For many of us, the Goddess is truly seen as a Triple Goddess. I place here some infomration from Otter Zell about Brigit of the Celts, a long discussion on the Faces of the Goddess from two lists that I belonged to at one time, a 'course' on the Threefold Goddess from Eileen (also uploaded to a list and I have no idea what her last name is.), and a poem from Kaliope, "The Triple Goddess."
The images I have are varied:
Triple Isis
Muses
Still
Trinity(somewhat disturbing!)
For more specific meanderings, Maiden, Mother, and Crone.
Enjoy,
Ma'at
copyright 2001
Brigit was one of the great Triple Goddesses of the Celtic
people.
She appeared as Brigit to the Irish, Brigantia in Northern England,
Bride in Scotland, and Brigandu in Brittany. Many legends are told
about Brigit. Some say that there are three Brigits : one sister in
charge of poetry and inspiration who invented the Ogham alphabet,
one in charge of healing and midwifery, and the third in charge of
the
hearth fire, smithies and other crafts. This catually indicates the
seperate aspects of her Threefold nature and is a neat division of
labor for a hard-working goddess.
Brigit was probably originally a Sun Goddess, and a charming
story
of her birth is that she was born at sunrise and a tower of flame
burst from the forehead of the new born Goddess that reached from
Earth to Heaven. It was likely She who inspired the line in the famous
Song of Amergin: "I am a fire in the head." Her penchant for smithcraft
led to her association by the Romans with Minerva/Athena. As a warrior
Goddess, She favored the use of the spear or the arrow. Indeed, various
interpetations of her name exist including, "Bright Arrow," "The Bright
One," "the Powerful One" and "The High One," depending upon the region
and the dialect.
As a Goddess of herbalism, midwifery and healing She was
in charge
of Water as well as Fire. I don't beleive that anyone has ever
counted all teh vast number of sacred wells and springs named after
or dedicated to this Goddess. A story is told of how two lepers came
to one of her sacred springs for healing and She instructed one Leper
to wash the other. The skin of the freshly bathed man was cleansed
of the disease and Brigit told the man who was healed to wash the man
who had bathed him so that both men would be whole. The man who was
healed was now too disgusted to touch the other Leper and would have
left him, but Brigit herself washed the leper and struck down the
other arrogant fellow with leperousy once more before he could leave.
Offerings to the watery Brigit were cast into the well in the form
of coins or, even more ancient, brass or gold rings. Other sacrifices
were offered where three streams came together. Her cauldron of
Inspiration connected her watery healing aspect with her fiery poetic
aspect.
Brigit is clearly the best example of the survival of a
Goddess
into Christian times. She was cannonized by the Catholic church as
St. Brigit and various origins are given to this saint. The most
popular folktale is that She was midwife to the Virgin Mary, and thus
was always inviked by women in labor. The more official story was
that She was a Druid's daughter who predicted the coming of
Christianity and then was baptised by St. Patrick. She became a nun
and later an abbess who founded the Abbey at Kildare. The Christian
Brigit was said to have had the power to appoint the bishops of her
area, a strange role for an abbess, made stranger by her requirement
that her bishops also be practicing goldsmiths.
Actually, the Goddess Brigit had always kept a shrine at
Kildare,
Ireland, with a perpetual flame tended by nineteen virgin priestesses
called Daughters of the Flame. No male was ever allowed to come near
it; nor did those women ever consort with men. Even their food and
other supplies were brought to them by women of the nearby village.
When Catholicism took over in Ireland, the shrine became a convent
and the priestesses became nuns but the same traditions were held
and the eternal flame was kept burning. Their tradition was that
each day a different priestess/nun was in charge of the sacred fire
and on the 20th day of each cycle, teh fire was miraculously tended
by Brigit Herself. There into the 18th century, the ancient song
was sung to her : "Brigit, excellant woman, sudden flame, may the
bright fiery sun take us to the lasting kingdom."
For over a thousand years, the sacred flame was tended
by nuns,
and no one knows how long before that it had been tended by the
priestesses. In 1220 CE, a Bishop became angered by the no-males
policy of the Abbey of St. Brigit of Kildare. He insisted that nuns
were subordinate to priests and therefore must open their abbey
and submit themselves to inspection by a priest. When they refused
and asked for another Abbess or other female official to perform
any inspections, the Bishop was incensed. He admonished them to
obediance and then decreed that teh keeping of the eternal flame
was a Pagan custom and 6rdered the sacred flame to be extinguished.
Even then, She remained the most poular Irish saint along with
Patrick. In the 1960's, under Vatican II modernization, it was
declared that there was insufficient proof of Brigit's sanctity
or even of her historical existance, and so teh Church's gradual
pogrom against Brigit was successful at last and She was thus
decanonized. It is very difficult to obtain images or even holy
cards of ST. Brigit outside of Ireland anymore.
Her festival is held on Febuary 1st or 2nd. It corresponds to
the ancient Celtic fire festival of Imbolc or Oimelc which
celebrated the birthing and freshening of sheep and goats (it really
is a Feast of Milk). This festival was Christianized as Candlemas
or Lady Day and Her Feast day, La Feill Bhride, was attended by
tremendous local celebration and elaborate rituals. Her festival
is also called Brigit. Brigit (the Goddess and the Festival)
represents the stirring of life again after the dead months of the
winter, and her special blessings are called forth at this time.
