Understanding the Element of Earth

On the sacred wheel, the North encompasses the element of earth, winter, death, rebirth, and your ancestors. The North is the still and sacred portal where we can break down and shed to rebuild for a new cycle. It is the seat of deep wisdom where the ancestral knowledge from all those who've come before you resides. The North encompasses endings, new beginnings, and the space in between.  

In this post, you’ll be able to explore the wisdom of the earth element and the North. You'll also learn common correspondences and ways to build relationship with the North. Because this is the first in a series of posts, I'll also spend some time discussing sacred circles and wheels in various cultures and how they're used with the directions and elements. 

Listen to this on my podcast here.

I started working with the cardinal directions in my practice years ago, initially to cast a circle and create sacred space. My work with the wheel has evolved, and working with the directions and wheel has become an intrinsic part of my practice. I use the wheel as a tool to connect with the seasons, the cardinal directions, the elements, and all of the wisdom each section encompasses. Circles similar to the seasonal wheel used by many Celtic, Druidic, and Wiccan spiritual practices are sacred across many cultures and have a lot of overlap in meaning. 

If you'd like a frame of reference for the sort of wheel I'll be referring to throughout this share and series, you can find one in my book "Understanding the Wheel of the Year." The wheel I created for the book shows each season's color, direction, elemental, lunar, and zodiac alignments. If you don't have the book, I've shared an image below, and if you're listening, feel free to pause and look up this share on my blog. 

Understanding The Wheel of The Year by Cassie Uhl.

It's a common framework used by cultures worldwide, though you will find subtle differences from practice to practice. Let's start there and look at how other cultures work with sacred wheels. 

Sacred Wheels Across Cultures

The medicine wheel or sacred hoop is a tool and symbol used by many First Nations and Indigenous cultures from the land referred to as Canada and North America. Stone structures that have been used for ceremonial purposes dating back as early as 3200 BCE have been found in Canada. Though stone structure dates back far into the past, medicine wheels and sacred hoops are still alive today with many Indigenous people and communities. They can be used for ceremony, ritual, and to connect with the four directions, elements, animals, and more. 

In Mongolian Cosmology, the ger often referred to as a yurt here in the West represents a sacred wheel. The ger is viewed as a microcosm, or a map, of the universe. Each direction has a unique significance related to who and what resides in that location and what takes place. For example, the entrance of the ger always faces North, the fire is always at the center, women sit on Eastside, and men on the West. 

In yogic practices, the directions hold significance as well. It is not uncommon to face specific directions for specific asanas and meditations. There are myths, Gods, and Goddesses associated with each direction which each share insights about the significance of each direction in yogic philosophy. I'm always intrigued by the overlap in different cultures around common spiritual tools and symbols. Here, in an article from Pandit Rajmani Tigunait of Yoga International, he shares a bit about the direction of the North in Yogic tradition, "The North is determined by the polar star, the symbol of stability; it is the fixed goal that never wavers. It represents unshakable conviction." I love this because it's similar to my understanding and relationship with the North. 

Of course, these are just little snippets of each of these sacred practices. 

There are symbols and practices throughout Europe that use sacred wheels, although, as usual, with little historical reference. The sun cross or solar wheel, a circle with a cross in the middle, is a common symbol found throughout prehistoric Europe. However, even the name that was given to this symbol, the "sun cross," is relatively new, which shows how little we truly know about its true significance. Between the sun cross and circular structures like Stonehenge and Woodhenge, it's not difficult to see that wheels were sacred to many throughout Europe. 

Today many practices like Wicca and Druidry use the wheel in different ways like connecting with the seasons, elements, cardinal directions, creating sacred space, and more. This is how I connect with the wheel in my practice and the lens through which I'll be sharing from here. 

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Before we dive into the bulk of this share, I want to give you a little bit of a reference of my process for this share and how I intend to craft future shares in this series. The North is an important topic because it encompasses many other significant issues like the element of earth, Wintertime, our ancestors, and more. My goal with this share and the future directions is to give you a framework to begin building a relationship with the North and its many facets. Much of what I share will be from my personal experiences building a relationship with the North. As always, remember that your experiences may differ based on your cultural background and personal gnosis. 

I've been spending a lot of time connecting with my local nature spirits and journeying about the topic for this post. This share has not come easily to me. I have a deep reverence for the North and a feeling of not wanting to get it wrong. The North and the earth element are our sacred foundation and the home of our ancestors, and it feels relevant that I stress the importance and sacredness of the North.

