The Wisdom of Cerridwen: Transforming Her Cosmic Brew by H. Bryon Ballard

Moderator’s Note: This is the Preface to the recently published anthology, The Wisdom of Cerridwen: Transforming Her Cosmic Brew.

Cerridwen, ancient Queen,
Dark Mother, take us in.
Cerridwen, ancient Queen,
Let us be reborn.
—a Reclaiming chant

Open these pages and relish the words of this divine Mother, this wild Sister, this trickster and keeper of the Cauldron of Eternity! Spend time with Her. Learn Her sacred ways, Her stories, Her lore.

I learned the chant above at the Glastonbury Goddess Conference where I taught several years ago. I often use it in both my private meditations and in public rituals. It is simple but direct, quite unlike the Goddess it honors. I learned how to pronounce Her name from a Welsh-speaking colleague who gave it a rolling “r” and an emphasis on the second syllable. Keh-RRRHID-wen. Try it. So delicious to say.

The first tale I read about Her was the shape-shifting riddle game of the Goddess and Gwion Bach, who was to be reborn as the legendary Welsh poet, Taliesin. She set the boy to stir a powerful brew that would grant Her son wisdom to compensate for his ugly appearance. But the hot potion splashed onto the boy’s thumb and he stuck it in his mouth, thus gaining what was meant for Cerridwen’s son. The Goddess chased the boy who kept changing his shape. She did the same and the chase ended with Gwion Bach transforming into a grain of wheat and She changing into a hen that swallowed him up. But because the boy had tasted the magical brew, the Goddess became pregnant and birthed Taliesin.

But my favorite story by far is the one I tell every Samhain and use as an example of the Otherworld in many Pagan groups. It goes like this:

When we make the transition from matter to spirit, our souls go into the West, to a place called the Summerlands, the Applelands or sometimes Tir Nan Og, the Land of Youth. There are beautiful green fields there with streams of fresh and sweet water. The Gods and the Ancestors abide there, amongst vast apple orchards. On each tree, there is every stage of an apple’s life—bud to blossom, green apple to ripe one, even rotting apples are supported by each tree’s branches.

When our souls arrive in this place, we rest and walk with the Divines and the Ancestors, refreshing ourselves by drinking the sweet water and learning from our kindred who have already made the journey.

When we are ready, we review our lives and discuss them to gain understanding of why we did what we did and to ponder some wisdom. When we are ready, we make the decision to stay in this peaceful place and become on Ancestor or to return for another try at human life.

If the choice is to return, the essence of our being returns to the great cauldron of Cerridwen where it joins the remnants of the souls of our whole tribe in a sort of spirit stew. And when a new baby is born, the great Goddess scoops out just enough soul for that particular baby. On the baby’s first cry, Cerridwen pours in the perfect amount of that soul stew for this new human.

No Hell, no punishment, only apples, sweet water and the people we came from. Only understanding and wisdom, and a decision based on both. Then a reunion with the essence of us all before we start the whole process again. All in the hands of this magnificent Being, this shape-shifting Mother who tenderly holds our souls until we are ready for rebirth.

Let these words and artwork guide you to Her, in all Her forms and guises. Prepare yourself for a many-faceted jewel with beauty and wisdom to share with Her people. And know that you are Her people.

H. Byron Ballard, BA, MFA, is a native of Western NC. She is a writer, amateur folklorist with a specialty in Appalachian folk magic  and healing. She tours extensively in the US and Great Britain. Her books include four on mountain folk magic. The first was Staubs and Ditchwater, and the most recent (2025) is A Feral Church. She lives in Asheville, NC. USA.

Julia Jeffrey is a Scottish artist and illustrator. She studied painting at The Glasgow School of Art. Her faery and fantasy-themed work, of recent years, has attracted considerable acclaim and attention, with features in numerous international fantasy magazines. Her work appears on and in many books and albums, and her first tarot deck, The Tarot of the Hidden Realm, was published in 2013. Artwork by Julia Jeffrey, also featured in the anthology.