By Babette Lacy
As we go through life, we reach significant milestones that are often marked by some sort of celebration, a birthday party would be an example. Each year we celebrate a passage into the next, we celebrate ageing in a sense. We may celebrate the birth of a baby, or a retirement, or the passage of years of marriage.
In our culture, we are sorely lacking significant Rites of Passage. All too often in this culture we advocate a young man’s passage into manhood by a distorted sort of ritual like; have some liquor, here are the car keys, find a young woman and have a good time. Other times an event goes unnoticed, unacknowledged, unconfirmed and unfortunately, neglected. Young men and young women alike are really not coached and guided into adulthood. Imagine a culture where young adults were taught by their elders what it means to take on the responsibility of adulthood. Imagine being taught the roles and responsibilities of being a young adult rather than being a child. Then later, imagine being taught by those whom you respect how to take on the roll of being a mother or a father. Perhaps we would have fewer adults acting like children if we were to implement such passages. Later in life, imagine being celebrated and honored for your wisdom and knowledge. Not merely having a celebration of your contribution of time to the work force.
My view is that we need to adjust our celebrations a bit, and have celebrations that come from a more heart centered place. I think we have forgotten the real meaning of some of our celebrations. They have begun to lack significance and substance. Imagine how your life might have been different if you were taught by loving friends and family members at each of life’s vital crossroads. Imagine being lovingly and purposefully coached into the next phase of life. Perhaps then there wouldn’t be such struggle and resistance to the next phase of life. Perhaps life events would take on a deeper level of meaning and become less accidental.
The idea of the Maiden, Mother and Crone or the Man, Father, and Elder Rites of Passage is about remembering the magnitude of these stages of life. To approach these phases of life with the love and support of those who care about you is to receive a magnificent blessing.
Please join us on 10-10-10 as we celebrate the phase of life we call the Crone. This is a time when we honor the wisdom and knowledge of older women. These are women who have contributed so much to our lives; they have cared for us when we were not well, they have taught us about all aspects of life, they have nurtured our spirits, they have lead us by positive example, they have been our foundations of strength, they have been our coaches, mentors, counselors and beloved friends.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Meet the Event Imagineers
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| Francy Lamb-Dance and Frivolity |
Meet the Event Imagineers
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| Gaynol Wapotich-Our Grounding Stone |
Gaynol Wapotich was ‘croned’ in 1996. The ceremony was facilitated by her daughter, Lorene.
Talk about honor and respect. WOW!
Rev. Gaynol Wapotich, a retired Spiritualist Minister,
is a life long intuitive, healer and gifted in reading and working with energy. Her twenty-five years of professional service includes applying alternative/complementary healing techniques to clients enduring the full spectrums of challenges in all dimensions of their being. She refined her mediumship skills further through study at Arthur Findlay College in Stansted, England, where she trained with some of the United Kingdom’s most prominent mediums.
She is involved in the healing arts community as an intuitive and Hypnotherapist, Reiki Master Teacher, and CrainoSacrol Practioner and the Performing Arts as a member of the Fort Collins SOAP Troupe (Slightly Older Adult Players) and Colorado Clowns.
In her spare time, Gaynol is in-service as an elder (crone) for her daughter Lorene's girls and women programs held in the foothills of Boulder. WEBSITE:HerFeetOnTheEarth.org
Currently, Gaynol offers intuition workshops for fine tuning our intuitive power at WholeLifeCSl, WEBSITE :wholelifecsl.org.
For addition information: WEBSITE: Gaynol.com
Meet our Event Imagineers
Phyllis K. Kennemer, Ed.D.
Dr. Kennemer is an educator, an author, and a labyrinth facilitator. She has been an instructor for children and adults with teaching experience in public schools, in libraries, in colleges, and in universities. Presently she is a staff writer for Bella Spark Magazine (formerly The Healing Path Magazine), a reviewer for The Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database, and an instructor for the online course in Children’s Literature for the University of Colorado. As a Veriditas Certified Labyrinth Facilitator, Phyllis encourages people to use the labyrinth as part of their spiritual practices. She also does volunteer work for the Loveland Museum/Gallery and the Loveland Public Library.
