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This dissertation explores the aftermath of the end of Dr. Michelle Blair-Komara’s 21-year marriage, initiating an investigation of its complexities and revealing the commonality of such experiences within Texas culture. Her shift in perspective is illuminated by an exploration of the goddess myth across time and highlights the constraints of the Western, masculine-oriented ideology. The healing potential of nature, examined through earth-based wisdom and complemented by Jungian dream analysis, alongside personal reflections and insights, reveals the archetypal image of the Cowgirl.
The inquiry unravels the Cowgirl’s historical identity through her role as a pioneer woman who breaks free of Victorian social constructs, investigates the origins of cowboy culture and its influence on the Cowgirl, and follows the emergence of the Cowgirl as an independent and courageous figure.
The piece concludes with a depiction of the Cowgirl as an archetypal image of the feminine surpassing her roles as a feminist and Western icon, an image for contemporary women as a role model for wholeness and healing.
In the course of this journey, I discovered it was the instinctual aspect of my being that had become atrophied during my marriage, largely due to a solely transcendent theology and a culture constellated with Anglo values focused on hierarchy and externality. While instincts are commonly perceived as purely physical reactions, my exploration and self-reflection have revealed that instincts are intricately intertwined with the intuitive function.
The archetypal image of the Cowgirl unexpectedly arrived. That archetypal image embodies a feminine intelligence that is fervently seeking its recognition in a world that has suppressed it. It is my contention that this psychic, instinctual intelligence will aid in the healing of the West’s central ethos.
be boldly human
