Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Recognizing and understanding your personal archetypal patterns is one of the most fundamental tools of consciousness for navigating these times, says Myss (Sacred Contracts), a renowned teacher and author on energy medicine and human consciousness. Archetypes are collective unconscious patterns of influence that are entirely impersonal, and yet are equally the "foundation of our beliefs, drives, motivations, and actions, organizing and energizing all our relationships in life." Think of your childhood power images and you begin to recognize your personal archetypes. Myss has identified ten emerging archetypal patterns reflecting the collective mythic challenges of our times, and the corresponding personal and spiritual power issues defining women today: advocate, artist/creative, athlete, caregiver, fashionista, intellectual, queen/executive, rebel, spiritual seeker, and visionary. Each pattern has key influences on daily life; Myss examines each in depth, laying out a path of authentic self-discovery that empowers readers to utilize their strengths, better understand others, and make a positive difference in the world through more conscious decisions. Agent: David Smith (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by Library Journal Review
Best-selling author Myss (Anatomy of the Spirit) writes a laundry list of 12 archetypes; the impetus behind the categories is valid-if you can figure out who you are, through encouragement, your positive attributes may become self-actualizing. However, this unfortunate amalgam of modern stereotypes doesn't come close to identifying itself with the concept of archetypes originating from the field's leading thinkers. Myss's "new" archetypes are watered-down versions of previous incarnations, appealing to a trendy sensibility. In addition, each chapter has a "male counterpart," which one may only guess is a nod to Jung's anima/animus, a misunderstanding even Myss senses when she writes that archetypes are "mostly inherently genderless." Is preying on women with low self-esteem an honest way to increase book sales? Verdict Read Joseph Campbell, Carol Pearson, Carl Jung, or your favorite fairy tales and/or myths and be inspired by the magnitude of the archetype's true form. This book is an unnecessary purchase. -Nadine Dalton Speidel, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., Parma, OH (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
