TW: This post covers the violation of women and the bodily autonomy of people who can conceive, up to and including rape. I invite you to skip this one (and realize I have a much higher threshold than others but even this is getting to me, hence this post).
(Side note: this post took quite a long time to complete due to fluctuating numbers of spoons on part of the author.)
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, then you know by now that the leaked opinion has indeed held. In a 5-4 vote, Roe v. Wade has been struck down. I’m not surprised, though I’m a little impressed they did it in spite of backlash. But, I’m disappointed, tired, afraid, and a little angry.
I don’t believe I have a dedicated post on here about Andred’s possible aspect as a Protector of Women (broadly), so this may be that post. I’ve spoken at length about witches and the interweb of connections between the goddess, Her animal, and a potential expanded role as time passed. I think this is another such case.
The long and short of it is this: as accounted by Tacitus, upon the death of Boudica’s husband Prasutagus, the Roman empire ignored his will and attempted to annex Iceni territory, in the process flogging Boudica and raping her two daughters (whose names I can’t provide because they’ve been lost to time). This, coupled with the financial strains the Romans placed on the Britons generally, drove Boudica to take up arms in a bid for freedom, and to gather allies along the way.
There are two key quotes I want to call attention to. The first is this:
“It is not as a woman descended from noble ancestry, but as one of the people that I am avenging lost freedom, my scourged body, the outraged chastity of my daughters … This is a woman’s resolve; as for men, they may live and be slaves.”
via https://folklorethursday.com/legends/celtic-warrior-women-queen-boudica-of-the-iceni/
And the second is the opening line to Boudica’s speech: “I thank thee, Andraste, and I call upon thee as woman speaking to woman.”
These indicate a perception either on part of the Iceni and other Britons, or on part of the Roman authors who recorded events and whose manuscripts survived to us in the present, that there may have been a special perception of Andred’s connection to the women of the tribe (or alternatively, Boudica held a high religious position that made a seemingly more informal dialogue possible, or both). And I’ve stated earlier that it is possible for the roles of the gods to change over time as people change.
And, from my own practice, I have had great success calling on Andred for help in matters of feminine health, wellness, and protection.
However long feminine matters have been a part of Andred’s spheres of influence, I think they’re well-entrenched by now. And sometimes, you’ve just got to pray about it.
Andred, Protectress and Avenger
Queen of the Witches
I call on You as woman speaking to woman
I tell you there is no safety for us, no right of life or liberty
The fall of one is the fall of all
I am heartsick with fear
And weary–so weary
So I turn to YouWalk with me
Grant me vigor and courage
Let me face each day
Be at my back and at my side and before me
Guide my hand and my step
Be my leader as you were Boudica’s
And I shall not want for boldness
Chràbhaidh a Andred 