Meet your cycle archetypes: The Keeper/The Wild Woman
Image: Allef Vinicius via Unsplash
Welcome to week three of the Archetype series!
Archetypes represent aspects of the human psyche that have been embedded in our consciousness over generations and they’re an amazing way to connect to your cycle. Because archetypes are about personality, attitude and outlook, getting into the ‘character’ of them can help you embody the attributes you need to find balance. They each have a special energy or superpower you can make use of, depending on what you need.
The Keeper a.k.a The Wild Woman
The Wild Woman is one of the most well-known cycle archetypes, both as a symbol of empowerment and the ‘irrationality’ of women. She represents the Inner Autumn or premenstrual stage of the cycle and in terms of life stage, she aligns with our perimenopausal years. In traditional Goddess mythology, there was no archetype for this phase (the triple aspects were Maiden, Mother, Crone), but when likened to Greek Mythology, she’s often represented by Persephone, daughter of Demeter. Another popular archetypal name for her energy is The Enchantress.
Who is she?
The Wild Woman is the aspect of a woman that can’t be tamed. Throughout the long patriarchal history of women being persecuted, belittled, dehumanised and abused, there’s always been a vein of resistance. That’s The Wild Woman. The Wild Woman is the energy that can swell up (often in the premenstrual phase) that says enough is enough, and it isn’t always pretty. Like a wild fire, she can burn quickly and widely, with little regard for who gets caught in her flame. She’s a fighter for her freedom, is creative and mysterious. Like her direct opposite, The Rebel/Maiden, her energy is inward, focusing on the Self rather than the community at large. Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes’ book Women Who Run With The Wolves is often used as an emblem for The Wild Woman.
For me, her energy is at heart, self-protective, which is why I also name her The Keeper. Her purpose is to keep you on (or try to keep pointing you to) your true north. Her energy is on making sure you stay aligned to your Self, and she’ll do whatever is necessary to keep you safe. The Keeper has a determined vibe and is innately creative, making her a great archetype to tap into if you’re feeling lost when it comes to your purpose.
In both cases, The Keeper and The Wild Woman are about living life as your truest, most authentic self.
The Keeper/Wild Woman Superpowers
The Keeper and Wild Woman are the truth-talkers of the cycle, and can help steer you back on track, no matter how far away you’ve strayed. Some of her superpowers include:
Sharp perception aka a great bullshit radar
Analysis skills
An eye for detail and accuracy
Sexual desire that’s for you and not baby making
Productivity
Intuition
Honesty
Boundaried
The Keeper/Wild Woman Vulnerabilities
We’ve all experienced the sharpness of the premenstrual phase at one time or another. Because this archetype is about personal truth, there can be an impatience and ruthlessness when it comes to getting you there. Some vulnerabilities include:
A loud inner critic
Criticism and judgment of others
Intolerance
Destructive behaviours
Fear
Radicalisation
How to connect to your inner Keeper/Wild Woman
If you’re into self-development, looking for a change in your life/love/career, on a spiritual path and/or looking for direction, this is the archetype to work with. Because her energy is about you and your purpose (unlike the archetype of the previous phase which was about other people), she can be a big driving force in getting you to where you want to be.
The great thing about archetypes, is you can try them on at any time of your cycle. I like to think of them as sisters who can step in to help, wherever you are. As always, there’s no need to wait until you’re in the correlating phase but her energy will likely feel easier to connect to or more apparent, in your premenstrual/inner autumn. Have a play around and see!
Here are some of my favourite ways to tap into The Keeper/Wild Woman:
Befriend your Inner Critic: Her voice might be loud (and lets face it, harsh), but remember, it’s all about helping you to do what you’re here to do, and live the life you’re meant to live in the most authentic way. It can be uncomfortable work, but learning to mine your Critic for gold will turn her into an ally when it comes to keep you on track. I’ve got a whole blog post about how to this for you: https://www.nataliekmartin.com/blog/innercriticquestions
Create: One of the ways The Keeper/Wild Woman communicates with us is through creativity. Draw, write, paint, dance, collage, sculpt, knit…it doesn’t matter what you do or what it looks like.
Sex and self-pleasure: Unlike The Queen/Mother who’s sexual energy is more about connecting to others (and creating babies), The Keeper/Wild Woman is about pleasure for pleasure’s sake. There’s no possibility of pregnancy in the premenstrual phase, so the sexual energy is only focussed on what feels good. Set time aside to discover how/if your desire feels different when connecting to her energy.
Make check-in lists/assess: Tap into her energy by assessing where you’re at with work, love, friends, purpose, business, money. Because she’s committed to your personal truth and advancement, The Keeper/Wild Woman can give you a perspective you might be resistant to at other times of your cycle.
Re-Wild: Get out into nature, swim in a lake, connect with animals, thrash around to music. Remember, The Wild Woman is wild! She’s that part of us that simply cannot be tamed and connecting to the earth and nature can remind us that we are first and foremost, human, before anything else.
My personal favourite ways to connect to The Wild Woman/Keeper
Intuitive movement
Journalling
Long walks with my dog
Reading about menstrual cycle awareness
Intentionally connecting with other women
How do you connect to your inner Keeper/Wild Woman? Is she someone you know well, or do you need to place a little more focus on her to incorporate her energy into your cycle?
If you’re struggling with your cycle and would like to see how using archetypes and coaching can help, schedule your free 30min call with me or check out my menstrual cycle coaching space.