Every Maiden isn’t young.
Every Mother doesn’t have a child.
Every Crone isn’t old.
Ritual for a Group
Several years ago, I created a ritual for hundreds of women writers who’d come from all over the world for a week-long conference held on a college campus. The ritual was to honor their stories, those they had written and those they had lived.
To frame the ritual, I worked with the archetypes of Maiden, Mother, and Crone.
For music, I used the song Diety by Wendy Rule. As it played, a procession of 27 women slowly, solemnly entered from the back of the packed auditorium.
Each woman carried a battery-operated tealight in a clear, faceted, plastic cup.
Around their wrists, each woman wore a stretch bracelet filled with streaming ribbons, 18 inches long.
Nine women carried a candle with white ribbons, nine women with red ribbons, and nine women with black ribbons.
Once all twenty-seven women had gathered at the front of the auditorium, each stepped forward, one at a time, and gave a tribute in her own words to the Goddess she represented. Here are a few examples:
I honor the story of the Maiden. I honor the seeds within me and scatter them with wild abandon.
I honor the story of the Mother. I offer warmth and light to tender shoots.
I honor the story of the Crone. I know what it means to lose and let go. I have the power to cut the threads of that which is finished.
I honor the story of the Maiden. I have unlimited potential.
I honor the story of the Mother. I remember to nourish and nurture myself.
I honor the story of the Crone. I summon wisdom. I summon Sophia.
In the auditorium that night were Maidens in their nineties and Crones in their teens. I talked about how many of us were strangers to each other when we arrived the week before and how connected we felt now – by both our words and our wombs, even if those wombs had yet to bleed or to birth, even if those wombs were gone.
You could be feeling any one of the three energies right now. Remember, age doesn’t matter. What matters is that you acknowledge the energy and work with it.
DIY Ritual
What I’ve described here is an elaborate ritual. You can create a simple version for a small group, or for you alone.
- Gather images of women you think of as a Maiden, or Mother, or Crone.
- Journal or talk in a group about the energy you see in each of the images.
Is the Maiden young, innocent, flirty, active? Does her world look chaotic? Does her picture suggest a sense of adventure? What do you think she wants? Who are her friends? What are they like? What do they want for her?
How do you think her life will change in the next six months? The next year? The next 3 years? What is her potential?
Does the Mother appear settled? What is she nurturing? How does she feel about the changes in her body? Is she partnered? Does she have support? Is she creative, comfortable, confident? Does she appear happy and secure? Or does she look worried? Anxious about what’s to come? What do you think she wants? How is she planning for the future? What is she doing to take care of herself now?
How do you think her life will change in the next six months? The next year? The next 3 years? What is her promise?
Does the Crone look strong or weak? If she is alone, do you think she’s lonely? Is she proud of the way she has lived her life? Does she have regrets? What is it she still wants to do? Over the years, has her world expanded, or shrunk? How has death touched her family and closest friends? What spiritual beliefs does she hold about death, life after death, reincarnation? What wisdom has she gained?
How do you think her life will change in the next six months? The next year? The next 3 years? What is her legacy?
Reflect on the women in your life who represent the energy of the Maiden, or the Mother, or the Crone. If you’re in a group, share your thoughts on these key phases of a woman’s life.
Reflect on the primary stage you’re living in now. What do you appreciate about this stage? What do you miss? What do you look forward to? If you’re in a group, share your thoughts.
Listen to Wendy Rule sing Diety. As you do, write, or draw, or sing, or drum, or dance. Say out loud, “I am the Maiden.” Or, “I am the Mother.” Or, “I am the Crone.”
You’ll discover layers of meaning only your heart can know.
Be sure to check back for these three rituals:
- Anoint the Maiden
- Celebrate the Mother
- Honor the Crone
