Leave Her Wild : ReWilding and eco feminism, understanding the oppression of women and Mother Nature
- autumnf37
- May 10
- 4 min read
The idea of men trying to tame and change both nature and women often appears in literature, philosophy, and feminist theory, especially as a critique of patriarchal systems. Here’s how they’re seen as similar in this context:
1. Control and Domination: Both nature and women have historically been viewed as forces to be controlled by men. Just as men have sought to dominate natural landscapes—through agriculture, industry, or science—there has been a parallel effort to control women’s bodies, behaviors, and roles.
2. Objectification: Nature and women have often been objectified—seen as passive, fertile, and there to serve male desires or ambitions. This framing positions them as resources rather than autonomous beings.
3. Symbolism of Wildness: Both are frequently symbolized as wild, chaotic, or emotional—traits that must be subdued to create order. The “untamed woman” and the “untamed wilderness” both carry the idea of being dangerous if left unchecked.
4. Romanticization and Exploitation: Just as nature is romanticized for its beauty while being exploited for its resources, women are often idealized (e.g., as muses, nurturers) while being confined or used in practical ways that serve patriarchal ends.
5. Resistance and Reclamation: In both feminist and ecological movements, there’s been a pushback—a reclaiming of autonomy, identity, and value outside of control structures. Ecofeminism, for instance, explicitly connects the oppression of women and the exploitation of the environment.
“The root of the domination of nature lies in the same mindset that has enabled the domination of women. The image of nature as a nurturing mother was gradually replaced by the image of nature as a machine, to be dissected, studied, and controlled—just as women’s roles were redefined and restricted within a male-dominated society.”
Here are several more key quotes and themes from Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés, each capturing a different facet of the book’s deep psychological and spiritual message:
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1. On the Wild Woman Archetype
“The Wild Woman carries the bundles for healing; she carries everything a woman needs to be and know. She carries the medicine for all things.”
• Theme: The “Wild Woman” is not chaotic or dangerous, but instinctual, wise, and deeply healing. Estés urges women to reconnect with this forgotten inner self.
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2. On Creativity and Soulfulness
“If you have ever been called defiant, incorrigible, forward, cunning, insurgent, unruly, or rebellious, you’re on the right track.”
• Theme: Female wildness—often pathologized by society—is actually a sign of aliveness and authenticity. Suppression of this energy leads to spiritual diminishment.
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3. On Storytelling and Inner Knowing
“Stories are medicine. I believe that stories can lead us to the precise sliver of light we need in order to see our way through the darkness.”
• Theme: Storytelling is a sacred, transformative practice. The book uses myths and fairy tales as maps for navigating the inner wilderness.
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4. On Returning to Instinct
“To be ourselves causes us to be exiled by many others and yet to comply with what others want causes us to be exiled from ourselves.”
• Theme: Reclaiming the wild feminine often means choosing authenticity over approval, even at the cost of social acceptance.
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Nature stopped being seen as a living, nurturing force (often feminized as “Mother Nature”) and started to be seen as inert, mechanical, and available for exploitation—mirroring how women’s social roles were confined and controlled.
What is the connection with ReWilding and eco feminism?
Rewilding and ecofeminism share deep philosophical and practical connections, even though they originate from different movements. Here are key similarities between them:
1.
Challenging Domination and Control
Rewilding seeks to undo human control over ecosystems, allowing nature to regenerate on its own terms.
Ecofeminism critiques the patriarchal impulse to control both women and nature, advocating for relationships based on care rather than domination.
Common Thread: Both reject the mechanistic, exploitative mindset that treats nature (and by analogy, women) as something to be subdued.
2.
Restoring Balance and Reciprocity
Rewilding promotes ecological balance by reintroducing keystone species and natural processes (e.g., wolves in Yellowstone).
Ecofeminism calls for a rebalancing of gender and power structures through mutual respect and nurturing values.
Common Thread: Both emphasize interconnectedness, mutual reliance, and holistic systems over hierarchical control.
3.
Healing and Regeneration
Rewilding is about healing degraded landscapes and letting ecosystems recover.
Ecofeminism centers on healing the rift between humanity and nature—and within human social systems—caused by patriarchal exploitation.
Common Thread: Both aim to restore what has been damaged—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
4.
Resistance to Industrialization and Exploitation
Rewilding critiques intensive agriculture, habitat fragmentation, and extractive industry.
Ecofeminism opposes capitalist-patriarchal systems that exploit both women’s labor and the Earth’s resources.
Common Thread: Both movements resist systems of commodification and seek more ethical, sustainable alternatives.
5.
Spiritual and Ethical Dimensions
Rewilding, especially in its deep ecology forms, often carries spiritual overtones—a reverence for wildness as sacred.
Ecofeminism frequently includes spiritual traditions that honor the Earth (e.g., goddess spirituality, indigenous cosmologies).
Common Thread: Both challenge the anthropocentric worldview and encourage reverence for the non-human world.
In essence, rewilding is to land what ecofeminism is to society: both are radical attempts to repair the damage of domination and to allow life—human and non-human—to flourish freely and sustainably.
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