Danu comes to us in different shapes and forms through different mythologies. In our era you can find a lot about this Goddess on the internet. And then again what is written about her is so various one can never be sure. So, and not for the first time, I had to find a way that she meant to me, how did she come to me. I always had the feeling that Danu was more of a title, a hidden aspect in her name. And for that reason only I would write her name as D’Anu, mother of all her children. Whereas Anu gave birth to a child, D’Anu is so much more. She has integrated all her former aspects of being, finding and perfected her arts and knowledge, found her voice, battled for justice, conquered her fears and became the Queen of her Tribe, D’Anu, Mother of the children…
I place D’Anu at Lughnasadh, the first harvest festival, together with Lugh. Now Lugh is sacrificing himself in the form of the harvest of the wheat or grain and D’Anu is milling the grain to flower, and then preparing it with water, yeast and oil to dough, and baking it into bread to feed her children. So D’Anu has knowledge of preparation for the future, how to combine all the knowledge and skills together, but even more, by integration all of her former aspects she knows history and therefor she knows the future. On Lughnasadh she also recognizes the fact that she too has to die someday, and from that aspect she is preparing one of her own to reign after her. Not by ruling but with love, respect, patience and wisdom. And all these thoughts she is kneading into the dough so that everyone who eats bread of her hand has an equal share in her knowledge and wisdom and in the life force of Lugh.
As D’Anu moves on towards Samhain, she is still for a while the counterpart of the Bride. Her physical fertility is fading but her mental fertility is growing. She is slowly entering the stage of wise woman but most of all she is feeling comfortable with this knew aspect of hers. She does not have to share all the secrets that she knows but she might, hiding her true meaning, so that the seekers can make up their own mind and choose for themselves the right path. But she knows, she has been there, and she knows.