Since She was booted out of teh Church for being Pagan, it is
incumbant upon us Pagans to restore Her worship to its former glory
especially those of us of Celtic ancestory. Here is an ancient rite
to invite Brigit into your home at the time of her Holiday:
Clean your hearth thoroughly in teh morning and lay a fire
without kindling it, then make yourself a "Bed for Brigid" and
place it near the hearth. The bed can be a small basket with covers
and tiny pillow added as plain or fancy as you like. If you have no
hearth, you can use the stove and put the bed behind it. Then at
sundown light a candle rubbed with rosemary oil and invite Brigit
into your home and into er bed; use the candle to kindle your
hearthfire if possible. Make your own poem to invite Her or use
the ancient song mentioned earlier. Let the candle burn at least
all night in a safe place. You might even want to begin the custom
of keeping the eternal flame; it is a popular custom in some
magickal and Wiccan traditions. AFter all, it's up to us now to
keep the spirit of Brigit alive and well for the next thousand
years at least!!!
By Morning Glory Zell from AMARGI Vol I. No.3 Feb. 1st 1989
From a thread on a list I particiapted in:
>Perhaps the "triple Goddess" applies to Celtic goddesses only?
I believe the concept of triple Goddess is further wide spread then the Celts.
The following is from "The Witches' Goddess" by Janet and Stewart Ferrar.
Pages 30-31;
";for example,at Stymphalus
in Greece, Hera had three temples - to
the child-goddess, the wife-goddess and the widow-goddess. Hera
was one of
the worst sufferers from the patriarchal take-over: originally a powerful
mother-goddess in her own right, she was demoted by the newcomer Zeus
to a
mere consort. So it is not surprising that even at Stymphalus
her titles of
'wife' and 'widow' related to her consort status, instead of to herself
as
'mother' and 'wise old woman'. But her Triple Goddess nature
was still
unobscured.
"Hecate of the Three Faces, guardian of crossroads
(where the traveller
faces three choices), was typical. So were the Three Fates, in
pantheons
from the Greek Moerae to the Teutonic Norns. Moerae and Norns,
incidentally, are both clearly divided into the three functions: she
who
spins the thread, she who shapes destiny and she who cuts the thread
when
the time comes.
"Greek triads of the darker kind were the Erinyes,
goddesses of divine
vengeance and justice (called the Furiae by the Romans), and the terrifying
Gorgons, whose gaze turned men to stone - symbolizing the hidden depths
of
the unconscious which few are well integrated enough to face directly."
- Further in the book it talks about the nine Muses.
- Carmenta, a Roman goddess of childbirth (mother), had as Maid
her sister
Antevorta ('looking forward') and as Crone her other sister Postvorta
('looking backward')
- In the Hindu pantheon Bhavani is known as the Triple Universe:
a young
woman crowned, containing within her body all the potential of creation
-
Earth, Sea, Sun and Moon, or as a mother with the Sun and Moon at her
breasts, or as dark and awe-inspiring, with a necklace of skulls.
- The Chinese have a Buddhist triad called the Triple Pussa,
who have
affinities with the beneficent Kwan-Yin.
Of course the book goes on to give more examples. Hope this helps somewhat.
Bright Blessings
Kethera
Subject:
Innocent Maidens (Was Re: Triple or quadruple?) (fwd)
Date:
Sat, 18 Jan 1997 10:48:27 -0600 (CST)
From:
swinehar@mmc.mtmercy.edu (Stella)
> While I was studying, I didn't consider all maiden forms
of Goddess as
> "innocent". In fact, I see many "love" and "passion" goddesses
as maidens.
> I think, sometimes, we assume maiden means virgin. Personally,
I don't
> always see it that way.
> Granted there are probably teenage boys and girls with
father/mother type
> skills beyond their apparent age. However, having sex, to me,
does not
> neccesarily kick you out of "maiden" and/or "scout" position, as
such.
> Then again, nor does conceiving and birthing a child
neccesarily make all
> men and women instant "mothers" or "fathers". Does that make
sense?
The maiden aspect is most assuredly not a virgin, in the sweet innocent
meaning of the term - in fact most texts I've read of late point out
that
in many temples overseen by "virgins", a number of them included sexual
rites.
Me, I always figured the true "mother" stage of life came to one when
one
birthed something - not necessarily a child. A lot of people
seem to
thenk that the maiden phase ends at puberty - whereas I see that as
the
beginning of the transition to mother.
All people contain all aspects of the Goddess and the God at any given
point.
Each aspect of the Goddess contains each of the others also, a point
the Ferrars make in their books and which I personally agree with.
Same
for the God.
IMHO :)
Happy heart
Stella
Subject: Re: Innocent
Maidens (Was Re: Triple or quadruple?)
Date:
Sat, 18 Jan 1997 20:09:28 -0800 (PST)
From:
"'Kaalyndai' L Williams" <enoch@u.washington.edu>
On Sat, 18 Jan 1997, Nightcrawler wrote:
> I have a question about Maidens being innocent: Are
> we ever innocent?? I mean we all have skeletons in
> the closet. There is no way we can be innocent/pure
> all our lives. Thoughts??
