The Triple Goddess represents a divine feminine entity manifesting in three aspects: the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone. These aspects symbolize different stages in the female life cycle and correspond with the phases of the Moon.

The Maiden represents youth, new beginnings, and potential. The Mother stands for fertility, nurture, and stability, often linked with the full moon. The Crone embodies wisdom, endings, and the waning moon phase. This construct has become a cornerstone of many contemporary spiritual practices, emphasizing the cyclical nature of life and the value of each stage of existence.

However, there’s a common misconception that this concept – the Triple Goddess as the Maiden, Mother, and Crone – is universally ancient. That it is an unaltered carry-over from pre-Christian, particularly Celtic and Greek, religious practices. Today, we’ll delve into the historical roots of the Triple Goddess, scrutinize this misconception, and shed light on how the current understanding of the Triple Goddess came into being.

We will examine the presence of triple deities in various ancient cultures and delve into the modern conceptualization introduced by Robert Graves and inspired by Jane Harrison. We’ll also observe its further development thanks to Crowley and its popularization in Wicca by Doreen Valiente.

Our goal is not to diminish the significance of the Triple Goddess in modern practices. Instead, we want to elucidate the historical evolution of this concept and foster a nuanced understanding of the way ancient religious elements can be reinterpreted and adapted over time.

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Hello Symposiast! I’m Dr Angela Puca, religious studies PhD and this is your online resource for the academic study of magick, esotericism, Paganism, Shamanism and all things occult.

Let’s begin by venturing into the distant past, where we find many examples of trinities and triple deities. While there are shared aspects, it’s vital to note that these entities differed considerably from culture to culture, and even within cultures, often defying our modern understanding of a unified Triple Goddess archetype.

In ancient Greece, we encounter Hecate, a goddess of magic, witchcraft, and the night, often depicted in triplicate form. However, Hecate’s triple nature doesn’t neatly align with the categories of Maiden, Mother, and Crone. Her aspects were more complex, combining realms of earth, sea, and sky or embodying different roles such as protector, provider, and punisher. It’s important to note, as Gimbutas did in ‘The Language of the Goddess,’ that Hecate was not a universal ‘Triple Goddess’ but a unique deity within the complex Greek pantheon.

Moving north to the Celtic lands, we find a different approach. The Morrigan, often misunderstood as a singular goddess, is actually a composite of several goddesses. They encompass a wide range of associations, from war and death to fertility and sovereignty, which again, don’t directly equate to the Maiden, Mother, and Crone paradigm.

Such examples could be multiplied. Pócs, in ‘Between the Living and the Dead,’ provides a wealth of data on the diversity of ancient triple deities, demonstrating that they were far from being a single, universally understood concept. What is common to many of them is the symbolic power of the number three, seen in many cultures as sacred and significant.

The important takeaway from this exploration is that while triple deities certainly existed in various ancient cultures, they were not universally represented or understood as the Maiden, Mother, and Crone. This is a much more recent interpretation.

So, where did this modern concept of the Triple Goddess originate? For that, we turn to the mid-20th century and the work of Robert Graves.

Moving forward from the ancient world, let’s delve into the mid-20th century where the modern concept of the Triple Goddess was born. The influential, yet controversial, figure at the heart of this development is British poet and scholar Robert Graves.

In his seminal work ‘The White Goddess: A Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth,’ Graves introduced his interpretation of the Triple Goddess as an archetype that embodied the three stages of a woman’s life: Maiden, Mother, and Crone. To Graves, these phases corresponded with the lunar cycles — the waxing moon, full moon, and waning moon, respectively. He saw the Triple Goddess as a universal symbol at the heart of ancient mythologies and religions.

However, it’s important to recognize that Graves’ interpretation was more of a creative reconstruction than a rigorous historical analysis. Graves, a poet himself, was driven by the belief in a ‘poetic myth’ and sought a poetic truth over historical accuracy. Consequently, his ideas were met with scepticism in academic circles.

In ‘The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft,’ Ronald Hutton critically assesses Graves’ work. While Graves was an extraordinary poet and mythographer, Hutton argues that his theories were often based on his own creative and poetic interpretations rather than on meticulous historical or archaeological evidence.

