I drove along a street today that I have driven along hundreds of times before, passing houses just as familiar. Today, though, I drove past a tree that, figuratively, jumped out in front of me and screamed, “notice me!” Believe me, I did.

So I spent the rest of the day trying to puzzle why this tree at this particular time decided to catch my attention. It’s a lovely tree. A mature specimen, but almost abnormally short with thick, gnarled trunk firmly anchored to the ground and sporting a huge, thick canopy of (still green) leaves far grander than many trees twice or three times its height.

It made me smile, almost compelled me to stop and walk underneath, to get a sense of what it had to tell me. Many images arose as I began unfolding that Quantum Flirt of a tree. There were images of storytelling and imagination, of myth and magic. It felt protective, friendly and inviting. There was shelter there, and safety, and because of its short stature, it was welcoming rather than intimidating. There was an essence of life there, of vitality and strength, and I felt that sitting underneath it would be magical, otherworldly, dreamy.

Finally, I mind-mapped my way to its core essence: that tree speaks of substance and vitality, richness and the fullness of wisdom. It’s grown wider, broader through its years, living and reflecting its fullness through its very essence. I’m so grateful for its insistence that I notice it, because what it represents is an acknowledgement of a new phase of life: that of the Archetypal Crone.

Now, before you think hag or maybe witch, consider this: the Crone, as an archetypal figure, is a Wise Woman, in touch with wisdom and understanding beyond others’ ken. The Crone scares men and younger women because she is in touch with a deep, often misunderstood life wisdom that eludes them. To become a Crone is to make a ritual rite of passage into a new era of wisdom, freedom, and personal power. Watch out. I feel it. And when the trees even nod to it, you know there’s deep, deep meaning.