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" When a woman’s animus develops in a healthy way over her lifetime, it helps her have the inner strength to find healing, to support her own voice, to move into the world with purpose and direction, and to develop her intellectual and spiritual capacities. When a man’s anima develops in a healthy way, it helps him become open to his feelings; to be in tune with his inner values; to feel “animated” and energized in his life; and, through reflecting on his experiences, to know his inner depths and develop his spiritual capacities. "
― Massimilla Harris , Into the Heart of the Feminine: Facing the Death Mother Archetype to Reclaim Love, Strength, and Vitality
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" When we first come into the world, we are small, fragile, and defenseless. We are totally dependent on the love and care of our parents, especially our mothers. In our modern society, we have learned very well how to take care of the physical, biological, and even the developmental needs of our babies, even though parents at various socio-economic levels still face vastly different challenges as they meet their infants’ needs. But we have let a vital need, the one whose fulfillment will determine our ability to have a feeling of self-worth and security, slip through the cracks of modern life. If our emotional needs are not met at the right time, we will face a daunting task later in life as we try to heal the structural wounds of our personalities. Like a plant that doesn’t get enough water or sun early on, we will have trouble growing to our full height, no matter how much fertilizer we get later. Fortunately, unlike plants, we can direct our consciousness and self-awareness toward healing, which can give us new foundations for fulfilling our lives. "
― Massimilla Harris , Into the Heart of the Feminine: Facing the Death Mother Archetype to Reclaim Love, Strength, and Vitality
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" complexes, which result from the wounds that shaped us, also hold a promise. Jung considered complexes to be the “royal road” to our unconscious and the architect of symptoms, dreams, and a transformed life. A myth like this one will show us what has been wounded, how the wound occurred, and the suffering such a wound inflicts. And we will then see what must be healed within ourselves by dying and being transformed and, finally, what new potentials we must live. "
― Massimilla Harris , Into the Heart of the Feminine: Facing the Death Mother Archetype to Reclaim Love, Strength, and Vitality
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" The first step is to recognize our denial of this wound and the depth of the wound’s place in our soul. Second, we must accept the reality of our lives, giving up denial and illusions, so that we can heal our pain and live in the truth of our own reality and potentials. The third step is to strengthen ourselves before confronting our Medusa and to realize that this is a labor of love. Fourth, following the path of Perseus, we will do our healing and our inner work, going deep inside ourselves as a labor of love. The fifth step is seeing the transformation take place as we die to our old, false life and are born into a new life. If we do not take this crucial fifth step, we might get stuck contemplating how bad our old life was and how unhappy and frustrated we are today. "
― Massimilla Harris , Into the Heart of the Feminine: Facing the Death Mother Archetype to Reclaim Love, Strength, and Vitality