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In Honor of the Feminine: Jungian Analysts and the Complexities of Love
Eight women—Jungian psychoanalysts— share their personal stories of the emergence of and transformative manifestations of the archetypal feminine, the complexities of love and the necessity for Eros – relatedness to inner and outer realities.
Contributors include (Editor) Marilyn Marshall, Constance Romero, Carolyn Bates, Nancy Qualls-Corbett, Susan Negley, Janice Quinn, Barbara Friedman and Jacqueline Wright
Meaningful experiences span the heartbeats of life and reveal the significance of a woman’s emotional, sexual and spiritual awakenings as she learns to claim her own value and voice. In a zeitgeist of patriarchal attitudes in which divine archetypal feminine images and principles continue to be devalued, categorized, and pathologized, the storytellers’ desire to personally claim Her significance and authority has encouraged us to write a part of our stories—in honor of Her.
The effects of collective consciousness, religious beliefs, and parental patterns of relating are prominent aspects of these stories. There is no avoidance of this reality for any of us, and we have lived the first half of our lives in degrees of acceptance or rejection, responding to its ideals for the normal, the acceptable, the agreeable, and the expected role of a girl and a woman in a man’s world. Our mothers and fathers are the first source of these legacies and expectations, both affecting the girl’s psychological development and, later, challenging the woman’s consciousness. In that particular stage of life we have lived, for the most part, unconsciously—acquiring an ego identity and persona that establishes a sense of self and seeking love and/or power that provides a sense of fulfillment. In this endeavor we repress many of the negative and positive aspects of the feminine deemed bad, inferior, weak, unacceptable, and yet they slip into our dreams and relationships as unconscious shadow selves that we project, avoid or deny. This works for a time—until it doesn’t: until the moral dilemma, the sudden illness, the amazing dream; until the stagnation, the empty nest, the heartbreaking loss, or the final and consequential “no more.”
This book tells of the pivotal struggles, revelatory dreams, illuminating myths and the emotional fires that have informed, transformed, and supported us on our paths of individuation. The mysteries of the archetypal feminine and the devalued and repressed attributes of Her nature have enriched and strengthened our feminine identities as well as challenged and influenced our relatedness to the archetypal masculine and, thus, to the cultural milieu and the men in our lives. These experiences have been a gift of and a tribute to the complexities of love.
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| | | Praise for In Honor of the Feminine
I love the book. . . . These [stories] dig deep into the mythic heritage of the feminine; one open to men as well as women if they have the wisdom to read with the soul. . . . Here, the personal is political, archetypal, potent. . . .
– Susan Rowland, Ojai CA
. . . . profound, moving, brave, beautiful stories . . . The redemption that this kind of meaning makes possible, and that so beautifully moves this book deep from within, is the transformation of the tragic nature of life into beauty and freedom through compassion and love. . . .
– Stefano Carta, Rome, Italy
. . . the voices we have been waiting for. . . . These Jungian analysts generously share deeply and personally from their own depths . . . . a way through dreams, unexpected encounters, myths and artistic expression that, if we can allow the brokenness and accept the descent, the presence of Psyche will guide us.
– Anne Pickup, Washington, D.C.
. . . a profound, courageous, and compelling exploration . . . . love, sexuality, spirituality, and individuation weave through these stories, offering readers a rich tapestry of insight into the divine feminine and how it is experienced in the lives of modern women.
– Christina Becker, Toronto, ON
. . . a rare treasure. . . . a chance to learn from professionals who are highly experienced in guiding others through the realms of the psyche—only this time they are describing their own life experiences of meeting love, vulnerability, awe, and mystery, as well as confronting the shadow.
– Mary-Jayne Rust, LONDON UK
. . . . It is liberating to have this account of a key part of psyche they have come to know and honor. Theirs is a text that all of us can learn from.
– John Beebe, San Francisco CA
. . . . deeply moving stories . . . experiences of psyche’s journey that call us all to recognize and embrace the re-valuation of the archetypal feminine against the tide of cultural constriction. . . .
– Mary Dougherty, Chicago IL
. . . . lifts the veil behind which lie the mysteries of the feminine soul . . . . a book not just for women but also for men who wish to further their understanding of the women in their lives and of how Eros lives within themselves.
– Steve Eliezer Zemmelman, San Francisco CA
. . . . Each woman . . . discovers her unique voice—a voice which is personal and which also reaches into the depths of the archetypal feminine energy. . . their stories . . . . show that courage, faith, and hope and a way of renewal is possible for both women and men.
–Linda Schierse Leonard, San Francisco CA
Among its many treasures this book is a great gift to men as a window into the hearts and psyches of women and the living reality of the feminine . . . .
–Thomas Singer, San Francisco CA
Table of Contents -List Of Illustrations
-Introduction - Marilyn Marshall
-Candles in the Sea - Constance Romero
-Love Letters - Carolyn Bates
-I Still Listen for Her Voice - Nancy Qualls-Corbett
-A Love Story - Susan Clements Negley
-Eros And the Stranger - Janice Quinn
-Training In Love - Marilyn Marshall
-The Healing of Medusa: A Dream Journey - Barbara Friedman
-Liberated By Love - Jacqueline Wright
-Concluding Remarks in Her Honor - Marilyn Marshall
-A Summary of The Eros and Psyche Myth - Marilyn Marshall
-References
-Additional Resources from the Authors
-About The Authors
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