Into the mystic

The Camelot Oracle, Jonathan Matthews and Will Worthington, 2012

There are several characters in Arthurian legends known as 'Lady of the Lake'. It is nigh impossible to untangle these stories and give a clear identity to these various characters. The Lady of the Lake, as depicted in this card, is the one who gives Arthur his sword, Excalibur. Other Ladies of the Lake (or possibly the same one going by different names?) serve as foster mother to Lancelot, heal Lancelot of his madness when the fellowship of the Round Table breaks up, enchant and imprison Merlin, and take Arthur away to Avalon to heal him after the Battle of Camlan. There are many names given to these figures: Argante, Vivianne, Nimue, Niniane, even Morgan le Fay, all of them called 'Lady of the Lake.' You can get bogged down trying to sort out the details so just know this:


The Lady of the Lake is associated with water and healing. The lake could be seen to represent the unknown, the unconscious, the Otherworld. It is her realm.

She is associated with Avalon and often seen to be the High Priestess there. Marion Zimmer Bradley's book, The Mists of Avalon, sees 'Lady of the Lake' as a title taken on by a series of High Priestesses, just as in her book, 'the Merlin' is a title of a series of Druids who take on the role of protector of Britain. The Lady of the Lake's role is to preside over the worship of the Goddess, and to protect and preserve it. The isle of Avalon exists in another dimension or plane parallel to the material world; you may pass over into that world by taking a boat through the mist, but it takes the power of the Lady of the Lake to get through the veil into Avalon.

So, the Lady of the Lake is the keeper of the doorway into Otherworld, of the mystery, of journeying into magical wisdom. She is a healer, but also a powerful force to be reckoned with. All very useful energies to have on hand to call upon.