Demeter as the Mother

The Greek Goddess, Demeter is the Goddess of the harvest. She presides over agriculture, grains and the fertility of the earth. She also presides over the sanctity of marriage, the sacred law and the cycle of life (and death). Demeter is often seen as Mother Earth, as her name represents.

When her daughter was kidnapped, Demeter became depressed and winter came to be. There was great suffering as the plants withered and died. Once Persephone was once again found, it was agreed that she should spend part of the year with Demeter and part of the year in the otherworld. While Persephone is in the otherworld, winter returns to the earth. In order to ensure that animals and humans did not perish during the winter Demeter gave us grain and the knowledge to grow and preserve it.

When attempting to determine where in the trinity Demeter falls, without just considering her name means Mother Earth, one should consider what it means to be the Mother, Maiden or Crone. The Maiden is the young Goddess of the spring. She is about new beginnings, self-expression and creativity. She is represented by the waxing moon. The Mother is about growth, the gaining of knowledge and fertility. She is the sustainer of the universe. The Mother Goddess is the source of bounty for all who are open to receive her gifts. She is represented by the full moon. The Crone is the wise woman, the Goddess in her aged form. She is represented by the waning moon. When taking these into consideration, it can be seen that Demeter mainly represents the Mother as her stance amongst the Gods was one of substance and great giving.

Sources used:

Demeter (In Rome Ceres). Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://www.goddessnames.net/demeter.html>

Demeter. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. <http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Demeter.html>

Demeter. Myths and Legends of the World. 2001. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. <http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Demeter.aspx>.

Lewis, Donald (Rev.). Witch School First Degree. Woodbury: Llewellyn, 2010. Print.

The Greek Goddess Demeter. Web. 11 Oct. 2012.  <http://www.essortment.com/greek-goddess-demeter-55129.html>

Wigington, Patti. Maiden, Mother and Crone - The Triple Goddess. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. <http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/wiccanpaganhistory/a/MaidenMotherCrone.htm>