The Patasola: Archetypal Roots of Feminine Identity in Exile in a Colombian Myth

Civilization in Transition, the sociological writings of Carl Gustav Jung referring to processes of social transformation in the first half of the 20^th century, is a source of inspiration to reflect on the social upheaval that we are facing in the second decade of the 21^st century: crises such as the depredation of our natural resources with subsequent climate change; high incidence of feminicide and violence against women and children. The ‘Mother Earth’, women, the feminine and the dynamics of connection, solidarity and inclusion are being threatened and destroyed. Using the myth and symbolism of the image of Patasola as a starting point, this study seeks to unravel the archetypal roots that have led to exile both to the dark dimension - destructive and self-destructive - as well as to the luminous dimension - autonomy, authority and independence - of the feminine identity. From a psychological standpoint, this paper explores the way that feminine identity, that inhabits the collective unconscious, has been expressed in various patterns since our beginnings as a nation, throughout our history, and how it is still in force through the cultural complex of the undervaluation of the feminine. Finally, we will look at the potential for redemption implicit in the myth.