Women Who Run with the Wolves

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Estés suggests that many women have become disconnected from their “wild” nature. Can you identify moments in your life when you felt either particularly connected to or disconnected from your instinctual self?

2. The book emphasizes the importance of recognizing and confronting our “inner predator.” How do you experience this force in your own life? What strategies have you developed to manage it?

3. Consider the story of “Vasalisa and Baba Yaga.” How do you relate to Vasalisa's journey of developing intuition? What role has intuition played in your own decision-making?

4. The author discusses the importance of cycles rather than linear progression. How does this perspective align with your own experience of personal growth and transformation?

5. Reflect on the “Skeleton Woman” story and its message about love requiring death and rebirth. How has this cycle manifested in your own significant relationships?

Examine the book's relevance to broader societal issues, cultural trends, and ethical dilemmas.

1. How does Estés's interpretation of wolves as symbols of female power challenge societal stereotypes about both women and wolves? What other cultural metaphors might need similar reexamination?

2. The book was published in 1992. How have attitudes toward female power and “wildness” evolved since then? What aspects of the book feel particularly relevant to contemporary discussions?

3. How does the book’s emphasis on folklore and mythology contribute to our understanding of women’s roles across different cultures and time periods?

Dive into the book's structure, characters, themes, and use of narrative techniques.

1. Examine how Estés uses the structure of nested stories—tales within psychological analysis within personal anecdotes. How does this layered approach enhance her message?

2. Consider the recurring motif of bones throughout the book. How does this symbol evolve from the first story of La Loba to later tales?

3. How does the author’s background as a Jungian analyst influence her interpretation of these stories? What Jungian elements do you notice in her analysis?

4. Analyze the role of the Crone figure (like Baba Yaga) throughout the book. How does Estés reframe this traditionally negative archetype?

5. How do the various antagonists in the folk tales—such as Bluebeard, the devil in “The Handless Maiden”—represent different aspects of forces that suppress the Wild Woman?