Branwen, Lady of the Waters of Love
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"The Love Potion", Evelyn de Morgan
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Branwen is remembered as the passive heroine of the second story of the Mabinogion, "Branwen the Daughter of Llyr." In this tale, she is a pawn in a series of feuds and wars between her brothers and her husband. Little remains of the woman who, even in this story, is referred to as "one of the three matriarchs of the Isle of Britain."
A hint of her divine nature may be seen in the legends of Tristan and Isolde. There, she is "Brangaene" or "Brangwain", Isolde's maidservant, who is in charge of keeping a love potion prepared by Isolde's sorceress mother for Isolde and her intended husband, Mark. However, whether by accident or design, Brangaene gives the potion to Isolde and Tristan instead, causing their famous love affair. Later, Brangaene saves Isolde's reputation; she takes her mistress's place in Mark's bed on the wedding night, offering her own maidenhead so that Mark does not suspect that Isolde is no longer a virgin. This kind of protective act reminds me of some medieval stories of the Virgin Mary, such as the one in which she takes the a nun's place in a convent while the nun is out living the life of a prostitute. Brangaene and Mary both seem to be playing the roles of protective goddesses, enabling their charges to follow their hearts while shielding them from reprisal.
On Anglesey/Mona, Branwen was known as Dwynwyn, where she presided over a healing well. Its special property was to heal the pain of lovers. If a jilted lover drank of Dwynwyn's waters, s/he would be granted one of two boons: either her fortune would turn and she would wed her beloved, or else she would be cured of her passion and pain, so that she could go on with her life.
If we put enough pieces together, Branwen emerges as a goddess of love, and of all its trials and tribulations.
For when you find yourself in the predicament of Dwynwyn's supplicants of old. This is a spell for the brokenhearted.
You will need: Your ritual chalice, or if you don't have one, a pretty cup. Water: if your tap water tastes good, that's fine; otherwise, splurge on some Aquafina. It'll be pretty hard to believe you're drinking a healing elixir if the water tastes icky. A candle in a soothing and pretty scent; rose and aloe-vera are two of my favorites. Finally, some sort of offering for Dwynwyn; fruit or flowers would be excellent.
Fill the cup with water. Invoke the Goddess Dwynwyn in your own words as you light the candle. Ask her to bless the waters in your chalice. Say something like this:
"O Dwynwyn of the sacred cup,Now visualize your beloved and tell Dwynwyn that you desire him/her.
"(Name) is my love and pain,Breathe in the soothing scent of the candle, and visualize yourself calm and happy. Drink some of the water, knowing that you are drinking in the compassion of the Lady. Breathe deeply and be calm in the certainty that what happens will be for the best.
Thank Dwynwyn, leave your offering, and pour the water out onto the ground or into a body of water. Snuff the candle, or leave it burning, as you desire.
(Copyright 2001, Kelly C. Lasiter, "Kethlenda". You may use this in your own practice, or even forward it to a friend (as long as you leave the name "Kethlenda" at the top of it). Please don't put it into a book, article, or other money-making venture. Thank you.)
