The Triple Goddess: The Maiden, Mother & Crone
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One of my favorite allegories is the Triple Goddess, also known as the Maiden, Mother and Crone. A fairly new idea that really took root in the 1970s, the Triple Goddess aligns with the different moon phases and represents all the phases of womanhood. It highlights the power of the feminine and no matter your age or maternal status, you can look to the Triple Goddess for guidance, inspiration and comfort.
History of The Maiden, Mother & Crone
The concept of the Goddess goes back to most ancient civilizations and was often presented as a tripartite being, meaning that it was seen in three different images or phases of life. According to Skye Alexander in her book Modern Guide to Witchcraft, the feminine Goddess was represented as the maiden, mother, crone, while the masculine God power was shown as youth, maturity and old age. Goddess and God were often worshipped together, to draw from the different types of passive and active energies for a balanced life.
The specific idea of the Triple Goddess as its own deity or power was first popularized by 19th Century folklorist Robert Graves in his book The White Goddess. In it, Graves melds together several mythological figures popular in European culture to form the archetype of the Triple Goddess, which reflects the still popular notion of conventional beauty and feminine mystique. The Maiden is seen as blonde and conventionally beautiful, the mother as plump and matronly and revered for fertility and homemaking, while the crone is seen as bitter and a reminder of death. This western patriarchal idea of womanhood is still reflected by popular culture, which revere youth and motherhood, while often ignoring women once they age past a certain age.
Grave’s research was eventually discredited, though his ideas continued to permeate the neopagan movement of the early and mid 20th century. The modern day celebration of the Triple Goddess as a stand-alone divine feminine power took root in the 1970s, following the rise of the Wiccan religion in Western culture.
This article from Learn Religions gives further insight into the history of the Triple Goddess.
The Triple Goddess & The Moon
The most common association with the Triple Goddess are the three phases of the monthly moon. The waxing (growing bigger) moon represents the Maiden, the full moon represents the Mother and the waning (shrinking) moon represents the Crone. At a quick glance this comparison would align to life and death. We grow, we peak, we die. But upon closer study, the Triple Goddess and the moon phases can be applied to many aspects of our lives. In her excellent book Modern Witchcraft Book of Natural Magick, author Judy Ann Nock states that “The lunation cycle is our best representation of the triple goddess….We are constantly reminded that the only constant is change.”
The Maiden
The Maiden is represented by the waxing moon and associated with the start of the growing cycle of late winter and springtime. The Wheel of the Year sabbats Imbolc, Ostara and Beltane are associated with the Maiden phase of the Triple Goddess.
In popular culture (AKA the male gaze) the Maiden is often portrayed as a white, able bodied blonde teenager who is, if we’re being honest, a bit of a ditz. Think of every classic fairytale princess ever. Beautiful and noble, but totally unable to make good decisions and possesses no problem solving skills. She is young and vibrant, but also needs to be balanced out by more active masculine energy, usually in the form of being rescued by a dashing prince.
A modern take on the Maiden is viewing her as our youthful curiosity, openness and sense of adventure. The Maiden can happen multiple times in one’s life. When you go back to school, learn a new skill or hobby, or have a general sense of excitement at life’s opportunities - that is the Maiden channeling through your spirit.
Traditional myths featuring the Maiden include the Greek Persephone and Artemis and the Celtic Rhiannon.
The Mother
The Mother phase of life is represented by the full moon- the fullest part of your life. In the Wheel of the Year it is associated with the harvests of Lughnasadh and Mabon.
The idea of motherhood has long been associated with safety, love, security and home. The Mother is often portrayed as plump and matronly and loved by her family, while also being dismissed as anything else beside being a mother - Mrs. Weasley from Harry Potter comes to mind. But despite the matronly associations with the Mother Phase - It is one that lives within all women - regardless of maternal status. It represents the fullness of life - the growing season and the start of the harvest. Those early ideas and possibilities that happened with the Maiden are now coming to fruition.
The Mother is represented in nearly every ancient culture including the Roman Ceres, Greek Demeter, and Hindu Lakshmi.
The Crone
The Crone phase of life is represented by the waning moon- when the cycle comes to an end and a new beginning starts. The Crone is full of wisdom and life experience. In the Wheel of the Year she is associated with Samhain and Yule, when the days shorten and the growing season officially ends. Author Judy Ann Nock likens the Crone to seed magick, observing “...the seed is the Crone containing all wisdom within, arising at the end of the life cycle, the culmination of all the seasons and the many turns of the wheel.”
Historically there has been a lot of fear around aging and for good reason. Dying peacefully is a fairly new idea, thanks to modern medicine. Previous to modern medicine, death could be painful and prolonged for many. So it isn’t a surprise that the Crone is associated with pain, fear and bitterness. But if we go beyond this superficial association, the Crone can represent our own innate wisdom and strength. Life’s storms leave their mark, but the Crone demonstrates how we can come out stronger and more resilient than ever.
The Crone is represented in many cultures including the Russian Baba Yaga, the Indian Kali and the Celtic Morrigan.
Despite the association with feminism, the Triple Goddess has historically been seen through the male gaze of western patriarchy. Her energy is associated with passivity rather than action and balanced with the more active male/God energy. Modern interpretations value the Goddess for her own power and representation of the life cycle. For those that want to align with the Triple Goddess, looking inward is a good place to start, knowing that no matter what phase you are in, the Goddess stands with you.
