Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype

This is one of those books that feels less like a casual read and more like something you sit with and really take your time going through. It blends storytelling, psychology, and mythology in a way that’s very thought-provoking, but it’s definitely not something you can rush through. The writing is rich and layered, and there are a lot of deeper meanings behind the stories. Some sections really stuck with me and made me stop and reflect, especially around themes of intuition, identity, and personal growth. That said, it can feel a bit dense at times. If you’re expecting something light or fast-paced, this probably isn’t it. I found it’s best read in smaller portions so you can actually process everything. Overall, it’s a meaningful and unique book that I can see people coming back to more than once. If you enjoy introspective reads and don’t mind something a little heavier, it’s definitely worth picking up.

Women Who Run With the Wolves is one of those rare books that feels transformative. It’s deeply insightful, beautifully written, and incredibly empowering. It reconnects women to intuition, creativity, resilience, and the “wild woman” spirit within. Every story and interpretation feels layered with wisdom and meaning. This is a book you don’t just read once. One tends to return to it again and again, discovering something new each time. Absolutely unforgettable.

Women Who Run with the Wolves, by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D., is an innovative exploration of feminine journey to Self. The book was written more than three decades ago and has aged well. The oppression of the feminine that Estes focuses on in this book is still present in the twenty-first century. This book is an important reminder of the importance of the feminine and of the dangers of losing that connection in the name of comfort. We love fairytales: the magic, the kingdoms where justice wins and “forever after” is about to begin. This book teaches the different meanings of magic; how and when it manifests itself in the characters’ journeys. We learn how much feminine wisdom is hidden in those fairytales, and how rewarding it is to uncover that wisdom in oneself. The book helps us to rediscover our ancient connection to the land and how our histories overlap. We remember what we never thought we knew. It hurt to read about the intentional sidelining of women and the unaccountability that continues to the present. We rediscover the inner she-wolf and follow her closely as she guides us to our own “Wild Woman” archetype:spiritual, creative and intuitive Self. I appreciated the symbolism of the fairytales and lamented the need to hide the meaning of the stories that revered the feminine. In her poetic way, the author allows for a determined immersion into the potential of recognizing one’s own intuition and creativity through the archetypal feminine figures in the fairytales she has collected from all over the world. Each story is a lesson in loss and the possibility of redemption, through the difficult challenge of honest reflection of your Self. All this requires courage and this book is a faithful cheerleader; should one be brave enough to learn it.

Have you ever had a book come across your path numerous times? You hear about it, read clips of it on blogs or message boards but never get around to picking it up? "Women Who Run with the Wolves" by Clarissa Pinkola Estes is one of those books. It sat on my wish list for months. It wasn't until I read about it on during my studies on society and women that I decided to finally borrowed the book from the library. I am glad I did. Two chapters into the book I realized: I don't want to borrow this book, I must own it. "Women Who Run with the Wolves" is well written and makes you stop, look, listen, and pay attention with your soul. You will need time to read this book to get its full value. It is not reading time that makes it a long read, it is thinking time. This book will address the feelings, thoughts and emotions that you have at the core of your existence. It is a starting point to being honest with yourself. In the simplest of terms it is the handbook on womanhood, intuition, and creativity. Many books on being a woman or understanding a woman seem to tell you about women and womanhood from the outside looking in. This book starts at the core of a woman and shows you layer by layer what the essence of a woman is all about. It is honest and can help a lot of woman and girls understand themselves and live fuller and more meaningful lives. It addresses our needs, joys, fears, hopes, dreams, emotions, creativity, intellect, intuition, customs, views on our self, and society. It hits so close to home that it will feel as if Dr. Estes wrote this book specifically for you. She is like a mother sitting you down and sharing her knowledge with you one beautiful word at a time. I enjoyed the stories and myths that were added to this book from various cultures. It is a great way to understand how ways of being are transferred from generation to generation. She shows us the positive and the negative. The book shows that although women are from various cultures, backgrounds, and races that at the core we are similar in experiences, fears, and love. We have a bond that crosses all these lines. Dr. Estes's book helps to connect the dots. It addressed unanswered questions in the back of my mind and uncovered feelings that were hidden. I slowly found ways to untangle other emotions and thoughts that I deemed crazy but were normal and shared with women across time. As a result look at myself and other women with new understanding. Giving this book to a young woman will be a gift that she will cherish and use throughout her adulthood. I have given copies of this book to women and many have called me to talk about it. We were able to talk about things women don't usually share and help each other. The book is an excellent bridge to create and deepen bonds with other women. I have been stopped in the street and at restaurants by people who are intrigued at the title and my presence when reading it. I have met women who have finished the book and gave me their thoughts on how it has helped them. I would like to thank Dr. Estes for taking the time and having the love in her heart to write this book. It is a book that will help create more stronger and grounded women. It is a book that I will carry with me always

