"Wild moon woman you were not made to be tame. You are an earthquake shaking loose everything that is not soul.
Shake, woman, shake.”
- Elyse Morgan
Regardless of your unique personality or stage of life, studying archetypes can give valuable insight into your own strengths, challenges, and subconscious beliefs. Archetypes can hold up a mirror to our inner workings, allowing us to understand things on a deeper level, and finally take charge of our own destiny. You may notice that you naturally hold up the pattern of a particular archetype in your work life, or in your romantic life. You may also notice that you have an archetype or two that only become dominant in certain situations. You likely also have preconceived ideas or judgments about some of these archetypes, and these learned biases may also influence your behaviors. Working with this psychological philosophy can be very eye-opening!
Throughout history, the wild woman archetype was usually the one leading the charge against convention, cruelty, and dictatorship. The wild woman was the one that wasn’t afraid to stand up and speak her mind. She’s a powerful leader, even though her leadership style may be a bit different from that of a queen or warrior archetype. Wild women were the ones challenging tradition, forging the path for new growth, positive developments, equality, health, fairness, and peace. The advancements the world has seen in civil rights, science, medical care, gender equity, and many other important issues all started because a wild woman archetype was willing to shake things up.
If your archetype is the Wild Woman, the following characteristics apply to you:
Sometimes, the wild woman can step into a more open leadership role, or she may choose to abandon all organization or visibility altogether.
Her passions are innovation, reform and change, and ultimately, renewal. She isn’t afraid of being different, and doesn’t seem to care what others think of her. She also isn’t afraid of truth, darkness, solitude, notoriety, or any other aspects that often come with being on the fringe. The wild woman is steadfast in her values, and does what she believes is right for her at all times.
Deep within our collective subconscious lie certain patterns of belief and behavior. These patterns, or archetypes, are the universal symbols of our innate, unlearned human experience. Most of us carry a bit of all of them, and these archetypes may ebb and flow throughout our lives, offering unique wisdom that is useful for situations we find ourselves in. We also tend to advance through some of these archetypes as we age. It was Carl Jung who brought the concept of archetypes into the practice of psychology, offering that all of us travel through archetypal experiences in life, echoing the rhythm of the collective unconscious.
As women, we often find ourselves put into boxes by our culture. Other people may try to stuff us into certain stereotypes, more so than they might for a man.
One example of this is the classic “Madonna-whore complex,” which pits women into either being saintly and respectable, or sensual and fun. Many women find themselves caught in this false dichotomy, which can be disempowering, and fails to recognise the value and presence of all archetypes within each woman.
None of the feminine archetypes are “better” or “worse” than the others; each has their own power and their own strengths, which we can fully embody as we study them.
All women have a complex inner world, while also operating as a part of the overall feminine consciousness.
In Jungian psychology, there are 12 archetypes, and you can find many variations of these in other philosophies, including goddess mythology, ancient spirituality, and other practices.
In the Soulwoman Circles we study 12 archetypes as they pertain to the feminine experience. You will likely resonate with many of them, and be able to see them in other women too. We explore the following archetypes, get to understand what they have to teach us, and how to embody their energies in an empowering way:
Maiden
Lover
Queen
Muse
Warrior
Earth Mother
Wild Woman
Sage
Huntress
Healer
Priestess
Temptress
Each of these archetypes represents a certain aspect of the collective personality, and each archetype carries its own basic human motivations, its own set of values and desires, and its own weaknesses. When we can truly understand the inner workings of each archetype, we can finally come in tune with our own behaviors, and the underlying drives that we feel. When we can see each archetype for what it is, and identify their motivations, we can get some space from our own thoughts and anxieties. This offers clarity and peace, and a roadmap of sorts, showing us the way through our current situation.
It can be fun to play with archetypes too; you’ll notice them show up as characters on your favorite show, or in a book you’re reading. You’ll notice them in your friends and loved ones. And of course, you’ll notice them in yourself, as you explore your subconscious workings and find your unique path to personal power.
The wild woman archetype shows up in many areas in pop culture, and throughout folklore. Women like Marie Curie, Amelia Earhart, Frida Kahlo, Princess Leia, and Cleopatra have the rebel energy about them, along with goddesses like Artemis, Amaterasu, Lovatar, and Tiamat. There are many ways to challenge convention and carve your own path, so let your inner wild woman archetype inspire you. She can lead you into your own personal revolution, to clear out what no longer serves you, and to begin anew.
For more information on your Archetype, remember to download the eBook!
Dr. Mia Rose is a registered psychologist in Australia and author of the prize-winning book, Awaken to Love. She is the founder of the Soulwoman Circles, and holds the Space of Transformation for women who yearn for connection in the warm embrace of a supportive sisterhood.
Karen, Mia's biological sister, is the Creative Muse and Chief Cheerleader in the Soulwoman Circles. Her commitment is to support women to create a blissful, purposeful life for themselves by aligning with Self, Spirit and Mama Earth.
Mia and Karen lead women in Circles and on sacred retreats worldwide to help them step into their own power and say YES to life.
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