Dr. Kennemer is an educator, an author, and a labyrinth facilitator. She has been an instructor for children and adults with teaching experience in public schools, in libraries, in colleges, and in universities. Presently she is a staff writer for Bella Spark Magazine (formerly The Healing Path Magazine), a reviewer for The Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database, and an instructor for the online course in Children’s Literature for the University of Colorado. As a Veriditas Certified Labyrinth Facilitator, Phyllis encourages people to use the labyrinth as part of their spiritual practices. She also does volunteer work for the Loveland Museum/Gallery and the Loveland Public Library.
Meet our Event Imagineers
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| Babette Lacy-Mistress of Ceremony |
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Our Bellydancer
Sylvia Reyes-Maas
Some of the things that Sylvia Reyes-Maas loves most about belly dancing……the costuming, the freedom of movement, connecting with the feminine, the opulence of the music, and the love of the dance. Belly dancing originated with women dancing for other women; it was an experience they shared to create camaraderie, it was a way to laugh and have fun. It made their bodies strong and powerful, it opened their meridian channels energetically. Women would belly dance in preparation for child birth. It made their physical body, emotional self, mental processes, and their spirit healthy.
Sylvia’s perception is that women were able to reclaim their power through belly dancing. In days past, women were not in a position of power. Because the women were so beautiful, men would ask them to dance for them. It is said that they would be paid in coins, and they would attach the coins to their garments. The best of the dancers had costumes adorned with many coins. This is one of the ways that women were able to use their authority, exercise their rights, and own their power. Now women dance because they want to dance, because they love to dance, and it still makes them strong.
Sylvia began belly dancing at the age of 50, nearly ten years ago. “What it did for me personally is that it made me love and appreciate my body more, dancing made me stop being so critical of my body. It helped me to be okay with being feminine. Belly dancing is about getting in touch with the divine feminine and the energy of loving your body. It is about getting in touch with one’s own sensuality and taking that back.” During the time that she taught belly dancing, Sylvia observed that women would gain more confidence, and have more self love. They would begin to appreciate their strength and agility. As the physical body was uplifted, the emotional self would follow. Women were continuing to reclaim their power!
Sylvia is a massage therapist practicing in Loveland, she can be reached at 970-214-2112.
Some of the things that Sylvia Reyes-Maas loves most about belly dancing……the costuming, the freedom of movement, connecting with the feminine, the opulence of the music, and the love of the dance. Belly dancing originated with women dancing for other women; it was an experience they shared to create camaraderie, it was a way to laugh and have fun. It made their bodies strong and powerful, it opened their meridian channels energetically. Women would belly dance in preparation for child birth. It made their physical body, emotional self, mental processes, and their spirit healthy.
Sylvia’s perception is that women were able to reclaim their power through belly dancing. In days past, women were not in a position of power. Because the women were so beautiful, men would ask them to dance for them. It is said that they would be paid in coins, and they would attach the coins to their garments. The best of the dancers had costumes adorned with many coins. This is one of the ways that women were able to use their authority, exercise their rights, and own their power. Now women dance because they want to dance, because they love to dance, and it still makes them strong.
Sylvia began belly dancing at the age of 50, nearly ten years ago. “What it did for me personally is that it made me love and appreciate my body more, dancing made me stop being so critical of my body. It helped me to be okay with being feminine. Belly dancing is about getting in touch with the divine feminine and the energy of loving your body. It is about getting in touch with one’s own sensuality and taking that back.” During the time that she taught belly dancing, Sylvia observed that women would gain more confidence, and have more self love. They would begin to appreciate their strength and agility. As the physical body was uplifted, the emotional self would follow. Women were continuing to reclaim their power!
Sylvia is a massage therapist practicing in Loveland, she can be reached at 970-214-2112.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Meeting the Crone
The word Crone conjures up images of wizened old hags wearing black pointy hats and cackling madly. As a feminine archetype the Crone has gotten some pretty bad press mostly being portrayed as a woman who likes eating small children and indulging in other unsavory habits. The Crone has also been portrayed as a woman past her prime, no longer fertile; vengeful and mean because her juices have all dried up. There is very little in Western culture that celebrates the Crone. She is nearly always portrayed as a jealous old woman, preying on the young. The Crone phase correlates to the bleeding phase in the menstrual cycle and the menopausal phase in a woman's life. Both of these phases focus on the flipside of physical fertility; a time when women can focus on themselves rather than constantly nurturing others. Being a Crone can be liberating, once you get over the cultural conditioning to be Mother.