Woman who run with wolves: Myths And Stories Of The Wild Woman Archetype by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés. Introduction: I must honestly confess that my partner advised me to read this book. To start with I had some doubts. I already knew a lot of the myths, legends and fairy tales that are used in this book but in another context and different explanation. After reading I must say that it is true, that the book leads to a better and closer understanding of women. Now I can not only understand, but also ‘feel’ some of the ideas of my partner better. Next to that I am also a father of two daughters. By reading this book I also gained a better understanding about my role as a father. Never before I say so clearly that it is a task of the father to guide his daughters in their contact with men and tell and explain to them about the nature of men. So yes it was a very interesting (long) read. I read the book with a special guide book (only as e-book on BookRags.com) next to it, that was very helpful. And it is certainly not necessary to read the book al at ones. Different chapters can easily be read separately. Below you find some more information about the book and the used legends. About the book: Within every woman there lives a powerful force, filled with good instincts, passionate creativity, and ageless knowing. She is the Wild Woman, who represents the instinctual nature of women. But she is an endangered species. In Women Who Run With the Wolves, Dr. Estés unfolds rich intercultural myths, fairy tales, and stories, many from her own family, in order to help women reconnect with the fierce, healthy, visionary attributes of this instinctual nature. Through the stories and commentaries in this remarkable book, we retrieve, examine, love, and understand the Wild Woman and hold her against our deep psyches as one who is both magic and medicine. Dr. Estés has created a new lexicon for describing the female psyche. Fertile and life-giving, it is a psychology of women in the truest sense, a knowing of the soul. “Woman who run with wolves isn't just another book. It is a gift of profound insight, wisdom, and love. An oracle from one who knows." Alice Walker. This volume reminds us that we are nature for all our sophistication, that we are still wild, and the recovery of that vitality will itself set us right in the world." Thomas Moore (Author of Care of the Soul) "I am grateful to Woman who run with wolves and to Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés. The work shows the reader how glorious it is to be daring, to be caring, and to be women. Everyone who can read should read this book." Maya Angelou "An inspiring book, the 'vitamins for the soul' The book presents woman as strong and healthy. The older woman can find great power and joy within herself. Pay the right attention (not too much and not to little) to periods of transformation (external reality of inner life) Also for partners and fathers there is a lot to be found in this book. Chapters of the guidebook and of 'Woman who run with wolves' Guidebook Chapter 1 page 8 'Woman who run with wolves' Chapter 2 page 38 ‘Bluebeard’ Story of Bluebeard, female naïveté towards men. It is a task of the father to guide his daughters there. Also see Blue Beard p59. Guidebook Chapter 2 (this chapter failed in my version of the study guide) Guidebook Chapter 3 page 11 Noising out the facts. 'Woman who run with wolves' Chapter 3 page 76 Tendency towards obedience in an effort to be treated properly or pleasing others with correctness and kindness. Under many conditions this is an effective strategy. But there are times when it pays off to not be nice, whether we like this truth or not. Guidebook Chapter 4 page 14 The mate. 'Woman who run with wolves' Chapter 4 page 121 A man is courting twin daughters. The father simply wants the man to be interested in the true essence of his daughters. If he takes a deep interest they can be married with an enduring kind of real love. Guidebook Chapter 5 page 16 Hunting: when the heart is a lonely hunter. 'Woman who run with wolves' Chapter 5 page 137 Circle of life. ‘Eros and Tanatos’ About relations: Intimate relationships confront us also with feelings how have nothing to do with that relation. Guidebook Chapter 6 page 18 Finding one’s pack. 'Woman who run with wolves' Chapter 6 page 177 Story of the ugly duckling. Fitting in after not having done so for such a long time. One has learned much from being different, finding a ‘fit’ will all the more be gratifying. Guidebook Chapter 7 page 21 Joyous body. 'Woman who run with wolves' Chapter 7 page 213 Discovering the beauty of the female form the position of strength. All marks (not only physical but also mental) of pregnancy and child birth are icons of natural female power. Guidebook Chapter 8 page 23 Self preservation. 'Woman who run with wolves' Chapter 8 page 230 Part of what is being taught her is that development includes a long process of initiation. A multi-step process, where a set of tasks must be completed in order to arrive. Guidebook Chapter 9 page 27 Homing: returning to oneself. 'Woman who run with wolves' Chapter 9 page 276 Story of the seal-woman. Every woman has a ‘seal-skin’ or soul-skin. This is the true self. Return home does not necessarily mean divorce or separation, it can also be a powerful protection of a woman’s well-being. The man who becomes her husband hides her skin in order to force her to stay in her human form and marry him. Her son later returns the skin to her and she can become her other aspect again, that of the seal. Guidebook Chapter 10 page 29 Clear water. Nourishing the creative life. 'Woman who run with wolves' Chapter 10 page 322 This chapter is devoted to the flow of creative forces (a river) in a woman’s life. ‘the woman as life giver’ when the waters are pure there is plenty of life in the river. The story of La Llorona ‘the weeping woman’ Guidebook Chapter 11 page 31 Heat: Retrieving sacred sexuality. 'Woman who run with wolves' Chapter 11 page 362 A sexually mature perspective of life can save a woman from depression. Story of Demeter (the goddess of harvest) her daughter Persephone and Hades ( the god of the underworld) Guidebook Chapter 12 page 33 Marking territory: The boundaries of rage and forgiveness. 'Woman who run with wolves' Chapter 12 page 375 The story of the war veteran and his wife. The basic idea is learning to honour legitimate rage. It can be a great protector when in control. Guidebook Chapter 13 page 37 Battle Scars. 