Chapter 2: Bluebeard
Sunday, May 4, 11:30am MST
In this session, we explore Chapter 2 of Women Who Run with the Wolves, where Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés presents the haunting tale of Bluebeard—a story that serves as a powerful warning against the predator within. This inner predator, often disguised in our psyche, seeks to silence our intuition, fragment our sense of self, and keep us from trusting what we know deep down to be true. Together, we’ll reflect on how this archetypal figure manifests in our lives, how to recognize the early signs of psychic danger, and how reclaiming our inner knowing is an act of fierce self-protection. Through soulful discussion, we’ll begin to unearth the keys to preserving our creative life force and safeguarding the wild feminine from internal sabotage.
Reflection Questions for the Session: ​
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Where in your life have you ignored or overridden your intuition, only to realize later that it had been trying to protect you?
– What were the “keys” you felt hesitant to turn? -
What does the figure of Bluebeard represent to you personally?
– Does he show up as an external person, or an internal voice or pattern? -
The story describes the “natural predator of the psyche.” What are the ways this predator shows up in your thoughts, habits, or relationships?
– How does it try to silence your deeper knowing? -
Have you ever had a moment where curiosity saved you rather than endangered you?
– What did you discover by peeking behind the locked door? -
How do you respond when you feel fear or foreboding?
– Do you freeze, flee, or investigate further? -
How do you protect your inner creative life from being “killed off” by the predator?
– What rituals, boundaries, or allies help keep you aligned with your wild, instinctual nature? -
Estés says, “The doors to the psyche open with curiosity and close with fear.”
– What are you currently being called to examine that fear may be keeping you from?