by Natalie Case

Created on: January 18, 2007   Last Updated: May 11, 2007

Maiden, Mother, Crone...Becoming Whole

The power of the Triune Goddess in many modern Pagan circles rivals that of the God Trilogy of Christianity. She ranks right up there with the amorphous "Goddess" as a single female entity. I have to admit, the whole "Maiden, Mother and Crone" triple goddess stuff pulled me in when I was new to Paganism in general. It seemed to me at the time to really encompass the journey of a woman's life, and taken as a whole it was a metaphor for living.

Of course, I was young and disillusioned with patriarchal religions and it was all new and amazing to me. My religious life to that point had been pretty sheltered and I was wide eyed and wondrous looking at the world of possible religious options. I was also still believing the social myth of womanhood, that a girl is raised, reaches adulthood, marries, has babies and grows old. It hadn't yet occurred to me that life is seldom that sweetly and neatly packaged and that no two women do it exactly the same way, especially not in this modern era where we are allowed to provide for ourselves, and no longer marry for the convenience of a having a spouse who takes care of us.

So, here I am at thirty-eight, which according to the "Maiden, Mother, Crone" set up puts me squarely in my Mother years. I'm not a mother. I am an aunt, and I guess I do some Mothering through my relationship with my niece and nephew, but I'm not a mother. I have no desire to be a mother.

In many ways I've already begun progressing to Crone. I like my time alone. I like maturity and wisdom, and I seek it out in my companions. I don't tolerate willful ignorance or bigotry. I am able and willing to teach what I have learned to those younger or less experienced than I.

Yet, in many other ways I still embrace the Maiden. I am, at times, playful, flirtatious. I still have some of that wide-eyed wonderment of my first ritual. I like to see new things and explore. I have moments of fiery passion, both in my pursuit of pleasure and in my work.

I am reminded of my first experience with Morriganokay, maybe not that first one where she claimed me (which is a completely different topic), but the first time I set out to find her on purpose. I had read a lot about how she was one of the "triple goddesses" but when I came face to face with her, I saw a woman. A solid, complete, whole woman, who was somehow all three of these archetypes and none of them all at the same time.

Shortly after that I experienced the ritual theater that is The

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