The wild woman archetype: powerful, connected to her primal instincts, and going after what she really wants. She is raw, undomesticated, and assertive.
And if you are longing to embrace your wildness, trust your instincts and access your truest self, then you should meet the wild woman archetype! She is here to remind you of your wildness and help you reclaim your power.
She doesn’t care about what anyone thinks about her, she speaks up and goes after what she wants. Modern society does not value these traits. But it is time to break her free and access your inner wild woman.
As women, we were domesticated into a patriarchal society, told to be quiet, conform and fit in. But you do not have to live like that anymore. You can choose to access and embrace your wildness and instinctual nature.
In today’s blog post, I will share all about the wild woman archetype and how you can connect with her to free yourself and connect with your wild passionate fire.
Female archetypes
Female archetypes are a powerful tool to help women understand who they are on a deeper level. They are unlearned, and instinctive patterns of behavior that are part of our collective unconscious, a term from the psychologist Carl Jung.
There are seven main female archetypes: The wild woman, the muse (or lover), the warrior woman, the earth empress (or mother), the amazon, the high priestess (or tantrica), and the wise mystic (or wise woman).
Each of these archetypes is present within every woman.
However, one might be more dominant than the other or they may be embodied differently in different situations. For example, a woman may be the wild woman in her social circle and the wise woman in her career.
These archetypes are not fixed, and just because you embody one strongly does not mean that you cannot embody another. Rather they are there to help us explore, heal, and grow into our truest selves.
However, in today’s society, most women are not connected to these natural expressions of the feminine spirit. This is because, in our productivity-driven society, there is hardly any time to reflect and understand ourselves deeper.
Some archetypes come to us quite naturally, while others seem foreign.
However, each of them has something to teach us and can assist us in different kinds of life situations. They are all part of your psyche and can offer insight into the internal forces that motivate your behavior.
The term archetypes was originally coined by Carl Jung in 1919 and he wrote about them in his book The Archetypes and The Collective Unconscious in 1981. Jung does not directly reference the Wild Women archetype, rather he writes about the outlaw archetype which has morphed into the wild woman archetype over time.
The wild woman archetype
The wild woman archetype is connected to the first chakra, the root chakra. She is instinctual, wild, and connected to her animal nature. Her strength comes from within and she doesn’t seek any approval from outside.
She is undomesticated and has a true connection to nature and its wisdom.
The wild woman lives in tune with her body, her cycle, and Mother Earth. She is uncontrollable and doesn’t shrink to fit into society. Freedom is one of her highest values and she doesn’t seek permission from anyone.
Further, the wild woman archetype feels her emotions deeply, is fiercely protective of the people she cares about, and rejects the patriarchal rules of our current society. The wild woman archetype is the most independent of all the archetypes. She can defend herself, and any vulnerable women in society.
Perhaps the most important trait of the wild woman archetype is her value for freedom. She does not let any career, relationship, or situation contain her. Rather she values her truth and integrity over any comfort.
The traits of a wild woman
There are many different traits of the wild woman archetype. These can vary between people but the most defining characteristic is her independence. She does not allow the world to dictate her actions. Rather she makes choices based on her truth.
A wild woman does not wonder about her place in the world and if she is liked or disliked.
Rather, she has a pure sense of belonging and does not place her worthiness on other people’s opinions. She fiercely loves her family and true friends.
Curiosity is another common trait of a wild woman. Our society does not often nurture this. We are told to accept the status quo and not question authority. But a wild woman has a natural curiosity that she pursues through education, artistic expression, and conversation.
A wild woman lives boldly. She is not meek or mild. Rather she is a force who embraces her wild side.
Above all else, a wild woman follows her instincts. She embraces her emotions and trusts herself fully. She is able to listen to her gut feelings and pays attention to whether things feel in alignment with her or not. This may mean deciding to not do something that on paper seems like a great fit or doing something that seems risky or scary.
How to access the wild woman archetype within you
A lot of women feel alienated from their wild side, especially in today’s society where we are encouraged to conform. However, the wild woman archetype is always accessible to women who wish to recover her.
By embracing the wild woman inside of yourself, you can ignite your creativity, learn to defend yourself, listen to your intuition, and become more in touch with your own needs. It is a beautiful and freeing way to live.
Start by dropping into your body and connecting with your primal instincts.
Bring your awareness to your womb space and belly. Stand firm on your feet, anchoring into the earth. Allow your head and neck to move, and give yourself permission to make any primal sounds. Relax your jaw and tongue, and let any vibration or sound move you and come out.
Another great place to access the wild woman inside of you is to read the book Women Who Run with the Wolves by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés. Estés explores the psychology of women through myths, fairy tales, and stories to help women reconnect with their fierce and instinctual nature.
Journaling is another way to access this deeper and forgotten part of yourself. Some questions you can journal on are:
- What do I really want? What are my deepest desires?
- Where in my life am I not being true to myself?
- What lies on the other side of my fear?
You can also tap into your creative side through dance. We are naturally creative creatures, but this creativity has been stifled by a belief that we cannot make mistakes. However, the wild woman archetype embraces failure and doesn’t let it stop her from exploring her creativity in whichever way she feels called.
Integrate the wild woman in your life
You can connect with the wild woman by trusting your instincts. We all have the powerful gift of intuition and it is time to allow ourselves to listen to it. Intuition is a part of your nature, you do not need to be afraid of it.
Connecting with nature is one of the easiest ways to integrate the wild woman into your life.
Like nature, your wild side is completely normal and natural. Connecting with nature will serve as a reminder of that. Also, explore places in nature that are less domesticated, and still natural and untouched. Push the boundary of what feels comfortable to you and learn from nature to connect with your wild side.
Another way to bring the wild woman into your daily life is by making a small altar to honor the wild woman inside of you. This can be as simple or as expressive as you like. Some ideas for your altar include candles, crystals, tarot cards, and dried flowers. This will also remind you throughout the day to be true to yourself.
Embrace your wildness and freedom. Do not allow yourself to become trapped by a situation simply because of the comforts it may offer you. Value your freedom above comfort.
When threatened, a wild woman does not back down. Start to integrate the wild woman inside of you into your life by standing up for your own needs. You don’t have to shout or be mean to do this. All you need is to be firm and to stay true to yourself.
Breaking through the layers of societal conditioning that have happened over lifetimes and generations is not easy. It can be hard work and even painful. But it is time to break the societal spell and be real, unapologetic, and wild.
If you have loved learning about the wild woman archetype and feel called to learn more, then I invite you to join my newsletter. In my weekly signature healing newsletter, I share more info about archetypes, free offerings and upcoming events (online & in-person). You might even get the chance to join a Wild Woman Activation event.
