Pegasus, the magnificent, winged horse who dwelt with the Greek gods on Mount Olympus, is usually associated with the conventionally masculine qualities of power and spirit. At the same time, of the multitude of children fascinated by horses, most are girls. Many of these girls lose their sense of wonder and fascination with horses at the onset of adolescence. In this talk, an exposition of the myth of Pegasus will provide the framework for our exploration of why girls might be drawn to horses, and why that interest might later go underground, into the unconscious. Some examples of girls and women in life will illustrate these aspects of the exploration.
A synthesis of the mythical events surrounding Pegasus and examples of real life experience might yield some possible answers to these questions around feminine identity and its relationship with traditionally masculine qualities. Such a synthesis could point to an expansion and re-imagining of an integrated feminine in the psyches of women—and men.
Sources will include;
- G. Jung, Collected Works, Volumes 5 and 11.
- Mary Pipher, Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls, 1994, Berkeley Publishing Group, New York.
- New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology, Hamlyn, 1968.
- Funk and Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend; Harper and Row, 1972.