I think we are innocent in the beginning.. and that we can regain some
innocence in our later life just by the way we see things and let them
affect us.
I believe in that women can be virgins each time they make love to
someone.. I feel I'm one of those.. I've chosen so far not to
have sex
this year.. In it, I can't really describe the different kind of
spirituality that I feel except as innocent of such knowledge.. I do
not
know what prompted me to take this choice except for just a feeling
in me
to do so.. perhaps the "virginal" aspect of the maiden has some words
for
me to hear. <g>
I do have skeletons in my closet, but they don't bother me because the
consequences I took from them were so great that they would never happen
again. The knowldege of the past does not haunt me because no
one opens
the closet door. :)
____
-Kay <:l)
I'm green but I'm wise.
~~~~
Subject: Re: Innocent
Maidens (Was Re: Triple or quadruple?)
Date: Sun, 19
Jan 1997 16:25:04 -0500 (EST)
From: Citabria2@aol.com
Stella wrote:
> The maiden aspect is most assuredly not a virgin, in the sweet innocent
> meaning of the term - in fact most texts I've read of late
point out that
> in many temples overseen by "virgins", a number of them included
sexual
> rites.
>
> Me, I always figured the true "mother" stage of life came to
one when one
> birthed something - not necessarily a child. A lot of
people seem to
> thenk that the maiden phase ends at puberty - whereas I see
that as the
> beginning of the transition to mother.
In all the research I've done on the topic, the Maiden phase has less
to do
with age or innocence or sexual activity than it does with an outlook
on
life. A Maiden, or virgin, in one of the older senses of the
word, is a
woman who is beholden to no one to determine the course of her life
or her
sexuality. She is free to experience life as *she* desires, without
having
to worry about the responsibilities of a mate/partner, or children.
She is
free to be as sexually active as she desires, knowing that these unions
are
entered into for the joy of sexuality and pleasure, not for reproductive
or
courting purposes. She can be independent, strong and willful
like Artemis,
or more demure and intent on picking wildflowers in the meadows like
Kore/Persephone. And while a Maiden *may* be innocent, in whatever
fashion,
it is certainly not a prerequisite to the role. Indeed, some
would consider
Aphrodite a Maiden goddess.
The transition to Mother, then, deals less with giving birth or mothering,
as
it's commonly thought of, than to putting responsibility for others
on a par
with responsibility for oneself. Taking a mate and taking on
the
responsibility to run one's life in a way that is pleasing not only
to
oneself but also to the mate, is an aspect of the Mother archetype.
Yes, the
Mother is also creative and whatnot, but the Maiden can be quite creative
as
well. The difference is in the mindset -- the nurturing outlook,
the putting
of others on a par with, or ahead of, oneself. And yes, a child
can be in
the Mother stage if she is, essentially, taking care of her parents,
for
whatever reason.
Someone mentioned a "wife" stage -- becoming a wife (or more accurately,
even
becoming engaged or seriously involved with someone) is part of the
transition to Mother. One need never give birth to be a Mother
-- one need
only open oneself to others around her.
BB,
Citabria
Date: Sat, 18
Jan 1997 12:45:58 -0700
From:
"AB"
Merry Met, Solo Family,
I was doing some thinking about this and some studying of the moon.
I sit
outside at night and watch it trail over my homestead and try to divine
some
meaning from it, what it really means for me. This is what I came up
with:
first quarter: Maiden
full moon: Mother
last quarter: Crone
new moon: death/rebirth
The Maiden represents things ripening. It is when I can expect
any spells I
cast last cycle to start showing their results. It is also the
time when I
plant seeds and prepare the ground to receive the plants. It
is a time of
innocence, of expectations, or childlike explorations. I do my
best writing
during this time and am full of new ideas.
The full moon represents harvest, things come to fruit. This is
the full
peak of spell effectiveness, the time when I can expect the spells
of the
last cycle to seriously pay out. This is also when I gather up
what I have
planted and when the plants are at their strongest. It is a time
of
fulfillment, contentment, and security. It is also a time to
rest from my
efforts. Creative projects I have been working on are generally
in the
final stages at this time. All new ideas have been explored,
developed and
brought to fruit.
The last quarter represents wisdom, aging, a time to set things aside
and
contemplate. This is when I review the effectiveness of my spells
and
decide if they are worth renewing. I contemplate actions and
plan for the
future; I reevaluate my progress but do not act on any new ideas or
thoughts. I generally rest and enjoy the things I have made and
the fruits
of my labor. I take up intellectual pursuits like reading that
long awaited
book or watching that nature program I was too busy for earlier.
In the new moon I begin acting on my contemplations from last quarter.
I
throw out what didn't work, I renew what did. I start new projects
and ship
off finished ones to their destinations. I throw out old habits
and goals
which were not achieved and set new ones.
As the moon moves through yet another cycle, the process begins again.
