It's true. There is much information in books, and on the web that tells us about the aspects of the Great Goddess. My aim here is to simplify and break down Maiden Mother Crone archetypes in my own way. This is by no means a definitive exploration. Read this, and do research of your own. Take your own spiritual journey inward to the center of the soul to find the Goddess. I hope that this resonates with you and that you add your input in the comments section. 

In this post I am going to share;

• A brief history of the Great Goddess in time.

• Whether the Great Goddess is an archetype or deity.

• Then I will illuminate each aspect separately and how we can activate each into our daily lives in order to awaken the Goddess within. 

Let's begin with a little history.
Did you know that the Great Goddess was worshipped for 20,000 to 30,000 years of human history as the Prime deity? PAUSE...is it hard to imagine a world that said, “oh my goddess” lol instead of  “oh my god”. What would America be like if in Goddess we trust was on the currency? Ha! Or even In The Constitution! 

Over time, as the world evolved, and became more conquest driven, the Great Goddess and her ways took a back seat to a more patriarchal time. Gratefully, She was not wiped out completely. Many matriarchal ways clung. The concept of the Goddess trinity was one of them. The concept of the Triple Goddess can be compared to the stages of life for humans. Youth, parenthood, and maturity.  She is the one, and the three.

As far as I have learned, the Goddess is making her presence known more and more over the last 25 or so years. We should consider ourselves very fortunate to live in such a time to be a part of the history of spiritual awakening and reconnection to the Great Goddess.

Before I continue let me make this clear. No matter which gender you were born with, we ALL possess both masculine and feminine energies. Woman has more hormones and organs that classify her as female from the medical/physiological aspect. But yeah, if you are a man, get comfortable with the fact that what you seek, what you need to become whole, is in understanding the balance between masculine and feminine energy within, and how to balance them to be the man that you wish to be. You have both a mother and a father right? Well, there you have it! You NEED to understand moon energy so that you will develop. Moving on…

The instinct to separate the Prime deity into threefold was a concept that sparked during the times of Goddess worship. Indeed it was clear to these pioneers that “mother earth” was the giver of life, yet was also present during times of death. That she was young, yet not young at the same time. It becomes more clear that this Divine energy is active and available to use at several different turns in life. 

When we look into ancient cultures we see that wherever the Great Goddess is, she is mostly represented in her triple form. It seems that the Great Goddess first made herself known in antiquity through the understanding of the Moon and its phases. The connection between the Moon and its phases, and how we are intrinsically tied is such a vast subject that I will dedicate a post to it primarily. 

The aspects of the Goddess in three

Maiden. She is the embodiment of youthfulness (chronologically and not). She is the essence of creation and anticipation. To have a thought, which sparks an idea that inspires you to plan things out, is Maiden energy at work in your practical situation. 

Mother. She is the motion or movement that brings all things into being. Physical things, mental things, and spiritual things. Mother energy is at work when we manifest. 

Crone. She represents  the ending of things. All things. The beginnings of endings. She represents dissolution. The night. The dark. When we want to evolve ourselves into a better form of who we are, Crone energy is present. New year resolutions? Crone time. Endings, and beginnings. The Crone is all love. Do not fear the dark. In the dark there is rebirth and recycle. 

In the next installment of this series (part 2) I will go deeper into the Maiden in us all and uncover when and how She is active in our lives and how we can harness the power of her magic purposefully and effectively. Until then, blessings to you and yours. Ase. Blessed be.

References: women's mysteries, m. esther harding; the archetypes and the collective unconscious, carl jung; goddesses in every woman, jean shinoda bolen