Wonder Woman is arguably the most famous female alter-ego superhero out there—envisioned as the ideal woman to rule the world with strength, beauty, and goodness.
Love this exploration, Prajna! 💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻 I wrote and performed a one-woman musical on overcoming my fear of singing, featuring 7 alter ego characters. These inner child beings of trauma transformed into superpowers through making the show and workshop, guiding others to explore their inner archetypes, too. Powerful and joyful! https://www.heartsquest.com/spark-story
PS: I love seeing your brave experience with Mama Ocean 🌊 She's got all the moods, from soothing and healing to Sasha Fierce, right?
Thank you for reading Christine and for sharing your one-woman, 7 alter ego characters. how powerful. I used to do something similar with sacred drams but never to 7 alter egos.
Yes, the ocean day for me was a full on Sasha Fierce followed by exquisite relaxation to have survived. I took a look, you are so many things—all in one—so much fun. Thank you!
Wow what an experience with Mama Ocean. Ohhh, I have had that happen a couple of times, being churned around. Yes and coming out sandy! Happy Birthday Prajna. What a way to bring in it!
Also loved this exploration of the alter egos and costumes. I have not done this much, but when I do it is always fun. It is like stepping into another identity, fun to play it out. Then I love coming back home to me, yet with a new perspective. The two become one!
Thank you Julie, yes it was epic. It was not as cold as I thought it would be which makes me want to continue as a new habit. I loved it and love what you said. See you soon.
Hi Laura yes I am sure you have probably several alter egos (did say altar eagles - maybe that is a cue), those desires that you keep hidden perhaps. It is something to explore for sure.
What are you drawn to?
What do you dream about?
Imagine yourself doing right before I thought comes up and says you can’t. Those are all tips. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Love this so much! I learned about Lilith at 18, and immediately fell in love (the Eden connection felt too apt), adopted Lilith as my alter ego and wrote an album from her perspective when I was 18 years old. It was shadow work before I even knew what shadow work was. Lilith was angrier, less feminine and floral, yet more submissive when she wanted to be, and also more unafraid to write about everything taboo — that album is still one of my favorite things I have ever created.
I got goosebumps reading this. I wonder if there is a way for you to share your album or parts of it. Wow to be so awake at such a young age good for you. Thank you for commenting and I look forward to reading your offerings. Sounds exciting.
I think about that album all the time, honestly. It was my first-ever foray into music production too. It comes up whenever I engage with myths — it's really a mythic underground journey into death and rebirth. It must have been 100% channeled because I had almost no idea what I was doing at the time. Like 4 people listened to it (my goth friends at the time) and liked it but I shared it with a professor who never responded to it, and that kind of made me shut it down and stop pursuing it.
Maybe I'll record it again someday or revisit it here somehow... Now almost 10 years after writing it, I feel I'm revisiting some of those same themes again, except with a more solid foundation. Anyway, it was such a powerful experience to work with those energies, and it introduced me to Nyx and all the dark goddesses, and so I'm grateful to have it in my life.
Of course, after I let the shadows speak I realized they weren't so scary — they might even be the source of a lot of my power — and that in itself was a life-changing revelation. I'd actually love to run a course someday on songwriting as shadow work :)
Wow Eden. This is absolutely fascinating to me and if it feels powerful and satisfying to you, I think you should definitely find a way to pursue it. It’s too bad that professor didn’t get you at the time.
I like what you said about not being afraid of the dark and that it is a source of power.
Wonderful, thank you for being in this conversation with me and I hope you do pursue offering something about working with shadows.
Lila! I feel this too. Reading Prajna’s articles and all of the comments of women’s stories and experiences feels liberating in a way that’s hard to explain. It’s like a reawakening —a reclaiming of permission to fully feel, express, and simply be, with abandon.
I have felt sexy as fuck most of my life. When I was in late highschool, early college, I would enter contests at bars. Won the best the “best legs” contest. I was so fun to be erótica and sensual.
This energy got squashed and buried as I soon learned that it came with a price tag I wasn’t willing to pay. So I shut it down, except for on rare occasions and within “religious” contexts. UGH!
I keep having this strong desire to wear grab my sleazy little back dress (yup, it still fits), paint my face heavily, tease my hair BIG, and go out to…hell, I don’t know.
