The Beauty of Invisibility.

A neighbor invited me to the backyard for a bonfire and a sip of wine to toast the return of spring. My two neighbors (both women of a certain age) and I (also a woman of a certain age) stood around the smokey fire talking about crones and hags. In folklore and Disney movies, a crone is a scary old woman. She is disagreeable, angry, even sinister. Think of the witch who gave Sleeping Beauty that poison apple and you’ve got the right idea. We have been taught—largely by men—to fear the crone. It makes sense. The fellas have drawn a scary-ass picture.
 
But back before those instructive men cold even hold a crayon, the crone of matriarchal societies was revered as a wise elder, a shepherdess of future generations. The Crone was the postmenopausal woman recognized and admired for her wisdom and leadership. “The literature describes the crone archetype as a pre-existent form in the collective unconscious that embodies instinctive ways of channeling wisdom, inner knowing, and intuition, guiding us through the transition of life, and going inward to bring forth the light for transformation. When women resonate or activate the crone archetypal image they tap into the psyche, to reclaim primordial images and receive the power within them that honor older women.” [1] In Irish and Scottish folklore, the Hag is represented as a divine deity of creation and weather. Her name is Cailleach, a direct translation of “old woman, hag.”
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There is a movement afoot to reclaim the name and elevated status of the crone archetype. We women of a certain age want to unveil her power by being ourselves. Think Whoopi Goldberg, Patti Smith, Alice Walker, Joni Mitchell, Jane Goodall, and the late, great Maya Angelou. These women are painting a new picture of aging in power.
 
Back at the campfire, my neighbor (the one with grey hair she calls silver) said, “I feel invisible sometimes.”
 
“Hooray for invisibility! Think of all the fun we can have while no one can see us,” I responded.  (My hair is mostly grey, too, though I still have streaks of brown and gold.)
 
Harry Potter fans will remember that when he donned the Invisibility Cloak, he learned great things that connected him to his past and his strengths. Invisibility was a gateway to discovery and growth. And invisible, he furthered the cause of good versus evil.
 
As I step into my own cloak of invisibility (I had my 58th birthday earlier this week), I am ready to discover and grow. I encourage the same in the women of a certain age I write resumes, bios, and LinkedIn profiles for. We are at the height of our intellectual powers, it’s time we acknowledge our value, wisdom, and direction!
                                                                                                                                       -Jane Taylor