The four female archetypes
Our body is our sacred text. Our monthly cycle and our life cycle are our prayers. ―Miranda Gray
👥 Serves: 1 person
🎚 Difficulty: Medium
⏳ Total time: 1 month
🥣 Ingredients: Patience, Kindness, Compassion
💪 Nutritional values: Understanding, Acceptance, Wholeness, Power, Self-confidence
The four female archetypes
📝 Description
Exploring the powers and shadows of the female archetypes.
In our recipe “The four seasons of a woman’s cycle”, we explored the four phases of the menstrual cycle to help you adapt your work and life flow to take care of your needs and embody your power. In this recipe, we will dive deeper into the four ancient female archetypes as described by Miranda Gray, women’s writer, artist, facilitator, menstrual and spiritual teacher. You might have come across the term “archetypes” from psychiatrist Carl Jung, who looked at archaic forms of innate human knowledge that are passed down through generations. Archetypes are universal models of people, behaviours, and personalities that can help us understand ourselves and others better, but they are not meant to be limiting definitions of who we are, as we are multi-faceted and complex. The following recipe guides you through the four ancient female archetypes, which are connected to the four phases of the menstrual cycle and can offer useful insight into how to lead a more wholehearted life.
To find out more about Miranda and their work, please visit: https://www.mirandagray.co.uk/female-energies-miranda-gray.html.
👣 Steps
Step 1 – The Crone (1-6 days of your menstrual cycle when you’re bleeding)
The menstrual phase is represented by the archetype of the crone (also referred to as old woman or witch). The character of the crone is focused on inward reflection and rest. It is a time for hibernation, not a time to give to others, but to focus on oneself. It is symbolised by the new moon, the low tide, the winter, the element earth, and the cardinal direction of the North. It is a powerful archetype representing symbolic death to make space for re-birth.
Step 2 – The Maiden (Around day 7-13 when you’re in the pre-ovulation phase)
The pre-ovulation phase is represented by the archetype of the maiden. The character of the maiden is young, full of energy and creativity, ready to take on new projects and endeavours. It is symbolised by the increasing moon, the incoming tide, the spring, the element of air, and the cardinal direction of the East. The shadow of this archetype is that its spirit of initiative is in excess, which leads the maiden not to take concrete steps to move projects forward.
Step 3 – The Mother (Around Day 14-21 during your ovulation phase)
The ovulation phase is represented by the archetype of the mother. The character of the mother is more mature and developed compared to the maiden, it is expansive and available to help others and support the community. It is symbolised by the full moon, the full tide, the summer, the element of water, and the cardinal direction of the South. The shadow of this archetype is that its outward focus leads to forgetting about oneself and to look after one’s needs.
Step 4 – The Enchantress (Around day 22-29 during your luteal phase)
The luteal phase is represented by the archetype of the enchantress. The character of the enchantress is more in touch with the inner world, more sensitive and intuitive towards others’ feelings and it is a good moment to focus one’s energy on what one really wants. It is symbolised by the falling moon, the outgoing tide, the autumn, the element of fire, and the cardinal direction of the West. The shadow of this archetype is that its powerful passion and femininity can lead to manipulation and seduction to get something it wants.