The Crone, First Night Waning

Key Phrases: "Into your hands, I place..." or "I set free..."

With the Eldest, we look at the things in ourselves and in our lives that we want to release, that we would like to let go. These may be attitudes and beliefs about ourselves and the world that we feel we have outgrown, or that are causing us pain; it may be a relationship or relationships; it may be possessions; it may be memories.

We may also be interested in liberating aspects of ourselves, such as our creativity, our capacity to experience love or joy, our belief in ourselves. We can ask the Eldest for help in freeing them from whatever inappropriate restraints we have placed upon them.

After we have carefully defined just what we want to release to the Eldest, using the candle as a focus, we can thank her for her help, previous and forthcoming. Then we begin the process of release as we free the energy into the universe by blowing out the candle.

As in the Maiden's time, if something else comes up during this phase of the cycle that we feel is important, we may want to do this ritual again.

NOTE: The Crone, the waning aspect of the moon, is strongest between Lammas, 1st August, to the Winter Solstice, 21 December. Her special time is around 1st November, Samhain or All Hallows, especially the preceeding night.

        Her wise, old wizened face
        grins up at me, laser-bright eyes
        holding me. Like a bird before a snake—
        I am fascinated, transfixed.
        And she says,
        ‘You don’t think
        I got to be this age
        by playing it safe,
        do you? I’d have
        died of boredom
        long ago!’

Moon Ritual
Dark Lady, Dark Moon
The Maiden, First Night Waxing
The Maiden, Last Night Waxing
Bright Mother, Full Moon

The Crone, Last Night Waning

Sun Ritual
Sunrise &, Spring Equinox
Sunhigh & Summer Solstice
Sunset & Autumn Equinox
Midnight & Winter Solstice

Sun Magic, Moon Magic

References & Links

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© Copyright 1986, 2005 by Jessica Macbeth. All rights reserved.
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First Edition 1986, First printed by An lios na bean bhochd 1993
Reprinted 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993