Progress, Wisdom, and the Crone Within
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The iris is considered a symbol of wisdom. Photo credit from Unsplash.
Recently I had a full-on meltdown over something that, in the grand scheme of things, really wasn’t a catastrophe. It was just an inconvenience—one of those small life disruptions that means you have to wait a little longer or change your plans. But my nervous system reacted as if I was being chased by a tiger. Within minutes I had imagined several worst-case scenarios, each one more dramatic than the last, with my despair growing by the minute.
As I sat with my feelings (or rather laid on the couch sobbing with them), I realized two things: I was being a bit dramatic, and I hadn’t had this kind of anxious overreaction in quite some time. I started thinking about that. Why were normal inconveniences suddenly making me feel like the sky was falling?
For most of my life, overreacting and catastrophizing were pretty familiar habits. But over the past couple of years I had been so preoccupied with other responsibilities that I didn’t really have the time or energy to spiral about every little thing. My focus had to stay on the task in front of me. Without realizing it, that structure had acted like guardrails for my anxieties and emotions. Now, with more space in my days and fewer immediate demands on my attention, those old worrying tendencies suddenly had room to creep back in.
Eventually I peeled myself off the couch and started a load of laundry. Then I washed the dishes that were piled in the sink. Then I made a pan of brownies. And somewhere along the way, I started to feel better. Distracting myself with a few simple tasks pulled me out of my spiral. The situation hadn’t changed, but my ability to shelve it for the time being had.
While I still have moments of anxiety and overreaction, I realized I’m much better at recognizing these types of pattern than I used to be. And that recognition — the ability to see what’s happening while it’s happening — feels like a kind of wisdom I didn’t always have. It made me think about how as women, we move through different seasons of life, sometimes described as the Maiden, Mother, and Crone and with each season comes a different perspective.
Was I more fully entering my own Crone Era?
The Crone and the Triple Goddess Archetype
The idea of the Maiden, Mother, and Crone is often referred to as the Triple Goddess and aligns with the different moon phases and represents all the stages of womanhood. It highlights the power of the feminine and no matter your age or maternal status, you can look to the Triple Goddess for guidance, inspiration and comfort.
The Maiden
The Maiden is represented by the new moon. It focuses on youth, curiosity and new beginnings. Tapping into your inner Maiden can help you learn who you are. It can encourage exploration and independence.
The Mother
The Mother is represented by the full moon. Fertility is an obvious association with this archetype, along with creation, responsibility and nurturing.
The Crone
The Crone is represented by the waning moon. This is associated with aging, wisdom, discernment and letting go of what no longer serves you. I am not sure if is because I am in the early stages of my own Crone era that I feel this - but it is a time connect with yourself and live more authentically.
All three goddess archetypes can coexisit within any woman. You may opt to tap into your Inner maiden when exploring something new. Or, like me, you find yourself pausing to listen to your inner Crone and the wisdom she offers. When you show care and concern of others, your Mother archetype shines through.
The Cultural Fear of the Crone
It is no secret that our culture does not like aging women. Youth and beauty are valued far more than age and wisdom. The word “crone” is associated with old, haggard women - think of the evil queen in Snow White when she transforms into the old woman. She is jealous of Snow White’s beauty and seeks to harm her. This is a pretty good analogy of how we are conditioned to think of any woman who has the audacity to age, disagree, or go against the cultural grain.
Contrast this cultural fear with the spiritual side of the Crone. Intuition, insight, truth-telling, boundaries and independence are areas that many women (raises hand) tap into as they get older. A woman who has walked through enough in life that they begin to see things clearly.
For example, I have dealt with general anxiety disorder my whole adult life. Previously I might have spriraled for days. But because I was willing to sit with my feelings, rather than distract myself with unhealthy coping like couch rotting while watching tiktoks, I was able to interrupt a familiar pattern. I like to think I paused and listened to my inner Crone - that voice that said “Hey there, unless you figure out a way to deal with this, you are going to spend the second half of your life just as consumed with useless worry as the first half. Why don’t you just chill for a minute…”
Growth doesn’t mean we stop struggling. it means we become better at seeing what’s happening, while it’s happening. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve worried incessantly over something that turned out to be nothing.
