[Review] Litany of the Morrígna by Morpheus Ravenna

Title: Litany of the Morrigna
Author: Morpheus Ravenna 
Publisher: Concrescent Press
Pages: 170
Publication Date: May 1, 2023

This book is an offering of devotion, both to the Morrígan and her Sisters, and to the poetic tradition that holds their myths and texts. In these pages is presented a Litany of a hundred names and epithets of praise to the Daughters of Ernmas-the Irish war goddesses Morrígan, Macha, Badb, and Némain. Following the Litany, commentary on each of the epithets is provided, giving its context and background in the Irish source literature, as well as what the language of the epithet tells us about its meaning.

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5/5 Triquetras for this one, as to be expected from the masterful writer, Morpheus Ravenna. 

The book, like the blurb above states, lists out 100 epithets that Ravenna has chosen and arranged. This book purely has the epithets of the Morrígna and the history behind each one, backed up with the mythology. 

The writing style is more academic in tone and doesn't stray from the source materials. There is quite a bit of etymology work and Old Irish to work through, which may be a little intimidating to some readers. I'd recommend to go slowly, and let yourself really sink into each entry. 

I believe that any devotee to Herself that is looking for more background on Herself and the names that Ravenna has picked out from the source materials would benefit from giving this one a read. 

I will admit that this one took me a fair bit of time to get through. There's a hefty endnote section, and overall, 174 pages of academic material presented here - including the 100 epithets at the beginning. Rushing through simply isn't an option, but I have found that flipping open to a random page as a form of bibliomancy to see "which" Morrígna to focus on for the day seemed to be helpful to me and my practice - see, even an academic text can be witchy! 

I loved this one from a spiritual perspective; I love learning more about my Goddess and as I said, using this as a form of divination and Communication with Herself was an added bonus. 

Overall I believe this book achieved it's goal  10/10. It set out to be a devotional piece and also wanted to shed insight and understanding on the epithets, which Ravenna has expertly done. We learn so much about the Morrígna through this book, which has helped me in my spiritual practice, and I believe any Irish Polytheist/Pagan would stand to learn something from this title. 

About the Author

Tattoo Professional, Artist, Writer, and Spiritworker

I am a genderfluid sorcerer, artist, and writer, residing in the East Bay area of California. I’m a dedicant of the Morrígan, with a practice rooted in animism, folk magic, and Celtic polytheism. An initiate of the Anderson Feri tradition of witchcraft, I have practiced devotional polytheism and the magical arts for over twenty-five years. I’m the author of The Book of the Great Queen and The Magic of the Otherworld, and a priest and co-founder of the Coru Cathubodua Priesthood. I study and write on Celtic cultures, folk magic, mythology, and ritual studies.

In addition to my tattooing work, I am an experienced painter and illustrator. I blend art and ritual through the creation of sigils, bindrunes, talismans and other ritual art forms.

Tattooing since 2010, I specialize in tattoo design inspired by ancient art and civilizations, and have a passion for ritual tattoos. I'm known for fine linework, crisp ornamental detail, as well as painterly color work and Celtic and Viking styles. I recognize tattooing as an initiatory art and in both design and tattooing I strive to serve as a channel to bring my clients’ visions to life as indelible, living art in the skin. I was professionally trained by Idexa Stern of Black & Blue Tattoo, a legend in the Bay Area.