A couple of weeks after the teaching session about the aspects of Maiden, Mother and Crone, we, myself and the other Priestesses, met for our group ritual. While it has been a little while since this actually took place, I do still remember it because the symbology and what happened really got me thinking and stuck with me.
As ever, we started with clearing and grounding our energies followed by casting a protective sacred circle and calling in the directions. Before each ritual, we are all given the opportunity to volunteer for each part of the ritual. Emily always leads the main body of the ritual before we then reflect on what has happened, release the directions and open the circle.
At the start of this ritual, Emily made a comment that has stuck with me and I think it's an important concept. She said, "it's more about connecting with the energies rather than which aspect we are 'in' within our own personal cycles".
Personally, I am in my early 30s and a lot of people my age have started their own families and to a certain extent, I have previously felt like I am missing out on this because I don't have children of my own so I didn't connect with the Mother aspect. I still feel like I'm in the Maiden part of my own life cycle but because of what Emily said, I feel more able to connect with both of the other aspects of Mother and Crone.
Partly due to what's happened since March 2020, I feel like a Crone because I live like a hermit and I only leave my home to do my monthly shopping (apart from the very rare trip to the local corner-shop for extra snacks). I have always wanted to help others to learn and I truly feel like the Crone can do this because of all the wisdom that she has amassed during her life.
I didn't feel like I could connect with my Mother aspect because I don't have any children but I realised that I help to mother my friends - keeping them on track when they ask me to, organising things when I'm asked to, being supportive and caring regardless of what is going on in my life or theirs. I mother my friends because that is part of my Mother aspect.
Perhaps the reason why I didn't connect with my Mother aspect is that I wasn't really shown the positive side to this aspect as a child. The time when I was nurtured is a time of my life that I don't have many memories of and I definitely think this had an affect on how I previously connected to this aspect but, thanks to Emily's comment, I do now feel easier about connecting with my Mother aspect because I have realised that this aspect is within, regardless of what I may otherwise think.
The actual ritual was a visualisation journey to meet all three aspects in one place but individually. So we went on a journey to a grove of trees with 3 trees having mirrors in them, one for each aspect. This image made me think of a cross-over between the trees in Nightmare Before Christmas and Grandmother Willow in Pocahontas.
During the visualisation, we walked in front of each tree in turn before looking into each mirror one at a time and seeing who or what appeared as each aspect. For my Maiden aspect, I saw a younger woman who had loose hair and blue eyes, wearing a green medieval dreass while carring books and scrolls. She was filled with a sense of joy and enthusiasm but also sadness. I felt this aspect most within my head, not like a crazy "it's all in your head" sort of feeling but more like she resides most within my third eye and crown chakras.
When I met my Mother aspect, she looked a lot like my mum who had dark curly hair, a sad smile and she was wearing a white blouse with black trousers. She was carrying a bottle of tears and she was filled with sadness, love, protection and compaionship. I felt this aspect most in my heart and this didn't surprise me because of losing my mum at a young age and I'm always looking for ways I can connect with her more.
Finally, when I met my Crone aspect, she resembled a particular character from one of my favourite book and TV trilogies - Goody Alsop from A Discovery of Witches. My Crone, though, had a staff of oak, hair streaked with grey and a face that held many lines. Each line seemed to represent a challenge that had been overcome. I felt like her message to me was to be more open to teach others. I felt this aspect in my hands - perhaps I can use them to teach others in the future.
This was such a personal visualisation but so powerful as well that I felt I needed to share it with you all.
I hope this inspires you to meet your own Aspects - remember, anyone can connect with these aspects.
Peace and love to all!
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