"Morgan le Fay"
Frederick Sandys
Oil on canvas, 1864
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

From Goddess Knowledge Cards by Susan Boulet Trust, published by Pomegranate, Rohnert Park, CA. Morgan le Fay is commonly remembered as the enchantress half-sister of King Arthur. She is, in fact, the great queen goddess, ruler of the mystical island of Avalon, the Fortunate Island of the Blessed Dead. Sometimes equated with the ancient Irish warrior goddess Morrigan, she is the Celtic death goddess. As Morgana Fata she is the controller of destinies and knows the fate of each person. She is noted for her healing powers, her knowledge of healing plants, and her prophetic vision. Like a shaman she is a shape shifter, able to take on many forms. Morgan le Fay represents that deep place of healing magic within each of us—the center where wisdom and healing flow even in the moment of death The ambivalence with which she is traditionally represented echoes our own fear of her deep and ancient wisdom.