Igniting the Fire: Reclaiming the Warrior Woman

Abstract

This study investigates the psychology of the warrior woman who is driven to be a part of military combat ground forces. Since 1970, U.S. military laws and policy have evolved, allowing women to fill a wider array of military occupations. Beginning in 2015, women have been advancing toward serving specifically in combat roles. The research explores similar psychological traits and life experiences among warrior women that may contribute to their motivation to go to war, fighting with men on the front line. This inquiry regarding the same drive igniting the fire of the inner warrior provides understanding of women’s hunger to find a voice within a traditionally male-dominated culture. The inquiry further questions whether a woman warrior is called to vocation through the individuation process identified by Carl G. Jung. A phenomenological methodology was applied to the research on common and uncommon histories and experiences of individual women warriors from ancient history to contemporary times. Hermeneutical methodology served to understand and interpret the texts. The hermeneutic act invokes the presence of the wing-footed messenger-god, Hermes, of Greek mythology. With the aid of his mythical acts, this investigation illuminates the stories and motivations of warrior women historically and across cultures. Data analysis revealed themes of motivation for warriorhood including common traits of personality and temperament, loyalty to country and family, a woman’s instinct to protect and defend, escape from stories of the past, and a quest for equity with the underlying theme of anger.