ABSTRACT
This section introduces the main themes of the book. It outlines the main four depth psychological tasks that are necessary for one to have the capacity for genuine love rather than the current romantic ideals that are based on projection and narcissistic striving. It shows how the history of violence against women connects to the origins of depth psychology and the concept of love. The field of psychology emerged out of the examination and treatment of female patients by male physicians, and all early theories are built on masculine mythologems or archetypes. Freud, often considered the father of depth psychology, based much of his theory on the mythological figure of Oedipus. A large portion of Jung’s psychological theory was birthed from the archetypes of the hero and the alchemist. Largely absent from the early literature of Jungian and psychoanalytic thinking are theories of the psyche based on central feminine archetypes and women’s lived experience. The introduction considers how the field of depth psychology changes when viewed through a feminine lens. It outlines how the book will map the territory of the individuation journey of women—the movement toward wholeness. Several female authors have pointed out that Jung’s theory of individuation does not adequately account for women’s experience. The archetypes of Demeter, Persephone, Ariadne, and Salomé are highlighted.
