Gods In Every Man Reissue
Jean Shinoda Bolen
(Associate Reviewer - Gail Evans)
1993 HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060972807

A New Psychology of Men's Lives and Loves. Jungian & Olympic wisdom for men.

In this challenging & enlightening companion to the bestselling Goddesses in Everywoman, Jean Shinoda Bolen turns her attention to the powerful inner patterns--or archetypes--that shape men's personalities, careers, & relationships.

Viewing these archetypes as the inner counterparts of the outer world of cultural stereotypes, she demonstrates how men & women can gain an invaluable sense of wholeness & integration when what they do is consistent with who they are.

Associate Reviewer Gail Evans writes:

A short while ago I reviewed Goddesses in Everywoman for RebeccasReads.com. Having looked at my animus, or feminine side, I thought that it would only be fair to explore my anima, or male side & men in general. I am so glad that I did! The insights that Gods In Everyman has given me into my own persona & the lives of the men with whom I have come into contact over the last 45 years is phenomenal, to say the least!

As with Goddesses in Everywoman, Jean Shinoda Bolen groups the gods into categories. In this case:
The Father Archetype: Zeus, Poseidon, & Hades.
The Generation of Sons: Apollo, Hermes, Ares, Hephaestus & Dionysus.

Although you might find a bit of yourself in some or all of the Gods, it has been my experience, that especially with men, one or possibly two archetypes dominate. An archetype being: an inner pattern within the psyche as depicted by the character portrayal of a specific God.For expample, you might have someone who to all intense & purposes appears to be living out the personality type of an Appollo, but with further investigation, you discover that he is really a Hermes, who due to his upbringing (nuture), is living out the Appollo archetype but beneath the surface is basically Hermes (nature).

Let's face it, men & women have always had great difficulty understanding each other & this has led to much heartache in many instances & the wrong choice of partners which can & often does result in unhappy & miserable relationships.

We often try to change each other into the people that we want, instead of accepting the person for who they really are & getting along with them, or moving on. The moving on part, once we have realized that a relationship is not working, can be the hardest decision of all. However, I would like to report that Gods In Everyman has done more than help me to shift through my own “moving on,” & in many instances has left me completely “gob-smacked” by the authors insights!

Jean Shinoda Bolen's identification of the male archetypes has left me with an “AHA!” moment on almost each & every page. I have been able to identify my father, past loves, my sons & my male friends from all walks of life.

Gods In Everyman has given me a far greater insight into the male mind & how & why it works the way it does, as well as being able to identify the anima ( male) aspects within my own personality. I only wish that I had read this book twenty years ago...it would have given me the equipment to deal with the mine fields that lay before me & I would have had a far smoother ride!

Be that as it may, wherever you are along the path of time in your own life, Gods In Everyman will help you to understand the male psyche & the anima in yourself, & be able to deal with it in a healthy & loving manner.

Highly recommended!

More from Jean Shinoda Bolen:
Goddesses in Everywoman
Crossing to Avalon: A Woman's Midlife Pilgrimage
Goddesses in Older Women: Archetypes in Women Over Fifty
Ring of Power: Symbols & Themes Love Vs. Power in Wagner's Ring Circle & in Us: A Jungian-Feminist Perspective
(07/06/03)

Gail Evans
2003©Gail Evans
A RebeccasReads.Com Associate Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
I currently live in Johannesburg, South Africa & am the author of: The Firstborn of God: Resolving the Contradictions In The Bible, Time Trials & Meditations In My Favourite Places In Southern Africa.