In the online witchcraft community we follow our own eclectic ways with an open heart and inclusive mind. While the intention is good, it reminds of the scene in the Monty Python movie ‘The Life of Brian’ where people in a crowd shout, “we are all individuals”, with only one voice protesting, “I am not”. Applied to my life this means, even though I want to think of myself walking my self-authored talk, I feel that my struggle for legitimacy is more real than I would like to admit. So while I am stirring my own magical stew, being part of the crowd in Ireland means to visit the Morrigan’s cave. I have heard other followers of the Morrigan say they had been bullied for not going, and I will not miss out on this opportunity to do it right while I get the chance. We made it to her cave which surprisingly was not titled the Morrigan’s cave at all. Translated from Gaelic, the cave is called the Cave of the Cats. It is the warrior queen Medb who is the central figure of the place with its mounds, waters, and the cave, while certainly the Morrigan is tightly woven to her and the cave as well. If I had planned our trip more properly, I could have participated in the two hours guided tour. But arriving in Rathcroghan spontaneously, I prioritised a quick visit to the cave together with my family, saying hello to a goddess of my imagination, happy to leave a tiny offering unnoticed by the archaeologists who do the tours. Even if I could have done better from a cultural appreciation point of view, I am glad I visited Oweynagat softly opening and closing the cattle gate all by myself this time. My next visit will be better prepared and if you want to go and visit the cave, check out this website

The History of Rathcroghan