The Song of the Cailleach
Sad the days, woe is me,
That I sail not on youth’s sea!
All my years of beauty gone,
And my lusty flesh forlorn.
(early Irish poem trans. Caitlin Matthews)
Many women feel their life is spent once they cross the half-century mark, but this belief is far from the truth. Crossing the half-century mark often brings acceptance of self and others. Now I can be who I truly am. Sometimes the desire for closer connections occurs. This recognition is a song for women.
By the age of fifty and beyond, women can be more confident in themselves. They have navigated life this far and feel like they have the resources to continue. They have more wisdom to make informed decisions and face challenges.
With more age, more empathy, compassion, and gratitude often manifest. Instead of feeling and acting older, many times women who are way past fifty years old just choose to stop at that age. When I turned fifty, I said, “Okay, Susan, you can be your own person now. No bars held.” That was very uplifting.
As Caitlin Mattews said in her January 30 reading,
“Not only for the aged and the wise, but also for the young and inquiring, The Cailleach sings her song. She is the mistress of Winter’s heart. Now we can hear her song clearly and understand that the changing of the tides heralds no ending, only a renewal of all that we are.”