The Jungian concept of the archetype serves as a cornerstone of depth psychology, offering a framework for understanding the universal patterns that shape human experience. Archetypes are not static images or stereotypes but dynamic forces within the collective unconscious. They are the shared symbols and narratives that transcend culture and time, guiding our personal and collective journeys.

In the context of a woman’s life, the Maiden, Mother, and Crone archetypes offer a rich tapestry through which we can explore the phases of growth, creativity, and wisdom. Each archetype holds both light and shadow, inviting us to embrace the fullness of our humanity and find meaning in the unfolding of our stories.

Reclaiming the Maiden: A Menopausal Reflection.

The Maiden archetype often gets relegated to a youthful, naïve part of ourselves—a phase we outgrow as we journey into the responsibilities and complexities of adulthood. But as women navigate (peri)menopause(post), we often find ourselve drawn back to their Maiden selves, not as a nostalgic longing for youth, but as a deeper understanding of what she represents.

In Jungian psychology, the Maiden isn’t just a carefree girl frolicking in a field (though wouldn’t that be nice sometimes?). She embodies curiosity, potential, and the power of becoming. She is untamed creativity and raw possibility. Revisiting the Maiden in Middle Life can feel like peeling back the layers of life’s expectations, routines, and roles to uncover a part of oneself that isn’t defined by the labels of nurturer, wife, or caregiver, i.e., the Mother Archetype.

An Opportunity to Heal.

Early childhood trauma can sever one from the Maiden archetype by prematurely burying the innocence, trust, and unguarded curiosity so central to that youthful energy. In many trauma survivors, the need for survival overshadows natural exploration and spontaneity—forcing the child into a hypervigilant or “adultified” state long before they can freely develop an unencumbered sense of self. Rather than experiencing life with the Maiden’s openness and wonder, they learn to brace against potential harm, dulling the hope and curiosity that typify this archetype. Over time, this protective stance can become ingrained, making it challenging to access the Maiden’s core qualities of optimism, creativity, and joy, even in adulthood.

From a Jungian perspective, survivors of childhood trauma may discover profound solace in revisiting the Maiden archetype during (peri)menopause(post) because it represents a return to innate innocence and boundless potential and an opportunity to foster self-efficacy and self-empowerment. In many ways, the Maiden embodies the spirit of possibility that trauma can stifle—an aspect of ourselves that remains resilient and hopeful beneath the scars.

Thus, (peri)menopause(post) can bring old wounds to the surface, yet it also offers an opening for transformation and healing. Tapping into the Maiden archetype at this stage allows survivors to gently reclaim parts of themselves once lost to fear or pain. By seeing the Maiden not as a naïve girl but rather as a vibrant symbol of renewed hope and creative energy, survivors can harness her presence to transcend limiting beliefs, cultivate self-compassion, and experience a powerful reconnection to their inner worth.

Entering the Liminal Space.

For women entering the Crone phase in (peri)menopause(post), the liminal nature of this life stage can itself become a thin place—a time when the boundaries between past and future, body and spirit, self and collective dissolve. This heightened awareness offers an opportunity to draw closer to the divine, gain insight into one’s life purpose, cultivate one’s intuition, and embrace the sacred journey of transformation and renewal.

This liminal threshold is where one cycle ends, and another begins. There’s grief, yes—grief for the body that once was, for the children one had or didn’t have, for the roads not taken. But there’s also immense freedom. The Maiden reminds one that this freedom isn’t about returning to who one was at 20 but reclaiming the untapped potential that still pulses within.

In Thin Places, Kerri ní Dochartaigh reflects on her personal transformation through the lens of liminality, exploring how the concept of "thin places" helped her navigate the complexities of her identity and place within a fractured, war-torn Ireland. Growing up during the Troubles, ní Dochartaigh endured trauma, loss, and a deep sense of alienation. She writes about finding solace and meaning in the natural world, where thin places—those spaces where the boundaries between the material and spiritual blur—offered her a sense of connection and healing.

Some places are ports in what can be —for many people—a life both unsettled and stormy, spaces in which you can leave that which is familiar, all that you hold to be true, and move closer to all that is unknown. Closer to what some may view as the divine, the otherworldly: that which is rooted in something both constant, yet continuously ebbing and flowing They are in many ways a form of stopping place, liminal space that feels like it has been set aside for silence and deep, raw solitude. To carve out room within ourselves—unintentionally, even—to imagine what lies beyond the here and the now. Places where the veil is thin allow for pauses in the flow of what we know—or think we know—of time. A place to imagine what it all might mean, how we have been, how we maybe could be—a space to more clearly see a way through.

Listening to the Maiden.

Your archetypal Maiden may ask, What do you want now? What are you curious about? What makes you feel alive?

These are questions you may not have dared to ask in years—lost in the noise of doing for others, being for others. But (peri)menopause(post) begs that you ask; the Maiden gives permission to explore and answer boldly.

There’s also something deeply rebellious about embracing the Maiden during menopause. Society tends to push women to the sidelines as we age, diminishing our value as our bodies change. Yet here’s this archetype saying, Not yet. Not ever. She reminds us that aging isn’t about fading—it’s about alchemizing all one’s life’s experiences into something truer and more authentic.

Revisiting the Maiden doesn’t mean ignoring the wisdom one’s earned or the roles one’s cherished. It’s about integrating her spirit of wonder and possibility with the grounded knowing of the Crone. Together—along with the Mother archetype—they form a complete picture of womanhood, one that embraces all phases of life as equally vital and worthy.

If you find yourself at a similar crossroads, I invite you to sit with the Maiden. Let her playful energy guide you. Ask her what you’ve forgotten about yourself. You might be surprised at what she remembers—and what she’s ready to help you reclaim.