May you walk in light,
AB
Subject:
Re: 4 Faces of the Goddess and Innocent Maidens
Date:
Mon, 20 Jan 1997 20:19:13 +0100
From:
djcarr@ibm.net (Syrbal)
MM Allegra and Citabria
In a solo.list article On Sun, 19 Jan 1997 22:39:01 -0700 (possibly
edited),
"AB" wrote:
|At 11:44 PM 1/19/97 -0500, you wrote:
|>In a message dated 97-01-15 18:15:49 EST, Faerymound writes:
|>
|><< On the question "do men have this problem" the answer is
NO. It is my
|> experience that men never grow up what ever their age may be. >>
|>
|>Now, let's not start this. Men are just as likely as women
to grow up, and
|>I've known some women who never grow up. My best friend is
one of them.
|> Until she grows up at least a little and takes responsibility for
her own
|>actions, she will never get out of the messes she is in.
|
|You all talk as though growing up is a good thing and not growing
up is a
|bad thing. I think more people need to remember the childlike
wonder, the
|feeling of every day being new, that excitement of being here another
day.
|To do this, one would have to forego the "growing up" that society
dictates.
|Every one of us needs to learn to throw off that mantle and live without
|thought of consequences for a while. Men are less likely to
lose this
|aspect of themselves, I think. They still like their little
toys, they
|still get excited at the thought of going somewhere new. Women,
in my
|experience, tend to settle down and "grow up" to the exclusion of
all else.
|They forget to use their imaginations, they forget to look around
them.
Does anyone else see the connection between this and what Citabria (Citabria2@aol.com) wrote:
|In all the research I've done on the topic, the Maiden phase has less
to do
|with age or innocence or sexual activity than it does with an outlook
on
|life. A Maiden, or virgin, in one of the older senses of the
word, is a
|woman who is beholden to no one to determine the course of her life
or her
|sexuality. She is free to experience life as *she* desires,
without having
|to worry about the responsibilities of a mate/partner, or children.
I think between you, you have given me a major breakthrough in
understanding something of the triple nature of the Goddess and dual
nature of the God.
I THINK that we have a dual-natured God - the lover, the hunter, Herne
or Pan, and the father who is the Green Man. In relation to the triple
nature of the Goddess, maiden, she who is wild like Pan, the mother
who
is responsible and nurturing like the Green Man. The crone aspect
either has no parallel, or is androgynous. The crone is the destroyer,
she who ultimately destroys the God that he can rise again renewed
with
the necessary vigour.
I CAN relate to this as male: and I equate the two stages as not being
life-stages, but two states that any male can be in: of intellectual
or
emotional states. I suppose this is true of any human, but I could
be
wrong and it's just a man thing, not a woman thing, as Citabria
suggests.
--
Blessed be,
Syrbal, in Birmingham, UK
(aka Derek, the Rainbow Unicorn)
Subject: Re: 4
Faces of the Goddess (fwd)
Date:
Mon, 20 Jan 1997 13:50:53 -0600 (CST)
From:
swinehar@mmc.mtmercy.edu (Stella)
> As I see this comment about men not going thru the same problems of
Phases of
> the God...It was meant as a joke...referring to the fact that most
men are
> just little boys with bigger and more expensive toys. There
probably should
> have been a smiley face or a Laugh included to make that clear but
things
> happen and again the comment was made during the Retch sooo...lets
not try to
> get too uptight about it. And again I say that I feel that
this applies to
> MOST men...and there is nothing wrong with retaining the little boy
or little
> girl in all of us...it is the innocence that is being wondered about
in
> another thread...
> Bright Blessings
> Dragcruin
>
Hey, it lead to a nice discussion of childish vs childlike. So
what the
hey. I told Janus that I rediscovered my inner child at the age
of
19 or 20, having lost her some years before. A most touching
dream,
finding a rag doll that came to life when I picked her up. And
she
is still with me, and now when I dream of her she takes the face of
one of my children, but I know it is her. One time I even dreamed
that
my daughter was driving the car, but as we approached work we stopped
by the side of the road to change places. :)
She has a youthful face, a far less distorted vision than I, and
wisdom that I should heed much more often.
Happy heart
Stella
Date:
Mon, 20 Jan 1997 21:30:48 -0500
From:
Janus <jtrybula@miamiu.acs.muohio.edu>
Syrbal wrote:
> I think between you, you have given me a major breakthrough in
> understanding something of the triple nature of the Goddess and dual
> nature of the God.
>
> I THINK that we have a dual-natured God - the lover, the hunter,
Herne
> or Pan, and the father who is the Green Man. In relation to the triple
> nature of the Goddess, maiden, she who is wild like Pan, the mother
who
> is responsible and nurturing like the Green Man. The crone aspect
> either has no parallel, or is androgynous.
Greetings,
These are very interesting and insightful notions. I however run
into
one problem with them all. What about "the child"? By equating
the
first part of the multi-natures of the Goddess and God with the lovers,
you seem to begin the cycle at adolescence when there is definitely
a
sexuality to their natures. But this sets aside the sexually-innocent
(naive?) child stage that all people go through. Could this "child"
have been associated with the male God to give him a triple nature
like
the Goddess? Is this why people associate child-like behavior
with the
masculine and less frequently with the feminine?
