The Wild Woman: Activator of Sovereignty

And the Rebel of the zodiac: Aquarius

Today I present you with an intersection of the Wild Woman, Aquarius and the Rebel Archetype- but rest assured you will not find the romanticised version of a long haired maiden running in serenity with a wolf under moonlight. The Wild Woman I present to you is the Loathly Lady from Arthurian Legend, the ugly wise crone with boar tusks and hunched back. The woman who has no need to prove her worth through appearance or people pleasing. She is the primal part of ourselves that we have all shut out for too long. For she brings death of conditioned identity, breaks down the illusion of society’s standard and speaks a truth that shatters our sense of security. She is the activator of Sovereignty as she holds us accountable for our actions, mistakes and blindspots. But should we be willing to hear her out and meet our resistances with a bold heart and open mind, we will be initiated into the most crucial step towards human evolution. And with the mission found deep within we bring in Aquarius’ and the Rebel’s purpose to step up in our individuality for our community.

Those of wicked life see her as ugly; those of unsullied virtue, most fair.

Joseph Campbell, The Masks of God, vol. 4 Creative Mythology, page 455.

To begin, I will tell you the magical and deeply inspiring story of Ragnelle and Gawain and how it invites us to embrace the Wild One Within. You can listen to my audio and take some time for reflection before you move on with my further interpretations, parallels to other characters and the Archetypal patterns behind the Rebel and Aquarius.

King Arthur rode forth the next day
Into Ingleswood along his way,
And there he met a lady.
She was the most hideous creature
Any man had ever seen, beyond measure.
King Arthur marvelled in disbelief.

Her face was red, her nose dripped with snot,
Her mouth wide, her teeth yellowed a lot,
Her eyes bleary, larger than a ball.
Her mouth left nothing to be desired,
Her teeth hung over her lips,
Her cheeks bulged like a woman’s hips.

She carried a hump upon her back,
Her neck long and thick at that;
Her hair was matted in a tangled heap.
Her shoulders were a yard wide,
Her sagging breasts heavy enough for a horse to bear,
And she was shaped like a barrel.

To describe the full ugliness of this lady
Would be beyond any tongue’s ability, surely.
She had ugliness in abundance.

She sat on a finely adorned horse,
Decorated with gold and precious stones galore.
It was a sight most bizarre:
So foul a creature without equal
Riding so splendidly — it seemed neither right nor fair.

She rode up to Arthur and thus spoke:
“God speed, Sir King! I am well pleased
To have met you here.

Speak with me, I advise, before you go,
For your life lies in my hands, know this well.
You shall find it true if I do not relent.”

Description of Ragnelle from The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle.

This post is part of my monthly paid member offer The Archetypes of Avalon, a yearlong exploration into mythopoetic alchemy and inner expansion. You can join for £55/year and find last months archetypal post here.