Cailleach
The Cailleach were a group of powerful goddess or witches that utilized celestial magic and were worshipped as goddesses of winter.
Overview[]
The Cailleach are described as divine hags or ancestral witches meaning they were among the first generations of witches during the Flood Age. They were associated with the shaping of the landscape and with the weather, especially storms and winter. According to Nix, these hags were tasked by the Witch of Izalith to help restore the landscape and weather after the Great Flood. The most prominent member of these witches was the infamous Baba Yaga who fell from grace and became deformed and misshapen due to her malice.
Despite the loss of one of their own, the Caillech continued their duties and were venerated as seasonal goddesses by wiccans and mages alike. They held a partnership with the goddess Brigid, ruling the winter months between Samhain (1 November or first day of winter) and Bealltainn (1 May or first day of summer), while Brigid rules the summer months between Bealltainn and Samhain. Depending on local climate, the transfer of power between the winter goddess and the summer goddess is celebrated any time between Là Fhèill Brìghde.