The Mother
The Forty Servants in Theory & Practice
Hello, good people of the internet, and welcome to The Forty Servants in Theory and Practice, a new series where I take a deep dive into the philosophy, use, and evolution of The Forty Servants system, drawing on nearly a decade of hands-on experience and magical experimentation.
A lot of this series will be for paid Patreon Members only, but I will also be doing lots of free posts in this newsletter too. In this free section of the series we will be looking at each individual Servant with regard to their magick and divination use, along with background on the art, sigil, and symbolism. We will also look at what Servants work well together, and anything else that's relevant.
If you would like to support this series, please consider a paid Patreon Membership, or sending a donation!
If you know nothing about the magick and divination system The Forty Servants, then have a look at this link HERE. You can start using The Forty Servants straight away, as there are totally free resources available at that link that give you access to everything the system has to offer.
So let’s let’s go!
THE MOTHER
The Mother shows us all about fertility, security and nurturing. She encourages us to feel safe and secure and be mindful of our general well-being.
THE ARTWORK
Like a lot of the art used in The Forty Servants, The Mother started out as something different. In this case, it was a piece I did that depicted the Four Elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. You can see it here:
As you can see a couple of other Servants come from this piece too. The Thinker is Air, and although it may not look like it at first glance Water is The Seer, though she was extensively reworked for her final Servant image.
I’m a big fan of using the classical elements in my magick practice and have been incorporating them in some way into my daily practice for years now. I know they’re not everyone’s cup of tea, and I know they can often feel a bit too simplistic, but I think they are a very useful way to orientate yourself and see potential imbalances in your life. I have a whole podcast about my thoughts on the Elements HERE, if you want to check that out.
In The Forty Servants, The Mother is the embodiment of the Earth element. She is a pregnant woman surrounded by a rocky desert. This sandy rocky desert appears in the background of The Adventurer too, as that is another Servant who reigns in the “real” world. It’s there in The Balancer too, though less obvious because of the lighting.
The orange-brown colour is the colour of clay – even the sky has the same tone – the same sky we also see in The Father. I wanted this image to feel quite dry and hot, as if you could almost feel the sand in the air, the sun on your back and the dust in the air. The rocks behind her anchor her as a symbol of strength and stability, and her pregnancy denotes creation, gestation, and potential. Her hair is tied up, which shows that she is “ready for action” and prepared for whatever lies ahead.
The Mother naked and pregnant stares at something out of the image. Some people have told me they feel she looks stern, but I feel she is more resolute, firm, with a strong sense of conviction. What is she looking at? Well, to me, she seems to be watching over that which is becoming, or perhaps the future – what sort of world is her baby being born into? The sun is at her back, so in front of her is her own shadow, which brings Plato’s cave to mind, or the sense that all material manifestation comes with its own shadow – even The Mother herself.
But, to me, she’s mostly “keeping an eye out”.
THE SIGIL
The sigil for The Mother is a stylised pregnant one drawn in one movement starting from the top. It carries the energy of creation, support, and motherly protection.
The Sigil can be used to infuse anything with Earth energy or anything that would be covered under “basic human needs” such as food, shelter, warmth, love, family, etc. It’s also useful in money magick, though probably not the best option for wealth magick. Think of it more for getting your bills paid and food on the table rather than buying a yacht.
It’s ideal for fertility magick—not just for physical pregnancy, but for financial, creative, or emotional abundance too.
It can be drawn over your home to bring in a protective, supportive energy, or visualised around yourself or others when you feel the need for comfort and security.
Very useful if you need to ground yourself or “come back down to earth”. Simply draw the sigil in front of you and step into it or draw the sigil on your feet or soles of your shoes.
Moving into a new house that you would like to stay in for a while? Draw the sigil on the floor, or anywhere that feels appropriate, to put your “roots down”.
It’s a lovely sigil to visualise as you hug someone to give them that extra boost of love, belonging, and safety.
Sigil Quick Uses: Fertility and conception, growing creative projects, protecting family and loved ones, self-care and healing, and as a grounding and stabilising anchor.
DIVINATION
When The Mother appears in a reading, she brings a powerful message of support, nourishment, and unconditional love. She signals that life is offering you a great hug—that you are being held, nurtured, and supported, even if it doesn’t always feel obvious.
She may indicate a literal pregnancy or the beginning of a new chapter: a relationship, a job, a home, or a creative project. Whatever is starting now is in its tender stages and needs to be cared for with patience and affection.
The Mother’s energy asks you to bring a sense of warmth and compassion to your relationships. Is there someone in your life who could benefit from your care, support, or understanding? Whether it’s a kind word, an act of service, or simply being there to listen, try extending love and care to those around you. She teaches that nurturing isn’t just about grand gestures, it’s found in the small, everyday moments of kindness.
In a divination, The Mother can also point to the need for self-care. It’s easy to focus all your nurturing energy outward, but The Mother reminds you that you, too, are deserving of protection and kindness. Look to where you might be draining yourself and where you might need to slow down and be gentler. Look where you need to “mother” yourself a bit more.
