Lying with the Heavenly Woman: Understanding and Integrating the Feminine Archetypes in Men's Lives

Lying with the Heavenly woman is an essay that reflects on the relationships of a man with his outer and inner female using Jungian psychology. The first part is devoted to the feminine elements in a man's psyche in general and the second is devoted to what happens when these elements are distorted, contaminated and mixed together, and how they affect the way a man relates to women in general, and the women in his life in particular.Johnson has a deep knowledge of Jungian Psychology and mythology, and he uses them in this book to explore the relationship of the male psyche with his inner/outer female. Johnson does a good job at describing the mother complex, the mother archetype, the relationship with the sister and the hetaira, but other times he says obvious things that are of little help or depth, while the concept of anima is barely sketched and not properly explained.The ebook is very short, barely 100 pages, and it feels more like a collection of hurriedly arranged notes on the topic than a proper book. The writing is less precise and more vague than in other of his books, some of the punctuation and paragraphs too long and unpolished at times.There are many pearls of wisdom in this book but I would go for any of the other books by Johson on male and female psyche before buying this one.

I was extremely touched by this book and related to every one of the elements it contains. Johnson gave a voice and guidance to feelings and behaviors I have experienced throughout my life, yet had no explanation or frame of reference for which to quantify it. It truly spells out on a macro level the necessary and vital work a man has to do to achieve his potential. I thought I was somewhat spiritually enlightened - it turns out that after reading this book I have much work to do and I haven't even scratched the surface. Interestingly enough, this book was recommend to me by a woman.

Like all of Johnson's writing, thoughtful, insightful, and useful. Johnson, Jungian writer and scholar that he is, lays out neatly the various feminine constellations that men experience as a part of their own psychological experience: mother, sister, anima, wife, sophia, hetraia, friend, to name some. This is a tremendous tool for use by men who wish to understand and therefore relate more effectively to the various female archetypes that we carry, consciously or unconsciously, within us.

Lying with The Heavenly Woman, by Robert Johnson is an excellent book. It outlines the different female components of both a man's inner world and external world and discusses the problems that arise from different combinations, or "overlays" and "contaminations" as Johnson refers to them in his book.This book expands upon the ideas of his other works, especially  He: Understanding Masculine Psychology (Perennial Library)  and  We: Understanding the Psychology of Romantic Love .These three books should be required reading for any male in the western world. These books have truly changed the way in which I live, and understand both myself and the way in which I must be in relation to others in my life (mother, wife, friend, sister, daughter) and more importantly, coming to the realization that I am (and all others are) capable of unlocking the treasure trove that is our inner feminine archetypes. One might read this and immediately think of "new age" concepts that try and get males to think like an actual woman, or act more like an actual woman; this is not Johnson's aim at all. He aims to unlock the inner dimensions of his readers in order for them to understand them and incorporate them into their lives in the proper way so to benefit greatly from their presence. This book is necessary to understanding these components and understanding how to keep them distinct from one another, for combining these things can result in disaster in one's life.Robert Johnson writes with great clarity and never reads like a "textbook". His inclusion of anectdotes, sayings, and wisdom from many cultures greatly enhance the material of his books and truly brings the ideas to life.If you are interested in this book, I would highly recommend reading this book in conjunction with his books HE and WE. Again, if you are male, you fit the criteria for reading this book: In fact, it should be required!!

In this day and age it is so important for women and men to come together with greater understanding of "Other". What is it like to walk in my partner's or lover's shoes? I have been an enormous fan of Robert Johnson for over 10 years and I whole heartedly would recommend this book and every book he has authored for both men and women. He dives deeply into the psyche and explores the big picture of the inner forces that move us to love and partnership and how we can betray ourselves and those we love if we fail to explore and learn to pay attention to our unconscious minds wise all-knowing guidance. I wish every man had this book in their reading collection and every woman can read this book to understand with greater compassion the men in their lives a little better. Affirmations for the Everyday Goddess Spiritual Guidebook & 22 Wisdom Cards for Contemplation & Prayer (based on the 22 major arcana of the tarot)

My book arrived on time. It looked like brand new. What more could I ask for?

Robert Johnson goes quickly through the archetypes of the feminine, the dangers of confusing the archetypes with each other and real actual women. I regret its length, which is short. He doesn't really say how to integrate, mostly expounds on how NOT to integrate, which he lists as undersireable cross contaminations/combinations.It's what I needed to hear. I want to read more about the Anima now.

The many possible expressions of the feminine in the male can lead to a much more fulfilling life, only if there is courage to explode.

Even with a Jungian reading and studying background I found this a bit hard going (not quite as difficult as most of Jung's own works). Will need to read it several more times, I think, before it all clarifies in my mind. His book "Inner Work" is much easier to read and covers some of the same issues but in a very different context.

Brilliant author

Robert Johnson sees the world in a most remarkable way. Personally, it is a view that enriches mine. This is my third book from the author, as ever I was grateful that he wrote it.

Brilliant book.

Whichever mythology or story Robert Johnson uses to illustrate one of his books, he unerringly chooses something that manages to be familiar and yet distinct. This means that rather than the message and insights disappearing under a wave of the related media that might come into our lives, something remains at the sevice of consciousness, ready to lead us back to the work when we need it again. (I often re-read Johnson's books, always finding a fresh perspective once my own experience has grown.) Johnson's style remains as limpid and direct as ever. I hope one day the world gets together (or at least a few of us,) and starts giving out medals to those who have truly given something to others through their words and compassion. First up on the podium should be Robert A. Johnson, for the right book at the right time.