Triple Goddess  Some see the Goddess as having three aspects- The Maiden, The Mother and The Crone. For example the The Maiden-Greek Persephone who stood for purity and new beginnings. The Mother- Greek Demeter who stood for wellspring of life, giving and compassion and The Crone- Greek Hecate who stood for wisdom, knowing and a lifetime of experience. These represented Birth, Life, Death and Rebirth and also the personification of women. The symbol for the Triple Goddess is the Triple Moon )O( showing the waxing crescent, full moon and waning crescent again the maiden, mother and crone. Wiccans often work with the Triple either in her triple form or one of the particular goddesses- maiden. mother,crone. The Maiden representing enchantment, inception, expansion, new beginnings, youth, exitement and being carefree. The Mother representing ripeness, fertillity, fulfillment, stability and power. The Crone representing wisdom, repose and compassion.        Artemis Artemis is the virgin moon goddess of the hunt, wild animals, healing, wilderness, chastity and childbirth. She is typically portrayed with a crescent moon above her head and her bow and arrows. In Greek mythology she is the daughter of Zeus and Leto and the twin sister of Apollo. Her priestesses were addressed with the title " Melissa," which means "Honey Bee." When Artemis was three years old, she asked her father Zeus to grant her several wishes. She asked for perpetual virginity, lop-eared hounds, does to lead her chariot and nymphs as her hunting companions, who also must remain virgins. Zeus granted her wishes. One of the stories about Artemis is about Actaeon a Theban prince and hunter. While Artemis was bathing nude in the woods, Actaeon stumbled across her and stopped and stared at her beauty. He stepped on a twig and Artemis noticed him and was so digusted with him that she changed him in to a stag and set his own hounds on him to kill him. Artemis is still worshipped today by men and women and is often seen as the goddess of wealth, magic, abundance, fertility, hunting and longevity. This includes the burning of oils, incense, prayer, ritual, burning of bread.    Hecate Hecate, Hekate or Hekat was a goddess of the wilderness and childbirth, sorcery, witchcraft and Queen of Ghosts. Totems of Hecate were placed in domestic doorways and the gateways of cities to protect against evil spirits but if offended she could also let evil spirits in. She is often portrayed as having two dogs as servants by her side, carrying a torch, a knife, rope, a key, phial, flowers or pomegranate. The torch represents a symbol of light that illuminates the darkness and a bringer of wisdom. The knife and rope symbolizing the link between the body and the spirit at death. The key as the gatekeeper of sacred knowledge and the pomegranate being the fruit of the underworld. The she-dog is the animal most commonly associated with Hecate and also the Frog as it can cross between two elements. Owls, snakes, scorpions, asses, bats, horses, bears and lions are also associated. She is also seen as a triple goddess, sometimes appearing with three heads- a dog, horse, and bear or dog, serpent and lion. Other associations are- the Yew Tree- which has associations with death and rebirth, Cypress, Hazel, Black Popular- the leaves being dark oneside and light on the other, Cedar, Willow, Garlic, Almonds, Lavender, Thyme, Myrrh, Mugwort, Cardamon, Mint, Dandelion, Hellebore ,Lesser Celandine, Yew Berries, Belladonna, Hemlock, Mandrake, Aconite and Opium Poppy. Wild Areas, Forests, Borders, City Walls, Doorways, Cross Roads and Graveyards.      Ceridwen Ceridwen is the Welsh goddess of death, initiation, inspiration, magick and regeneration. She is also known as a moon goddess and great mother and grain deity. Ceridwen had a son who was hideously ugly, so she sought to make him wise. Ceridwen had a magickal cauldron that could make a potion granting wisdom, the mixture had to be cooked for a year and a day.The first three drops would give wisdom the rest would be poison. Gwion a young boy was the stirrer of this mixture, but as he did three hot drops spilled on to his hand burning him so he quickly put his hand in his mouth to cool himself thus instantly gaining great wisdom and knowledge. Ceridwen chased Gwion, he turned himself in to a rabbit, so she became a dog, then he a fish, then she an otter, he then turned into a bird and she became a hawk. Finally he turned in to a single grain of corn and her a hen and she ate Gwion. When Ceridwen became pregnant she knew it was Gwion and resolved to kill him at birth. But he was so beautiful when he was born that she couldn't do it and threw him in to the ocean. The child survived and became the legendary bard Taliesin. Welsh Bards once called themselves "Cerddorion" "Sons of Cerridwen" meaning they received initiation from Ceridwen herself.    Hathor Hathor is the Egyptian Sky Goddess, sometimes she is represented as a women with cow's horns between which hangs a solar disc. She is a goddess of beauty, love and marriage and watches over women giving birth. But she is also a goddess of death and rebirth and offers comfort to the newly dead as they pass into the after-world. Hathor is also seen as a deity of happiness, joy, love, romance, alcohol, perfume, dance, music and protector of women, although she also had a large and devoted following of men. Her symbols include the papyrus reed, the snake and a rattle called a sistrum. She is also known as Lady of Malachite, Lady of Turquoise and connected to Metal.    Arianrhod Arianrhod is a Welsh Celtic goddess of beauty, fertility and reincarnation. She is known as the Silver Wheel, Silver Circle and High Fruitful Mother, her palace was Caer Arianrhold ( Aurora Borealis ), keeper of the silver wheel of stars and a symbol of time and karma. Her ship called Oar Wheel carried dead warriors to Emania ( Moonland ).    Click Here To Go To Page 2

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