The Lessons of the Crone Card
(As appearing in Witchcraft & Wicca magazine Samhain to Imbolc issue 2006 published in the U.K. by Children of Artemis, click the link to order a copy)
By Mickie Mueller
The candle flickers, illuminating the cards on the table before you. This Samhain night, while the veil between the worlds are thin, you seek answers to questions that are in your heart. You gaze at the backs of the cards that have the design of an ancient yet welcoming door upon them. As you turn over the first card, it is as if you are opening a door. The Crone peers up at you from the card looking as if you have, for just a moment, interrupted her work. She seems unperturbed, and you know that when this card appears in a reading she represents matters of contemplation and reflection as well as the wise and conservative use of your energies. However, knowing that she also can represent teachers and mentors in your life, you realize that there is much to learn from the Crone. I certainly did when I set out to create the artwork for “The Well Worn Path” while working with Raven Grimassi and Stephanie Taylor.
Who is the Crone?
The Crone card in “The Well Worn Path” kit is a pivotal card, as she is the being that leads you on your journey down the path. She is “The Crone of the Cottage” guiding you through lessons along the journey. Of course, she is one aspect of the Triple Goddess, the other two being the Maiden and the Mother. She is represented in the seasons of rest, late fall and the cold of winter. This is important because without a season of rest during this time of the year, the earth can not renew properly in the spring. This is why the Crone is seen by the wise as a goddess of both darkness and light.
She is also reflected in the waning moon, the phase of the moon when the crescent rises in the east late at night, and casts her intuitive lessons upon any who may ask the question “why” of the great dark lady. When you meditate on the Crone card, her answers, I have found, usually come in a straight forward and no-nonsense manner. Occasionally, these lessons are delivered with a slightly dry sense of humor. She is often quick to point out that you already have the answer yourself, at which time one usually realizes that she is, of course, correct.
As the figure of an old woman, she has been called a hag, and feared by those who did not understand her. Often depicted as hideous and frightful like the green faced witches we see all over during the Halloween season. This is merely a remnant of the fear that conquering powers used to convert her followers to their way of thinking and worship. As the Crone was a powerful female figure, it was imperative that her detractors paint her in a negative light in order to attempt to overthrow her power and that of her followers. In truth, she is a keeper of quiet strength and wisdom, the beauty of a woman who has seen and experienced much, and come into her own. She has earned the respect of others, and in her experience and wisdom.
The Crone of the
Cottage Revealed
As we explore the card, we see the symbolism of the Crone. She is clothed in black, which is the color of regeneration, and is also all colors combined. Her choice of garb shows that she is the Goddess of crossing over and rebirth. Black is also a color that is believed to deflect negativity, showing her as a protective Goddess, and one strong lady. She didn’t reach Cronehood by being a shrinking violet. Her hair is long and gray, a testament to her age and her pride in that, as she is also proud of the lines on her face which she has rightly earned through experience.
She is seen here in the process of compiling her knowledge and preserving it for those who will follow after her on the path. Her quill and ink represent the passing on of traditions, as she is the guardian of that knowledge. Written word has advanced mankind by leaps and bounds, allowing the sharing of ideas and concepts across distance and time. The books upon her shelf are full of wide and varied knowledge that has been preserved in order to gain further insight and make connections with many aspects of life, therefore gaining true understanding. Through her books, the Crone of the Cottage has access to much of the world at her fingertips.
While studying the Crone card one may notice hand dipped beeswax candles, like the one that glows upon her table, or those hanging upon the pegs of her bookshelf of knowledge. She is the keeper of the light of wisdom, using only what she needs, conserving the rest for a later time. As companion to the candles, herbs are also seen hanging to dry. These are representations of not only the insightful use of the herbs themselves, but also of the transformational aspect of the Crone. The herbs are cut down and then transformed through her cauldron of rebirth into something else, something very useful, denoting her aspect as a healer. The herbs represented here are sage for wisdom, yarrow for protection and psychic powers, and mullein for courage and health. I used these herbs (among others) in the actual creation of the artwork for this card, drawing upon the Crones energies for guidance. The herbs were infused in the paint washes, in the same way I did for each card in the deck.
We know the Crone as also being a bringer of visions, and divination. She is a keeper of the mysteries and of magic. It is therefore appropriate that she is the guide figure in “The Well Worn Path” kit. This aspect of the Crone as a seer is symbolized here by the crystal ball that graces her shelf as well as the raven nearby. The raven is a messenger, as all birds have long been seen as messengers between the realms. The raven also is a guardian of the Crones wisdom, her realm, and those who revere her and her teachings. The staff that leans in the corner is made from a large root, and can be seen to represent the foundational teachings that we rest upon, and that help us on our path.
What the Dark
Lady Has to Offer
When used in ritual, the Crone card can be very beneficial for someone who is looking for guidance or protection. The Crone shows us the lessons that are within ourselves and reminds us that we can be our own teacher. She also reminds us that we must never stop learning, for when we believe that we have all the knowledge that we need, we can no longer grow. Meditate upon the Crone card when you find yourself at a crossroads. When you need to make a decision between two paths, she won’t tell you which way to go. She can point you in the possible directions you may follow illuminating the path, but in the end the choice remains your own. When in need of protection or safe haven, a ritual using the Crone card in combination with the Hearth and Pentacle cards should do the trick. She can be a nurturing grandmotherly figure, and a strong spiritual guardian simultaneously. This card could also be beneficial in meditation or ritual if you find the need to conserve your resources for a period of time, in cases such as overspending or overextending yourself with an unreasonable schedule. She is a wise lady with much to offer those who ask.
When we understand the concepts of the Crone we can truly see her teachings. We are aware that she is not the fearful figure that she was once seen as. Seeing the Crone as a figure of quiet strength and knowledge allows us to be open to her wisdom. In the light of the lessons of this card, we learn that she is indeed a teacher of the old ways, as well as a guide between the worlds.