If you are in your sixties, you are already a crone, sage, elder!!
The historical goddess literature puts those of us in our sixth or seventh decade right into the Crone stage, but did you really know what historically the crone is all about? The Crone Goddess is the final face that the Goddess wears. The triumvirate of Maiden, Mother, Crone has been the simplest expression of the ancient Goddess which represents the Universe itself: Mother Nature, The Great Mother. This face is one of a “distinguished, usually kindly, older woman…A face of Wisdom, for she has lived long enough to have observed the results of many human desires and actions, she now can look Inward. But hers is a meditative pondering, for as an older woman she stands on the cusp of the greatest mysery, that of Death.” (taken from Patricia Monaghan’s book The Goddess Path pp.23)
Wonder why we have bad feelings about the Crone name?
Patricia Monaghan explains that Crone goddesses historically were demoted into hags, evil stepmothers or forest-dwelling witches. They have often appeared in fairy tales and legends as threatening. This is because she (The Crone) is so powerful that many are uncomfortable with women’s power. She has been pushed down by so many cultures. Two variations I like of the Crone image are the Queen and the Priestess. Queens lead their people religiously as well as politically. Think of the Crone as a powerful head of state as well as having a direct connection to the divine. The Priestess takes on the role of facilitating other women on their spiritual paths. But ultimately, the Crone takes action by connecting selflessly with her community and her world to create harmony, peace and goodwill. We can re-create ourselves as this powerful time by ignoring what our culture presents to us. We are not invisible. We are alive and kicking with so much wisdom to share!
Why do we study or explore this Goddess archetypal path?
Finding the Goddess within us is the most useful way to study her. Patricia says, “Most travelers on the goddess path today perceive Divinity as both Immanent (within themselves) and Transcendent (outside of themselves).” Finding the goddess within ourselves can be a way to call on a strength and a vision to face life’s challenges. We don’t have enough societal support, so these archetypes can spur us on. She depicts the Goddess as a feminine force of the universe larger than human beings. She can be found throughout nature, but also is a force beyond individual plants, animals and persons. She is within our hearts and our bodies; she is the force of sexual attraction, motherly affection, righteous fury and steely intelligence. If you believe in a transcendent life force or god, the Goddess is the feminine version of that. This doesn’t have to compete with your religious beliefs; this can actually give you more agency to feel and believe in your own power within.
Goddess literature has been tremendously helpful to me as I navigate my many life transitions and especially for this one. As I reach 73, I am using all the tools of the mythical realm to guide me, and as I share some of these Goddess traditional roles and rituals and tools of transformation, I hope that you can move along this outer realm of mystery and non-duality to find your own rituals and tools. This stage can be more unbalancing than other transitions, because as the Crone we are stepping out of the norm and carving our own steps that are unique only to ourselves. We cannot follow other elders as much as we would like, because we can lose ourselves, become invisible, hopeless. Our culture does not honor our elders, so we must harness our power on our own. Some good examples of this are: Jane Fonda, Hillary Clinton, Joanna Macy, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jane Goodall, Roshi Joan Halifax.
So let’s start with some steps to help you harness your “Inner Crone.”
- Practice Mindfulness and Self-Compassion and Fierce Compassion. Check out Kristin Neff’s definitions here.
- Re-define yourself with your current Core Values –the Values you want to live by now.
- Write these values down and create a Vow – Living with a Vow will help you take action
- Set up daily rituals that honor you — who you are now? Rituals are best when you incorporate the 4 Elements: Air, Earth, Water, Fire. Lighting a candle is a ritual, drumming on the Earth is a ritual, singing the Earth element “Ho” or movement that expresses your heart.
- Take actions in the world, your community, your family that align with who you are now and who you have become.
Rituals are the most exciting part of this Crone stage. What rituals can you set up for yourself that awaken your
“True Self” each day and allow you to discover your path forward? As I work on this myself, let’s share what we discover on this path together. Share your ideas and respond to this blog. If you are not sixty yet, this is a great opportunity to re-tool your Core Values and set yourself on a course for personal and spiritual growth in the coming years.
Check out my Companion Workbook to A Midlife Voyage to Transformation on my website here. You can read and learn these tools of mindfulness and self-compassion through Practices, Exercises and Journaling on your own. You will find a Mindfulness Primer that can help you start your very on mindfulness practice and learn Loving Kindness Phrases and other Self-Compassion Practices that you can use each and every day. Rituals are a powerful way to enact your wholeness into your life now. I challenge you to find your very own ritual for this powerful crone, wisewoman, sage transition.
