Friday, June 26, 2009


...I call her Wild Woman, for those very words, wild and woman, create llamar o tocar a la puerta, the fairy-tale knock at the door of the deep feminine psyche. Llamar o tocar a la puerta means literally to play upon the instrument of the name in order to open a door. It means using words that summon up the opening of a passageway. No matter by which culture a woman is influenced, she understands the words wild and woman, intuitively.

When women hear those words, an old, old memory is stirred and brought back to life. The memory is of our absolute, undeniable, and irrevocable kinship with the wild feminine, a relationship which may have become ghostly from neglect, buried by over-domestication, outlawed by the surrounding culture, or no longer understood anymore. We may have forgotten her names, we may not answer when she calls ours, but in our bones we know her, we yearn toward her, we know she belongs to us and we to her.

~from Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola

9 comments:

Natalie said...

Good evening, dear Yoli…
Frida and Yoli will never “get buried by over-domestication”…

Chrisy said...

Just gorgeous...and quote from one of my favourite books too! Please come on over for a visit to my mad tea party for fun, games and giveaways!

Maia said...

This speaks so directly to me. Thanks for finding this wonderful passage. And the photo is fabulous!
You and I have some deep similarities at the core, Yoli.

Anonymous said...

Ahh...the very book, of course, that has birthed the Eccentricity Revolution of Wild Women over on blisshick! :)

Love the painting.

Shaista said...

There are so many interesting quotes on your site - such a wonderful and true collection of thoughts - particularly 'Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional' by Murakami. And I liked the quote by Lana Turner, 'A gentleman is just a patient wolf'!
I think fencing is a very romantic sport - deadly, but a real duel of skill and wit. Do you still fence at all?
My blog is Lupus in Flight - mostly poetry and living with Lupus. Hope you visit.
Shaista

Jen Laceda | Milk Guides said...

Hi Yoli,
A very touching passage. It speaks loads about my current situation. I'm going through a tough time letting go of a shackling job at a hospital (very boring desk job) and to transition into my passion--travel, photography & writing. Travel is especially high on my list. To go to faraway lands...

KateOnTheBike said...

I am currently reading this book, Yoli!! I derive such strength from this book and I am so glad to hear that others do as well.

K

Lori said...

This used to be one of my favorite books when I first started learning about feminism. I'd nearly forgotten about it - thanks for reminding me how powerfully Pinkola writes. I'm going to be digging into those boxes in the closet now!

"outlawed by the surrounding culture"...mmm can you say Saudi?

Unknown said...

i need to re-read this book ASAP. it was crammed with delicious quotes like this.

i've had a little pic of Frida on my computer desktop to give me strength and courage the past few weeks. she definitely ran with the wolves...