Crone

The crone is the wizened aspect of the goddess and is represented such goddesses as Hecate and Cerridwen.

Her wisdom is passed through the other goddesses and called upon during rites of introspection and for guidance. The crone is a stock character in fairytale and folklore who is a woman. Some stories portray her as malicious, disagreeable, or sinister with some magical or supernatural associations which make her either obstructive or helpful.

The Crone and the Hag share characteristics where they are depicted as Wise Woman. She has been adopted by the Wiccans and Neopagan religion as part of their deity in the Triple goddess deity.

The Crone in The Triple Goddess. It is represented by the triple moon sign which is a sign of the maiden, mother, and the crone. The triple goddess is the feminine energy, psychic abilities and mysteries. High priestess crowns and other headpieces will have this sign as a symbol of the feminine energies.

The Maiden represents the inception, enchantment, expansion, the promise of the new beginning, the female principle, excitement, youth, and a carefree erotic aura. In Greek mythology, the maiden represents the persephone purity and a new beginning.

The Mother refers to the fertility, ripeness, stability, fulfillment, and power. In Greek mythology, the Mother represents giving, the wellspring of life, and compassionate.

The crone is a representation of compassion, wisdom, and repose. In Greek mythology, it is a representation of Hecate, the culmination of a lifetime of experience, wise, and knowing.

A Deeper Understanding of The Crone

The Crone goddess is at times referred to as the dark mother and she is the last one in the triple goddess with the mother and maiden making up the complete circle. In today’s world where youth and beauty are cherished, this goddess, the crone, is misunderstood and frightens many as she represents the destruction, decay, and death. In the traditional cycle, death is part of a cycle and is viewed as a normal occurrence. In traditions, the death of winter brings the rebirth of summer. The color of the crone goddess is black and is associated with winter, autumn, waning or the new moon.

How is The Crone Goddess Depicted?

She is depicted as the grandmother, midwife, or wise woman. It is a word which is derived from “crown” which implies wisdom is her trademark.

She is past her childbearing and that makes her a wisdom keeper, healer, seer and midwife; her knowledge is sought after in order to guide the rest in the life cycle through transitions and hardships.  In the Middle Ages, the crone was feared and were held in esteem by their communities. Many were killed during the wise woman and the inquisition which was thought to be wicked witch and hag archetype of the fairy tales.  

Any goddess around the world associated with old age, wisdom, death, magic, and the underworld is a Crone and there are several across the world.

This information about the Crone might just excite your friends and family so share it with them to let them learn something new today about the Crone and what it refers to. Look around where you look and find out if there is a Crone in existence.