Moving Forward Together: Day 23
March 23: Judith Butler & the Crone’s Challenge to Silence
Photo caption: By University of California, Berkeley - The photo was sent to me personally by Judith Butler, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31967265
To question power is to risk being silenced. To speak out—especially on topics that unsettle dominant narratives—is an act of resistance. On March 23, 2016, philosopher Judith Butler, along with scholar Saree Makdisi, published an op-ed titled “Suppressing criticism of Zionism on campus is catastrophic censorship” in the Los Angeles Times.
In it, they warned of the growing attempts to frame all criticism of Zionism or Israeli state policy as antisemitic, particularly in academic settings. They called this a dangerous erosion of free speech, particularly for students, scholars, and activists advocating for Palestinian rights. Their message: to shut down political discourse under the guise of protection is to flatten complexity, stifle truth, and choke the possibility of justice.
It was a bold statement, and like much of Butler’s work, it refused to choose comfort over integrity.
Born in 1956, Butler is one of the most influential thinkers in contemporary gender theory and philosophy. Their groundbreaking book, Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity (1990), introduced the now foundational idea that gender is not an innate truth, but a social performance, shaped by cultural norms, language, and repetition.
This theory disrupted conventional feminist and queer politics, asking deeper questions about how we come to understand identity at all—and who benefits from the systems that shape that understanding.
Butler’s work extends far beyond gender. They’ve written and spoken extensively on:
Trans rights and the medicalization of identity
The ethics of nonviolence and mourning
The precariousness of life under structures of power
Critiques of nationalism, war, and state violence
They are a scholar, yes—but also a public intellectual, activist, and relentless challenger of simplistic narratives.
In their 2016 op-ed, Butler and Makdisi warned against a disturbing trend: labeling all critiques of Israel as antisemitic, thereby delegitimizing legitimate political dissent and silencing conversations about Palestinian rights, state violence, and settler colonialism.
This act of censorship, they argued, is not about protecting Jews—it’s about protecting power. And when university campuses, of all places, become sites of intellectual repression, the consequences extend far beyond the classroom.
Their message resonates even more deeply today. As global conflicts escalate and student protests are surveilled, shut down, or discredited, we must ask ourselves:
Who gets to speak freely?
Who decides what is “off limits”?
What do we lose when dissent is punished?
The Crone does not flinch in the face of uncomfortable truths. She is not here to soothe. She is here to speak, to name, to remember, and to refuse silence.
Like Butler, the Crone understands that language shapes reality. That freedom of speech is not freedom from consequence, but freedom from erasure. That resistance is not always loud—but it is always necessary.
To be a Crone is to hold the wisdom to know when silence is survival, and when silence is complicity.
To walk the Crone’s path means:
Speaking when others are afraid
Defending the right to question power
Holding space for voices that are marginalized and erased
A Spell for Protecting Free Speech & Speaking Uncomfortable Truths
This spell is for those who are afraid to speak, who feel silenced, or who are ready to defend the right to dissent, to question, and to engage in uncomfortable but necessary conversations. Inspired by Judith Butler’s intellectual bravery, it honors the magic of language, the protection of discourse, and the Crone’s power to say what must be said.
What You’ll Need:
A blue or silver candle (for clarity and communication)
A feather or pen (to symbolize speech and the written word)
A slip of paper (to write the truth you wish to speak or protect)
A mirror or piece of glass (to reflect truth and hold clarity)
The Ritual:
1. Light the Flame of Free Expression
Light the blue or silver candle, saying:
"Let this light burn through silence,
through fear, through erasure.
Let truth be heard, even when it’s unwelcome."
2. Write the Truth
On the slip of paper, write a sentence or phrase that reflects a truth you want to speak—perhaps something that feels unsayable, rejected, or suppressed.
Hold it and say:
"I claim my words.
I name what others deny.
I speak because silence is a lie."
3. Reflect & Protect
Place the paper in front of the mirror or glass. Look into it and whisper:
"May this truth be seen.
May this truth be safe.
May the right to speak remain sacred."
4. Seal the Spell
Hold the pen or feather in your dominant hand and touch it to the mirror, declaring:
"As long as I speak, I am free.
As long as we speak, we cannot be erased."
Snuff the candle, knowing the light of truth remains. Keep the mirror or feather as a talisman of your right to dissent, to challenge, and to speak your truth.
Words Are Power. Don’t Let Them Be Taken From You.
Judith Butler reminds us that language is not neutral. That silence can be violent. That truth must sometimes be defended—not just spoken.
Let us be Crones who protect the power of speech, who refuse to be intimidated by censorship, and who remember that the freedom to speak includes the freedom to challenge, to dissent, and to hold power accountable.
We move forward together—rooted in history, fueled by resistance, and weaving the future with our own hands.