She: Understanding Feminine Psychology

by Robert A. Johnson

Robert A. Johnson's groundbreaking, brilliant, and insightful work on how women transition into being mature and developing their own identity—newly reissued.

What does it mean to be a woman? What is the pathway to mature femininity? And what of the masculine components of a woman’s personality?

Many scholars and writers have long considered that the ancient myth of Amor and Psyche is really the story of a woman’s task of becoming whole, complete, and individuated.  Here, examining this ancient story in depth and lighting up the details, Robert A. Johnson has produced an arresting and perceptive exploration of what it means to become a woman. You will not read these pages without understanding the important women in your life and a good deal about yourself as a woman.  

More important than ever before, She offers a compelling study of women.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Mythology, Spirituality, Philosophy, Relationships, Self Help

98 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Robert A. Johnson is a noted lecturer and Jungian analyst in private practice in San Diego, California. He has studied at the Jung Institute in Switzerland and at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in India.

Reviews

[Jenny]

There were moments when I thought Johnson was really on to something, but overall I couldn't relate an iota to the "femininity" posed in this book and, in fact, felt offended by it at times. This could be due to my surface-level reading of the book, but it could also have to do with the fact that Johnson tries to summarize feminine psychology in a mere 80 pages- missing opportunity after opportunity to present concrete modern examples of his interpretation of this Greek myth. Alas, true to my compulsive form, I must now read "He" and "We." I'd like to see how they all tie together and to see if Johnson interprets the psychology of his own sex/gender better than that of females.

[Lisa Hough-Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

A narrow and occasionally offensive reduction of women that purports to be an analysis of the female psyche. What it is, is a reasonably interesting interpretation of the myth of Psyche and Eros. I would be giving it more stars if the author had been honest about what this short book actually is. Instead he makes sweeping conclusions about femininity (but only in relation to masculinity, because the female psyche is valued only by reference to what it can do for men, apparently), based on his subjective views on one myth.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

She: Understanding Feminine Psychology is an interesting book for readers that are intrigued by philosophy, psychology, mythology. Johnson relates feminine psychology to the Greek myth of Eros (Cupid) and Psyche to show the similarities between modern and ancient times, as well as the surprising authenticity and relevance of this myth.

The myth deals with Psyche, a young, lonely daughter of a royal family that ends up falling in love with Cupid, the son of the very jealous Aphrodite. She has no idea that she's in love with Cupid because she was originally arranged by Aphrodite to love and marry Death, but Cupid pricks himself with one of his arrows and falls for Psyche. Long story short, Psyche finds out that she's in love with Cupid and loses him. In order to win him back, she must go through many challenges created by Aphrodite. She makes it through each task with the help of nature and even Cupid. In the end, they get married and Psyche receives immortality from Zeus.

Johnson compares this myth to the experiences that women have in their transition from maidenhood to womanhood. He also elaborates on the maturation of women during marriage and the relationship between women and their mother-in-laws. One of the most interestingly analytical aspects of the book is his explanation of a woman's abilities to gain consciousness of the cruelty in the world around her and to encourage and understand herself emotionally and psychologically in times of distress. I found it quite interesting when Johnson admitted that men needed the femininity of a woman in order to fully understand and find meaning in situations and sometimes even in themselves. He elaborates on this topic much further in one of his other books, He: Understanding Masculine Psychology.

Many women that have read this book were taken aback and somewhat offended by the fact that the writer was a man, but I actually wasn't surprised or angered by it. I can honestly say that there is a great deal of truth in the book, but it is quite general. I really enjoyed the book because the author kept me on edge. Not because he was always right about everything, but out of my own curiosity to see whether or not he'd say something ridiculously sexist. I have to admit that the book wasn't what I was expecting, and I'm pretty relieved about that. Of course there are a few things that I disagree with, but that's mainly because I can't relate to a lot of the generalizations that were made in the book. I would recommend this book for strongly opinionated people because its great for finding new topics to either support or refute. Its also a good book for debates and discussions concerning both the masculine and feminine psyches.

[Owlseyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Unless we do conscious work on it, the shadow is almost always projected. That is, it is neatly laid on someone or something else so we do not have to take responsibility for it".



