At some point after fifty, every woman crosses a threshold into the third phase of her life. As she enters this uncharted territory -- one that is generally uncelebrated in popular culture -- she can choose to mourn what has gone before, or she can embrace the juicy-crone years. In this celebration of Act Three, Jean Shinoda Bolen, Jungian analyst and bestselling author of Goddesses in Everywoman, names the powerful new energies and potentials -- or archetypes -- that come into the psyche at this momentous time, suggesting that women getting older have profound and exciting reasons for welcoming the other side of fifty.
At some point after fifty, every woman crosses a threshold into the third phase of her life. As she enters this uncharted territory -- one that is generally uncelebrated in popular culture -- she can choose to mourn what has gone before, or she can embrace the juicy crone years. In this celebration of Act 3, Jungian analyst Jean Shinoda Bolen names the powerful new energies and potentials, or archetypes, that come into the psyche at this momentous time, suggesting that women getting older have profound and exciting reasons for welcoming the other side of fifty. As Bolen has explained in her remarkable body of work, there are goddesses in every woman, deep archetypal sources of wisdom, authenticity and spirituality that, once tapped, energize us and give us a sense of meaning and self- acceptance. The knowledge of which archetypes are active within us at each phase of life-maiden, mother (or matron), and cronesupports us in making choices that are true to who we are instead of conforming to others' ideas of who we should be. In Bolen's bestselling Goddesses in Everywoman, the classic work of the women's spirituality movement, the Greek goddesses personified these archetypes as they affected the first two phases of a woman's adult life. Now she explains that in the third stage, marked physiologically by menopause, there emerges a whole new cast of inner archetypes that a woman can draw on for guidance, creativity, personal integration, and joy. Once we learn to recognize these forces, we can feel empowered and wise, introspective and spiritual, sexually bold and full of mirth. For it is in the "wisewoman" years, when a woman has lived long enough to resolve the tasks of younger and middle adulthood, that she can fully and authentically become who she deeply is. The generation of women who are approaching or who have reached the crone years is historically unique. Influenced by the women's movement, they have benefited from educational opportunities, women's support networks, and economic resources as excellent preparation for decades of active postmenopausal life. By recognizing the goddess archetypes that emerge in this phase, women of this special generation will be enabled to transform the crone years into the best years of their lives.
A classic work of female psychology that uses seven archetypcal goddesses as a way of describing behavior patterns and personality traits is being introduced to the next generation of readers with a new introduction by the author. Psychoanalyst Jean Bolen's career soared in the early 1980s when Goddesses in Everywoman was published. Thousands of women readers became fascinated with identifying their own inner goddesses and using these archetypes to guide themselves to greater self–esteem, creativity, and happiness. Bolen's radical idea was that just as women used to be unconscious of the powerful effects that cultural stereotypes had on them, they were also unconscious of powerful archetypal forces within them that influence what they do and how they feel, and which account for major differences among them. Bolen believes that an understanding of these inner patterns and their interrelationships offers reassuring, true–to–life alternatives that take women far beyond such restrictive dichotomies as masculine/feminine, mother/lover, careerist/housewife. And she demonstrates in this book how understanding them can provide the key to self–knowledge and wholeness. Dr. Bolen introduced these patterns in the guise of seven archetypal goddesses, or personality types, with whom all women could identify, from the autonomous Artemis and the cool Athena to the nurturing Demeter and the creative Aphrodite, and explains how to decide which to cultivate and which to overcome, and how to tap the power of these enduring archetypes to become a better "heroine" in one's own life story.
A classic work of female psychology that uses seven archetypcal goddesses as a way of describing behavior patterns and personality traits is being introduced to the next generation of readers with a new introduction by the author. Psychoanalyst Jean Bolen's career soared in the early 1980s when Goddesses in Everywoman was published. Thousands of women readers became fascinated with identifying their own inner goddesses and using these archetypes to guide themselves to greater self–esteem, creativity, and happiness. Bolen's radical idea was that just as women used to be unconscious of the powerful effects that cultural stereotypes had on them, they were also unconscious of powerful archetypal forces within them that influence what they do and how they feel, and which account for major differences among them. Bolen believes that an understanding of these inner patterns and their interrelationships offers reassuring, true–to–life alternatives that take women far beyond such restrictive dichotomies as masculine/feminine, mother/lover, careerist/housewife. And she demonstrates in this book how understanding them can provide the key to self–knowledge and wholeness. Dr. Bolen introduced these patterns in the guise of seven archetypal goddesses, or personality types, with whom all women could identify, from the autonomous Artemis and the cool Athena to the nurturing Demeter and the creative Aphrodite, and explains how to decide which to cultivate and which to overcome, and how to tap the power of these enduring archetypes to become a better "heroine" in one's own life story.
