Andre Furtado

This Is The Power Of Getting Older That No One Tells You About

The word “crown” conjures images of a stunning jeweled headpiece used to adorn the royal noggin. There is a second meaning of the word, which is: a reward of victory or a mark of honor. From the word “crown,” we get “corona”, “crone” and countless others. 

The Corona or “crown” viral pandemic has gotten all of our attention in the worst way. When viewed under a microscope the Corona virus resembles the crown-like ring of gasses around the sun known as the solar corona. A regal name for an organism responsible for this devastating and catastrophic event.

 Another word derived from the crown root is the moniker “Crone.” This is the crown I have been trying on and plan to grow into one day in the not too distant future. The Crone has successfully passed through the stages of maiden and mother and is ready to embrace a more complex and rich fulfillment. 

Becoming a Crone may seem to some a fearful destiny, but I implore you to hear me out.

The Crone earns her crown, it isn’t simply bestowed on her through some accident of birth. In my younger years, I was crowned homecoming queen by my fellow high school classmates. This was a crown I neither sought nor shrank from. I received this gift with gratitude, but even then I knew my reign would last but a day. The crown of the Crone will last me a lifetime.

While the title Crone has long been associated with an ugly and malevolent old hag, I feel it is now time to reconsider. The Crone is also known as a Wise Woman, and rightly so. She is a healer, a guide, a giver, an encourager, and also bold as brass. That’s right—the Crone is unafraid. She brings so much to the table and is well aware of all she has to offer. She simply knows her worth.

“Dear brave souls, I warmly invite you to come be at the fireside with me and the Dangerous Old Woman and the Power of the Crone. Who is the crone? She is the most dangerous, the most radical, the most revolutionary woman in existence. Whether in fairy tales or in consensual reality, the old one goes where she wants to and she acts as she wishes; she lives as she chooses. And this is all as it should be. And no one can stop her. Nor ought they try.”—Clarissa Pinkola Estés, PhD (Author of “Women who run with wolves”, “The Dangerous Old Woman” and “The Power of the Crone”)

Many of us women over 50 have experienced the pandemic through a unique lens. As we juggle the lives of children, grandchildren, aging parents, and spouses, we are often looked to for our wisdom, leaned on for our strength, and sought for our healing care. These things we offer freely all the while knowing the importance of maintaining our own sense of self and tenderly care for ourselves as we would our loved ones.

We do not hide our scars, nor do we flaunt them. They are what they are honorably and sometimes painfully earned; we wear them with neither pride nor shame. We recognize the wounds of others in the same light, with kindness and true knowing.

Only the Crone has firsthand knowledge of all stages of life; her soul is calling to you. Get to know her well, be curious to learn her secrets. And when you finally claim that crown, wear it with power, peace, and compassion.

“Now go-Occupy spaces

 Fill the room-Walk in your crown” ― Malebo Sephodi