“The task is to take the sword of HER truth, find the sound of HER voice and choose the path of HER destiny. Thus she will find the treasure of her seeking.” p. 47. Murdock.
There will be trials in both the outer rational world and from the inner world of the psyche. This I call the “the green growing edges” of personal growth challenges, such as independence vs. dependence, as one example. It allows one to take on the onus of female “inferiority” that is in the bones of patriarchy and ourselves, at the very core of both.
“To destroy the myth of inferiority, a woman needs to carry her own sword of truth, sharpening her blade on the stone of discernment. Because so much of women’s truth has been obscured by patriarchal myths, new forms, new styles and a new language must be developed by women to express their knowledge. A woman must find her own voice….” p.56. ibid.
Think of the countless number of hours women spent in consciousness raising groups in the 60s and 70s, searching together for their own truth. It was the second feminist wave of women taking their power, speaking their truth, running for political office, bringing in feminist scholarship and demanding equality and announcing that “Women Hold Up Half the Sky.” It was the birth of reclaiming HERSTORY which has just scratched the surface to equal that of History.
The third wave, that of my son and daughter’s generation seems to be manifesting in men assuming more responsibility for childcare and household tasks and women making their voices heard in the workplace, working to break the glass ceiling of corporate America and challenging harassment. The power of the “ME TOO” movement is taking hold. Cudos as well to Julia Hamill, the playwright mentioned in Pat’s previous post, who is creating dramas through feminine principle revision of “the classics” where women are portrayed as second class citizens or eliminated entirely from literature and cultural story.
Another myth needed to be critically challenged is that of Romantic Love and the fairytale rescue of a woman by a prince. This perpetuates the idea that a woman doesn’t need to “undertake a heroic journey” This rescue scenario is to a woman’s peril by preventing her from owning her own power as an autonomous human being.
“When the transformation of the heroine really occurs, however it is usually the result not of rescue from without, but strenuous growth and development from within, and over a long period of time.” p. 58.
Boundaries are set, failures happen, the word NO becomes prevalent and with luck she has a partner who provides generative power from beneath to support her toward autonomy and Selfhood….Self-defined, rather than other-defined.
The fourth step in this Journey is called, “The Illusory Boon of Success” where one wrestles with the Superwoman Mystique and the Perfection Demon. It entails letting go of the illusion of control and “ the myth of never being enough”. After navigating these waters, she can ultimately say, “I am not all things and I am enough” p. 64.
This leads to step 5 when one comes to the understanding that one needs to create time and space to invent oneself. To do this moves from primarily “doing” to primarily “being” It is a time of gestation and everyone gets there in different ways. Have you been there? Have you hit the wall of frantic doing in service to patriarchy and chosen another direction? Share your story, for it is part of Herstory that seldom gets told.
“What happens when we say “ No” to patriarchy? We have the time to create the space within ourselves to develop a new relationship to the masculine, not the masculine voice that has been split off from the feminine for centuries, as many men in our culture have been, but a creative masculine figure that leads us to the Great Mother where we can heal our split from feminine nature. When we say no to the patriarchy we begin ‘our descent into the spirit of the goddess where the power and passion of the feminine has been dormant in the underworld--in exile for five thousand years’.” p. 85.
A woman who makes this journey, “ puts aside her fascination with the intellect and games of the cultural mind, and acquaints herself, perhaps for the first time, with her body, her emotions, her sexuality, her intuition, her images, her values and her mind. This is what she finds in the depths.” p. 90.
Step 6 involves finding the Sacred Feminine within one’s Self which often takes the form of a spiritual awakening of some kind and a discovery of “The Feminine Face of God” or “A God who Looks Like Me.” Patricia Lynn Reilly covers this topic in her book by the same name.
Then, Step 7 comes along and takes the form of an “Urgent Yearning to Reconnect with the Feminine, reclaiming one’s body and sexuality in a way that is self-defined, diving into the state of “being” through introspection and solitary work. This is the place of finding self-understanding and self-acceptance. I remember when I came to this point, I had a hard time explaining what I did all day and yet it was a deeply satisfying time in my life. I also connected with my body by taking massage training which led to a career for the rest of my life. One never knows what will take shape out of one’s musings and introspection if they are given space.
The next post will be Part 3 and it will complete this abridged summary of The Heroine’s Journey. Any reactions, recollections, thoughts or insights? I hope you will share them.