For me, Sharonās connection to the red kite and her personification of āold bone motherā through finding relationship with this bird of prey was an unexpected delight, and helped me see both these beautiful birds and the tale in a different light - the magic around both grew a little (or rather a lot) and when that happens I feel like I can almost see the gossamer threads that weave so much of this rich narrative we have woven with the wild over millennia (threads that are otherwise invisible it seems in this fast-paced, blinkered time).
In my ideal world, scientists would be paired with poets to describe their discoveries... marvellous as much of it is, there can be something of a āsplatā when they publish, the wonder now secondary to the āproven factā...
If you arenāt busy enough already, perhaps a side hustle?!
Your note so made me think of string theory, I wonder how youād describe it (or if you just have?!)
Hahah! Now this is a side hustle I could sink my teeth into! I have only the vaguest notion of string theory, mostly from a philosophy class I took in the last century š¶ on the mathematics of time, but I so agree! Pairing physicists and poets would be incredible, because there is such an intensity of wonder (and magic) in these theories and actualities, that it is mind expanding in a completely enchanting and lyrical way, and it gets completely lost in dry academic abstracts. Yet another reason to place more value on the arts (like we needed more anyway!)
Have you read Hagitude? If so, what elder woman archetype did you most resonate with from Sharonās tale telling and research?
And if you havenāt read the book but have a favourite old woman folktale or fairy story or work of fiction, I would love to hear that too. Maybe it is an elder woman from your own life who seemed fit for a fairy tale that comes to mind.
Ok this is going to be an vulnerable response, but I feel your wild space is a circle of honesty...
I have yet to read an archetype I didnāt in some way resonate with. For sure some more than others, but from Baba Yaga - whoās wise words rest on my bedside since a client started calling me this - to the Death Mother...
And so to answer your question, the elder woman I most resonate with is Crone Me.
In the past 6 months I have a little more āformallyā reclaimed her (I was going to say birthed her but I think some of us are born crones... itās not an age thing but a soul thing for me).
Iām this I have a feeling in my waters that creating a circle to walk with and facilitate this for others is my next step... Iāve been having fun with names: game of crones, cronify, reclaim the crone... but I digress!
I love Hagitude, dripping with the rich mulch of the forest floor of life as it is, for the celebration and reclamation of the wisdom and knowing that has been buried under fear. That which can , in the modern world, take decades of āputting up with shitā to burst out of our conditioned cells.
Yes to all of this Sally, and fellow embodied crone! I think I have had hag energy since 25, and the older I get the more empowered I feel about it. I love that you are so deeply connecting to Crone Sally, and I am so there for 'game of crones' or whatever this circle manifests as. I am celebrating this wild elder woman energy!
Yes indeed. There is so much shit on the www, but by the same token, I think it has given such empowerment to the sharing of these big thoughts and feelings that we can feel a little alone in. Plus, sharing the magic only makes it grow, so lets cover the crap outside with all this mossy goodness and reforest the world one wild story at a time.
I am also called by crone to start a community, a gathering of wise women. I was told recently by someone that "all of you 50 and 60 year olds doing croning ceremonies and such are doing it wrong. You need to wait for someone to see wisdom in you and call you forward as a wise woman before you claim the title of Crone." I had a physical response to her comment, my back went ram rod straight.
No, I reject this theory. I turn 50 in October and am multiple years past surgical menopause. I've spent my lifetime thus far waiting for others to see who I am, to recognize truth and beauty and worth in me. To call me forward to a place of honor.
I will not place my precious Cronehood in the hands of others. I decide what it means to me and when I shall slip fully into into its embrace.
I have long been drawn to the Cailleach. Scrubbing her plaid in the ocean and leaving whirlpools behind. Dropping stones from her pockets to form hills and mountains.
Yes Theresa, you gorgeous wise woman! No more diminishing ourselves, or allowing society to diminish, the power that rises as we become fully embodied. We have walked through all the expectations and come out the other end, emboldened if we let ourselves, collectively ready to celebrate those of us who also made it through, but also empower those to come, because this energy is old and settled and certain, not the flighty and sparkly energy of youth. We have earned it!
You donāt call the crone, the crone calls you. (Frankly Iāve been running from me/her for the longest time. It did NOT suit my socialised perception of me! š)
No other bugger knows the wisdom you hold and even if they did it may not be THEIR fractal wisdom to understand.
There is no place for diminishing āwhat isā through dogma and BS hierarchy to rub lemony salt in the wounded belief that only the lofty āchosenā have access.
