Post by Lady Silver Vixen on Dec 16, 2010 14:41:53 GMT -5
The Triple Goddess
The Goddess is known not only by many names but many aspects. She’s most notably known in Wicca as the Triple Moon Goddess. Meaning she represents the three stages of the moon, as well as the three stages of life. Her three aspects are Maiden, Mother and Crone. She is also symbolized by the triquetra.
Let’s begin with the Maiden. The maiden represents enchantment, inception, expansion, discovery, creativity, freedom, the promise of new beginnings, birth, youth and youthful enthusiasm. She is also represented by the Waxing moon. Meaning the moon is moving from new moon to full moon. Some of her colors are white and pink, and flowers are dear to her, especially the wild or white ones. The animals associated with her are the owl, deer or any other young or wild animals.
The Maiden is carefree, liberated, and overflowing with the joy of living. Her time of the year is spring time, when the flowers are just budding. Although she is one of the three faces of the triple goddess, she does not refer to sexual virginity. While some Maiden Goddesses might be guardians or companions of young girls prior to their sexual awakening. For the most part, they are instead, about independence. The Maiden is complete unto herself, and responsible for herself in ways that, coming from thousands of years of patriarchal systems, are hard for us to imagine or understand. Her names are many and reflect aspects of the many different cultures where she is known and remembered. From her celebration at Ostara, we move to Beltane, a rite that very specifically honors the Goddess in her maiden form (holidays coming in later lesson). This is also the time for dreams, challenges, and spiritual potential.
A few of the names the Maiden is known by are as follows: Brigid, Nimue, Persephone, Anatha, Kore, and Caer.
The Mother aspect of the triple goddess, represents ripeness, fertility, fulfillment, stability, power, and life (pregnancy). The Mother is ripe, full breasted, at the peak of her womanly powers. She is the one who tenderly, and lovingly rocks the baby, but she is also the lioness who hunts to feed her offspring and will fight to the death to protect them. She is the giver of life and can be the bringer of death. The Goddess’s most powerful, and most venerated phase. This is the time of great fertility, and increased psychic awareness. It is a time usually set aside to visualize and formulate physical desires. She is represented by the Full Moon.
Some of her names include: Demeter, Aa, Ceres, Astarte, Lakshmi, Coatlicue, Danu, Hathor, Ishtar, Isis and Nitu.
The Crone, one of the greatest aspects of the triple goddess, and one of the most misunderstood. The Crone is where we reach the peak of our spirituality as the body begins to wither. The Crone stands for wisdom, compassion, experience, death, rebirth, a completion of personal accomplishments, the decline of light, and endings. The Full moon wanes to back to the new moon now. She is old in age, experience and accumulated wisdom and death. She is the gateway to death and the guide to rebirth. She is the completion of the life’s cycle. She is symbolism of the manifestation process. What was conceived on the full moon was realized during the waning moon. This is a great time of contemplation and realization of personal accomplishments.
A few names the Crone is known by: Hecate (most notably), Annis, Baba Yaga, Cailleach, Greine, Hel, Maman Brigitte, Oya, Sedna, and Skuld.
Once the moon completes its three major phases, it passes into a period of transition, known as the New Moon or Dark Moon. This is a three day period considered as the time of the Enchantress or Temptress, which is a time of great mystery and magic.
The Goddess is known not only by many names but many aspects. She’s most notably known in Wicca as the Triple Moon Goddess. Meaning she represents the three stages of the moon, as well as the three stages of life. Her three aspects are Maiden, Mother and Crone. She is also symbolized by the triquetra.
Let’s begin with the Maiden. The maiden represents enchantment, inception, expansion, discovery, creativity, freedom, the promise of new beginnings, birth, youth and youthful enthusiasm. She is also represented by the Waxing moon. Meaning the moon is moving from new moon to full moon. Some of her colors are white and pink, and flowers are dear to her, especially the wild or white ones. The animals associated with her are the owl, deer or any other young or wild animals.
The Maiden is carefree, liberated, and overflowing with the joy of living. Her time of the year is spring time, when the flowers are just budding. Although she is one of the three faces of the triple goddess, she does not refer to sexual virginity. While some Maiden Goddesses might be guardians or companions of young girls prior to their sexual awakening. For the most part, they are instead, about independence. The Maiden is complete unto herself, and responsible for herself in ways that, coming from thousands of years of patriarchal systems, are hard for us to imagine or understand. Her names are many and reflect aspects of the many different cultures where she is known and remembered. From her celebration at Ostara, we move to Beltane, a rite that very specifically honors the Goddess in her maiden form (holidays coming in later lesson). This is also the time for dreams, challenges, and spiritual potential.
A few of the names the Maiden is known by are as follows: Brigid, Nimue, Persephone, Anatha, Kore, and Caer.
The Mother aspect of the triple goddess, represents ripeness, fertility, fulfillment, stability, power, and life (pregnancy). The Mother is ripe, full breasted, at the peak of her womanly powers. She is the one who tenderly, and lovingly rocks the baby, but she is also the lioness who hunts to feed her offspring and will fight to the death to protect them. She is the giver of life and can be the bringer of death. The Goddess’s most powerful, and most venerated phase. This is the time of great fertility, and increased psychic awareness. It is a time usually set aside to visualize and formulate physical desires. She is represented by the Full Moon.
Some of her names include: Demeter, Aa, Ceres, Astarte, Lakshmi, Coatlicue, Danu, Hathor, Ishtar, Isis and Nitu.
The Crone, one of the greatest aspects of the triple goddess, and one of the most misunderstood. The Crone is where we reach the peak of our spirituality as the body begins to wither. The Crone stands for wisdom, compassion, experience, death, rebirth, a completion of personal accomplishments, the decline of light, and endings. The Full moon wanes to back to the new moon now. She is old in age, experience and accumulated wisdom and death. She is the gateway to death and the guide to rebirth. She is the completion of the life’s cycle. She is symbolism of the manifestation process. What was conceived on the full moon was realized during the waning moon. This is a great time of contemplation and realization of personal accomplishments.
A few names the Crone is known by: Hecate (most notably), Annis, Baba Yaga, Cailleach, Greine, Hel, Maman Brigitte, Oya, Sedna, and Skuld.
Once the moon completes its three major phases, it passes into a period of transition, known as the New Moon or Dark Moon. This is a three day period considered as the time of the Enchantress or Temptress, which is a time of great mystery and magic.