The Forgotten Divine Feminine Within the Sacred Trinity
When we hear the phrase “Holy Trinity,” many immediately picture the Christian trio: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—an entirely male-coded structure. But what if I told you the trinity wasn’t always so patriarchal? Long before it became a tool of religious hierarchy, the concept of a sacred three was deeply rooted in the mysteries of the Goddess and the balance of divine energies.
The Trinity Before Patriarchy
In pre-Christian spiritual traditions across Europe, the trinity was not just masculine—it was fluid, balanced, and often feminine-centered. Ancient cultures revered triads that reflected the natural cycles of life, often embodied through goddesses. We see this in the Triple Goddess archetype: Maiden, Mother, and Crone—a sacred trio symbolizing birth, life, death, and rebirth. This trinity wasn’t just spiritual; it was cosmological. It mirrored the lunar phases, seasonal cycles, and the stages of a woman’s life.
The idea of divine threes also showed up in Egyptian, Celtic, Sumerian, and Hindu traditions. Think of the Egyptian goddesses Isis, Nephthys, and Hathor—each representing different aspects of the divine feminine. Or the Hindu Tridevi: Saraswati (creation), Lakshmi (sustenance), and Kali (destruction/transformation).
The Christian Holy Spirit itself was often associated with Sophia—the ancient Gnostic embodiment of wisdom, who was distinctly feminine. Early mystics and Gnostics revered Sophia as a central figure in divine cosmology, but as patriarchal institutions solidified control, her presence was rewritten, silenced, or hidden within symbolism.
How the Feminine Was Erased
As patriarchal monotheism spread, the sacred feminine was deliberately severed from divine frameworks. The Holy Trinity became a male-exclusive symbol, erasing the original feminine energies that once balanced divine expression. The Crone became feared as a witch. The Maiden was robbed of her autonomy. The Mother became boxed into subservient, one-dimensional roles.
In demonizing the divine feminine, patriarchal systems also demonized women, nature, sexuality, and intuition—powerful forces that were once held as sacred.
Reclaiming the Trinity as Witches
As witches, mystics, and spiritual rebels, we hold the power to remember what was forgotten. We don’t have to reject the idea of the Trinity—we can reclaim and reweave it into our craft, aligning it with our own intuitive wisdom and reverence for the divine feminine. Here are a few ways to begin:
Reclaim the Triple Goddess: Work with the archetypes of Maiden, Mother, and Crone. Let them speak to different aspects of your life and your magic. Journal, meditate, or perform rituals under each lunar phase to connect with their wisdom.
Create Your Own Feminine Trinity: Who are your sacred three? Perhaps it’s Venus (beauty), Lilith (freedom), and Hekate (shadow). Or Earth (body), Moon (emotion), and Star (spirit). Build altars that honor these forces.
Reimagine the Holy Spirit as Sophia: Invoke her in your practice as divine wisdom. Call on her when you seek truth, clarity, or guidance in your path. Light a candle in her name and speak your questions into the flame.
Balance the Trinity Within: The divine feminine doesn’t exist in opposition to the divine masculine—they are both necessary. Explore how you embody feminine and masculine energies within yourself and your magic. Let your trinity be a dance of harmony, not hierarchy.
The Power of Three Is Sacred
Reclaiming the Trinity isn’t about rejecting all that came after—it’s about remembering what came before. It's a sacred act of spiritual sovereignty. When we restore the divine feminine to her rightful place in the trinity, we begin to heal centuries of erasure. The power of three has always belonged to the witches. Let it be ours again.