'Woman who run with wolves' Chapter 13 page 404 Something’s on the surface seam unrelated, but are connected on a deeper level. Story of the husband who commits suicide, this man had been treated extremely bad by his family, but his family did not admit that their cruelty had anything to do with his dead. It helped the woman when she finally did talk about that. Woman can recognize and honour the scars and battles they came from as integral tot the lives of woman as a whole. Guidebook Chapter 14 page 40 The initiation in the underground forest. 'Woman who run with wolves' Chapter 14 page 418 A story needs a receptive mind in order to make an impact. Story of the Little Match Girl. A story of gain, loss, redemption followed by real love, separation, living with grieve and sorrow and finally reunion and real happiness. Guidebook Chapter 15 page 44 Shadowing: Canto Hondo. 'Woman who run with wolves' Chapter 15 page 493 Here Estés uses the metaphor of the ‘shadowing of wolves’ in a way of gathering vital information. Later she tells about the power of dreams and the wisdom of the ‘one who knows’ together they can help naïveté girls to become woman who will let the right men close. Again the father is important here as an example for his daughters. Readers are encourage to find out where they belong, to be the swan and not the outsider. See Chapter 6 page 18 Finding one’s pack. Guidebook Chapter 16 page 47 The wolf’s eyelash. 'Woman who run with wolves' Chapter 16 page 499 Story of the woman and the wolf. A woman helps a trapped wolf and receives a gift, an eyelash in return. This eyelash gives the woman the power to sense motives. Thanks to that power she is able to surround herself with kind and good people. All without losing sight of the truth that a wolf is a wolf. Estés’ hope is clear: that readers have found the joy of many stories and a greater access to wisdom within themselves and the world. Guidebook Chapter 17 page 49 Afterword story as medicine. 'Woman who run with wolves' Afterword page 504 Stories are a special kind of medicine designed to be used as such. Storytelling is a skill and a profession with an extensive training, both as a medicine and as entertainment. Stories also require the right audience. Important People: Estés is specialist in Jungian psychology and archetypes. The roots and branches of archetypes are from diverse sources; ethnic roots, daily life, the history of the pre urban or even contemporary rural life. Archetypes can help us to heal on an emotional and mental level. Archetypes can point us directions for growth. Guidebook p51 'Woman who run with wolves' Chapter 3 page 76 and many other places Baba Yaga This is the wild woman as the wise old woman, she is depicted as old, ugly, intimidating and extremely powerful. A girl child (also a version of the wild woman?) is sent to meet her. Baba Yaga harbours all manner of wisdom and insight, knowledge and skills. She provides discipline and basic training for adulthood. She is protective as well as educational. The Baba Yaga is equally magical as realistic. Guidebook p52 'Woman who run with wolves' page 8, 99, 209 and many other places Spider woman The Spider woman has transformative and healing powers. Guidebook p53 La Que Sabe The one how knows. She is the wild woman in the form of a wizard, the powerful and wise old lady. As the one who knows she is able to assist others in gaining knowledge and wisdom. Guidebook p53 'Woman who run with wolves' Chapter 5 page 137 and many other places Skeleton woman The skeleton woman is all about the circle of life. She is terrifying and deeply sad. She finds herself restored through a loving and intimate relationship with a man. Neither the man nor the woman expected this. After he surrenders to his inability to escape, he sets her in order, attends to her needs and when he relaxes enough to rest himself, she comes to life and becomes his companion. Guidebook p54 'Woman who run with wolves' Chapter 3 page 76 Vasalisa Vasalisa is a young girl. She suffers. She represents the hard childhood in contrast to the easy, idyllic one. The child suffers the disappointment that the step relatives may have been fine for her father but were not doing her any good at all. Guidebook p54 Hidalgo He is La Llorona’s lover and the father of her two children. He leaves her to return to his family. Hidalgo is perhaps the archetype of the man who is never able to leave his mother/ family and transfer his loyalties to his female lover and their family. Guidebook p55 'Woman who run with wolves' page 345 - 355 The little match girl This unsupervised child is endeavouring to make her way in the world. As a result the child in the fairy tale dies, freezing to death after the last flickering light of her matches fades away. (also see Vasalisa p54 and Hidalgo p54 about parents/ adult who have no attention for the needs of children, while this should be our first responsibility) Guidebook p55 Zeus Here this Olympian is shown as ‘the bad guy’ how casts out his own son, because the boy stuck up for his mother, how is Zeus opponent in this argument. Guidebook p55 Hephaestus In an argument between his father and his mother het takes sides for his mother the goddess Hera. Therefor he is reminded that he is weaker and less powerful than his father. He is thrown out of the Olympus and granted his own realm below, where his great smiting skills will prosper and despite his ugliness wins fame an respect. (and marries the beautiful goddess Aphrodite, alto she is not very faithful to him) Guidebook p56 Hera In an argument with Zeus her sun agrees with her and is banished from the Olympus. Guidebook p56 Pollutant This is something with a poisoning effect rather than being truly nourishing or healthy. Guidebook p57 Traps These are talked about in the chapter on self-preservation. In this context they are intentionally used with an analogy or metaphor comparing them to traps set for animals. Guidebook p57 The Devil Famous for being Gods adversary and former right hand man. In his confrontation with god he meets a similar fate to the one Zeus meted out for his son Hephaestus: Down and out he goes to get his very own realm within which to exercise the power that truly is his own. Objects and places: Guidebook p59 The caves The cave is a natural strong shelter in the wild. Powerful natural strong shelter in the wild. Powerful natural magic takes place. It contains the power of the woman inside. Guidebook p59 'Woman who run with wolves' Chapter 2 page 38 Blue Beard It is the remains of a powerful man who is of exceptional danger to woman. It is only to the violence other men that the man with the blue beard is defeated. There is no explanation as to why his blue beard is kept by nuns, who live together in seclusion, mainly for reasons of mutual aid and protection. Also see Chapter 1 page 8 ‘Bluebeard’ Woman who run with wolves: Myths And Stories Of The Wild Woman Archetype by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés.