Ack but that sticks like a fishbone in my throat.
The more crone circles the better, we are coming to serve the nourishment our grandmothers had to bury in our nervous systems to pass down to us. That shit takes work and community and support to unearth without ending up in a gibberish mess of social estrangement.
YES! I agree 1000% with all of this. I was so excited for my 40th birthday (almost ten years ago now) so I could finally, and fully, step into the crone. Every year I become more fully me. Loving this time and so glad to be living it with other crones like you! š¤š
I love this Jenna! I turned 49 in May, but have been calling myself 50 for a while now, and like you, I felt such a shift at 40, and a determination that I could start doing the things I *really wanted* to do. Slowly, at first, but now, like the Baba, don't get in my way! Hahah!
I love that! I have an impression of a bunch of rememberers round the campfire, our crone shadows cast on the bark of the surrounding trees, whooping and joyously dancing for being set free...
ā„ļøā„ļøā„ļøā„ļø Well this is now my very favorite thing to do! Sign me up and count me in. I'll meet you at the fire. Also, my new favorite word is "rememberers"!
Reading this letter feels like real synchronicity. Only very recently was I listening to a podcast, itās called Witch, you might like it, and it also talked about Baba Jaga and Hagitude (I adore the name!). Baba Jaga often featured in stories I was told as a child and still my initial reaction to her is fear. But as I learn more about her I can see that there is so much more to her than āold wickednessā .
Iām excited to read more about her and other old women from you:) xx
That is so interesting Pippa, thank you for sharing! I have an art friend who was born and raised in Russia and she thought me quite mad for loving Baba Yaga back in 2017 when we had a conversation about her - she too grew up with the scary stories! All of these sorts of folk narrative have a purpose, though it is so interesting to come back to them as an adult with a wholly different world view to the times of their conception, isn't it!!
As someone also raised in Russia, I can confirm that most commonly Baba Yaga is seen as a fearsome creature and children are afraid of her. Itās possible that her story - as a tale of a wild, wise, connected old woman - has been twisted to suit the times and agendas... Stories (just like his-story) are told by winners. But luckily Baba Yagaās image was too prominent to be erased completely. And as you say: when we return to her later on in life, we can see a different layer.
I havenāt read Hagitude but you really made me interested in looking into it! As I read your post earlier today, I started thinking of our Nordic goddess "Eir". Sheās not exactly considered human but she's known for her healing powers, especially related to nature. Just as I thought of her, we had a mysterious short power outage. As the lights went out, a box of candles I have that symbolizes her fell. Since she wanted to make herself shown today, I felt a need to write a comment about her. Eir is definitely a female archetype I look up to āØ
Oh my, Julia! This gave me the most delightful chills! I must look up Eir, and learn more of the Nordic pantheon. While the majority of my heritage is firmly rooted in Scotland and Ireland, my great, great grandfather was Norwegian jumped ship here in Oz, and that skerrick of Nordic blood sings strongly still. Thank you for sharing Eir, and this beautiful occurrence Julia!
Oh that's interesting! It's almost overwhelming how much information there is about these mythologies, but it's fascinating to hear what was once considered normal. There are so many stories to be told and heard about all our different heritages.
I didnāt realise you were that book Natalie, thatās beautiful, Iām definitely going to get it. I love Sharonās work. I do sometimes find myself wishing time away, so that I can so be that old wise woman. Who potters and chants to herself and still greets people who come for healing with a knowing nod. Although my guides are Native American, I still see myself as the hag in the woods with a cottage, which points to a different heritage yet to explore. š«š
Thank you Louise! Oh, I am seeing so much love and yearning for crone cottages in the woods. Perhaps we find somewhere beautiful to set up a crone cottage forest-village - well spaced out, of course, for plenty of our aloneness, but within walking distance of an exquisite clearing in the forest for collective energy gathering! Ah, we can dream!
I have an embarrassing paucity of words here but to say the painting arrests me, the tagline itself (for she is wild and free, and she is connected, deeply) is so captivating as if to dive straight into the heart. Thank you.
Although she is far from dangerous, wild yes but ultimately she is gentle and wise beyond words... she knows everything I wish to but is not liberal in her sharing of secrets... very slowly we are becoming friends though.
What a beautiful telling, thank you for sharing Susie! The wisdom of long lives well lived is so precious, and to have one share with you even more so. I want to know more about her! I had such a close relationship with my paternal grandmother, and indeed the work I did for many years focused on medication management in aged care facilities, and I am always grateful to have seen and connected with so many elders over the years.
