Up: [[Symbols]] Created: 2024-09-13 In Ireland, swans migrate at [[Imbolc]] then come home at [[Samhain]]. So when they leave it’s the sign that spring is coming and when they return, winter. Knowing where it needs to be in every season, the swan is showing us the knowledge of Home. See [[Place]]. Swans are associated with the Celtic goddess [[Bride]]. Swans transport souls to the afterlife, the land of Tir na nOg, to await rebirth. Bride guides the journey. Bards wore the tugen, a ceremonial cloak made of swan feathers *“invoking the soul’s flight toward poetic inspiration”* (Weatherstone, p93) Swans are shapeshifter birds in Celtic mythology. - Human to swan transformation can result from a spell or curse. - Enchanted swans wear gold or silver chains; a sign of otherworldliness. If you follow them, you may be taken to the Otherworld. - Some swan maidens become human at dawn or twilight, liminal times. Swans look calm and graceful (symbol of peace) but can be powerful and fierce, like Bride. ![[Swan.webp|400]]