The main work or theme of the Crone phase is release and letting go. The Crone understands the importance of death and renewal. She understands that without death, release and letting go, there can be no renewal and fresh starts.
With experience she has learned to recognize what it is that needs to be released so that you can move forward. This experience lends wisdom and maturity and an intimate understanding of the nature and inevitability of cycles. The Crone more than any other of the archetypes understands cycles, she knows that there is a time for all things and uses this knowledge for her own and others benefit. The Crone represents the older, more mature female who has become immune to many of the issues facing young women; the constraints of partnership, beauty, social conditioning and children. She has the freedom to live her life more fully and make choices based on what She wants rather than what others in Her life need from Her.
The Crone can be a container and guide to the darker emotions, for the companions to death and release are often pain, grief and anger. The Crone is familiar with the seedier and darker aspects of life and death for She has survived the descent into the Underworld (as the Enchantress). Knowing how to deal effectively with these important emotions is a necessary skill to harness the gifts of the Crone phase. Getting in touch with the Crone is getting in touch with that part of ourselves that is old and wise, who has seen everything, and dropped many of the pretensions, rules and limitations that society lives by. She is that part of ourselves that is infinitely understanding and compassionate yet also direct and unrelenting. The Crone sees the truth everywhere, in our lives, our relationships and our actions and She will work upon us to clear out the dross and garbage. There is strength and courage required to meet the Crone but there is also a wealth of strength, courage and wisdom to be gained from making the journey.
The main work or theme of the Crone phase is release and letting go. The Crone understands the importance of death and renewal. She understands that without death, release and letting go, there can be no renewal and fresh starts.
With experience she has learned to recognize what it is that needs to be released so that you can move forward. This experience lends wisdom and maturity and an intimate understanding of the nature and inevitability of cycles. The Crone more than any other of the archetypes understands cycles, she knows that there is a time for all things and uses this knowledge for her own and others benefit. The Crone represents the older, more mature female who has become immune to many of the issues facing young women; the constraints of partnership, beauty, social conditioning and children. She has the freedom to live her life more fully and make choices based on what She wants rather than what others in Her life need from Her.
The Crone can be a container and guide to the darker emotions, for the companions to death and release are often pain, grief and anger. The Crone is familiar with the seedier and darker aspects of life and death for She has survived the descent into the Underworld (as the Enchantress). Knowing how to deal effectively with these important emotions is a necessary skill to harness the gifts of the Crone phase. Getting in touch with the Crone is getting in touch with that part of ourselves that is old and wise, who has seen everything, and dropped many of the pretensions, rules and limitations that society lives by. She is that part of ourselves that is infinitely understanding and compassionate yet also direct and unrelenting. The Crone sees the truth everywhere, in our lives, our relationships and our actions and She will work upon us to clear out the dross and garbage. There is strength and courage required to meet the Crone but there is also a wealth of strength, courage and wisdom to be gained from making the journey.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Feminine Wisdom
Maiden, Mother, Crone
A woman's life is filled with stages, milestones ushering in wondrous experiential apexes like the coming of fertility, motherhood, and wisdom. Three aspects, maiden, mother, and crone, have traditionally represented the bounties and new beginnings represented by each stage. The maiden is the aspect of new beginnings, youth, playfulness, spontaneity, and learning. A woman in the prime of her life can be said to be living under the aspect of the mother, who personifies fertility, strength, and stability. She is the gentle nurturer as well as the fierce lioness. Lastly, and by far the most misunderstood and yet in many ways the most deserving of reverence, is the crone, who holds within her all of the wisdom of the journeys of womanhood. The word crone once meant simply 'wise woman' and, in antiquity, was a term of respect. The crone was a voice of wisdom, an elder, a healer, a counselor, and a teacher, who had traveled the paths of maiden and mother and possessed the accumulated wisdom of youth, adulthood, and old age. She represented the fulfillment of maturity and the knowledge that could only be obtained through a life well lived. The transition to cronehood was a rich and empowering experience, and an important rite of passage, though not one associated with a specific age. Today, though it seems eternal youth has become an obsession, women are reclaiming the status once associated with cronehood by recognizing their evolution and acting upon it. In awakening the crone, as she once was, women are acknowledging the extraordinary wisdom, grace, dignity, and beauty that comes with age. In embracing the aspect of the crone, it is important to be aware of the fact that age, experience, knowledge, and power are profound gifts that can never be taken from you. Each stage in life is yours and yours alone, and should be embraced as a vital part of life's journey. As you pass lovingly through each stage, coming finally to the remarkable crone, you will gradually be awakened to the mysteries of each, until you hold within you the keys to them all.
