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The Way of All Women
Acclaimed as one of the best works available on feminine psychology from the time it first appeared in 1933, The Way of All Women discusses topics such as work, marriage, motherhood, old age, and women's relationships with family, friends, and lovers. Dr. Harding, who was best known for her work with women and families, stresses the need for a woman to work toward her own wholeness and develop the many sides of her nature, and emphasizes the importance of unconscious processes.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1933
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497 people want to read
About the author
Mary Esther Harding
12 books36 followersMary Esther Harding (1888–1971) was a British-American Jungian analyst who was the first significant Jungian psychoanalyst in the United States.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 3, 2016
My interest in analytical psychology and C.G. Jung extended from the middle of college through seminary. During those six-plus years I read his collected works and everything else I could get my hands on. Basically, I was seeking to master the material, to get to the point of understanding everything he wrote about. A lot of the concepts central to his school of thought--archetypes of the collective unconscious, anima/us, synchronicity etc.--were not immediately comprehensible. Some of them still aren't. I understand what they're intended to refer to, but doubt the reference (e.g. synchronicity).
Mary Esther Harding, one of the earliest "Jungians" in the United States, wrote a lot about feminine psychology and related archetypes. I learned a lot from this book and her Woman's Mysteries at the time of reading, mostly about ancient religions--or, at least, late 19th-early 20th century beliefs about them. Now, however, I'm sure I'd look at her work far more critically. I simply know more about ancient religions now and, so, am less easily taken in by simplifying generalizations.
Mary Esther Harding, one of the earliest "Jungians" in the United States, wrote a lot about feminine psychology and related archetypes. I learned a lot from this book and her Woman's Mysteries at the time of reading, mostly about ancient religions--or, at least, late 19th-early 20th century beliefs about them. Now, however, I'm sure I'd look at her work far more critically. I simply know more about ancient religions now and, so, am less easily taken in by simplifying generalizations.
December 2, 2023
I've really struggled with this book - because how brilliant it is. I have to put this book down several times, reflect several months, then go back to the book again.
First of all, this book is definitely not a "feminist" book. In fact, the author took jab at feminism several times in the book (in one early instance, the author flat out said a feminist female sold her birth right by becoming a feminist). This is a feminity book, not a feminist book.
What's the difference between femininity and feminist? Feminity is about a woman's increase understanding of her own subconscious and her own body and sexual allure, and isn't afraid to increasingly use her feminity as a form of power. Femininity power is vastly stronger than masculine power. As history has shown, many kingdoms have been destroyed by women possessive of great feminity power - from (just top of my head) Cleopatra to Xi Shi.
But feminist on the other hand, doesn't have the power to channel into this power. Instead, they stuck up in a slightly lower power of being a female by attempting to play into their masculine power. Masculine power is visible: you can see that from the amount of wealth one owns, amount of muscule one has. Feminine power on the other hand, is invisible. It's far more powerful than masculine power because a person possess of great feminine power can seemingly yield super powerful masculine power at will: why do you need to build a kingdom when you can simply seduce a emperor and have him do any task you want? Even better yet, why not seduce multiple emperors and have them pit against each other? Best yet - because you're merely seducing them, it's the game of carrot and stick - you never have to sleep with them or offer them anything.
Because how powerful feminity is, just about every culture has the warning for its people to not fall into the trap of a seductive woman (if you don't think this exists, just think of the term "gold digger" and see if you'd feel an intense heat, sadness, disappointment or perhaps disapproval).
Of course - this book dives way deeper than the subject of feminist (if anything, feminist make up less than a single digit of the book). The book is a very blunt instrument to describe different types of women in different stages of their lives. And as any Jungian scholar do, the author spent a great deal dissecting the process of a female increasingly gaining understanding from her subconscious. The book spent a great deal of time explaining what a female looks, acts, thinks like during each stage of her exploration.
First of all, this book is definitely not a "feminist" book. In fact, the author took jab at feminism several times in the book (in one early instance, the author flat out said a feminist female sold her birth right by becoming a feminist). This is a feminity book, not a feminist book.
