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Moon Goddess

© Linda Casselman

As you wander through your moonlit garden, take the time to turn your face to the pale moon. Revel in Her beauty and give thanks for Her light in the darkness of night and for the many influences She has over the earth.

She? Indeed She, for She is the Great Moon Goddess! The Great Mother! And She, the moon, was worshiped in primitive societies much earlier than the sun. She is known in many cultures under many names. In Egypt She is known as Isis. In Mesopotamia She is Ishtar. The Mayans call Her Ixchel and the Incas name Her Mama Quilla. She is known in Hawaii as Hina and worshiped in India as Kali. She is Xochiquetzal to the Aztecs and Freya to the Norse. In Greece She is Aphrodite, Artemis, and Hecate, while in Rome She is Venus, Diana, and Luna. Bastet, Pasht, Bendis, Demeter, Ceres, Juno, Frigga, Ursala, Sedna, Ngami, Pe, Nanna, and Morrigan are among her many other sacred names. But no matter by which name you invoke Her, She represents the same things.

The Moon Goddess is also the Triple Goddess represented in the moon as Maiden, Mother, and Crone seen in the phases of the waxing moon, the full moon, and the waning moon. So She is seen as changeable. She rules over the tides and the sea, over magick and childbirth. She reigns over wisdom and serenity. She represents the cycles of life from birth to death to rebirth and Her mystical animals are serpents and bulls. She presides over emotions, healing, and meditation. And She is the protector of women. She is also the Goddess of Fertility, so look to Her when you wish for a bountiful garden, a lush flowerbed, or the joy of a new child.

Now that it is October, those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are thinking of the harvest and the coming of the winter. The Goddess's full moon at this time of the year is known as the Harvest Moon, the Hunter's Moon, Falling Leaf Moon, Moon of the Changing Season, and Blood Moon.

This is the time when the Goddess will shine down over our bountiful harvests and bless our feasts. It is also the time of year when the Mother aspect of the Triple Goddess turns Her face to the Crone who will preside over the dark cold months to come.

As you turn from your garden for the night, remember the power and beauty of the Moon Goddess. Perhaps some of Her ancient energy still influences you and this world.