Crisis of faith: The Triple Goddess

Newbie Wiccans are introduced to two deities, The Horned God and The Triple Goddess. These deities feature in the Wheel of the Year myth which I’ll be discussing in-depth soon.

To summarise, The Horned God, also known as The Lord and The Sun God, represents the two stages of a man’s life – the son and the father. The Wheel of the Year myth tells the story of how he is born (Yule), grows up and marries (Beltane), gets the Goddess pregnant, sacrifices himself and dies nobly (Lughnasadh) and is then both being mourned and also living again inside the womb of the Goddess.

There are shitloads of problems with this myth but bear with me.

Some men have expressed discomfort with the idea of them only having two stages of life and so some will talk about a Triple God too: the Hooded One/Horned One/ Old One or Young Lord/ Father/ King, but it’s not popular, and is generally seen as an attempt to make symmetry where none is needed.

Besides we’re not here to talk about blokes. Sorry guys. We’re talking about the Triple Goddess, who in theory represents both men and women and that we all should be able to connect to, but who in reality not even all women can accept.

Wicca is touted as a woman-centric, goddess-centric religion yet the Triple Goddess encapsulates a women’s life cycles. We are maidens. We are mothers. And then we are crones. But where does that leave women who don’t want to procreate, or can’t? Oh don’t worry, all women mother something. Maybe it’s their career, or their pets, their house plants or their art. But all women create and thus all women are mothers, so goes the logic.

When I was researching how other Wiccans deal with oppressive gender-binary in the religion, this was one of the examples I was given as to why witches are abandoning Wicca for greener pastures. Personally, I felt like my “maiden” stage was taken from me. Or maybe I had one, but I ruined it with my own stupidity. Either way, I’d relate more to a child deity, perhaps.

Where did the Triple Goddess come from anyway? Whole cloth, much like the rest of the religion. I’ve always suspected it was a case of “we’re just like you, but our holy trinity is a girl”. There are precedents for a triple goddess figure, such as Hecate, the Trimurti and The Morrigan, but the Triple Goddess isn’t any of them. Growing up, I saw her more like a place holder because she’s not really fleshed out beyond being “the ultimate feminine energy” of the universe. 

Many Wiccans talk about finding a matron deity who they worship either alongside others who have called to them or alone. Wicca, at least BTW, is supposedly duotheistic, but I know just as many if not more polytheistic Wiccans. Of course, that strict one boy and one girl thing doesn’t gel with me at all.

But, if Gardner and his Lady and Lord teach us anything, it’s that you can make up deities. Give them names and attributes and rituals and mythology and offerings. Historically established or not, gods or spirits by any name you give them will respond.

As I continue through my religious crisis, one thing is becoming more apparent: mainstream Wicca is more a framework than an established religion.

Miriam Cumming is a writer, witch, and wife. Oh, a mum too. And a coffeeholic. A book wyrm. Proud nerd. Night elf. A gender non-conforming panromantic ciswoman. You can stalk her on Instagram to find out more.