What's the difference between femininity and feminist? Feminity is about a woman's increase understanding of her own subconscious and her own body and sexual allure, and isn't afraid to increasingly use her feminity as a form of power. Femininity power is vastly stronger than masculine power. As history has shown, many kingdoms have been destroyed by women possessive of great feminity power - from (just top of my head) Cleopatra to Xi Shi.
But feminist on the other hand, doesn't have the power to channel into this power. Instead, they stuck up in a slightly lower power of being a female by attempting to play into their masculine power. Masculine power is visible: you can see that from the amount of wealth one owns, amount of muscule one has. Feminine power on the other hand, is invisible. It's far more powerful than masculine power because a person possess of great feminine power can seemingly yield super powerful masculine power at will: why do you need to build a kingdom when you can simply seduce a emperor and have him do any task you want? Even better yet, why not seduce multiple emperors and have them pit against each other? Best yet - because you're merely seducing them, it's the game of carrot and stick - you never have to sleep with them or offer them anything.
Because how powerful feminity is, just about every culture has the warning for its people to not fall into the trap of a seductive woman (if you don't think this exists, just think of the term "gold digger" and see if you'd feel an intense heat, sadness, disappointment or perhaps disapproval).
Of course - this book dives way deeper than the subject of feminist (if anything, feminist make up less than a single digit of the book). The book is a very blunt instrument to describe different types of women in different stages of their lives. And as any Jungian scholar do, the author spent a great deal dissecting the process of a female increasingly gaining understanding from her subconscious. The book spent a great deal of time explaining what a female looks, acts, thinks like during each stage of her exploration.
Read
November 26, 2025I found this book such a pleasure to read!
Harding devotes these pages to the psychological growth of women throughout the different periods of their lives.
While I admire Jung, one key limitation is that, as a man, he cannot fully articulate the intricacies of womanhood and its effects on the feminine psyche. Harding bridges that gap.
I would gladly read this again. Even has a handbook, picking it up during different life phases. It is an intriguing, complex, detailed, and well-grounded work on the female psyche.
Overall, the main point of the work:
“In these chapters the psychological problems of woman have unfolded themselves as they occur in the various phases of her fate. Through facing the daily reality of her life a gradual growth and deepening of consciousness is achieved. Her personal and egotistic desires recede before a more fundamental aim and are replaced by a suprapersonal value which is related to the deeper principles of life. Out of this development woman finds for herself a spirituality based on the principle of Eros, which is expressed in life by a new kind of human relationship.”
I’m thankful to have read it :-)
Harding devotes these pages to the psychological growth of women throughout the different periods of their lives.
While I admire Jung, one key limitation is that, as a man, he cannot fully articulate the intricacies of womanhood and its effects on the feminine psyche. Harding bridges that gap.
I would gladly read this again. Even has a handbook, picking it up during different life phases. It is an intriguing, complex, detailed, and well-grounded work on the female psyche.
Overall, the main point of the work:
“In these chapters the psychological problems of woman have unfolded themselves as they occur in the various phases of her fate. Through facing the daily reality of her life a gradual growth and deepening of consciousness is achieved. Her personal and egotistic desires recede before a more fundamental aim and are replaced by a suprapersonal value which is related to the deeper principles of life. Out of this development woman finds for herself a spirituality based on the principle of Eros, which is expressed in life by a new kind of human relationship.”
I’m thankful to have read it :-)
December 26, 2024
It may seem a bit outdated nowadays, but I do think it has great value still, especially the beginning of the book which speaks of female nature.
The book is prophetic in a way, now that some people today attempt to change the definition of a woman to a certain vague feeling anybody could have.
"We must not hold the view that woman is man’s inferior, nor must we take our stand on the little girl’s version of the creation and assume that man is a creature who has not yet evolved to the female standard. This latter view is secretly held by many women, but they never express it directly, for to do so would be heresy".
Being a woman is not just a biological reality, but there is also a soul involved, a feminine soul, and this book is really helpful to getting closer to it.
"Only one half of feminine psychology can be covered by biological and social concepts. But in this book it becomes clear that woman possesses also a peculiar spirituality very strange to man. Without knowledge of the unconscious this new point of view, so essential to the psychology of woman, could never have been brought out in such completeness".
