From: burkel@ucsu.Colorado.EDU (Laura)
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1993 08:44:17 GMT

meesh@happy.cc.utexas.edu writes:

> Well, personally, I use four archetypes - Maiden, Warrior, Mother
> and Crone.  This allows for exactly what you describe - an archetype
> of a woman who is independent, capable and active, and is focused on
> herself and her own needs and desires.  I 'stole' the idea from the
> author Mercedes Lackey, who uses these Goddess archetypes in her
> fantasy books.

Yay. I like that idea, though I use the term 'dark goddess,' or I call
it the bleeding goddess,' when I am putting it in terms of say
menstruation. I pulled that mostly from some of the reading I've done
about the subject. I really like having her there, as she affirms that
it is okay for me to be old enough to support myself and in no hurry
to support others. And at the same time, being that she is dark and a
bit mysterious, I get time enough alone to sort out who she is, even
how much I want to know about her. She's a nice, evolving, moody,
flexible person and I am trying as hard as I can to see her in a good
light rather than feel ashamed of being in a transition stage.

> As far as the rest of the discussion goes, personally I think we
> have a bit of all the archetypes within us all the time, we just
> 'realize them' more fully at different times in our lives.  When I
> was six years old and I was standing up for myself in front of a
> cabin full of summercamp bullies, I'm positive the warrior spirit
> rose in me.  (Of course I didn't know it at the time!)  Putting
> physical boundaries on when we experience the archetype is useless
> to me.  What's the point of the archetypes at all?  I think they
> help us live our lives fully, we can draw strength from them by
> finding them in ourselves.  Sometimes I feel the crone in me, though
> I definitely still an feeling the pains of menstruation!!

Indeed. I have often thought that some of the phases just come to me
in a flash, something that I hit upon quite by accident. After a
while, I think that hopefully I will have learned how to use them
best, to improve my ability to stand within my center.I sort of see
that as the time when I can call myself the crone, and not just feel
croney :).  [Wow, do I sound cheesy or what?]/

> By the way, Marc, about your post, I definitely am interested in the
> male point of view on this subject.  It's not like I don't have
> opinions about male archetypes!  Thanks for posting, especially
> because you described what I wanted to say much better than I could
> have.

I want to know how guys feel about looking for the maiden mother and
crone in themselves. Is that an effective perceiving tool, or
something only women see as valueable? It seems that it has a sort of
multi-levelled feel to it. It is certainly something I am curious
about.

Laura
>