I have an alter ego that is only expressed in secret fantasies where my sexuality comes roaring to the surface. The feelings that accompany her have guilt attached yet not strong enough to stop me from expressing this inner persona in words no others that are physically present in my life have seen. Part of me feels shame I suppose just as you say due to past impressive ideas fed to me about my femininity. Women weren’t allowed the same freedoms males seem to be allowed. With One other part of what you have written I have a slight difference in opinion. “Fifty Shades of Gray” Fifty Shades Darker” and “Fifty Shades Freed” after I have watched them numerous times and have read the books, allowed me to think that Ana was a very strong women with deep seated erotic feelings of her own. I think when she gave her virginity to Christian it was freely given from her. Once Cristian introduced her to the only way he knew about sex she was totally intrigued yet at first did it only to please him and hold onto him. After time together and she showed him a way to stop his sadist behavior she was enjoying her sexual freedom even more than him. Of course on the whole the stories were a bit far fetched, but watching Ana transform into the woman she chose to be fascinated me. I saw her own decisions infused by her strength made her know her own worth more than any other way she would have followed. Of course just my view. All the other analysis you gave about these female roles sounds exactly right to me. You encourage with your writing the nudge inside all of us to be true to every part of us even the alter egos inside. Thank you for this. Recognizing my alter and I are not alone is comforting.
Thank you, Kathy, for your exploration and take on "Fifty Shades." I've not read or seen any of the stories because it felt too close to my own life. Perhaps it's the right time, as I'm currently editing a memoir about my experience. As a huge fan of alter ego archetypes, the inner child characters that carry potent energies, I tell my story with a magical realism slant, from my soul's perspective. Thank you for helping me be Brave and read this cultural work!
Thank you for this. I love it when somebody has a different opinion.
You’ve given me something to think about. I’ve never read the book, but I did see the movie actually a couple of times and found it extremely intriguing but people in the BSDM community felt it didn’t really go by the consensual rules of the party so to speak.
Probably won’t read the book, but I think with any film or book or experience if it’s liberating, that’s what needs to be trusted.
It sounds like from your perspective. There was a clear evolution in their relationship, but maybe it wasn’t always that way.
I did see him transform from a person that performed to a person that actually had feelings
This is a huge discussion and I thank you for participating in it and giving me more things to think about
Love plumbing the depths of alter egos. I once dressed up as Medusa- homemade snake hair and all. Looking back I feel many of my Halloween costumes through the years were merely the expression of facets of me. ❤️
A marketing course I was a part of -that was designed for those who abhorred marketing -touched on the topic of alter egos for writers and creatives who struggle and shy away from the idea of marketing themselves… suggested reading this book The Alter Ego Effect by Todd Herman. The author tackles the topic from the sports/entertainment and business world and offers a way for people to use alter egos for their personal successes.
I used rubber snakes of all sizes. Back in the day, I used a helmet painted in greens and wired the snakes so they could be at all angles and levels and then covered the helmet with a wig. The snakes jiggled when I moved. But then did my face with just heavy showgirl makeup so you have that attraction/repulsion thing happening all night. lol.
I think a tattoo of Medusa would be awesome. I love when tattoos have a significance that goes deeper than the obvious.
I have probably twelve books I am currently trying to get through lol… but so far the book does a good job explaining how people can be even more successful when they utilize an alter ego. Fascinating today the least.
Hi, that is so fascinating that you dressed up as a Medusa. I want to do that. I haven’t done it yet. I also want to get a tattoo of her somewhere on my body. I think tattoos off also have to do with alter ego’s
Do you think so?
Sounds like a wonderful book to check out, have you read it?
Thank you for stopping by and reading and commenting
There’s something magnetic about the exploration of alter egos and freedom of expression in this essay and the comments. I’m intrigued that you mentioned both BDSM and Cindy Sherman—two subjects that fascinate me. Cindy Sherman is one of my all-time favorite photographers; she transforms herself into various characters, creating imagined versions of the 'self' and 'other,' weaving vivid stories through each still photograph.
For many women my age (Gen Z), Halloween becomes a chance to express themselves by wearing less, tapping into their erotic side on a day when it’s more socially accepted. Feeling desired, mysterious, and otherworldly connects us to our shadow selves, which, to me, is the essence of Halloween.
Love this exploration, Prajna! 💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻 I wrote and performed a one-woman musical on overcoming my fear of singing, featuring 7 alter ego characters. These inner child beings of trauma transformed into superpowers through making the show and workshop, guiding others to explore their inner archetypes, too. Powerful and joyful! https://www.heartsquest.com/spark-story
PS: I love seeing your brave experience with Mama Ocean 🌊 She's got all the moods, from soothing and healing to Sasha Fierce, right?
Thank you for reading Christine and for sharing your one-woman, 7 alter ego characters. how powerful. I used to do something similar with sacred drams but never to 7 alter egos.
Yes, the ocean day for me was a full on Sasha Fierce followed by exquisite relaxation to have survived. I took a look, you are so many things—all in one—so much fun. Thank you!
awww 🙏🏼 Thank you for your bravery, for taking a look at mine, and encouraging our wild hearts to thrive
Wow what an experience with Mama Ocean. Ohhh, I have had that happen a couple of times, being churned around. Yes and coming out sandy! Happy Birthday Prajna. What a way to bring in it!
