A poisoned apple. An evil stepmother. A cold dark tower. The heroine is confronted out of the darkness of her own unconscious. Will she be devoured by the dark animus of the archetypal evil stepmother, or can she confront her ghosts and transform them into a healing space of strength?
Dr. Steven Buser, general editor of The Collected Works of Marie-Louise von Franz, gives a behind the scenes look into the editing process and dives into content of Volume Three, Archetypal Symbols in Fairytales: The Maiden’s Quest.
The maiden/heroine navigates a complicated maze of inner and outer relationships as she builds a bridge to the unconscious. The heroine contends with the animus in many forms like a devouring and incestuous father, demonic groom, the beautiful prince, an androgynous mother, and through conflict with the evil stepmother. Dangers and pitfalls await her as the conscious feminine strives to make connections with the unconscious masculine. The maiden is the undeveloped feminine and the promised fruit of her struggle with the animus is the coniunctio.
von Franz is the master at bringing fairytales alive and fathoming their depths. Her writings are some of the most profound work ever done on fairytales. Her deepening journey in Volume Three marvelously illuminates the quest of the feminine.
