Introduction: Reclaiming the Instinctual Feminine Nature
The inner nature of women has long been treated like a resource to be managed, overbuilt, or pushed to the fringes of society. Just as wolves and bears are often misunderstood as purely dangerous, the instinctual nature of women is frequently feared or dismissed. Yet, this deep nature is the absolute source of vitality and strength for a meaningful life.
Clarissa Pinkola Estés suggests restoring a flagging spirit through a kind of internal archaeology. This natural force is personified as the Wild Woman archetype, representing a life lived with innate integrity and healthy boundaries. She embodies the keen sensing, playful spirit, and immense capacity for devotion that characterizes healthy women.
When women lose touch with this deep nature, the symptoms are unmistakable. They may feel chronically fatigued, depressed, or completely uninspired by their daily routines. To be separated from this wildish nature is to lose one's footing in life, leading to a state of quiet resentment.
Stories serve as the primary medicine for this reclamation process. Myths and fairy tales guide a woman through the complexities of life and help her raise a submerged archetype. They offer sharp insight and the courage to stand firmly by what one sees in the world.
Wisdom is gathered through messy, painful experiences and listening to those who live close to the earth. In the high deserts, a mythical figure known as La Huesera collects the bones of wolves that are in danger of being lost. She sings over them with her entire soul to bring them back to life and set them free.
This story serves as a map for the internal work every woman must eventually undertake. We often begin as a bundle of dismantled bones lost under the sands of a busy or repressed life. By gathering these bones and singing our own truth over them, we reclaim our right to be completely whole.
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