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GIFTS & SHADOWS OF THE EROTIC MOTHER ARCHETYPE

Understanding Archetypes Generally

Broadly speaking, an archetype is a representative model or universal example of something. They are frequently seen as elements of the collective unconscious. This means they are often symbols of nebulous spiritual needs that are projected onto other people to help individuals understand the world in which they live.

who is the Mother?

MOTHER (light)

~ idealised version of motherhood

giver of life
provide physical, mental & spiritual sustenance
caretaker
nurturer
selfless
caring
provides unconditional love & support
allows & supports individuation of that which is loved
connected to nature & cycles (inner knowing of inter-connectedness)

MOTHER (dark)

fierce love
ferocity of love through truth
has access to the full spectrum of emotions including, rage, anger, despair, grief, frustration and channels them through the heart of the mother
allows her vulnerability to be exposed, undefended and open to the strength of her deepest values

MOTHER (distortion)

~ shadow of idealised version of motherhood

gives until exhaustion
martyr
no boundaries
fears abandonment (becomes enmeshed with child)
enacts betrayal to gain love
passive aggressive/aggressive
manipulates to gain
dominating (over-controlling)
possessive
smothering
lacks own identity
unable to access love (wounded)
neglectful (wounded)

ARCHETYPAL PERMUTATIONS

MOTHER (light)

Terra Mater (Roman) Gaia (Greek) Isis (Egyptian) The Virgin Mary (Christianity)

MOTHER (dark)

Black Madonna (Christianity) Mary Magdalene (Christianity) Hecate (Greek) Ceres (Roman) Kali (Indian)

MOTHER (distortion)

Martyr Victim Abandoned Neglectful

Notes on the Dark Mother

The Dark Mother, as a figure of mythology, is created at the collective archetypal layer of the psyche. Her image appears in all cultures: African, Hindu, Christian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and countless other cultural and religious sources.

gifts of the erotic mother

“The Erotic Mother is an emerging Archetype that is the integration of the mother as a sexual being, capable of and who experiences herself as sexually free, liberated and integrated”

GIFTS

self-sourcing nourishment of intimacy and self love
connected to sexual and sensual self
radiance
capacity to uplift and celebrate the inherent sexuality and sensuality in others
integrated eroticism (can contain as required)
embodied experience of self that manifests as confidence, high self-worth, creatively expressed
sex & heart connection – love is infused with aliveness (eros) and sex is infused with devotion (love)

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS

can express herself sensually without discomfort or awkwardness
experiences arousal, lustfulness and a desire to connect with herself or others sensually or sexually
feels comfortable talking about and engaging in acts of love, affection and intimacy
confidently makes decision about her own body, boundaries and desires
communicates clearly and articulately her boundaries & desires
self-sources her requirements for intimacy and self-love
makes decisions in line with high self-worth
more adept at weathering the highs and lows receptive and responsive

what does it mean to be erotically integrated?

self-sourcing nourishment
integrated sexuality
connected to sensual self

shadows of non-integration with the erotic mother archetype

but first … what is a ‘shadow’?

A ‘shadow’ is an unconscious aspect of the personality that the conscious ego does not identify in itself, or the entirety of the unconscious; that is, everything of which a person is not fully conscious. “According to Jung, the shadow, in being instinctive and irrational, is prone to psychological projection, in which a perceived personal inferiority is recognized as a perceived moral deficiency in someone else.”

shadows of non-integration with the erotic mother archetype

SHADOWS

sexually stunted or frozen
erotically ashamed
over identification with the Mother (light) and so perpetually in shadow (see Mother Shadows p6)
unable to self-source experiences of connection or intimacy (with friends, lovers or family)
disconnection from familial intimacy and affection
projection of intimate needs onto children

HOW IT MANIFESTS

sexually judgemental of self & others
unable to express desires for intimacy or connection
unable to connect with own sensual or sexual self
unable to access erotic life force
unable/unwilling to express self as sensually & sexually embodied
trapped in pleasing, self-sacrifice, burnout
disassociation from self (as an erotic and embodied human)
lacks spontaneous upwelling of affection, love & joy
dull energy (lacking vitality, radiance and creativity)
unable to access creative spark
discontent & disconnection in intimate relationship
unable to self-source experiences of connection or intimacy (with friends, lovers or family)
smothering and overly fearful of abandonment from children
oversharing and seeking of emotional support from children