BADB (Irish)
[Bayv,Bibe,Bive, or Beev]
Badb, also spelled Badhbh and Badb Catha,is a Crone aspect of the Triple Goddess who is often called "The Fury." Her Gaulish names are Cauth Bodva and Catubodua.
Her archetype as a war Goddess is particularly strong, and she is a part of the dreaded Morrigan, a triplicity of crone Goddesses associated with death, destruction, and battle. She is often linked with the death portent faery, the Beansidhe (usually written in English as "Banshee"),who was seen washing the armor of soldiers who would perish in the upcoming battle. Badb usually appeared over the fury of the battle as a hooded crow, but sometimes ran wild among the fighting in the guise of a wolf. In Her own battle, She is one of the Deities who drove the Formorians (sometimes called the Formors or the Formorii) out of Ireland forever.
A daughter of Ernmas, She is called the "one who boils," as in boiling the Otherworld cauldron of death and rebirth which She is thought by many to preside over, deciding the fate of those who have passed over into its great cosmic mix. In Celtic eschatology (end of world beliefs),it is Badb who will cause the end of earthly time by causing the great cauldron to boil over, engulfing the planet in a great wasteland.
Badb prophesied the downfall of the Deities (the Tuatha) to the humans (the Milesians),and many believe She also prophesied the Great Famine of 1845-1849.
Call on Badb at Samhain to aid you with spirit contact and to learn about past lives.
Through divination She can tell you your time of death if you really wish to know.
CORRESPONDENCES- The carrion crow, the staff, the scythe, garnets, bloodstone, Samhain, the Tower Tarot card, apples.
Peace mounts to the heavens,
The heavens descend to earth,
Earth lies under the heavens,
Everyone is strong.....
~Badb's victory song from The Book of Fermony
