Rest
By Maggie Fenton
I just learned about the Nap Ministry founded by Tricia Hersey in 2016. She writes about the need for rest and the power and creativity that it brings. In this season of celebration (there are over 14 known religious holidays and probably many others), the tasks of planning and preparation usually falls on the woman of the clan, especially those who are mothers or matriarchs. In this particular year, 2020, the pandemic, isolation from our families and friends and other disturbing news probably exacerbate our stress levels. So, as we in the northern hemisphere close in on our darkest day of the year, the Winter Solstice, try to release the ‘shoulds’ and find time for stillness, reflection and rest every day. Find quiet spaces. Let your gaze rest on the beauty of nature. Contemplate. Keep a journal of your reflections. Take a nap. Find the light within and wait for the seeds of creation to emerge. Check out the Nap Ministry: https://thenapministry.wordpress.com/
Honoring the Elders at our December Virtual Gathering
By Carol Friedrich
During this December Zoom gathering we will honor all Elders and, especially, four new Elders who have just turned 80 years old this year. These four crones, entering a new decade which may have added meaning and new challenges to their lives, are Rosemary Lucier, d’Estree Dockter, Sandy Eno, and Janet Osborne.
From the early days of Crones Counsel gatherings, our Elders have been honored in ceremony and ritual. It is during each gathering in a special program that the Elders are given a blessing and are often encouraged to say a few words about their unique life experiences and their philosophy of life. As you know, Crones Counsel whose primary mission is “dedicated to honoring and advancing the aging woman’s value to society” has recognized not only our elders but also, more recently, all other crones in their respective decades.
Please come with this sacred ritual in mind. Dress in “crone garb” and listen closely to what each woman has to say about this magical time in their lives.
Why We Call the Directions
By Win Fiandaca
Throughout history native American, Peruvian, Mexican, Siberian, Celtic and Nordic people, to name a few, have practiced honoring the four directions. We at Crones Counsel have adopted this age-old practice to create sacred space for the duration of any gathering we hold.
At the end of our gathering, we dismiss the directions and then the circle is open. Starting with the east, the place of beginnings, we move to south, west then north. We move clockwise as if around a wheel. In this way we circle with our community and become unified with single intent. In our gathering today, our focus is balance.
Our elements are associated with each direction: air in the east, fire in the south, water in the west and earth in the north. When we call in each direction, we invite the guardians. In the east, for example, guardians can bring in the breath of spring, new beginnings, childhood, play, and innocence. Each direction has goddesses associated with it as well, like Pele in the south and Hecate in the north. And there are animals associated with each direction, to assist us with their medicine in restoring balance and well-being in our own spiritual harmony and in our balance with nature.
On Younger Women (from a Crone)
I wish them a good life, a long life those ambitious 20 & 30 yr old things
who write of passions I did not have at that age
I wish them happiness, success and the where-with-all to see their dreams through
and to rise above the challenges that they face
I wish them ease and grace in their transitions to new decades of their lives
and political times.
I wish for them all I did not have nor get to do. My life is 3/4 over
Theirs is still in the growing phase.
I wish myself peace of mind and heart with all the changes and challenges
using technology. I wish myself patience too.
Let me know my place in the midst of things that are not always a good fit.
Let me know how to be more flexible and to be able to bend and flow.
Let me be kinder to myself and allow what rattles me to roll off my shoulders
and not keep me up at night. These 12-2 and 2-4 wake ups are sometimes
hard to bear.
Let me accept what is, knowing that it’s all temporary and just learn to go
with the flow no matter what our ages, there are ways we can all relate and
learn from one another.
Let me get through this hard night, where falling asleep on the sofa much too early
has caused me to pay the price in these wee hours tonite.
Let me just let it all go and let it be. It is what it is,
and a new day will follow.
10-18-20
Kaya Kotzen
Attention Women Writers!
We are looking for wonderful writers for our next issue of Crone Times. Deadline is January 15th. We would like 300-400 words on our current theme which is Compassion. Please contact us via cronetimes@gmail.com if you are interested. We love to share your stories each month.