"What Is...?" Wednesday

The Sidhe

~In Irish mythology, the Sídhe  are a powerful, supernatural race comparable to the fairies or elves. They are variously believed to live underground in the fairy mounds, across the western sea, or in an invisible world that coexists with the world of humans.~

The words “Sidhe," (roughly pronounced and sometimes spelled “Shee”) and “fairy” are almost interchangeable. Mainly it could be said that the Sidhe are fairy or fey but not the tiny winged creatures most associated with the term fairy. Instead the Sidhe were thought to be tall, fair, and other-worldly. That is, when they were not frightening, misshapen monsters. There seem to be two categories of Sidhe... the general, lordly, spirit-like beings that are very much like humans and the rest.

Under the rest falls the Leprechaun, the Phooka, the Merrow and the Banshee. The Leprechaun is probably the most well known of all of these, although it’s mystery and behaviors have been watered down quite a bit... these fairy cobblers are now simply tiny green wearing men who guard the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.


The origin of the Sidhe myths are closely tied to the ancient history of Ireland. The story goes that the Fir-Bolgs, a relatively uncivilized people and the Formorians were in control of the island until the Tuatha De’ Danann (the people of Danu) landed. The Tuatha De’ Danann brought with them technology and culture far beyond the Fir-Bolgs, which made up for their fewer numbers, and they were able to gain control of Ireland.

Perhaps because of the gap in sophistication between the Tuatha De’ Danann and the other populations, many legends and superstitions began to spring up concerning the newcomers. They could only be hurt by weapons of iron, it was said and they possessed artifacts of great and wondrous power, such as the Caludrun of Dagda, which could never be emptied of stew.

The Tuatha De’ Danann were eventually defeated by another group, the Miesians. Of course, the Tuatha De’ Danann were so infused with myth and power that they could not truly be defeated and so the legend goes that they left Ireland by slipping into another time and space, to rule the Otherworld.

Tarot Tuesday

Today's card isn't exactly a tarot card per se...it's considered an oracle deck and one of my favorites! It is The Chimera from Madame Endora's Fortune Cards. This card hails from The Bestiary section of the  Madame Endora's deck, along with The Black Cat, The Gryphon and The Wyvern. The LWB states..." The Chimera represents an unlikely mixture or clash of ideas, a wild fantasy or one who is imaginative but prone to daydreams and flights of fancy. Your pursuits may be unrealistic. Imagination clouds your judgement."

I looked up the Chimera to find out just what the myths were surrounding it and all the paths lead me to one concrete conclusion...this was one mean and vicious creature! 

{From the Greek meaning "she-goat" the Chimera is a fire-breathing creature that has the body of a goat, the head of a lion and the tail of a serpent.  Some sources have represented the Chimera with three heads (the lion's head as the main, then the goat's head sprouted from its back, and the serpent's or Dragon’s head on its tail), but the popular myth tells of the single, fire-vomiting head. The very unlikely aspect of the chimera has gradually turned its name into a synonym of a vain dream.}

All myths aside, drawing this card is all about grounding your decisions in reality and making well informed, wise choices... Myths or legends always seem to have a certain romanticized feel to them, like an ancient bedtime story with a few rough edges. We often feel removed from the tale but somehow fascinated by it at the same time. 


This is the dreamlike influence that the Chimera represents (not to mention having so many parts can be pretty darned distracting too!) Anyhow, just keep in mind that assessing a given situation and making choices are always best done with a (one) clear head and (two) grounded feet.










~Terrific resource if you would like to learn to read the Tarot...Tarot Eon

Elemental Creatures- The Salamander

Salamanders rule the element of fire and hail from the direction South. It's typically agreed they take on a lizard-like form and are said to have taught ancient man how to create and use fire in ancient fables. The elemental concept of and the term salamander was coined by Paraselsus, a highly respected physician of the 16th century.

The lore continues to weave in and out of collective imagination as we learn elemental Salamanders were attributed for the presence of coronas or points of discharge. Commonly known as St. Elmo's Fire, salamanders were thought to produce electric fields of energy, and sometimes great glowing orbs of fire

The mythical salamander resembles the real salamander somewhat in appearance, but makes its home in fires, the hotter the better. Early travelers to China were shown garments which, or so they were told, had been woven of wool from the salamander: the cloth was completely unharmed by fire. The garments had actually been woven from asbestos.

These are a few symbolic attributes of fire:

~Wild ~Bold

~Sultry ~Feisty

~Lively ~Energizing

~Impetuous ~Passionate

~Consuming ~Enlightening

~Illuminating ~Commanding