#taliesin

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Her chapbooks, TALIESIN and IO, are both available from The Economy Press.

The great bard Taliesin was born from a magical grain of corn, consumed by an enchanted chicken!

According to the legend, a young boy, Gwion Bach, accidentally stole the power of poetic inspiration from the sorceress Cerridwen. He fled from her, ultimately transforming himself into a grain of corn to hide.

She in turn transformed herself into a hen, and swallowed him whole.

But that was not the end for young Gwion!

The grain grew inside her, before being reborn.

The witch had resolved to kill the child when he was born, but seeing his beauty she instead cast him adrift in a leather bag, where he was found by the noble Elffin ap Gwyddno, who named him Taliesin, or 'Radiant Brow'.

As the babe was picked up, he began to sing, in perfect rhythm and meter, words that would come to be known as the poem Dyhuddiant Elffin.

The painting is The Finding of the Infant Taliesin (1881) by Henry Clarence Whaite.

Invocation of my Guides

O Taliesin, Voice of Awen,

O Gwydion, Master of Wisdom and the Hidden Ways,

O Myrddin, Guardian of Mysteries and Deep Vision,

Walk beside me, O my Guides, upon the Ancient Path.

Illuminate my steps, strengthen my spirit,

and guide me toward Truth, Balance, and Wisdom.

Lead me to Arthur,

King of the Just Heart and Sovereign Courage,

the Center of the Harmony of the Unified Forces.

May the Awen and the Nwyvre flow within me and around me,

through the cycles of time and the currents of life.

By the Earth, the Sea, and the Sky;

By the Ancient Powers;

By the Eternal Awen.

Awen!

Awen!

Awen!

ARTHUR

Arthur

Arthur is one of the most iconic figures of the Brythonic tradition. A legendary king, victorious warrior, and ideal sovereign, he has become through the centuries the symbol of sacred kingship, justice, and unity.

Description

In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears above all as a war leader defending the peoples of Britain against invading forces.

Medieval literature later portrays him as the sovereign of Camelot, surrounded by the Knights of the Round Table and guided by Merlin.

Yet beyond history and legend, Arthur embodies:

• the Just King;

• the Guardian of Balance;

• the Protector of the People;

• the Defender of the Living World;

• the Sovereign of the Heart.

Within the spiritual tradition of this work, Arthur represents the Center.

Just as the hub of a wheel remains still while the wheel itself turns, Arthur symbolizes the point of perfect balance where all forces meet without opposition.

He is the Guardian of the Center of the Unified Forces.

History and Legend

King Arthur

The earliest references to Arthur appear in the ancient Brythonic traditions.

Over the centuries, his story became enriched with many legendary themes:

• Excalibur, the Sacred Sword;

• the Round Table;

• Merlin;

• Guinevere;

• the Quest for the Holy Grail;

• Avalon.

Arthur gradually became the model of the ideal king, uniting courage, wisdom, and justice.

The Once and Future King

An ancient tradition tells that Arthur did not truly die.

Mortally wounded at the Battle of Camlann, he was carried to the Isle of Avalon, where he remains until the day his people shall once again need him.

This belief has made Arthur the Sleeping King, the silent guardian of hope.

The Center

Within the initiatory path presented in this work, Arthur is more than a king.

He embodies the still Center of the Cosmic Wheel.

Toward him converge the inspiration of Taliesin, the creative wisdom of Gwydion, and the profound vision of Myrddin.

The druid does not seek Arthur merely as an external sovereign, but as the living Center where Wisdom, Strength, and Love are reconciled.

Thus, Arthur becomes the Guardian of the Inner Nemeton and the symbol of the unity of the Living World.

Taliesin

Taliesin

Taliesin is both a historical figure and a mythical figure in the Welsh tradition.

Description

In medieval Welsh literature, Taliesin appears as the greatest of the bards, the bearer of Awen (Sacred Inspiration), and the master of poetry, memory, and hidden knowledge.

His name is generally understood to mean "Radiant Brow" or "Shining Forehead."

In the bardic tradition, he is far more than a poet:

he is an initiate who journeys through the forms of the world, the ages, and the mysteries of transformation.

This makes him a figure akin to the inspired sage, the druid-poet, and the guardian of cosmic memory.

History and Legend

Two Taliesins appear to overlap within the tradition.

1. The Historical Taliesin

A sixth-century poet attached to several Brythonic kings of the Old North, notably:

• Urien Rheged;

• Owain mab Urien.

Several poems preserved in the medieval manuscript known as the Book of Taliesin are attributed to him.

2. The Mythic Taliesin

The most famous legend tells the story of his birth.

The enchantress Cerridwen prepares a Cauldron of Wisdom for her son.

The young Gwion Bach is entrusted with watching over its preparation.

Three burning drops of the potion fall upon his finger.

When he places them in his mouth, he receives all the wisdom of the Cauldron.

The Great Chase

A magical pursuit then begins.

Gwion becomes a hare.

Cerridwen becomes a greyhound.

Gwion becomes a fish.

Cerridwen becomes an otter.

Gwion becomes a bird.

Cerridwen becomes a hawk.

At last, Gwion transforms himself into a grain of wheat.

Cerridwen, having become a hen, swallows him.

After a period of gestation, she gives birth to Taliesin.

Thus, Taliesin becomes the Child of Transformation, the Child of Wisdom, and the Child of Awen.