Women Who Run With Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés explores the various archetypes of the feminine soul. She reveals many alluring stories of female triumph and chaos. She offers varied stories that every woman could relate to. Estés challenges the reader to explore ways in which they were muzzled by society and cultural norms. Estés calls you to get in touch with your intuition. Her reimagined stories inspire and insight the mind. So, there's no wonder why women who run with wolves enjoy critical acclaim and tiktok stardom. Book quotes - These include not only the encouraging of one woman to inform on another and therefore expose her to punishment for behaving in a feminine and integral manner, for registering appropriate horror or dissension to injustice, but also the encouraging of older women to collude in the physical, mental, and spiritual abuse of women who are younger, less powerful, or helpless, and the encouraging of young women to dismiss and neglect the needs of women who are far older than they. - Women Who Run With Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés - Page 241 Trying to be good, orderly, and compliant in the face of inner or outer peril or in order to hide a critical psychic or real-life situation de-souls a woman. It cuts her from her knowing; it cuts her from her ability to act. Like the child in the tale, who does not object out loud, who tries to hide her starvation, who tries to make it seem as though nothing is burning in her, modern women have the same disorder, normalizing the abnormal. This disorder is rampant across cultures. - Women Who Run With Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés - Page 243 Injury to instinct, normalizing the abnormal, is what allowed mothers to wipe the stains of that oil spill, and later, the further sins of factories, refineries, and smelters, off their little children, their laundry, the insides of their loved ones as best they could, and while confused and worried, the women effectively cut away their rightful rage. Not all but most had become used to not being able to intervene in shocking events. There were formidable punishments for breaking silence, for fleeing the cage, for pointing out wrongs, for demanding change. - Women Who Run With Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés - Page 245