Let's begin exploring the wisdom of the element of earth and the cardinal direction, North.

The Wisdom of Earth & North

Earth and North are the cauldron of creation encompassing death, birth, and the space between these realms. It is the simultaneous end and beginning of the dark moon phase. I think our linear human minds sometimes struggle with this. We're so used to endings and beginnings that a pause between the two, or the idea that endings and beginnings live in the same space, seems somewhat foreign. But, of course, we can always find glimpses of this in nature. 

cardinal direction north in the ritual deck

Even here in the desert, I find subtle reminders of the wisdom of the North and those in-between spaces. There's an oleander plant I often notice on my walks. It seems to be always blooming. However, since around the time of the Winter Solstice, it's dropped its flower and, as of recently, has formed tiny buds. I've enjoyed noticing how long the buds have been there, waiting, as the plant rebuilds and absorbs more nutrients to bloom again. I've used it as a bit of a marker for myself as I find myself in a similar space of rebuilding. It's been a comforting reminder to pay more attention to plants in their death and "in-between" phases this winter season. People often ask how I connect with the seasons being in the desert, and I'm here to tell you that the seasons are very much alive, even in the desert, albeit on a smaller scale. 

Wintertime, the season of the North, also coincides with our shift into Capricorn season. It makes my heart sing when these seasons overlap so perfectly. Capricorn is a cardinal earth sign and corresponds with the planet of Saturn. The cardinal earthy energy signals a time to build a solid foundation upon which we can build. The Saturn correspondence invites in structure. These themes fit perfectly into the realm of the North and the element of earth. 

Understanding what tools you need to build a strong foundation requires time and introspection. I'd say there's even a thread of shadow work that weaves through this space. To create a solid foundation, you'll need to take stock of what's working and what's not working in your life, assess where you need to set different boundaries and notice where you may need to ask for help or call in reinforcements. Deep processing, shedding, and collecting happen in the North. 

Your body and physical wellbeing correspond with the North and this season as well. You are the earth of the North. We often forget that our bodies are nature itself. This space is an invitation to notice how you're tending to your body or your physical foundation. The North is where we address the physical body's needs, so you feel safe and supported during this incarnation. The earth and all its inhabitants live within the realm of the North. Everything comes from the earth and will decompose back into the earth. The earth is the foundation for all life. 

This is where your ancestors come in. You have centuries of ancestral knowledge living within your blood, bones, and DNA. Outside of your physical body, there's ancestral knowledge within the soil, stones, and water as well. Of course, not all of our ancestors have left positive influences that will be for you to parse out, work with, and hea. But there's wisdom and learning nonetheless. On a very physical level, the earth below your feet holds the wisdom of every ancestor who's come before you. When you connect with the power of the North, you connect with this wisdom and knowledge. 

We often think of connecting with those on the other side as somewhere outside of us or up in a heaven of sorts. While it may be that the spirits of our ancestors are in a different realm, their blood, bones, and all of the wisdom therein have been absorbed back into the earth. This is why we connect with the ancestors in the earth and the wisdom of the North on a very physical level. That is where their wisdom lives. 

Are you're starting to see and feel the layers of this sacred space emerge? 

Correspondences for Earth & North

You could probably pick up on several correspondences from what I shared above. Here are a few more common energetic connections for the North. A quick note before I dive in: as I shared earlier, the cardinal directions and the elements are spiritual practices that show up across cultures. It's also important to remember that you may have unique connections to the directions and their correspondences. Suppose the way you connect with each direction varies from what I share here. That is normal and certainly not a reason to discount your connections or mine, whether it be from another culture or a personal connection. 

Correspondences for the North

Element: Earth

Season: Winter

Time of day: Midnight

Moon Phase: Dark moon

Tarot: Pentacles

Colors: black, brown, green, white

Animal: bear or any other earthy animal you connect to the North

Other: dirt, stones, plants, bones, clay

Working with corresponding tools is one way to help honor and connect with the energy associated with the North. Tools and symbols can draw our awareness to where we are trying to focus. I will also share ways to use these correspondences in the following section. 

Three Ways to Connect with the Earth Element

Now my favorite section! You hear me say this often because it's been so true for my practice. For there to be a connection or learning to happen, there must be relationship. So before any deep work can be done within the North and its many corresponding energies, I encourage you to build a relationship with the North. 

