@ whiterav3n, i know, i was writing a little something when i lite the three candles on the Yule log, i had one for the oak kings rebirth, then i needed one for the goddess, but i wanted to say which one she was right now. [i mean, at that point] i don't follow the god and goddess as much anymore, but a good portion of my coven does, so we try and generalize our ceremony then when it comes to personal moments like meditation, or personal offerings to our deities, or spell casting that's when we go for our own belief.
@ Dillon13, that's what was confusing me in a nutshell, it's the end of the year, so it's crone, but she gives birth to the god [sun] so rebirth should be maiden [possibly mother] .
@ wizhard, depends on what you belief and the holiday. Yule is a God based holiday, celebrating the rebirth of the sun. the god, as some believe, is reborn in the morning, and it's the goddess who gives birth to him. she's really minor in this holiday, think of Santa Clause and Mrs. Clause, she's there, people like her, there's a story about her saving Christmas, but the big excitement and festivities center around her husband. i personally follow Egyptian deities, i know Imbolc is a Brigit holiday historically, and as midsummer approaches i belief Amaterasu [Japanese] or Juno [Roman] are worshiped goddesses.
I look at it as the aspect of four not three. I see rebirth as it's own aspect but really it has roots in all three aspects. For we are always rebuilding and renewing. Therefor birth would be a beginning yet rebirth would be not an end for a cycle has no end it just starts over again. Maiden represents birth or youth. Crone represents death but in the cycle of life there is no end. Just a transition to something new. That's why I think that reincarnation in some forms is a valid thought. If you really want to think about it Maiden goes through rebirth and becomes Mother. Mother goes through rebirth and becomes Crone. Crone leaves behind the limitations of old age and death and goes through rebirth into the next stage. Therefor becomes maiden again.
I agree completely with Rav3n on the focus of Yule and nonexistence of a triple goddess. Yule is also Dies Natalis Sol Invicti to those who practice the Religio Romana (Religion of Rome). Literally that translates into "Day of Birth of the Unconquerable Sun". The focus on that time of year shouldn't be the goddess but instead the god.
I was taught the Mother is at form during Yule in order to symbolically give birth to the Sun (the God). Then in spring she is the Maiden, during the spring and Early summer she is unioned with the God and on Samhain she is both Mother and Crone. The God impregnates the Maiden before he moves on to Summerland, the Crone is there also but representing the Mother from last year who has grown old. Although, since this is all harshally symbolic, it varies Wiccan to Wiccan and Coven to Coven. Choose which on you find makes the most sense to you.
