The Perverse Feminine: An Archetypal Reclamation of Forbidden Power

The Perverse Feminine resurrects a long-buried psychic figure: The Perverse Feminine Archetype. Grounded in Intuitive Inquiry, this work builds on Jungian theory, feminist psychology, and myth to illuminate the archetypal constructs of forbidden power, deviant desire, and inherited shame shaping the collective psyche of cisgender women. Across careers, relationships, and inner lives, women in this study enliven the perverse through acts of subversion, refusal, creative expression, and sexual exploration. Through their stories, a meditation on the unconscious unfolds, unveiling the archetypal dimension as a portal to healing and integration. Distilled from the data, a four-stage framework maps the psychological journeys of research participants across the evolving inner landscapes, where pain, power, and transformation intertwine. Through evocative narratives that generate tools for archetypal engagement, this study offers individuals, theorists, and clinicians a guide to identity, self-discovery, and psychic wholeness within a rapidly changing cultural landscape.