Moon Goddess/Dark Goddess

by Lady Lilith

The mysteries of the Great Moon Goddess manifests her eternal nature as the ebb and flow of birth, life and death as she rules over the unknown reaches of the vast endless nighttime sky. Watching her silent journey in the dark midnight sky we experience over and over again the dawning of the new crescent life growing into the full circle of brightness, and her inevitable slow demise and then the total darkness until she mysteriously reappears once again.  To our ancient ancestors these cycles mimicked the three stages of a woman’s life. The Feminine Moon became the Triple Goddess, whose threefold phase of Maiden/Virgin, Mother/Fullness and the Crone/Aging are also represented as the Receiver, the Creator and the Destroyer of Life. The Moon Goddess is also symbolic of the three fates: the first spins the thread of life, the second or middle weaves the cloth and the third and final measures and cuts it.

Once each month we expectantly welcome the Virgin/Maiden aspect of the Waxing New Moon peeking through the darkness. She is carefree, youthful and brimming with new life and the beckoning promise of new beginnings. Money-drawing spells are very potent at this time, as well as making wishes to bring good luck, love, or to get a new job. Trim your hair and nails during the New Moon to promote thickness, strength and healthy re-growth. The New Moon Maiden rules over the hopefulness of the springtime months in all their budding beauty.  She is a fearless yet innocent Virgin Goddess who comes to us as the Goddesses Artemis, Diana, and Pallas Athena.

The ripe Full Moon Goddess symbolizes fertility, a growing mother’s knowledge, nurturing, and love. Her full-bodied roundness glows brightly in the night sky. Her image represents the summertime months in all their rich abundance, and the Autumn’s bountiful harvest. Her Great Mother Goddess aspects come to us as Kwan Yin, Demeter, Isis, Tara, Aphrodite, Venus, Ishtar, and the Earth Mother Gaia. During these Esbat rituals an experienced High Priestess can draw down the Moon into herself and partake of the awesome Goddess energy that is ripe within the Full Moon.

The circle repeats itself endlessly throughout time as we come to the third and final phase, and to me the most potent, the Waning Moon.  Here we have the powerful Crone who embodies the last fading crescent of moonlight, and who as Goddess is filled with inner strength rising from a lifetime of experiences. This powerful representation of the Dark Goddess represents our fears of the unknown, of death and of change. The Crone’s dominion is the darkness as she becomes the destroyer and taker of life.

Her nature rules over Magick, mystery, sexual power, and all worldly accomplishments. She is simultaneously the misunderstood and feared Crone, Wise One, Grandmother, Queen of the Shadows and the Underworld, Mistress of Initiation and the Gatekeeper of the Realms of the Dead. Her thin crescent light fades into the dark eternal night sky, as does the final cycle of our lives. Imagine her presiding over the Cauldron of Life, conjuring images of death and rebirth, for the end must come in order to begin again. Accepting her powerful image can provide wisdom, comfort and understanding to us as we approach the final years of our lives. She is the barren Winter underworld with hopes of rebirth.

The Waning Moon is a time to banish from your life anything you wish to be rid of, such as anger, jealousy or laziness. It is a time of cleansing in preparation for the pre-destined new moon’s return.

As we fear yet embrace the Dark Goddess, she comes to us is many ancient guises; the Witch Queen Hecate as protectress of midwives and the guardian of the crossroads (ask her favor by leaving her offerings of bread and honey at a crossroad); the birth-and-death Mother Kali, the devourer of her children who in turn is also the giver of life; and Peresphone as Queen of the Underworld who descends into the depths of the earth each Winter to return for her annual rebirth into Spring; the sweet luring songs of the Siren/Mermaids, who cast spells of ship-wreck and finality upon those who listen; Cerridwen stirring her Magick Cauldron, the source of death and life; and Adam’s first wife, Lilith, condemned and viewed by the fearful patriarchal Christians to fly through the night sky giving birth to demon children, she is the first and most famous Night-Hag.

Ancient society categorized the village wise-woman as the characteristic Crone (Witch). She was the midwife, healer, medicine woman and elder of the community. She grew herbs, mixed her potions, tended the dead, healed the sick, and birthed the children. Symbolic of the fading crescent moon, she became the Crone who was at the end of her years but held vast knowledge and offered patience and guidance for those who would listen. As the learned midwife her position in the community was as revered as it was feared because she helped bring the awesome mystery of life into the world.  As healer she held the power of life or death with her medicinal remedies and nurturing wisdom. To our horror many midwives and healers lost their lives during the burning times as the patriarchal religions and organized medical profession jealousy swept through the land.

Once revered long ago, the misunderstood symbol of the Dark Crone Goddess has been unfavorably depicted since Christian times in stories, mythologies, songs and tales. She was and continues to be represented as the Old Hag, the evil Mother-in-Law, the wicked Witch or Queen, the ugly old bitch and in our current age the “Bag Lady�? to name but a few. The symbol of her ancient wisdom dismissed under a persona of ridicule and ugliness.

I myself cannot look upon a woman who has reached this pinnacle without feeling sincere reverence for her many years. I see her as the Waning Crescent Moon; having been both the Maiden and Mother, she now completes the cycle. I view her as beauty and joy itself, with her every wrinkle and white hair a splendid tribute to her age. The fruits of her life lay before her. For those of us who are willing to accept her wisdom she has many tales to tell and much guidance to share.

Let us embrace all that the Dark Crone Goddess represents. She is the wise-woman in each of us who is satisfied with her accomplishments and is willing to pass her unique knowledge on to future generations.

Embodying the third and final cycle of the Moon’s eternal dance, she will inevitably reincarnate as the New Moon Virgin Goddess.

All that dies shall be re-born.