Landscaping with the Cailleach

Where do I come in?

There is apparently some debate regarding the plausibility of matriarchies among ancient peoples. This is interesting to me, as I wish to start down a path that will most certainly lead through periods in our ancient past, to a goddess so ancient that even the ancients couldn’t remember her with great accuracy. As a man, I am curious about how things work in a society that isn’t run by men, or doesn’t govern itself by idealized notions of masculine domains. I’ve never lived in such a society or culture, I simply have no experience with it. But I think before I get too far down this path I’m on, I should at least consider the matter.

The Cailleach and Odin

Odin is a god I have had a good understanding for and with for quite sometime. When I first started reading about the Cailleach, I was struck by the similarities between these two … as far as I could tell, they could be brother and sister, just from the general descriptions. Both are fond of storms, both have a single eye, both are respected for their great age and wisdom, both are wintry sorts, are associated with death; and while Odin wields his mighty spear, the Cailleach is known to wield a wand. Clearly, there are plenty of differences; and I was prepared to dismiss the similarities as mere coincidence – in fact, I did dismiss them as coincidence for the better part of this past year. Then I read an article that caused me to rethink things … Odinists who lack a healthy sense of humor might want to think twice before reading further.

First blog post

I’ve debated whether or not I should choose this path, debated it for about a year. The path, to try to get to know a deity that nowadays almost nothing is really known about. That deity is the Cailleach. I first encountered the presence of this deity while Journeying last year. An Owl guide showed me one of her mountains, among other things. Up until this Journey, I had never heard of the Cailleach; and I must admit it took me a day’s worth of rummaging around on the internet before I realized the name of the presence I encountered.