In the latest novel of Paulo Coelho, he identified four types of women according to their archetypes in search for meaning to our lives or for the path of knowledge.
Four Classic Archetypes of Women
1. The Virgin( not the sexual virgin) are those whose springs from her complete independence, and everything she learns is the fruit of her ability to face challenges alone.
2. The Martyr finds her self knowledge through pain, , surrender and sufferings.
3. The Saint finds her true reason for living in unconditional love and in her ability to give without asking anything in return.
4. The Witch justifies her existence by going in search of complete and limitless pleasure.
Most of us can belong to two or three types but some can be in this four types. Just like Athena, the character in the novel of "The Witch of Portobello". Optimistic, sociable, likely to be noticed in a crowd; understanding, compassionate, generous in which she should be careful for because it might to her head and end up losing more than she gains.
In real life, one of my co-worker is both a Virgin and a Saint who faces her challenges alone when her husband suffered emotional breakdown. She took care of him and at the same time raises three children for almost 8 years.
My mother is both a Martyr, a Virgin and a Saint. I love her not because she's my mother, she's also a friend.
When I was still single I was a Virgin (literally?...of course :) ; when i married i became a Saint. Maybe someday I hope to become a Witch who will only mind her own happiness and not think of the consequences or the results of my actions. I dreamt of being Free from all the worries of this world, not the freedom of the dead..... i want to be financially free, i want to help lots of people, i want to raise good and responsible children (i can do this!), i want to provide good things to my family, i want so many things....(sinong hindi?) my problem is on how to act on those wants when i was tied on my old beliefs, traditions and principles.