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Rise of the Crone: Embracing Witchcraft Later in Life

Rise of the Crone: Embracing Witchcraft Later in Life

Last updated on: October 7, 2024 at 10:49 am by Esa

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Rise of the Crone: Embracing Witchcraft Later in Life 2024-10-07T10:49:03-05:00 Esa

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When I look around in various witchy social media spaces, especially visual format ones, I tend to see more younger people – teens to probably mid 30’s. They seem to be dominate, and gives the impression that the community on the whole, especially newcomers to the path, are young. My experience though tells me differently. What I am seeing over the last few years is a high influx of older women 40-60 years old entering into witchcraft. The analytics models for my platforms show a higher range of people over 35 who interact with my content. In my classes, workshops, and general interactions, it is dominated by older generations. What I am seeing is a rise of the Crones (and Sages – it’s not all just women) being drawn to the path, and my heart smiles at this.

crone tarot card at the center of an altar

Rise of the Crone

Societal Ageism

It’s no secret that from a commercialized standpoint, there is the illusion that younger is better. The majority of what we see being pushed is products to make you look younger. People telling you how to cut your hair and dress to appear younger. Even a deep shift from the experiences and words of Elders being less and less important – Waved off as disconnected, unimportant, and out-of-touch with modern times.

I say commercialized, because there always seems to be a sales pitch behind it, trying to convince the older to look, act, and move like they are younger. To make aging seem like it is this dreadful thing that we should be avoiding at all costs. It is deeply rooted in the way western culture views and approaches death in my opinion, but we are not going there today – instead we are focusing on the Crone.

Technology and algorithms also play a large role in the younger witches being more prevalent. Not just that they are more skilled in general at using all the technology and producing the ascetics the algorithm rewards, but also because of this generational “war” that is moving us farther apart, getting to the point where neither side is really listening to the other – and there are things to be learned from both.

Historically

Throughout history, and still alive in many non-westernerized and more “removed” cultures, Our Elders were held in higher regard. There is wisdom in age, because of the experiences, challenges, and changes they have stood witness to and lived through personally. There is knowledge the young will only read about in books, and those books being written by one side or view point, yet those that lived through it have a much deeper and broader view of the events because of first hand knowledge.

The young, I think, will always feel the old does not understand, they are out-of-touch with the transformations of the world. In some ways they might be right, when it comes to the little things, the surface – but the larger repeating patterns and cycles of the world, of society, of people, may put on a new face on it but the cycle itself hasn’t changed.

I can clearly remember when I was young and my mother would say things that I am sure, we as girls, all heard from our mother’s in some fashion – about our dress, our relationships, how we allow men to treat us, and so forth. I rolled my eyes and felt she was so out of touch. The problem in the end is – she wasn’t. She understood things that I didn’t yet. The biggest problem was the words she used, how she presented the information – in the context she had words for but that did not relate to the time period of me growing up. So the wisdom seemed out-dated, not relevant, and I did not have the wisdom yet to see the core message and instead was focused on the surface words.

Just like everything else, we can only receive information based upon the way we can process it at the time. With age, experience, hindsight, and reflection, I understand now what she was trying to do and the wisdom in her message. I never got to tell her that in life, because she was gone before I grew up enough to understand it.

oracle card of a Crone with a skull and symbols above her head

Rise my Crones!

Rise of the Crone

I digress though – where I want to stay focused is on the rise of the Crone. This movement of older women into the spaces of witchcraft.

Many who are new, just walking into the world of magic, often feel uncertain and out of place. They are nervous and not sure where to start. Since most of the easily found voices are younger, and framed from the younger perspective, I have heard many say to me they feel like they don’t belong, that they feel they are too old to start over. I always find it interesting that they feel they have to “start over – start fresh.” In a sense of changing some perspectives this is true, and they will be learning something new, but they have a whole lifetime of experiences, knowledge, and understandings to enrich the work with.

Crones have gone through the wonders and exploration of the Maiden. They have learned how to approach things from that manner. To fall and pick themselves back up, because everything is just a moment, temporary in time, and can change depending on how we move forward.

Crones have been the mothers of the world. Whether literally or from growing their own lives – careers – creations – and all the other forms of mothering people, they carry forward all the knowledge and wisdom of that archetype, that phase of life. They have learned what it takes to succeed and that failure is not an end. The meaning of sacrifice and struggle. To distinguish between what is really important and what is fleeting. How to nurture and grow something without knowing the results until much later – patience and trusting the process.

All of these things will serve them well, and are lessons learned only in living, that can be applied to the new path they are stepping upon now. In the Crone, we realize our true power, the full extent of it, and how to use it for ourselves and the larger world beyond us. We understand on a deeper level the interconnections and cycles that run over and over again. Our goals and focuses are different than the younger because of the life we have led and the lessons learned within it.

So, to the Crones who feel they are behind, that they do not fit, you fit in wholly unique and in a much needed way. Your past serves as the road of trials that have led you to this moment. It has prepared you, shaped you, and built you up to grasp this power. Yes, there is much to learn, but you also bring much to the table already.

Ritual for the Crone

Ignite the power within you, forged through a life lived. Grab a candle and a scent that makes you feel powerful and whole (incense). Wait till the sun dips below the horizon and the moon shifts her glow.

Light the scent, breath it in deep. Light the candle, it is an outward reflection of you igniting your own flame within.

Say these words of offering:

I am the reflection of what was, what is, and what will be,

A life lived well, the wonders I’ve seen.

Color fades as night approaches,

Do not fear as the Crone encroaches.

Embrace it with Wisdom’s Sacred Pyre,

Time to lift my voice stronger and higher.

My eyes have seen the world turned round,

The long deep shiftings of the ground.

All has reshaped for the next go round,

Yet I still stand, roots dug deep, secrets found.

Ask me now, before it slips away,

The wonder held in slow decay,

Fires burn, the web is shifted,

By my hand blessings are gifted.

*At this point if you work with tarot, oracle, or other divination you may want to take some time, drawing a card to focus on, receive a message, or just feel the flow of energy.

At the end – when you are done, before the candle burns out, say or sing this chant:

Er Axim – Cunee Odraco – Eta Uncara – Bek Ekara

It means: Move deep into the Soul and its connections. The wisdom gained from a life that has been lived. All of our Blessings and Curses, gave us the resources needed for the journey ahead. Knowledge that has transformed us, shaped us, and we have shaped to know the deep victory of our own evolution.

Candle burning

Ignite your flame!

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About Esa

Esa is a Crane Practitioner, High Priestess in the Temple of the Crane, Mother of White in the Sisters of the Well, as well as a CCRN specializing in neurology, cardiology, and Death Doula work. Through her writing, published works, courses, and community connections she sets the stage for personal transformation and personal path development through effective frameworks, skills, and being a Guide for others. Her personal work and tradition is rooted in the pattern of Death and Rebirth, personal transformation, soul healing, and Death Emissary work. If you want to learn more, check out her website and work! You can read more about the author here.

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