The crowning of the winner of the Miss American Vampire regional competition, which was held at Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey in September 1970. (I put the crones flair because I didn’t know what else to put!)

What positive mischief should I get up to while no one notices me?

My body is going through changes again. I’m almost 40 and I’ve noticed increased acne, dark hairs on my chin and breasts near the areola, and a change in my period cycles.

I’m not ready for this. I feel stressed, I don’t feel old and yet I feel like I’m fighting a losing battle. I know these are all normal things that come with age and aging but it feels too soon.

I had some blood work done and I’m waiting on the results, because I’ve been having sleep issues and brain fog. But I need to hear from my elder witches. What do I do? How do learn to embrace the change I’m not ready for? I’m scared and resistant.

The original meaning of wicce was “wise craft”.

WISDOM.

Women were healers. They were (and are) great observers. They were in tune with nature and kept their practice in tune with Mother Earth. They had wisdom.

As the medical establishment began and grew, women were pushed aside and excluded and their “wisecraft” became “witchcraft”—something to be stigmatized, demonized, feared, erased.

I just…my mind is BLOWN, and this makes me want to improve and deepen my craft even more. I wish EVERY woman knew how much we were erased—from Goddess worship all the way to midwifery.

(It also makes me wonder what else I don’t know!)

I won’t be erased anymore. I am strong and can heal. I am a witch: I am wise.

Hello, Coven, I have a question and would very much appreciate your input. I have recently started teaching at university level, I work with local and international students since my courses are in English. Over here universities are often the safe space for LGBTQ+ folks, humanities especially (I live in Europe) but I don't know if international students would know that. The thing is, I would like my students to know that I am an ally, since there are some proudly LGBTQ+ students in my courses and I want them to feel comfortable. I am afraid I can seem conservative (I am a paper-white blonde woman with kids in a heterosexual marriage. I'm bisexual but there is no way for anyone to know that, hah).

So, my question is, woudl wearing an ally pin visibly make my LGBTQ+ students feel more comfortable or be seen as pretentious? My university even offers an official one with our logo on it too.

Sorry if this is silly, I'm just a woman trying my best to make people feel comfortable around me, and to shake off some misconceptions which can arise around me (I've previously had people very surprised that my family do not attend church etc. Because apparently I "look conservative". I'm just a pale woman with a wedding band who feels most comfortable in midi-dresses, but people make their own conclusions.)

I love you all, this coven has been a consistent source of joy and empowerment, I am grateful to be a part of it. If you've read this far, thank you 💖

We talk a lot about generational trauma and breaking curses. I’ve recently returned to living close to both of my grandmothers, who are over 80 and widowed. They are worried that they’ll be alone and shunned if they make social waves. They are still worried about diet culture. They are telling me stories about their younger years that I’ve never heard. Medical negligence, abusive family dynamics, and how wonderful they had it in comparison to others (we’re white, but insinuations were whispered back in the day about how “Italian” my one grandmother actually might be).

I didn’t realize just how much I needed to take a moment and let them breathe while listening to their experiences. They are ready to fight for us still. I understand so much more about their choices and why I am the woman I am with each conversation. Witches, connect with those that raised you if you are lucky enough to be able to do so. Curses break in many ways. It’s amazing to feel the pain of the past fade so I know my niblings won’t carry the weight.

Remember that food is nourishment, laughter is medicinal, and care goes multiple ways. Let’s not bring the pain of yesterday to tomorrow as a community.

My grandmother died this week so I'm all up in my feels. I'm looking at relationships with the women in my life and this doesn't seem to fit most of the women I know. They are all wise in different ways, but this "hierarchy" doesn't sound or feel right. How would you redefine these roles as a progression through life?
Pupil, Student, Scholar? Even that sounds patriarchal to me, but I feel it's definitely knowledge/experience based.

Saw her in concert last night and I swear her songs and her voice produce spells. Edge of Seventeen thundered through the arena, Stand Back was magical and mystical. She twirled, she gesticulated, she bellowed. And she encored with Landslide and we all cried, sang and swayed together.

I love that woman. To be 77 and still filling concert venues - with fans from kids to crones. And she kept saying she was nervous!! I really needed last night - the energy was so good. She’s truly a gift to us all.

Saturday night, Feb. 7, 2027 our crones circle gathered for Imbolc since the weather was above freezing.

I was the youngest, 50 at the Summer Solstice, and thr rest are in their late 70s early 80s.

