AUTUMN...THE TIME OF THE CRONE

Autumn Greetings ~
Yes, that was me you saw yesterday. The woman riding her bike, nose in the air, tongue hanging out, teeth bared in a grin, looking like a happy dog with its head out the car window.  It was the most fabulous day ever. I just had to take it all in! The smells, the sights, the sounds, the tastes.

Borrowed from wiicantogether.co

This morning there's a soft, yet brisk quality to the air as crisp and golden as the apple. I close my eyes and imagine the comforting smells of Autumn: sweet, fresh red apples begging to be plucked from nearby orchards and put into pies, the dark, heady smell of smoke drafting past my window from the neighbors who love burning leaves, the musky, easily identifiable scent of crisp, decaying leaves as I walk through them, the strong, green smell of pine needles that can fill the air, the unmistakable, sweet scent of nutmeg or cinnamon sprinkled into a morning cup of freshly-warmed eggnog, the romantic, incredibly potent scent of the vanilla bean gracing anything its added to, the hardy, perennial scent of mint, and of course, the sweet, heady aroma of pumpkin that everyone relates to this wonderful, transitional season, whether it's still in the fields or baking in the oven.  Let's face it: I LOVE AUTUMN.  And, being a Scorpio whose birthday is a few short weeks away, it's no wonder.

But come Autumn, there's something else going on.  Every three months there's a change of seasons, a change in the weather, a change in the light.  Summer's days are filled with sunshine, giving little attention to the darkness of night.  However, come autumn, that all begins to change.  The sun begins to recede further into the southern sky, casting longer and longer shadows upon the ground with every passing day. We know in our bones that we'll have to give more attention to the darkness of night as the dark will begin sharing as much time with us as the sunlight of the day.  And in this changing of seasons and light, the Spirit Goddess of the Changing, sometimes known as The Crone, reminds us that, like change, which is inevitable, life and death are but a thought, a moment flashing past eternity. Not to be feared but each to be relished and enjoyed, like with the seasons, each has its own gift.  Autumn is a time for remembering all we have and all we can give. Like the earth herself, offering her bounty in her harvest, we too can harvest our bounty, offer our uniqueness to the world. Autumn is the Croning time,  a time of magic, a time of renewal of spirit.  Autumn allows us to reclaim our identity and status of the ancients, as Crones and Elders. Women are coming of age, accessing our wisdom and acting upon it. Croning is the process of becoming active, wise women, leaders , teachers and counselors who've held our world together with their wisdom and diverse life's struggles.  When you seek the truth, ask a wise woman.  
In all three of my books in the White Bird Series, Illuminating Crystal, Crystal Blue Sky, and Little Blue Star, readers have begun to discover that the Elders Crystal encounters have a certain wisdom about them, but they're not always women.  Men can become Crones with their understanding of this passage. For those of you who love reading, like myself, the book The Crone: Woman of Age, Wisdom and Power by Barbara G. Walker  is a book I'd highly recommend.   The Crone is one aspect of the Triple Goddess (Mother, Maiden, Crone) and is the most misunderstood. If you'd like to understand the aspect of the Crone Goddess better, check out these websites: 
The Crone
Embracing the Dark Goddess
The Wiccan Goddess - The Crone

In the ways of the witch world, this is also a time known as Madron.  Madron, the Autumn Equinox, usually September 21-22, is a time of balance when both day and night are equal. The days start getting shorter, the nights longer and the weather starts getting colder. It is time to seek balance within ourselves, throw out the old, make way for the new. A time for release: regrets, arguments and mistakes cultivated over the year which can hold you back from moving on.  According to Pagans, Madron is one of The Eight Sabbats, celebrated with a Pagan Festival.   The Sabbats are major celebrations for a Witch and revolve around the Wheel of the Year and the changing seasons.  If  you'd like to understand this aspect of Autumn better, check out these websites:
Pagan Festival
The Way of the Witch
Mabon, The Witch's Thanksgiving

And so, with a grateful heart and a smile on my lips, I wonder as I wander through autumn. I wonder of the smells, the sights and the sounds. The tastes, the feel of the air and relish in this beautiful season.  I'll remember that I'm a Wise Woman, a teacher, a leader, one who's had her struggles and her joys.  I've learned from each life lesson, I've let things go: resentments, arguments, and mistakes.  I'll continually strive to seek balance within my life and to embrace the dark nights fast approaching.  I invite you to join me. Learn from The Crone. Embrace this aspect of yourself, the part that oftentimes is unseemly, for it is within this aspect that we've learned the most, embracing that part of ourselves that others sometimes cannot.
I AM THAT I AM.
Namaste,
Paula