Goddesses in Everywoman: Powerful Archetypes in Women's Lives

Description

Jean Shinoda Bolen's celebrated work of female psychology that uses seven archetypical goddesses to describing behavior patterns and personality traits, as relevant and timeless today as when it was first published thirty years ago. Myths are fascinating stories that become even more intriguing when we realize that they can reveal intimate truths about ourselves and others. Jean Shinoda Bolen brings the Greek pantheon to life as our inner archetypes and applies the power of myth to our personal lives. Once we understand the natural progression from myth to archetype to personal psychology, and realize that positive gifts and negative tendencies are qualities associated with a particular goddess within, we gain powerful insights. Depending on which goddess is more active within, one woman might be more committed to achieving professional success, while another more fulfilled as a wife and mother. From the autonomous Artemis and the cool Athena to the nurturing Demeter and the creative Aphrodite, she teaches women 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 their own life story.

Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D., is an internationally known Jungian analyst, clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California at San Francisco, and a former member of the board of the Ms. Foundation for Women. She lives in Mill Valley, California. Contact jean Bolen at www.jeanbolen.com.

"Every woman will find herself in one or more of the Greek heroines, and no woman . . . will find herself criticized. Godesses in Everywoman supplies powerful concrete images that can be used effectively to produce self-understanding and change. Highly recommeneded." - ALA Booklist "The highest value of Goddesses in Everywoman lies in the moments of recognition it provides. The author labels them as moments of "Aha!': that insightful second when we understand and internalize; when we recognize what we ourselves have experienced, feel trust because of that truth, and then are taken one step further to an understanding of 'Yes, that's why.'" - Gloria Steinem "A glorious book. Jean Shinoda Bolen's weaving of myth, science and keen observation makes this an outstanding contribution to the humanities." - Rita Mae Brown "Dr. Bolen dreams big...hers is a strong voice as a leader in the women's empowerment movement." - Dallas Morning News "Every woman will find herself in one or more of the Greek heroines, and no woman . . . will find herself criticized. Goddesses in Everywoman supplies powerful concrete images that can be used effectively to produce self-understanding and change. Highly recommended." - Booklist "A creative departure from Jungian orthodoxy...Bolen's book is interesing, even fascinating, and rings true psychologically." - Nashville Tennessean Praise for Goddesses in Older Women "Wow! This is an empowering book. It helped me to better understand the energy of my mature years, how to use it with compassion and humor, and where to get it when it seems to fail." - Isabel Allende "Goddesses in Older Women offers a brilliant and exhilarating perspective that will revolutionize every woman's thinking about aging and free her to see the face in her mirror in a completely different way." - Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D., author of Kitchen Table Wisdom