If you are feeling isolated, unsupported, or emotionally raw, The Mother’s appearance can be a signal that sometimes the first step is allowing yourself to receive it. Be open to being loved, supported and worthy. In fact, expect it.
She is a protective mother, she wants only the best for her baby and will do all in her power to make sure her child gets everything she needs – but, and this is important, she is not all-powerful. There is a limit to what she can do. There is no avoiding the guarantees of life. People will get sick, people you love will die, your loved ones will have troubles, and you will get your heart broken. But she will be with you through all of it, offering her loving embrace.
Shadow Reversal
Shadow Reversals in The Forty Servants don’t signify the opposite of the normal energy of the Servant but more a dysfunctional version of it, or a detrimental misuse or misunderstanding of the qualities.
In reversal, The Mother’s energy can become smothering, controlling, or overprotective. You may be trying to hold too tightly to something, or someone, that needs space to grow on its own.
Sometimes, reversed Mother energy points to codependency, where nurturing turns into control, or to emotional burnout, where giving too much leaves you depleted. Don’t become a martyr.
Alternatively, you may be neglecting the need for nurturing altogether, either because you’re too focused on others or because you believe you have to “go it alone.” You may be cutting yourself off from the support that’s available because of pride, fear, or old wounds. Again, be careful of becoming a martyr.
It may be a sign that you aren’t facing up to the harsh realities of life. Life is hard, and things will go wrong and no one can heal your broken heart but yourself. A reversal with The Mother could suggest that you are expecting the world to go your way at all times. Sometimes you can do everything right and it still doesn’t work out.
The wound here often comes from not knowing when to let go, or not believing you are worthy of being cared for yourself. Are you not allowing yourself to be helped or looked after? Are you neglecting yourself – or others?
MAGICK
The Mother is a powerhouse Servant for any magick focused on: Fertility (both physical and creative), family protection and wellbeing, stabilising finances or living situations, growing long-term projects, self-healing, self-acceptance, and all kinds of grounding.
She is particularly powerful in candle magick, prayer work, novenas, and rituals involving the earth element. You can also invoke her presence when you feel overwhelmed and need to be held, grounded, or comforted.
If you are doing money or prosperity magick, consider adding The Mother’s sigil to your work. Prosperity, like any living thing, needs care and steady tending.
She is a nurturing but very strong energy. She doesn’t rush, but she doesn’t forget either. She reminds you that true growth takes time, and that tending the small daily needs is as sacred as the big celebrations.
Working with The Mother is simple because her energy is always open and welcoming. Light a candle, place your hands over your heart, and speak to her like you would a mother who loves you deeply and without condition. Speak to her like she is standing in the room in front of you.
Tell her your troubles. Tell her what you want help with. Offering fresh flowers, bread, honey, milk, or earth-based items is a beautiful way to honour her presence. Her energy responds to grounded, heartfelt offerings and, like all the Servants, attention. Even a whispered thank-you goes a long way.
SERVANT COMBINATIONS
The Mother has a clear and special relationship with The Father. While she will do everything in her power to keep her child safe and happy, The Father knows that sometimes the child has to learn the lesson or experience the emotion for themselves. Between the two of them, they have all the bases covered – The Mother will do everything she can for you, and The Father will be there for you when life does a number on you. Both offer love, support and comfort.
The Mother works well with The Protector, for safeguarding family, homes, and vulnerable projects.
She works well with The Witch, helping to midwife creative projects into the world, and she can give great support to The Healer during emotional and physical restoration and healing.
An interesting and effective combination is to use The Mother and The Fixer. You may be willing to do all it takes to get what you want, but adding The Mother to the mix may help to keep things grounded and have a more nurturing vibe. Using this combo will largely depend on what the target is, sometimes it just might not be appropriate or the best approach. Probably best for situations where you would prefer everyone to walk away happy, or at least less unhappy.
The Planet and The Mother are a good combo for stability or abundance magick. If you’re working on fertility magick pairing The Mother with The Fortunate can be especially potent. Pairing with The Road Opener can be helpful for, or wanting to call in new opportunities that are soul-nourishing.
THE FORTY SERVANTS IN THEORY & PRACTICE SERIES SO FAR
ARTICLES:
THE WITCH
THE GATE KEEPER
PATREON VIDEOS:
001 - Introduction
002 - Beg, Borrow, Be.
003 - Art History
And that's it for this time, I hope you got something good from it. If you'd like to chat about it, you can leave a comment below, or come find me on Bluesky!
If you would like to support me in doing all the things I do, then feel free to join the PATREON, buy a FORTY SERVANTS deck, get me a book or something from my Amazon Wish List, or just send me some money via PAYPAL. It all really, really helps, and is very much appreciated.
So, until next time,
MAY YOUR BEST DAYS BE AHEAD!
Tommie