the ional and physical distance between them.
Apparently, the daughters often play along with this noise, which protects both participants from realizing their incestuous feelings.
Some fathers become too strict, forbidding their daughters to go on dates, or intrusive, controlling them and "interrogating" them about dating.
And for some fathers, such a daughter becomes a temptation.
Mothers have their own set of reactions to their daughter Aphrodite.
Some become strict and controlling, overreacting to youth music and clothing style, even when the daughter behaves accordingly to her age.
Such mothers can impose their own "code of clothing", which emphatically covers everything and reduces attractiveness, and prohibit many types of active activities.
They can carefully check the" trustworthiness "of the daughter's friends of both sexes or, as one woman sadly noted, treat either the daughter or the boys, or both her and them as"potential sex maniacs".
Like fathers, they can develop a "jailer's mindset" towards their daughter Aphrodite.
Obsession may be more inherent in the mothers of Aphrodite's daughter than in the fathers.
In addition to obsession, motivated by the need to look after an attractive daughter, mothers sometimes live on the principle of substitution at the expense of their daughter and strive to hear the slightest details of her dates.
To please such a mother, a daughter needs to be popular among boys.
Other mothers react to the awakening Aphrodite in their daughter as a rival.
Perceiving the attractiveness of her daughter as a threat, envying her youth, the mother humiliates the girl, makes unfavorable comparisons, flirts with her boy friends and in many ways, big and small, undermines the blossoming femininity of her daughter.
In the fairy tale about Snow White, her stepmother constantly asked: "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most beautiful person in our country?"
This fairy tale character represents a threatened (and therefore hostile) rival mother.
The best parents do not overestimate and do not attach too much importance to the properties of Aphrodite and do not treat their daughter as a pretty object.
Parents evaluate the attractiveness of their daughter in the same way as other qualities, such as intelligence, kindness, and abilities in art.
In the case of a dating situation, parents impose restrictions that correspond to the age and degree of maturity of the daughter.
Attractiveness for men is considered as a fact that a girl should be aware of (and not censured).
Youth and youth
Youth and youth are a crucial time for a woman Aphrodite, who may find herself caught between the excitement of Aphrodite inside herself and the reaction of others.
A student who aspires to sexual experiences as much and often as a young man should think about the consequences.
The result of her actions according to her needs can be a bad reputation, low self esteem, a negative self image.
"Good girls" may avoid her, while young men, overwhelmed by thoughts of sex, crowd around, considering her at the same time prone to promiscuous relationships and "not good enough" for a bride.
There are other problems with the uncontrolled archetype of Aphrodite.
One of them is the possibility of an unwanted pregnancy.
Another one is the risk of sexually transmitted diseases for an active Aphrodite.
Another medical problem is the occurrence of cancer of the female genital organs in later years.
Young women get little help in dealing with their persistent inner Aphrodite.
Their main choice, which can have serious consequences – is how to express their sexuality.
Some of them simply suppress it.
At the same time, those who feel strong religious pressure, in any case, may feel guilty, blaming themselves for "unacceptable" feelings.
Others express their sexuality in a stable close relationship – a good choice if Hera is also a strong part of the personality, although the result may be an early marriage.
If both Athena and Aphrodite are strong elements in a young woman, she can use a combination of strategy and sexuality, including for self defense.
One such woman said: "One day I realized that I fall in love and get out of this state easily, and I have a strong sexual urge to continue this.
I didnot take falling in love too seriously.
What I took really seriously was to prevent pregnancy, to choose a partner and to ensure that this part of my life was not advertised."
When a woman Aphrodite goes to college, perhaps the most important aspects for her will be social aspects.
She can choose a "party school" - a college marked by social activity rather than academic pursuits.
She usually does not focus on long term academic goals or on a career.
Her awakened interest in a professional career is undermined by the boring prospect of accepting the necessary difficult conditions.
She is a way to plunge into the work of the college, only shining in any most often creative area that includes interaction with people.
For example, she can specialize in drama, moving from one role to another.
Each time she immerses herself in her role, bringing a personal innate passion and thus can become an outstanding dramatic actress in college.
Work
The work that does not capture the woman Aphrodite emotionally is not of interest to her.
She likes variety and intensity, and repetitive tasks, as well as homework, work in the office or laboratory, are boring.
She does a good job only when she can fully creatively immerse herself in it.