For more information visit Cronechronicles.com
A woman's life is filled with stages, milestones ushering in wondrous experiential apexes like the coming of fertility, motherhood, and wisdom. Three aspects, maiden, mother, and crone, have traditionally represented the bounties and new beginnings represented by each stage. The maiden is the aspect of new beginnings, youth, playfulness, spontaneity, and learning. A woman in the prime of her life can be said to be living under the aspect of the mother, who personifies fertility, strength, and stability. She is the gentle nurturer as well as the fierce lioness. Lastly, and by far the most misunderstood and yet in many ways the most deserving of reverence, is the crone, who holds within her all of the wisdom of the journeys of womanhood. The word crone once meant simply 'wise woman' and, in antiquity, was a term of respect. The crone was a voice of wisdom, an elder, a healer, a counselor, and a teacher, who had traveled the paths of maiden and mother and possessed the accumulated wisdom of youth, adulthood, and old age. She represented the fulfillment of maturity and the knowledge that could only be obtained through a life well lived. The transition to cronehood was a rich and empowering experience, and an important rite of passage, though not one associated with a specific age. Today, though it seems eternal youth has become an obsession, women are reclaiming the status once associated with cronehood by recognizing their evolution and acting upon it. In awakening the crone, as she once was, women are acknowledging the extraordinary wisdom, grace, dignity, and beauty that comes with age. In embracing the aspect of the crone, it is important to be aware of the fact that age, experience, knowledge, and power are profound gifts that can never be taken from you. Each stage in life is yours and yours alone, and should be embraced as a vital part of life's journey. As you pass lovingly through each stage, coming finally to the remarkable crone, you will gradually be awakened to the mysteries of each, until you hold within you the keys to them all.
For more information visit Cronechronicles.com
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Crone Humor
An 80 year old woman was caught speeding by a police officer. The officer asked her, "Did you know that you were speeding?" She replied, "Yes officer, I had to get there before I forgot where I was going!"
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Sisters
A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting with her Mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter.
" Don't forget your Sisters,' she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. 'They'll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you may have, you are still going to need Sisters. Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them.' 'Remember that 'Sisters' means ALL the women...your girlfriends, your daughters, and all your other women relatives too. 'You'll need other women. Women always do.'
What a funny piece of advice!' the young woman thought. Haven't I just gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!' But she listened to her Mother. She kept contact with her Sisters and made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her Mom really knew what she was talking about.
As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, Sisters are the mainstays of her life. After more than 50 years of living in this world, here is what I've learned:
THIS SAYS IT ALL:
Time passes.
Life happens.
Distance separates.
Children grow up.
Jobs come and go.
Love waxes and wanes.
Men don't do what they're supposed to do.
Hearts break.
Parents die.
Colleagues forget favors.
Careers end.
BUT.........
Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you. A girl friend is never farther away than needing her can reach. When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end. Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you...Or come in and carry you out. Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers, Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family, all bless our life!
The world wouldn't be the same without women, and neither would I. When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other. Every day, we need each other still. Pass this on to all the women who help make your life meaningful.
I just did.
Author Unknown
" Don't forget your Sisters,' she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. 'They'll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you may have, you are still going to need Sisters. Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them.' 'Remember that 'Sisters' means ALL the women...your girlfriends, your daughters, and all your other women relatives too. 'You'll need other women. Women always do.'
What a funny piece of advice!' the young woman thought. Haven't I just gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!' But she listened to her Mother. She kept contact with her Sisters and made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her Mom really knew what she was talking about.
As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, Sisters are the mainstays of her life. After more than 50 years of living in this world, here is what I've learned:
THIS SAYS IT ALL:
Time passes.
Life happens.
Distance separates.
Children grow up.
Jobs come and go.
Love waxes and wanes.
Men don't do what they're supposed to do.
Hearts break.
Parents die.
Colleagues forget favors.
Careers end.
BUT.........
Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you. A girl friend is never farther away than needing her can reach. When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end. Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you...Or come in and carry you out. Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers, Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family, all bless our life!
The world wouldn't be the same without women, and neither would I. When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other. Every day, we need each other still. Pass this on to all the women who help make your life meaningful.
I just did.
Author Unknown
Our Musician
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| Pamela Robinson, Musician Extraordinaire |
Pamela has devoted her life to music, spending the last 14 years focusing on spiritual music and awakening. She is currently the Musical Director at Whole Life Center for Spiritual Living. She has performed in the Fort Collins area for ten years with Liz Barnez and The Mother Folkers. Pamela has also done three world tours with the USO and DOD.
Pamela Robinson CD’s are available for purchase on her website http://www.kivarecords.com/
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Celebrating the Age of the Crone
Article by Phyllis Kennemer as it appears in Bella Spark Magazine, July/August 2010, pages 36 and 37. http://www.bellaspark.com/
A fifty-year-old woman stands in the center of a circle of women her own age and older. A crown of olive twigs intertwined with flowers is placed on her head. She listens reverently as group members step forward sharing words of wisdom and greeting. This woman is being welcomed into a Society of Crones.
Crone ceremonies, common in ancient times, have been making a comeback in recent years. The procedures and rituals vary from group to group and from one occasion to another, but the unifying principle is the celebration of a woman’s embrace of the final phase of the life cycle. The accompanying objects may include altars, robes, staffs, goddess oracle cards, crone wisdom cards, or any number of other objects deemed sacred; but crowns of some type are central to the rites. This is fitting because the word Crone means crown.
Prehistoric people revered women as the creators of life and worshiped goddesses representing the three stages of female existence — Maiden, Mother, Crone. TheMaiden was youth and independence; the Mother produced children and cared for them; and the Crone was a respected elder conducting or overseeing many of the rites and ceremonies of the culture. This final cycle of female life and its value have been so denigrated and disabused that the ancient meaning of Crone has been lost.
Anthropologists believe that in the beginning, all societies were matriarchal, ruled by women, with lineage traced through the mother. Women were honored as the creators of life, the teachers and transmitters of the culture, and the source of knowledge and wisdom. It wasn’t until thousands of years later that men discovered they played a role in the creation of children. Societies slowly shifted from matriarchal to patriarchal; lineage was traced through males and men took the power in ruling tribes and, eventually, nations.
Once men took charge, women were subjugated into servant roles. Religions based on male supremacy evolved with the imposed belief that women existed to serve men. They did give slight acknowledgement to the role of women as mothers, but they eliminated all positive references to old women, using the term Crone as a derogatory judgment against any female who managed to live beyond child bearing years. Images of crones as ugly witches and cruel stepmothers were conjured up and ppeared in folk tales and traditional lore. These negative images are so deeply ingrained that old women have been killed and abused for hundreds of years.
In our country the very act of aging is denied and condemned. Huge industries exist to support the obsession with looking forever young. Anti-aging products, plastic surgery, and other age-related medical procedures reinforce the notion that looking old is beyond undesirable, it is a sin against society.
Many modern women have consciously chosen to reject the negative images of aging and to reclaim their rightful role as esteemed elders. These ladies are stepping into the Crone stage of life with joy and dignity.
A woman may claim her crone status at any time after she has become postmenopausal. Some women choose to step into this role at age 50; others wait until a later time. It is all a state of mind. These ladies recognize that Cronehood isn’t static, but rather part of life’s ongoing journey. Participating in a croning ceremony is not necessary, but it is a lovely experience and establishes a sisterhood of support.
There are crones among us. They are not necessarily the women of age that we see on the news, the politicians, or the business women who have made it in our maledominated society. Many of the ladies in these public roles are denying the aging process, attempting to hang onto youth by their fingernails. The crones among us are mothers, grandmothers, aunties, teachers — women who are aging gracefully and quietly interacting with those around them in ways that are wise and productive.
Mature women who are seeking the status of Crone can look to at least one magazine and one organization to help them along the way. Crone Magazine: Women Coming of Age (www.cronemagazine.com) states in itsmission statement that the publishers see themselves as crones; mature women who embrace their experience, wisdom and power in ways that are personally satisfying and culturally enriching. The articles and poems in this publication are honest about the aging process and the reality of death, but the overall tone is uplifting.
