A Rag About the Triple Goddess

A friend's mom passed away recently. I felt sadness and I could relate to her feelings. I have lost both my parents so I can really relate. When you're a woman and your mom passes, your self image changes, especially if you already have had children. Within the last few years I admittedly relate to more of the crone, a self image typically reserved for woman 15-20 years older than I am. My thoughts about the triple goddess began to surface about two weeks ago when a good friend reminded me of Carl Jung's analysis of the the maiden, mother and crone. I really need to start looking at the material again.

I have always had problems with the triple goddess concept of maiden, mother and crone. The concept has a slight misogynist twist to it IMHO in that, females are only naive in youth, women are tied (tide LOL) to the physical bonds of our cycles during motherhood and as a crone, the inevitable is death. Not a very positive review of fertility or womankind, IMHO. During the implied stages of the triple moon, we are bound to our ignorance, our bodies or our death...we are just imprisoned...by something... no matter the stage of our development.


The actual symbol reminds us of a vagina. I guess it kinda of bugs me because I do not just define myself according to the state of my pussy. It's there, it has fun, it has had many uses but I do not think with it or feel Love from it (well, not that kinda Love). I do not have problems with the actually deities associated with the triple moon. I am not a female misogynist and I love other women. I guess I have a hangup with the fertility concept because I have no problems understanding and relating to other triplicities. In my mind, the concept of the triple goddess is dark in nature and the fertility triplicity is not loosely interpreted. I wish I could get passed this obstacle because fundamentally, I believe it effects the way I see myself. I think the Jungian psychology might be a key to my understanding.

In a recent visit to a coven of Dianic Wiccans, my impression of their interpretation of the triple goddess is that the crone is actually representation of rebirth and they use the analogy of a women's menses for rebirth. For every cycle, a woman's womb begins anew. After some thought, my biggest problem with the crone association with rebirth is a crone ceases menstruation so therefore is not part of this cyclical renewal. My other confused thoughts about this tradition also stems from the slightly male-hating and extremely women-celebrating nature. (I like guys, work with them and they dominate my profession) After all, to get to a key point of the triple goddess, the mother stage, a women NEEDS a man to fertilize her egg so she can become a mother. Although I enjoyed the energy of these women and found them to be quite empowering, strong and intelligent, I internally need to resolve the issues of my confusion.