I took notice of him passing away last 24th September. My homage, by reading him and listening to him, talking and playing harpsichord.

This is a great book as proof that, in some cases, a myth (namely Psyche and Eros) may provide a model for understanding woman’s failed or successful psychological development. But, despite Robert Johnson mentioning the feminists having a lot to say about this mythical approach, he doesn’t reveal much.

To me, in our days, the Feminist movement, in some cases, reached the incomprehensible level, maybe thus, demanding new Myths to explain and understand such a feminist fury (and hate projection?), ultimately, and negatively, impacting on women’s psychological development.

And there’s always the question of those true and false feminists. Though not agreeing totally with Ayaan Hirsi Ali, her words may shed some light on these issues: “…the serious and sincere feminists who really care about the equality between men and women…should not be seen with these fake feminists”. Hirsi Ali was commenting on a “Women’s March” back in 2017. And, she’s been critical about Islam*. She's quite an antithesis of Linda Sarsour.

"Crawl back under your rock"
Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom

Or, quite recently, a Swede feminist indirectly calling a Canadian clinical psychologist a caveman…(or a bug?)...or something else.**

* https://womenintheworld.com/2017/02/0...

**https://www.rt.com/news/443477-peters...

UPDATE: https://www.expressen.se/gt/ingen-ska...

UPDATE:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

UPDATE

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=M0raXj8...

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has been sitting on my shelf for years. I picked it up today because it is December 28th and I needed one more book to reach my 40 book goal. This was by far the skinniest book on the shelf, alas! I grabbed that shit and sat down to speed-read (this 40 book challenge was really important to me, ok?!)

Well, I'm not a believer in fate, but this book was what I needed to read at this exact moment in my life. Some of the love stuff was kinda schmaltzy for me, but I really loved the bits about personal development and growth. Oh, and the parts about weddings and marriage? I had to get a pen out to underline at that point- I was like, PREACH, Robert A. Johnson!

The mythical, dreamy, Jungian stuff was totally new to me and I really enjoyed it. My Aphrodite/Psyche energy is bout ready to bring a new consciousness to birth, mmk.

[Humaira Khatoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book about feminine psychology written by a man and using a man-centric pscyhological interpretation.An interesting essay, but still slightly subjugative.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The anima companion to Johnson’s He.

[Nancy Lewis · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting essay, but still slightly subjugative. I wonder if it's because of the author's personal views, or a sign of the time in which the book was written. Was 1989 really that long ago? There is a companion book called "He" (of course).

[Azy Saeedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

از مقدمه ی سخت و غیر جذاب! مترجم و ترجمه ی نه چندان مناسب کتاب که صرف نظر کنیم، خود کتاب یکی از بهترین هاست! کتاب با نگاهی به اسطوره ی سایکی و اروس به روانشناسی و تحلیل زن درون بر اساس رویکردهای یونگ می پردازد. کتاب شامل 9 بخش است. 3 بخش اول کتاب به تحلیل سه شخصیت محوری اسطوره آفرودیت، سایکی و اروس اختصاص دارد. در فصول بعدی دکتر جانسون به روانشناسی مرحله به مرحله ی این اسطوره می پردازد و در فصل 8 با بررسی و تحلیل خوان های پیش روی سایکی کتاب به اوج خود می رسد و نهایتا در فصل 9 تحلیل های مطرح شده به روانشناسی زن مدرن پیوند می خورد.


تقریبا همیشه تمایل به احساس خودکشی نشانه ی رسیدن به لبه ی یک آگاهی جدید است، یک سطح آگاهی تمام شده است و سطح دیگر آغاز به رشد می کند. آگر ادمی بر لبه ی این تیغ بتواند آن چیز درست را بکشد- روش های قدیمی، رفتارها و عادت ها را – و به خود آسیبی نرساند، یک دوره ی پرانرژی جدید آغاز خواهد شد.
وقتی زن یک تجربه ی کهن الگویی دارد معمولا در مقابل آن فرو می پاشد. در این فروپاشی است که زن به سرعت ارتباط کهن الگویی خویش را پیدا می کند، وجود درونی اش را دوباره بازسازی می کند. زن این کار را مثله مرد انجام نمی دهد. مرد ممکن است بیرون بزند به دنبال کارهای قهرمانانه بگردد. اما زن در این زمان به مکانی ساکت می رود و صامت و ساکن می ماند. تلی از تناقض سوار بر تناقض زن احتمالا در می یابد که مرگ عادت های گذشته را در آغوش کشیده است.

