Inner Voyage 3 ~ The Warrior

A Woman’s Journey to Herself

You are invited to the 3rd of 12 Archetypal Voyages in discovering the depth of your soul.

Continuation of “How Might Your Life Have Been Different If…”

It is only natural that in times of war or unrest our fears become heightened and we move into our unconscious form of vigilance. How timely for the Archetypal Warrior to be the focus of today’s engagement. 

Staying with the theme of questions similar to what Judith Duerk might ask, “What Would Happen If,” women accessed their Archetypal Warrior and “own their power,” rather than diminish it because it created discomfort in someone else? 

Have we become indentured slaves to our own merciful hearts and nurturance of others while bypassing the hard questions we must ask ourselves; while blindly succumbing to other’s hegemonies? If we have, this is indication that we might be operating out of the Shadow CareGiver. It is time to ask ourselves if we have a heroine within that needs awakened.

There are many types of warriors, and many methods of war, and diverse types of weapons to engage in battle. However, the weaponry I speak of, is not only the type made of: metal, iron, steel, biological, chemical or nuclear attacks. It is something more refined and positioned for the one moment in time in which it matters most. The moment that would never come again, and no other warrior is within range to execute, only that, which you can do. The one moment to be seized, should the opportunity present itself.

Let me introduce Jael, a woman of Hebrew descent as the heroine of this story. Her name means, “mountain goat.” She was married to Heber, a Kenite and was part of a nomadic tribe living in the eastern part of the Mediterranean. As nomad’s, Jael became exceptionally skilled at putting up and taking down tents wherever they would change locations. She was not trained as a woman of combat. Her primary role was tending to her family and flocks.

Jael was credited with conquest of the Israel’s enemy by observing the situation from her tent. The commander of Canaan was Sisera, whose reputation preceded him as a cruel oppressor. He had tyrannized, and subjugated Israel for twenty years. But he was losing this battle and attempted to save his own life by leaving his chariot, to flee on foot. 

When Jael saw that Sisera was headed toward her tent, she went out to meet him, and said, “Do not be afraid,” and invited him to come into her tent. Perhaps Sisera felt safe for a couple of reasons; one, he could overpower Jael with his strength, and secondly, her husband’s tribe were allies of his boss Jabin, the Canaanite King. 

This story is fascinating in the complexity of characters, the customs, and rules of engagement for oriental hospitality of which I won’t go into detail. However, for those who love the backstory, there is much controversy over the idea whether Jael used her feminine powers to seduce Sisera to her tent, and then was overpowered or feared that Sisera would rape her as it was his “right” as a man to take whatever and whoever he wanted as a spoil of war as his reward. 

Let’s shift our focus now in understanding where courage, will, and discipline are formed that comprise a Warrior’s inner world. The fear of a warrior is being in a position that is defenseless. Think of Jael, alone in her tent and her husband gone and probably out on the battlefield. She would either become one of the characters in the standard warrior’s plot: the heroine (warrior), the villain, or the victim. Something inside of her rose to defend her tent i.e., herself, and any of the handmaidens that would also become the spoils of war if her husband did not return. 

Becoming the heroine of this story also put her into a position of villainousness when she was placed under scrutiny of her method of seduction which went against the principles of oriental hospitality. The controversy surrounding her actions involved accusation by critics as being seductive and supposedly offered sex to entice Sisera to her tent, premeditating his murder. Others recognize that Jael acted moment by moment and was fearful for her life; and she found a way to survive in the best way a woman could against a powerful commander of war, who was on the run for his own life. 

For more detailed information on types of warriors, gift of the warrior, shadow warriors, and the core desire of warriors, please refer to Carol Pearson’s books; Awakening the Heroes Within, and her out of print companion book; Invisible Forces II, (Harnessing the Power of Archetypes to Improve your Career & Workplace.)

And please remember, “Coming home to myself is an actual journey, although inward, like any journey, it will be faced with challenges that seem insurmountable and yet the moment when you need it most, the heroine within will be there to strengthen you and infuse you with courage.”