Ways to Honor the Crone Within
Listen to your experience and trust what you’ve learned from life.
Notice patterns and ask yourself “Have I been here before? What happened last time?”
Slow down instead of reacting. Take some deep breaths and remember that the Crone observes before acting.
Create space for reflection by journaling, walking or spending time in nature. This is an example of my absolute favorite style of journal that I’ve been using for years.
Share wisdom by mentoring, storytelling, writing, creating. I think creating art in some fashion is one of the best ways to connect with yourself, quiet your mind and stay in the present. And I think art is for everyone. If your looking for a creative outlet to get your started, this Goddess Coloring book is a fun and relaxing way to express yourself and learn more about the power of the divine feminine.
The Crone Era Isn’t the End of the Story
The Crone era is full of growth and opportunity. It coincides with perimenopause/menopause, which is referred to as a second spring in some cultures. While the Crone still makes mistakes (raises hand again), she is wise enough to admit it, learn from it, and hopefully not repeat it. The Crone doesn’t have life figured out. She just knows that most stroms eventually pass.
My meltdown wasn’t a failure. It wasn’t a red flag that I am emotionally broken. It was proof of growth. I noticed a pattern and changed course. maybe the Crone isn’t a woman who never falls apart. Maybe she’s the woman who knows how to put herself back together again. Or better yet, she knows how to build herself into something even better.
How does your inner Crone help you?
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Finding My Path Once Again
Photo by Tim Foster via Unsplash
Last night the sky was so clear that the waxing crescent moon shined as bright as if it were full, illuminating the trees and casting shadows across my gardens. I’ve missed the moon these past 18 months - only giving it fleeting glances now and again, before hurrying to work, study or sleep. I can’t remember the last time I sat with her and let her light wash over me- a simple little ritual I enjoy as a way to bring a sense of peace after a long day.
Now that nursing school is finished (graduation is this weekend!) I feel the slow comedown of completing a big task. The long exhale of a breath I’ve been holding for months. It is both exhilarating and unsettling. I feel as if I’ve entered a new life. Nursing school was one of those dividing life events of Before and After. You know, when you think of the way life was before I had kids or before COVID; or after my divorce, after my kids graduated. Life becomes a bifurcation of our own unique experiences.
Over the past 18 months I had to ignore my natural cadence to slow down in the colder months, because clinicals stop for no one - not even winter or perimenopause. I had to muscle through exhaustion and drag myself across multiple finish lines. All of which goes against the grain of my soul. Now comes the reckoning - my exhaustion has caught up with me and I find myself wanting to rest more than anything.
As part of reclaiming my energy and recalibrating to this new chapter of life, I’ve begun to find my way back to my spiritual path, which I largely left in order to concentrate on school. Like with the moon, I’ve barely been out in nature this season. Usually this time of year I’m eagerly looking for signs of spring - bird songs, daffodil leaves, a change in the slant of sunlight in my sitting room. I’m excited to have the time to do that once more. I worry my gardens will have forgotten me.
I’ve also begun slowly checking things off my post-nursing school list of all the things that have been on hold until I graduated. I’ve picked up my paints and started writing more - creative outlets that leave me energized and refreshed; I subscribed to a couple of ezines in an effort to do less doom scrolling on social media; I picked out new colors for my kitchen walls to refresh the space; and I’ve begun to very gently move my body more, slowly straitening it out from months hunched over a computer or text book.
As tired as I am, I welcome the energy shift that comes with springtime and the Season of the Maiden. I intend to rest as much as I can these last few weeks of winter and then go outside, play in the dirt, sit in the sun, and gently work on releasing the stagnant energy left behind by winter. The earth and I will wake up together this season.
Ostara Resource Guide
As part of my energy reset, I put together this guide for Ostara and the Spring Equinox. It includes some of my own writing and a free Ostara course with printables I’ve shared in previous years. It also has some recommended readings with links. I hope you find it helpful for your own Ostara and springtime celebrations.
More Ostara Reading
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The Season of the Maiden
This post may include affiliate links and I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. Mabon House only features products that I believe in and use myself or that I believe my readers would enjoy. Thank you!