Just a few thoughts,
Blessings,
Na zdrowie,
Janus
Subject: Re: 4 Faces
of the Goddess and Innocent Maidens
Date: Tue, 21
Jan 1997 17:52:48 -0500 (EST)
From: Citabria2@aol.com
Oops! I sent this off without remembering to cc it to the list.
(And,
actually, sending it off unfinished as well....)
Syrbal wrote:
> Does anyone else see the connection between this [what Allegra wrote
re:
retaining a childlike sense of wonder and play and what Citabria
> (Citabria2@aol.com) wrote:
I am **so** happy that someone else saw the connection! I, for
one, agree
entirely -- not only with the connection between Allegra's and my posts,
but
also with the further connections and comparisons you drew on:
>I THINK that we have a dual-natured God - the lover, the hunter, Herne
>or Pan, and the father who is the Green Man. In relation to the triple
>nature of the Goddess, maiden, she who is wild like Pan, the mother
who
>is responsible and nurturing like the Green Man.
Yes! I agree with you one-hundred percent! And while some
might say that
the hunter aspect, e.g. Herne, isn't necessarily a Lad/Youth/Lover
figure,
just think about the similarities between the hunter and Artemis/Diana
as the
huntress -- the same *feeling* about the hunt is there. It's
*not* just
hunting for food or to provide for a family; rather, it's being a hunter
in a
way that makes the hunter part of the chase, part of the animal being
hunted,
almost. That's much more a youthful than fatherly aspect.
And I also agree
that the Green Man is much more of a nurturing, Father figure.
I like that
dichotomy, Syrbal.
>The crone aspect
>either has no parallel, or is androgynous. The crone is the destroyer,
>she who ultimately destroys the God that he can rise again renewed
with
>the necessary vigour.
Hmm, I'm not sure how I'd go on this one. The fact is that, in
classical
mythology of many types, there was no male equivalent of the crone
aspect (as
viewed as part of the Fates or the Norns, Hecate, or whomever else
you wish
to name), at least not as far as I've ever learned. The question,
of course,
is why. Was/is it because of the symmetry, that woman, as giver
of life,
should also be bringer of death? Or is there some stronger reason
that
eludes this sort of scholarly discussion?
> I CAN relate to this as male: and I equate the two stages as
not being
> life-stages, but two states that any male can be in: of intellectual
or
> emotional states. I suppose this is true of any human, but
I could be
> wrong and it's just a man thing, not a woman thing, as Citabria
> suggests.
I agree wholeheartedly here, as well. In fact, some would argue
that every
individual *should* incorporate parts of each stage in hir life, to
keep from
becoming unbalanced in any one direction. Personally, I think
that any
degree of mix (including none) is basically fine, as long as the person
living it thinks it's okay. :)
And a note regarding someone's response to Syrbal's post that came while
this
post was going out to Syrbal and not the list: The person (Janus???)
had
noted that a pre-Youth/Maiden stage is missing, and said that this
may be the
3rd face for men.
I think this rather confuses issues, in a sense. The categorization
of
goddess/god forms, while it may correspond to discussions of human
stages in
life, is not synonymous with those stages. With the possible
exception of
Cupid, there really *are* no Child gods or goddesses, and probably
for good
reason: for the most part, children don't have the knowledge
and experience
needed to "run" the world, one of the theoretical provinces of
the gods. On
the other hand, of course humans experience a child stage, but when
you look
at god/goddess archetypes, you're looking at them *solely* in terms
of adult
stages of being. That neither detracts from nor enhances the
experience of
being a child. Make sense? :)
Now I'm beginning to ramble, and should be back off to work. ;)
BB,
Citabria
Subject: Re: 4 Faces
of the Goddess and Innoc
Date: Thu, 23
Jan 1997 02:30:39 -0500 (EST)
From: GWILTSE@delphi.com
Hi,
Just a couple of comments:
on the triple goddess and dual god:
Perhaps there is no crone equivalent for the gods because men in history
(as
a general rule) lived such short lifespans, usually dying relatively
early
in battle or some such. While women have always had longer lifespans
and
therefore could be expected to reach cronehood.
on child gods:
I just this day viewed a photo of a statue of Isis, seated and holding
a very
young Horus in her lap (the legend said she was nursing him, but from
what I
could tell his face seemed to be not pressed to her breast).
So at the very
least, the Egyptians had god who was a child, for a time (of course
we
also know that eventually he grew up as there are statues of him in
full
maturity, too).
Peace and prosperity; and by the Lady, Blessed Be.
Windy (GWILTSE@delphi.com)
The only reason you ever do anything is because you want to.
All other "reasons" are part of the game. -- Michael
Subject:
Re: alt.religion.triplegoddess
Date:
Sat, 15 Feb 1997 04:51:27 -0500
From:
Sojourner <mphilli3@indy.tdsnet.com>
Amber Wilkinson wrote:
> I know several people (including me) who find the
idea of a quadruple-goddess very
> appealing, and it certainly makes as much sense as a triple-goddess.
