MANTRA

• Adventure
  

GEMSTONES

• Cat's-eye, ruby and moonstone
  

ESSENTIAL OILS

• Goddess-ence Isis* blend for the third eye chakra

AFFIRMATIONS

• I see and accept the path intended for me
• My future is full of juicy possibilities
• I invite new choices into my life
• My goals are becoming manifest
• I deserve to have my dreams realised

The maiden goddess Epona is usually portrayed as riding a white mare side-saddle, sometimes with a foal, or standing surrounded by horses. Her symbol is the Cornucopia ("horn of plenty") which suggests that she may have been honoured as a fertility goddess, although she is most commonly known as a goddess of horses and travel. She fed her beloved horses from her cornucopia filled with corn and apples, symbolic of mother-love and abundance.

From the iron age, the Celtic goddess' faith spread across the whole of ancient Europe, eventually being embraced by the Romans and to a certain extent, Christianity. Epona had a shrine in almost every stable of the Roman empire - in fact, she was the only Celtic goddess to be honoured by the Romans with a temple in their capital city. Her annual festival in Roman times was around the 18th December (in Mantua/Italy), when her images in shrines and stables were draped in rose garlands.

Epona and her white mare accompanies the soul on its final journey to the other world, and in life she is associated with the white mare that brings dreams.

This week, allow yourself the time to dream, give yourself the opportunity to let your ideas ride in your mind, think of where you have been afraid to go and let the horses of Epona guide your spirit there in safety. If you need a tool to facilitate a meditative state, use a string of rose petal beads to help discover new places within yourself.

To make rose petal beads: cook rose petals in a little water in an iron pot until nearly black and pasty. Add a little orris powder and rose-scented oil, and shape the beads to 2 times the size you want them to be when dry. Pierce them with a needle and string them, turning them regularly until they're dry. On a full moon, invoke Epona to bless the beads. Use the beads to energise your prayers by holding them as you creatively visualise your journeys with Epona.

Love and delight
Anita Revel

 Goddess.com.au