Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D. "Women who run with the wolves"

The most frequent comment I have heard about Clarissa Pinkola Estes' book "Women Who Run with the Wolves" is "I didn't finish it". On the one hand, this puzzles me; on the other, it seems understandable, because the material, although valuable, is not of the easy kind. If I had fewer fairy tales on my childhood bookshelf, if I lacked even a minimal knowledge of Jung's analytical psychology, which is the author's speciality, I would probably interpret the content of the book more directly, perhaps even find it offensive at times, and would be one of those who leave it half-read. 

The other oddity. Those who have not read it often think that "Women Who Run With Wolves" is a work of fiction, when it is as far from fiction as a dog is from a moon. 

Whatever others may think or read, this book is a favourite on my shelf. I read breathlessly, turning the pages with trembling fingers, wanting more. I read to the end. Once in a while I reread the chapters that are relevant at a particular moment in my life. 

Decode the fairy tale

The most valuable thing this book gave me was the confirmation of an intuitive knowledge that a fairy tale is more than a beautiful string of words. It is alive, it is personal, it has an impact. For me, it was in this book that it was finally put into words. 

By giving examples from different peoples and cultures, Estés shows how we can recognise and decode our own often hidden beliefs, faiths, patterns of life, beliefs and values, including paternosters and dynamics, which we have received from our ancestors through fairy tales and have passed on for hundreds and thousands of years. The author provides an excellent example of how to approach the interpretation of the archetypes, images and symbols contained in fairy tales, teaching us to recognise the storylines we unconsciously live by, to integrate them into real life and, if necessary, to transform them.

Unmixed

Daughter, wife, mother, sister, lover, grandmother... Estes describes all the facets of this woman. Through her stories, she shows that there is room in this world for every woman's character, no matter how endearing or nasty. She encourages us to chew, to explore, to confront fear, to make mistakes, to let die what needs to die, to choose, to trust intuition, to release strength, to find love... She takes us through the stages of a woman's journey of initiation, teaching us to recognise and live them.

This book invites you to believe in yourself. It invites you to become and be yourself. It invites you to look at yourself in a very honest way. For a woman, this often means seeing herself not only as the much talked-about and celebrated woman-woman of recent years, but also as a wrinkled old spinster, a neglected orphan, a hypocrite, and other characters. The truth is not always pretty, but it is healing.

For me, this book has been and continues to be a source of inspiration and encouragement. Reading it gives me strength and encourages me to unravel the threads of the most vivid tales of my own life. It shows me the way, and I am happy to go. How about you? 

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