After all, why
> should women divide their lives by their fertility? Children aren't
everything, you
> know. (Disclaimer: Mother of two children)
>
> Amber
That's a very good point,
Amber. Women have been historically defined
as hunters and warriors, in addition to (or rather than) as mothers,
but
the strongest archetypal tendencies have been maiden / mother / crone,
and it would be interesting to discover the role culture plays in either
(a) the strength of the archetype "woman as lover, child bearer, mother,
crone" and (b) the tendency to define woman as something or by something
other than fertility.
I guess the question would
depend on how deeply influenced the
archetypes are by nature / nurture, i.e., by genotype or culture.
It
may well be that both have always been present, but only the one was
allowed facile expression because it "fit" the mold while the other
was
kept closeted, i.e., women who didn't bear children had no place, or
created a space for themselves that was "unusual," (translated feared
or
respected or feared and respected) if they wanted a place.
~Sojourner
mphilli3@indy.tdsnet.com
We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are.
-Talmudic Saying
From: Eileen
Subj: The Goddess In Wicca
The Threefold Goddess
I
To understand the concept of Goddess requires more than the ability
to visualize God as a woman. The Goddess concept is built around
the
myth and mystery of the relationship between God and Goddess, and
beneath that, and part of it, Her Threefold Aspect ... Maiden, Mother
and Crone..
One of the oldest recognized Goddess forms is the first Greek
Goddess - Gaia, the Earth Mother; the Universal Womb; Mother of All.
The
most ancient Goddesses were most often Earth and Mother Goddesses.
The
were worshipped and revered as bearers of life ... fat, healthy,
pregnant and fruitful. As the Goddess concept developed, then came
the
Harvest Goddesses, who were also Earth Goddesses. Understand
that this
was a time when people did not even understand the basic mechanics
of
procreation. Life was very sacred and mystical indeed!
Gradually, myth and mystery developed and revealed themselves,
creating the legend which we honor in the modern Wiccan Craft..
We recognize the Goddess as the mother of all, including her
Mighty Consort, the God. To Her he is Lover and Son, and together
they form the Ultimate, the Omniverse, the Dragon, the Mystery..
Now that is a pretty tough concept all things considered..
Especially in our society as it sounds rather incestuous. From
a
mundane perspective, it gets worse as the Wheel of the Year Turns,
and
the Oak and Holly Kings battle ... eternal rivals and sacrificial mates..
In the pages that follow, we will explore the Goddess foundation
concepts and try to reach an understanding of the basis of the
Mystery..
The Threefold Goddess
II
I don't want to get off into all the names of all the Goddesses
in all the mythology in all of history. While that is certainly
a
noble endeavor, it is not the objective here. What I do want
to do is
look at the Goddess, in whole and in part, and see just who and what
she is..
First and foremost, the Goddess is the symbol of the Cycle of
Everlasting. She is constant, ever present, ever changing, and
yet
always the same. She could be compared in that respect to the
oceans..
As a part of that, she is that from which we have come, and to
which we will return. She is the Universal Mother, the Cosmic
Womb..
While those are largely symbolic images, as opposed to literal ones,
they are important to bear in mind about any aspect of the Goddess..
She never harms, she is Mother..
One of the most difficult throwback mentalities to dispell in a
student is the difference between "dark and light" and "bad and good"..
Societally, and often religiously, we are trained to see bad and dark
and evil as being the same. Hence, we are also taught to hate
and
fear our own mortality. All too often I see practicing Wiccans,
who
ought to *know* better, fall back on these concepts when trying to
explain or understand a concept..
The Goddess is dark, she is light, she is birth, she is death,
and she rejoices in all things. With death comes joy, for with
death
comes renewal. With life comes joy, for with life comes promise..
With growth comes joy for with growth comes wisdom. Sorrow and
fear
are not a part of her, not the way we feel those emotions. She
is
incapable of sorrow without joy, she fears nothing, because fear is
not real. It is a creation of the mind..
Whether you see the Goddess as a Warrior Queen, or like the Good
Witch of the North in the Wizard of Oz, she is the Goddess. And
she
has many parts and facets which defy comprehension as "One".
She
simply IS, and in that, can be whatever you need her to be in order
to
establish a relationship with her. But none of that changes what
she
IS..
The Threefold Goddess
III
"I greet thee in the many names of the Threefold Goddess and her
Mighty Consort. Athe, malkuth, ve-guburah, ve-gedulah, le-olam,
Amen..
Blessed Be."
So here, at the Circle Door, greeted by the High Priest or
Priestess we first see mentioned the Threefold Goddess. Full-sized
covens have three priestesses who take the specific roles of Maiden,
Mother and Crone, the High Priestess being Mother..
The Threefold Goddess however is NOT three entities, she is one..
Her aspects represent Enchantment, Ripeness and Wisdom..
Taking first things first is usually best, so we shall start
with a look at one side of the Maiden..
Quoting "The Myth of the Goddess" as found in Gardenarian Wicca
(Gerald B. Gardner, The Meaning of Witchcraft, Aquarian Press, London,
1959.):
Now Aradia had never loved, but she would solve all the
Mysteries, even the Mystery of Death; and so she journeyed to the
Nether Lands..
The Guardians of the Portals challenged her, "Strip off thy
garments, lay aside thy jewels; for naught may ye bring with ye into
this our land."
