Howl in the Wilderness Psyche’s Knife: Archetypal Explorations of Love and Power | Elizabeth Éowyn Nelson | HITW 193
Sep 24, 2025
Elizabeth Éowyn Nelson, a faculty member at Pacifica Graduate Institute and author of Psyche's Knife, dives into the intriguing myth of Eros and Psyche. She illuminates the often-overlooked symbolism of the knife, linking it to themes of agency and intimate separations necessary for deep connection. The conversation explores Psyche's beauty as both a gift and a curse, the challenges she faces set by Aphrodite, and the profound transformations of love. Nelson also discusses how these archetypes resonate with our understanding of mature love today.
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From Silicon Valley To Teaching
- Elizabeth Éowyn Nelson planned to return to Silicon Valley work after her doctorate but found herself drawn into teaching.
- She describes an unplanned second career opened by opportunities at Pacifica.
Knife Reveals Soul's Agency
- Psyche's knife is often omitted, but it reveals the soul's sharp, ruthless capacity to discern and act.
- Elizabeth Éowyn Nelson argues the dagger shows soul-level agency and moral complexity beyond a naive maiden trope.
Beauty As Isolation
- Psyche is the third daughter and her excess beauty isolates her from normal human life.
- Nelson links third-child motifs and the curse of exalted beauty leading to loneliness and separation.
