The word "crone", along with a few other words like elder, hag, witch and crony, is a word with pejorative connotations in these times when there is such an appalling obsession with physical beauty, with retaining a young appearance, with fending off any visible signs of age, maturity and experience.  Dictionaries describe the crone as an old, ugly, withered woman or ancient witchy female, or say that crone is a derogatory word for an old woman.  The figure of the crone has come to represent age, impotence and ugliness, and in fairytales and folktales she is a figure of pure evil.

How unfortunate this is, when once the word crone meant simply  "wise woman" or "wise one" and it had nothing whatsoever to do with either age or beauty.   In earlier times, crone was a term of respect and reverence, and  the word was used to describe the most exalted of the three aspects of the Triple Goddess, Maiden, Mother and Crone.  Once upon a time, the word crone resonated with strength and power, with the wisdom acquired from life and experience and from transcending the stages of Maiden and Mother.  The Crone was a respected elder, counsellor, healer, and a voice of wisdom in her community; she was consulted in times of illness or distress; one listened to the crone and her advice was trusted.

If the Maiden represents the shining time of youth and beginnings, and the Mother represents the time of fruitfulness, parenting and maturity, then the Crone represents the fulfilment of maturity and experience; she compels us to think of autumn, of approaching winter, of endings and departures, inevitably of death, and of rebirth.  Perhaps it is the thought of death and of the great unknown beyond which frightens so many of us today.The Crone is associated with the Waning Moon, and with the colors black, dark blue and the deepest purple.  Her time is the season of Winter, and she is associated with the owl, the wolf and the raven, splendid companions all.   Her festival falls at the Celtic New Year of Samhain, or Halloween in Christian parlance.

Attaining Cronehood, becoming an elder and a member of the Grandmothers' Lodge, the Moon Lodge or the Lodge of Mother Bears, moving gracefully beyond both Maiden and Mother to the rich and powerful time of the crone is an important rite of passage.  It is something which should be celebrated, for to become a crone really is to become empowered.  As a crone, one is free to be wise, compassionate, tolerant, patient and humorous without being either "old" or "middle aged".  One is also free to be independent, feisty and when the occasion demands it, obdurately self-sufficient and curmudgeonly.  How wonderful to be able to reply as Methos did, when asked how he knew something, "because I am very old and very wise".

A crone has time to breathe deeply and to take long walks along hedgerows and through the woods and fields.  She has time to listen to invisible symphonies and to hear the great silence of the cosmos around her; she has time to look closely at everything and to examine things, but with gentle hands.  She has time for dreams and for adventures; she has time for frivolous pursuits like reading, sewing, carving, pottery, weaving, stargazing and painting; she has time to be truly comfortable within herself.