THE MAIDEN -
THE GODDESS THROUGH THE TAROT

The Goddess in her Maiden form is also known as the Virgin or Huntress, and is associated with Spring and the fresh beginnings of all things, Her colour is: white denoting innocence and newness. She symbolises birth and growth and is the energy to call to bring a fresh perspective. Through the Maiden aspect of the Goddess we learn to see beauty in all things and re-experience even the simplest things in our life with joy and freshness..

The Maiden is the aspect of Goddess that belongs to herself alone; the unmarried, free young Goddess, the Wild Maiden, the Huntress. The term "virgin" refers to her independence - She is Her own person - no-one rules her! The maiden is the way shower, the keeper of the keys - the seed stage of creation whether that be on a physical, mental, spiritual or emotional level - there is a coy/hidden element to the Virgin. Some examples of the Maiden Goddess are Persephone and Artemis.

To celebrate the Goddess as Maiden we will look at the High Priestess card of the Mythic deck which depicts Persephone and Her descent into the underworld.

Mythic Tarot's The High Priestess -
depicted as Persephone
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Imbolc (February 2) is traditionally a time associated with the Maiden and the Goddess bride. The White dresses today worn by brides stem from the Maiden Goddess's purity. White flowers also symbolise purity. The catholic church celebrates the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary (this has to do with the old custom of 'churching women' - it was believed that women were impure for 6 weeks after giving birth and since Mary gave birth at the winter solstice, she would be purified around February 2nd - in Pagan symbolism this might be re-translated as when the Great Mother once again becomes the Young Maiden Goddess

There are several versions of the myth of Kore or Persephone(Kore literally means 'The Maiden') and Her Mother Demeter, the Grain Mother who gave humans the gift of agriculture and civilzation. Persephone helped Her Mother by watching over the grain but liked to wander and pick wild flowers. One day she said she had met the spirits of the dead and that they seemed to have no-one to look after them so wanted to go to the underworld to help care for them.

Demeter mourned for Her daughter and nothing grew - everything became dormant until she saw a crocus blooming and knew that Kore-Persephone was returning to Her - she waved Her hands in blessing across the land and the crops flourished. Every year Persephone returns to the underworld and while she is gone Mother Earth lies dormant awaiting Her return in the Spring!

The later Homeric myths tell that Zeus had promised his brother Hades a bride. While Persephone was wandering picking wildflowers she noticed a narcissus and when she looked at it was sucked into the underworld. Hades raped her and she was tricked into eating a pomegranate seed (fruit of the dead) before returning to her Mother and so has to spend part of the year with Hades and from Autumn the Mother sorrows the loss of her daughter and the earth lies dormant until her return in the Spring

In the Mythic deck she carries Narcissus, and wears a white dress, in the background you can see the grain and red poppies of the Mother - all symbolism from this myth. On Rider Waite you will see the Pomegranates on the veil behind Her and symbolism connecting the High Priestess to Mary and Isis and their obvious connections with the Virgin/Maiden aspect.

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(C) Thoth School of Tarot 2000,2001 Page updatd 25th March 2001

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