Understanding each direction on the wheel has far less to do with what I share here and much more to do with how you experience them. 

There are so many ways to begin building a relationship with the North and the earth, and I find it is a beautiful starting point because it is a place of foundations. The North is the infrastructure for the rest of the wheel and your spiritual practice and an ever-present touchpoint you can come back to at any time to feel supported and to tap into a deep well of wisdom. That said, there are many who also like to start in the East as it is a place of new beginnings. For example, when I cast a circle, I begin with the East and end with the North. I'll leave it up to you, but in my opinion, there are no strict rules about this, especially when deciding where to begin forming a deeper relationship. 

If you are looking for more personal guidance, as I mentioned earlier in this share, I am offering my "Journey to the Ancestors," which will provide a more robust look at connecting with the North with even more tools, including journal prompts a card spread, and guided journey meditation. 

Here we'll focus on connecting with the earth and your local natural environment, tuning into your physical body, and journeying or meditating on the North. 

1. Connecting with the earth 

Because the North encompasses the element of earth, connecting with the earth is a powerful portal to experience the North and its wisdom. There are so many ways to connect with the earth, and you likely already have some beautiful practices to help you do this. For me, the most powerful way I've found to connect with the earth is through regular connection with my natural environment. I do this by going on regular walking meditations, usually 15-30 minutes 4-5 times a week. As always, I encourage you to try whatever feels like a doable and sustainable amount of time for you and your unique schedule.

When I walk, I try to focus my full attention on the environment around me. I say try because, just like sitting meditation, my mind tries to remind me of all of my to-do's and interject with other random thoughts. To help me stay present and aware, I have a process to become more engrossed in my surroundings. I do this by noticing the temperature, the speed of the wind, the warmth and location of the sun, how the ground feels beneath my feet, how the air feels in my mouth and lungs, varying sounds of the animals, and any changes in different trees and plants.

I've found that connecting with nature regularly and intentionally creates a very natural pathway to forming a deep relationship with the earth and your environment. You'll soon see patterns and cycles of death and rebirth all around you, perhaps in ways that you hadn't previously noticed. You'll begin to feel more connected to the plants, animals, and soil. These relationships can then initiate a more profound unfolding and help you to form a deeper relationship with the element of earth, your ancestors, and the realm of the North. 

2. Connecting with the physical body

Another way I enjoy connecting with the realm of the North and the element of earth is by focusing on my physical body. Your body is a deep well of wisdom. Sometimes we discount this wisdom, especially when our physical bodies do not feel or perform the way we want them to or think they should.

The North reminds us that the body is a living vessel of cyclical wisdom, just like nature. Just like the oleander plant I mentioned earlier, you are not intended to bloom at all times either, nor are you intended to be a picture of perfect health at all times. Like nature, our bodies encounter seasons of sickness, decay, and growth. There is not one stage that is more spiritual than another, and you are not less spiritual if your body or mind experiences temporary or long-term illness. Have you ever looked at a tree losing its leaves and thought, "what a stupid tree? It must not have absorbed enough of the right kind of nutrients. Otherwise, it wouldn't be losing its leaves." I gather you probably haven't, but how often have you had thoughts like this about yourself or another person? 

It might seem like an unusual concept to build a relationship with your body, the very vessel you reside in, but I think, much like the earth, it's something we often take for granted. Our bodies always give us signs and nudges about what we need and don't need, but we don't always listen. When you permit yourself to connect with the body more regularly, you create a pathway to build a relationship with it and learn from its wisdom. 

Connecting with my body in a very intentional way is something I usually do before any meditation. You can add another layer of energy to this practice by facing North for a body meditation, either lying down with your head pointing towards the North or by sitting up and facing the North. I like to start at my feet and work my way up through the body. I try to notice each area, how it feels, and what the energy of each space is bringing up. 

I think a lot of us become accustomed to certain sensations so much so that we don't even notice when our body is trying to tell us it's time to pause or try something different. I'd also like to point out that I'm 100% not implying here that meditation can be a cure-all for all physical ailments. Nope, sometimes the sensations you tune into may indicate that it's time to see a doctor. But, in this instance, it helped me draw my attention back to my body to start using some tools to tend to my nervous system and body in ways that I previously hadn't been doing. 

