Blog – Aphrodite and Psyche

Many years ago (like 40 years ago) I read the three books by Robert Johnson, “He”, “She”, and “We”. These books profoundly changed my understanding around the constructs of the masculine and feminine archetypes in this reality.

In the book, “She”, it is the narrative about the feminine psyche and the process of maturation that is necessary for a woman to come fully into her power. This book explores the internal archetypes of the feminine. It explains how Aphrodite emerged from the ocean’s depth and mysteries. It explains that the feminine is born from the powerful unconsciousness that is in life and that in of itself can be overwhelming and present specific obstacles to each woman when they are bonded to such a powerful primordial force such as the ocean. She is the reminder that deep within each women emanates a powerful and intuitive conscious awareness that is constantly … yet subtly … shaping events in our world.

Aphrodite is the wild force of womanhood that holds such a compelling command that it is supposed to be revered because it evokes awe and trepidation.

But suddenly, Aphrodite’s position of power and influence is threatened because of the arrival of Psyche. This new expression of the feminine comes in to test the prevailing expressions of the feminine. And Aphrodite feels threatened.

Jealously arises in Aphrodite because Psyche is beautiful in a new way, and she carries a new type of allure. Fearing her power (Aphrodite) over mankind is threatened and motivated by envy … she decides to disempower Psyche by pulling her into the dark and unconscious forces of the feminine shadow. In other words, she wants to drown her in the dark, chaotic, and shadowy waters of feminine insecurity.

This is the ongoing conflict that still is raging between the feminine in our world to this day. It illuminates clearly the powerful hesitancy of the archetypal feminine to accept change. It is a warning to the feminine that when they cling to old, patriarchal definitions of the feminine that are familiar and the adhere to the old roles that men have determined are where the feminine should stay, they actively and dangerously block any new expression of the feminine from coming out into the world.

Aphrodite resists that change. She wants to keep her power by playing out the familiar models that she is quite skilled at. She is at ease with the patterns and the old societal norms and frameworks. She wants comfort and to be cared for. She sees her role as a preserver of life and a stabilizer for society.

Psyche’s role is about how the feminine tries to interact and merge with the masculine archetype. In the book, the masculine is represented by Eros. Psyche’s role is to look at and objectively figure out how to observe the roles of the feminine in the union of marriage. This becomes a complicated dance of joy and destruction. Because Eros presents doorways to that sensual and sexual persona for Psyche but requires her to pass certain tests that are masculine tests. Her process of attempting to navigate those tests, is the journey of how the feminine tries to mold herself into the masculine model but then recognizes that such a model is impossible for a woman to accomplish and that in turn causes her to collapse into despair and hopelessness.

It shows that the process of feminine awakening requires the feminine to recognize that she is uncapable of doing things in the patriarchal way and that somehow she will have to find a path that is more organic to her own nature and more honest to the empowering of her own feminine powers.

The moment she owns that and realizes that the feminine path will never look like the masculine path, that is when she begins to awaken and believe in herself, her own ingenuity and her own intuitive powers. She embraces the potent power of beauty and sensuality. She refuses to be small to make men comfortable. She owns her own divine feminine and learns to channel that feminine into forms that will allow her to appear as if she is working within the structure and format given by Eros but knows that she is so very much more than all of that.

The author, Robert Johnson, shows brilliantly the conflicts that women face in finding how to merge with a male-dominated society. That society promises safety, security, and fulfillment. But it demands tremendous concessions. Because in those roles that they demand from the feminine, Psyche clearly sees the expectations and the terrible limitations as well.

Eros represents the husband and how that masculine archetype expresses the dual nature of love. The masculine is that sacred unicorn that promises to carry a woman into the magical domains of ecstasy and to transform her old identity into a more sacred sense of self. But his subconscious intention is to show her and force her to acknowledge that she has personal limitations but those limitations were placed on her by the masculine in order to control the chaotic and powerful flow of the feminine. Eros wants to make her collapse into despair but instead she discovers her own strength. He wants her to adopt his ways and mold herself to the distortions and damage that the masculine has encountered and demand that the feminine is supposed to heal the masculine by giving him what he thinks he needs and wants. But instead, she discovers that the greatest power of the feminine is not in placating men’s desires because it keeps men … boys that never grow up.

She sees that the power she has inside will demand that the masculine heal by following her flow and her methods. And she sees that what she offers from an openly feminine place is more powerful and valuable than falling into the roles that the Aphrodite archetype was given.

Johnson points out through the story that women continue to be viewed through the lens of a male-dominated society.

But Psyche sees that humanity can never heal if women forsake their own authentic identity.

Psyche is the story of a women’s quest for self-actualization. The evolution of women in our society are going to be required to move from that initial innocent, naivety to a mature level of enlightened consciousness.

We live in a world where women are valued from their youthful and vibrate position of a rainbow goddess. Masculine energy wants to keep that projection on the feminine because that level of feminine development is naïve, and possesses limited understanding of life’s complexities and the subtle dimensions of love.

But that level seems perfect to unevolved and unenlightened men. It is a pattern that they get to control the feminine powers and direct it in the ways that they want without regard to what the more evolving feminine actually desires and requires. But this level is all about capitalizing on the feminine generously giving to men what the masculine wants and to please him.

This level of engagement actually is shallow and impedes the cultivation of genuine connections and the deeper powers that can emerge from a spiritual merging and union.

This is why the modern feminine (Psyche) continues to feel fundamentally misunderstood and eventually bored by her mates and then needs to go find something else.

Women who embody this evolving “Psyche” energy know that they are admired but they also know it sets them apart. If you are a woman that is admired from a distance but know that the reason for that is that others are unable to truly see or engage with you on an intimate level that is authentic and deep, you are trying to allow your “Psyche” energy to emerge.

~Suzanne Wagner~