Some thoughts from reading "Women Who Run with Wolves" by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. I first published this 8/9/2011.
This is a deeply spiritual book, not religious, but spiritual. Clarissa Pinkola Estes has gathered stories from all over the world and touches the deepest part of the psyche of Women which is a healing salve to those of us with broken spirits and those of us who want to grow.
This is the tale of Vasalisa in part
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasilisa_the_Beautiful
This is the better version, though not quite as Ms. Estes describes as she mentions that the doll warns Vasalisa of danger and guides her thus representing Vasalisas intuition.
http://www.oldrussia.net/vas.html
In the tale, Vasalisas mother dies, but before doing so she bequeaths a doll to Vasalisa telling her to feed it and care for it and that it will bless her.
In Ms. Estes interpretation the mothers death represents our overprotective mother which we all have to let go of at some time.
The second task deals with the rotten stepfamily, step mother and step sisters who make it inconvenient for someone who is too nice. For being too nice creates a burden for the too nice person, they become slaves.
So I need to become familiar with "one's own shadow nature, particularly the exlusionary, jealous, and exploitative aspects of self (the stepmother and stepsisters)." "Letting the pressure build between who one is taught to be and who one really is. Ultimately working toward letting the old self die and the new intuitive self be born."
Estes points out that "in this stage of initiation, a woman is harassed by the petty demands of her psyche which exhort her to comply with whatever anyone wishes. Compliance causes a shocking realization that must be registered by all women. That is, to be ourselves causes us to be exiled by many others, and yet to comply with what others want causes us to be exiled from ourselves. (A) tormenting tension (that) must be borne... the choice is clear."
I've not understood this aspect of myself, why I have been complying with "whatever anyone wishes." In a sense I have cast myself away, hated myself for my compliance, doubted my ability to make wise decisions. I recall clearly saying yes when I wanted to say no.
Estes calls this being "disenfranchised," treated as an outsider, being an outcast. The outcast usually being the one who is most deeply connected to the knowing nature.
I have a lot to do to overcome my "Evil Step Sisters" so to speak.
SG
This is a deeply spiritual book, not religious, but spiritual. Clarissa Pinkola Estes has gathered stories from all over the world and touches the deepest part of the psyche of Women which is a healing salve to those of us with broken spirits and those of us who want to grow.
This is the tale of Vasalisa in part
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasilisa_the_Beautiful
This is the better version, though not quite as Ms. Estes describes as she mentions that the doll warns Vasalisa of danger and guides her thus representing Vasalisas intuition.
http://www.oldrussia.net/vas.html
In the tale, Vasalisas mother dies, but before doing so she bequeaths a doll to Vasalisa telling her to feed it and care for it and that it will bless her.
In Ms. Estes interpretation the mothers death represents our overprotective mother which we all have to let go of at some time.
The second task deals with the rotten stepfamily, step mother and step sisters who make it inconvenient for someone who is too nice. For being too nice creates a burden for the too nice person, they become slaves.
So I need to become familiar with "one's own shadow nature, particularly the exlusionary, jealous, and exploitative aspects of self (the stepmother and stepsisters)." "Letting the pressure build between who one is taught to be and who one really is. Ultimately working toward letting the old self die and the new intuitive self be born."
Estes points out that "in this stage of initiation, a woman is harassed by the petty demands of her psyche which exhort her to comply with whatever anyone wishes. Compliance causes a shocking realization that must be registered by all women. That is, to be ourselves causes us to be exiled by many others, and yet to comply with what others want causes us to be exiled from ourselves. (A) tormenting tension (that) must be borne... the choice is clear."
I've not understood this aspect of myself, why I have been complying with "whatever anyone wishes." In a sense I have cast myself away, hated myself for my compliance, doubted my ability to make wise decisions. I recall clearly saying yes when I wanted to say no.
Estes calls this being "disenfranchised," treated as an outsider, being an outcast. The outcast usually being the one who is most deeply connected to the knowing nature.
I have a lot to do to overcome my "Evil Step Sisters" so to speak.
SG
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