The wisdom from the North here is that when we tune into the body, it will often tell us what it needs to feel better supported. Sometimes this looks like allowing more time for rest, eating nourishing foods, moving the body more, or reaching out for support from a doctor. Our bodies are wise beyond what our human brains can even fathom. 

If you'd like to explore a body-focused meditation, my "Meditate with the Moon" guided meditation package offers a body scan meditation for the dark moon phase that is a great way to tune into your body and connect with the North. 

3. Journeying and meditation

Another way to deepen your relationship is to journey to the North or meditate on the North. This can be a really powerful way to deepen your relationship with the North. The previous invitations can also help pave the way to connecting through meditation and journeying. This technique can be especially helpful when you want to connect with your ancestors. 

First, a bit about meditation vs. journeying, because they are different and often interchangeably, even by myself. I've mentioned journeying here in this space, but I haven't spent much time going into detail about what it is. 

There are likely others who will have a different opinion than I do, but these are my thoughts. I think of meditation as an umbrella term for training the mind to be more present and aware. However, there are many different kinds of meditation. I think of journeying as one kind of meditation. Journeying is akin to astral travel in that you focus your awareness on journeying to somewhere in the astral plane. Though it can be like an out-of-body experience, it often occurs within the mind's eye. 

This is a brief introduction to journeying, I could spend an entire post on what journeying is and different techniques, and I probably will someday. I think the best place to get started when wanting to learn how to journey is to meditate regularly and begin building your anchor point or the location within the astral realm that's your home. The better you visualize and hold the visualization, the more natural journeying will come to you over time. You can also get a taste for journeying in my free guided mediation to meet your spirit guides. That's a free offering for joining my email list, which you can find here. Or join me in my monthly journey, which this month is to your Ancestors in the North. 

If journeying is a part of your practice, I encourage you to try this method for connecting with the North. If journeying is new to you, I encourage you to try a meditation on the North. There's still deep wisdom there as well. To do a meditation to the North, I'd invite you to bring in some physical elements representing the North, like a black/brown candle or a stone, and to face the North. I'd also suggest stating aloud or in your mind that you desire to connect with the North. Then, close your eyes, connect with your breath and body and see where your mind takes you. How do you feel, what do you see in your mind's eye, and do any messages come through? This may take more than one go, and that's okay. Remember, building a relationship takes time. 

Meditating or journeying to the North can be a powerful tool when you need wisdom around matters of the North, like death, birth, the physical body, and ancestral healing. 

I hope in reading this you already feel more connected with the North and all its wisdom and that it's encouraged you to start building a deeper relationship with this "space." Getting this share out feels like a birth for me. It took me a long time to gather my thoughts around this big topic, so I hope you enjoyed it! I plan to explore the East around the equinox when our wheel shifts to the Spring. 

Sources

The Ger and the Sacred Circle: http://buryatmongol.org/a-course-in-mongolian-shamanism/mongolian-cosmology/the-ger-and-the-sacred-circle/

Four Elements, Four Directions: Is that Celtic or Druidic:

https://www.oocities.org/rainforest/canopy/2178/celtic2.html

The Significance of the four directions in practice:

https://yogainternational.com/article/view/the-significance-of-the-four-directions-in-practice

Lakota Medicine Wheel:

http://aktalakota.stjo.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8592

What is Awen?

Have you wondered what Awen is? Perhaps it's a word you're familiar with, but I also recognize that my podcast title, Awen Guided by Spirit, may have been your first acquaintance with the word. I feel like I owe you a bit of an explanation about what Awen is and why it's included in the title of my podcast. I also feel like it's important to breathe some life into Awen here in this space.

In this post, you'll learn what Awen is, where the word came from, how it's used, and my connection to it. Wrapped up in this share, I also want to begin a larger conversation about titles and how we identify ourselves in the spiritual community. 

Listen to the full episode here.

How do you identify yourself in the spiritual community?

If you're here, it's possible that, like myself, you feel unsure of what to call yourself. I find myself often simply identifying as "spiritual." Which is so non-specific that I think it has very little meaning, even though I know that the spiritual practices I adhere to are significant, real, and valid, as are yours. Maybe this isn't something you've pondered. If you don't, great, haha! However, I've personally grappled with this throughout my spiritual journey. 

Maybe, like me, you've asked yourself, "am I a witch, a pagan, a Druid, a Shamanic practitioner?" I don't fully resonate with any of these terms. In my opinion, most of these words have, to some extent, been misunderstood and misused. My unwillingness to claim these words often gives me a sense of feeling misplaced or apart from rather than a part of. Perhaps, you can relate, or maybe you feel very at home with some of these identifiers. Cultural heritage and where you live play a significant role here too.

