Triads in paganism are far older than the Christian trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost that we see many Catholics around the world crossing themselves with. For believers of The Old Ways that trinity is Maiden, Mother, and Crone. The Triple Goddess.
The Maiden is symbolic of purity and youth, freedom and eternal virginity. She is forever unclaimed, unpenetrated, belonging only to herself. As the Moon waxes you may call to her in you rites as Kore or Mary, among other names.
The Mother nurtures and protects with the ferocity that only mothers can. She is the hand to be held, the arms to seek shelter in, and the breast from which all are nourished. She is ripe and in the prime of her life. The Mother may also be seen as Mary, as well as Brigid (a Triple Goddess unto herself), or Gaia. The Mother is connected to the most powerful, full, and fertile Moon.
The Crone stands for the keen wisdom of the long-lived. She is loving caretaker as well as a source of necessary destruction. She stands at the threshold of death and stirs the cauldron of life, death, and rebirth. At the waning Moon she may be called Cerridwen, Callieach, Morganna, Hecate, and many more.
The Triple Goddess represents the stages of life that all women may experience. As young girls we are free-spirited and full of laughter like Artemis, running through life with Nymphs at our sides. As we grow and give birth to our own children we become caregivers and nurturers, thinking first of the needs of our little ones. As age takes hold of our bodies, our minds turn inwards, allowing us the starkness of memories and the wisdom of the old as we prepare to face the mystery of death.
Every woman is the earthly incarnation of the Goddess. Yet she lives in us all, men and women alike. As our earthly mothers pass their blood to us, The Goddess passes her life force into our creation as well. Know that we are all part of something on a grand scale.