Though we talk about wanting to "age gracefully," the truth is that when it comes to getting older, we're programmed to dread an inevitable decline: in our health, our looks, our sexual relationships, even the pleasure we take in living life. But as Christiane Northrup, M.D., shows us in this New York Times best-selling guide, we have it in us to make growing older an entirely different experience, both for our bodies and for our souls. In chapters that blend personal stories and practical exercises with the latest research on health and aging, Dr. Northrup lays out the principles of ageless living, from rejecting processed foods to releasing stuck emotions, from embracing our sensuality to connecting deeply with our Divine Source. Explaining that the state of our health is dictated far more by our beliefs than by our biology, she works to shift our perceptions about getting older and show us what we are entitled to expect from our later years--no matter what our culture tries to teach us to the contrary--including: - Vibrant good health - A fulfilling sex life - The capacity to love without losing ourselves - The ability to move our bodies with ease and pleasure - Clarity and authenticity in all our relationships--especially the one we have with ourselves "Taking all the right supplements and pills, or getting the right procedure done, isn't the prescription for anti-aging," Dr. Northrup explains. "Agelessness is all about vitality, the creative force that gives birth to new life." Goddesses Never Age is filled with tools and inspiration for bringing vitality and vibrancy into your own ageless years--and it all comes together in Dr. Northrup's 14-day Ageless Goddess Program, your personal prescription for creating a healthful, soulful, joyful new way of being at any stage of life.
Here, archaeologically documented,is the story of the religion of the Goddess. Under her, women’s roles were far more prominent than in patriarchal Judeo-Christian cultures. Stone describes this ancient system and, with its disintegration, the decline in women’s status.
“Jean Shinoda Bolen provides ancient and modern ways to be our authentic, courageous, and passionate selves. Jean herself is an Artemis.”—Gloria Steinem Worshiped in Ancient Greece as a protectress of young girls, Artemis was the goddess of hunting, nature, and chastity—the original “wild woman.” In Artemis, Jungian analyst and bestselling author, Jean Shinoda Bolen, revives the goddess Artemis to reclaim the female passion and persistence to survive and succeed. But an indomitable spirit isn’t just reserved for the gods. In her book, Dr. Bolen revives the myth of Atalanta, an archetypal Artemis and mere mortal. To Atalanta, fate was no obstacle. Left to die because she was born a girl, she faces the Calydon Boar and outruns any man attempting to claim her as his wife. In Artemis, women are encouraged to discover their inner heroine—the activist who never gives up, who cannot be subdued. Whether women’s rights activists or Princess Merida from Brave, the Artemis personality is embodied in the modern women. Hailed by Isabel Allende, as a “beautiful, inspiring book,” Artemis is dedicated to all women and girls who discover her unconquerable spirit in themselves or others. Inside find: · Examples of Artemis in real-life and popular culture · Ancient and modern ways to be your authentic self · A source of strength, power, and integrity “Bolen connects Artemis to contemporary figures such as environmental activist Julia Butterfly Hill, author Cheryl Strayed, and journalist Lara Logan . . . Bolen also discusses other goddess archetypes, including the romance-oriented Aphrodite, contemplative Hestia, and Hecate, the wise crone. The exploration of Artemis and Atalanta as feminist icons is compelling.”—Publishers Weekly
“Describes how every woman can be supported by a circle of friends with a sacred center, and how circles multiply their spiritual and political energy.” —Isabel Allende While women’s individual experiences and stories differ, there remains to be a uniting factor that draws women from around the world together. In this book for women, author Jean Shinoda Bolen calls upon this uniting factor, this feminine spirit ingrained in the soul of each woman, as a source of motivation for activism. As a result, this activism focused on women empowerment is person-focused and heart-centered. Each of us wields the power to make change. By channeling our passions into all that we do, our voices and our actions, we take this world one step closer to being a better home for all who live in it. But joining with others is key to this effort. Bolen emphasizes the importance of relying on a support system, particularly women’s circles, in order to grow in influence. The metaphoric millionth circle is the tipping point into a post-patriarchal era. It is through the process of a growing number of people changing their perceptions and behaviors that a new era will begin. Those in the circles feed the activism by strengthening each other, and in turn, the movement as a whole. This spiritual book for women serves as a practical and poetic call to action, inspiring women and others to follow a path with soul. In Moving Toward the Millionth Circle you’ll discover . . . A deeper dive into The Millionth Circle Initiative Words of passionate wisdom from an internationally known author and speaker A rallying cry for all women seeking change
The essays focus upon popular culture as it is informed by ancient and current mythic images, narratives, personalities, icons and archetypes. Topics include: the cult status of the serial sex killer; sexual murder as a contemporary form of religious sacrifice; pornography as an everyday narrative underlying not only sexism, but also racism, homophobia, and militarism; the relation of incest to nuclearism; pornography and the sacred; cyborg myth; and subtextual presence of ancient goddess figures in contemporary narratives, including that of Princess Diana.
