Ever since Eve was banned from the garden, women have endured the
oftentimes painful and inaccurate definitions foisted upon them by the
patriarchy. Maiden, mother, and crone, representing the three stages
assigned to a woman's life cycle, have been the limiting categories of
both ancient and modern (neo-pagan) mythology. And one label in
particular rankles: crone. The word conjures a wizened hag--useless
for the most part, marginalized by appearance and ability.
None of us has ever truly fit the old-crone image, and for today's
midlife women, a new archetype is being birthed: the creatrix.
In Creatrix Rising, Stephanie Raffelock lays out--through personal
stories and essays--the highlights of the past fifty years, in which
women have gone from a quiet strength to a resounding voice. She invites
us along on her own transformational journey by providing probing
questions for reflection so that we can flesh out and bring to life this
new archetype within ourselves. If what the Dalai Lama has
predicted--that women will save the world--proves true, then the
creatrix will for certain be out front, leading the pack.