Female Archetypes

Femme – Fatale (fatal female) A beautiful, but mischievous and traitorous woman Mysterious, seductive, and often deadly manipulates men for sex, status or money complete lack of emotional involvement with their victims can result in the symbolic killing or getting rid of her lover when he has served his purpose rejection by the male can result in the fatal opening her heart.

Mother/Caregiver Life-giver Compassionate and generous – often to the point of being self- sacrificial Nurturing and protective Filled with patience and unconditional love Great capacity for forgiveness Frustrated by selfishness

Wicked Step-Mother The “flip side” of the Mother/Caregiver Devouring, abusive, and abandoning Selfish and cruel Resorts to scheming, sabotage, and other evil deeds to attain her (selfish) goals

(Old) Wise Woman Has reached a state of superior wisdom Radiates wisdom, authority and unconditional love. Gives “gifts” Can be the “helpful old woman," the well-known symbol in myths and fairy tales for the wisdom of the eternal female nature Negatively represented as “the witch”

Queen/Boss a "take charge" female, who accepts nothing but respect. Reaching her goal is the most important thing in life to her; a few ruffled feathers along the way don’t bother her. might be a business woman, climbing the corporate ladder, or perhaps she's always been daddy's petted princess failure is not an option, relentless Attempts to approach life without the typical female emotions

Woman Warrior This lady is on a mission, and she marches right over anyone in her way. Tenacious and headstrong, she brushes off any opposition to her goal. Stays focused on “the mission” If you aren't part of the solution, you are part of the problem, and that makes you fair game Competitive

The Lover Greatest fear: being alone, May be a wallflower, may feel unwanted or unloved Strives to make her loved ones feel appreciated and cared for Sacrifices herself to love her partner, puts his wishes above hers She has passion, gratitude, appreciation, and commitment

Orphan Searches for a place to “belong,” dreams of an idealistic future Fears being left out Empathetic, pure at heart, and untouched by the world Patient, optimistic and adaptable, endures to the end Evokes protective instincts

Free Spirit Playful and fun loving, travels through life with a hop, skip and a jump, always stopping to smell the flowers and admire the pretty colors. acts on a whim and follows her heart, not her head. An "original," she sets trends, not follows them, and is looking for new experiences. a bit on the ditzy side, or perhaps she the well-intentioned busybody who leaves a trail of victims of her good deeds.

Spunky Kid She's the team player, the one who is always ready to lend a hand. She made the cheerleading squad, but was never captain. Supportive and reliable, she hasn't an enemy in the world, but has plenty of friends. During confrontations, she won't run away, and she'll be more worried about the fighters than any danger to herself

Damsel in Distress a beautiful young woman placed in a dire predicament by a villain or monster needs to be “saved” passive, naive, innocent, and easy targets pure and kind their innocence is not affected by the evil in the world around them