There are three phases of the Pagan Goddess. They are the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone. These stages also hold true to woman everywhere. Even if a woman doesn’t have any children, she still has a child rearing age. There is a ceremony to welcome a woman into the Crone phase of her life. This is called a Croning Ceremony. Every Bangor area Pagan, who is switching phases from Mother to Crone, should have her own Croning ceremony.
Throughout history the Croning Ceremony was done after the woman has gone through menopause. It was done to show that she was proud of her aging process. She had become a wise woman. It was time for her to share the knowledge she gained throughout he life with others. The Crone had lived through the other phases of life and was ready to age gracefully and take on what was to come. For many Pagan females, the Croning ceremony is still done for the same reasons.
Today, there are other times throughout a woman’s life when she chooses to have a Croning Ceremony. A woman may choose to have a ceremony after her last child leaves home, if she changes her career, if she ends a long term relationship, or any big life changing experience.
The Croning ceremony is usually performed by a High Priestess, but can be performed by any woman who has reached Crone status. It is common for the female to have a ritual bath before the ceremony. It is typically done during a Women’s Circle, Esbat, or Sabbat. Croning Ceremonies may consist of the following:
- Singing, chanting, and dancing.
- The Crone may choose a new name
- A feast
- Guided meditation
- Giving gifts
- The telling of that females story
- Crossing a ceremonial threshold into Cronehood
- Calling the quarters and invoking a triple Goddess
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