Main fundraiser photo

Calling Would-be Crones and Wisemen

Purpose and Intent: In modern Western culture, there are few maps to guide us as we enter the last third of life. In the dominant culture, women especially receive subliminal messages that growing older is anathema, only a steady decline into invisibility. In our own historical past, and currently, in other places around the world, that perception would be considered erroneous, perhaps even comic.

Since turning 50, now fifteen years ago, I’ve been unwittingly schooled in the “curriculum of the crone” by what I’ve come to believe is a for-your-own-good kind of hard-love-cosmos. Falteringly, oft times unwillingly, sometimes even seen kicking and screaming down the path, I’ve pursued and been pursued by the Crone, the Wisewoman, the Hag, the Cailleach. She’s an archetype that has been maligned, distorted, and demonized. Along with many women around the world, I have thrown my shoulder to reclaiming her beauty, power, wisdom, compassion, and prudence.

My brand new book, A Fleeting Presence: Field Notes from a Crone, is about these experiences and explorations (creative non-fiction and memoir).  The book is one woman’s foray into the universal agenda of the crone archetype. It's a first-person dispatch from the tempestuous terrain of aging, loss, grief, death, change, absolution, landscape, ancestry, love, transformation, reciprocity, and renewal.

My hope is that by sharing my story, my journey through the realm of the crone, it will serve as a signpost for others, a cairn over the slick-rock. My hope is that telling my tale might ease another’s trek, inform their crone or wiseman initiation. Through the telling, hopefully, they will sense they aren't alone on the trail.

The intent of this GoFundMe is to raise money to cover printing costs for 200 copies of A Fleeting Presence: Fieldnotes from a Crone.


For all of us, 2020 has been a strange and difficult year. I’ve observed in my life that either a person has time and no money, or money and no time. The pandemic has heavily impacted the arts/crafts markets and tourism trade here in northern New Mexico. So, in 2020 I’ve had time instead of my usual jobs--time instead of money.

Investments so far—Time, Talents, Gifts and Money:
I've used the last six months to gather my scattered writing, worked to polish it up, and to write new essays. It’s been a humbling labor of love, encouraged especially by Charlotte Eulette. Char is the Director of the Celebrant Foundation and Institute. She offered me on-going nurturance, a place to publish in Spirituality and Health Magazine, and maybe most importantly deadlines!

Besides the outlay of time used writing and organizing, there have been other valuable contributions. Diana Hartel offered an ISBN number and publishing with her press at Madrona Arts. Bartering hand-painted silk scarves with photographer Vidya McClutchey manifested a crone photo shoot—providing me with portraits for the book cover. Patient and talented Maggie McLaughlin was hired to do layout and book design and has coached me through the extensive learning curve of modern self-publishing.

Each book costs approximately $11 to print and ship. For 200 copies the printing and shipping expenses will be at least $2,200. Though the book is available through Amazon and IngramSpark in print and on Kindle as an e-book, having copies to sell as an author increases the per copy income from about $2.50 to about $5. (I would need to sell 168 copies on Amazon just to recoup the investment already made in layout and design.  You can see the book truly is a labor of love and sharing as opposed to being a way to produce income.) It's helpful to have some copies available to give for promotional purposes so that more copies might be sold.  I also intend to keep a small stash of copies to give away to people who may benefit from the story but who can’t afford to purchase a copy. Donations of any size are greatly appreciated!

Other ways you can help. You can purchase a copy of the book at Amazon or at IngramSpark or the e-book version on Kindle. Just enter the title of the book on those sites. If you are so inspired, I’d be grateful if you shared the GoFundMe link with anyone you think might be interested in supporting my project.

In deep appreciation of your support, encouragement, care, backing, and patronage, I send great blessings, good fortune, love, and gratitude.

Sincerely, Susan Cross

Organizer

Susan Cross
Organizer
Abiquiu, NM

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