The Charge of the Crone
Hear the words of the Grandmother of Time:
She who has been known as Hecate, Erishkagel,
Cerridwen, Kali-Ma, Anna, Perenna, Spider
Woman, and many other names - some feared, and
Some loved, but none ever ignored. She it is who
Brings wisdom and the awareness of eternity.
She has been the Maiden, and remembers that joy.
She has been the Mother, and recalls that pleasure.
But age has changed her, and taught her the
Mysteries of the Wheel that is ever turning, the
Wheel that is life, death, and rebirth. She is the
Whirling tornado, the erupting volcano, the rising
Tidal wave, the trembling of the earth's crust. With
Age comes an understanding of the past, and a
Glimpse of the future.
For, in the turning of the Wheel, the past is the
Future, and the future is the past. She is the Learned
One, the Teacher, the Bringer of Inevitable
Change. She is the Dark of the Moon, the Hidden
One, the invisible unknown that lies ahead. But do
Not fear her for she is not malicious, and her touch,
However harsh, is love.
Only in ignorance is she scorned and reviled. Those
Who do not know her, parody her as the ugly old
Woman whose powers were said to blight crops
And sour the milk in the cow. It is fear that turns her
Age into abomination, her wrinkles into hideous
Deformity, and her voice into an evil and
Manipulative cackle. For those who sought power
Over the earth were afraid to face her wisdom and
Her unalterable truth.
But in the old days, we sat at her feet to learn the
Most ancient lore. From her came the knowledge of
The healing herbs, and the chants and songs that
Shaped our lives. She sat in honor at our councils,
Our marketplaces, in our homes. She governed our
Governing, and interpreted our laws. She gave
Focus to our changing seasons. She was our
Teacher, our oracle, our promise of rebirth.
Come, honor her as of old, listen now to the
Words of Wise One, the ancient Seer, the Crone!
