Overview: Hearken back to the call of Cerridwen, mistress of initiation and keeper of the cauldron of inspiration. Follow the footsteps of the bards and dive into her mysterious depths in search of the radiant brow of inner vision.

Drink of her Awen, her divine brew, and sit with Taliesin, keeper of the bright knowledge of spirit. Cerridwen has been honored by the Welsh bards for centuries and is known most famously as the mother and initiator of the bardic poet and divine child Taliesin, whose works are the greatest treasures of Welsh medieval literature, unlocking a spiritual tradition whose roots go far back to Britain’s most ancient past.

Verdict: For those not fully aware, this brand new book Pagan Portals - Cerridwen: Keeper of the Cauldron stylishly traces Cerridwen’s roots through layers of history and myth, whilst also providing hands-on exercises and visionary rites to help you realize her immeasurable power in your own magical practice.

For I honestly think that it is rather important that we learn as much as possible about a mother figure who loved her child so ferociously, with such dedication, even though she was very often a misunderstood figure. But author Danu Forest is a Celtic scholar, and her exquisite use of words makes Cerridwen so much more interesting, relatable, and human than the way history, at times, has drawn here.

A Celtic Goddess of the cauldron, Cerridwen was the embodiment of the great transformative power of the cauldron itself — the alchemical vessel through which the ordinary becomes the magical.

While known by many as a shapeshifting Goddess, Cerridwen most popularly represented the darker aspects of Goddess energy—symbolizing the crone, the wise one, the dark one who sees all and knows all.

This is why Cerridwen is most well-known for her ties to the Underworld as keeper of the cauldron (the ultimate inspiratrix and creatrix) — embedding herself at the center of that fateful cycle between death and rebirth. For Cerridwen knows, just like any wise crone would, that to create and to inspire as one does with such power means to invoke the intimate death and rebirth that all of creation requires.

What this book strives to do is bring an engaging, and dutifully balanced overview of just who Cerridwen was, along with her generous ability to teach, and love. Not only is the mythology interesting and symbolic, but the book itself is so beautifully written that the words are inspiring and relevant today.

As for why Cerridwen is so important to the author Forest, well, her interest in Taliesin and Cerridwen first took root within her while she was at school over thirty years ago, and she admits she can recall that even then how they deeply stirred her.

Thus the central work of this book has been to honor Cerridwen as best she could, but no book or journey of study ever takes place in a vacuum, and so she takes this opportunity to thank and honor all those who have supported her path and learning, and who have provided insight and inspiration along the way.

She also acknowledges and honors the rich and vibrant culture and developments taking place with regard to this subject in modern Wales at this time, and so encourages the reader to engage with these as much as possible.

About the Author - Danu Forest is a traditional Celtic wisewoman, of half British and half Irish heritage. She is a writer, teacher and Celtic Scholar with an MA in Celtic studies, her thesis was on Celtic folk magic practitioners and the fairy faith. Danu lives in a cottage near Glastonbury Tor in the midst of the Avalon lakes, in the South West of England.

Exploring the Celtic mysteries for over 30 years, and noted for her quality research, practical experience, as well as her deep visionary love of the land, Danu writes for numerous national and international magazines and is the author of several books.

She is a respected magical teacher, healer and seer offering readings and consultations, workshops and ceremonies, as well as online courses. www.danuforest.co.uk.

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