tremendous effort to avoid the temptation to see him and become
reengaged with him. But she must do so before she can invest her
emotions elsewhere.
WAYS TO GROW
Knowledge about her archetypal pattern is helpful information
for all types of women, especially for Aphrodite women. It helps
them to know that it is their “goddess-given” nature to fall in love
easily, to experience erotic attractions, and to have a strong sexual
drive that many other women do not. Such knowledge helps free
Aphrodite women from guilt for being who they are. At the same
time, they must become aware that they must look out for their own
best interests, because the goddess does not.
Although other goddess archetypes may not be prominent in an
Aphrodite woman, they usually are present at least in latent form.
With certain life experiences, they can grow in influence, offsetting
or modifying Aphrodite’s power in a woman’s psyche. If an Aph-
rodite woman develops skills or acquires an education, Artemis and
Athena are likely to grow in importance. If she marries and has a
child, Hera and Demeter may have a stabilizing influence. If she
develops Hestia through meditation, she may more easily resist the
extraverted pull of erotic attraction. And cultivating Persephone’s
introversion may allow an Aphrodite woman to live out a sexual
experience in fantasy rather than in reality.
When an Aphrodite woman becomes conscious of her pattern,
and decides to modify it so that she or others she loves will not be
hurt, a major shift occurs. Making choices and shaping consequences
becomes possible, once she can sort out her priorities and act on
them. The Psyche myth describes a developmental path she can
follow.
THE PSYCHE MYTH: A METAPHOR
FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL GROWTH
The myth of Eros (Amor) and Psyche has been used as an analogy
for the psychology of the feminine by several Jungian analysts—most
notably, Erich Neumann in his book Amor and
Goddesses in Everywoman