بخش 7- مصائب سایکی- ص 77

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't be fooled by the book's small size. She: Understanding Feminine Psychology packs a powerful and frighteningly applicable punch. Delving deep into Greek mythology (particularly the tale of Psyche), Robert A. Johnson reveals how age-old stories contain universal truths. The work draws parallels to modern-day situations, and in effect, sheds light on the psychological and emotional issues that are prevalent in contemporary society. The information is useful to both men and women alike, since there are "feminine" elements in each of us.

[Caroline · Rating 1 out of 5]

Whenever you have a man writing about something Karen Horney basically discovered and not mentioning her once, you know you have a problem.

[Will Bellais · Rating 5 out of 5]

This slim volume focuses on the story of Cupid (eros) and Psyche. Eros is the need for love and Psyche is the spirit of love. Johnson explores the maturing process of women through the story of Eros and Psyche. The story enchants on its own -- and we have heard much of this story through the Grimm Bros. fairytales. However, once we meed Eros, the perfect man who does not want to be seen for what he really is, Eros' mother Aphrodite, and the most beautiful girl on earth -- Psyche -- we are taken in by all the tasks that Mother-in-Law sends her through so she will be qualfied to marry her perfect son. Sounds crazy, but when we realise this is the story of all women as they mature into womanhood, then the story is not crazy. I used it as a text in my classes for over 25 years. It is an importnat book.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I compulsively skimmed this read because I was frustrated by the paucity of legitimate and insightful analyses of feminine psychology. Found this rather dated - narrow in the sense that the events pertaining to development/transformation seems to revolve around a woman’s relationship to the men in her life. Johnson misses the point of this myth. (I have yet to read Neumann’s analysis so I cannot comment on that.) Jung was onto something when he insisted that, any perspective a man (male-identifying) might have on the archetypal feminine may be polluted because he projects his anima onto the image (see the mother complex in Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious).

Oh well, not entirely a waste as I only spent 15 minutes on this endeavour and also my frustrations are confirmed.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

a must-read for any woman overwhelmed by falling in love

[Aubrey Williams · Rating 1 out of 5]

I want to start off by applauding the author for performing the rare feat of somehow making a Greek myth even more problematic than its original. There were a few morsels of insight in this short book, but they were overshadowed by interpretations of femininity HEAVILY steeped in the heteronormative gender binary.

Don’t worry though, the author doesn’t just share outdated views on gender, there’s also an incredibly cringey passage on Asian cultural practices, and arranged marriage. The only thing that got me through this book was my masochistic need to see just how bad it could get, which as you can see from the passage below was pretty bad.

“This bit of mythology raises a very large question
for modern people: how much masculine energy is
enough? I think there are no limits so long as a
woman remains centered in her feminine identity
and only uses her masculine energy in a subsidiary
way and as a conscious tool. So also with a man: he
may use as much feminine energy as he can so long
as he remains a man using his feminine side in a conscious way. Too much of either can cause a great deal of trouble.”

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I still don't understand Feminine Psychology, but I enjoyed reading the book. Another notch in the belt of Jungian thought. One of these days I expect to have an awakening when it will all suddenly make sense to me. Till then I continue to plug away at reading – building a foundation I hope. This one looks at the myth of Eros and Psyche as a metaphor for the spiritual journey every woman faces.

