The Femme Fatale, the fatal woman, dangerous, seductive, and lethal. As an archetype she characterizes a part of the dark feminine. She feels powerful knowing she can seduce men, but she cannot seduce strong, confident men. Therefore, she is attracted to men who are uncertain, lonely or having a midlife crisis. She unconsciously seeks out weak men who feel they are lacking virility and sexual prowess. They can feel sexually powerful when seduced by a beautiful woman. In this context, strength is not required for desire. The Femme Fatale desires the weak man so she can use him. A strong man with good boundaries and a healthy sense of his own sexuality will not be interested in this shadow expression of feminine power. There are several expressions of the Femme Fatale, some of them include, “the ice queen,” “the woman in trouble,” and the “overtly sexual.” The “ice queen” manipulates and uses men to get to wherever she wants to go, but she refuses to connect to her own emotions and conscience. “The woman in trouble” is a more sympathetic version and probably the most unconscious of her own behavior. She attracts men because she is in distress, emotionally or physically. For example, she could be in an unhappy or abusive marriage. She can appear vulnerable, but her heart is not truly open. She, like the ice queen, is using men to advance her own agenda. The “overtly sexual woman” uses her ability to attract men, to hold their gaze to lure them into a situation where she can test them, to ask them to prove themselves to her. She will often tempt them into dangerous situations or risky behavior purely to exercise her feeling of control and domination. She is the most disconnected from her heart because her sexuality and attractiveness have deceived both the men she seduces as well as herself. She is lost because she doesn’t know who she is or how to locate her true authentic self. The Femme Fatale is afraid of her own heart. She is afraid of emotional connection and has not developed the nurturing qualities of the feminine. She is after power and domination as overcompensation for her feelings of failure to attract a sexual partner through softness and true open-hearted vulnerability. Her greatest fear is rejection of men, to be undesirable and unwanted. Which is exactly what she does to herself, rejecting her own heart and needs.
- Manipulative
- Cold
- Cunning
- Seductive
- Tempting
- Forceful
- Attractive
- Sexualized
- Emotionally Vacant
- Dangerous
The Noblewoman is the light aspect of the Femme Fatale. Truly connected to her feminine power she could be seen as an aspect of the divine feminine. She doesn’t need to magnify her beauty or use her sexuality to attract men. She is connected to her own innate beauty and her sexuality is her own. She doesn’t flaunt nor does she hide. Her great gift is in her restraint and willingness to open her heart. She stands in her true feminine power, owning her potential for darkness and chaos as forces of nature that belong to her. Men naturally respect her because she respects herself and doesn’t abuse herself with objectification. She understands that she is magnetic and charming, and both men and women are drawn to her. She embodies the paradoxical qualities of beauty and power. Her challenge is to honor the gifts of the femme fatale by converting the archetypal energies from shadow to light. To have this magnetism and power and not abuse it or misuse it for personal gain and self-aggrandizement is the lesson. The noblewoman is savvy and highly perceptive and her tendency toward manipulation can be used for negotiations and self-advocacy. The Noblewoman takes risks with her heart and trusts in her ability to respond and remain emotionally open and available. She accepts that rejection and betrayal are often part of relationships and cannot be avoided. She lives from the heart and not the head. She displays her natural beauty and does not rely on enhancements and falsity for attention. She is noble and wise in her power.
- Dignified
- Open Hearted
- Willing
- Innate Beauty
- Intelligent
- Perceptive
- Restrained
- Emotionally Available
- Powerful
- Magnetic
