“Parents may triumph over their children, but, at the end of the day, the triumph by force is something that does not exist, even if that force is disguised elegantly.
Domination is domination, and the body that has been tyrantized has learnt the lesson very well. He becomes an abandoned powerhouse, out of the civilizing influence of love. In his desolation, he makes up for this lack by becoming possessive, clinging to objects and people, investing them with magical powers. Dependent on these talismans for any kind of vitality, the body becomes fierce in its demands to possess and control them, attempting to perpetuate a ghost it no longer believes in.
I don’t want to make the parents feel guilty. We are all products of our cultural situation, which encourages competition and dominance. We misunderstand what love for the body means. We confuse it with sexuality and need. Genuine love, however, permeates every cell in the body. He is immediately recognized by animals, children, and even some adults who were either born with it or found it through suffering and delivery.
Very great guilt only increases abandonment. Our mission is to work towards changing this dynamic. “
~ Marion Woodman, The Ravaged Bridegroom, p.58
[Art: Rufino Tomayo]
