The Bird Goddess is one of the most ancient goddesses, both a living-giving creator and goddess of death and regeneration. The Valkyrie, a northern European goddess, is a representation of this goddess as death wielder, The bird guise of the Valkyrie is that of a raven, long associated with death and magic. The name Valkyrie means “chooser of the slain”; the face and form of the Valkyrie are the last thing a person sees before death, Valkyries are the psychopomps who lead the soul to the afterworld. For ancient people death was part of a cyclical process leading again to rebirth; black was a positive color, a symbol of fertility and abundance, The Valkyrie represents that part of us that is unafraid of dark places; she can lead into and through them. She reminds us that seeds germinate in the darkness, that sometimes we need darkness in order to grow.
