At this years wonderful Pagan Tribal Gathering in Nuneaton, the Kitchen Witch team hosted a ritual to connect with the Goddess Coventina.
You will need:
Large bowl/silver dish
Water
Stones
Coventina Ritual
We go about our day, living our lives, doing what is necessary and fulfilling our duties. But every one of us has dreams and wishes. It’s what drives us forward, what we strive for, what we hope for.
They’re what are personal to us – we may share our wishes and dreams with those around us, sometimes we keep them to ourselves or we may share them to the universe or maybe with someone who will listen and perhaps grant one or two.
Fill the dish with water.
Ground and centre and cast your circle:
Circle Cast:
We are gathered in this space
Our hearts and minds connected
By the powers of the elements that reside
This circle now is protected.
We will connect to our sacred space; everyone is welcome to join in with us. Take three long deep breaths.
With both hands on your heart and say, "From my heart”, stretching both hands into the air, say "To the sky”.
Putting both hands on or facing down to the earth, as close to it as you can get, say "To the land”.
Putting both hands on your heart, say "To my heart”.
Leaving both hands on your heart, say "From my heart”, reaching out your right hand, "To all points on the compass"
Reach out your left hand and place your right hand on your heart and say, "To all directions”.
Putting both hands on your heart, say "To my heart”.
Coventina! Goddess of the waters that run through our lands,
We ask you to lend your energies to this ritual
Grant us the ability to fulfil our dreams and wishes and to manifest our desires
We welcome you!
A bit of history:
Goddess of natural springs, fresh waters that flow through the landscape – the mountains, grassy hills and riverbanks, the deepest caves and well.
Coventina is a Goddess that little is known about, but we know that she was worshipped from around 200BC to about 400AD.
She was most prominent in Northumberland – particularly near the famous Hadrian’s Wall, where a temple dedicated to her was found, although she was also worshipped in North West Spain and Southern France.
Coventina is a water nymph or water spirit and she is depicted as being a Mother Goddess, wearing flowing robes which merge with the waters that she is, carrying a water vessel in one hand and a water lily in the other.
She is associated with healing, childbirth, renewal, abundance, wishes and prophecy.
She can also be called upon for inspiration, purification and to help with psychic abilities.
She wasn’t any ordinary Goddess; she was highly looked upon and was given such titles as “Sancta” which means “holy” and “Augusta” which means “Revered”.
On a desolate moor in Carrawburgh, laying underground are the remains of a temple dedicated to Coventina. Discovered during an excavation in 1876, many artefacts and items were discovered. The temple walls surrounded a freshwater spring that was about 7ft deep. At the bottom of the well, over 13,000 coins were discovered, along with jewellery items, carved stones and incense burners. Wells were known as the ‘womb of the earth’ and here it was said that the most power from Coventina could be felt.
Water as we know is synonymous with healing and rejuvenation and it was here that people came – whispered to Coventina their wishes and desires and threw a coin into the well. Her name was inscribed on the walls of the temple along with carvings of her. Some of the carvings are of three woman – each holding a water vessel and it is not certain if Coventina was a triple Goddess or that it is of her and two attendants.
There isn’t a huge amount of information on her, but her name has been associated with many myths and legends over the years:
In Scotland, she was looked upon as having an association with the Underworld, where she was the Goddess of featherless flying creatures which would pass to the Underworld.
The Lady of the Lake from the Legend of King Arthur is said to be about Coventina.
The tradition of throwing a coin into water or a well stems back from the time of Coventina. Even today, many waterfalls, pools of sacred water or fountains contains coins thrown in by people for wishes in the hope that the spirits of the water will hear them and grant them.
In Coventina’s Well, Carrawburgh fourteen inscriptions on altars and dedications were found to Coventina.
Meditation
Close your eyes and focus on your breathing.
Deep breaths in…deep breaths out.
As the world around you dissipates you find yourself standing on a grassy bank at the side of a wide stream.
The clear water is babbling and bubbling along and you can see through to the stony floor beneath.
Breathe in the beautiful fresh air and take a moment to look around you.
Stretching out across the width of the stream you notice large flat grey rocks that seem to form stepping stones.
You make your way to the edge of the stream and take a step out onto the first stone.
And then forwards to the next stone.
And again.
Taking each step slowly and carefully until you reach the other side.