Thus, she can be found in the field of art, music, writing, dance, drama, or among people who are particularly important to her, such as, for example, a teacher, a therapist, an editor.
As a result, she either hates her job and probably performs it mediocre, or loves it and spares no effort and time.
Almost always, she prefers a job that she finds interesting to one that pays better, but is not so attractive to her.
She can achieve success, but, unlike Athena and Artemis, she is not aimed at achieving.
Relationships with men
Aphrodite's women are attracted to men who are not necessarily suitable for them.
If the archetypes of other goddesses do not influence, their choice is often similar to the choice of Aphrodite herself – these are creative, complex, easily amenable to mood changes or emotional men, like Hephaestus, Ares or Hermes.
Such men do not aspire to professional heights or positions of power, do not want to lead a family or be husbands and fathers.
The introverted, deep type of Hephaestus can suppress anger by sublimating it into creative work.
Like the god of fire, he can be both an artist and (in an emotional sense) a cripple.
His relationship with his parents could be as bad as that of Hephaestus.
He could be rejected by his mother if he did not live up to her expectations, and cut off from a close relationship with his father.
Therefore, with women whom he resents because they are very important to him, but unreliable, he can develop a love/hate relationship.
He may feel very little intimacy with men, feeling like a stranger and standing below.
Often a Hephaestus man with a pronounced introversion feels uncomfortable in social situations, he is deprived of the ability to conduct a light, relaxed conversation, which means that other people do not linger in his company.
An exception may be the woman Aphrodite.
With her talent for focusing completely on the person she is dating, she can unchain him and find him charming.
Feeling himself attractive and attractive to her, the Hephaestus man responds with his characteristic strength, and a passionate passion can flare up between them.
She is captivated by the depth of his feelings and responds fervently to his emotional fire, which can alienate other women.
She accepts his deeply sensual erotic nature, which may not manifest itself for some time, sublimating along with his anger in the work.
When she arouses his passion, both lovers can be intimidated by the rise of his feelings.
If he is a master or an artist, she can be drawn to the beautiful things he creates and, thanks to this, inspire his creativity.
There are many problems in the experience of love by a man Hephaestus, depending on the type of his underlying feelings and psychological health.
In one extreme, he can, like a sleeping volcano, be a potential paranoid a lonely person whose work does not receive recognition because of loneliness and hostility.
In addition, the attractiveness of the woman Aphrodite or her attraction to others can cause anger, a sense of inferiority and fear of loss in him.
If he is exactly like Hephaestus, he may be able to keep his jealousy under control.
However, a person who is next to a man Hephaestus in such circumstances feels like living on the slope of an active volcano and waiting for its eruption.
Some combinations of Hephaestus and Aphrodite turn out to be very good.
In this case, the Hephaestus man is an introverted creative person who experiences a range of emotions (not just anger) with his characteristic intensity and restraint.
He expresses these emotions in his work and in the few close relationships that are important to him.
He loves her deeply and passionately, and most importantly, not possessively.
His depth keeps her emotionally, and his responsibility towards her provides the stability that she needs.
Usually, another man is also attracted to a woman Aphrodite – an elusive, fickle man, like the god of war Ares, the son of Zeus and Hera.
The real life story of this type may have a close resemblance to the mythological family of Ares, raised by an embittered mother after their father left them.
He is an emotional, passionate, violent man, prone to affectation.
Needing a real father as a role model and a disciplining beginning and, as a rule, establishing a style of relations with his mother himself, he is impatient, and he has a low resistance to frustration.
He likes to attack, but he can quickly lose his head in difficult situations, losing the opportunity to be a good leader.
The combination of "Aphrodite – Ares" is a combustible mixture.
Both share a tendency to live according to the principle of "here and now".
Both react rather than reflect, first they do, and then they think.
When they are together, erotic sparks and hot temperaments lead to a passionate interaction.
They both love and fight at the same time.
This couple invented lovers ' quarrels with fights and reconciliations.
The couple "Aphrodite Ares" usually does not create a stable relationship.
In addition to emotional outbursts, his arrogance and bragging often lead to an unreliable economic situation.
He is not able to think strategically, nor to be prudent.
In a moment of irritation or anger, he may speak out or act in such a way that it will cost him his job.
If, moreover, a woman has Aphrodite's tendency to infidelity, or at least to coquetry, she will be able to threaten his masculinity in the future and unleash his possessive instinct.
He becomes enraged, and his violent outbursts cause horror and fear.