[Kirtida Gautam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somebody up there is over looking what I am reading.
Oh man! It was one of the most Aha reading moment of my year.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book was good in that it was validating to my inner work experiences and spiritual journey, it wasn't as poignant or clarifying for me as his other book on the divine masculine called "He". Perhaps because of my own long-term suppression of my feminine aspects and thus lack of familiarity with that part of myself, I need to do more reading to get further clarity and really have the allegory provided in this book sink in. There were points in the allegory, the myth of Psyche and Aphrodite, where I couldn't quite connect it to my own experience. I have to wonder also if it was the limitations of being written by a male author. However, it was still enlightening and provided a new lens for viewing my journey, and provided the feeling that I'm not alone, that this has been the journey of all the woman before me, I'm not doing something "wrong" or failing when I have struggles. One thing I learned from this series of books of his that is most valuable to me is the role of myth and our mis-perception that myths are false, untrue, and do not exist because they are not based on facts. Well, then why do they persists for so many thousands of years? The author explains that they do not function as a historical recounting of external events, but represent the inner experiences of human-kind, as told in story fashion. This makes them as real as anything else when we look to them not as literal stories but as a history of the collective consciousness. This recognition of myth as being rich in psychological, emotional and spiritual insight is what allows them to persist and remain useful for eons.

[Stevie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although these books are quick and interesting reads with intriguing perspectives on gender, I was rolling my eyes through this one. The "He" counterpart book explores male gender through the tale of Parsifal, who is struggling to become whole through adventure. It explores the feminine side of every male. This book explores femininity through the myth of Psyche who is pursuing love with the god Eros, and struggling with her other side "Aphrodite." I found this to be sexist and over-generalizing. Furthermore, although some parts were appreciable, I find this theory outdated, heteronormative, and cisnormative. It may be that I need to re-read it to fully grasp and comprehend these theory-- they are muddy and vague and hard to concretely grasp, but this is my take after my first read through.

[Sebrena Williamson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of it made sense, some of it was kind of nonsensical... women should not define themselves and their femininity around men. Also, I would of been more comfortable and the research done was by women.... However, there are some good ideas about men and women needing femininity and masculinity both. There is a lot of good information surrounding evolutionary theory: how did the genders get this way? However, the author defines personality and purpose strictly in gender. As my boyfriend has many feminine qualities, and I have many masculine qualities, we cannot fit into these strict gender roles.

All in all, some interesting ideas about femininity and masculinity—-but lots of cringes.

[Sarah Rasmussen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is super interesting, and I at times; felt like Johnson was really on to something but then would stop. I wish he went more in depth with the concepts he is trying to relate. I do appreciate that it’s a short read with some really interesting ideas to get me started, I just wish there was a bit more depth to the ideas.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just couldn't get into this one. Disappointing after what a revelation We was.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

more like 3.5 stars. It was interesting the interpretation of the Psyche, Eros, Aphrodite myth. I also enjoyed some insights re: the female influence over the male influence.

[Esterina Terpollari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do not fully agree with the analysis and authors opinions. But this book made me think deeply of my nature as a woman.

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, the author is touching on the inner world of a female through the tale of Psyche, something that can be seen - or not seen - within every female.
First of all, a female could deny this, or refuse to accept this using a de facto sour grape argument - but either way, every female craves to be beautiful. To be worshiped by other people. But that is obviously not possible for females for a simple reason that beauty is a relative term for the minority. If everyone is beautiful, then nobody is beautiful. Only when the mass is ugly or average, the rare minority becomes, in a relative term, beautiful. Yet that beauty is inherently not something a female could pick themselves, due to the fact that genetics largely decided a female’s fate. Yet, for the very minority of females who won the genetic lottery of beauty, to have others worship upon them, the first stage of problem arises: loneliness. As the author wrote:

Psyche’s nature is so magnificent, so innocent, so unworldly, so virginal that she is worshiped; but she is not courted. This is an utterly lonely experience and poor Psyche can find no husband… Marilyn Monroe is a touching example; she was worshiped far and wide and yet had great difficulty relating closely to any one person.

Loneliness is one of the most common themes amongst extremely attractive females. The widespread jealousy from other females is a daily occurrence, but their attention from males isn't easy either. Most of the males are too awe-struck to court them. But the ones who do, they’re in it only for her beauty, not her inside. Yet - how could she know that? When she is so pure, she often believes the word such male said - and perhaps the male really meant it too, for that he himself is immature and unconscious. Thus, eventually, she weds.

