CCXIV

CRONES COUNSEL XIV "Crones Journey" Millenium Harvest House Hotel in Boulder, Colorado September 27 – October 1, 2006

We took a journey across the Rockies into beautiful Colorado. When we arrived at in Boulder, we knew we were in a sacred space.

We gathered to share our respective journeys with moving storytelling, wonderful workshops, and meaningful songs, drumming and ritual.

We were surrounded by sister support, with connections safe, inclusive and empowering. We experienced the awesome power and energy that is created when Crones gather. Our Elders were honored with a special ceremony and we were treated to a fun and rousing talent show put on by you. Our Crone marketplace was not to be missed--Crone-crafted items created by Crone sisters.

An awesome array of beautiful women gathered in Boulder, Colorado, this year and that is what I will most remember, the women I met and talked with and loved. The great thing about this gathering was that it afforded every opportunity for us to get to know one another on a more personal basis. The highlight of this was, of course, the wisdom circle and I am deeply grateful for the wonderfully wise and loving women with whom I shared that time.

The laughter and tears we shared during storytelling opened our hearts, the meaningful and important exchange of views in Susan Ann Stauffer’s workshop, and the many conversations that grew out of it opened our minds. From the opening moments to the spiral dance I found myself fully engaged. Several women from our northwest corner of Washington returned home buoyed with the enthusiasm and energy generated in Boulder and ready to try our hand at planning a gathering. The Colorado women provided one more marvelous model.

— Gay Barker 

Storytelling is ever a highlight of our gathering. For five minutes, a Crone Sister speaks from her heart. Some stories may be funny; some may be wrenchingly sad; all touch us in a very special way. Where else can we receive a Standing Ovation for revealing ourselves, for being disarmingly honest and open about our feelings? It is a wonderful kind of self-disclosure therapy, for sure ... In a society that favors youth, a ceremony that honors those who have survived and thrived into the rarefied atmosphere of 80+ years, is a blessing and a revelation. This year’s Crones Counsel celebration Honoring the Elders was especially meaningful for us. Our Elders sat at the front of the auditorium, crowned with colorful headdresses. We reveled in the video pictures, interviews, and statements of our Honored Elders. They have had such varied, interesting lives! We appreciated, venerated their struggles, their triumphs. These women helped to shed a kaleidoscopic kind of Lights on what we might expect, as we add years to our lives ...

— Enid Williams 

What a wonderful “Crones Journey” we had in Boulder! Colorado even did its best to greet all those journeying to her Mile High reputation. Deep blue skies, fall leaves of many colors, and warm temperatures allowed us to meet and eat outside. We sang, laughed, cried, drummed, learned, and played. There is nothing like Crones Counsel! 

 —  Sharon Hoery, past President