“Stories are medicine.”
Women who run with wolves, Clarrisa Pinkola Estes · Introduction: Singing Over the Bones
MeaningThis line emphasizes the healing power of myths, fairy tales, and personal narratives. Estes uses stories throughout the book as therapeutic tools, believing they connect individuals to deeper archetypal truths and provide guidance for psychological and spiritual growth and understanding.
“To be ourselves causes us to be exiled by many others, and yet to comply with what others want causes us to be exiled from ourselves.”
Women who run with wolves, Clarrisa Pinkola Estes
MeaningThis profound statement highlights the dilemma of authenticity. It suggests that conforming to external expectations to gain acceptance leads to a loss of one's true self, a form of internal exile, which is ultimately more damaging than external rejection. It underscores the importance of self-loyalty.
“The wild nature is not a luxury but a necessity of the soul.”
Women who run with wolves, Clarrisa Pinkola Estes · The Howl: Resuscitation of the Wild Woman
MeaningEstes argues that reconnecting with one's innate, instinctual, and intuitive self – the Wild Woman archetype – is not an optional indulgence but a fundamental requirement for psychological well-being and spiritual vitality. It's essential for a full, authentic, and deeply satisfying life.
“Bone by bone, hair by hair, the Wild Woman comes back.”
Women who run with wolves, Clarrisa Pinkola Estes · Singing Over the Bones: La Loba
MeaningThis line refers to the myth of La Loba, the Bone Woman, who gathers bones and sings them back to life. It symbolizes the slow, painstaking process of psychological restoration, where fragmented or lost aspects of the feminine psyche are gradually reassembled and revitalized, leading to wholeness.
“When women reassert their relationship with the wildish nature, they are gifted with a permanent and inner resource.”
Women who run with wolves, Clarrisa Pinkola Estes · The Howl: Resuscitation of the Wild Woman
MeaningThis quote underscores the transformative power of embracing the Wild Woman archetype. It suggests that by reconnecting with their instinctual wisdom, women gain an enduring source of strength, creativity, and resilience that resides within them, independent of external circumstances or societal pressures.
“The Wild Woman is the health of all women.”
Women who run with wolves, Clarrisa Pinkola Estes · The Howl: Resuscitation of the Wild Woman
MeaningThis statement posits the Wild Woman archetype as the embodiment of psychological and spiritual well-being for women. It implies that aligning with this primal, instinctual self leads to wholeness, vitality, and a natural state of mental and emotional health, free from societal distortions.
“The Wild Woman is not a 'tamed' woman. She is not a woman who has been broken in.”
Women who run with wolves, Clarrisa Pinkola Estes · The Howl: Resuscitation of the Wild Woman
MeaningThis quote clarifies that the Wild Woman is not about being unruly or aggressive, but about being untamed in spirit, authentic, and unbroken by societal pressures or trauma. She represents an innate, free spirit that cannot be domesticated or controlled by external forces.
“The work of the Wild Woman is to bring back the lost parts of the self.”
Women who run with wolves, Clarrisa Pinkola Estes · The Howl: Resuscitation of the Wild Woman
MeaningThis highlights the therapeutic goal of connecting with the Wild Woman archetype. It's about retrieving and integrating the aspects of one's psyche that have been suppressed, wounded, or forgotten due to societal conditioning, trauma, or neglect, leading to psychological and spiritual wholeness.
“The Wild Woman is the keeper of the soul.”
Women who run with wolves, Clarrisa Pinkola Estes · The Howl: Resuscitation of the Wild Woman
MeaningThis line positions the Wild Woman as the guardian and protector of a woman's deepest essence and spiritual core. She ensures the soul's vitality, authenticity, and connection to its primal source, preventing it from being lost or diminished by external influences or internal neglect.
“The Wild Woman is the one who knows the way home.”
Women who run with wolves, Clarrisa Pinkola Estes · The Howl: Resuscitation of the Wild Woman
MeaningThis suggests that the Wild Woman archetype serves as an internal compass, guiding women back to their authentic selves, their true nature, and their spiritual origins. She represents the innate wisdom that helps navigate life's challenges and find inner peace and belonging.
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