Crone
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224856581
2008-07-10T18:47:32Z
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Used in [[Pagan]] circles to refer to a specific era of a woman's life, namely the last third (after menopause). Whilst the word 'crone' is often used in a general sense to refer, sometimes pejoratively, to a woman of advanced age, in the [[Pagan]] usage it is a term of respect and honor.
The term may also be used as a verb ('croning') to denote the act of undergoing a specific ritual ceremony to enter into cronehood. The ceremony itself is also referred to as a Croning.
Typically, the Croning ceremony is performed on the woman's 50th birthday.
The Crone is the third phase of the Pagan [[Triple Goddess]], represented respectively by the [[archetypes]] of Maiden, Mother, and Crone. These archetypes refer symbolically to the three ages of women. The Maiden archetype embodies the qualities of youth, vitality, physical attractiveness, and new beginnings. The Mother archetype embodies the qualities of fertility, stability, and strength. The Crone archetype embodies wisdom, maturity, and spiritual transformation. In some traditions, she occupies a symbolic position similar to that of the [[Greek]] mythological being [[Charon]], who assisted the living in their journey to the underworld after death.
==References==
1. Daily Om, "Maiden, Mother, Crone." November 11, 2004. http://www.dailyom.com/articles/2004/290.html
2. http://www.croning.org
3. http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/g/goddess_4_the_crone.html
4. Silverhair, Lilth, "The Crone." http://www.waningmoon.com/guide/library/lib0015.shtml
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