avatarDesiree Driesenaar

Summary

The text explores the author's personal journey with psychological archetypes, particularly the Fire-Woman and Desert Archetype, as a means of self-discovery and transformation.

Abstract

The author, Désirée Driesenaar, delves into the profound impact of psychological archetypes on her life, using the metaphor of a "fire-woman" in the desert to describe her internal process of shedding burdens and embracing change. She describes a visceral connection with nature's landscapes, such as the desert, forest, oceans, rivers, mountains, and grasslands, as tools for personal growth and understanding. Drawing inspiration from Tree Sisters, Clare Dubois, Mary Reynolds Thompson, and the work of Carl Gustav Jung and Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Driesenaar emphasizes the importance of these archetypes in creating space for self-reflection and the emergence of new aspects of the self. The article concludes with a personal note of gratitude and an invitation for readers to connect with her through various social media platforms.

Opinions

  • The author feels a deep, transformative connection to the Fire-Woman and Desert Archetype, symbolizing internal strength and the need for space to allow new things to emerge.
  • Driesenaar values the role of nature's landscapes as archetypes that guide her personal journey and help her confront life's challenges.
  • The author expresses a sense of intimacy and ownership over her personal growth, emphasizing self-knowledge and the shedding of past burdens.
  • She acknowledges the influence of organizations like Tree Sisters and individuals such as Clare Dubois and Mary Reynolds Thompson in shaping her understanding of landscape archetypes.
  • Driesenaar is open to the mystical and emotional aspects of psychology, as evidenced by her reference to the works of Carl Gustav Jung and Clarissa Pinkola Estes.
  • The article suggests that personal stories and experiences are vital to one's psychological development and that expertise in psychology is not a prerequisite for understanding or utilizing archetypes.
  • The author's hoarse and crackly voice on paper indicates a raw and honest expression of her current emotional state.
  • Driesenaar's thank you note to Mary and Clare, along with her social media handles, implies a desire for connection and community among like-minded individuals interested in psychological and transformative work.

PSYCHOLOGY

The Secret of Fire-Woman and the Desert Archetype

Archetypes color my days. Today, I’m creating space for new things to emerge.

Picture: Jasmin Key via Pixabay

I feel like a fire-woman today. Buried deep inside myself. Where it’s dark and silent and spacious. My voice is hoarse and crackly. Better not to speak too much today. My body is tired. I have to shed some heavy loads.

So I step into the desert. My feet are walking on hot sand. Sharp, grain-filled winds swirl around my head. The landscape is shifting with every gust. I feel unsteady. The vortexes take my body and toss her around.

I seem weak, but I am strong.

Feeling Mother Nature under my feet, in the desert landscape.

I can let go.

Give over to happenings inside. Shedding my skins. Snake-like. Leaving beauty behind for sand to devour.

Becoming raw. Becoming real. Becoming me again.

I know me. Intimately. Every typical me-like detail is mine. And mine only.

So I make space in my body and in my soul for new things to emerge.

Welcome, my loved one. I am enough.

Landscape Archetypes

Tree Sisters, Clare Dubois, and Mary Reynolds Thompson gave me the landscape archetypes. I never studied Carl Gustav Jung closely enough to know if they were in his work as well. But I can imagine Clarissa Pinkola Estes knowing about them.

“I hope you will go out and let stories, that is life, happen to you, and that you will work with these stories… water them with your blood and tears and your laughter till they bloom, till you yourself burst into bloom.” — Clarissa Pinkola Estes

I don’t really care if psychology-experts know about landscape archetypes or not. As soon as they entered my consciousness, they started to accompany me on my path.

I return to them often and they help me face life in all her fullness.

Sometimes, I’m in the desert. Making space for new things. I create quiet time just for me. Shedding loads. Not doing. Just being.

At other times I’m in the forest, where the magic happens. Or I meet oceans and rivers to feel flow and waves. I face my challenging mountains. And if I’m brave enough, I’ll go to the grasslands and show myself to the world.

The fire-woman in me has spoken today. A hoarse, crackly voice on paper.

Silence will be with me for some more time.

Thank you, Mary and Clare.

If you want to connect, you cannot find me today. Maybe tomorrow… via LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Patreon, and my website.

© Désirée Driesenaar

Psychology
Archetypes
Nature
Fire
Life
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