I recently read a book by Jean Shinoda Bolin called Crones Don’t Whine: Concentrated Wisdom for Juicy Women. Out of that came an idea, and last weekend, I spent a wonderful afternoon in the company of eight beautiful women, exploring and connecting with, the crone, the wise woman. The circle was hosted by fellow celebrant and Professor of Anthropology, Kathryn Rountree, who has a wealth of knowledge in this area.
So what is a crone? What do you think of when you hear that term? Scary, witchy, wise, old, kuia, grumpy, strong, powerful?
According to the Oxford Dictionary, a crone is “an ugly old woman.” According to Wikipedia, “the noun crone entered the English language around the year 1390, deriving from the Anglo-French word carogne (an insult), itself deriving from the Old North French charogne, caroigne, meaning a disagreeable woman. But in New Age and spiritual circles, a “Croning” is a ritual rite of passage into an era of wisdom, freedom, and personal power, and some authors have defined the crone archetype in a positive light, as a powerful and wise old woman.
The relationship between women and Christianity goes back to medieval times and is too complex to cover here, but I encourage you to look it up. It’s fascinating. Fear of women’s power was at the root of it, and I was surprised that “witch trials” although peaking in the 1600’s continued, in some form, into the 20th century and are even happening today.
Today a crone could be described as a woman in the post-menopausal, third phase/autumn of her life. However, although wisdom usually comes from experience, it can be acquired at any age, and Jean agrees that men can be crones too.
My mother warned me that middle-aged women become invisible, but I’m heartened to see that this is changing. We now see more (although still not enough) interesting and meaningful roles for actresses in their autumn years, due largely to their own resources and finances. We see magazines and articles talking about the authentic beauty and sexuality of women in their 50’s and 60’s, and I have friends who I am delighted to say exude and enjoy the same qualities in their 70’s. And in NZ many middle-aged women hold top positions in public office and in the public eye.
Today’s women are children of the 1960’s and have likely seen more change in the role of women than at any other time in history. They are baby-boomers and they make up a large proportion of the population. They have a wealth of experience and wisdom to share. And at this time in history, the world needs their collective voice more than ever.
Here are the Jean Bolin’s 13 characteristcs of juicy women. Savour them.
Crones don’t whine
Breathe in: That was then
Breathe out: This is now
Breathe in: I am
Breathe out: Peace
Crones savour the good in their lives
With an appreciation and an appetite for life, when things go well or something delicious happens, crones savour it.
Crones are juicy
In grief, tears of sorrow flow. In uninhibited laughter and joy, tears flow. To be involved and engaged in life is a juicy proposition.
Crones have green thumbs
Crones nurture growth. Crones weed well. Crones prune. Crones know that different plants and people need different conditions in order to thrive.
Crones trust what they know in their bones.
Crones trust their instincts about people and principles. This trust grows through growing older and wiser and through learning from life.
Crones meditate in their fashion
Maybe heartfulness more accurately describes what crones do. To hold something in your heart and ponder upon it is meditation.
Crones are fierce about what matters to them
A crone is someone who has found her voice. She knows that silence is consent. This is a quality that makes older women feared.
Crones choose the path with heart
Time to connect with the question “What did I come here to do?” The path with heart may be difficult but there is joy along this path, and you become one with it.
Crones listen to their bodies
A crone listens to the underlying message between her feelings and her body. It makes her seek an answer of an inner nature when a physical symptom arises.
Crones improvise
If the metaphor is music, her instrument is herself and the deep theme of her song follows the beat of her heart.
Crones don’t grovel
“Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
Crones laugh together
Crones know when they are with like-hearted women and don’t need to preserve a persona. There’s no pecking order here. They can laugh until tears flow.
Crones speak their truth with compassion
To speak your truth is to be able to say “This is who I am.”
If you are interested in hosting a women’s circle to explore wisdom, enquire here.
If you are interested in women’s healing, you might like our Sacred Feminine Rising course.
Beautiful autumn photo by Jeremy Thomas on Unsplash,