As winter loosens its grip and the first hints of green push through the frost, we step into the Season of the Maiden—a time of renewal, possibility, and fresh energy. An essential part of the Triple Goddess, the Maiden represents youth and is associated with springtime, a season of awakening, both in nature and within ourselves. It’s the time of year when we shake off the stillness of winter and step forward into something new. This season invites us to embrace growth, curiosity, and the sense that anything is possible.
The Maiden’s Energy
In many traditions, the Maiden represents youth, new beginnings, and the fertile potential of life. She is the fresh breeze, the warming sun, the wildflower breaking through the thawed ground. If winter is a time of rest and deep inner work, then spring—and the Season of the Maiden—is the call to action. It’s when we take the dreams we nurtured in the dark and start to bring them to life. Read more about the Triple Goddess.
The Maiden embodies hope, joy, and discovery. She is fearless in her pursuit of adventure and unafraid to make mistakes along the way. In myth and folklore, she appears in many forms—Persephone, stepping out of the underworld into the light; Brigid, igniting the flames of inspiration; and Ostara, bringing the world back into balance after winter’s long hold.
But the Maiden isn’t just a figure in stories—her energy is alive within each of us. This is the time to embrace our curiosity, to try new things, and to open ourselves up to transformation. Whether you feel stuck in a rut or bursting with ideas, spring is your invitation to move forward.
Signs of Spring’s Arrival
Spring doesn’t come all at once. It arrives in whispers—longer days, the first call of birds returning home, the smell of damp earth waking up. It’s in the buds on trees, the tiny shoots of crocuses and daffodils, and the restless energy we feel after months of stillness.
Nature mirrors the Maiden’s journey. The first flowers of spring are resilient, pushing through the last traces of frost to bloom. Trees bud before they leaf out fully, testing the air before committing to full growth. The world is alive with change, but none of it happens instantly. It builds, step by step—just as we do when we embrace new beginnings.
Ways to Connect with the Season of the Maiden
Spring offers a powerful opportunity to align with the energy of the Maiden and embrace renewal in our own lives. Here are a few ways to honor this season:
1. Set Intentions for Growth
Spring is a natural time for goal-setting and fresh starts. What do you want to grow in your life? Whether it’s a creative project, a personal habit, or a shift in mindset, now is the time to plant the seeds.
2. Spend Time Outdoors
The Maiden is connected to nature, and spring is the perfect season to reconnect with the world outside. Take a walk, feel the wind on your skin, or simply sit in the sun and breathe deeply. Pay attention to the small changes happening around you.
3. Try Something New
Spring is about exploration and playfulness. Step outside your comfort zone—sign up for a class, start a new hobby, or say yes to something that excites you.
4. Clean and Refresh Your Space
Spring cleaning isn’t just about tidying up—it’s a way to clear out stagnant energy and make room for fresh possibilities. Open the windows, declutter, and invite light and air into your home.
5. Celebrate the Seasonal Festivals
The equinox, Ostara, and other springtime celebrations mark the balance of light and dark and the promise of abundance to come. Whether through ritual, simple reflection, or seasonal foods, take a moment to honor the shift in energy.
Embracing the Maiden Within
The Season of the Maiden isn’t just about external change—it’s also about how we approach life. This is the time to be open to possibility, to let go of self-doubt, and to believe in our ability to grow. Like the wildflowers that bloom without hesitation, we are meant to expand, to reach toward the light, and to trust in the process of becoming.
Recommended Reading
Maiden, Mother, Crone: The Myth & Reality of the Triple Goddess
Maiden, Warrior, Mother, Crone: Divine feminine archetypes for modern life
Spring is a reminder that even after the longest winter, life returns. The world wakes up, and so do we. This season, step forward with curiosity, with courage, and with the knowledge that you are growing into exactly who you are meant to be.
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The content provided above was developed in collaboration with ChatGPT, an AI language model by OpenAI. The initial ideas and concepts for the piece were provided by me, and ChatGPT assisted in organizing, formatting, and refining these ideas into the final written post. While the AI contributed to the structure and clarity of the content, the core ideas and creative direction remain my own.