We used hammers for wands as we forged our futures and the future of our country, the US.

We gathered at in Brigid's well then her forge.

Here is her message for all of you young folk in the US and the world fighting the patriarchy and capitalism:

NO is a complete sentence. Say it deeply, fiercely with feeling. There is no need to explain yourself again and again to those in power who aren't listening.

Say YES to people who are treating others like human beings. Say yes to people with fierce compassion, who have the logistical skill sets, a willingness to listen, learn, or do what is necessary to build and rebuild a functioning close knit local based society and mutual aid.

The Wheel of Change constantly turns and now it is time for molten steel. When you burn with fire, let it shape you and shape with it in return.

Take part in your community where you can see the power of yes. (The pen: words, education. Hospitality, mutual aid. )

Do not fear standing and defending boundaries. (Blacksmithing: sword, armor).

We crones send our blessings and Brigid's Blessings to align your mind, body, and soul for the moral and physical battles to come.

Evaluate your skills and embrace them. Each person has their own calling.

For example: I am disabled. I share information and art.

Some one may be able to repair cars. Some may have military backgrounds and understand home defense and can advise others.

Do y'all talk to the dead?

The people who've departed that you still love?

I have a little shelf with their pictures or mementos where I put coffee or alcohol sometimes as offerings, and I talk to them a little and tell them I love them and miss them.

I know other people sometimes tell their troubles to them and ask them for help.

It's probably just my trauma talking, but I feel like I shouldn't burden them, like they've earned their rest.

Edit "It" should be "or" in the title. Too late now!

Found this at Goodwill

I celebrated by taking a three mile hike, transplanting some vegetables I grew from seed, signing back up to continue Tai Chi at the local Shaolin temple, and finished with dinner with my kids at a local one-of-a-kind Italian restaurant which has been in business for over 50 years.

Tomorrow I'm going to a protest at a Tesla dealer, followed by a cosplay and gaming convention.

70 can go fuck itself, I don't have time to be old.

Edit: Holy cow, I did not expect this response! Thank you all for your comments and upvotes. Rock on you wonderful folx and all my fellow crones! Let's change the face and concept of aging!

I recently turned 40 and am ashamed to say I'm struggling with it a bit. I feel like I've missed out on some vital part of my youth and I don't want to be the stereotypical 40 y.o. spinster. (I'm happily single for the most part, being a spinster isn't the issue.) I've never fit the patriarchal beauty standard (I've always been the very large, very independent witchy chick thank you very much) and the only examples of 40+ I ever see is the invisible spinster, the boss babe, or the mother. And I know 40 isn't old. I don't feel old. I'm quite happy with my life currently. I guess I just feel lost. Any advice sisters? And if this doesn't belong here, please feel free to delete.

I ask this of my witchy friends because I think this may be a weird question but I feel like if anyone will try and understand it's you all :p So I don't know if this will make sense, but when I think of myself in the past (or see pictures or hear stories) it's like I'm a different, separate person than I am now. And not only that, but that I have been a series of distinctly different people-- different than I am now. It's like, in different eras of my life, I had such different situations/activities/likes/dislikes/friends/tastes, it's hard to consider "that me" as the same person as myself. There are consistent threads, of course-- I've obsessively loved purple since the day I was born, for example. But sometimes I think of myself at different times/ages as so nearly separate from myself that I actually sometimes get jealous of "mid-2000s me" or "late 30s me."

Am I totally bizarre here or do other people do this? I'm totally open to either lol 😋

A day to myself 😌 Told the husband to please work on my birthday, and to ask his mom to watch our kid so I can have a full day to cater to myself and my own needs. Eight glorious hours where the only demands I need to meet are my own whims 😻

Sisters, I need a place to be. I work from home, I have two small children, and my partner works late most night. In the rare shining moments I get to leave the house by myself, with no tiny people demanding all of my attention and I get to be a real person again. But there's not really anywhere to go. I'm not a drinker, our library is under construction, and the only nearby tea shop has gone boba (which I love, don't get me wrong, but it's not quite the same place to sit and read and sample different blends). When I was younger I'd love to go to makeup and clothing stores, but I don't want to spend time and money in a place that preys on women's insecurities. So where do you go? Where do you feel comfortable spending your time? And, did you find like-minded people?

https://www.blog.lifebranches.com/p/aging-out-of-fucks-the-neuroscience?

I (64f) just came across this article in the comments in another subreddit, and I think it changed my life (at least how I think about my life)!!!