Also loved this exploration of the alter egos and costumes. I have not done this much, but when I do it is always fun. It is like stepping into another identity, fun to play it out. Then I love coming back home to me, yet with a new perspective. The two become one!
Thank you Julie, yes it was epic. It was not as cold as I thought it would be which makes me want to continue as a new habit. I loved it and love what you said. See you soon.
Hmm, I don’t think I’ve ever really explored an alter ego. Something to think about.
Ooo that sounds interesting. I’ll have to think on that one. 🦅
Laura, there was a typo, that maybe wasn't a type. perhaps you are an eagle. — with the full view from above who dances with the condor.
Hi Laura yes I am sure you have probably several alter egos (did say altar eagles - maybe that is a cue), those desires that you keep hidden perhaps. It is something to explore for sure.
What are you drawn to?
What do you dream about?
Imagine yourself doing right before I thought comes up and says you can’t. Those are all tips. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Love this so much! I learned about Lilith at 18, and immediately fell in love (the Eden connection felt too apt), adopted Lilith as my alter ego and wrote an album from her perspective when I was 18 years old. It was shadow work before I even knew what shadow work was. Lilith was angrier, less feminine and floral, yet more submissive when she wanted to be, and also more unafraid to write about everything taboo — that album is still one of my favorite things I have ever created.
I got goosebumps reading this. I wonder if there is a way for you to share your album or parts of it. Wow to be so awake at such a young age good for you. Thank you for commenting and I look forward to reading your offerings. Sounds exciting.
To be not afraid to write
When we write it, we right it
🐉 welcome here, new friend
I think about that album all the time, honestly. It was my first-ever foray into music production too. It comes up whenever I engage with myths — it's really a mythic underground journey into death and rebirth. It must have been 100% channeled because I had almost no idea what I was doing at the time. Like 4 people listened to it (my goth friends at the time) and liked it but I shared it with a professor who never responded to it, and that kind of made me shut it down and stop pursuing it.
Maybe I'll record it again someday or revisit it here somehow... Now almost 10 years after writing it, I feel I'm revisiting some of those same themes again, except with a more solid foundation. Anyway, it was such a powerful experience to work with those energies, and it introduced me to Nyx and all the dark goddesses, and so I'm grateful to have it in my life.
Of course, after I let the shadows speak I realized they weren't so scary — they might even be the source of a lot of my power — and that in itself was a life-changing revelation. I'd actually love to run a course someday on songwriting as shadow work :)
Wow Eden. This is absolutely fascinating to me and if it feels powerful and satisfying to you, I think you should definitely find a way to pursue it. It’s too bad that professor didn’t get you at the time.
I like what you said about not being afraid of the dark and that it is a source of power.
Wonderful, thank you for being in this conversation with me and I hope you do pursue offering something about working with shadows.
ooh lots of costume thoughts and ideas for our class tomorrow. And happy birthday again Prajna! see you soon!
Yes, I can’t wait to see the Baba Yaga
Intriguing writing! I am finding myself desirous of things lately that are almost shocking to me…wondering where they will take me.
Lila! I feel this too. Reading Prajna’s articles and all of the comments of women’s stories and experiences feels liberating in a way that’s hard to explain. It’s like a reawakening —a reclaiming of permission to fully feel, express, and simply be, with abandon.
Great conversation
Ella are you gonna dress as a version of your alter ego? We want to hear more about that?
Juicy stuff
I have felt sexy as fuck most of my life. When I was in late highschool, early college, I would enter contests at bars. Won the best the “best legs” contest. I was so fun to be erótica and sensual.
This energy got squashed and buried as I soon learned that it came with a price tag I wasn’t willing to pay. So I shut it down, except for on rare occasions and within “religious” contexts. UGH!
I keep having this strong desire to wear grab my sleazy little back dress (yup, it still fits), paint my face heavily, tease my hair BIG, and go out to…hell, I don’t know.
Feels good to let myself imagine it.
I think we have a similar background
Lila
It reminds me of my snake dancing when I had to shut that down as well
Religious cults certainly don’t allow for too much expiration but plenty of rebellion
Yes, I think you should do all of that dressing up yourself to hell, tease your hair, etc. etc. etc.
