Crowning: a Combination of 'Croning' and 'Sage-ing' that embraces the challenges and opportunities of aging in today's society.

Aging in today's society brings challenges, and many aging people can feel under-valued and unappreciated from time to time. In this post I want to briefly look back at some older, healthier perspectives related to aging and start a dialog about how we can borrow from ancient wisdom and traditions to create more vibrant lives for the aging in today's society.  

Croning, an ancient concept about aging women, has most recently been viewed negatively but in some circles it's beginning to regain its former power and beauty.  While being called a crone today calls to mind a wrinkled, unloved old woman, in the distant past it referred more to a female elder that is a wise woman, healer, and teacher.  In a March 2018 article about Croning ceremonies, author Patti Wigington describes how some women are beginning to reclaim the name of the crone in a beautiful way.  A sage can be defined as someone who has attained wisdom and is a virtuous person.  While becoming a sage is not gender-specific, the term seems to be used most frequently to refer to wise men.  In his book Age-ing to Sage-ing, rabbi Zalman Schacter-Shalomi describes a revolutionary approach to growing older, describing an aging process that is full of adventure, passion, mystery, and fulfillment, rather than anxiety.

On May 31st, 2019, we at The Intentional Living Collective hosted a gathering of 14 people in Ann Arbor to start a dialog about the challenges and opportunities of aging in today's society.  "Crowning" is the working title for our group, and it's an intentional combination of the terms "Croning" and "Sage-ing".  We're beginning to explore ways to face the challenges of aging and to use wisdom, wonder, and creativity to help aging community members live a vibrant life, reclaim their individual sovereignty, and share their gifts with the greater community.  In this first meeting we brainstormed a "wish list" of things we want to see for the aging in our community and we explored creative housing options for seniors including the Inter-Cooperative Council, the UM Housing Bureau for Seniors, and the Veridian Community from the Thrive Collaboration.  Special thanks to Marijo Grogan for pulling the event together, to Nick Coquillard from the ICC, to Britney Williams and Janet Hunko from UM-HBS, and to the awesome group of seniors and providers that participated.
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We've since set up a shared resource drive to organize the Crowning efforts and are planning follow up gatherings to dig deeper and make plans with the hopes of growing this into a community collaboration to transform the aging experience into something better. While housing is a concern, it's just one of many that we may choose to embrace.  Interested in hearing more?  Check out The Life Transition Zone and our section on Crowning, and if you'd like to get involved please contact Marijo Grogan at [email protected].