“Crone and Sage” was born as a result of online discussions about Janine Donnellan’s article The Invisible Generation – Pagan Elders, which was first published in the February 2011 Axis Mundi. Janine subsequently put forward the idea that perhaps a project could be started where the stories of elder Pagans (and Pagan Elders) could be collected and published online. This suggestion was met with enthusiasm by many people, which led to the creation of this website. Go here for details on how to submit your stories.
The name “Crone and Sage” was inspired by an additional verse written to go with the well known Pagan song by Z. Budapest, “We all come from the Goddess”…
We all come from the Goddess
And to her we shall return
Like a drop of rain
Flowing to the ocean.
(by Z. Budapest, 1971)
We all come from the Horned God
And to Him we shall return
Like a spark of fire
Leaping to the Heavens
(by Leonard D. Rosenburg, performed at a Rites of Spring in the late 1980s)
Sage and Crone, Sage and Crone
wisdom’s gift shall be our own.
Crone and Sage, Crone and Sage,
wisdom is the gift of age.
(Source unknown)
Hoof and horn, hoof and horn,
all that dies shall be reborn.
Corn and grain, corn and grain,
all that falls shall rise again.
(by Ian Corrigan, 1997)
The Crone is the woman who, having passed menopause and sent her children into the world to be adults on their own, is free to concentrate on herself – to gain knowledge, to share her wisdom with those around her, and to care for those who need her help. She is by no means the withered hag you see depicted at Halloween as the typical “witch,” but rather a fully capable (and fully sexual) independent woman, respected by the entire community for her words and her worth. (From http://www.gaia-spirituality.org/celebrations/moon_cycle.html)
The Sage or wise old man archetype is a mentor in spiritual and philosophical topics who is renowned for profound wisdom and sound judgment. His wisdom is that which comes through age, reflection and experience. In ancient cultures, a group’s sages were those who had experienced rich lives and were thoughtful about what they had learned through these experiences. (From Wikipedia, humanresources.about.com and wordnetweb.princeton.edu)
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Janine Donnellan ~ Editor
Janine Donnellan is an eclectic Witch who has a passionate interest in modern Shamanism & Avalonian mythology. Her interest in the occult was developed as a young child through her spiritualist Grandfather. She is also a musician and loves to weave her music and sense of theatre into her rituals. Janine is also a Reiki Practitioner and has studied Energetic Healing with the Australian Academy of Applied Parapsychology. Janine is a founder of Spheres Of Light (SOL), an eclectic Pagan organisation based in southern Sydney Australia, which is also a PAN Affiliate Subcommittee.
Jenny Taylor (Jenwytch) ~ Website Manager
Jenny’s fascination with the occult, paranormal and religion in general developed during her childhood and in later years she explored areas such as psychic development, astrology, crystal healing, herbs, Reiki, and other alternative healing methods. This eventually led to her exploration of Witchcraft and the realisation that it encompassed all of her interests, including satisfying her spiritual needs. Jenny enjoys creating and maintaining all aspects of Spheres Of Light’s websites especially the more artistic elements involving graphic design such as the creation of the sunset banner for “Crone and Sage” and creating the look and “feel” of each individual website. Jenny lives in southern Sydney with her husband, four sons and one very large Border Collie dog. 