Nevertheless, for all their short temper, the relationships of some such couples can be relatively harmonious and stand the test of time.
Even if he has the personality of Ares impulsive, emotional, belligerent by nature, however, a prosperous family situation prevented the development of his aggressiveness.
And in it, giving the opportunity to maintain a long term relationship with him, the Hera archetype is quite strong.
A man who always feels young and holds himself accordingly also attracts many Aphrodite women, who apparently have a penchant for immature, complex, self centered men with creative potential.
Such men have a resemblance to Hermes, the messenger of the gods, the youngest on Olympus.
She discovers his ability to intoxicate with words, especially when he is poetic, and is fascinated by the ability to quickly move from heights to depths emotional or social.
The Hermes type can be a deceiver, a bit of a crook, someone who likes to outwit "slow" minds.
He has a potential, often very strong, God's gift, talent, but very little discipline, and he never gives himself up to work or a woman entirely.
It is typical that he suddenly appears and just as suddenly disappears from her life.
The desire to bind it to something is like trying to hold mercury.
His "maybe" is a fantasy game about living together or getting married.
But she better not count on it, because he is the last one who will ever fulfill his obligations.
Sex with him is unpredictable and extremely intense.
He is a charming, receptive lover.
The combination of " Aphrodite Hermes "is very well suited to some Aphrodite women, since both are prone to the intensity of" here and now " and a lack of commitment.
However, if the archetypes of Aphrodite and Hera are equally strong in a woman, this is a very painful match for her.
Such a woman will become deeply attached to him and will suffer from jealousy.
The sex between them is very intense.
She is monogamous and wants to marry him, but usually has to settle for an agreement that corresponds to his need to come and go.
However, a mature male Hermes is able to assume obligations for work and close relationships (as noted earlier, he can marry a Hestia woman).
In this case, the Aphrodite – Hermes pair can be excellent.
Their relationship can survive flirtations and even romances, because they are not jealous or possessive people.
Moreover, their relationship can stand the test of time, because they enjoy each other's company and style.
She does not lag behind his pace, which corresponds to herself.
It suits both of them that they can be intensely included in each other at one moment and independent in the next.
Marriage
If Aphrodite is one of several strong archetypes that include Hera, then her presence strengthens and enlivens marriage with sexuality and passion.
However, it can be very difficult for a woman Aphrodite to withstand a monogamous marriage.
If other goddesses have little influence on the married Aphrodite, or the marriage is just a casual connection, she will probably follow the pattern of a series of close relationships.
For example, the movie star Elizabeth Taylor, whose public image is a modern Aphrodite, has had several marriages.
Relationships with women: a lady who is not trusted
Other women tend not to trust the Aphrodite woman, which is especially typical for women like Hera.
The less Aphrodite is aware of her influence on men and is responsible for it, the more destructive the element becomes.
For example, being at a party, she can strongly attract attention, erotically charging conversations with the most interesting men present.
Thus, she arouses jealousy, a sense of inferiority and fear of loss in many women who see their men reacting to her with increasing enthusiasm, as the alchemical interaction creates a golden aura around both.
When women (especially the jealous and vindictive Hera) are angry with her, the woman Aphrodite is often shocked.
She rarely shares the ill will of other women, and since she is not jealous or possessive herself, it is usually difficult for her to understand the reason for hostility towards herself.
The Aphrodite woman often has an extensive circle of friends (except for the Hera woman) who enjoy her spontaneity and attractiveness.
Many of them share with her the properties of Aphrodite.
Others act as her retinue, either enjoying her company or living out her love adventures on the principle of substitution.
However, her friendships are preserved only if her friends do not take offense at her careless attitude to their jointly drawn up plans.
"Aphrodite" - a lesbian differs from a heterosexual only in her sexual preferences.
She also brings the consciousness of Aphrodite into a close relationship and then, in turn, responds to the alchemical state that she creates herself.
She is intensely involved in close relationships, often falls in love and, as a result, usually has a series of important close relationships.
Following the principle of "you have to try everything in life", she often enters into sexual relations with men.
Not forced to coordinate her life with the wishes and expectations of a man, the lesbian Aphrodite, often to a greater extent than her heterosexual sister, exercises the prerogative of Aphrodite herself to choose her lovers.
The alternative lifestyle offered by the lesbian community corresponds to its archetypal alienness to conventions.
Lesbian women often discover Aphrodite in themselves through a close relationship with another woman, as Ruth Folk writes in her book "The Love of Women".
