The Triple Aspect Goddess is a fundamental concept in Wicca, which is a modern pagan, witchcraft religion. Wiccans believe in the existence of a divine feminine energy that is represented by the Goddess. This Goddess is often associated with the triple aspect, which refers to her threefold nature: the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone. **The Maiden aspect** represents youth, innocence, and new beginnings. She is associated with the waxing moon, springtime, and the element of air. The Maiden is often depicted as a young woman, full of vitality, and symbolizes a fresh start or creative energy.
Although the strengths, qualities and characteristics of these archetypes may seem very different, it’s important when working with feminine energy, to recognise that the Goddess is fluid. She doesn’t stay in the boxes we put her in. So you may feel the emergence of both the mother goddess AND the maiden, in the same day.
The triple Moon represents the movement and progression through one lunar cycle, from creation and growth, to fruition and maturation, to dissemination and decay. Wiccans often work with the Goddess in her triple form but may sometimes look at a particular goddess as Maiden, Mother and Crone even when there is no historical proof of this.
The Maiden is often depicted as a young woman, full of vitality, and symbolizes a fresh start or creative energy. Wiccans invoke the Maiden aspect when they seek inspiration, new ideas, or the energy to embark on new projects. **The Mother aspect** represents fertility, nurturing, and abundance.
Maiden, Mother and Crone - And What You Can Learn From Each Archetype
As a mother I've entered a completely new and life altering stage in my life and it didn't really dawn on me until I reflected on the fact that I have a new title. And I also reflected that my own mother is in the crone stage. Several of my friends are in the mother stage as well despite not having biological children they are very maternal and I look to them for guidance.
The maiden, Brigid, young, alive and naive. Photo by Aileen Devlin.
This really had the wheels in my head turning when thinking how many of us can benefit from understanding these roles and how throughout our entire lives we need the wisdom and lessons from each archetype. And especially as women we're often pigeonholed to remain static - that you shouldn't have long hair when you're older, or it's not proper to have gray hair when you're younger etc.
So let's go over what each of these roles mean and the lessons we learn in each of them.
Maiden: By word association we can go by - youth, enchantment, excitement, carefree and erotic. She is represented in several mythologies in the Greek myths she's Persephone - purity - and a representation of new beginnings. Other maiden goddesses include: Brigid, Nimue, among others.
What we learn from the Maiden - When we are weary, over worked or the feeling of disparity enter our minds we can remind ourselves that everyday is a new beginning, every year we can start over and allow the maiden mind frame to give us the time to wipe the slate clean. In addition, there is a strength in being naive and unburdened by the toils of life. You look at life with a new perspective. This is what I love about my younger girlfriends, their zest for life!
Mother: She is the caregiver, nurturer, loving, ripeness, fertility, fulfillment, stability, and power. The Mother Goddess in Greek mythology is Demeter, representing wellspring of life, giving and compassionate. Other mother goddesses include: Aa, Ambika, Ceres, Astarte, Lakshmi.
What we learn from the Mother aspect: To nurture and care for a project, another life, even our animal and plant babies we find that we learn so much in ourselves. A sense of passing on wisdom, education, pride and fulfillment. We also learn a great deal of patience and the lesson of giving immensely. Oh and one major aspect is protectiveness and a very fierce love.
Crone: Wisdom, clarity, insight, repose, compassion and knowledge. The Crone in Greek mythology is Hecate - wise, knowing, a culmination of a lifetime of experience. Crone goddesses include: Hel, Maman Brigitte, Oya, Sedna, Skuld, and others.
What we learn from the Crone aspect: What I find most insightful from the Crone is letting go, that death is only the beginning and we must embrace the change and pain. And she is often what we do not want to confront and accept. We only gain wisdom through our experiences whether they be good or bad. I'd also say that I ADORE the crones in my life, the women that teach me how to love myself and how to take time and learn.
We receive so many blessings from each aspect of the trinity.
I hope that you enjoyed this post and that it gives you pause for thought in the areas of your life that the triple goddess can guide and assist you.
More thoughts on the triple goddess:
These aspects may also represent the cycle of birth, life and death (and rebirth). Neopagans believe that this goddess is the personification of all women everywhere.
Followers of the Wiccan, Dianic, and Neopagan religions, as well as some archeologists and mythographers, believe that long before the coming of the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the Triple Goddess embodied the three-fold aspect of Gaia, the Earth Mother (Roman Magna Mater). A mother goddess was worshipped under a variety of names not only in the Ancient Near East and the Aegean and Anatolia, but also in pre-Islamic Arabia.
Neopagans also claim historical antecedent for their beliefs, holding that in Old Europe, in the Aegean world, and in the most ancient Near East, the Triple Goddess preceded the coming of nomadic speakers of Indo-European languages.
In South Arabia the moon-god Hubal was accompanied by the three goddesses: Uzza the youngest, Al-Lat "The Goddess" and Manat the Crone, the three cranes.
Wiccans often work with the Goddess in her triple form but may sometimes look at a particular goddess as Maiden, Mother and Crone even when there is no historical proof of this. An example of this would be the goddess Hecate, who was originally depicted as three maidens when in triplicate or as an old woman by herself in later times. Another example is the goddess Morrigan.
Another cross-cultural archetype is the three goddesses of Fate. In Greek Mythology they are the Moirai; in Norse mythology they are the Norns. The Weird Sisters of Shakespeare's Macbeth and Wyrd Sisters of Terry Pratchett's novel of the same name are believed to be inspired by these Fates. The three supernatural female figures called variously the Ladies, Mother of the Camenae, the Kindly Ones, and a number of other different names in The Sandman graphic novels by Neil Gaiman play self-consciously on both the triple Fates and the Maiden-Mother-Crone goddess archetypes." -via Crystalinks
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Mother: She is the caregiver, nurturer, loving, ripeness, fertility, fulfillment, stability, and power. The Mother Goddess in Greek mythology is Demeter, representing wellspring of life, giving and compassionate. Other mother goddesses include: Aa, Ambika, Ceres, Astarte, Lakshmi.
What we learn from the Mother aspect: To nurture and care for a project, another life, even our animal and plant babies we find that we learn so much in ourselves. A sense of passing on wisdom, education, pride and fulfillment. We also learn a great deal of patience and the lesson of giving immensely. Oh and one major aspect is protectiveness and a very fierce love.
She is associated with the full moon, summer, and the element of water. The Mother is often depicted as a mature woman, symbolizing the fertility of the earth and the cycle of life. Wiccans call upon the Mother aspect when they need support, guidance, or motherly love. She is also seen as the protector and provider of her children, both literally and metaphorically. **The Crone aspect** represents wisdom, transformation, and the inevitable cycle of death and rebirth. She is associated with the waning moon, winter, and the element of earth. The Crone is often depicted as an elderly woman, conveying a sense of wisdom and experience. Wiccans turn to the Crone aspect when they seek guidance, insight, or the courage to embrace change. She represents the culmination of life's experiences and the wisdom that comes with age. The Triple Aspect Goddess is seen as a representation of the different stages of a woman's life and the natural cycles that govern the world around us. She embodies the energy of youth, motherhood, and wisdom. Wiccans believe that by connecting with the Triple Goddess, they can tap into these different energies and gain a deeper understanding of themselves, as well as their place in the world. Overall, the Triple Aspect Goddess is a central figure in Wicca, representing the multifaceted nature of the divine feminine energy and serving as a source of inspiration and guidance for practitioners..
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