Step from the last stone up onto the grassy bank.
This side of the stream has tall willow trees with their roots in the water and their branches stretching upwards with long strands of leaves trailing downwards, dipping their tips into the water.
You take a few steps forward and part some of the willow branches in front of you, sweeping them back like a curtain.
To reveal a large round wooden portal.
The centre of the door is formed from an equal arm solar cross and around the edge are different symbols.
At the top of the door is a downward facing triangle that you recognise as the symbol for water.
You reach out and push the door.
It creaks and slowly swings open and you find yourself on a beautiful rocky moor. Looking around, you see that the moor stretches out in front of you as far as the eye can see. Beautiful green grasses, heathers of white and purple grow amongst it and jagged grey rocks protrude from the ground – some large, some small and covered in lichen and moss.
The sky above you is blue, interspersed with fluffy white clouds and occasionally the late spring sun peeps out from behind them warming your skin a little. The air is still.
Standing on the grass with bare feet, you feel that the earth is warm and soft beneath them. How are you feeling?
You listen in the stillness and hear a sound - the trickling of water, quite close by and decide to investigate. Walking over the soft green grass - being careful of the jagged rocks - towards the source of the water and discover a small stream weaving its way through the moorland, the clear waters gently trickling into a pool not far from where you stand. You watch as the sunlight dances on the ripples. The pool is partially obscured by a large grey rock, but you hear a splashing sound, so you move towards it to take a closer look.
Sat on a smaller rock is a woman. She is clothed in a long dress but her feet are bare and are dangling in the clear waters of the pool. Her dress seems to be at one with the waters she is sat by – fluid and swirling. You look at her for a moment, what does she look like to you?
She looks up from the pool and notices you standing there and smiles. In her right hand, she is holding a water jug. She beckons you to come forward, so you edge carefully around the rock to where she sits and take a seat beside her. The waters look cool and inviting so you sit with your feet in the water too.
“I am Coventina” she says "Share with me your wishes and dreams? What does your heart desire?”
You close your eyes and think for a moment, the sound of the trickling water making you feel calm and relaxed. You feel a soft breeze as it brushes it fingers through your hair and against your skin. You then share with Coventina your wishes and dreams.
Coventina listens to you intently, her feet still splish-splashing in the pool that you both sit beside, and when you have finished, she tells you she has something that will help you and asks you to open your hands in front of you.
Coventina takes the water jug and pours into your hand some cooling water. As the clear waters trickle through your fingers, something falls out of the jug into your hand. You look at it and close your hands.
You thank Coventina for her gift and stand up from beside the pool of water. Wishing her “farewell”, you walk back around the large protruding rock and where the stream winds through the moors, back through the soft green grass to where you stood, holding your gift tightly.
The round wooden portal that you originally stepped through is now in front of you, the door open ready for you to step back through. Once you are through, the wooden door slowly swings closed behind you. Sweep the willow trees away and walk towards the edge of the stream. Step onto the first stepping stone. And then the next, and again until you are across the stream. Back onto the river bank at the other side, in the place that you began.
Wriggle your fingers and toes and open your eyes.
As you find yourself back in the present, sit still and focus for a moment. What did Coventina gift you? How do you think it will help manifest your wishes?
Offering to the water
Now pick a stone and drop it into the water sending a wish as you do. Watch how the water reacts to the splash. Watch it as it moves then slowly goes back to being still.
Take a moment to visualise your wish and to watch the water, note any symbols or images you see in the surface.
Close:
Coventina, Goddess of the waters, Thank you for lending us your energies today.
and for giving us the ability to fulfil our wishes and manifest our dreams and desires.
We will now disconnect our sacred space, everyone
With both hands on your heart and say, "From my heart”, stretching both hands into the air, say "To the sky".
Putting both hands on or facing down to the earth, as close to it as you can get, say "To the land”.
Putting both hands on your heart, say "To my heart”.
Leaving both hands on your heart, say "From my heart”, reaching out your right hand, "From all points of the compass”
Reach out your left hand and place your right hand on your heart and say, "From all directions”.
Both hands on your heart, say "To my heart, thank you".
To listen to a guided meditation to connect with Coventina, please click the link here
Photo from Unsplash
Details of next years Pagan Tribal Gathering are here:
https://www.pagantribalgathering.org.uk/