I want to see this alter ego
I have an alter ego that is only expressed in secret fantasies where my sexuality comes roaring to the surface. The feelings that accompany her have guilt attached yet not strong enough to stop me from expressing this inner persona in words no others that are physically present in my life have seen. Part of me feels shame I suppose just as you say due to past impressive ideas fed to me about my femininity. Women weren’t allowed the same freedoms males seem to be allowed. With One other part of what you have written I have a slight difference in opinion. “Fifty Shades of Gray” Fifty Shades Darker” and “Fifty Shades Freed” after I have watched them numerous times and have read the books, allowed me to think that Ana was a very strong women with deep seated erotic feelings of her own. I think when she gave her virginity to Christian it was freely given from her. Once Cristian introduced her to the only way he knew about sex she was totally intrigued yet at first did it only to please him and hold onto him. After time together and she showed him a way to stop his sadist behavior she was enjoying her sexual freedom even more than him. Of course on the whole the stories were a bit far fetched, but watching Ana transform into the woman she chose to be fascinated me. I saw her own decisions infused by her strength made her know her own worth more than any other way she would have followed. Of course just my view. All the other analysis you gave about these female roles sounds exactly right to me. You encourage with your writing the nudge inside all of us to be true to every part of us even the alter egos inside. Thank you for this. Recognizing my alter and I are not alone is comforting.
Thank you, Kathy, for your exploration and take on "Fifty Shades." I've not read or seen any of the stories because it felt too close to my own life. Perhaps it's the right time, as I'm currently editing a memoir about my experience. As a huge fan of alter ego archetypes, the inner child characters that carry potent energies, I tell my story with a magical realism slant, from my soul's perspective. Thank you for helping me be Brave and read this cultural work!
I look forward to reading your memoir. I am very intrigued christine!
Hi Kathy,
Thank you for this. I love it when somebody has a different opinion.
You’ve given me something to think about. I’ve never read the book, but I did see the movie actually a couple of times and found it extremely intriguing but people in the BSDM community felt it didn’t really go by the consensual rules of the party so to speak.
Probably won’t read the book, but I think with any film or book or experience if it’s liberating, that’s what needs to be trusted.
It sounds like from your perspective. There was a clear evolution in their relationship, but maybe it wasn’t always that way.
I did see him transform from a person that performed to a person that actually had feelings
This is a huge discussion and I thank you for participating in it and giving me more things to think about
🌹💚🌹
Love plumbing the depths of alter egos. I once dressed up as Medusa- homemade snake hair and all. Looking back I feel many of my Halloween costumes through the years were merely the expression of facets of me. ❤️
A marketing course I was a part of -that was designed for those who abhorred marketing -touched on the topic of alter egos for writers and creatives who struggle and shy away from the idea of marketing themselves… suggested reading this book The Alter Ego Effect by Todd Herman. The author tackles the topic from the sports/entertainment and business world and offers a way for people to use alter egos for their personal successes.
I used rubber snakes of all sizes. Back in the day, I used a helmet painted in greens and wired the snakes so they could be at all angles and levels and then covered the helmet with a wig. The snakes jiggled when I moved. But then did my face with just heavy showgirl makeup so you have that attraction/repulsion thing happening all night. lol.
I think a tattoo of Medusa would be awesome. I love when tattoos have a significance that goes deeper than the obvious.
I have probably twelve books I am currently trying to get through lol… but so far the book does a good job explaining how people can be even more successful when they utilize an alter ego. Fascinating today the least.
Happy Halloween back -you amazing human! ❤️
Hi, that is so awesome. I found exactly what I need now. I’ll all I have to do is the face thank you so very much.!!!
For enlightening me on all of these wild possibilities
You are so awesome. I can’t wait.
Fun, fun, fun
Are you gonna dress up this year at all?
Hi, that is so fascinating that you dressed up as a Medusa. I want to do that. I haven’t done it yet. I also want to get a tattoo of her somewhere on my body. I think tattoos off also have to do with alter ego’s
Do you think so?
Sounds like a wonderful book to check out, have you read it?
Thank you for stopping by and reading and commenting
Happy Halloween!
You should totally go as Medusa for Halloween or just as a character/alter ego!
Hi Ella, I’m all set. I just got very lucky. I’m on for tomorrow. It might be a good day to do photos.
Oh exciting! Yes, we should take some.
Yes we can certainly try
There’s something magnetic about the exploration of alter egos and freedom of expression in this essay and the comments. I’m intrigued that you mentioned both BDSM and Cindy Sherman—two subjects that fascinate me. Cindy Sherman is one of my all-time favorite photographers; she transforms herself into various characters, creating imagined versions of the 'self' and 'other,' weaving vivid stories through each still photograph.
For many women my age (Gen Z), Halloween becomes a chance to express themselves by wearing less, tapping into their erotic side on a day when it’s more socially accepted. Feeling desired, mysterious, and otherworldly connects us to our shadow selves, which, to me, is the essence of Halloween.
Ella, I see this, especially at Kiva retreat because she’s closer to your age. They have it all decked out an erotic fashion.
As well as an Instagram, you see this with your generation
But it does not end there and I really want to be an example for older woman to know that you’re erotic nature never in fact it only gets more fun !
Thank you for your comment
Are you dressing up this year?
♥️ thank you! Makes me look at Halloween in a new empowering way!
Good. Monica, are you going to dress up as something? I would love to hear if you have alter ego that’s wanting to be expressed.