I remain at the center of the wheel.

Arianrhod ("Silver Wheel", or "Queen of the Wheel"), is the Welsh Goddess of the wheeling stars, and one of the Children of Dôn, the Welsh mother Goddess and counterpart to the Irish Danu. Arianrhod is the virgin mother of Lleu Llaw Gyffes, hero of light, and Dylan, child of the sea.

She is a celestial goddess, and Her realm is called Caer Sidi, which likely means "Revolving Castle"; Caer Sidi is depicted as a great turning island surrounded by sea and located in the north. It is also one of the names for the realm of Annwn, the Otherworld or land of the dead, and is described as a wonderful place, with no sickness or old age and sweet music always playing. Both the spinning of the castle and its location in the north connect it with the Pole Star, around which the heavens swirl. Her castle, Caer Arianrhod, is said to be the constellation of Corona Borealis, also called Ariadne's Crown. Ariadne appears to be a distant relative; she shares with Arianrhod the imagery of spiral movement and a central star, in the turnings of the labyrinth and in its inhabitant--on Crete, the Minotaur was sometimes called Asterios, "Star."

This card signifies the still point in the middle of motion, the paradoxical position at the center of the wheel where one is moving yet still.

Alternate spellings: Aranrhod, Arianrod.

Pronunciation: ahr-ee-AHN-hrod

To read Her tale go here.

This design is available on prints through ArtPal and on greeting cards at Zazzle.