It has been brewing for a good while now, since doing the illustrations for Sharon's book. I have a small collection of the first iteration of these {wild+woman} voices, but oh, the vision is strong for what comes next!
I was covered in goosebumps after reading ābecause she is wild and free, and she is connected, deeplyā. Evidently, the image of Baba Yaga speaks to me.
She is the old hag I grew up fearing but, through gaining more life experience, my understanding of Baba Yaga has morphed. Your succinct explanation of what about her fascinates you the most marches mine. I hope to become more and more connected as I grow older.
Iād say, Baba Yaga IS my favourite folkloric old woman.
I love this Nika! I think there is a little Baba Yaga in all of us, but for some of us, after the fearful stories of childhood, comes that deep understanding and respect for that fierce, unapologetic energy. She gives us such permission to just be ourselves, and celebrate our inherent wildness!
My hag is Baba Yaga. My deeply superstitious Russian mother and Babushka raised me on delicious tales of Baba Yaga and trust me I would behave as a child to avoid any run ins with Baba! I cannot tell you just HOW MUCH your drawing of her looks like my 89yo mother and my deal old Babushka.
Am nearing the end of Hagitude in audio form, so agree with you that listening as a passenger is an absolute delight!
For me, Sharonās connection to the red kite and her personification of āold bone motherā through finding relationship with this bird of prey was an unexpected delight, and helped me see both these beautiful birds and the tale in a different light - the magic around both grew a little (or rather a lot) and when that happens I feel like I can almost see the gossamer threads that weave so much of this rich narrative we have woven with the wild over millennia (threads that are otherwise invisible it seems in this fast-paced, blinkered time).
Have you ever read any string theory? š
In my ideal world, scientists would be paired with poets to describe their discoveries... marvellous as much of it is, there can be something of a āsplatā when they publish, the wonder now secondary to the āproven factā...
If you arenāt busy enough already, perhaps a side hustle?!
Your note so made me think of string theory, I wonder how youād describe it (or if you just have?!)
š
Hahah! Now this is a side hustle I could sink my teeth into! I have only the vaguest notion of string theory, mostly from a philosophy class I took in the last century š¶ on the mathematics of time, but I so agree! Pairing physicists and poets would be incredible, because there is such an intensity of wonder (and magic) in these theories and actualities, that it is mind expanding in a completely enchanting and lyrical way, and it gets completely lost in dry academic abstracts. Yet another reason to place more value on the arts (like we needed more anyway!)
Here are those questions!
Have you read Hagitude? If so, what elder woman archetype did you most resonate with from Sharonās tale telling and research?
And if you havenāt read the book but have a favourite old woman folktale or fairy story or work of fiction, I would love to hear that too. Maybe it is an elder woman from your own life who seemed fit for a fairy tale that comes to mind.
Ok this is going to be an vulnerable response, but I feel your wild space is a circle of honesty...
I have yet to read an archetype I didnāt in some way resonate with. For sure some more than others, but from Baba Yaga - whoās wise words rest on my bedside since a client started calling me this - to the Death Mother...
And so to answer your question, the elder woman I most resonate with is Crone Me.
In the past 6 months I have a little more āformallyā reclaimed her (I was going to say birthed her but I think some of us are born crones... itās not an age thing but a soul thing for me).
Iām this I have a feeling in my waters that creating a circle to walk with and facilitate this for others is my next step... Iāve been having fun with names: game of crones, cronify, reclaim the crone... but I digress!
I love Hagitude, dripping with the rich mulch of the forest floor of life as it is, for the celebration and reclamation of the wisdom and knowing that has been buried under fear. That which can , in the modern world, take decades of āputting up with shitā to burst out of our conditioned cells.
But burst it does.
Here for it all!
Yes to all of this Sally, and fellow embodied crone! I think I have had hag energy since 25, and the older I get the more empowered I feel about it. I love that you are so deeply connecting to Crone Sally, and I am so there for 'game of crones' or whatever this circle manifests as. I am celebrating this wild elder woman energy!
For all the vagaries of the internet, Iām full of gratitude that we have the safety and freedom to connect and share such things š„°
Yes indeed. There is so much shit on the www, but by the same token, I think it has given such empowerment to the sharing of these big thoughts and feelings that we can feel a little alone in. Plus, sharing the magic only makes it grow, so lets cover the crap outside with all this mossy goodness and reforest the world one wild story at a time.
Beautiful!
Iām in š„°
Another born crone here!
