"A Woman's Journey; the Inner Wisdom of the Reluctant Crone"

Register at any time for this online workshop & work at your own pace. Materials are available indefinitely.

When I recently taught in Florida, the participants exclaimed, oh, it’s Juliana Coles, the grandmother of Visual Journaling! What the…but then I realized, I AM of a certain age. Though I may not look or act like it, I have reached the sage age of cronedom. In a workshop many years ago, I asked participants to connect with an inner wise woman, a crone. My mother, who often came to my retreats, said, no, a crone is a hag- I am NOT THAT.

Whatever your age or stage of womanhood, within all of us lurks an inner crone. While the definition of a crone is a hag or old woman, today’s elders are vibrant and active, challenging that description with a new narrative that presents crone as the Wise Woman. However reluctantly, it is time, and none too soon, to claim our cronedom. It will be necessary to access ancient information passed down through the generations and the crone holds the key.

When you seek the truth, ask a wise woman.

Utilizing various journal writing assignments combined with art making techniques, learn to create a Mandala triptych that symbolizes three cycles of a woman’s journey. Basically, a triptych is a picture in three parts. Mandala, the ancient Sanskrit word for circle, is a spiritual symbol that represents the universe. Throughout the centuries, Mandala art has been used for self-expression, spiritual transformation and personal growth. Wherever you find yourself on the timeline of Maiden, Mother, Crone, it is imperative that you restore balance to the inner cosmos. On this circular journey to self, there are many questions, and this multi-layered and many faceted exercise will provide the answers. Women know so much yet hide behind someone else’s truth. Discover inner wisdom; circle back to the place we started as we view our lives and resources from many different perspectives at once. In order to face your future you will turn towards your past with the courage of your present self; your reluctant crone will become your trusted guide.

Creating the Mandala Triptych:

Each mandala represents a phase of life and each phase has messages and lessons to be gleaned. To further complicate our inner investigation, we will need to consult the oracle; a deck of cards (fully explained in the workshop) or Runes, such as “Wisdom of the Inner Realms,” or the “Motherpeace Tarot” will aid us in our search for the deeper meanings hidden within the complex imagery of our mandalas.

All of the tools presented in this course for deciphering the clues, signs and symbols in the mandala 3 card spread can be used in any other journal spread or art making process that requires further investigation. This assignment can be done over and over and is excellent to do starting or closing a year, at any life transition, life change, solstice, season and each time you will come up with new and different information. Our mandalas change as we do, offering up just the right advice at the right time. Since Spring is a time of transformations, now is the perfect time to begin our assignment!

No experience Necessary. Peer inside your tattered book covers; the beauty is within.

For questions or more info contact Juliana Coles at meandpete08@gmail.com

For more information, such as what is included in course and registration details, see below…