Recommended Readings
In the Wake of the Goddesses by Tikva Frymer-Kensky
The Modern Guide to Witchcraft by Skye Alexander
The Modern Witchcraft Book of Natural Magick by Judy Ann Nock
No Spend January
Welcome to January. The season of resolutions and good intentions. While I have long since given up the requisite Western-toxic-diet-culture resolution of losing weight in the new year, I still enjoy a good resolution/challenge to kick things off.
This year I have decided to do a January No-Spend Challenge. I’ve done these no-spend periods in the past and find they are an excellent way to identify spending leaks and combat lifestyle inflation - which is a bit of a champagne problem to have. Lifestyle inflation is when your income increases, even a little, and you slowly start spending money on things that you never used to. For me, lifestyle inflation usually shows up in the form of impulse purchases in the grocery store. Of course I need at least 4 different types of gourmet cheeses on hand at all times. You never know when you’ll need to make an impromptu charcuterie board.
If you aren’t familiar with a No-Spend Challenge, it’s a fun(?) way to save some money AND rethink your spending habits. It’s also a great way to rethink consumerism in general. There is nothing more sustainable than NOT buying things you don’t really need.
What is a No Spend Challenge?
No Spend challenges have grown in popularity over the years and there are different ways to set up your own no-spend challenge. Some people opt to cut ALL unnecessary spending, including things like streaming services, cable, etc and eat only what they have in their cupboards for one month or more. Others embark on a long term no spend, vowing to buy no new clothes or electronics, etc….for the entire year. Still others (like me) structure their challenge to pare down their spending and identify unhealthyish habits.
My No Spend Rules
My no spend rules are pretty simple. No spending on anything outside of my regular needs, including any online orders. I am not a big spender by nature - I have been raised on classic New England Yankee Thrift. But I’ve found that during the pandemic, I had turned a little too much to online retail therapy as a distraction from uncomfortable feelings - oh hello Amazon & ThredUp. But there are only so many sensible second-hand cardigans you can buy, before the dopamine wears off. So, while a no-spend can definitely help save money, I am really doing it in part to feel my feelings in a healthier way.
In addition to my no online purchases rule, here are some other rules for my January No Spend:
A moratorium on new recipe ingredients. As noted in the above fancy cheese example, I am easily dazzled by gourmet ingredients at the grocery store. I am also the queen of buying items for a new recipe and then never making said recipe. As a result, I have accumulated oodles of unopened jars of truffle sea salt, red curry paste, Mediterranean olives blends, and organic stone ground almond flour (even though I’m not gluten-free). Like sleeping beauty waiting for her prince, these items are sitting dormant in my cupboard, just waiting for me to bring them to life. If I want to dabble with new recipes in January, they have to be based on things I already have in my cupboard.
June 2022 Update - Win! I have not bought any one-off ingredients at all this year. I have also been diligent about checking my pantry (aka my lazy susan) to see what items I have onhand, before I go shopping.No personal care items unless I am 100% out of it. This means that when the shampoo bottle is down to the last 1/8 inch full, I do not get to buy a new bottle. And I need to use up any partially opened containers before buying new. I actually did this last year and it took me + my family over three months to use up half a dozen travel-size toothpastes before I had to buy a new full-size tube of toothpaste.
June 2022 Update - Full Transparency. I did buy one new eye shadow pallet in a moment of weakness a few months ago. When I got home I realized it is almost exactly the same colors as the eyeshadow pallet I had been using. So, at least I know I’ll use it up.
Grocery shopping once a week. I know, I know - I’ve have real issues with buying groceries. Depending on how you shop for groceries, this might seem like you’d be spending more money. But my rationale is that I will actually spend less, because I’ll be less prone to bulk buying mentality. You know, when you’re like I need to get all.the.things now, because God only knows when I’ll make it back to Wal-Mart. I spend way less going once a week, because if I want something, but don’t have an immediate plan for it, I’ll just add it to my list for the next week.
June 2022 Update: A win most of the time. I have pretty much stuck to my once a week rule, though there were a few extra trips thrown in here and there to pick up a few extra items - mostly fresh produce if I was out. But it is still loads better than my previous habit of multiple trips a week.
Financial Health Matters
The way we deal with our money is really important. While I am able to live comfortably now and have a solid middle class office job that pays me well for my needs, I have also struggled financially in the past - hard. And experienced some hefty financial trauma along the way. Just like mental health and physical health, I believe we must look after our financial health with the same kind of persistence and patience. It is not something that should be ignored until it becomes a problem.
If you’d like to do your own no-spend challenge, you can download this free worksheet I put together. And you can find more resources I’ve put together on budgeting, financial planning and simplifying life & home over on Pinterest.
A New Year & Winter Garden Musings
Happy 2022! Thank you to everyone who took the time to reach out and say a kind word after my last newsletter. Your messages were so welcome and appreciated - I actually ugly-cried from joy and relief that so many of you understood and even echoed my thoughts. And it made me feel so good about my decision to keep going with Mabon House.
I’ve been on vacation from my day job, and I’m not going to lie - it has been wonderful. I’ve taken naps, puttered about my house, listened to some fantastic books on Audible and ate a lot of good food with my family. On New Year's Eve (day) I spent some time walking about my gardens, enjoying the sunshine, crisp air and fresh snow.
I am often grumbly about winter because I am the head snow-remover, roof raker and fire starter at our house, now that most of my kids have flown the coop. My youngest is still at home, but it seems like whenever it snows, he is always at his dad’s house and I am the one left shoveling. But I remind myself to be grateful that I have a home to take care of and a body that allows me to do all the things that need to be done. The older I get the more grateful I am for the simple things in life.
Walking about in the woods and gardens is also a good reminder to stop hating on winter so much. There is much beauty to be found all year long, if only we slow down and look.
