Twelve feminine archetypes, healing qualities, and the basket of healing.
Many friends have told me they are taking their time moving through The Mother Ache. They want to do all of the exercises and are using the journal prompts and enjoying them. Reading a little, trying an exercise like soft belly breathing or nondominant hand writing, then putting it down for a bit and returning to it. That seems to be the theme for this book, and it touches me to hear how each reader is finding her own rhythm with the book, as in her life. I also encourage reading the whole book and then circling back to the chapters that resonate, so the whole journey is seeded. Then take your time with the practices along the way. And if you’re already doing them—yay!
Today, in preparing for my readers’ gathering on Zoom, I created a simple map of The Mother Ache’s twelve feminine archetypes, their healing qualities, and their corresponding basket-weaving tasks. I thought I would share it here, too, so all readers could find it. A way to see the bigger picture while spending time with whichever part of the book you are reading.
I’ve experienced myself—and heard from readers—how helpful, and even playful, it can be to notice which Mother Ache archetypes are showing up in daily life. I wrote about this in my post Jungle Time with the Archetypes. Who is here today? What quality is asking for attention? Awareness, curiosity, honesty?
I included the basket-weaving tasks because they give us something tangible to help anchor us. Okay, today I’m just weaving the base. Working with acceptance. One step at a time.
Our healing journey moves in a spiral. We return to familiar places and find new layers of the same themes in our lives. We remember, then we forget, then we remember again. Making this chart meant refreshing my own memory of the archetypes, qualities, and healing stages—and I wrote the book!
You’re welcome to print the map, tuck it into your book, or pin it up on your bulletin board. Let it be a companion map as you read, pause, and return.