Author describes the next stage of said female life as death - the era for such females as a maiden is now gone -
She now would have to reminiscent that lovely summer day during her mid teens, when she walked into a room, the entire room - composed of males some of her age, and some much older than her - so old they could be her dad - suddenly became quiet. She knew instantly that they stayed quiet because they were in awe of her beauty -
Or the day she realized her former crush, is now madly in love with her and can’t get enough of her looks -
Or the day she realized everyone around her is just incredibly nice to her. Every time she needs something, there will always be someone lending her a helping hand, often - while not always - not expecting anything in return.

All these are treasures extremely beautiful females had gained during their youth. Those treasures are still fresh to her - because let’s face it, how can anyone not get enough of it? Yet now, as she weds, she has to say goodbye to those. As she is now taken, and she now takes a different role in herself. As the author wrote:

...maiden does die on her wedding day; an era of her life is over and she dies to many of the feminine elements she has lived thus far in her life.

Yet on the other hand, rarely does her husband understand this. For that while extremely beautiful females are rare, extremely beautiful males are even more rare. Her husband likely never experienced her short lived treasure, and her husband voids her treasure without even knowing it, as the author wrote:

All husbands are death to their wives in that they destroy them as maidens and force them into an evolution towards mature womanhood… man rarely understands that marriage is death and resurrection both for a woman, since he has no exact parallel.

As the marriage progresses, the female - more and more - finds out, eventually in tears, that her husband loved - loved, not loves(!) - her body, not her soul. Her husband’s wish is that she remain unconscious, simply a body without a head. Obeys whatever he says and never questions him - even though, now she deeply suspects, most of the things he says are questionable at best. The author wrote:

He wants the old patriarchal marriage where the man decides all the important issues, the woman agrees, and there is peace… Often his attitude towards marriage is that it should be there for him at home but it should not be an encumbrance. He wants to be free to forget about it when he wants to focus elsewhere.

She rages that she is the only person who got married, the only person who gave away her treasure - the only thing that she has ever gotten in life. But for what? A now ungrateful husband - or let’s just call it what it is, a stranger roommate.

Then what? In the old days when divorce was not an option, the now married female often mentally checked out of the marriage, enduring the loveless relationship for the rest of her life. Or in today’s world, filing a divorce for “irreconcilable differences” as she laments on how unfortunate she is, throwing away her youthful beauty on someone so unworthy.

Or yet - there is a different way. As the female’s inner voice grew increasingly louder - she demands to be seen, she demands to be heard. For that she wants her husband not only to acknowledge she has a head, she wants to be the head. As the old saying goes, happy wife, happy life. The author wrote:

A woman’s autobiography is likely to contain vivid chapters on her falling in love, the discovery and loss of the paradise garden, and, God willing, the rediscovery - as wonderful as its first promise - of the garden in maturity.

The author names this stage of growth the “confrontation”, since it confronts not only the female’s conscience, but if done well, it would also serve the husband greatly. The author elaborate the rationale more by writing:

A man depends largely on woman[sic] for the light in the family as he is not well equipped at finding meaning for himself. Life is often dry and barren for him unless someone bestows meaning on life for him. If a man is discouraged, a woman can give him a glance or a talisman and restore him to his sense of value… When he comes home and recounts the events of the day, he is asking her to bestow meaning on them. This is the light-bearing quality of a woman... The woman is the carrier of growth in most relationships. A man fears this but he fears, even more, the loss of it…

If a woman is to evolve past feminine adolescence she must break the unconscious domination of her subordinate, largely unconscious, masculine component which often dictates her relationship to the outer world. For her to evolve, the animus, consciously recognized as such, must take up a position between the conscious ego and the unconscious inner world where he can act as mediator, an essential help to her.

Yet, balance is key for females to embark on her animus journey. The author wrote:

... how much masculine energy is enough? I think there are no limits so long as a woman remains centered in her feminine identity and only uses her masculine energy in a subsidiary way and as a conscious tool.

In essence, males and females have different specializations in life. It’s akin to a fork and a knife. Could you use a fork to cut and a knife to serve? Perhaps. But that’s not an optimal way to live. The author wrote:

... woman has control over her feelings and inner world, a capacity unknown to most men. She can enter at will a deep place within herself where healing and balance are restored. Most men have no such control over their feelings or inner life.

