Remembering Crone Shauna Adix, 1932 – 1998

Shauna Adix was the Mother of Crones Counsel and, through our work with Crone Chronicles, evolved into a dear friend of mine. Whenever I needed advice, or just plain listening, I would call her up, and could literally feel her patient and untiring compassion on the other end of the line. What follows are tributes to Shauna from a few of the thousands of women she nurtured during an immensely productive life. And for those of us who need to hear Shauna’s voice one more time, we have included excerpts (below) from a 1997 interview. – Ann Kreilkamp, founder of Crone Chronicles

At a gathering of crones in San Francisco on Sunday, December 13th, sacred space was filled with prayer and sound to honor Shauna Adix’s journey from the darkness of consuming cancer into the lightness of being. Shauna died the next day. A sturdy woman with short, silver grey hair, brilliant blue eyes that twinkled when she smiled and teared when she tapped her heart’s perceptions, Shauna’s specialty was endless giving. – Linda Raven

Shauna became my mentor when I first met her at Crones Counsel III, in Scottsdale, Arizona, as she facilitated Storytelling. I was in awe of this woman who encouraged us to come up to the podium and tell our stories. Shauna spoke from her heart, cried, and inspired me with her words of compassion and wisdom. I wanted to emulate her. I wanted to be able to speak spontaneously from my heart and cry and still be understood. I watched and listened to her again in Boise, Idaho at CCIV, and in San Diego at CCV. She gave me the courage to try and speak in public. Shauna told us that our voices must be heard. That we are honored for our wisdom and as we age we must speak our truth.– Amelia (Lin Fairchild)

I had the privilege of sharing the Storytelling space with Shauna at CCV in San Diego. Since Shauna had always done this portion of the program I was very nervous and wanted to play a supportive role behind the scenes. Shauna insisted that I lead Storytelling on the second day. I told her I was very anxious and she counseled me to just follow my heart and intuition.

Shauna was a woman who loved the Crone in all women. To me, she was the heart of Crones Counsel. She shared with us from the depths of her heart and was free with her emotions. She cared about us, she celebrated us and she wept with us. – Mahtowin

Two summers ago the San Diego Crones were hurting because two of our members had withdrawn from us. Then suddenly, there was Shauna, with her immense wisdom, helping us to speak the truth of our woundings, bringing us to clarity and understanding about letting that hurt go, allowing us to begin our healing and put that energy back into creating Crones Counsel V. – Mnimaka

Shauna was on my doctoral committee at the University of Utah and my dissertation subject was about sexual abuse of children. When my dissertation was finally completed and I was ready for the defense, we all assembled in this small meeting room. Despite being a nervous wreck I plunged ahead. The committee consisted of three men and two women–with Shauna as the only one from outside the department. I was really glad she was there because she was always so supportive and encouraging of me.

We sat down and said a few rule-type amenities and everyone opened their copies of the dissertation and silence fell loudly over the room. The longer the silence went on with the rustling of turning pages, the sicker I felt. Finally this very loud voice boomed out, “WHO THE HELL LETS THESE MEN GET AWAY WITH THIS KIND OF STUFF?” It was, of course, Shauna. I grounded real quick and every man at the table squirmed and we got down to business. I passed. And I thanked Shauna in person and otherwise every day for my success and my sanity. – Nancy Craft

Like an Ali Baba, Shauna held open for us the entrance to the cave where gold was to be found. As people told their most tender stories, I could relax into the trust I felt for her leadership into the atmosphere of love. So she’s gone from us. I don’t question the wisdom of her soul’s transit. I question, how long will it be until I am in the presence of another whose path of purpose reassured every cell in my body, and I felt peace. I suspect not in this lifetime. – Claudia Kimball

______

Interview with Shauna Adix on October 17, 1997

Anya Silverman

 

On storytelling at Crones Counsels: “As the director of a women’s center [at the University of Utah] for almost 20 years, I came to believe that the power of learning is in sharing stories. That the way to find one’s voice is to share one’s stories.”

On the meaning of the word “crone”: “Crone for me is living in a way that is beyond ego, and not dictated from external sources. It is finding and owning one’s voice and being willing to pay the consequences. It is living from the inside out–having had enough experience to integrate so you can make choices about what fits and doesn’t fit–and making that the bulwark of one’s value system. So my sense of Crone is that you have to be old enough to have enough life experience to integrate. But for some people, especially if they carry past life experience with them, that could come at a very early age. That is why at Crones Counsels we make no age limits. Unless we are willing to claim for ourselves what Crone is about, there is no way to be empowered, because we will still be listening to external voices telling us what Crone is rather than deciding for ourselves.”

On women’s spirituality and the crone movement: “For me spirituality is being in touch with the divine–with whatever the organizing principles of the universe are–and feeling them, owning them, expressing them. That is spirituality to me. And that’s precisely what I think becoming Crone and honoring Crone is all about.”