On coming of age.

Laugh, I tell you
And you will turn back
The hands of time.
Smile, I tell you
And you will reflect
The face of the divine.
Sing, I tell you
And all the angels will sing with you!
Cry, I tell you
And the reflections found in your pool of tears –
Will remind you of the lessons of today and yesterday
To guide you through the fears of tomorrow.”
― Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem
This is a big week for me.

I finally get to call myself a grown up, yup, I have THAT birthday which means I am officially an elder! Having said that I think that even as a youngster there had always been a crone in there somewhere. The crone was quite present sometimes in my life either when I was lost and clueless or those times when you just knew but didn’t know how, and I remember having to catch up with myself. The crone was that voice of wisdom, that earthy, resonant voice that held me and grounded me. Right now we could all do with a crone, grounding us and holding us, in these times when we are all being pulled around by powerful, wild forces we need to keep our feet on the floor.

Whilst writing this I pulled the Knight of Pentacles.

How apt. This card asks me to step into my being as a crone and to ensure a safe environment. It asks me to connect to a deep appreciation of nature but also to protect all that I have whilst moving forward pursuing goals, sowing seeds and how others may benefit from this. Taking it easy is also a message from this card, there is no haste. We are being asked to be practical and look after oneself and yet at the same time be clear about what one can do by taking advantage of the ground work already done.

Elders are really important in the community.

Especially now when the world is in turmoil around us we look to the elders, we look to the myths, the ancient lore of place, the ancestors and their stories. This keeps us centred amidst chaos. I have found myself reading fairy stories, this has been quite interesting as I have a dual vision as I read, one perspective is that of a child and the other as an adult and it has been healing and affirmative.

I have also found myself to be nostalgic.

I have been reaching back into my memories. Thankfully it has been enjoyable but there is a poignancy when I realise there are some things I simply can’t change or resolve and the lesson I have is acceptance. I catch myself missing my dog, my home as it has looked through various incarnations as I have lived here. I miss my kids when they were little, my siblings and so on. All of which is offset by being in the now and making the most of what I have, knowing that at some point in the future I can look back at this time and see the terrible beauty. These feelings are apparently normal. Everyone is experiencing something similar. That is a strange thought that the collective is having a shared psychological moment. It is a case of the collective psyche aligning to the cosmos and despite the circumstances we are living through, there is magic in that.

We must all put our crone hat on.

The Sun is the next card I drew. This symbolises the light we could freely share with the world, its brilliance and illumination. Without the sun the world would end. Similarly, the human heart would fade away from being too much in the dark. Our light is our gift to the world and we can shine it for each other. Our choice, and we always have one, is do we come into the world for the sake of self alone or for the sake of self to share?

I look forward to being a crone, elder or just a dotty old lady!

There is a recompense, I can be as radical as I like! The Page of Wands tells me that the young woman is still there and I can continue with my journey, have great ideas which become great plans and then become amazing action. Success, as the 6 of Wands tells us, is not a glittering triumph but incremental steps forward, perhaps not in the fancy shoes of my youth but in the well earned comfy boots of experience.


A 7 card spread for the crone in you…no matter how old you are!

  1. In what way will my experience benefit others?
  2. What does independence mean to me?
  3. How can I make the most of my life?
  4. In what way are my challenges an advantage?
  5. How does success resonate with me?
  6. How can I make the most of my energy?

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