I am also called by crone to start a community, a gathering of wise women. I was told recently by someone that "all of you 50 and 60 year olds doing croning ceremonies and such are doing it wrong. You need to wait for someone to see wisdom in you and call you forward as a wise woman before you claim the title of Crone." I had a physical response to her comment, my back went ram rod straight.
No, I reject this theory. I turn 50 in October and am multiple years past surgical menopause. I've spent my lifetime thus far waiting for others to see who I am, to recognize truth and beauty and worth in me. To call me forward to a place of honor.
I will not place my precious Cronehood in the hands of others. I decide what it means to me and when I shall slip fully into into its embrace.
I have long been drawn to the Cailleach. Scrubbing her plaid in the ocean and leaving whirlpools behind. Dropping stones from her pockets to form hills and mountains.
Yes Theresa, you gorgeous wise woman! No more diminishing ourselves, or allowing society to diminish, the power that rises as we become fully embodied. We have walked through all the expectations and come out the other end, emboldened if we let ourselves, collectively ready to celebrate those of us who also made it through, but also empower those to come, because this energy is old and settled and certain, not the flighty and sparkly energy of youth. We have earned it!
The Cailleach. Oh, she has my heart too.
Yes yes a thousand times yes!!
You donāt call the crone, the crone calls you. (Frankly Iāve been running from me/her for the longest time. It did NOT suit my socialised perception of me! š)
No other bugger knows the wisdom you hold and even if they did it may not be THEIR fractal wisdom to understand.
There is no place for diminishing āwhat isā through dogma and BS hierarchy to rub lemony salt in the wounded belief that only the lofty āchosenā have access.
Ack but that sticks like a fishbone in my throat.
The more crone circles the better, we are coming to serve the nourishment our grandmothers had to bury in our nervous systems to pass down to us. That shit takes work and community and support to unearth without ending up in a gibberish mess of social estrangement.
Yes to a plethora of crone circles, and the collective raising of that empowering energy!
YES! I agree 1000% with all of this. I was so excited for my 40th birthday (almost ten years ago now) so I could finally, and fully, step into the crone. Every year I become more fully me. Loving this time and so glad to be living it with other crones like you! š¤š
I love this Jenna! I turned 49 in May, but have been calling myself 50 for a while now, and like you, I felt such a shift at 40, and a determination that I could start doing the things I *really wanted* to do. Slowly, at first, but now, like the Baba, don't get in my way! Hahah!
I totally get that. Ferocity is gorgeous!
I love that! I have an impression of a bunch of rememberers round the campfire, our crone shadows cast on the bark of the surrounding trees, whooping and joyously dancing for being set free...
Gives me chills - I love it!
ā„ļøā„ļøā„ļøā„ļø Well this is now my very favorite thing to do! Sign me up and count me in. I'll meet you at the fire. Also, my new favorite word is "rememberers"!
Ask the trees for some dry wood on the way in, this is gonna be a doozie!
Yay to your vulnerability! Go crone!
Reading this letter feels like real synchronicity. Only very recently was I listening to a podcast, itās called Witch, you might like it, and it also talked about Baba Jaga and Hagitude (I adore the name!). Baba Jaga often featured in stories I was told as a child and still my initial reaction to her is fear. But as I learn more about her I can see that there is so much more to her than āold wickednessā .
Iām excited to read more about her and other old women from you:) xx
That is so interesting Pippa, thank you for sharing! I have an art friend who was born and raised in Russia and she thought me quite mad for loving Baba Yaga back in 2017 when we had a conversation about her - she too grew up with the scary stories! All of these sorts of folk narrative have a purpose, though it is so interesting to come back to them as an adult with a wholly different world view to the times of their conception, isn't it!!
Funny that you say that! Most of the stories I heard were from my Russian teacher back in the day!
So yes, very interesting looking at her and my feelings towards her.
As someone also raised in Russia, I can confirm that most commonly Baba Yaga is seen as a fearsome creature and children are afraid of her. Itās possible that her story - as a tale of a wild, wise, connected old woman - has been twisted to suit the times and agendas... Stories (just like his-story) are told by winners. But luckily Baba Yagaās image was too prominent to be erased completely. And as you say: when we return to her later on in life, we can see a different layer.
Yes Nika! I loved reading this!
