Arianrhod: The Mother

The casual woman, Viviane, rode her horse through the shallow waters, and the child followed closely behind her. The cypress that hung near the river was brushing against Arianrhod's eyes as she tried to keep the quickly and steady beat of the hooves. The young girl tugged at the sleeves of her blue riding dress. Her black hair fell in ringlets around her pale face. She much resembled the tall woman in front of her, but this was not her mother. Arianrhod wondered if she would ever see her mother or sister again. Her sister had been sent to a nunnery of Glastonbury, which was just across the summer sea from Avalon.

Avalon was where Arianrhod was headed. Viviane was the great priestess of the Mother Goddess of Avalon, Branwen. Although the small child knew nothing of the old ways of her land, she was excited but at the same time terrified of the outcome of her journey.

The small riverbank that the women traveled along was slowly widening into a vast ocean of mist and water. The cypress and willow trees that hung their deep branches over the small creek came smaller and smaller in their amounts as the women rode on.

Arianrhod looked on in wonder as a long boat with a cloaked ferryman glided gently over the soft waters of the Summer Sea. It beached on the pebbles just in front of the two women. The black-cloaked ferryman (or ferrywoman as Arianrhod now saw) bow gentle and subtly as Viviane climbed down her large stallion. She approached the long boat and stepped inside, carefully not letting her skirt touch the water. It appeared as though she was floating.

The guardians of Avalon and the faithful followers appeared mysteriously over the hilltop. As Viviane turned they bowed low and made small signs with their hands, the signs looked like those of the Christians, but the were very different indeed. Arianrhod looked out into the mist.

"Where are we?" The small girl asked as she climbed off her horse. She stepped into the murky water looking to Viviane for her answer.

"We are on the borders of Avalon." Said Viviane, she too made the sign with her hand. "All will be told in time."

"This." Arianrhod starred into the green waters of the Summer Sea. "This is. Avalon?"

Viviane smirked at the child. "The goddess is everything in nature. And, all of nature is sacred. She and Avalon are everything that is beautiful, and everything is frightening as well. Listen to the sounds of the earth. that is her voice. Look at the sky and the earth with their glorious colors and images. that is her face. Feel her inside of you, talking moving making you hers. that is her soul. All women contain a partial connection with the goddess, but there are those who are blessed by her hand."

"Like with the sight?" Arianrhod begged.

"Yes, or there are some who can hear her and tell others what she tells them. there are even those, like myself, her are her. We belong to her and when we leave this life we find comfort in her palace in the stars. This is the water that encloses the true Avalon, her home and yours."

As they moved closer to the mists a chill crept into Arianrhod's heart. Will I ever see Rhiannon, my sister, again? She thought. The mother answered her question almost immediately as the bells of the convent of Glastonbury rang out into the morning air.

"I that Avalon?" Arianrhod said pointing to the steeple of the monastery. She knew it was not, but Viviane knew the true question.

"That is Glastonbury, Avalon is beneath it, behind it, deeper in the mists. Your sister was meant for there, you were meant for greater things. Avalon was here before the Christians built their monastery." Viviane turned back to the mist, which was growing thicker and slowly piercing Arianrhod making her heart true to the goddess.

Viviane raised her arms as Arianrhod looked on in amazement. The mists separated leaving only a green mountain full of red flowers and green trees. This was Avalon. This was home.