Twelve Basic Feminine Archetypes. Which Is Yours?

Every woman has the personality facets that can be both positive and negative, and if not well known and integrated can lead to a bad attitude with herself and the others.

You may have heard the term Archetype, or Female/Feminine Archetype depending on the context. If you’re a lover of literature, theater and Greek mythology you may be more aware of female archetypes and their meaning. In the majority if stories we read, or watch, there are female archetypes that line up with the twelve main archetypes that Carl Jung defined. Jung identified twelve types that reveal human motives, values, meanings and personality traits. While there are also variations around each specific type that are commonly used, the root of Jung’s research and philosophy gives an accurate understanding of categories that the majority of people fall in. Jung divided these types into three sets of four umbrella’s determining their intent and purpose; ego, soul, and self. Analysis of Carl Jung’s philosophy goes on to define his belief on the archetypes.

“The term “archetype” has its origins in ancient Greek. The root words are archein, which means “original or old”; and typos, which means “pattern, model or type”. The combined meaning is an “original pattern” of which all other similar persons, objects, or concepts are derived, copied, modeled, or emulated.

The psychologist, Carl Gustav Jung, used the concept of archetype in his theory of the human psyche. He believed that universal, mythic characters—archetypes—reside within the collective unconscious of people the world over. Archetypes represent fundamental human motifs of our experience as we evolved; consequentially, they evoke deep emotions. “

The definition of these female archetypes can help in determining and understanding the behaviors and patterns of people in your life. By understanding someone’s motivating factors you can better gain personal insight into who they are. Following is outline of the twelve common female archetypes and characters that match their description.

Here are twelve basic feminine archetypes:

::Cosmic Woman – Goddess

(Uranus – Ratziel)
This woman has completely devoted her life to the Divine and has awakened in her being the highest spiritual qualities. She has discovered the original androgyny.

Features: transcendence, wisdom, higher consciousness, knowledge of the truth, spirituality

Cons: pride, excess of eccentricity, irreverence, obstinacy.

::Priestess – Vestal – Started

(Mercury moon – Raphael)
The illusion of everyday life does not touch her anymore. Everyday is a step closer to the discovery of her true Woman Essence.

Features: intelligence, wisdom, knowledge, healing, truth, mental type, transmutation, teaching

Cons: criticism, fussiness, meticulousness, low self-esteem, impatience

::Empress – High Priestess – Centralizer

(Sun – Michael)
This facet of the structure, emerges the yang woman, the one who embodies the ability to guide, watch, instruct souls who follow her.

Features: success, will, inner strength, authority, nobility, self-determination

Cons: narcissism dominate others, prevaricate

::Prophetess – Sensitive – Shaman

(Neptune – Asariel)
This woman emerges a mystical look, mysterious and transcendent feminine universe: her capacity for contact with invisible dimensions (see the Pythia in ancient Greece)

Features: sensitivity, ecstasy, mysticism, extra-sensory abilities, occult

Cons: drug addiction, suggestibility, escape from reality, indecision, feeds the illusions

::Fairy – Princess – Romantic Lover

(Venus – Haniel)
In this archetype emerges the plane of Beauty, Goodness and Love, typically female; Here she embodies the subtle human qualities.

Features: beauty, harmony, love, soul subtlety, sensitivity, brightness

Cons: deceit, manipulation, vanity, self-centeredness

::Great Mother – Matron – Protector

(Jupiter – Hesediel)
Traditional Archetype, the type of woman who is conservative and protects the family.

Features: abundance, prosperity, nutrition, fertility, protection

Cons: possessiveness, poor management of money, sarcasm, love life easy

::Inspirational Muse – Artist

(Moon – Gabriel)
Guided by her fluidity and inner sensitivity, this woman embodies the artistic and creative dimension of the human soul; to the point of becoming a source of inspiration.

Features: inspiration, emotions, intuition, creativity, sensitivity, fluidity

Cons: anxiety, depression, emotional fluctuations

::Integrated Grown Up

(Earth – Uriel)
This archetype embodies the emotional and relational equilibrium, integrated into a coherent personality both her child and the parental dimension.

Features: balance, consistency, trust, emotional centering, contentment

Cons: laziness, immobility, Skepticism, too roots, static

::Maiden – Daughter

(Mercury – Solar Raphael)
This aspect of the woman keeps alive the more instinctual part and boyish self, thus becoming a symbol of innocence and simplicity.

Features: Communication, externalization, contact with others, spontaneity

Cons: suggestibility, inconsistency, impatience, jealousy

::Amazon – Warrior – Women managers

(Mars – Camael)
The instinctual dimension of the woman combined with her fair and competitive nature, in this archetype manifests all its power and inner strength.
Features: dynamism, energy, vitality, resourcefulness, courage, determination
Negatives: excess masculinity, aggressiveness, characterial hardness

::Fatal Woman – Seductress – Manipulator

(Pluto – Azrael)
This facet of female use sexual and sensual female energy  for egoistical and sinister purposes.

Features: sexuality, instinct, power, mystery, power plan

Cons: destructiveness, extremism, cynicism, manipulation

::Destructive – Materialistic

(Saturn – BINAEL)
In this archetype dominates the heaviness of the earth element, also thanks to a fine intellect and cynism, she is capable of “calling the mass” – incessantly – all the elements that come to her from the outside.

Features: rooting, concretization

Cons: sadness, loneliness, destruction, pessimism, inflexibility, obstinacy, intellectualism