As familiar as I am with both Jung's theories and Greek mythology, this added nothing. I would not routinely believe the truth found in anecdotes nor is perceived motivations. The writng was very sloppy and repetitive. ( )

I read this book as a senior in college, and more than twenty years later I still come back to its wisdom and insights.

Bolen, a Jungian psychologist, uses seven Greek goddesses as archetypal templates to help women -- and men -- understand some of the powerful psychological patterns that operate in women's lives. She divides them into three categories: the vulnerable (Hera, Demeter, Persephone) who are defined by their relationships; the virgin (Hestia, Athena, Artemis) who are not defined by their relationships; and Aphrodite, whom she calls "The Alchemical Goddess" who has relationships but is not hurt by them in the way the vulnerable goddesses are. Each archetype has its strengths and riches, and each has its shadows and challenges.

While no one goddess sums up any one women, Bolen's illumination of how the ancient stories convey forces that remain part of our psyches today is extremely valuable. I highly recommend it.

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This is essential reading for all women. Understanding the different archetypes has aided me time and again to learn why other women are motivated in ways I don't understand. I have owned this for more than ten years and still love it. ( )

Dr. Bolen introduced these patterns in the guise of seven archetypal goddesses, or personality types, with whom all women could identify, from the autonomous Artemis and the cool Athena to the nurturing Demeter and the creative Aphrodite, and explains how to decide which to cultivate and which to overcome, and how to tap the power of these enduring archetypes to become a better "heroine" in one's own life story. ( )

Greek goddesses as archetypes of female behavior in Jungian framework