She describes admiring the beauty of another woman and feeling beautiful, touching another woman and feeling as if she touched herself.
From her point of view, each woman in a couple reflects the other as in a mirror, allowing her to discover her own feminine sensuality.
Children
The woman Aphrodite likes children, and vice versa.
The child feels that this woman is looking at him with eyes that are not judgmental, but know how to appreciate.
It brings out children's feelings and abilities in such a way that the child feels beautiful and favorably perceived.
Often, she gradually inspires him with a sense of being chosen, giving the child confidence and helping to develop abilities and talents.
She can very easily get into the spirit of the game and fantasy.
She charms children with her manner of behavior and inspires them with her infectious enthusiasm in everything that is of interest to her.
These are excellent qualities for a mother.
The children of the woman Aphrodite succeed and develop their individuality, especially if Demeter's qualities are also present in it.
Mother Aphrodite can charm her children who see her as beautiful and seductive, but if (due to the lack of the Demeter archetype) she does not take into account their needs for emotional security and constancy, she will be inconsistent, contradictory, which threatens them with negative consequences.
In this case, her children revel in her full attention at one moment, but when at another moment her attention switches to something else, they feel abandoned and unhappy.
One of my patients had a mother, Aphrodite, who left her for long periods of time with a nanny.
Here is how she described her mother's very peculiar homecoming: "My mother flew into the house, rushed to me with open arms.
I felt like I was the most important person in the world."
Her mother was "bringing sunshine with her"; it was as if a goddess had returned.
It didnot matter that she resented her mother for her absence and even met her sullenly and the news of her return; everything was forgiven as soon as she began to bask in the maternal divine heat of Aphrodite.
She grew up with doubts about her abilities (which were exceptional) and had to cope with a sense of her own worthlessness and depression corresponding to her feelings when her mother left her.
When at the same time the fickle and intense attention of mother Aphrodite is focused on her son, this affects his future close relationships with women, as well as his self esteem and the potential for depression.
She creates a special closeness between them, seducing the awakening man in her son and attracting him to her, and then turns her attention to someone else.
A rival in his love often a new man, sometimes a new hobby takes her away, leaving him feeling inadequate, empty, powerless, angry and sometimes humiliated.
The son feels a personal rivalry, a competition that he repeatedly loses to the men in his mother's life – experiences from which most daughters are spared.
As an adult man, he strives for the intensity of feelings and special closeness that he once felt with his mother, only this time he wants to be the master of the situation.
Based on his childhood experience with his mother, he does not trust female devotion and may feel that he is unable to win the love of a woman.
Middle age
The inevitability of aging can become a devastating reality for a woman Aphrodite, if attractiveness was for her the main source of satisfaction.
One day, when she begins to worry about the fading of her beauty, her attention may shift, preventing her from completely immersing herself in another person.
She may not realize that it was this quality of Aphrodite – even more than her physical beauty – that was the reason people were attracted to her.
In the middle years, the woman Aphrodite often makes mistakes in her choice of partners.
She may realize how often she is attracted to unconventional and sometimes unsuitable men.
Now she may want to calm down – an opportunity that she previously rejected with contempt.
However, middle age is not difficult for Aphrodite women engaged in creative work.
It is typical when such women retain their enthusiasm and still rush headlong into the work they are interested in.
And now they have more experience to feel inspired, and a more highly developed skill to express themselves.
Old age
Some Aphrodite women retain the ability to see beauty in the object of their concentration and always be a little in love.
They enter old age with grace and vitality.
Their interest in others or inclusion in creative work remains the most important part of life.
They continue to be in a youthful position, as they unconsciously move from experience to experience, from person to person, being fascinated by what comes in the next moment.
Young at heart, they attract other people to themselves and have friends of all ages.
For example, Imogen Cunningham, even in her nineties, remained an excellent photographer, continuing to capture moments of beauty on film and, in turn, inspiring others to photograph themselves.
Psychological difficulties
It is not easy to have Aphrodite as the leading archetype.
Women who follow the instinctive sexuality of Aphrodite are often caught between their own desire for sexual intimacy and the tendency to generate erotic energy in others, on the one hand, and a culture that considers a woman promiscuous if she acts according to her desires, on the other.
Identification with Aphrodite
A deep identification with Aphrodite is often manifested in a woman's personality by extroversion, passion for life and an element of fervor.