So she laid down her garments and her jewels and was bound, as
were all who enter the Realms of Death the Mighty One. Such was
her
beauty that Death himself knelt and kissed her feet, saying, "Blessed
by thy feet that have brought thee in these ways. Abide with
me, let
me place my cold hand on thy heart." She replied "I love thee
not..
Why dost thou cause all things that I love and take delight in to fade
and die?"
"Lady," replied Death, "it is Age and Fate, against which I am
helpless. Age causes all things to wither, but when men die at
the
end of time I give them rest and peace, and strength so that they may
return. But thou, thou art lovely. Return not; abide with
me."
But she answered, "I love thee not."
Then said Death, "An' thou receive not my hand on thy heart
thou must receive Death's scourge."
"It is Fate; better so", she said, and she knelt, and Death
scourged her and she cried "I feel the pangs of love."
And Death said, "Blessed be" and gave her the Fivefold Kiss,
saying "Thus only may ye attain joy and knowledge."
And he taught her all the Mysteries. And they loved and were
one, and he taught her all the Magicks..
For there are three great events in the life of Man: Love,
Death and Resurrection in a new body, and Magick controls them all..
For to fulfill love you must return again at the same time and place
as the loved one, and you must remember and love them again.
But to
be reborn you must die, and be ready for a new body; and to die you
must be born; and without love you may not be born. And these
be all
the Magicks..
The Threefold Goddess
IV
So there in the Gardnerian Myth of the Goddess we have her
Maiden aspect, seeking, searching and opening herself to the
mysteries. But it is well to remember that the Goddess herself
is a
mystery, and the primary gift of the Goddess is intuitive Wisdom..
Beltaine (Bealtain) is the only Sabbat where the Goddess is
entirely devoted to the Maiden. Here, she revels in the enchantment,
in
the joy of coming into fullness and mating with the God. Here,
she is
maiden bride and we can most easily understand that facet of the Maiden
aspect. I should probably note here that some see this festival
as
maiden turning into mother, with the maiden being in full at Candlemas,
but I do not agree with that..
Youth, newness, innocence and beauty are fundamental facets of the
Maiden aspect. But beneath those are seeking, and love, and love
of
seeking. There is more to understand of the Maiden though. Enchantment
does not end with maidenhood, it is simply the beginning of the Mystery
of Life, for that, above all, is what the Goddess stands for..
In Circle, in the Balanced Universe, the Maiden takes her place in
the East. In examining this most comfortable quarter, you learn
more
about the Maiden Aspect. East (Air) rules the free mind and intellect..
It is the place to seek the ability to learn and to open spiritually,
to
open your mind and find answers. It is a masculine quarter, ruled
by
intellect, and analytical logic, but she brings to it an intuition
which
is required to use these to best advantage..
The Threefold Goddess
V
"The river is flowing, flowing and growing, the river is flowing
back to the sea. Mother carry me, a child I will always be.
Mother
carry me, back to the sea."
This Circle chant, sung in joy, sung in sorrow, is a cry to the
Mother Aspect for comfort and warmth, a power chant calling upon the
steady power and fullness of the Mother and a plea for guidance. While
the Earth Mother, and the fully aspected Goddess are placed North in
the
Earth quarter, the Mother aspect alone belongs in the west..
Comfort and love rule here. Emotions, sorrow, joy, tears, these
belong to the ripeness of the Mother. Caring and loving for all
her
children, watching in pain and pride as they struggle to gain their
own,
knowing full well she could reach out and do it for them, but being
both
bound and desirous to let them do it for themselves..
There is a considerable difference, as you might have interpreted
from the above, between the Earth Mother and the Mother Aspect of the
Goddess. That is why we've started with her quarter, because
it reveals
the limitations of the Aspect..
The Mother aspect is ripeness, the ancient bearing of fruit, child
and grain. She represents emotion and sexuality. The Goddess
in that
aspect is most of the altar (as discussed in the Great Rite lesson.)
It
is interesting to note the practice in numerous ancient cultures of
lovemaking or outright sex magick in cornfields to help make the corn
grow..
The Dark Mother should also be placed here, although culturally, I
have a tendency to think of the Dark Mother as more in keeping the
Crone
Aspect. It is a bit of work to see the Dark Mother in the West,
to
separate Dark Mother from Crone, but it is worthwhile. If you
have any
background with the tarot I would suggest you take it in that context,
it is beyond the scope of this text..
The Threefold Goddess
VI
Our exploration of the Goddess and her Aspects brings us now to the
Crone. For me, the Crone is the most fascinating of the Aspects
of the
Goddess. Partly I suppose because she is the most mysterious
and
paradoxical..
"Blessed Goddess, old and wise, open mine, thy child's, eyes. Speak
to me in whispered tones that I may know the rune of Crones."
With life and growth comes age and wisdom, and the Crone is this in
part. She holds fire and power, which wisely used can be of great
benefit, but hold great danger for the unaware. Hers are the
secrets of
death and of life, and the mystery beyond the mystery..