Aggression, anger are often seen as frequent occurrences for males for a simple reason: they don’t understand their inner world. They are upset, yet unlike females where their de facto energy is in balancing and healing, a male not in touch with his own anima inside, can’t channel the energy to the correct place, hence anger builds up. But I have to note that it’s not that male has no capacity to be in touch with his inner world, it’s that male often chooses not to. Male have the option to work on his inner anima as well. As the author remarked:

When we speak of masculine and feminine it must remain clear that we are not talking exclusively about male and female. A man’s feminine side may take on the task we usually think of as belonging to a woman and vice versa.

As the female moves towards the stage beyond the confrontation, the author noted that the female has more tasks ahead of her to grow. Yet, the author noted that the vast majority of women do not complete those tasks. For a simple reason that change is hard, and change is death. Change means you have to completely give death to comfort for something seemingly unknown - even if the unknown is better. Take the story the author uses, the story of Psyche for instance. Every time Psyche confront of a new task, the first reaction she has is suicide. To me, suicide is merely a metaphorical way implying for many females, often times she knows what she ought to do, but she doesn’t want to confront the new task. She is too sheltered, too happy and too comfortable in her current situation and change is too hard for her. She much rather remain unconscious than go deep into her inner unconscious. But yet, as she completes evermore journey, she will discover the deepest mystery of life, the author wrote:

The deepest interior mystery for a woman may not be named or given any label. It is the essence of that feminine quality which must remain a mystery, certainly for men, and hardly less so for women… It is the prime task of a truly modern mind to endure both the spiritual and the practical as the framework of her life.

[Jennifer Söderlund · Rating 5 out of 5]

6/5!! Gav mig mer kunskap om vad som är the task and development of the feminine energy. Åh Jungiansk psykologi och myter, finns så mycket visdom där! Kände mig nästan i extas på slutet då han beskrev det fjärde och sista uppgiften dit inte alla ska gå, och insåg att jag redan är på den vägen. "Today more and more women are called to this step of evolution. It generates power within them whether they know it or not. What is important is choosing to begin this process when it arises. You can not igonore this process any more than you can ignore pregnancy". Jag har gjort valet. Jag har valt vägen mot the higher consciousness och att följa min path, vad än den lägger framför mig. Nu måste jag se till att vila vila vila och samla kraft för vad det än är som är på kommande, precis som han säger.

Har du känt att det är en stor spirituell evolution på gång just nu?

[Duncan Akyeampong · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have come to an understanding how the feminine energy work with women. The author breaks it again in different sections for example why women value marriage more then men also that all have women a psyche in them. The author puts these terms in a Greek mythology way about how women see love in a different way then men do.

[Rachel Lo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking at the feminine persona through the eyes of characters in Greek mythology. Insightful! Gave me some language for some of the feelings I have in my own life journey as a woman.

I will look forward to reading He.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Female mythology as an element of our lives is found in men and women. "Myths are rich sources of psychological insight. Great literature, like all great art, records and portrays the human condition with indelible accuracy."

"Often when new growth occurs , the most dreadful things seem to happen, but then we see that they were exactly what was required." 6
"It is almost always women who say, 'Let's sit down and talk about where we are.' The women are almost always the carrier of growth in most relationships. A man fears this, but he fears, even more, the loss of it. 38

"There is a popular heresy abroad today which states that if a little is good, more is better. Following this dictum creates a life which is never fulfilling . Even while you are engaged in one rich experience, you are looking for another. There is no contentment because future plans are always intruding on the present". 63

"The ego that is attempting to raise some of the vast unconsciousness into human conscious life must learn to contain only one goblet of water at a time lest it be overwhelmed and the container shattered. This warns against any great plunge into the depths to bring the whole of life into focus; better one crystal goblet of water than a flood which may drown us. " 63

[Shavawn M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, She: Understanding Feminine Psychology, Robert A. Johnson examines the myth of Eros and Psyche as a metaphor for the work a woman must do to become conscious and alive. I found the the story illuminating and surprising -- full of magical events (ants sorting seeds, reeds giving advice on how to gather the golden fleece, an eagle who is sent to gather water from the river Styx)-- and down to earth explanations of the difficult passage that Psyche must make in order to become conscious. It is a life long journey that I find extremely fascinating. I am drawn to myths as sources of spiritual solace, and this is no exception.