Goddesses in Everywoman Powerful Archetypes in Women's Lives

This book was recommended to me by my therapist. It's an engaging and enlightening read, to say the least. You won't ever take yourself casually as a woman after reading this. Makes you revere everything about being a woman, and every single woman you meet.

Must read.

Really awesome book....help under a lot about my own nature. Thank you.

made me stop and think so many times

The book "Goddesses in Everywoman: Powerful Archetypes in Women's Lives" offers a profound exploration of Greek mythology and its connection to the attributes of goddesses that can be found within women. The author, Jean Shinoda Bolen, provides a comprehensive breakdown of seven goddesses and their corresponding emotional and behavioral patterns. This book not only helps readers gain a better understanding of themselves but also enables them to recognize and appreciate the goddesses within other women. Through her years of clinical work, Bolen presents compelling portraits of these goddesses, allowing readers to have moments of recognition and self-discovery. By framing these behavioral patterns as goddesses, the author empowers women and highlights their inherent strength and wisdom. This book is a testament to the optimism, courage, and hope that can be found within every woman. The author's writing style is engaging and accessible, making it easy for readers to grasp the concepts and insights presented. Each chapter delves into the mythology, attributes, and ways to cultivate or activate each goddess archetype. Additionally, the book explores the influence of these archetypes in different stages of a woman's life, including childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. While the book is not without its flaws, such as subjective theories and occasional lack of support, it remains a valuable resource for self-reflection and personal growth. The author's exploration of the goddess Persephone as the Maiden could have been further expanded to include her role as Queen of the Underworld. However, these minor shortcomings do not diminish the overall impact and value of the book. In conclusion, "Goddesses in Everywoman" is a classic that continues to resonate with readers. It offers a deep understanding of the archetypes of feminine consciousness and encourages women to embrace and embody these goddesses within themselves. This book is highly recommended for anyone seeking self-knowledge and a greater understanding of the women in their lives. It provides invaluable insights into the universal female archetypes that shape and characterize the experiences of most women.

Amazing book. Ms. Bolen is perhaps the only author and researcher that has elaborated so much in the ancient archetypes, as these were always present in women of the past and of the present. The Gods and Goddesses of ancient Greece, as mentioned in the introduction of the book, is a "myth that never was but is always happening", meaning that the personalities of the ancient Gods and Goddesses summarize the fundamental archetypes through which humans think and act, even if they are not conscious of it. What that means practically, is that you can explain every woman's behavior, needs and motives if you match her with her main archetype, or - in case of more complicated characters - the combination of archetypes active in her. This book gave my crazy insights that helped me understandd the character, behavior and needs - as these were inner programmed by their currently active archetype - in the women around me. My mother, my sister, my friends, and all other women I have ever met. But the most life changing insight of all, was the advice given: if you feel that the shadows of an archetype mess with your life and happiness, and limit your growth, the best way to break free from these limitations and grow, is to activate other archetypes, gods or goddesses, that compliment you and provide you with the qualities that you lack. If you are interested in educating yourself with psychology theories of explaining different human personalities, please please give this book and its companion book "Gods in Everyman" a try. They will change the way you view people. You will never again be under the impression that there are millions of different personalities around you. With the knowledge of the 16 main archetypes, you can easily categorize people in one or some of them, and thus you will be in position to understand them better, to know what they want and what they need, to know if their personality is compatible with your own personality. But most importantly, you will be able to understand why you do and like the things you do and like, why you repeat certain patterns, and why you are drawn to specific types of people.

As I really liked this one I now look forward to read the one on Gods. Such a gem ..