For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Aiofe is an example of how we should consider what our consequences are.
As we go about our lives it is easy for us to be selfish, thinking of only what we want. We voluntarily put on blinders never stopping to think about what consequences will result from our actions.
Aoife, the third wife of Lir, could only think about her ultimate goal; to get rid of the four children so that she could have her husband’s attention all to herself. What she didn’t stop to think about was that by getting rid of what she perceived as barriers she was bringing pain to her husband and her father. Her husband mourned the loss of two wives that he cared for deeply, Aiofe never stopped to think of how he would react to the loss of his children for whom he obviously loved.
As one of my favorite quotes goes “Lying is in the details” (from the movie Cheats). Aiofe was so blinded by her hatred that she didn’t stop to think about how to best cover her tracks after she cursed her step-children. She tried to tell her father when she arrived at his home that they had stay behind and would be coming with Lir. However, when Lir showed up not only were the children not with him but he had also discovered them in their swan form on his journey.
Aoife paid dearly for her actions. At that time the most feared creature was the crow. This animal was seen just before a person’s death and was considered to be one of the forms of the Celtic goddess Morrigan who was a goddess of war, life and death. Aiofe was transformed into a crow and not just any crow, a scary blood dripping version that was a representative of the goddess Morrigan. She was then cursed to remain in this form for the remainder of time.
However, not all of the consequences that we face directly affect us. It is true, what goes around comes around but sometimes others get hit in the crossfire. Though the curse that was laid upon them was discovered, it could not be undone. The children of Lir were robbed of their childhood and their lives. They spent centuries in pain and sorrow being separated from the ones that they loved. When children loose their childhood it is a great tragedy that we all feel since childhood is a time that we all treasure. The children had to grow up very fast, loosing out on many great events that are considered milestones in our lives. When they were finally freed from their curse, they did get to live happily ever after but it wasn’t in this world. It was in the afterworld, where they were able to finally be with their loved ones that had since passed.
