Reclaiming the Wild : The Wild Woman Archetype as a Frame for Spiritual Ecofeminist Resistance

This thesis explores the Wild Woman archetype as a framework for spiritual ecofeminist resistance to patriarchal and capitalist systems. Drawing on Clarissa Pinkola Estés’ Women Who Run With the Wolves and its contemporary enactment within The Wild Woman Project, the study applies Benford and Snow’s framing theory to examine how alternative spiritualities construct meaning and inspire collective action. The Wild Woman archetype is analysed through three core frames, diagnostic, prognostic, and motivational, to reveal how it identifies disconnection from feminine intuition and proposes paths to recovery and to reclaiming earth-centred spirituality. The thesis positions this archetype within the fields of spiritual ecofeminism, neo-paganism and western esotericism, highlighting how myth, and community practices function not only as personal transformation tools but as cultural resistance. Through a qualitative case study, it argues that the Wild Woman figure offers a spiritually grounded counter-narrative to the crisis of meaning in late capitalism, reclaiming feminine wisdom, ecological consciousness, and collective empowerment in the face of systemic alienation. However, the study also critically acknowledges limitations, particularly risks of commodification and essentialism within The Wild Woman Project, highlighting ongoing challenges in resisting dominant systems.