The Path To Wisdom

My peri-menopausal symptoms haven't been all that tough to bear so far.  Skipping a period now and then, the restless, sleep interrupted nights, the occasional urge to rip SM's head off...

Yeah, pretty tolerable so far.

But lately a new player has entered the game.  I've noticed the past few months that I've been waking up hot and sweaty from time to time.  Then I get cold.  Then hot again.  Cold-hot-cold-hot...

The tempo has increased lately and now with the warmer weather that's come around I'm noticing that the "temperature tango" I've been dancing is moving into the daytime too.

Oh Joy!  Here come the hot flashes and night sweats!

I tell myself as I'm going through all these changes that "The path to Wisdom isn't easy."

Say what?  One of my favorite books that I read years ago is The Mists Of Avalon. 



I've always gobbled up books on Arthurian Legends.  MOA is told from the view point of the female characters surrounding Arthur and their religious beliefs.  Basically the old religion Pagan (Druid-Goddess) verses the new religion (Christianity)

One of the things that appealed to me when reading this book is the description of The Goddess represented as three women in different stages of their lives. 

In common Neopagan usage the three female figures are frequently described as the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone, each of which symbolises both a separate stage in the female life cycle and a phase of the moon, and often rules one of the realms of earth, underworld, and the heavens. These may or may not be perceived as aspects of a greater single divinity.

(*Now please don't think I'm getting all religious here.  I'm not.  I'm a student of life.  I'm not pushing Wicca or paganism or anything like that.  I do tend to worship Mother Nature though...@;)

Anyway, the Maiden and the Mother are self explanatory.  The Crone however, "Gosh" using that term makes it sound like a woman has turned into a witch or something.  Actually, in the book, the Crone is described as a wise woman. 

I googled a description of "The Crone" and found this. 

The Crone is a symbol of inherent wisdom that comes from experience. She has lived through love, sorrow, hope, and fear, coming out of it all a wise and confident spirit. Through these experiences she has learned the secrets of life and death and of the mysteries beyond this world. 

The wisdom of the Crone comes only after learning the lessons of non-judgment and compassion. Through these lessons the Crone becomes the balancing scales between light and dark and between life and death. She is selfless, yet she loves herself. She is kind, yet she knows when to be harsh. She is free, she is compassionate, and she is wise.

The Crone is full of power. Her body is no longer fertile, but her mind is sharp and able. She no longer bleeds, keeping her power within her and owning it without shame or fear.
She is often seen as a healer, working in tune with Nature to cure ailments and guide those ready to leave or enter this world. She is the Grandmother whose words are few yet priceless in their wisdom.

If this is the path that I'm walking down, than it sounds pretty good to me.  I just need to keep reminding myself of this as the sweat breaks out all over..."I'm on the path to wisdom"...