Get Free Shipping on orders over $0
Meeting The Madwoman - Linda Schierse Leonard

Meeting The Madwoman

By: Linda Schierse Leonard

Paperback | 1 March 1994 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback


$44.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $11.19 with

 or 

Ships in 5 to 10 business days

The Madwoman is a powerful psychological and emotional energy that lives in us all-both men and women-and speaks to us all, inhabiting our dreams, our lives, our collective cultural memory. Ignored or suppressed, she becomes a force of self-destruction; acknowledged and understood, she becomes a source of creativity and power. In this remarkable and revolutionary book, Linda Schierse Leonard explores how we can overcome the inner turmoil of contemporary life-unexpressed rage, the buildup of guilt and anxiety-by harnessing this primal expression of our natural instincts.
 
From Medea to Ophelia to Thelma and Louise, the paradox and patterns of "madness" are as old as time. But the chain can be broken; the Madwoman within each of us can and must be freed, openly expressed, and transformed into a source of constructive, creative energy. Leonard draws upon an extraordinary range of sources-ancient myths and fairy tales, films and literature, contemporary and historical women's lives-to design a model of empowerment for women today.
 
With its fresh perspectives and bold insights, Meeting the Madwoman is a provocative work of profound cultural significance, one whose ideas are sure to resonate for years to come.

Praise for Meeting the Madwoman
 
"A book loaded with practical insights that's also fun to read . . . With refreshing originality, Leonard reverses some traditional perceptions."-New Woman
 
"A vigorous exploration . . . Throughout, Leonard writes passionately, seeing the Madwoman as an empowering symbol and the discovery process as a spiritual exercise-a kind of purification and ultimate triumph of the feminine spirit."-Kirkus Reviews
Industry Reviews
A vigorous exploration by Jungian analyst Leonard (The Wounded Woman, 1982, etc. - not reviewed) of the "Madwoman" archetype, an unsettling image whose negative energy, she suggests, must be recognized and rechanneled as a positive force. The Madwoman appears in literature, dreams, movies, and case studies, all of which Leonard contemplates in rich detail. She describes at length eight different varieties of Madwomen - the Caged Bird, the Recluse, the Muse, etc. - giving examples from literature (Charlotte Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper), history (Alma Mahler, Rachel Carson), and her own therapy practice. In each instance, she emphasizes the need to become conscious of destructive behavior as a first step, to act for change from one's full potential and unique vision. Leonard also includes more everyday kinds of insights, commenting on the range of feelings of loss engendered by a romantic break-up, or challenging a popular stereotype (the social isolation, for instance, of the rejected single woman) with formidable contrary examples (Rachel Carson's love of solitude as a key to her productivity and strength). Throughout, Leonard writes passionately, seeing the Madwoman as an empowering symbol and the discovery process as a spiritual exercise - a kind of purification and ultimate triumph of the feminine spirit. Women Who Run With the Wolves will feel comfortable with Leonard's sense of women as nature's exiles, her use of myth and dreams for elaboration, and her validation of feminine mystery. (Kirkus Reviews)

More in Spiritualism

Anna, Grandmother Of Jesus : A Message Of Wisdom And Love - , Claire Heartsong
Spirit Worlds : The Library of Esoterica - Jessica Hundley

RRP $79.99

$58.99

26%
OFF
Guided : The secret path to an illuminated life - Laura Lynne Jackson

RRP $34.99

$27.75

21%
OFF
Be Here Now - Ram Dass

Paperback

RRP $34.99

$28.75

18%
OFF
Gene Keys : Unlocking the Higher Purpose Hidden in Your DNA - Richard Rudd
The Mirror of Simple Souls - Marguerite Porete

RRP $27.45

$26.75

Journey of Souls : Case Studies of Life Between Lives - Michael Newton
The Power of Moving On : How To Let Go and Live The Life You Want - John Purkiss
Voices of the First Day : Awakening in the Aboriginal Dreamtime - Robert Lawlor
Witch : Unleashed. Untamed. Unapologetic. - Lisa Lister
The Tao of Wu - RZA

Paperback

RRP $34.99

$28.75

18%
OFF
Angels In My Hair : (Revised Edition) - Lorna Byrne

RRP $26.99

$22.99

15%
OFF
The Other Side : A Journey into Women, Art and the Spirit World - Jennifer Higgie
Be As You Are : The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi - Sri Ramana Maharshi
Moonology : Working with the Magic of Lunar Cycles - Yasmin Boland
Real Sorcery : Strategies for Powerful Magick - Jason Miller

RRP $34.99

$29.99

14%
OFF