“The feminine is associated with devotion, compassion and nurture”. Haha. If you have read my previous article on Goddesses, you already know that the feminine is representing all aspects, from creation to destruction.
The feminine is not bound to anything. She is in everything.
And she had been hunted for decades – burned and feared (I am referring to the witch hunts here).
It’s time to reclaim her power and unleash the ferocious and wild woman again. In every woman.
Introducing Wild Women
We find wild, raw and untamed Goddesses in mythology
Lillith – Adams first wife demanded to be equal and was therefore banned from earth.
Kali – the fierce, protective and destructive Goddess in Hinduism.
Freya – the Goddess of love and fertility also happens to be the Goddess of Death and Warfare.
Pele – the Goddess of Volcanoes, Fire and destruction.
Artemis – the autonomous Goddess of the Hunt and the forrest.
Fierce women throughout history
Jeanne d’Arc who brought glory over France
the Mongolian warrior Khutulun and the rebellious pirate Ching Shih.
Margaret Thatcher – the Iron Lady.
Kimberley Motley – She is not even a historical figure, she is very much alive and is my absolute idol. She went as a lawyer to Afghanistan. Without a hijab, without covering her hair. She found ways to enforce existing and overlooked laws and helped ensure the safety of her clients – abused, neglected and mistreated young girls and women who had done nothing wrong but growing up believing their very existence is enough for punishment. Check out this incredible woman. My absolute role model. I have no words to express my admiration for her.
Why Women are so nice
Girls and boys have been raised differently. *
Boys learn to compete – while girls learn to help and support one another. And, even if they have not been raised that way by their parents; kindergarten and school are educating children on their social behavior. Numerous studies have been conducted on the gender differences in boys and girls upbringing and how it influences them in adulthood.
Girls are often being punished for being “selfish” or putting themselves in the “spotlight”. They learn to dim their light so others do not feel challenged. It is no surprise that this forms women scared to stand in her power.
I have been one of them and it took me years to learn to be selfish again.
When “light and love” just won’t do it
By the way, the “light and love” fraction of the spiritual sphere sometimes suggests to suppress anger. Suggesting unlimited compassion to anyone. Suggesting that if we feel anger, there is something wrong with us and we just need to allow in the love again. A good idea? I am not so sure. For every shadow will find its way into existence. And we can -and should!- put that shadow into really good use.
Remember that anger and frustration are A M A Z I N G energies that can be transformed. Take that energy, allow it to rise up in your body and start creating. Do not let your shadow eat you up from the inside.
Let your anger be your fuel. Your fuel of bravery, strength, resilience, endurance.
It is no coincidence that the Goddesses of destruction are at the same time the ones of creation.
Inspiration for change
Let women around you be your inspiration. The strongest and most fierce women had come out of troubled circumstances. Think of Rosa Parks, who advocated for her civil rights as a woman of color. Think of Malala, who refused to stay home and courageously demanded her right for education.
Let powerful women be your inspiration. Dr. Jane Goodall, the primate scientist who became a voice for natural preservation.
Your wild woman
Compassion, love and nurture are important. And at the same time they are just some of the aspects that make the whole palette of what being alive means. Keep the light and love and remember that Stars don’t shine without darkness.
What is your darkness?
Feel into the shadow. Allow the frustration, sadness and anger. They are part of being human.
Once we see that all emotions serve us, nothing can stop us.
The wild feminine is scary. She is not always caring. She does not follow rules. She does what she wants.
She can be raging and wrathful.
And she is also within you.
Did you set her free?
Inviting your wild woman
It took me a long time to allow myself to be that feeling woman again. And by feeling I do not only mean the anger I have mentioned. The sadness part was especially challenging for me. I have not cried for many years and for a long time I thought I just unlearned it. It took me years of spiritual practice to cry again. And wow, did I cry. I just would not stop. It was the best feeling ever.
I felt like I could tackle just about anything after that. Uninhibited.
What helped me was to really be devoted to my spiritual practice and not to judge myself for not being able to “let it out”. Everything will happen when the time is right. It may sound cheesy, but I have learned the truth of these words over and over again. Day by day. Step by step.
If we are holding back, we are not just not yet ready to transform. And that is fine. The time will come.
Closing thoughts
By confronting our shadows, we prepare to unleash the wild woman.
It is always a good idea to keep a shadow journal, to keep track of the emotions throughout the day. Some emotions we may judge. Why? Write it down. Rationalize it. What value could it hold? What can be transformed out of our frustrations and anger?
One does not need to become a Malala, Margaret Thatcher or Kimberley Motley to change the world (Although it certainly would not harm).
We can start with ourselves. By becoming more aware of the way we feel and especially WHY we feel the things we feel, we will be able to set boundaries, express ourselves clearly and possibly put our anger into good use. Women’s rights would not be where they are today if our ancestors had held back their frustration. Protection of the wildlife and sea would not have been granted if there were no people expressing their anger about it. We still have a long way to go with these topics, but the first seeds have been planted out of frustration and anger.
And there are many ways to express our anger. Think of Jane Austen. She has never become loud. She expressed her frustration on women’s dependence in literature. Activism, no matter how big or small, is not always loud.
But is always shaped out of our so called “undesirable” emotions.
It is time to shape our world.
Turn anger into creation.
* You can find numerous studies on gender differences in upbringing and education, check out these to get a first glimpse:
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2020.00134/full
Find more badass women in history in this article.
Wild Women in Movies:
