"And Balor begged Lugh, shortly before his beheading: 'Set my head on your own handsome head and so earn my blessing. The triumph and terror that the men of Inis Fail recognised me: I would they might be recognised within my daughter's son."
___ Dunaire Finn (trans. CM)
The primordial god Balor (BAY'lor) had only one eye, but it could sear and shrivel all that it looked upon so that few could overcome him. His grandson, Lugh (LOO'kh), was destined to overcome Balor and his magic. But even at the point of death, Balor attempted to subvert his bright grandson. Threatened with beheading, he saw a way in which his stolen power could live on: he bade Lugh place his grandfather's head upon his own in order that the young man might inherit Balor's deadly powers. In a dialogue reminiscent of that between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, Lugh does not submit himself to 'the darkening of the force'; he resolutely beheads Balor and casts his head into the deep waters of the western ocean.
The ability to refuse evil and not be swayed by its persuasions is not strong in us if we are not in the habit of attending to the integrity and virtue of our soul. Evil does not always have a baleful eye, greedy teeth, and a dark cloak; it can appear in attractive forms that sway our opinion before we have given it heed. To work against the purposes of our soul, against the harmony of the universe, is to place ourselves in league with those who serve only themselves, who are interested not in preserving the web of life but in making life serve them. Evil can be increased if we give power to it; its diminishment lies in our refusal to serve it.
"Where has evil touched your life recently? Meditate upon how its power steals the power of the universe. Ask your spiritual allies to show you what protects you from evil."
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]
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