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The Beheaded Goddess: Daughters of Narcissistic Fathers
"The Beheaded Goddess: Daughters of Narcissistic Fathers" is an archetypal, mythological, and transferential analysis of the loss of healthy aggression in an adolescent daughter. The specific family researched consists of a narcissistic father, an emotionally unavailable mother, and an adolescent daughter.
Paternal narcissism consists of entitlement, grandiosity, and a lack of empathy. Its characterological defensive structure wavers between insecure poles of inflation and deflation in the father, and simultaneous elevation and devaluation of the daughter. The emotionally unavailable mother's mind is disavowed, and her power given over to enthrone the male. Involuntarily participating in the abuse, she acts in accordance with the paternal myth believing men superior to women.
The daughter observes the inequality, resenting the mother for allowing the debasement. She learns that to be female is to be mindless while maleness is to have and be a-head. The daughter aligns with the father. It is a double betrayal: we lose our mothers and our internal trust of the feminine.
The Beheaded Goddess is an ancient but until now unnamed archetype. Her powerful image appears in Neolithic cave paintings, Renaissance art, medieval or early Christian legend, and contemporary women's dreams. What is her story? Why is she beheaded and by whom? This work explicates a specific type of beheading, a narcissistic father decapitating his daughter when she becomes sexual.
It is an incest motif, whereby the narcissistic father devours the loving body or mind of the daughter to fill his own emptiness. The abuse begins in childhood, but this work will explore the reappearance of the incest motif during the daughter's adolescence.
The etiology of abuse symptoms, severance of the head from the body, and repetitive consequences to the daughter are examined, as well as the reclamation of her head, including vision, voice, and action. The transformation of the Beheaded Goddess is a therapeutic journey of depth. The daughter circumambulates through the labyrinth of her soul until she comes to the core of her complex, the face of her own aggression. Without this work, she remains victim to externalizing forces and the persecutory inner animus--she beheads the inner negative father to free her own mind, voice, and power.
Paternal narcissism consists of entitlement, grandiosity, and a lack of empathy. Its characterological defensive structure wavers between insecure poles of inflation and deflation in the father, and simultaneous elevation and devaluation of the daughter. The emotionally unavailable mother's mind is disavowed, and her power given over to enthrone the male. Involuntarily participating in the abuse, she acts in accordance with the paternal myth believing men superior to women.
The daughter observes the inequality, resenting the mother for allowing the debasement. She learns that to be female is to be mindless while maleness is to have and be a-head. The daughter aligns with the father. It is a double betrayal: we lose our mothers and our internal trust of the feminine.
The Beheaded Goddess is an ancient but until now unnamed archetype. Her powerful image appears in Neolithic cave paintings, Renaissance art, medieval or early Christian legend, and contemporary women's dreams. What is her story? Why is she beheaded and by whom? This work explicates a specific type of beheading, a narcissistic father decapitating his daughter when she becomes sexual.
It is an incest motif, whereby the narcissistic father devours the loving body or mind of the daughter to fill his own emptiness. The abuse begins in childhood, but this work will explore the reappearance of the incest motif during the daughter's adolescence.
The etiology of abuse symptoms, severance of the head from the body, and repetitive consequences to the daughter are examined, as well as the reclamation of her head, including vision, voice, and action. The transformation of the Beheaded Goddess is a therapeutic journey of depth. The daughter circumambulates through the labyrinth of her soul until she comes to the core of her complex, the face of her own aggression. Without this work, she remains victim to externalizing forces and the persecutory inner animus--she beheads the inner negative father to free her own mind, voice, and power.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 30, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 24, 2014
Any woman who was ever abandoned or damaged by the toxic father's treatment of her should read this. Any woman still grappling with issues of identity, self esteem and depression into adulthood, should read this. Jungian in approach, intermediate to advanced level.
June 11, 2022
A bit over my head but still worth the read
I am a college grad and avid reader but I didn’t understand a lot of this. There were many words I had to click for the definitions and some things I just ignored because I didn’t understand or know what was being referred to.
With that being said, I am really glad I read this! It spoke to what is happening in my life right now as a daughter of a narcissist, four years into weekly counseling and going no contact.
I am reclaiming my head. This book was empowering and helpful to me in embracing my own healthy aggression.
I just wish it was a little more approachable for the every day reader because then I would recommend it to more people. Right now I’d only recommend to intellectual friends who I know read a lot of this kind of material.
I am a college grad and avid reader but I didn’t understand a lot of this. There were many words I had to click for the definitions and some things I just ignored because I didn’t understand or know what was being referred to.
With that being said, I am really glad I read this! It spoke to what is happening in my life right now as a daughter of a narcissist, four years into weekly counseling and going no contact.
I am reclaiming my head. This book was empowering and helpful to me in embracing my own healthy aggression.
I just wish it was a little more approachable for the every day reader because then I would recommend it to more people. Right now I’d only recommend to intellectual friends who I know read a lot of this kind of material.
August 15, 2018
Profound and eye opening.
One of the best books I have read on this subject. Definitely recommended for the healing of the narcissistic wound.
One of the best books I have read on this subject. Definitely recommended for the healing of the narcissistic wound.
March 19, 2018
Loved the insight and perspective of narcissism. Feminist should read this book.
October 5, 2018
Fascinating and enlightening.
November 30, 2021
not for the faint of heart
March 18, 2024
This is an excellent book that explains the relationship of a narcissist father towards daughters.
December 23, 2014
Ingewikkeld maar zeer belangrijk boek over hoe dochters het narcistisch ideaalbeeld van de vader internaliseren en daar hun eigen relaties op uitkiezen.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews