Finally, we are coming to honor and appreciate the Crone, the font of wisdom a woman becomes after a life well-lived and lessons well learned.  I believe though, we are missing an important stage of life in our usual paradigm, the stage of Matriarch.  That gives us four stages: Maiden, Matron, Matriarch, and Crone.

Matriarch is the woman who has raised her children and completed her obligations as an active parent, or one who has devoted her 30s and 40s to establishing her career and who reaches mid-life ready to step into her power.  One therapist calls this the “Dangerous Woman” because she is likely to set aside all that stands in the way of her post-menopausal zest for life, and put herself first.  She may leave off caretaking others as she carves out a place for what she wants.

Women in their 50s and 60s, even 70s who validate their right to be important, for their needs to matter, and their work to be meaningful may leave the nest they’ve...