For me, there's an energetic weight to some of these identifiers that I don't want to carry. For example, the need I feel to explain what being a witch means to me is something I don't want to untangle for people. The word witch often brings up a vast array of preconceived ideas for people. Yes, it can be empowering to identify as a witch. It can be powerful to reclaim that word. But, that word has also picked up so many correlations that do not fit who and what a witch is, believes, and does. Many people have a very fraught relationship with the word witch. 

I practice witchcraft, but I do not claim the title of witch more often than not. I know many of you feel very at home with this word, and that's beautiful. This is a bigger topic that I'm just scratching the surface of here. As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to email or DM me on Instagram. Perhaps, it's my Aquarius Sun, just trying to be different, haha! But, I don't doubt that some of you feel similarly. There's a lot of grey area and nuance to this topic, much of which I won't get into today.

My connection to Awen

Let's get back to the point of this share, which is to discuss Awen. Why then the slight detour? In my ever-evolving quest to find words and titles that I truly resonate with, I came to the word Awenydd in 2019 while reading a book by Elen Sentier. I often wonder if it was a deep soul whispering of a word I once knew and identified with lifetimes ago. Perhaps! Upon reading about the Awenyddion in the British Isles, I began a quest to read and learn all that I could about Awen and Awenyddion. 

For me, there's something about the word Awen that feels a little lighter, like it hasn't been subjected to the same weight that the word witch has. Instead, it feels very special, like a secret. Energetically, it feels like the essence of the unique spiritual path that I choose to walk. This is why I named this podcast Awen. I also believed that calling this podcast Awen would allow me to do what I'm doing now, to put this word and its essence on a bit of a pedestal. If it is a new word to you, too, I'll be excited to hear if its meaning rings as true for you as it did for me. Let's explore Awen. 

What is Awen?

So, what does Awen mean? Awen is a Welsh and Breton word that loosely translates as "flowing inspiration" or "poetic inspiration." Some describe it as the "holy spirit" of Celtic Spirituality and Druidry. I'll share my understanding of Awen, descriptions from others, and I'll end with a bit of historical context for this word. 

I think Awen is something we've all experienced at some point in our lives. Awen is available to everyone from any path. I think many experience Awen and simply call it a different name. Can you remember a time when you became fully consumed with an art project, playing an instrument, performing a ritual, dancing, writing, or simply being in awe of nature? Those moments of feeling wholly absorbed, present, and even experiencing a loss of time are Awen. Awen is something many of us brush up against while engaging with creative acts, but it can also be cultivated. 

As an artist and someone who started meditating at a young age, I'm quite familiar with what this sensation feels like. In art school, I remember being in awe of how I'd become fully engrossed in a painting to the point that I didn't feel like it was I who had control over the brush but something outside of myself. I would sometimes spend an entire day engrossed in a painting or drawing, and it felt like no time had passed at all. I can also remember my early meditation experiences, feeling like my body had become one with my surroundings. As I've grown older, this energy of Awen is something I've learned to tap into both through meditation, creativity, and being outside. Today, I recognize that it is through connecting with the energy of Awen I perform energy work, write my books, create my art, and more. It is not I am alone. It is me choosing to be in a relationship with the flowing energy of Awen. It is a co-creative and reciprocal relationship. 

Awen is something that anyone can tap into, it’s always here, therefore it’s for everyone. 

The word Awen can be used in many ways, it can refer to the essence of creative inspiration or spirit, but it can also be used to describe a person. Someone living in the space of connection with Awen may be referred to as an Awenydd. I'll start by sharing an excerpt from Elen Sentier's book Following The Deer Trods, where she uses the phrase Awenydd. 

Awenydd means spirit-keeper and comes from the word awen, which means spirit. 

Awenyddion (the plural of awenydd) have served the British tribes for hundreds of thousands of years, as long as there have been humans living in our land. We call this path walking the deer trods ... We still do this work now, in the 21st century, for everything that lives on the Earth and the Earth herself, the seen and unseen, the human and not-human. We journey to bring wisdom and enable healing for creatures, people, plants and the land herself. 

