This morning I was again reflecting on the crone I am becoming and embracing the crone that I am. As I walked through my neighborhood, I could not help seeing her, this crone, reflected in the turning of the trees toward winter.
Choosing to accept the changing season, the leaves slowly and beautifully let go of their greening, replacing their pigment with the colors of the lower chakras; hues of red, orange and yellow. With joy the leaves have no option, submitting to their fall to earth, celebrating their eventual decay and return, shape-shifted to feed what is next to grow.
The trees, barren, hold their ground with no expectation other than to meet the winter time steadfast and unwavering. Their roots, firmly planted, terra firma, trusting their destiny without question or remorse.
With grace, they embrace the darkness as it slowly grows into winter, never truly knowing if and when spring will arrive. Only the sense of light and dark, sun and shadow, cold and warm, wind and storm guiding them.
And sometimes winter engulfs the tree in the last of dark and inward gaze, only their legacy noticed by the few who take the time to be aware of this gift of life.
Reflections like this one called me in 2018 to offer a series of workshops for women who are becoming a crone. I know this time to personally be an invitation for reflection, of turning inward for opportunities of growth and self-discovery. A time of claiming and experiencing a deeper sense of awe and wonder that comes with my aging. A time for gazing more deeply into my spirituality.
I listened to this nudge and responded, offering three Celebrating the Crone workshops this year. I felt a sense of wonder and delight related to the response to the February workshop, savoring my time holding sacred space for all who attended. Hopeful as the May date approached, I was disappointed when I felt the need to cancel the event because of low registration.
Subsequently, I re-imagined the workshop, supplementing my offering with more opportunities for sharing in our sacred circle. I integrated time for writing using writing prompts as another means of integrating mindfulness into the group process. Finally, I brought rituals of celebration and blessing into the collage process.
Feeling confident these additions would enhance the experience of those participating I began to plan the promotion of my October workshop. Ultimately, I realized I could not muster the positive energy needed to enter the unknown world of marketing again. Thus, I chose to cancel Celebrating the Crone for the remainder of 2019.
With a sense of ambivalence, I have continued to explore my decision. I pondered, “Had I miss heard the call to work with women who are aging?” “Did I misunderstand my audience?” “Do my attempts to market leave big gaps, not reaching potential participants?” No clear answers have come at this point in time.
Though I continue to hear a call to my crone self and to the creative process, I am still uncertain of how to respond to the greater call to create circles for crone celebrations. I write these words to reach out to you, wondering if the archetype of the Crone resonates with you? Do you know others who might also be interested in an afternoon to celebrate this portion of life’s journey? If so, I invite you to share this message with your menopausal and postmenopausal friends, offering myself as facilitator for you and a small group of your friends to gather to Celebrate the Crone you are becoming. Gathering together in a space you choose to share this 3rd phase of your womanhood with those whom you support and love as we walk this journey together.
Beautiful prose and poetry about the crone’s journey call me to go deeper within myself as I become more of the crone. The words also call me to create circles of community for women to share and explore their own becoming the crone.
(date, time, location and cost open to negotiation)