The Triple Moon Symbol

Posted on Nov 25, 2025

The three phases of the moon.
The new moon appears at sunset as a crescent near the sun, the full moon appears at sunset in the opposite side of the sky and the last crescent appears at the end of the night just before the sun rises again. These 3 phases, waxing moon, full moon and waning moon are symbolic of the 3 phases of woman in neo pagan traditions known as the maiden, the mother and the crone. The triple moon symbol depicts this connection with the divine feminine which is also linked to the menstrual cycle which on average last the same amount of time (about 28 days)

This symbol is used in various magickal practices by modern witches to represent the cycles of birth, life and death and the power of the divine feminine archetype and it is becoming more popular in designs for tattoos and jewellery.

The Triple Moon Goddess was popularised in the early and middle 20th-century by the poet, Robert Graves, in his books The White Goddess and The Greek Myths. According to Graves, 'Hecate' was the predominant ancient triple moon goddess. Hecate became a triple deity in the fifth century B.C.

The neoplatonist philosopher Porphyry (300AD) was the first to record the belief that the three aspects of Hecate represented the phases of the moon: new, waxing, and full.

Recently this symbolism has atracted some criticism due to the implied and maybe outdated gender roles. However the symbol can still be applied to new interpretations of womanhood and maintain its relevance. Creation and exploration, nurture and sustainance and wisdom. However you wish to interpret it, it is still a beautiful natural and powerful symbol of the connection between womanhood and the moon.