Myth, Metaphor & the Sacred Feminine
What if the story you’re living isn’t just personal, but part of a much older pattern trying to speak through you?
Most leadership models are built on logic, performance, and productivity. They reward sharp thinking, quick action, and clear outcomes. But what they often leave out is the deeper intelligence that lives in the body, the imagination, and the soul.
The truth is, we are shaped by stories, both the ones we’ve been told and the ones we tell ourselves. And when we forget to listen for meaning, for symbol, for metaphor, we miss powerful insight hiding in plain sight.
Myth and metaphor are not soft or abstract. They are ancient tools for navigating complexity, reconnecting with the sacred, and remembering who we are beneath the roles we’ve been taught to play. If you’ve been longing for something deeper, something more true, this may be the path you’ve been waiting for.
Why Story and Symbol Matter
Story and symbol are how humans have always made meaning. Long before leadership books and strategic plans, we learned through metaphor. We found ourselves in fables, archetypes, and patterns that helped us understand not just the world, but ourselves.
In my work, I don’t treat inner growth as a process of fixing. It’s a process of remembering and reclaiming. The myths we carry—whether personal or cultural—hold clues about what we value, what we’ve lost, and what we are being invited to rediscover.
When logic can’t explain the ache, symbols often can. They bypass the intellect and speak directly to the soul. This isn’t about fantasy. It’s about pattern recognition. About noticing what repeats, what calls to you, and what has always been true, even when you couldn’t name it.
The sacred feminine gives us a language for wholeness. She teaches us to lead from presence, to hold space for both light and shadow, and to honor what is intuitive, relational, and wise. In a world that privileges the linear, this kind of seeing becomes an act of reclamation.
The Goddess Archetypes as Mirrors
In my work with women leaders, I often introduce three powerful archetypes: Athena, Artemis, and Hestia. These ancient goddesses, often referred to as the virgin goddesses (aka, women unto themselves), serve as mirrors, helping us see the parts of ourselves we've overdeveloped, undernourished, or left behind.
Athena represents strategy, wisdom, logic, and performance. She’s sharp, decisive, and respected in the world of achievement. Artemis symbolizes wildness, independence, intuition, and protection. She listens to her instincts and honors the calls of freedom and fierce integrity. Hestia embodies inner sanctuary, presence, devotion, and sacred space. The goddess of the home and hearth, she is the flame within, the part of us that knows how to be still and centered.
Most of us tend to lead from one. Some over-identify with Athena, driven by performance and mastery but disconnected from their intuition. Others live like Artemis, self-reliant and bold, but wary of vulnerability or stillness. And many struggle to access Hestia at all, unsure how to slow down, rest, or turn inward.
One of my clients came to me deeply rooted in her Athena archetype. She was successful, respected, and exhausted. Over time, she began to reconnect with her Hestia—creating space for stillness, reflection, and healing. That shift didn’t weaken her leadership. It deepened it. She began to make decisions from alignment, not pressure. People noticed.
These archetypes are not roles to perform. They are aspects of our wholeness. The work is not to become one, but to know that they are there, to build a relationship with them, and integrate all of them, so we can lead from a place that is truly our own.
The Sacred in the Strategic
Spirituality, intuition, and a connection to something deeper are often seen as soft, impractical, or even irrelevant in leadership circles. But what if they are actually the missing pieces? What if they are not liabilities, but powerful assets that allow us to lead with clarity, purpose, and integrity?
In my work, I help leaders integrate the sacred into the strategic. That means tuning into patterns, symbols, and archetypes that reveal deeper truths. It means noticing what keeps repeating, what calls for attention, and what wants to emerge. Mythic thinking allows us to step out of problem-solving mode and into meaning-making, where transformation becomes possible.
Think of your inner life as a compass. When you know how to read it, it can guide you through even the most complex situations. Without it, you may still find your way, but the journey will be harder, more scattered, and less fulfilling.
Your sacred inner life—your intuition, your values, your sense of connection—shapes how you show up as a leader. When you trust it, others trust you. This is not about abandoning strategy. It’s about leading with wholeness, where insight and intuition sit alongside experience and expertise. That’s where real leadership lives.
Take a moment and ask yourself:
What stories are you still living that no longer reflect who you are?
Which inner voices have you learned to trust, and which have you learned to silence?
What would it mean to lead with all parts of yourself at the table?
You don’t have to choose between being strategic and being soulful. The most powerful leadership emerges when you bring your full self forward, inner wisdom, lived experience, and sacred knowing all included.
If this resonates, I invite you to explore The Inner Compass audio series, share this post with someone on a similar path, or reach out to explore coaching. The sacred and the strategic are not separate. When they come together, you don’t just lead, you lead with wholeness. And from there, everything changes.