The Crone Counsel (purposely not named council) is an organization which focuses on the empowerment and wellbeing of older women. This group has been holding annual gatherings in the western part of the country since the first conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in 1993.
All of the workshops and sessions are conducted and presented by the attendees as forums for older women to share their stories and counsel each other. There are no stars, no keynoters, and no hierarchy of organization. The focus is on creating an atmosphere of trust, as women share their personal and collective wisdom. Women over 80 are designated as “Elders” and honored at a special ceremony. Ritual and entertainment contribute to the sense of community.
The next Crones Counsel Gathering will be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, September 22 – 26, 2010. www.cronescounsel.org)
The aging process does not automatically qualify every older woman as a Crone. The Crone status is a matter of attitude. Crones embrace this third stage of life. They welcome wrinkles and gray hair. They ignore the constant yammering of commercials and billboards proclaiming the desirability of olding on to youthful appearances and mannerisms. Crones step into their wisdom and claim their power as significant and influential members of humanity.
Dr. Phyllis K. Kennemer is a Certified Veriditas Labyrinth Facilitator. She is a life-long learner and educator with a specialty in children’s literature. She wishes to expresses gratitude to these crones for their wise counsel: Maggie Rowlett, Dottie White, and Grace Zach.
A fifty-year-old woman stands in the center of a circle of women her own age and older. A crown of olive twigs intertwined with flowers is placed on her head. She listens reverently as group members step forward sharing words of wisdom and greeting. This woman is being welcomed into a Society of Crones.
Crone ceremonies, common in ancient times, have been making a comeback in recent years. The procedures and rituals vary from group to group and from one occasion to another, but the unifying principle is the celebration of a woman’s embrace of the final phase of the life cycle. The accompanying objects may include altars, robes, staffs, goddess oracle cards, crone wisdom cards, or any number of other objects deemed sacred; but crowns of some type are central to the rites. This is fitting because the word Crone means crown.
Prehistoric people revered women as the creators of life and worshiped goddesses representing the three stages of female existence — Maiden, Mother, Crone. TheMaiden was youth and independence; the Mother produced children and cared for them; and the Crone was a respected elder conducting or overseeing many of the rites and ceremonies of the culture. This final cycle of female life and its value have been so denigrated and disabused that the ancient meaning of Crone has been lost.
Anthropologists believe that in the beginning, all societies were matriarchal, ruled by women, with lineage traced through the mother. Women were honored as the creators of life, the teachers and transmitters of the culture, and the source of knowledge and wisdom. It wasn’t until thousands of years later that men discovered they played a role in the creation of children. Societies slowly shifted from matriarchal to patriarchal; lineage was traced through males and men took the power in ruling tribes and, eventually, nations.
Once men took charge, women were subjugated into servant roles. Religions based on male supremacy evolved with the imposed belief that women existed to serve men. They did give slight acknowledgement to the role of women as mothers, but they eliminated all positive references to old women, using the term Crone as a derogatory judgment against any female who managed to live beyond child bearing years. Images of crones as ugly witches and cruel stepmothers were conjured up and ppeared in folk tales and traditional lore. These negative images are so deeply ingrained that old women have been killed and abused for hundreds of years.
In our country the very act of aging is denied and condemned. Huge industries exist to support the obsession with looking forever young. Anti-aging products, plastic surgery, and other age-related medical procedures reinforce the notion that looking old is beyond undesirable, it is a sin against society.
Many modern women have consciously chosen to reject the negative images of aging and to reclaim their rightful role as esteemed elders. These ladies are stepping into the Crone stage of life with joy and dignity.
A woman may claim her crone status at any time after she has become postmenopausal. Some women choose to step into this role at age 50; others wait until a later time. It is all a state of mind. These ladies recognize that Cronehood isn’t static, but rather part of life’s ongoing journey. Participating in a croning ceremony is not necessary, but it is a lovely experience and establishes a sisterhood of support.
There are crones among us. They are not necessarily the women of age that we see on the news, the politicians, or the business women who have made it in our maledominated society. Many of the ladies in these public roles are denying the aging process, attempting to hang onto youth by their fingernails. The crones among us are mothers, grandmothers, aunties, teachers — women who are aging gracefully and quietly interacting with those around them in ways that are wise and productive.