The book is prophetic in a way, now that some people today attempt to change the definition of a woman to a certain vague feeling anybody could have.
"We must not hold the view that woman is man’s inferior, nor must we take our stand on the little girl’s version of the creation and assume that man is a creature who has not yet evolved to the female standard. This latter view is secretly held by many women, but they never express it directly, for to do so would be heresy".
Being a woman is not just a biological reality, but there is also a soul involved, a feminine soul, and this book is really helpful to getting closer to it.
"Only one half of feminine psychology can be covered by biological and social concepts. But in this book it becomes clear that woman possesses also a peculiar spirituality very strange to man. Without knowledge of the unconscious this new point of view, so essential to the psychology of woman, could never have been brought out in such completeness".
June 7, 2022
Some books challenge the previous theory about the perception of women and this one does it superbly.
Even Carl Jung never understood women psychology because he was writing from the perception of a man.
This book is full of raw truth about women, how women deal with Anima and Animus of the men.
You will never be disappointed in any of the chapters because everything will be new to you because it was written by a woman about women.
I Enjoyed the journey.
If any one wants to know something about their woman they should read this book and definitely they love and change..
This is one of the topmost books on women...
Even Carl Jung never understood women psychology because he was writing from the perception of a man.
This book is full of raw truth about women, how women deal with Anima and Animus of the men.
You will never be disappointed in any of the chapters because everything will be new to you because it was written by a woman about women.
I Enjoyed the journey.
If any one wants to know something about their woman they should read this book and definitely they love and change..
This is one of the topmost books on women...
Read
July 27, 2025Harding, Jung's student, argues that when women are confined to roles serving men's emotional or psychological needs, both partners lose touch with their full selves, and genuine intimacy becomes impossible in the presence of power imbalance.
Here are some quotes that stood out:
"Women do not really want complete independence of men in any sense which implies isolation. What woman really wants is relationship, and for that a certain separateness is necessary. There cannot be real relationship between a dominant and a dependent member of a group, any more than there can be real relationship between masters and their slaves." [p.86]
"For many a woman there is a great lure in the thought of inspiring her man, of being his guardian angel, indispensable to him.[...] For, instead of going on with her own education and development, she was reduced to being nothing but psychological function of the man."[p.27]
"The woman, however, may grow tired of carrying the man's anima. She may become increasingly aware that her husband does not really love her but is always seeing something over her shoulder, as it were."[p.20]
"A man without a soul is but half a man, consequently when his soul is projected onto another human being it is as though half of himself were in her.[...] He longs to get into relation with her, for by doing so he will come into relation once more with his own soul, which is otherwise lost to him."[p.9]
Here are some quotes that stood out:
"Women do not really want complete independence of men in any sense which implies isolation. What woman really wants is relationship, and for that a certain separateness is necessary. There cannot be real relationship between a dominant and a dependent member of a group, any more than there can be real relationship between masters and their slaves." [p.86]
"For many a woman there is a great lure in the thought of inspiring her man, of being his guardian angel, indispensable to him.[...] For, instead of going on with her own education and development, she was reduced to being nothing but psychological function of the man."[p.27]
"The woman, however, may grow tired of carrying the man's anima. She may become increasingly aware that her husband does not really love her but is always seeing something over her shoulder, as it were."[p.20]
"A man without a soul is but half a man, consequently when his soul is projected onto another human being it is as though half of himself were in her.[...] He longs to get into relation with her, for by doing so he will come into relation once more with his own soul, which is otherwise lost to him."[p.9]
July 16, 2012
A lot of thought provoking concepts regarding women from a Jungian point of view. The style was choppy at times and left me really try hard to finish it. Almost dry. Also, I feel like with the modern gender related research that has gone in the most recent years, this book is outdated to a certain extent.
July 12, 2008
More Jungian psychology. I'm on a roll--or was, at least.
August 19, 2016
Letto 34 anni fa. Intanto di strada sulla strada della donna mi pare di averne fatta assai. Ancora ne resta però, forse la parte più ardua, almeno da un certo punto di vista.
Lasciamoci sorprendere.
Lasciamoci sorprendere.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews