One theme I love to draw again and again is the "Maiden, Mother, Crone", or the neo-pagan triple goddess. My mom had a LOT of books on feminism (she is a lawyer who deals with domestic abuse cases, and is VERY MUCH INTO GIRL POWER!), and growing up I read a lot of books that shaped my beliefs about what a woman is and can be.
The Maiden is seen as the virginal young woman, or girl, who has not yet awakened. She is all about enchantment and new beginnings, youthful ideas and enthusiasm. She is associated with the waxing phase of the lunar cycle, as the moon grows from dark to full.
The Mother is the next phase in a woman's life. She is fertility and fecundity, abundance and growth, the gaining of knowledge. She is fulfillment—sexual, social, and emotional—and she is represented by the full moon. Springtime and early summer are her domain; as the earth becomes green and fertile, so does the Mother. A woman does not have to have biological children to embrace the role of Mother.
Finally, the Crone aspect is the final stage. She is the hag and the wise woman, the darkness of night, and eventually death. She is the waning moon, the chill of winter, the dying of the earth.
(Source: The Triple Goddess: Maiden, Mother and Crone )
This is my most recent rendering, 2020:
And some previous renderings, 2017:
And in 2016, gouache:
Maiden:
Mother:
Crone:
I love this concept so much, but I think the next round, I will try to depict the Maiden as a less passive character.
Also, the male counterpart: Hunter, Father, Sage. Maybe someday.
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