Mature women who are seeking the status of Crone can look to at least one magazine and one organization to help them along the way. Crone Magazine: Women Coming of Age (www.cronemagazine.com) states in itsmission statement that the publishers see themselves as crones; mature women who embrace their experience, wisdom and power in ways that are personally satisfying and culturally enriching. The articles and poems in this publication are honest about the aging process and the reality of death, but the overall tone is uplifting.
The Crone Counsel (purposely not named council) is an organization which focuses on the empowerment and wellbeing of older women. This group has been holding annual gatherings in the western part of the country since the first conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in 1993.
All of the workshops and sessions are conducted and presented by the attendees as forums for older women to share their stories and counsel each other. There are no stars, no keynoters, and no hierarchy of organization. The focus is on creating an atmosphere of trust, as women share their personal and collective wisdom. Women over 80 are designated as “Elders” and honored at a special ceremony. Ritual and entertainment contribute to the sense of community.
The next Crones Counsel Gathering will be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, September 22 – 26, 2010. www.cronescounsel.org)
The aging process does not automatically qualify every older woman as a Crone. The Crone status is a matter of attitude. Crones embrace this third stage of life. They welcome wrinkles and gray hair. They ignore the constant yammering of commercials and billboards proclaiming the desirability of olding on to youthful appearances and mannerisms. Crones step into their wisdom and claim their power as significant and influential members of humanity.
Dr. Phyllis K. Kennemer is a Certified Veriditas Labyrinth Facilitator. She is a life-long learner and educator with a specialty in children’s literature. She wishes to expresses gratitude to these crones for their wise counsel: Maggie Rowlett, Dottie White, and Grace Zach.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Andy Rooney from CBS 60 Minutes says:
As I grow in age, I value women who are over 30 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:
- A woman over 30 will never wake you in the middle of the night to ask, "What are you thinking?" She doesn't care what you think.
- If a woman over 30 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it.
- She does something she wants to do. And, it's usually something more interesting. A woman over 30 knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants and from whom.
- Few women past the age of 30 give a damn what you might think about her or what she's doing.
- Women over 30 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant.
- Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you, if they think they can get away with it.
- Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it's like to be unappreciated.
- A woman over 30 has the self-assurance to introduce you to her women friends.
- A younger woman with a man will often ignore even her best friend because she doesn't trust the guy with other women.
- Women over 30 couldn't care less if you're attracted to her friends because she knows her friends won't betray her.
- Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 30. They always know.
- A woman over 30 looks good wearing bright red lipstick. This is not true of younger women or drag queens.
- Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 30 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.
- Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk if you are acting like one!
- You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.
What is a Crone?
13 Articles of Cronedom
1. A womyn who holds her bloods which is her power and energy, inside her.
2. A womyn who belongs to her self.
(and it took her a long time to buy herself back)
3. A womyn who speaks from the knowledge of life lived and time served on earth.
4. A womyn who has watched the seasons of her body change.
5. A womyn who is dancing, spinning and creating.
(because she is free to be free)
6. A womyn who laughs at what she used to cry about.
7. A womyn that can teach by being observed.
8. A womyn FREE of the fetters of "shoulds".
9. A womyn who has earned the merit badge of wrinkles that are ribbons of tribute for life lived.
10. A womyn ready and able to claim her womyn power and Be Her Power.
11. A womyn who's passion is strength.
12. A womyn who weaves rather than being woven.
13. A Womyn who is at onement with Herself, Her Foremothers, and Her Divine Mother.
1. A womyn who holds her bloods which is her power and energy, inside her.
2. A womyn who belongs to her self.
(and it took her a long time to buy herself back)
3. A womyn who speaks from the knowledge of life lived and time served on earth.
4. A womyn who has watched the seasons of her body change.
5. A womyn who is dancing, spinning and creating.
(because she is free to be free)
6. A womyn who laughs at what she used to cry about.
7. A womyn that can teach by being observed.
8. A womyn FREE of the fetters of "shoulds".
9. A womyn who has earned the merit badge of wrinkles that are ribbons of tribute for life lived.
10. A womyn ready and able to claim her womyn power and Be Her Power.
11. A womyn who's passion is strength.
12. A womyn who weaves rather than being woven.
13. A Womyn who is at onement with Herself, Her Foremothers, and Her Divine Mother.
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