JUNE-JULY 2025

The Ravaged Bridegroom:

MASCULINITY IN WOMEN

pioneering jungian women reading group

hosted by Irina Avdeeva, M.A.

THURSDAYS • June 5 - July 17, 2025

7:00pm-8:30pm EST, Zoom
SEVEN Sessions

During the next chapter of our book club, we will explore women's relationship to their inner masculine and how it shapes our encounters in the inner and outer world. How did patriarchy influence the way we relate to the masculine energy inside us? How can we bring consciousness to the wounds that men and women have endured as the result of suppressing and devaluing the feminine principle? What does it take to heal our inner marriage and our relationships in the outer world? How can we unfold our creative potential and turn our relentless inner critic into a Man with Heart? Exploring Marion Woodman's The Ravaged Bridegroom, we will reflect on these questions to find insights on how we can achieve a holy union inside and live an authentic life. 

In preparation for each session, students will be asked to read one or two chapters from the book (approximately 25-30 pages each week). Some additional readings might be assigned to enrich the discussions. In addition, students will receive short prompts that will encourage them to actively engage with the text by taking notes of their experiences, journaling, drawing, etc. During our sessions, we will work in small groups of 3-4 people in Zoom breakout rooms to reflect on the reading and discuss the prompts that students were working with at home prior to the session. Reading the chapters and working with the prompts in preparation for each session is a mandatory requirement for participation in this group. Please ensure that you can join us from a computer as breakout rooms don't always work on the phone or other devices.

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The Ravaged Bridegroom by Marion Woodman • Reading Group

7 Thursdays, June 5 - July 17

4-5:30 pm PST / 7-8:30pm EST

Session 1: June 5, Dragon Slaying: Murder or Sacrifice? pp. 13-37

Session 2: June 12, Magicians, Tricksters and Clowns: Masculinity in Addictions, pp. 37-69

Session 3: June 19, Mother As Patriarch, pp. 69-105

Session 4: June 26, Lover, Can You Spare a Dime?, pp. 105-131

Session 5: July 3, Cripples, Rebels and Criminals, pp.131-161

Session 6: July 10, The Bride, pp. 161-189

Session 7: July 17, The Bridegroom, pp. 189-218

PIONEERING JUNGIAN WOMEN READING GROUP

Your Host:

Irina Avdeeva, M.A.

Irina has a strong background in analytical work at international organizations and international education projects. She holds two Master's degrees in International Affairs from Berlin, Germany and from the Elliott School of International Affairs in Washington, DC. Irina has published academic articles on global energy politics and has been organizing political debating workshops in Europe and North America. Having lived in several countries and being proficient in multiple languages, she has learned to appreciate the importance of the collective unconscious in shaping the dynamics within different cultures and across the borders. Irina has a passion for studying the works of C.G. Jung and applying the archetypal lenses to the analysis of world politics.

Since we would like to provide a safe container for everybody to feel comfortable to share their experiences with the book and its various themes, the sessions will not be recorded.    

This class continues our series of reading books by pioneering Jungian female authors. Despite the book's title, we encourage everyone, regardless of their gender, to sign up and join the group! Working with different perspectives and experiences enriches our understanding of the concepts presented in the book.