Part of the pleasure in knowing the Crone aspect is that while,
unlike the fully aspected Goddess, she is not also Maiden and Mother,
she does retain the experiences of both those Aspects in order to be
Crone. The Crone, wizened though she is, must still be able to
reach
into herself and recall the innocent joys and high passions of the
Maiden and the love and warmth of the Mother. To be Crone and
to not
have forgotten, to still be able to experience Maiden and Mother is,
to
me, very appealing. More importantly, to be comfortable in that
Aspect,
where you have truth and knowledge but have left youth and physical
beauty behind, and to still _feel_ youth and beauty without being
desirous of them is an admirable quality..
Crone is the least paralleled Aspect of the Goddess to our human
society. We discard our old and wise, not understanding their
value as
teachers and models, and fearing their appearance as a reminder of
our
own mortality..
Knowing Crone is a door we much each open for ourselves for to know
and love her is to cast aside a great many of our cultural and societal
malteachings..
The Threefold Goddess
VII
While the individual Aspects of Threefold Goddess are certainly
valid concepts and paths to knowing Goddess, I should caution that
most
mythological Goddess figures are composite Goddesses. Earth Mother
Goddess figures are fully aspected Goddess by definition because they
represent the full cycle of the Wheel. Most other Goddess figures
can
be classified as having a dominant (or operative) aspect and recessive
(promised, or in some cases past) aspect. Future and past should
not be
taken literally, mythological Goddess figures are always whatever they
are eternally, they do not tend to change (ie age)..
Maiden Goddesses possessing their operative in the Huntress or
Warrior aspects most often have a promise of Crone. Maiden Goddesses
expressing their dominance in beauty and/or love usually have their
recessive aspect as Mother. For example, Athena is a Maiden Goddess
with Crone attributes (the combination produces many Mother-type
qualities, and this results in the Crone aspected Maiden being the
most
complete of the Mythological Goddesses, with the exception of Earth
Mother Goddesses.) Aphrodite is of course a Maiden Goddess with Mother
attributes..
Similarly, Dark Mother Goddess figures mostly find their promise in
Crone and Light Mother figures their recessive in Maiden.
Crone
recessives work the same way, although sometimes it takes a bit of
close
examination to find the "hidden" aspect..
One should note that this is not a formula, rather a tool to assist
in examining and understanding Goddess figures and creating one's own
personal spiritual link with Goddess. It is also a useful consideration
when invoking a specific Goddess with purpose in ritual..
The Threefold Goddess
VIII
The purpose of this course has been to open avenues of approach in
discovering and developing a relationship with Goddess. For me
personally, I do not "believe" in the reality of mythological Goddess
figures as they were presented, but I do believe they are a valid way
to
establish communication with Goddess. I also believe Goddess
will
appear in whatever form we are most ready to accept. The real
Goddess,
by my belief (and this is personal, not trad) is an entity beyond my
comprehension, perhaps composed of light (could 5000 sci-fi films be
wrong?), most assuredly unlike anything I could ever imagine in true
form. However, I do find mythological Goddess figures highly
useful for
ritual, and of some help in my personal relationship with Goddess.
I
hope you will too..
Blessed Be
Eileen
As the Maiden,
I saw through your eyes as a child
Spring rains,
green forests, and animals wild!
I saw you run
freely on the Earth with bare feet!
I watched as
you danced in the winds, blowing free!
I was there
as you grew, getting stronger each day!
I brought you
rainbows, chasing grey skies away!
I was there
in your laughter - I was there in your tears!
I was the acceptance
you gained from your peers!
I saw your first
love and I felt your first blush,
As passion first
stirred in the night's gentle hush!
I am there with
you always in the fresh morning dew!
I bring you
the crispness of beginnings anew..
As the Mother,
I bore all the labor distress
Of birthing
your child, and I felt the caress
Of your hand
on the face of the new life so dear..
I heard its
first cry, and I eased your fear!
I provided the
milk which you fed from your breast
Till the baby
grew strong, and with health it was blessed..
As she took
her first step, I was there in your smile!
I was there
while you nurtured your beautiful child!
On the first
day of school, when the doors opened wide
I was there
in your fear - I was there in your pride..
I am there with
you always in the bright full of moon!
I bring you
fertility - abundance in bloom.
As the Crone,
I brought blessings of wisdom with age
[Wisdom not
found by the turn of a page]..
I was there
as you taught the correct way to live:
To love and
to trust - to take and to give!
I was there
in the twinkle of your aged eye!
I was there
in your thoughts of the years flying by!
I was there
when you taught the Mysteries of old!
I was there
in the fire warming you in the cold!
In the weariness
of age, I was there with you, too....
I brought well-deserved
rest and peace unto you!
I am there with
you always in the darkness of night!
I complete your
life cycle, guiding you toward the light..
Maid, Mother
and Crone - We are all One -
Yet We are all
separate, as each role is done..
We do not leave
you - We're always there
As you walk
through this life with your worries and cares;
As you dance
in the spiral, We live inside -
Deep in your
spirit - where nothing can hide!
No matter your
path, no matter it's length -
We give you
courage and We give you strength..
We are there
to support you every hour of day
And deep in
the night, when dreams take you away..
Our gifts We
give freely, for you are our Child....
Yes, We are
the Lady: Wise, Pure, and Mild!
-Kalioppe-