We awenyddion honour the spirit of the Earth and work with the spirit of the land. For me, this involves all sorts of things from growing my own veg to politics as well as spirit walking, journeying and healing. For each awenydd the form of the path is different, but the purpose is always the same … working for Mother Earth and all the life that lives and breathes and has its movement therein. 

Elen Sentier, Following The Deer Trods

One of my favorite books on the topic is The Awen Alone by Joanna Van Der Hoeven. Here's an excerpt from this book that I adore and find that she beautifully captures Awen's essence.

For awen to exist, there must be relationship. We cannot be inspired unless we are open, and we cannot be open unless we have established a relationship, whether that is with the thunder, the blackbird or a god. Awen is cyclical in nature; we open and give ourselves and in doing so we receive in a continuous cycle. Letting go, releasing ourselves into the flow of awen allows it to flow ever more freely. We find ourselves inspired not only in the fits and bursts of enlightenment or inspiration, but at all times, carrying that essence of connection and wonder with us in our everyday lives. 

But just what is awen? It is an awareness, not just on a physical and mental level, but also on a soul-deep level of the entirety of existence, of life itself. It is seeing the threads that connect us all. It is the deep well of inspiration that we drink from, to nurture our souls and our world and to give back in joy, in reverence, in a wild abandon, and in solemn ceremony. 

Joanna Van Der Hoeven, The Awen Alone

Finally, I'll share an excerpt from the book, The Path of Druidry by Penny Billington. The word Awen is often associated with Druidry. However, those working outside of Druidry also use this word, as depicted above by Elen Sentier. 

As with the walks that put Druids in the way of the magical current so becoming absorbed in the moment—whatever the activity—and engaging fully with what is happening puts us in the way of creative flow. That mysterious, elusive thread of our magical current, inspiration, is the key to creativity. Artists who experience a creative block suffer greatly—and this means all of us. We were born to be creative, and finding how to express that is our bardic challenge…

Druids have a word for this spirit of inspiration. We call it Awen. 

Penny Billington, The Path of Druidry

I love how Penny Billington refers to Awen as a "magical current" and think it rings so true to the feeling of being in flow with Awen. 

As you can see from each of these excerpts, and my offering, what Awen means to people has subtle fluctuations. Just as the literal translation Awen suggests, Awen is fluid and not something we will be able to "nail down" or define perfectly. There's a certain amount of mystery to the word, which I believe makes it more alluring.

Now for a bit of history. 

History of the word Awen

The first written use of this word comes from Historia Brittonum in approximately 828. There's also mention of Awenyddions in the Description of Wales by Gerald of Wales in 1194. He compares them to soothsayers (aka diviners) and talks about their ecstatic poetry that appears to pour forth from a trans-like state. Here's a funny little excerpt from Description of Wales by Gerald of Wales.

There are certain persons in Cambria, whom you will find nowhere else, called Awenyddion, or people inspired; when consulted upon any doubtful event, they roar out violently, are rendered beside themselves,and become, as it were, possessed by a spirit. They do not deliver the answer to what is required in a connected manner; but the person who skilfully observes them, will find, after many preambles, and many nugatory and incoherent, though ornamented speeches, the desired explanation conveyed in some turn of a word: they are then roused from their ecstasy, as from a deep sleep,

Gerald of Wales, Description of Wales

There's also a beautiful reference to Awen concerning spirit and inspiration that lives in the Book of Taliesin. The Book of Taliesin debuted in the early 14th century. However, like so many things in this sphere, many of the stories with the Book of Taliesin were likely orally passed down much earlier. There's still much debate about when the stories within the Book of Taliesin were written and who wrote them. 

One of the most striking lines about Awen from the Book of Taliesin translates to,

“The three elements of inspiration (Awen) that came, splendid, out of the cauldron.” 

The book of taliesin

I love that this early written reference of Awen mentions the cauldron and the three rays, which connect with the modern-day symbol associated with Awen.

The symbol for Awen was created in the 18th century by a Welsh poet named Iolo Morganwg. Within a circle, it depicts three dots with three rays radiating outward below the three dots.

Though I found this word to resonate with me in profound ways, it is a relatively new word to me. Upon writing this, it's only been about three years, which is a tiny amount of time. If it resonates with you too, I encourage you to do your own explorations into Awen and the Awenyddion. I'm learning just as you are, and even on topics I have been studying for longer, ultimately, you are your own sounding board. Until next time, I hope you feel the flow of Awen within you, around you, and through you.

In love and gratitude, Cassie