Goddesses in Everywoman: Powerful Archetypes in Women's Lives

By Jean Shinoda Bolen

Book Overview

"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

Jean Shinoda Bolen's celebrated work of female psychology that uses seven archetypical Greek 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 provide a framework for self-knowledge, becoming even more intriguing when we realize that they can reveal intimate truths about ourselves and others. Drawing on her experience as a Jungian analyst, 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.

This landmark book provides the tools to understand your own inner landscape, offering profound insights into:

The Seven Goddess Archetypes: Explore the virgin goddesses (Artemis, Athena, Hestia), the vulnerable goddesses (Hera, Demeter, Persephone), and the alchemical Aphrodite to learn which patterns govern your life.Jungian Psychology Made Clear: Grasp complex concepts like the collective unconscious through vivid mythological stories and relatable examples from Dr. Bolen's twenty years of clinical practice.A Feminist Perspective: Gain "binocular vision" by understanding how inner forces (archetypes) interact with outer cultural expectations (stereotypes) to shape a woman's experience.Pathways to Personal Growth: Each chapter offers practical "Ways to Grow," helping you cultivate underdeveloped aspects of your personality and move toward wholeness and conscious choice.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0062321129
• ISBN13: 9780062321121
• Release Date: July 2014
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.79 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.2" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Powerful insights for women & men

Dr. Bolen is one of my favorite modern authors. She is a Jungian who teaches in SF. This is a book written by an intelligent and empowered woman, in an attempt to give other women insight on their own strengths & inner gifts. She weaves the stories of 7 goddess of classical Greece (Athena, Artemis, Hestia, Hera, Demeter, Persephone, and Aphrodite) with observations of emotional & behavioral patterns culled from her years of clinical work. The result are truly compelling portraits --- almost every women will find at least one "aha!" of recognition in this book, and all of us can find some kind of "aha!" for the women dear to us in our lives. By casting these behavioral patterns as *goddesses*, Dr. Bolen is ennobling the internal & external struggles of women and underscoring their inherent strength & wisdom. It is a book of tremendous optimism, courage, and hope. This is a book I have often given as a gift to women, especially young women.

A new perspective (or at least it was when 1st published)

Bolen takes Jungian psychology one step further by positing that there is not just, but many, female archetypes, and that a well-balanced women should incorporate aspects from each into her personality. Bolen uses the Greek goddesses Artemis, Athena, Hestia, Persephone, Demeter, Hera and Aphrodite to illustrate aspects of feminity--including both strengths and weaknesses that come with certain characteristics. In the end, Bolen reminds women that choosing which archetype to draw from in any particular circumstance or learning to develop new aspects is critical. Absolutely fascinating!

One of my Top Five All-Time Favorites

I keep at least two copies of this book on hand at all times. One for myself (for safe-keeping) and the second one to loan out to friends who simply must read the book. (I've replaced the second copy several times after loaning it to friends who simply must "KEEP" the book.)Goddesses in Everywoman is one of the clearest presentations of Jungian theory I've ever seen put into actions. I've loaned this book to people with PhDs, people with GEDs, and people with every educational level between. Male or female, each person has found something of themselves in this book--each person who reads it finds a bit of their mom, or sister, or girlfriend, too.If I could give just one book to every woman in my life, it would be Goddesses in Everywoman, by Dr. Bolen.

Very Insightful

This book was very insightful. It talked about the 7 general types of women, each relating to one of the major goddesses from Greek Mythology, and the strengths and weeknesses of each. It led to better understanding of myself and of other women, some of whom I've always felt I had little in common with. I got this book as a gift from my mother, and I found it so interesting I had to give a copy to my mother-in-law who also loved it.