I havenāt read Hagitude but you really made me interested in looking into it! As I read your post earlier today, I started thinking of our Nordic goddess "Eir". Sheās not exactly considered human but she's known for her healing powers, especially related to nature. Just as I thought of her, we had a mysterious short power outage. As the lights went out, a box of candles I have that symbolizes her fell. Since she wanted to make herself shown today, I felt a need to write a comment about her. Eir is definitely a female archetype I look up to āØ
Oh my, Julia! This gave me the most delightful chills! I must look up Eir, and learn more of the Nordic pantheon. While the majority of my heritage is firmly rooted in Scotland and Ireland, my great, great grandfather was Norwegian jumped ship here in Oz, and that skerrick of Nordic blood sings strongly still. Thank you for sharing Eir, and this beautiful occurrence Julia!
Oh that's interesting! It's almost overwhelming how much information there is about these mythologies, but it's fascinating to hear what was once considered normal. There are so many stories to be told and heard about all our different heritages.
I didnāt realise you were that book Natalie, thatās beautiful, Iām definitely going to get it. I love Sharonās work. I do sometimes find myself wishing time away, so that I can so be that old wise woman. Who potters and chants to herself and still greets people who come for healing with a knowing nod. Although my guides are Native American, I still see myself as the hag in the woods with a cottage, which points to a different heritage yet to explore. š«š
Thank you Louise! Oh, I am seeing so much love and yearning for crone cottages in the woods. Perhaps we find somewhere beautiful to set up a crone cottage forest-village - well spaced out, of course, for plenty of our aloneness, but within walking distance of an exquisite clearing in the forest for collective energy gathering! Ah, we can dream!
Sounds perfect Natalie! š«š
Natalie,
I have an embarrassing paucity of words here but to say the painting arrests me, the tagline itself (for she is wild and free, and she is connected, deeply) is so captivating as if to dive straight into the heart. Thank you.
I so appreciate you Renee, thank you for your sweet words!
I havenāt read Hagitude but after reading this and the links you thoughtfully added, it has just taken top place on my wish list! Thank you.
My favorite woman of the wild is still living, she is 90 years old and resides on the opposite side of my hill. I wrote of her here...
https://ahillandi.substack.com/p/the-other-lady-on-the-hill
Although she is far from dangerous, wild yes but ultimately she is gentle and wise beyond words... she knows everything I wish to but is not liberal in her sharing of secrets... very slowly we are becoming friends though.
What a beautiful telling, thank you for sharing Susie! The wisdom of long lives well lived is so precious, and to have one share with you even more so. I want to know more about her! I had such a close relationship with my paternal grandmother, and indeed the work I did for many years focused on medication management in aged care facilities, and I am always grateful to have seen and connected with so many elders over the years.
I will share more with you Natalie, as soon as she feels safe enough to share with me.... xx
I love that you are moving at the pace of her nervous system to invest in this friendship
It seemed important from the very first moment I saw her Sally..
I feel that
love this!
also nowhere near my 'old hag' days, but I too aspire to spend my life barefoot and braless, chasing peaks and drinking from mountain streams.
It is a beautiful dream to walk towards I think! Thank you Anna xx
This sounds like an amazing project you're embarking on!
It has been brewing for a good while now, since doing the illustrations for Sharon's book. I have a small collection of the first iteration of these {wild+woman} voices, but oh, the vision is strong for what comes next!
On the edge of my seat as you move forward with it. <3
I can't remember if you're already connected to @Ramona Grigg here but you might like each other's work if not.
Oh fantastic, thank you Kathryn, I'll check her out!
I was covered in goosebumps after reading ābecause she is wild and free, and she is connected, deeplyā. Evidently, the image of Baba Yaga speaks to me.
She is the old hag I grew up fearing but, through gaining more life experience, my understanding of Baba Yaga has morphed. Your succinct explanation of what about her fascinates you the most marches mine. I hope to become more and more connected as I grow older.
Iād say, Baba Yaga IS my favourite folkloric old woman.
I love this Nika! I think there is a little Baba Yaga in all of us, but for some of us, after the fearful stories of childhood, comes that deep understanding and respect for that fierce, unapologetic energy. She gives us such permission to just be ourselves, and celebrate our inherent wildness!
I quite enjoyed this read, topped off by the haiku!
Thanks so much Oganga, I appreciate that!
My hag is Baba Yaga. My deeply superstitious Russian mother and Babushka raised me on delicious tales of Baba Yaga and trust me I would behave as a child to avoid any run ins with Baba! I cannot tell you just HOW MUCH your drawing of her looks like my 89yo mother and my deal old Babushka.
Am nearing the end of Hagitude in audio form, so agree with you that listening as a passenger is an absolute delight!
Love your work.