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Becoming a Crone

(65 Posts)
Teetime Wed 22-Nov-17 18:33:02

A friend yesterday told me she had just had her 70th birthday and felt just Ok about it. However, her friend who had also had a 70th birthday is a Druid and on her birthday she was honoured with a ceremony where she was sat upon a throne with flowers in her hair, poetry and music in her humour played in her honour and she became officially a Crone. This is a term of utmost respect and honour apparently according for seniority, age and wisdom. Any Crones here. I will be 65 after Xmas and in the Spring a Great Grandmother- I feel like Lady Bracknell.

MissAdventure Thu 23-Nov-17 11:20:37

I'm not old enough to be considered a crone, yet, and I'm already far too fat. My face is quite haggared though. (My predictive text wanted to write that is is 'hammered', which also sounds a fair description)

VIOLETTE Thu 23-Nov-17 11:22:33

Ha ha ! I love it ...always thought I was a bit of an old crone ....love the hippy aspect ...now where can I find a Druid commune to join ??? ..I once looked up communes to live in ,,but they required someone who could DIG and plant veggies, whereas I was rather hoping to join one where they just let me lie on a chaise loungue all day and feed me with grapes .....and put a few fresh flowers in my hair now and then .....or am I expecting too much >> better get out the besom ....envy

radicalnan Thu 23-Nov-17 11:46:13

Violette, there is always scope for a new religion, I am prepared to join yours. Where do I sign up?

Teetime Thu 23-Nov-17 11:49:18

I am told their is quite a large Druid community here in Melton Mowbray - who'd a thunk it?

Anniebach Thu 23-Nov-17 11:54:16

I would be happy to be a crone, the wise bit troubles me ?

annodomini Thu 23-Nov-17 12:00:01

As long as it's considered a pejorative term, I will reject the appellation 'crone'. However, when my sister and I were addressed by a NZ Maori bus driver as 'elder ladies', I rather liked being an 'elder' although not in the ecclesiastical sense.

sluttygran Thu 23-Nov-17 12:26:30

I’m 69, so am preparing to take up the position of Crone quite shortly.
I’m off to CronesRUs for a hairdo, mani/pedi and a spray tan, then new clothes, shoes, makeup etc.
We crones are about as sexy as it gets, so look out gents! grin

Magrithea Thu 23-Nov-17 12:53:18

Here in Wiltshire we have a Crone of Avebury who is equivalent I think to the status of our local Druid!

Eglantine21 Thu 23-Nov-17 12:55:48

Jail a got Cornish lanes to wander down. I had to make do with Putney high street!

Eglantine21 Thu 23-Nov-17 12:56:11

Jalima. Damn, damn.

Jalima1108 Thu 23-Nov-17 13:04:55

Eglantine I was on holiday in Cornwall (home was sunny Devon grin)

Jalima1108 Thu 23-Nov-17 13:05:10

sorry Eglantine

Eglantine21 Thu 23-Nov-17 13:10:34

Oh well, I expect it rained on you anyway. grin

W11girl Thu 23-Nov-17 14:28:05

A bit harsh MOnica, but I have to agree with you. Wisdom does not come with age, it comes with experience of life and what you have done with it.

Skweek1 Thu 23-Nov-17 14:43:00

I'm Wiccan and proud to be the Crone - it implies learning patience and wisdom.

grandtanteJE65 Thu 23-Nov-17 14:43:39

This should really be in Pendants' Corner, but crone and crony are two completely distinct words, according to the dictionary.

Crone means an old woman and comes most probably from Old French, while crony is thought to be university slang from classical Greek meaning a friend.

Shizam Thu 23-Nov-17 15:00:45

Presumably the word, crone, comes from the Greek chronos, meaning time.

grammargran Thu 23-Nov-17 16:03:04

Well, I’m well and truly a crone being in my late 70s and I’ve heard of those three stages of female before - maiden, mother and crone - proud to have been all three! Isn’t female a very powerful force in paganism because of the ability to give life? And shooting off on a little sideline, that’s the second time I’ve seen besom mentioned in the last hour - the first was on Facebook!

M0nica Thu 23-Nov-17 16:47:59

Essentially the word 'crone' is a technical term in witchery. It means something entirely different outside that esoteric world.

Saggi Thu 23-Nov-17 17:24:17

Well said MOnica...my husband reached 70 last year , and it’s true he gets more stupid with each year...he refuses hospital appointments , doesn’t get his blood checks done when advised...which led to his ‘near death ‘ three years ago due to blood problems...he had to have a blood transfusion ( 3 units) to get him back to norm.!! Nothing I say or do has any effect on him.We have two great kids ,two lovely grandkids and it’s almost as if he couldn’t care less about any of them . Please ...nobody mention depression, it runs rampant in his family and I think that’s half the trouble...he doesn’t want the label!! I’ve given up on him now, and let him drift on in his own way ...perhaps we should all be masters of our own destiny ...and deserve to meet our fate as we like!?

Sheilasue Thu 23-Nov-17 19:20:16

Remember my mum saying she’s an old crone about a difficult neighbour.

Elrel Thu 23-Nov-17 19:23:27

Content to be a happy crone! May put flowers in my hair next birthday and remember a kiss (on my forehead - he’s tall, I’m short) from Papa John Phillips who wrote WYGT San Francisco!

varian Thu 23-Nov-17 19:32:27

We used to live in Hong Kong. They always say you should be young in the west and old in the east.

At the age of seventy, you become (perhaps for the first time in your life) important. Our amah's granny, when she turned seventy, had a huge celebration in the local restaurant. More than a hundred people sat down to an eight course dinner. It probably cost more than a month's income for her extended family. It marked an important point in her life when she was elevated to the status of village elder.

I'm not sure if I would have wanted that when I turned seventy as I was still wondering what I would do when I grew up!

Bluecat Thu 23-Nov-17 19:33:36

I’m pagan and we honour the Crone, just as we honour the Maiden and the Mother. Too often, the Crone is the aspect of womanhood which is feared or ridiculed or both. We should be proud to be crones, the epitome of wisdom and experience! (As for age, I think it applies to anyone post-menopausal, and no longer in the Mother stage of life.)

quizqueen Thu 23-Nov-17 19:43:07

Maddy629, Don't you have some potion for the arthritis!