Nyx in the House of Night

on the Sixth Formers’ uniforms. The symbol even includes Atropos’ scissors, to signify the end of the students’ time at the House of Night—or the end of their life, if they don’t complete the Change.
    The three faces of the Goddess also correspond to the life cycle of womankind, which acts as a mirror of the divine feminine within mortal woman.
    The Maiden
    In her Maiden aspect, the Goddess is the fleet-footed nymph of the woodland; she is the huntress, unencumbered by children or entanglements. As she explores her life, she discovers her strengths and callings. A woman under the Maiden phase is still free, unclaimed by man. Though she may have a man by her choosing, she will not have a mate yet.
The History of the “Virgin”
T he word “virgin” comes from the Greek/Latin word “virgo,” which means “maiden.” Originally, sexuality was not an aspect of the word. Virgin was, in fact, a term of power, applied to women who lived “apart” from men. The definition did not necessarily only include women who hadn’t had sex. It referred to women who were not bound to a brother, father, or husband. Only later did the word “virgin” take on a sexual meaning and, as has happened often in history, reduced a woman’s power to the state of her genitals.
    During the Maiden phase, women explore their lives and decide the path upon which they wish to walk. This is an invaluable time, allowing for experimentation and education. Unfettered by children, the Maiden is free to travel, to go to college, to begin building a career, to decide whether she wants to be a mother or not.
    In her full power, the Maiden is sexuality beckoning but not fully realized; she is strong in body and only at the beginning of realizing her full potential. She is painting her self-portrait, but there are pieces missing because she has yet to experience them.
    The Mother
    As the Goddess moves into her Mother phase, fertility and creativity emerge. The Earth Goddess was generally portrayed at her most fertile, with a huge rotund belly, large breasts, and strong thighs—the Venus of Willendorf is the most famous statue thought to represent the Earth Mother.
    Women coming into the Mother cycle had children. This was, for the most part, a given. Until the modern age, most birth control methods (except for abstinence) were chancy at best. Therefore, if you were female and you had sex, it was a fair bet you’d end up pregnant, sooner or later. Women were revered for their ability to give life: to bring forth life was a sign of divinity. Women were touched by the Goddess.
    So the Mother Goddess signified creativity, fertility, and nurturing. The Mother was the goddess of the harvest—the queen of bounty to sustain the people through the long winters. She became Mother Bear, protecting her cubs; Ocean Mother, bringing in the treasures of fish and shellfish; she was symbolized by Cow—another fertility symbol—and by Rabbit.
    Modern women entering their Mother phase have many more options than just bearing children to explore their fertility and creative energies. Nurturing a career and/or a partner (be it a man or woman) also falls under the Mother aspect. Women ripen fully into their sexuality during this phase—what began as experimentation during the Maiden phase now blossoms into the woman who knows what she wants, in the bed or out of it.
    Women who fully embrace their Mother phase and release the Maiden stage without regret grow in personal power and confidence. They evolve into the Queen, not afraid of their age, not afraid of society and her whims. They nurture themselves along with their families and their friends. They protect. They defend the home and hearth, as well as their positions.
    The Crone
    When we turn to the Crone, in our society we often think of an ugly old woman who has no voice, no sensuality left, and no impact on society, but that is far from the truth in Goddess worship and modern Paganism. The Crone embodies wisdom and power. She understands compassion, but her methods often involve tough love—the love that lets the mentee learn the consequences of making wrong choices, the love that will protect from harm but will not coddle. The Crone is objective and understands the nature of balance—that without shadow, we cannot have light. Without sorrow, we cannot fully understand joy.
    She is still sexual, but because the possibility of pregnancy has faded, she can enjoy her passion without worry. She is freer