My first thoughts when researching the Fourth Aspect of the Goddess revolved around the question “Why the big secret?” If there are four aspects rather than the traditional three, then why not just say so and explain it just like every other part? Why wouldn’t the Triple Goddess symbols be Quadruple Goddess symbols? And why all the talking about the importance of “Threes” across all mystical and religious systems?
So who came up with the idea of Three Goddesses rather than 2, or 5, or 7? The first mention of a Triple Goddess was by Robert Graves in his book The White Goddess in 1966. However, in an advertisement for Ann Moura’s book “The Origins of Modern Witchcraft” it mentions that it is Moura’s thesis that the idea of a Triple Goddess came from an earlier tradition
In any case, we seem to have what could be an ancient ‘truth” of a Triple Goddess that has been re-discovered by Robert Graves. I personally am quite comfortable with the idea of a Triple Goddess, in that it describes a woman’s journey through life, and correlates with moon phases, as well as the Year of the Year. It’s great when a plan comes together.
But wait, there’s more. I have run across various and sundry mentions over the years of a Fourth aspect of the Goddess, one that is secret and known only to certain Initiates. Sounds relatively plausible, after all, women are very complicated creatures, and if “as above, so below” is also a truth, then the there are almost an endless number of possibilities as to what could be an aspect of the Goddess.
I began to wonder seriously about the concept of a fourth face during a class at Pagan Network and the idea that the Fourth Face was “The Temptress” came up. That idea just didn’t fit with me. It was difficult to articulate my disquiet with the Temptress idea at that point because it didn’t completely make sense, but as I thought about it, I realized that it was not something that I would ever have thought of. Not because it is implausible, but more because this particular woman doesn’t think of other women as a temptress. Perhaps some other names might come to mind, but not “temptress.”
I began to research what others thought the “Fourth Face of the Goddess” was. Off to the Web I went. The first piece I found was by Shekhinah Mountainwater called “Discovering the Maiden Goddess. ” Her concept is of the Dark Maiden, the Enchantress, appearing as Persephone, the Sirens, and the Mermaid. But what of the Dark Mother? Where is the Dark and Light Crone? That would basically make 6 aspects of the Goddess if each of the Three aspects had Light and Dark sides. This doesn’t fit my world view, given that I don’t abide with the concepts of Dark and Light as separate entities, but as parts of one whole. I’ve often been asked “are you a White witch or a Black witch.” Since I am caucasian, it is an easy question to answer, except that the idea of witchcraft being “good or evil” with nothing in between is not something I subscribe to. Magick is Magick, and each individual Goddess is a Goddess, pure and simple. To me, Dark is no more an aspect than is Asian, or Blonde.
Another site spoke of the Dark Goddess as being The Warrior. That’s a fine idea, since I personally identify with the Warrior idea, but is the Warrior truly a separate aspect of the Goddess? The reason why it doesn’t make sense to create a completely different face of the Goddess for the Warrior is because she is a part of all women, whether Maiden, Mother, or Crone.
The next theory I examined was one I liked personally, “The Matriarch.” We have often seen the family Matriarch archetype, as one that was post-Mother, pre-Crone, with both a Light and a Dark side (depending on whether you were personally in favor at the moment) who ruled with little resistance or question. She was the Queen of the family, the benevolent dictator who made the decisions. That also didn’t fit to me, although it would be a virtual opposite to the Temptress as a powerful woman who ruled through word and deed rather than through manipulation as a temptress would.
I realized that none of these aspects fit my world view because they were all sub-divisions of one or all other traditional aspects. The Maiden, the Mother and the Crone all have Light and Dark sides. In fact, we have the Dark Maiden mentioned as the fourth aspect as well as the Warrior, who is also said to be an aspect of the Dark Crone. The Matriarch can be a Maiden, a Mother, or a Crone. And the Temptress can also be a sub-aspect of all three.
Another thought was whether the whole idea of a triple goddess is driven by stereotypical ideas? How can the women of today who choose not to be come pregnant and raise children feel they are like the Goddess if they can’t share her “mother” phase? And what is the “in between” time between Maiden and Mother, Mother and Crone, or between Maiden and Crone if the woman decides the children are not in her future? What of the “in between” time between Crone and Maiden as the circle completes? Are these “in between” times another aspect in themselves, or are they instead a time when the archetypical aspects of the Goddess actually merge and become combined, and then separate?
If we set aside the “in between” times, each of the archeetypical faces, Maiden, Mother and Crone are three things that must, by definition, be exclusive. A Maiden cannot be a Mother until she is no longer a Maiden. A Mother cannot be Crone until she is no longer Mother. None of the previously mentioned aspects are separate enough to not already be encompassed within an existing face of the Goddess, and some can be part of ALL. Separation is a critical part of whether or not the proposed facet is truly a facet, or is instead just another piece of an infinitely complex whole that is each woman, and therefore each Goddess.
So, what is the Fourth Aspect of the Goddess? And what is so secret about it? I pondered, I wondered, I guessed, and then I decided to ask Her. The answer that I received was both simplistic and immediately profound. She said "you are." I had to do a lot of thinking to figure out what she truly meant. The aspect that is not covered by the Maiden, the Mother, or the Crone is the Child. Only the Child within has the mind that can accept the type of innocent and open mind that it takes to seek an answer to questions like "why is the sky blue?" or "who am I?" or "What is the Fourth Face of the Goddess?" and then to feel the answer when it is given.
The Child is the only aspect that all women go through, before they become Maiden, Mother or Crone. The Child aspect begins as embryo, when all humans are female, through fetal stage, and birth, and through young girl, up through Maiden. The mind of the Child, the Inner Child, melds with the Maiden through her transformation, as all other aspects stay with the Woman as she travels her life path.
Thusfar, this is only a personal gnosis, as this was the answer I received, and your answer will likely be different. To me, it makes the most sense of any of the theories I have examined thusfar.