Our Story

A Irish sovereignty goddess whose origins lie with the mythical Tuatha Dé Danann, Áine is also a sun deity, a bean sidhe (woman of the Sí), and fairy queen. Our guest Jen Murphy comes to KnotWork with a collection of Áine tales. 

In a story from the mythological period, Áine has an ill-fated meeting with the unjust king Aillil Ólomm, who strips the land bare and threatens the goddess. Later, Áine is also found in a 14th century tale of Gerald, Earl of Desmond, also known as “The Wizard Earl.” Finally, a story collected in 1938 by the Irish Folklore Commission about a wise woman named Áine with two daughters who refuse to follow their mother’s marital advice, each with disastrous results.

Our Guest

Jen Murphy is the creator of Celtic Embodiment, a cutting-edge modality that fuses the ancient wisdom of Celtic Mythology with the emerging field of Feminine Embodiment Coaching to transform modern life for women. Jen is a certified Feminine Embodiment Coach and holds a degree in Medieval Irish & Celtic Studies and an M.A. in the Anthropology of Development. Coming from a lineage of storytellers and wisdom keepers on her maternal line, Jen is fascinated by the natural coalescence between our ancestral myths and our bodies as a potent brew to reclaim our sovereign power. 

Find Jen at www.celticembodiment.com/ and on Instagram: @celticembodiment

Our Conversation

• The ancient Celtic Sovereignty myth: the divine marriage (the banais ríghi). When the Sovereignty goddess unites with the king, she expects fir flaithemon, the prince’s truth. A worthy ruler needs to be just, truthful, and discerning. Parallels to Sumerian tales of Inanna and her partners.
• The importance of reciprocity - between people and land, between sovereignty goddess and king
• The ways that religion and politics collude together and exploit the land
• Connections to Arthurian Grail legend and “The Elucidation,”a tale that describes the rape of the Well Maidens that leads to the closing of the wells and creation of the Wasteland.
• Hospitality as a key aspect of mythology and culture
• Ireland as a “goddess obsessed” island. And yet, with all of the divine feminine magic, all of the Mother Goddess worship, it was not a Utopia for women. There were ways in which the coming of the church offered a haven for women, and monasteries became places of learning.
• Jen’s personal story of what it meant to see all part of herself, integrate the energy of midsummer, the deepest energy of the grandmothers, a death of a part of the self, and  rebirth and integration

Our Music

Music at the start of the show is by Beth Sweeney and Billy Hardy, a Celtic Fiddle and multi-instrumental duo based on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The traditional Irish reel we play at the start of the show is called "The College Groves." billyandbeth.com

Join Us in the Heroine's Knot

The Heroines' Knot is an online community for creative creatures on the quest for self-expression & collective renewal. Learn more and join us.

1:1 Coaching Opportunities

Marisa offers 1:1 coaching for Personal and Professional growth with her Healing for Heroines packages.

She also offers Story Weaver Book Coaching for memoirists, thought leaders, and creative entrepreneurs at the beginning of their writing journey.

Find more of Marisa's writing and get a copy of her book, The Sovereignty Knot www.marisagoudy.com

Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook, and join our vibrant listeners' community.