She loves men and attracts them to her with her attractiveness and interest in them.
Her attentiveness is seductive; she makes a man feel his peculiarity and sexuality.
This attention causes a response in him, generating an erotic attraction between them and a desire for sexual intimacy.
If she is identified with Aphrodite, she will act according to this desire, without taking into account the consequences.
But the consequences can be public condemnation, a chain of superficial connections, the possible use of her by men looking for sex with her and nothing more, and the subsequent low self esteem.
She needs to know how to restrain Aphrodite in some circumstances and how to respond in others wisely choose "when and with whom" - and how not to succumb to the archetype in destructive situations.
Men may also misinterpret her warmth and trusting communication style, mistaking them for a special interest or a sexual call.
Her sharp rebuff can give rise to the image of a teasing or heart breaking woman and accusations of luring men.
Feeling deceived and offended, such men can become hostile and embittered.
Having become the object of an unwanted reckless infatuation and anger due to rejection, the Aphrodite woman, confused in her actions that caused such a reaction, may be hurt or angry with herself.
When a woman Aphrodite realizes this scheme, she can learn to moderate the incipient ardor of a man, if she does not want to encourage him.
She can demonstrate her inaccessibility or stop communicating.
The Aphrodite woman, who grows up in an atmosphere of condemnation of female sexuality, may try to suppress her interest in men, obscure her attractiveness and consider herself bad because of her sexual drives.
But the feeling of guilt and internal conflict that accompany the manifestations of her Aphrodite nature lead to depression, anxiety and depression.
If she pretends so well that she does not let her sexuality and sensuality into consciousness, then she loses touch with the main part of herself – the real one and, thus, weakens her vital energy and spontaneity.
The negative aspects of life in the present
Aphrodite women tend to live in the present, perceiving life as if it is only a sensory experience.
Under the pressure of the moment, such a woman can react, forgetting about the consequences of her actions, and/or not be faithful, thereby generating conflicts.
This orientation entails impulsive actions that are destructive to everything that it touches.
For example, she can buy beautiful things that she canot afford.
She makes plans with great enthusiasm and with full determination to implement them.
But when the appointed time comes, she finds herself immersed in something or someone else.
Suffering is the best teacher for a woman Aphrodite, although such lessons are painful.
She is aware that people are offended and angry because of her treatment of them on the principle of "out of sight – out of mind".
When, without thinking about her financial situation, she obeys the impulse to buy the thing that her eyes fell on, she suddenly finds that the bills that persistently demand payment are growing, and the money is seeping through her fingers.
She reproduces schemes that cause pain to herself and others, until she learns to resist the tyranny of the "here and now" principle, which forces her to live as if "tomorrow" does not exist.
When the Aphrodite woman learns to reflect on the consequences before acting, she will react less impulsively and behave more responsibly.
However, emotional preferences will always carry more weight than practical considerations.
And she will still be able to offend others with her behavior, even thinking about her actions in advance, because she unconditionally follows her heart.
Victims of love
Men can become victims of the woman Aphrodite when she "loves them and leaves them".
She falls in love very easily, convinced every time that she has found the perfect man.
The magic of the moment allows him to feel like a god, loved by a goddess, until she leaves him and starts dating another.
As a result, she is followed by a chain of wounded, offended, indignant, depressed or angry men who feel used and abandoned.
The Aphrodite woman can go through a series of intense love affairs, each time carried away by the magic (or archetypal experience) of love.
To stop reproducing this scheme, she must learn to love someone "completely and without embellishment" – an imperfect person, not god.
First, she must free herself from the spell of light blind infatuations; usually only a strong experience can lead to such a loss of illusions.
Only after that, a close relationship can become long enough, allowing you to accept human shortcomings in your partner, and in yourself, and discover human dimensions in love.
The "Curse" of love
The power of the goddess Aphrodite, forcing people to love, can turn into a destructive side.
Sometimes the goddess forced a woman to unrequited love, awakened a passionate, but shameful or forbidden passion, leading to conflict or humiliation and, in the end, to the destruction of the woman or her positive qualities.
Such a curse determined the fate of three mythological women Myrrh, Phaedra and Medea, who "fell ill" with love.
Angry with Psyche, Aphrodite intended to make her fall in love with the "meanest of men".
The goddess was well aware that love can cause suffering.
Modern victims of Aphrodite are women bound by their unhappy love.
