Archetype: The Maiden

In myth: Persephone, Prosepina, Inanna, Isis, Minoan Snake Goddess. As a psychological archetype: When the maiden archetype is dominant in a womans psyche, she exudes an effervescent, eternally youthful quality. The negative, this archetype predisposes a woman to be both compliant and passive. Many young women pass through a maiden phase, prior to marriage, motherhood, and career, before she has established a clear identity for herself. The Greek Goddess Persephones journey into the underworld teaches us a lot about how the maiden archetype manifests itself. Persephone, the innocent maiden, was abducted by Hades, God of the underworld, and separated from her protective mother Demeter. She ultimately becomes Queen of the underworld, dividing her time above and below ground. In reality, a maiden woman may resemble Persephone the sheltered daughter, the runaway, or the queen. As the daughter, the maiden is receptive, sexually unawakened, vulnerable, and generally waiting for life to happ