Maiden Mother [Blank] Crone

The missing phase of womanhood and the tarot

Photo by Cat Crawford on Unsplash

Hello you

I am not ready to call myself a crone yet and I wonder how you feel about the word.

The reason I am asking you is because I've come across a new way to describe the phase of life I am in. I kind of like it and thought you might too.

By the way if you're wondering why I’m writing this like a letter, it's because I tried to tell you about it all formally last night but it kept coming out all stiff and boring. So I got my writing set out this morning and now I can just chat to you.

Anyway, back to the crone. Sometimes I hear whispers of the crone in me. She is most strongly round me when I am alone.

I have noticed the crone appear in the morning. I have this old dressing gown my husband bought me and sometimes often I lose the belt. So I sit with my morning tea alone clasping the dressing gown together.

On some days I forget to hold on, I let the dressing gown open and I relax my belly. I am crone. It's more than just a belly and breasts thing. It’s a not giving a shit thing.

Maybe you're reading this and thinking you are already there. You are ready to take on the crone crown. Good for you I say.

But let me just tell you about this other word I've come across. You never know, you might change your mind.

Before I tell you the word I need to check whether you remember the Triple Goddess? The Maiden Mother¹ Crone, the ancient symbol of womanhood in three stages.

You’ve seen her image printed on countless notepads, cards and witchy mugs. The waxing, full and waning moon. Maiden Mother Crone. You are with me yes?

Well, I have always thought the jump from Mother to Crone was way too fast. Like missing out third base and running straight to fourth. Do you feel the same?

So, I was glad when a friend recommended Jane Hardwicke Collins to me. Jane is this very cool shaman medicine woman type person and you know when you look at her she has secrets only medicine women can know.

Anyway, she's written this article ²and guess what. She gives us a fourth word.

Now we have Maiden Mother MAGA Crone. Before you say anything about the orange man's campaign, I know. Let's just forget about that unpleasantry.

I thought Jane the shamany woman expressed why this word MAGA is needed now really well, so I have copied it down here for you.

Here it is. Read it and then you can tell me whether you understand why I'm not calling myself crone anymore.

“The developments and discoveries of our modern scientific and medical technologies have over the last ten centuries given us another life season. Simply put we live longer than our ancestors. In the time of the ancient Triple Goddess we had babies at 14, were grandmothers at 30 and dead at 45. Now, if we are well, we can live to 100 years plus or more. The ancient triple Goddess can now be extended to the four phases Feminine Way”

Did you get that? Makes total sense doesn't it? We have been cutting out a whole era from our lives.

I had never heard the word Maga. Magus yes. My grandad had this book called The Magus when I was little and I read it because it sounded magical, which makes sense because a Magus is a magician after all.

Then I thought about the Magician card. You know the one don't you. The guy in the cloak who looks like he's doing the dance from Saturday Night Fever.

And I have been wondering whether I do feel like the magician at the moment. Does the magician mirror this perimenopausal life phase?

I’m certainly gathering myself and my resources together just like he does. He has got his pentacles, cups, swords and wands out on the table. He’s doing an audit of his strengths just like me pulling all my clobber together and moving forward.

There's my creative life too. My creativity has never felt so alive and we all know what a creative spark the magician is. Do you feel more creative than ever too? Why does that happen to so many of us at this age?

I feel like I’m at the start of a new story and to use a fancy word I’m individuating. Yep. Magician in spades.

So, I can go with this idea of my life feeling magician like, even if I have never really made friends with this card. The magician card is a bit too bold for my liking. Maybe that's the point. Am I entering my bold and courageous era? Are you?

It's funny because I've been writing an E book since February. Well, I was but then I got distracted with hundreds of other things which is what I do. I have a true artists brain I think.

I’m not going to say too much now about my book, but if I had to fill in the Maiden Mother Crone blank, I’d say Maiden Mother QUEEN Crone and that's exactly what my book is about. The best cards in the deck. The Queens. I think you are going to love it.

I've got so much to tell you about that but you've got places to be so I will write again soon I promise.

Love Claire

Thank you so much for reading this. Tell me where you are at with the crone word in the comments.

If you would like to join some fellow Queens and Crones, learn tarot and join me on zooms for tarot journaling you can easily join me here. My annual plan is by far the best value.

1. The mother archetype is a word to describe the nurturer within you. So much more than just a woman with a child.

2. https://janehardwickecollings.com/introducing-mage/