Every human on the planet should read this book okay! Especially women! Actually just everyone. It talks about the female archetype and the role of the female throughout history and it is one of the most inspiring and strength giving books I have ever read I get a copy of this for literally every woman or girl that I meet. You could be having a horrible day and just crack that book open to almost any page and you will find something that will uplift you and make you feel like a powerful strong woman. And I feel that everyone should read this because it is important to understand and recognize and acknowledge the strength of the female archetype and the strength of females in general.

Women Who Run With the Wolves is not a book—it is a threshold. A return. A mirror held to the hidden self that has never stopped remembering. Clarissa Pinkola Estés weaves psychoanalysis, folklore, and deep feminine knowing into a work that feels simultaneously ancient and urgently present. Her retellings of myths—from the Brothers Grimm to forgotten oral traditions—are not mere commentary, but acts of resurrection. She does not just interpret the wild self—she summons it. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Estés herself, and I cannot overstate the impact of her voice: deliberate, musical, embodied. Her delivery breathes soul into every word, as if the stories are not being read to you but remembered with you. Though the title speaks to women, these stories speak to anyone navigating the journey back to authenticity. They transcend gender. They are maps for the fragmented, the silenced, the over-domesticated—those who once trusted their instincts and wish to remember how. Her use of Jung’s concept of individuation is subtle but powerful. This is not dry theory—it’s living flame. Her stories do what psychology often forgets: they bypass analysis and speak directly to the place in us that knows but doesn’t always have words. I was unabashedly moved by this work. It gave language to things I’ve felt my whole life but never been able to fully name. I will return to it again—not for answers, but for alignment. If your soul feels restless, if you’ve grown tired of living as a role instead of a being, this book is a companion.

Great book for all women out there, and a must share with all. A book that should pass from generation to generation. Great way to explain the archetype of women and to understand the between the lines of stories and fairytales.

the book is absolutely magnificent to read. as woman, i wish i had read this book earlier in my life. the author uses the mythology of many many fairytales and guiding the reader into the deep recesses of growing as a woman from birth to full womanhood. its like having a mother taking you by the hand and explaining the sacredness of femininity and how to navigate it. simply magnificent. (but the copy of the book i recieved was not properly glued and the pages were falling off so i had to reglue it.)

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Book as described. Lovely story.

Livre extraordinaire, merveilleusement bien écrit et qui parle à l'âme. C'est un livre qu'il faut absolument lire une fois dans sa vie. C'est une merveilleuse expression du féminin profond. J'adore sa manière de revisiter les contes qui ont baigné mon enfance et son explication. Chaque fois que je lis un de ses chapitres, il y a une résonance incroyable à ma vie.