What services does Janet offer?

Janet Crump is available to communities, organizations, small groups, or privately for conducting croning ceremonies and workshops on croning.  She is also available for consulting and planning events related to croning or for speaking on the topic.  To carry on the tradition, a woman may only be croned by someone who has already been croned.

What is a Crone?

Crone (kron) n. female leader, counselor, healer.  Experienced and wise.

The noun Crone means a woman who is an elder.  A crone is defined as a woman, age 56 or older who has entered or passed through menopause.  It implies ancient female wisdom.  The Crone is a sacred archetype living in each woman.

What is Croning?

Crone (kron) v. to enact a ritual announcing that a woman has reached the time in her life when she is able to integrate her many years of learning into the two greatest of all spiritual gifts: wisdom and compassion, which she shares with others. In ancient times, to crone meant “to crown.” In modern German, krone means “crown.”

Croning is a formal ritual about accepting the passage from knowledge to wisdom and recognizing that wisdom comes from experience.  It is an announcement of passage, a celebration of power, passion, and purpose of ancient female wisdom.

Where did Croning come from?

Old and Crone are not synonymous, but in our culture they have many of the same connotations.  The title Crone has not always been derogatory.  Two thousand years ago, very old women were particularly important members of communities.  They were leaders, counselors, and healers.  They were the fulfillment of female experience and wisdom.  Young women moved from the excited and unconstrained youthfulness of the Maiden through the life-sustaining position of the Mother (biological or metaphoric) to the loving, mature, and confident wisdom and understanding of the Crone.

In recent decades a grassroots movement has arisen across the United States to revive croning as a way to reverse the age discrimination against elder women in our society and to restore the original dignity and honor to the term crone and to the phase of life it represents.  The ritual celebration also raises consciousness among girls and women of all ages that growing older is not “all down hill.”  They may be surprised to learn that later decades in life actually get better.  It helps to change the self-image and expectations of all women.

How is Janet involved?

Janet Crump was introduced to croning in the early 1990’s in Marblehead, MA.  After moving to Grand Rapids, MI, she noted that awareness of it did not seem to exist there.  She brought the idea of starting croning in the Grand Rapids area to the Great Lakes Center for Sages, who in turn were granted support for the effort by the Nokomis Foundation.  In spring 2004 Janet was instrumental in producing an evening of book reviews all on topics related to croning and a workshop entitled “What Does It Mean to Be a Crone?”  She then conducted the first community-wide croning celebration in Grand Rapids.  Janet led three more workshops and croning ceremonies in 2004 and 2005.

Janet led four more workshops and croning ceremonies in 2004, 2005, and 2006.

What would I expect at a croning workshop experience?

To meet an enthusiastic and inquisitive group of interesting women
To learn basic croning background and history
To identify the characteristics of a crone
To understand what croning signifies in a woman’ life
To journal and share:  Why am I here? What are my expectations?
To think and answer for yourself three important crone questions: 

What is your passion or gift?

What is your truth?

What is your legacy?

To join in discussing and group sharing on the three crone questions
To decide whether you are ready or interested in becoming a crone.