Epona Goddess of Horses

 

Do you have something in your life that really drives you? Something that you can honestly say you wouldn't know how to live without? What is it in your life that brings light to your darkness? I was looking back on my own life up to now and asking myself these questions, and the one thing that has been constant and always there for me has been the horse. That's right, the horse. My life is a journey and a continuous quest to find purpose, fulfillment, love, laughter, enjoyment, comfort and peace, which we are all looking for. All of these things I have found and continue to experience through my friend, companion, and partner, the horse. It was the horse who carried the men, women and children on it's back; pulled the wagons carrying their provisions and supplies; plowed the fields and pulled the logs that built their homes. They even took the family to Sunday worship. The Truth is that without the horse, none of this would have ever happened. After studying this part of our history through various books, movies and other resources, when I realized this truth, my life was forever changed.

When I was 17 I read a book with a miraculous story by Linda Kohanov called "The Tao of Equus". The Tao of Equus considers the mystical nature of horses and the magical connection between them and humans. I specifically remember Linda Kohanov sharing the story of Epona the beautiful, and intuitive Celtic Goddess of Horses. With that said, allow me to share with you, my reader, a glimpse of the great story of Epona, Goddess of Horses.

Epona is best known as the Goddess of all horses. Once upon a time her worship began with the Celtic Gauls and spread throughout Europe, the British Isles, Spain, and Germany. Epona links the horse, the divine and the feminine together. She was worshipped for many hundreds of years as a Horse Goddess, who not only protected horses, but also their owners. The name Epona comes from the Gaulish word epos, meaning horse. Although Epona is mainly associated with the horse she has many other attributes as well which include: Protection and healing (particularly for animals), fertility in mind, body and spirit, dreams, and the banishing of nightmares etc. To the Celts horses are of extreme importance not only because they were hard to come by but also for their beauty, speed and bravery. Often Epona would ride upon a white horse which to the Celtic peoples depicted a spiritual significance as well as showing her high position among the other Celtic deities. She was called on by those defending themselves in times of war. In Sacred Marriage rites, it is Epona who was the bride granting sovereignty of the land and people to the reigning king. Also she had the distinguished privilege of being the only Celtic deity to be adopted by the Romans in her Celtic form. However, Epona was and still is traditionally seen as a horse Goddess. She can fit into so many aspects of our lives. She is the Goddess of dreams, not only of the sleeping kind but the dreams of hope and ambition.

If I could be a Goddess I think the story above tells you which one I could only dream of being. In my own story, the horse has taken me places I would never have been able to fathom, except in my imagination, and he has been with me there as well. Like the Celts, it is my belief that the horse is not only a symbol of strength and beauty but also of something beautiful and undiscovered inside all of us. The horse has survived through the ages because of its strong sense of self preservation and its keen ability to adapt to difficult situations, just like us humans! It has become an irrevocable calling for me to become a student of the horse for the remainder of my life. I find the horse, as Teacher, unequivocal, able to unite the extraordinary, ancient mythological beliefs and teachings of our ancestors with the present and future search for understanding. Maybe we are more alike than we realize. For me, no measure of time with horses will ever be long enough.

NOTE: The readings above are not copied, pasted, cut or cited from Wikipeda or any search site that does not meet Dr. Sexson's approval. These readings come from peer sites, and books containing the true Myth of Epona. Most Importantly some of these readings come straight from the bottom of Rebekah's imagination and heart.....!

Resources:

"The Tao of Equus", by Linda Kohanov
"Epona' by Willow Myst
"Epona, the Gaulish Horse Goddess", by Amy Brown