Sila Na Geige

Sila na Geige [SHEE-luh-nah-GIG] is a shadowy sometimes-controversial Celtic goddess. She represents both mother and crone aspects of the Goddess. Her image is found carved on stone thresholds, lintels, and standing stones of sacred sites or places of worship throughout the British Isles. Not a lot has been written or is known about this Goddess or her origins, and much information may have been lost through the ignorant prudishness of a patriarchal culture that saw only a vulgar caricature. Sila, however, survived into Christianity, and Her image can still be found carved on lintels and thresholds of churches in Ireland. In the 19th century, patriarchal society was appalled by the unrestricted feminine sexuality of the Sila images, and many Sila images were defaced or destroyed entirely. Sila na Geige is represented by a crudely carved female figure holding her vulva wide. The open vulva is a gateway symbol, a portal to greater mysteries. Generally considered a birthing Goddess and shown as the "Mother of All," Her often skeletal appearance and emaciated breasts give her the crone status and connects her with the passage of the soul to the afterlife. Sila is the guardian of the gateway that governs many rites of passage and the unending circle of life and death. Sila is connected with liminal birds, herons, cranes, and storks. These animals serve as guides and guardians of souls and carry spirits from the Islands of the Blessed in the Western Sea to the earth realm to be incarnated in a new life. Sila is protector of living and dead. She offers her protection in passage into life as well as death. Her vulva is the welcoming arch into the world and in coming home. She is considered a special protector of the poor. On May 4th, people hang old clothes on Hawthorn to appeal to Sila and ward away poverty

Sila is associated with fertility, openness, and sexuality. In one town in Ireland, the local image of Sila is used in birthings . Women in labor lean against the figure during their delivery to insure a safe birth. Worshipers often touch the open vulva to promote fertility, healing, or protection.

Sila is the guardian of the gateway to life, death, and knowledge of the mysteries of the universe. Sila's message to us is "Open up! Open yourself to life," By embracing Sila na Geige, perhaps we can pass through the gateway to greater understanding.

You stand upon a cliff, high above the sea, in a misty grove of silver birch trees. The waves crash and scatter on the rocks below, an eternal sigh of white noise rising. The grey mist swirls around you, cutting off familiar sights and sounds. Nothing is as it was. Nothing is as it seems.

Up ahead and above you in the mist, above the hole in the stone, The Hag of Birth and Death gazes down upon you. Welcoming and challenging, silently waiting, She opens the door to rebirth.

In the shifting realm between the worlds, She reveals to you the gateway – the vulva of Woman – through which every one of us entered this world, through which all of our foremothers entered this world. Each one emerging from the one before her, all down the line, open archway after archway, reaching back through time, like a vaulted corridor leading directly back to First Woman. Wise guardian, Who knows these roads so well, Who has trod these paths for countless generations. Oldest ancestor, Who gave birth to us all, Whose blood runs through our veins. Her cryptic smile hints at secret knowledge – She can look every challenge in the face without flinching; She can meet all changes head-on… and laugh. In your mind you hear Her whisper Her name: Síla (“SHEE-luh”).

You bend low and touch the earth, offering a prayer for guidance as you approach this threshold. Out of the corners of your eyes you sense the mist swirling; spiral patterns form and dissolve around you, hinting at mysteries, sparking a distant memory, somewhere beyond your conscious grasp.

You suddenly notice a heron, Síle na bPortach (“SHEE-luh nah BURT-uckh”), keeping still, silent vigil nearby. How long has she been there, watching you? ... You acknowledge her, and her role as guardian of the gate. You open yourself to her, and you can feel her looking into you, judging you, deciding whether or not she will let you in. You open without fear (or despite fear) and join with her stillness. You feel the silvery-white energy of the birch trees entering you. You breathe in their purifying, focusing, clean and clearing energy... Opening your heart and stilling your mind. You chant their ancient name, Beithe (“BAY-huh”). You feel the powers of land, sky, and sea come together and focus within you. You take a deep breath, and climb through.