RSS
Home
The post-menopausal moon
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
In many traditions, a woman is said to have three phases in her life: maiden, mother and crone. These phases correspond to the phases of the moon. The maiden phase, or the new moon, is the beginning of the cycle. Fresh and new, it is a time of promise, of possibilities.
The mother phase corresponds to the full moon. She is lush, in full flower. Many people tend to prefer this phase. They like the peak experience, however it comes -- full moon, high tide or buoyant mood.
The waning moon corresponds with the crone. The crone phase is very undervalued in our dominant paradigm culture. Although it's changing in some circles now, even the negative connotation of the word "crone" is an indicator of the general cultural attitudes towards older women. The word crone originally meant "wise woman", one who carries the wisdom of her years and her life experience. No longer dependent upon a man for protecting her young, she tends to be more self-reliant and more able to speak her mind.
In one of the comments about the lunar orbiter article, someone said (paraphrased): "Since the moon is millions of years old, we can safely assume that it is post-menopausal. Therefore, it would be a 'he', not a 'she'".
To say that a woman who is no longer fertile is really a man completely devalues the vast resources of the wise woman. No longer focused upon creating life, her vast creative forces can be channeled into other areas.
Woman tend to be very connected to the earth. (This is a generalization, but often there is truth in generalizations. And of course there are many men who are also connected to the earth, but they are not the subject of this article.) When we combine the connection to the earth, the ability to speak her mind, and the wisdom of life experience, we get a potent force for change.
Perhaps the precarious balance of the future of this earth will be tipped towards sanity by the efforts of crones all over the earth. Indeed, it is already happening. Women all over the world are stepping up, into their power and finding their voices. It's sorely needed, and not a moment too soon!
Can we make friends with the post-menopausal moon? Can we honor her wisdom and respect her voice of sanity?