Some of them are looking for psychiatric help that allows them to free themselves from suffering.
In my practice, two typical schemes have been identified.
In the first case, a woman is in a loving relationship with a man who treats her badly or humiliates her.
She makes her whole life dependent on the" crumbs " of attention that fall from him from time to time.
Her involvement may be short lived, but it can also drag on for years.
It is characteristic that she is tormented by this connection and by her intensified attempts, contrary to the evidence, to convince herself that he really loves her.
She is depressed and unhappy, but nevertheless very contradictory about changing her situation.
However, in order to feel better, she must give up the destructive connection that has a narcotic power over her.
The second scheme seems even more hopeless: a woman is in love with a man who makes it clear that he does not want to be with her.
He avoids her as much as possible and feels the curse of her unrequited love.
Again, her agonizing obsession with him can last for years, effectively preventing the possibility of any other close relationship.
In pursuit of him, she may follow him to another city (as one of my patients did), be detained for trespassing or forcibly expelled from his house.
It is difficult for Aphrodite herself to get rid of such a curse.
To change, a woman must see the destructiveness of her gravity and want to get rid of it.
It takes a huge effort to avoid the temptation to see him and get caught in your own nets again.
But she must do this in order to be able to direct her emotions to another goal.
Ways of development
Knowing about your archetypal pattern of behavior is useful for all types of women, especially for Aphrodite women.
It helps them to understand their "goddess given" nature – strong sexual energy, the ability to easily fall in love and experience erotic attraction, which many other women are deprived of.
This knowledge helps the woman Aphrodite to free herself from the feeling of guilt because she is the way she is.
At the same time, she must realize that she should monitor her significant interests, since the goddess does not do this.
Although the archetypes of other goddesses may not be clearly visible in the woman Aphrodite, they are usually present at least in a latent form.
In connection with certain life experiences, they can gain influence by compensating or modifying the energy of Aphrodite in the female soul.
If "Aphrodite" develops any skill or acquires a skill or education, the archetypes of Artemis and Athena are likely to become important.
If she is married and has a child, Hera and Demeter can acquire a stable influence.
If she develops Hestia through meditation, she can more easily resist the extroverted power of erotic attraction.
And the development of Persephone's introversion will allow the woman Aphrodite to experience sexual experience in fantasy rather than in reality.
When a woman Aphrodite realizes her behavior model and decides to modify it so that she herself or those whom she loves are not hurt and offended, the main change comes.
By making choices and shaping possible consequences, she will one day be able to set her priorities and act according to them.
The development related path that it can follow is described by the myth of Psyche.
The Myth of Psyche: a metaphor for psychological development
The myth of Eros and Psyche has been used in female psychology by several Jungian analysts as an analogy; the most notable of them are Eric Neumann in his book "Cupid and Psyche" and Robert Johnson in the book "She".
Psyche is a pregnant mortal woman seeking to reunite with her husband, Eros, the god of love and the son of Aphrodite.
Psyche realizes that she must submit to the angry and hostile Aphrodite in order to ever reconcile with Eros, so she appears before the goddess.
As a test, Aphrodite gives her four tasks that have a symbolic meaning.
Each task represents a certain ability that a woman needs to develop.
Whenever Psyche copes with a task, she acquires a new ability that was not previously inherent in her, corresponding in Jungian psychology to the animus, or the male aspect in the female personality.
Although these abilities often seem "masculine" to those women who, like Psyche, need to make an effort for their development, they are natural qualities of women like Artemis and Athena.
The mythological figure of Psyche represents a mistress (as Aphrodite), a wife (as Hera) and a pregnant mother (as Demeter).
Moreover, according to the plot of the myth, she also descends into the underworld and returns from there (like Persephone).
Women who put close relationships first and react to other people intensely and emotionally need to develop the abilities symbolized by each task.
Only then will they be able to evaluate the provided elections and act decisively in their own interests.
Task 1: Sort the grains.
Aphrodite brings Psyche into a room, shows her a huge pile of grains mixed together – wheat, barley, millet, poppy seeds, peas, lentils and beans – and tells her that she must sort each type of grain or seed into a separate pile before the evening.
This task seems impossible until a lot of tiny ants come to her aid, laying out each variety, grain to grain, in separate piles.
In the same way, when a woman needs to make a critical decision, she must first sort out a disorderly mixture of conflicting feelings and competing preferences.
The situation becomes especially confusing when Aphrodite puts her hand to it.
