Early peoples from every civilization and every part of the world have, or had, stories to explain these changes in the Moon. All of these have certain threads in common. The Moon grows, bringing promise and strength. It reaches fullness, representing fertility and fruitfulness. It declines and then enters a resting, or hidden, phase before starting again. In the Craft these stages in the Moon’s cycle are linked to the three aspects of the Goddess. In some other belief systems the Lunar cycle is linked to the stories of the God. However, legends of the Triple Goddess can be found from almost all civilizations and all parts of the globe. Although some mythologies will give different names to the different aspects of the Goddess, it is important to remember that they are all aspects or faces of the one Goddess. The Triple Goddess is Maiden, Mother and Crone (or Wise One), and we have to put aside some of our modern prejudices when we look at these terms, for Maiden need not mean young in years and Crone certainly does not mean past her useful life!
The Maiden is youthful. She represents fresh starts and new beginnings, enthusiasm and energy. In times past she would be seen as any woman who had commenced puberty but who had not yet given birth to a child. The New Moon represents the Maiden and it is at this time of the month that we prefer to work Magic directed towards new growth or anything which is being started. It is the time to draw things towards us. So we would ask for help in starting a new project or job, or to acquire new skills. On a practical level it is a good time to sow seeds or start new plants.
The Mother is more mature. She represents fertility and fruitfulness, nurturing and caring. Her image is maternal, someone who has had a child (or children) and is in the process of raising them. The Full Moon represents the Mother and this is the time of month when our Magic is directed towards healing, nurturing and protecting. At this time Magic is performed for the healing of physical, emotional and mental illness, both for ourselves and for others.
The Crone is the Wise One. She represents knowledge and understanding. In times past this was the woman who had finished raising her family, whose experience of life and observation of the people around her had given her the knowledge and skill to know those things which were not obvious to others. The later stages of the Waning Moon represent the Crone and this is the time when Magic is worked towards knowledge and understanding, and when divination is most likely to be successful. This is also the time for the banishing of things such as bad habits, old guilt, poor self-image. The Crone is also the one who presides over death, the time of rest after labours, and, because the cycle of life, death and rebirth is never-ending, she also prepares the way for new birth and the Maiden. Death is something we are accustomed to turn away from, but in the context of the Craft, its place in the cycle is necessary to allow new things to start.
The few days when there is no visible Moon every month are called the Dark of the Moon. It is often considered that these nights, when the Goddess is hiding her face, are a time when no Magic should be performed. This is not strictly true, but working at the Dark of the Moon is something which should really be kept for emergencies and for when you are fully in tune with the energies in the ebb and flow of the Moon, otherwise you may find yourself working many times harder than is actually necessary, and with uncertain results. If you practise the Craft regularly for long enough you will know when you are ready to work at the Dark of the Moon. You will also come to learn that there are very few Magics that cannot wait a day or so until the New Moon rises to lend her youthful energy to your purpose.
So far I have referred to the cycle of the Moon only in terms of the Goddess, however we must remember that the God is of equal importance. He does not change in the same way with the phases of the Moon. His role is that of consort or partner and he remains constantly at the Goddess’s side, changing little throughout the course of the month, although in a year of Moons there are some that are directly linked to the God. For example the Hunter’s Moon, which is the one nearest to Samhain and the ‘largest’ Moon of the year, is related to the God as he moves into his aspect of Leader of the Wild Hunt. The aspects of the God are seen more clearly through the cycle or Wheel of the Year, where the Goddess sometimes appears to take a less obvious role. However, both the Goddess and the God are worshipped equally in both the Lunar and the annual cycles. It may be useful to think of this in terms of two equal partners, only one of whom can speak at a time. The non-speaker may appear to take a lesser role, but in reality it is simply the fact that their partner is the one doing the talking which makes them seem to be more prominent at that time.
Witches refer to the Goddess and the God by a large number of different names and also as the Goddess and the God or the Lord and Lady. For many people this causes some confusion, for how can you believe in one deity but have a number of names? Earlier I used the analogy of a mirror ball, with each facet an aspect of the divine, known by a different name. On a more human scale, think about an individual, we’ll call her Ann. Ann is someone’s daughter, someone’s sister, wife to her husband, mother to her children. Ann also has a job; to those she supervises she is ‘boss’, to those she reports to she is a worker and to her customers she shows a different aspect yet again. Each of these roles will bring out a different facet of Ann and she may well be seen as almost a different person by all these different people, but she is still just the one Ann. At some point in Ann’s life her parents will die and at this time her role of daughter will reduce until it is almost forgotten, or she may give up work and those working roles will reduce, but should she start work again, they can quickly be revived. Individual Gods and Goddesses may likewise ‘fall into disuse’ but if their worship is revived, then their strength will grow again. For, like each of Ann’s roles, the Goddesses and Gods have personalities which can stand alone and which grow in strength if called upon more often.
The Gods and Goddesses known to Witches today come from a variety of pantheons and from a variety of times and lands. Knowledge of these deities has been spread by conquerors, invaders and immigrants throughout history and with today’s global communication that knowledge is easily shared all around the world. So you may find that Witches in America, England and Australia share the same deities, though they may follow a completely different pantheon from those in a neighbouring town.
There is no way I can give a comprehensive list of Goddesses and Gods, their stories or their roles here, but the following are just a few to give you an introduction.
PERSEPHONE, DEMETER AND HECATE
This is just one example of the Triple Goddess. The story of Persephone’s abduction by Pluto, Lord of the Underworld, is well known in its modern form but it is well worth researching the fuller tale, including the role of Hecate, who is the third aspect or Crone, and who is often called the Witches’ Goddess.
ISIS, OSIRIS, NEPTHYS AND SET
These four Egyptian Goddesses and Gods are perhaps the best known of the Egyptian pantheon. Their story is one of those which have been changed and reinterpreted so that the ‘villains’ seem all bad and the ‘heroes’ all good. However, the full story is much more complex and contains all the ingredients of a soap opera! Nepthys is often invoked as a healer, particularly in more complicated or serious cases.
VENUS AND APHRODITE
Originally these were two quite different Goddesses. The Romans were the first to confuse their Goddess Venus with the Greek Aphrodite and both have come to represent love and beauty. Venus is often invoked by Witches who wish to work Magic for forms of self-love such as increased self-respect or personal emotional healing.
CERIDWYN
In the story of this Welsh Celtic Goddess, she devours Gwion, who has stolen the potion of inspiration which she has brewed in her Magical cauldron, and gives birth to the great poet and bard Taliesin. Ceridwyn, like Hecate, is also referred to as a Witches’