Triple Goddess (Neopaganism)
Neopagan triune goddess of maiden, mother, and crone.
The Triple Goddess is a deity or archetype honored across many Neopagan traditions. She is understood as a triunity—three distinct aspects or figures united as one being: the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone. Each represents a stage in the female life cycle, a phase of the Moon, and often rules one of the realms of heavens, earth, and underworld. In some forms of Wicca, her male counterpart is the Horned God.
This modern Neopagan concept was heavily shaped by the writings of early and mid-20th-century poet, novelist, and mythographer Robert Graves, especially in *The White Goddess* and *The Greek Myths*, as well as in his poetry and fiction. Graves saw the Triple Goddess as the enduring muse of all true poetry and speculated about her ancient worship, drawing on the scholarship, fiction, and mythology of his time—particularly the work of Jane Ellen Harrison and other Cambridge Ritualists. Hungarian scholar of Greek mythology Karl Kerenyi also identified an underlying triple moon goddess in Greek myths. Archaeologist Marija Gimbutas argued for the ancient worship of a universal Triple Goddess across European cultures. However, like Graves, her generalizations of these theories to multiple unrelated cultures and the unsourced homogenization of diverse traditions into a single figure have sparked considerable controversy. Many Neopagan belief systems follow Graves’ and Gimbutas’ proposed universal, cross-cultural Triple Goddess, and these ideas continue to influence feminism, literature, Jungian psychology, and literary criticism.
**Origins**
Ancient religions featured various triune or triple goddesses, or deities appearing in groups of three. Well-known examples include the Tridevi (Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Parvati), Triglav (Slavic), the Charites (Graces), the Horae (Seasons, counted as three in ancient Hellenistic reckoning), and the Moirai (Fates). Some singular deities also had triple aspects. At Stymphalos, Hera was worshiped as a Girl, a Grown-up, and a Widow.
**Hecate**
According to Robert Graves, Hecate was the "original" and most prominent ancient triple moon goddess. Hecate was initially depicted in single form early in her worship but became triform by the late fifth century B.C.—though all three forms were usually shown as the same age.
Quick Facts
- God Of
- Goddess of the Moon, the Earth, and childbirth
- Symbol
- Crescent, full, and dark moon (original) / Crescent, half, and full moon (late Antiquity) / Waxing, full, and waning moons (modern)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The modern Neopagan conception of the Triple Goddess has been heavily influenced by the writings of early and mid-20th-century poet, novelist, and mythographer Robert Graves, particularly in his books The White Goddess and The Greek Myths. Graves regarded her as the continuing muse of all true poetry and speculatively imagined her ancient worship, drawing on the scholarship of Jane Ellen Harrison and other Cambridge Ritualists. Hungarian scholar Karl Kerenyi likewise perceived an underlying triple moon goddess in Greek mythology, and archaeologist Marija Gimbutas argued for the ancient worship of a universal Triple Goddess in European cultures, though her generalizations have attracted much controversy.
Reader's Guide
The Triple Goddess archetype has become central to many Neopagan belief systems, following the proposals of Robert Graves and Marija Gimbutas of a universal, cross-cultural figure. These ideas continue to influence feminism, literature, Jungian psychology, and literary criticism. The specific character of the Maiden, Mother, and Crone is not found in ancient sources directly related to Hecate or most triple goddesses; both Diana and Hecate were almost invariably described as maiden goddesses. However, the syncretism of the triple moon goddess (Diana/Hecate/Selene) with Orphic beliefs about the Seasons and Fates as divisions of this divinity, along with the latter representing three stages of life, ultimately gave rise to the modern conception. The Neoplatonist philosopher Porphyry first recorded the belief that Hecate's three aspects represented moon phases: new, waxing, and full. The grammarian Epigenes noted that the three Moirai were regarded by the Orphic tradition as representing the three divisions of the Moon. Jane Ellen Harrison's work, though controversial for positing an ancient matriarchal civilization, helped bring the idea of a singular Triple Moon Goddess to modern scholarship.
Did You Know?
- The Triple Goddess is often viewed as a triunity of Maiden, Mother, and Crone, each symbolizing a stage in the female life cycle and a phase of the Moon.
- Robert Graves's books The White Goddess and The Greek Myths heavily influenced modern Neopagan conceptions of the Triple Goddess.
- The Neoplatonist philosopher Porphyry was the first to record that Hecate's three aspects represented the new, waxing, and full moon.
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