The Goddess in Wicca: The Nature of the Wiccan Goddess

Wiccans view the Goddess as everything. She is the consort of the God, She is the earth, the water, and the moon. She has been seen in many different forms, and called by many different names. Her many and varied appearances allow any and all Wiccans to connect to Her in whatever way they feel most appropriate. This allows for an intense and personal connection with this aspect of the divine.

Facets of the Goddess

The Goddess is nature itself. She is the source of all wisdom and fertility for all living things. Wiccans often see her as having three aspects: the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone. Sometimes, she will be personified as four aspects instead, to mirror the four aspects of the God: the Maiden, the Lover, the Mother, and the Crone.

These aspects correspond to the phases of the moon. She is the waxing moon as the Maiden, or as the Maiden and the Lover both, young, strong and vibrant, ready to learn, eager for exploration. She is the full moon as the Mother, loving, nurturing, ready to catch us when we fall, and at the height of her power. She is also the waning moon as the Crone, wise in all ways, willing to guide us and advise us, and guarding the gates of death.

The Goddess has many facets. She is all that is nature, so She is both the violent hurricane that destroys life and the gentle spring rain that gives life. She is the bright green and yellow fields in summer and the frost-covered ground in winter. Her gift is life, but it comes with it a price in the very end — death.

However, in Wicca, death is not oblivion at all, but instead a rest from the toils of physical existence, and a chance to prepare for the next incarnation, whatever it may be. Even though the Goddess is possessed of both light and dark, much as every form of life is, Wiccans worship the side of Her that is love, fertility, and abundance. Her darker side is acknowledged, but rarely worked with directly.

Goddess Symbolism in Wicca

Just as with all gods and goddesses, the Goddess has many different names and titles, and many different forms. In addition to the Triple Goddess, she is also commonly known as the Queen of Heaven, the Mother of the Gods, the Great Mother, and by many other titles. She is present in all pantheons, and has gone by many different names at different points in history: Diana, Isis, Bridget, Hera, Inanna, Hecate, and Dana are but a few examples.

Her symbols include silver (both the metal and the color), the moon, the cauldron or chalice, and those items associated with water, such as seashells, pearls, and the like. She is associated with the earth, sea, and moon, and some of Her creatures include the cat, dolphin, spider, horse, and rabbit. No matter how She is seen, or what is connected with Her, She is eternal.

The Goddess has an integral place in Wiccan spirituality. Her various aspects and facets serve to facilitate a connection to Her, for it is Her versatility that Her greatest strength and appeal is found. She is seen as an ever-present and ever-watching mother, the very essence of nature, and the reason for all life.