Maiden, Mother and Crone. This is just one way of categorizing female deities. The Mother is the second aspect of the triple Goddess. She has had the experience of being the Maiden, however she has not had the experience of the Crone. She is pregnant and/or cares for her offspring which to her mean more than anything. How does one connect with the Mother?
The Maiden corresponds to the waxing moon and spring, and the Crone corresponds to to late autumn, winter and the waning moon. The Mother corresponds with full moon and the fullness of summer. Litha or Midsummer marks the growing season, and in the dance of the seasons this is her time. This is a great time for birth, and the traditional color that corresponds with the Mother is red for the blood. I say white is another color that corresponds with her which is the color of milk. There are a variety of mother goddesses, but let me highlight a few. I would like to start with a mother of the world whose name is Ala. She is a goddess of the Igbo people in Nigeria. As well as being a life giver, the dead are received in her womb. Another mother goddess from Greece is Gaia whose offspring included the Titans. Through her the Universe was created and so was mankind. Then there are midwife goddesses such as Akhushtal, Heket and Ilithyia. You may call upon a midwife goddess, if you are ready to give birth to a human being or your next big project. She will assist you during that vulnerable, wonderful and terrifying time.
What about those who have no children? Our Earth’s resources are running thin for this great human population at the present. So there is something to be said for the choice of not bringing a baby into this world. Many women choose careers over children. Some are unable to have children. Some people adopt children, and there are many who adopt animals. There are many ways we can breath life into this world. One of them is writing, measuring and record keeping. The Egyptian goddess Seshat was a scribe. She was credited with the invention of hieroglyphs. She oversaw measurement and books. She assisted the pharaoh in locating temples based on positions of planets and stars. Her symbols are pens, scrolls and scales. The Irish goddess Brigid is quite the Jack-of-all-trades, ruling over poetry, smithing, midwifery and the healing arts and sciences. The Hindu goddess Vac presides over words. She is the patroness of teachers, artists and writers. These are just some goddesses who have great accomplishments beyond what is traditionally thought of as motherhood.
Women, men and members of the LGBTQ+ community may work with and enjoy the fulfillment of the Mother. This is a great time of year to give birth to new projects. Get a job, enroll in school, start a dream business or take classes over the summer. It is a wonderful time to tend plants, crops or a garden. I would like to talk about agricultural mother goddesses. The Greek Goddess Demeter taught humans about growing crops and the harvest. The story of her and her daughter Persephone who was kidnapped by the god of the Underworld Hades helped explain the seasons. West African Goddess Asase Yaa is another agricultural goddess. She assists farmers from planting to harvesting. Aztec goddess Chicomecoatl watched over maize and other edible plants. She is depicted with a great headdress and holding ears of maize. Call on a goddess such as these goddesses for work with your garden.
The Mother Goddess is a great nurturer and has unconditional love for us. We are her children. Feel free to talk to her in or outside of ritual. You can simply invite her into your living room to have a chat.
The Mother’s anger rights wrongs especially against children and women. This is a great time to protest any wrongs. Call upon Ala when you have been wronged, and she will see that you gain restitution. Demeter is one of those goddesses to take corrective action. When Hades kidnapped her daughter Persephone, Demeter would not stop looking for her until she was found. In her anger, Demeter walked out on her job of keeping the Earth fertile until she was reunited with her daughter. Egyptian goddess Sekhmet had the body of a woman and the head of a lion. Ra created her to destroy people who would not worship him or follow the principles of Ma’at. Call upon goddesses such as these when you seek justice.
Another form of the Mother Goddess is her Mother Earth aspect. You can work with her to connect with nature and the Earth. The Irish Earth mother goddess Dana rules over fertile earth, vegetation and rivers. Today we think of the Greek Goddess Gaia as Mother Earth. She is the personification of nature and the land. African goddess Yemonja is water goddess, ruling over rivers, lakes and seas and she is usually pictured as a mermaid. The Mother is associated with abundance and a fertile Earth. Call upon a goddess such as these when you go out to work with nature.
Enjoy learning more about the Mother aspect of the Goddess!
On the date of this post, the moon is a waning gibbous. This is a great time to seek justice in a beneficial manner such as marching in a protest.
I will continue to post on Wednesdays.
Auburn Greene
Suggested Investigation:
Auset, Brandi, Priestess. The Goddess Guide: Exploring the Attributes and Correspondences of the Divine Feminine, Llewellyn, 2009.
Cannon-Brown, Giulie. Encyclopaedia Britannica, britannica.com/topic/Seshat
Canson, Patricia E. Encyclopaedia Britannica, britannica.com/topic/Yemonja
Conway, D. J. Maiden, Mother, Crone, Llewellyn, 1994.
Farrar, Janet & Stewart. The Witches’ Goddess, Phoenix Publishing, 1987.
Iwalaiye, Temi. “African Gods: Ala, the Supreme Mother of the Igbos,” Pulse.ng, June 12, 2021, pulse.ng/lifestyle/food-travel/african-gods-ala-the-supreme-mother-of-the-igbos/vf0105h
Myth Digest. “Sekhmet,” April 14, 2021, sites.psu.edu/haha/2021/04/14/sekhmet/
The Met. “Maize Deity,” metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/307644
Weatherspoon, Lunaea. Tending Brigid’s Flame: Awaken to the Celtic Goddess of Hearth, Temple, and Forge, Llewellyn, 2015.
Weber, Courtney. Brigid: History, Mystery, and Magick of the Celtic Goddess, Weiser Books, 2015.
Wigington, Patti. “Mother Goddesses,” Learn Religions, April 5, 2023, learnreligions.com/mother-goddesses-2561948.
My Inner Wiccan 