CelticGirl
This card shows a pregnant woman running and holding her belly (Macha). Behind her there is a festival of some sort and a bunch of onlookers dressed in bright colors gathered around with their attention away from Macha. Then there are three women who are facing Macha in all gray color. The woman in the middle is holding the typical Justice scale.
Please bear with me as I try to remember the details of this story in Celtic mythology. Macha had wandered to a mans house one day and offered to do all the cooking and cleaning around the house in exchange for a place to sleep. After a while Macha and the man ended up getting married.
The day that this specific card is based on, Macha's husband went out to watch some horse racing. After the races the King announced that there are none that are faster and better than his horses and that he would offer a prize to anyone who could provide better... At this point Macha's husband spoke out to the king that his wife is much faster than his horses. Outraged, the King demanded him to bring her to him to prove it and he sent some of his men along with Macha's husband to get her.
When he arrived at home he told Macha the story and she told him she didn't want to get involved and she was too pregnant to do it anyway. But since the king was awaiting her, she went.
Macha raced against the King's horses and she won. At the end of the race she gave birth (To triplets I think) and while she was in agony from the race, giving birth and probably absolute anger at her husband she put a curse on all the men of Ulster of childbearing age to feel her pain at the moment it is most needed for so many days and nights and then Macha died.
The Curse of Macha has also come up in other stories in Celtic mythology, which can be saved for other cards in this deck.
The book for this deck says that this card represents: Karmic destiny, divine compassion is required to endure the trials and tribulations in which you may find yourself involved.........give birth to new pathways, deliver that which is just and fair.
Please bear with me as I try to remember the details of this story in Celtic mythology. Macha had wandered to a mans house one day and offered to do all the cooking and cleaning around the house in exchange for a place to sleep. After a while Macha and the man ended up getting married.
The day that this specific card is based on, Macha's husband went out to watch some horse racing. After the races the King announced that there are none that are faster and better than his horses and that he would offer a prize to anyone who could provide better... At this point Macha's husband spoke out to the king that his wife is much faster than his horses. Outraged, the King demanded him to bring her to him to prove it and he sent some of his men along with Macha's husband to get her.
When he arrived at home he told Macha the story and she told him she didn't want to get involved and she was too pregnant to do it anyway. But since the king was awaiting her, she went.
Macha raced against the King's horses and she won. At the end of the race she gave birth (To triplets I think) and while she was in agony from the race, giving birth and probably absolute anger at her husband she put a curse on all the men of Ulster of childbearing age to feel her pain at the moment it is most needed for so many days and nights and then Macha died.
The Curse of Macha has also come up in other stories in Celtic mythology, which can be saved for other cards in this deck.
The book for this deck says that this card represents: Karmic destiny, divine compassion is required to endure the trials and tribulations in which you may find yourself involved.........give birth to new pathways, deliver that which is just and fair.
