The Crone Movement - Empowering Older Women

When you hear the word 'crone,' what do you think of? A withered old woman, perhaps a witch, dressed all in black and hunched over a bubbling pot?

Time to update that image in your mental file cabinet. The term 'crone' has been reclaimed by a movement seeking to empower women in their mature years.

To find its source, we have to go back to the pre-Christian concept of the mother goddess who, with the rise of patriarchy, was later split into three different aspects. These three archetypes represented the stages of a woman's life - maiden, mother and crone.

Today the Crone Movement takes its name from the archetype of the older woman, a symbol of wisdom and strength.

One group that celebrates this old-yet-new vision of older women is the Crones Counsel, which has hosted national gatherings for nearly two decades. These annual events are intended to reclaim the Crone archetype and "promote equality, encourage diversity, support personal empowerment, honor the value to society of older women's wisdom and accomplishments."

Susan Ann Stauffer, Ph.D., a past member of the Crones Counsel Board, explains why a woman at this stage in her life is so powerful: "A Crone is a woman who has moved past mid-life and who acknowledges her survivorship, embraces her age, learns from the examined experience of her life, and, most likely, appreciates the wrinkles on her face....A Crone is a woman who is comfortable with her spiritual self, her intuition, and her creative power."

Wonderful qualities for a woman to possess at any age, but especially significant for a demographic that often feels bypassed by a society that has little use for women once they reach menopause.

This Halloween, if you're a woman 45 or older, instead of feeling tricked by the process of aging, consider the treat of making peace with yourself as you appreciate this phase of your life. Embrace your inner Crone.