becomes involved in a committed relationship, most of the yearning
created by the Hera archetype to be a wife is met. But she still feels
a pressing desire for marriage itself. She needs the prestige, respect,
and honor that marriage connotes for her, and she wants to be recog-
nized as “Mrs. Somebody.” She does not want to merely live togeth-
er, even in an age when such arrangements are not stigmatized.
Thus she presses for outer acknowledgment; she finds the big church
wedding infinitely preferable to flying to Reno or going down to
City Hall.
When Hera is her archetype, a bride may feel like a goddess on
her wedding day. For her, impending marriage evokes the anticipa-
tion of fulfillment and completeness, which fills her with joy. This
is the radiant bride, full of Hera.
The current First Lady, Nancy Reagan, embodies the archetype
of the wife. Mrs. Reagan has made it clear that being Ronald Reagan’s
wife is her most important priority. When she describes the import-
ance of her marriage, she is speaking for all women who embody
Hera within a happy marriage:
As far as I am concerned, I never really lived until I met Ron-
nie. Oh, I know that this is not the popular admission these days.
You are supposed to be totally independent, perhaps having
your husband around as something of a convenience. But I
cannot help the way I feel. Ronnie is my reason for being happy.
Without him, I’d be quite miserable and have no real purpose
or direction in life.^2
Ours is a culture that until very recently echoed Nancy Reagan’s
point of view: “getting married” was considered a woman’s chief
accomplishment. Even now, when education and career goals are
important, most women cannot escape feeling pressured by cultural
expectations to “settle down and get married.” Thus the Hera arche-
type receives enormous support. Moreover, a “Noah’s Ark” mental-
ity prevails: people are expected to come in pairs, like shoes or socks.
With this as a social norm, single women are made to feel that they
are missing the boat. Thus the Hera archetype gets reinforced by
Hera: Goddess of Marriage, Commitment Maker and Wife