The definition of crone per the American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition offers negative and positive connotations:
- An old woman considered to be ugly; a hag.
- A woman who is venerated for experience, judgment, and wisdom.
- An old ewe.
Per https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crone, a crone is simply “a cruel or ugly old woman.”
Wikipedia includes that “In folklore a crone is an old woman who may be characterized as disagreeable, malicious, or sinister in manner, often with magical or supernatural associations that can make her either helpful or obstructive.”
We beg to differ and simply see a crone as an elder wise woman.
And so does scholar Clarissa Pinkola Estés. Again, per Wikipedia, she writes that the Crone is “the one who sees far, who looks into the spaces between the worlds and can literally see what is coming, what has been, and what is now and what underlies and stands behind many things. […] The Crone represents the ability to see, more than just with one’s eyes alone, but to see with the heart’s eyes, with the soul’s eyes, through the eyes of the creative force and the animating force of the psyche.” 1
The thought of crone’s surfaced due to an incoming email about the Crone Power Community (https://www.fullcirclewomen.com/crone-power/). The overview about it feels authentic to us, but we have not, and currently do not plan to, participate. If you happen to participate we would love to hear how it is for you!
Here is to the wisdom of the ages that resides in loving experiences and information shared with insights.
Image credit: Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay
- Estes, Clarissa Pinkola (2011). The Power of the Crone: Myths and Stories of the Wise Woman Archetype (Audiobook on CD). Sounds True. ↩︎