Liberating the Wild Woman Within By Ann Moir-Bussy

Becoming an elder has its own initiation, and crossing the night sea was one step on this journey which we explored a little in the last column. Another crucial initiation is that of confronting the intruder or predator within us and liberating the wild woman within.

Myths and fairy tales are fascinating, and originally were never written for children. They were the stories of the kitchen for the adults to learn vital lessons. Do you love stories?  Have you ever read the story of Blue Beard, the charming, handsome wealthy king who attracted beautiful women and then stalked them and – aghhhh!!! – murdered them?

Before we look briefly at this, let us be reminded of an important message from Clarissa Pinkoles Estes, that,

“within every woman is a wild and natural creature, a powerful force, filled with good instincts, passionate creativity, and ageless knowing…her name is Wild Woman, but she is an endangered species”.

Blue Beard

There are many versions of the fairy tale of Blue Beard who attracted beautiful women to marry him, and when they disobey his orders by looking into the forbidden locked room, he slaughtered them. Here, however, I want to explore with you how Blue Beard or his counterpart is actually within you and me, and he is holding us hostage in so many ways, and unless we break the bonds, we will never release the Wild Woman within.

The Predator within

The Predator or Intruder is a real force within us.  It is an archetypal representation of the dark man or part of our inner Shadow, and our challenge is to learn how to relate to it without being controlled or dominated by it. The Shadow, according to Carl Jung, is that part of our unconscious mind that holds all things about ourselves that we repress, because we don’t like these aspects and believe they are not socially acceptable or harmful to others or detrimental to our own health. It embodies our inner darkness.

The predator archetype stalks us – he is somewhat like a psychic vampire that steals our creative potential and holds us back with fear. Similar to Blue Beard, our inner predator does not want us to look behind the locked door. It makes us believe we are powerless, and it is fed over the centuries by all those who seek to inhibit the woman’s energies and voice.

You know this voice and this energy – it is nagging and appears whenever you get the idea or entertain the thought of moving into something creative and different.

“Who the hell do you think you are, trying to be creative? You suck. You’re stupid. You don’t have talent. Get back in your hole”.

So, we stay small, shut up, wear the masks we’ve been told to wear, and conform. But the Wild Woman screams to be let out, while our self-sabotage suppresses these beautiful feminine creative energies.

Have you experienced this at different stages of your life?

Now, on the threshold of becoming an Elder, the Predator will try one more time to silence you. The most dangerous psychic intruder for a woman is one that undermines her sense of self, exploits her vulnerabilities, and prevents her from living authentically and fulfilling her potential.

Your confrontation with the Predator, the Intruder within, is the point of transformation.

A new transformation

What stands behind your locked door to the psyche and what key will open that door to the mysteries of your creative feminine? Learning to accept and love our deeply wounded feminine enables us to be in touch with the whole of our self.

What is the energy of your Wild Woman, and how can she free you and reveal the endless creative possibilities within so they enrich your life and give hope to others.

1. Trust your intuition – your inner knowing, and let it be the guide to recognise potential psychic intrusions.
2. Begin to sense energetic imbalances and take time to be mindful and restore balance.
3. Set and enforce boundaries for yourself and know what feels safe and what is in alignment with your deepest values and well-being.
4. Seek guidance and support from trusted mentors and women.

 This column is just a tiny peek at a beautiful deep mystery within us waiting to be brought into the light. If you’d like to explore Shadow Work do join the Facebook group Fabulous 50s and more where you will have access to a much deeper exploration of these mysteries, and where together we can support each other as we embrace the Wild and Wise Woman within. And feel free to contact me on www.embracellifenow.com.au