"Sorting the grains" in this case is an internal task that requires a woman to honestly look inside herself, analyze her feelings, values and motives and separate the really important from the insignificant for her.
When a woman learns to stop in a confusing situation and not act until there is clarity, she will begin to trust the "ants".
These insects are an analogy of an intuitive process operating outside of conscious control.
Clarity can come through her conscious efforts to systematically or logically evaluate and prioritize many of the elements included in the solution.
Task 2: Get the golden Fleece.
Then Aphrodite ordered Psyche to get golden wool from the terrible rams before sunrise – huge, aggressive, horned animals butting each other in the field.
If Psyche had entered the herd and tried to take their wool, she would have been trampled for sure.
Again, the task seems impossible until the green reed comes to her aid: he advises her to wait until sunset, when the sheep will disperse and go to bed.
Then she will be able to safely remove the strands of golden wool from the blackberry bushes, which the sheep slightly touched.
Symbolically, the golden fleece represents the power that a woman needs to acquire without being destroyed when trying to achieve it.
When a woman Aphrodite (or a type of vulnerable goddess) enters a rival world where other people are aggressively fighting for power and position, she may suffer pain or disappointment if she does not realize the danger.
She may become bitter or cynical; her attentive and trusting soul may be wounded, "trampled underfoot".
The armored Athena may be in the thick of the battle, directly involved in strategy and politics, but a woman like Psyche watches, waits and gradually gains power in a roundabout way.
To acquire golden wool and stay alive at the same time is a metaphor for the task of achieving power by remaining a compassionate person.
As my psychiatric practice shows and, to keep this task in mind is very useful for every woman striving for self affirmation.
Otherwise, by focusing only on expressing her needs or anger, she turns communication with herself into a repulsive confrontation, making it difficult to achieve what she wants and exposing herself in a sharp, destructive aspect.
Task 3: Fill a crystal bottle.
In the third task, Aphrodite puts a small crystal bottle in Psyche's hand and says that she should fill it with water from an inaccessible stream.
This stream cascades from the source from the top of the highest cliff to the very depths of the underworld, and then rises through the earth, returning again to the source.
Metaphorically, this flow represents the cycle of life into which Psyche must plunge in order to fill her bottle.
When she gazes intently at the ice stream that cuts deep into the jagged cliff and is guarded by dragons, the task of filling the bottle seems impossible to her.
At this time, an eagle comes to her aid.
The eagle symbolizes the ability to see the landscape from a distant perspective and quickly dive to grab what you need.
This is far from the usual way of perception for a woman like Psyche, who is prone to personal involvement, which prevents "seeing the forest behind the trees".
It is especially important for a woman Aphrodite to maintain a certain emotional distance in a close relationship, which allows her to see the relationship schemes as a whole, distinguish important details and realize what is significant.
Then she will be able to assimilate the experience and shape her life.
Task 4: Learn to say "no".
In the fourth and final task, Aphrodite ordered Psyche to go down to the underworld with a small box for Persephone to fill it with a magical ointment of beauty.
Psyche equates the task with death.
But it can be considered as a turning point visible from afar and give her advice.
This task is much harder than the traditional test of the hero's courage and determination, because Aphrodite tried to make it especially difficult.
Psyche is told that she will meet people who will heartbreakingly beg her for help, and three times she will have to "make her heart unfeeling for pity", ignore their pleas and continue to follow on.
Otherwise, she will remain in the underworld forever.
It is very difficult for everyone to keep to the set goal, despite requests for help, except for women like virgin goddesses.
Women with the archetype of Demeter the mother and the helpful Persephone are the most responsive to the needs of other people, and women like Hera and Aphrodite are somewhere between the first and the second.
The task that Psyche performs by saying "no" three times is the implementation of a choice.
Many women prefer to be deceived and deviate from the implementation of their interests.
They will not be able to fulfill their intentions or choose what is best for them until they learn to say "no".
Whether it is a person who needs her company or support, or the attraction of an erotically charged intimate relationship until a woman learns to say "no" to them and her special impressionability, she will not be able to determine the direction of her life.
Thanks to these four tasks, Psyche develops.
She develops abilities and strength, putting her courage, cheerfulness and determination to the test.
However, despite all the acquisitions, her nature and priorities remain unchanged: she puts a close love relationship at the forefront, risking everything for her, and wins.
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Library of the Foundation for the Promotion of Mental Culture (Kiev)
