The Stone Maiden listens. She sits on the Sacred Land, listening deeply to the voice of all things around her. She becomes one with the Land and feels its hurts and its joys in her body. When she feels these things, she asks the all important question that starts the quest for the Grail:

"Why are things like this?"

She invites us to create a space of stillness within, and in our daily spiritual practice, so we may hear the voice of our longing, of the Ancestors, and of the Land. Their voices sound as one, calling us to align ourselves with our Soul's destiny. She invites us to the stillness of the midwinter snow and asks:

"What do you hear when you listen deeply?"

Asking these questions, the Stone Maiden upsets the status quo. Once you have felt the hurt of the Land (the inner landscape of your life as well as the land you live on), you can no longer carry on as though you know nothing. You are now compelled to act in practical ways to restore balance and Joy. Drawing strength from her connection with the Land, the Maiden lets the momentum of the quest lead her to the place where she is meant to be, her destiny.

What status quo must you upset to find what is right?

The Stone Maiden immerses herself in the Land with all its wonder. She is a student of its moods and currents. When she hears its joy, she celebrates. When she hears its sorrow, she takes responsibility for bringing balance.

A prose poem by John Luther Adams, The Place Where You Go To Listen, strongly reminds me of the Stone Maiden.

Together with the Moon, the Stone Maiden is associated with the Crone Moon.