In his work, “The White Goddess,” Graves was deeply influenced by Jane Harrison’s studies of pre-Hellenic cultures and her propositions about the existence of various goddesses. Graves’s vision of a Triple Goddess and matriarchal society was a direct response to and development of Harrison’s research into prehistoric Greek society.

Hutton also highlights Crowley’s importance in providing a vital link in the evolving modem conception of the triple goddess between Jane Harrison and Robert Graves. This link occurred in 1929, in Moonchild, where Crowley explained that the nature of the moon was threefold: (Hutton, 2019, pp. 185, 195, 196, 355)

For she is Artemis or Diana, sister of the sun, a shining Virgin Goddess; then Isis-initiatrix, who brings to man all light and purity, and is the link of his animal soul with his eternal self; and she is Persephone or Proserpine, a soul of double nature, living half upon the earth and half in Hades…and thirdly she is Hecate, a thing altogether of Hell, barren, hideous and malicious, the queen of death and evil witchcraft

Aleister Crowley

To Crowley, all these natures represented those of womanhood: ‘Artemis is unassailable, a being fine and radiant; Hecate is the crone, the woman past all hope of motherhood, her soul black with envy and hatred of happier mortals; the woman in the fullness of life is the sublime Persephone.’(Crowley, 1971, pp. 187–188)

Despite the academic scepticism, Graves’ concept of the Triple Goddess struck a chord within the rapidly growing Neopagan and Wiccan communities. The next influential figure to seize upon and popularize this interpretation was Doreen Valiente, a prominent figure in the world of Wicca.

Valiente is often referred to as the ‘mother of modern witchcraft,’ and her work had a profound impact on the popularization of the Triple Goddess concept.

Valiente embraced and expanded on Graves’ interpretation in her practice and teachings. Her book ‘Witchcraft for Tomorrow‘ encapsulates her views on the Triple Goddess, embodying the life stages of women. She associated these stages with the phases of the moon and the cycles of nature – an echo of Graves’ ideas, but situated within a religious and ritual context.

Valiente’s work came at a time when interest was revived in witchcraft and pagan traditions. Her interpretation of the Triple Goddess became a central tenet in Wiccan spirituality. This marked a pivotal moment where the Triple Goddess as Maiden, Mother, and Crone, became a cornerstone in Wicca and related Pagan paths.

But it’s important to understand that this was not a straightforward adoption of an unchanging ancient tradition. As Ronald Hutton highlights in ‘The Triumph of the Moon,’ Wicca is a modern witchcraft religion that developed in the 20th century. It borrowed and synthesized elements from various sources, from medieval witch trials and ceremonial magic to Freemasonry and romantic views of the ancient Celts and Greeks.

The modern Triple Goddess concept is one such element – a 20th-century reinterpretation of various historical strands, mythological themes, and spiritual yearnings. It connects to the past yet is deeply rooted in the present.

As we conclude today’s exploration of the Triple Goddess, let’s recap the significant points we’ve unearthed. We journeyed through the realms of ancient cultures, uncovering that while the number three and triple deities held significant sway, they were varied and distinctive, not universally encapsulated by the Maiden, Mother, and Crone archetype.

Our exploration led us to the mid-20th century, where we encountered Robert Graves. His interpretation of the Triple Goddess, although viewed septically by academia, was highly influential and embraced by burgeoning Neopagan and Wiccan communities. This legacy was further cemented by Doreen Valiente, whose work made the Triple Goddess a central tenet in Wiccan spirituality and related Pagan paths.

So, while the concept of the Triple Goddess, which we recognize today, does have roots in ancient cultures, it’s a modern construct. It’s a 20th-century interpretation, a poetic and spiritual synthesis that borrowed from the past to create something new and resonant for the present.

In tracing the journey of the Triple Goddess concept, we see the ways in which beliefs and symbols can evolve, shaped by cultural, historical, and personal contexts. This in no way diminishes the significance of the Triple Goddess in modern practices. Instead, it highlights the dynamic nature of spirituality, and its capacity to adapt, reinterpret, and resonate across time.

(Mankey, 2023)

I invite you now to share your thoughts, reflections, and questions on this topic in the comment section.

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