She is independent. She is fearless. She is the archetypal witch. She doesn’t need a man or a child to be whole; she knows she is already whole. She’s not afraid of what a man says about her. That’s not true—she is afraid, she knows she could burn for it, but she does it anyway. She is not angry with the women who betrayed her. She knows that fear had them in its grip. But she knows that to give into that fear means losing everything she holds dear, and she will not do it. Because she is a crone.

She knows that most of the witches they killed weren’t even witches. They were just victims of the patriarchal society. She also knows that many of the witches in the village were be betrayed by other women who thought their only way to survive and have any sense of control over their lives was to appease the men. They were wrong. Never give in to a bully—they will betray you in a heartbeat if you are no longer useful to them.

The crone knows to never follow those who use hate and fear to manipulate, because eventually, once you’ve helped build their power, they will turn that hate on you and burn you too. There is no loyalty in hate. There is no loyalty in fear.

Independence and Connection

The Crone is feared because she’s independent. She is feared because she knows her worth, and this makes her difficult to control. You cannot bribe her with wealth or luxury or even survival. She already knows how to create all that she needs.

She knows that she is part of something much larger than herself. She’s connected to all things; she’s not an isolated being—she can communicate with the birds and the animals and the trees.

Where the Mother teaches and guides her children, the Crone teaches and guides the whole of society. She knows the signs of danger, and she knows how to access the resources society needs—like the matriarch of the elephant family who knows where to find a water hole that never dries up, even though the family haven’t been there for decades.

Self-Worth

The most important aspect of the Crone is her sense of self-worth. Though the world may tell her differently, she knows she has value. She knows that all things have value. She also knows that value isn’t measured in pounds or dollars.

She’s not fooled by society’s obsessions; she does not see beauty only in the young. She sees beauty in her own hands and grey hair just as she does in the deeply fissured bark of an ancient oak tree. She knows how to stay rooted to the land, to dig deep within to find nourishment for her soul. She sees the stars as her sisters, the Earth as her mother, the moon as her reflection gazing back at her—sometimes light, sometimes dark.

Wisdom and Power

The Crone knows how to nourish herself and others physically, emotionally and spiritually. She knows how to heal. She knows how to fight, and she knows when to bide her time in the shadows. She knows how to laugh, how to love and how to dig her fingers into the rich earth until her fingernails are black. She knows how to howl at the moon in rage and whisper comfort to the dying. She knows how to teach a child to learn.

She knows how to make poison and when to use it to protect the innocent, and she knows no guilt when she does what she needs to do. She can fight with her fists and her teeth and, most of all, her tongue. She knows all the secrets of the universe. She can see through time and space. She knows how to birth life, prevent life and even take life—and that is why she is feared.

Self-Care and Boundaries

The Crone knows when she needs to retreat for a while to lick her wounds and heal, to nourish her body and soul. She knows her body is her own and it is her job to take care of it. She knows how to say ‘no’ when her reserves are low, even though the cause is good. She knows how to recognise ‘enough’. She knows that it is not selfish to take time for herself to care for her body and mind and soul.

Reclaiming Your Power

Modern patriarchal society seeks to take the Crone’s power (as well as that of the Maiden and the Mother). It does this by:

• Distraction
• Denying her power
• Belittling her and eroding her confidence
• Brutalising her
• Separating her from all that nourishes her

This gives us clues as to what we need to do to take our power back:

Believe in Yourself

Read nourishing content. Write a daily journal of what you love about yourself and what you are proud of. Use affirmations. Develop your intuition. Step outside your comfort zone to build independence, resilience and confidence.

Embrace Your Whole Self

Refuse to give in to messages that say old is bad, wrinkles are bad, fat is bad, grey hair is bad, the hair on your upper lip, chin, armpits and genitals is bad. Refuse to spend your time and money fixing everything that is “wrong” with you and put your time and money into something worthwhile instead.

Create Connections

Remind yourself that you are not alone; you have sisters everywhere. You are made of the same stuff as stars and rainbows. We are all one. Spend time with loved ones. Build community. Talk to trees, commune with foxes, feed the birds.

Take Back Control

Learn about how to take care of your body—don’t go on a diet. Learn to nourish yourself with what your body needs. If you’re sick, learn as much as you can about your illness. Take responsibility for what you can and advocate for yourself when you need expert help.

Educate yourself about history, politics and money.

Stop buying things you don’t need to try to feel better about yourself. Learn to love yourself and your home and your crappy car and your well-worn clothes. Embrace quality and the old and the broken and shun the cheap and shiny. Think quality not quantity; have a few good things, do a few good things.

Don’t bake cupcakes unless you want to.

Don’t be afraid to say what you think. Don’t try to please people. Don’t think it’s your job to handle the emotions of those who haven’t learned to do it for themselves. Don’t base your worth on what others think of you. Don’t look outside of yourself for validation.

Personal Power

You belong to you. Your body, your mind, your emotions, your resources are yours. They are not to be given away freely to those who do not deserve them.

If you cannot give something without resentment, then your resources are low and you need to feed yourself first. Once you’re in balance, you’ll be able to give more than you could ever imagine. You’ll be overflowing with compassion and energy with which to nourish and support others.

Love yourself. You are a wonder of nature, a unique spark of spirit, a divine being of love, a beacon of hope—you are a Crone. If anyone tries to make you feel small and weak and powerless, put on your pointy hat and your red shoes, call the crows and your sisters, pull yourself up to your full height, breathe in your power, look them in the eye and say: “Don’t you dare try to burn this witch.”

Embrace Your Inner Crone Ritual

If possible, choose the dark moon for this ritual. Find a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed.

You will need

• A black or deep purple candle (or LED candle)
• A mirror
• Something ancient—a stone, a piece of wood, anything that holds time in its body
• Your favourite scent that makes you feel powerful
• A piece of black cloth
• Your voice

Create your sacred space in any way you choose, perhaps with incense, your wand or with sound.

Sit with your ancient object and really feel its age, its wisdom, its complete lack of apology for what it is. Light your candle and gaze at yourself in the mirror. Look at every line, every silver hair, every mark that life has given you. These are your warrior marks, your wisdom lines, your testament to life fully lived.

Wrap the black cloth around your shoulders like a cloak of shadows. Breathe in your powerful scent. Feel yourself connected to every wise woman who came before you, every grandmother, every healer, every witch who chose power over pleasing.

Speak these words or words of you own that speak to your power as a Crone:

“I am ancient as the hills and young as the first spring rain. I am witch, wise woman, warrior. I claim the power of my years, my wisdom, my scars. I honour the knowledge in my bones. I trust the fierce love in my heart. I am she who knows, she who dares, she who remembers. By moonlight and starlight, by blood and bone, I claim my Crone power. I am my own.”

Sit in silence and feel the weight of your own authority settle into your bones. Feel your connection to earth and sky, to moon and stars, to every woman who ever howled her truth into the night. Know that you are one of them.

When you are ready, take a piece of paper and write down one thing you will no longer apologise for, one boundary you will no longer allow to be crossed, one truth you will no longer keep quiet about. Burn it in your candle flame and scatter the ashes outside under the moon.

Wear something black for the next three days to remind yourself of your power. Notice how differently you move through the world when you remember who and what you are.

Remember that the Crone’s power isn’t given—it’s claimed. Claim yours.

Blessed be

Eva x