― Jhenah Telyndru, The Wisdom of Cerridwen: Transforming Her Cosmic Brew