Connecting to Our Inner Goddesses
A few weeks ago, I spoke with a friend about feminine energy; we discussed how to cultivate it and how to embrace it. In learning more about feminine energy, I found a magnificent book called "Goddesses in Everywoman: Powerful Archetypes in Women's Lives", written by Jean Shinoda Bolen. This book shares how Carl Jung's archetypes can be seen in Greek Mythology and how we can use Greek Goddesses' energy to cultivate our strength.
The Goddesses I will mention below are all attached to one archetype. It is essential to understand that we can be many archetypes at the same time, and we can change our primary archetype depending on the stage of our lives.
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Athena Goddess of Wisdom and War
An Athena woman can be seen as cold, precise, and analytical. She is focused on winning and has strategized how she will climb to the top. She is comfortable surrounded by men. She is not moved by love, and she is not looking to be a wife or a mom. She is used to siding with patriarchy and doesn't like change.
Growth Work:
Athena woman would grow by letting someone love her and love in return, something as letting someone hug her. Go back to being a child, playing, having fun. Not everything has to be work and no play. Maybe it is time to get in touch with your emotions. Find someone who you can trust to speak with about what is happening.
Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt
An Artemis woman is all about sisterhood, women equality, and protecting the most vulnerable. She is a fighter in her way. She cannot stand to see people being taken advantage of or being mistreated. She is goal-oriented and focuses on paving her path.
Growth Work:
It can be challenging to have a relationship with an Artemis woman because they are usually focused on their goals, and moving forward. Artemis women tend to avoid being vulnerable and suppress their emotions. She might have a lot of rage towards men. This is her constant fight against the patriarchy and women treated as less.
Hestia, goddess of the hearth
A Hestia woman is all about her inner self. She is very introverted and enjoys being with herself in a drama-free life. She usually tends to be a spiritual or religious person. Some women find themselves as Hestia when they are experiencing a loss or grieving. This can be a moment of introspection and taking care of themselves.
Growth Work:
A Hestia woman might have difficulties being in today's modern society. She might tend to have the challenges of dealing with conflict in a social setting and usually lack assertiveness. A Hestia woman's way of caring is usually impersonalized and might have trouble showing others that she cares about them. A Hestia woman could benefit from learning to show compassion and love in her way.
Persephone: The Maiden and Queen of the Underworld
Persephone is the Maiden and the Queen of the Underworld. As Maiden, she encapsulates the "forever child" attitude. She is flexible, and this can help her be adaptable to changes. Her adaptability assists her when following paths that many others might not be able to choose. As a queen of the underworld, she has learned much about suffering. She has empathy and intuition. These are gifts that she can use to become resilient and be a guiding force for those suffering.
Growth Work:
Persephone's adaptability can also harm a Persephone woman, the idea of not sticking to one plan and jumping around in a relationship or a job might be challenging. A Persephone woman should stick to a commitment. In the case that she continues moving from one opportunity to another, she will forever be a victim of the will and power of others, becoming a long-sufferer or martyr.
Demeter, goddess of grain and agriculture
Demeter women are the epitome of a mother. She is the happiest when she is nurturing and comforting others. Her goal in life is to bear her own children, and once she has them, she will probably devote her life to them. She doesn't like to compete, and her career, if she decided to have one, might focus on helping and advocating for others.
Growth Work:
A Demeter woman has difficulties saying no, her life is spent being there for others that is hard for her to have solid boundaries. Her givingness might also make her perfect prey for narcissistic people who love to be with people who want to "take care of them." This will become a perfect disaster because they will feed off each other's needs. She will thrive when she can take care of her energy, and avoid burning out for giving herself too much.
Hera, Goddess of Marriage
As her title expresses, a Hera woman is all about marriage. She is devoted to finding a partner who she can commit and devote herself to. Marriage is her ultimate goal, and she is offended when people think marriage is not a role. She sees her role and worth very tied up with that of her partner. Her devotion to loyalty and commitment is a great skill to have. A Hera woman will use these skills in all her endeavors.
Growth Work:
Given Hera women are all about commitment to one person, when she is not in a committed relationship, jealousy thas well as the inability to leave a partner who is not treating her well, might cause great harm. Another challenge a Hera woman might find is that she ties her worth to her relationship status; she might feel discarded and use her jealousy for revenge.
Aphrodite, goddess of love
Aphrodite is all about excitement, sex, eroticism, and creativity. She loves love and wants the variety and intensity in everything she does. She enters relationships, not for the sake of the relationship, but sex and excitement. She is not one to become enamored after a one night stand. Just like with sex, an Aphrodite woman passionately uses all her senses to create art. Aphrodite's magic is that she is able to be present and aware of the moment fully.
Growth Work:
All this love lust might harm her when finding her partner. Because she falls in love so easily, she tends to fall in love with the wrong person. She is usually attracted to people who do not want a lasting relationship and are not looking to build a family. This might harm her ability to be creative, and later in life, she might feel stuck in a present that does not bring her excitement. She might use her sensuality to attract attention, and when she doesn't get it, she is not completely happy.
There are good challenges in every archetype, but the message is the same. You own your destiny. If you can learn to understand your skills and passions and how to grow with them, you can use this to your advantage. The more you know about yourself, the more you can create and grow. It is okay to be anything you want because there is beauty in all of these mythical creatures. We are not just one archetype, and that is okay.
