Random Musings

As I read the stories of the Maiden Goddesses, I make many connections to Eve.  Although, Eve has a different patriarchal ‘twist’ to her story, the concept can remain true.  For example, the story of Boann.  Boann tasted of the well of wisdom and a river rose forth to share the wisdom with the world and all those who wished to partake.  She scarified herself in the process, evolving and becoming one with the mighty river.  She understood her fate and destiny was, and was willing to sacrifice herself for truth.  However, when I read the story on wikipedia, they said she ‘defied the well’ and that is why she perished.  What a skewed understanding of the story!

In the same way, Eve has been vilified for partaking of the tree of knowledge, and wishing to share, not hide, the wisdom of the world.  She is also our mother, and while following her destiny and refusing to be dishonored and barred from wisdom (similar to Boann), she was also punished.

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When reading the stories of Queen Medbh, there is a line about the time of the power of the Goddess waning.  I was struck with the thought that for many centuries, the world was in the time of the Crone, with the Goddess waiting in the darkness, learning, gaining wisdom.  Yet now she appears to be rebirthing, perhaps still in her maiden form as She continues to gain in popularity and strength.

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And with the workings of one Crone (Arianrhod) a maiden is ‘born’ (Blodeuwedd).  The stories, myths and cycles are so intertwined with the various Goddesses, it can be a bit difficult to keep straight, yet so exciting when the paths cross and the stories and cycles start to make more sense and have deeper meaning.

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As I am reading the information at the end of the book about the origins of stories for the Goddesses, I am a bit overwhelmed with the flood of information.  Each particular story in itself contains the great cycle of maid, mother, and crone, and also of mother/consort/son. Also, the stories coincide with nature’s cycle, and I am in awe at how smoothly everything fits together.  Yet there is more and more information and knowledge to grasp in terms of what each stage means – Maiden, mother and crone.  All three hold such power, and all three are one another’s destinies.  As the book states, even with seeming betrayal, it is but the necessary step to complete the cycle and fulfill destinies.

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I also see many similarities to the Virgin Mary.   Her tale is probably also one of a triple Goddess, although we are left with minimal stories of her Crone aspect.  I am sure there are records somewhere, either waiting to be unearthed or are currently being hidden by the Church.  She easily can fall into the Mother/consort/son cycle.  This would also be an interesting area to further explore.  I wonder what it was about Jesus and Mary that led so many others to be so firmly entranced with the patriarchal grasp and ignore the balance of the Goddess Mary?  The Goddess story has been told for tens of thousands of years, yet seem to stop with this one?