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What I’ve Been Up To
Recently I have been feeling old.
There. I said it.
My body and mind have been inundated with medical woes. Over the past five years I have been in life-or-death medical challenges, surgeries and prescription/chemical traumas. And yes, it has taken its toll on me.
At that time, hitting 70 years of age was difficult for me. And now five years later, I can see the damage my body has endured. The wrinkled skin is dry and obviously in need of help. My hair is another story (LOL). My muscles and bones, well, need reconditioning. (Not to mention resulting complications from Chemo.) Simply put, I am old.
Don’t get me wrong. I am doing what I can to repair and rebuild myself. I am able to look at me for the first time and want to improve myself. Up until now, I did not want to do much of anything except rest and heal. It takes a long time to heal after that much damage.
But now I am ready. Now I am working on it. Now I want to write about my life’s work, to share my knowledge. And to be a vital part of society.
Then, another blow. We went to a special surprise birthday party for my husband’s sister-in-law. It was a great event, and it was great to get everyone together again. Not since before the pandemic.
My niece was taking pictures all evening. My turn to stand with my sister-in-law, and two other women family friends. We all are either approaching or leaving our 75th year. The four of us stood, arm in arm with lovely smiles on our faces.
I anticipated seeing the photo the next day. (No, I am not sharing it here.)
Here were my three dear friends with smooth, supple skin, full figured and truly smiling. And me on the end: Thin, dry, spindly, and bending at my shoulders. The smile on my face was pained. It showed the misery I had endured.
I have not healed as much as I had hoped. My spirit still is in pain. I told Charles, my husband how old (and frail) I felt after seeing the photo.
I said, “I didn’t realize just how old I really am,” with self-pity in my tone. He said the kindest and most loving thing.
“But you are still here, with me!”
This made me understand that I am a survivor. I came through the hard part and now I can shine. I can wear my Silver Crown (hence, The Crone) with Pride and Wisdom.
Greeting the Crone Energy
“The second half of life, then, gives us the opportunity to rediscover the parts of ourselves that we’ve buried, to find the path we have lost.” ~Sharon Blackie Hagitude: Reimagining the Second Half of Life
Some History of the Crone -
There is an ancient paradigm of thinking about the Crone that can be traced back to the Middle East, Balkans, Scandinavia and Ancient Greece. Also, Norse mythology. But the word ‘crone’ only came into the English language in approximately 1390. It was derived from the Anglo-French word ‘carogne’ which was considered an insult. The origin is from the Old North French ‘charogne’ or ‘caroigne’, meaning a disagreeable woman, literally “carrion”.
In folklore of this disagreeable woman was represented as having a malicious and sinister nature. The so-called crone may also display supernatural and magical capabilities, usually for obstructive purposes.
However,
The Modern Crone
Back in the early 1900s, women began to feel their power. Little by little we started to know who we were -- first time in a long time.
You see, over hundreds of years women were stripped of their knowledge -- their inner wisdom. They became man's possession, their maidservant. They were not allowed to own property. They were not allowed to be in public alone. Their knowledge of herbs, remedies, garden crops, birthing, infusions, and inspired counsel was washed away. The feminine door closed.
And so, the word crone (or hag) over time became a derogatory term. It was used to belittle women. The image employed is old and worn down, humped over and ugly and acting insane. It was meant to scare others and intimidate elder women, especially those who were widowed.
Transitions in thinking and empowerment woke up the modern woman. Now, the more common Crone archetype in modern culture is one of a wise woman.
The Crown (crone) is symbolized by the silver and gray of the hair. It is their crowning touch. It emphasizes the wisdom emanating from the head.
Some say that it is associated with the menopausal phase of a woman’s life. But I believe it is after that phase. When a woman has no cares and spends her thoughts and time working alchemy and magic with her wisdom.
What Are Some Characteristics & Traits?
The Crone becomes aware of pain, tiredness and lethargy, loss of body function and the need to slow down. It can also bring emotional sensitivity, depression, moodiness, introspection and possible disorientation.
These signals, which may be problematic for both the individual and those around them, are symbolic of a form of renewal and transformation for the woman.
Because of this slow down and change, the Crone is associated with the aging process and the ability of the woman, as she ages, to accept the process of death and renewal in her life and embrace the new starts which such processes offer.
Aging allows new wisdom and maturity through experience. She understands the natural timing of things and how to best use it. She has gained in age and maturity and has greater freedom to live without restraint.
“Anger and outrage seem to have filtered through my life, but I now focus it in a constructive manner, in order to shift the energy into the Positive.”
I am always looking to other Crones to show the way. One such woman is being spoken of here by Melissa Tafoya:
The Crone
The mirror held no surprises. The woman who stared back, her skin a tapestry etched with the stories of decades, no longer flinched. Gone were the days of chasing reflections of youth, a ghost she could never quite catch. Wrinkles fanned out from her eyes, laughter lines that had deepened with each year, a map of a life fully lived. Her once fire-bright hair had turned the gentle silver of a moonlit sky, a crown more becoming with each passing season. But what truly set her apart was the light that emanated from within. It wasn't the defiance of a woman clinging to what had been, but a quiet, ethereal glow. It was the acceptance, the settling into the seasoned vessel that had carried her through storms and sunshine. This body, once a canvas of insecurities, now bore the marks of resilience, of battles fought and scars earned. She traced a finger along a wrinkle, a testament to a smile that had crinkled her eyes countless times. The ache in her knees, once a source of frustration, now whispered tales of adventures, of mountains climbed and paths less traveled. The silver strands framing her face held not regret, but the wisdom gleaned from years of silver linings and dark nights. This wasn't a surrender, but a homecoming. She had finally arrived, not at a destination, but within herself. The crone in the mirror wasn't a stranger, but a culmination, a woman who had weathered every storm life threw her way and emerged, not broken, but beautifully worn. The glow emanating from within was the quiet power of acceptance, a radiant serenity that only comes with embracing the entirety of who you are, wrinkles and all.
A hand quilted blanket grows in beauty after much use and has been cleansed of soil. And so does the Crone show her beauty.
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Melissa Leath writes A Mystics Journal on Substack. She supplies outrageous metaphysical babble/rant from a modern-day mystic's viewpoint and provides workshops about empowerment and psychic/metaphysical development. Her books Psychic Integrity, The Respected Practice of Modern-Day Mystics (Balboa Press, division of Hay House Publishing) and Does Your Child See Sparkles? are available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Melissa’s long-term study includes years of group development, platform mediumship, meditation, becoming a spiritual medium and minister and a BA in Metaphysical Counseling. She has worked with 10s of thousands of clients in USA and other countries, taught development classes for 12 years and settled into online workshops.
Please contact Melissa at melisssaleath@gmail.com.
Melissa I completely related with this post. I too am a crone. And have been working on shifting the dialog in my own being away from conditioned derogatory put downs into reclaiming the deeper truth of what I am. Embodying the sacred feminine, the goddess. Appreciated the quote by Sharon Blackie from her Hagitude book. Curious did you take her year course on "Hagitude"? I did so wondering if you were part of it.