The Wild Woman Archetype
What Does It Mean To Be A Wild Man Or Woman?
There are many versions of Wild Woman
The Tarot is a beautiful tool that can help us to embrace more deeply the wildish part of ourselves, or in some cases re-connect to it. But what is this wild woman thing? Some people aren’t that sure.
I was fortunate enough to spend a week in Colorado some years back with Dr Clarissa Pinkola Estes, the author of Women who Run with the Wolves. Dr. ‘E’, as she likes to be called, is a Jungian Therapist and Storyteller, who speaks with authority on the importance of honouring the wild nature within and she says it so beautifully;
“Within every woman there is a wild and natural creature, a powerful force with good instincts, passionate creativity and ageless knowing. Her name is Wild Woman, but she is an endangered species. Though the gifts of the wildish nature come to us at birth, society’s attempt to ‘civilize’ us into rigid roles, has plundered this treasure and muffled the deep life giving messages of our own souls. Without wild woman, we become over-domesticated, fearful, uncreative, trapped.”
So, being wild is not about running around naked, screaming like a banshee, or dyeing your hair purple (although it might be - always do you). Being wild in this context, is actually about being true to yourself. It can be about regaining your strength, your creativity and your life after it has become barren or dry. It can be about listening to, and heeding your own inner knowing, or walking to the beat of your own drum.
Being wild takes courage. Being wildest takes more, because owning your own wild nature can mean standing your ground, being prepared to stand out, to be seen as a beacon of light when it’s a really dark night.
In the Tarot deck, the wild woman archetype can be seen quite easily in The Hermit, yet her presence can be felt and seen in a number of the cards, and I invite you to explore them.
When we go to the Tarot for a reading, whether it is for confirmation and clarification, or even a deeper healing, I think we are looking into, listening and visiting with our wild nature – giving it space and breath and a place to be.
So long live the Tarot, and Stay Wild my friends, for the wild have never before been so needed as they are at this time….