45 Master Characters (15 page)

Hera in Action

Roseanne Conner (Roseanne) in
Roseanne

Monica Geller (Courtney Cox-Arquette) in
Friends

Lois Wilkerson (Jane Kaczmarek) in
Malcolm in the Middle

Brenda Cushman (Bette Midler) in
The First Wives Club

Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine) in
Terms of Endearment

Joan Crawford (Faye Dunaway) in
Mommie Dearest

Carolyn Burnham (Annette Bening) in
American Beauty

Ruth (Roseanne) in
She-Devil

Gertrude in
Hamlet
by William Shakespeare

Mrs. Compson in
The Sound and the Fury
by William Faulkner

Ingrid in
White Oleander
by Janet Fitch

Viviane in
Mists of Avalon
by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Lauren Olamina in
Parable of the Sower
by Octavia E. Butler

Alldera in
The Furies
by Suzy McKee Charnas

Mrs. Bennet in
Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen

Nurse Ratched in
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
by Ken Kesey

Behind the flickering light of the hearth fire, Hestia blesses a home with feminine compassion and family unity. Her spirit brings joy, peace and happiness to all those in her presence. In the quiet of the night she meditates near an open window, sharing in the joys of the nighttime creatures that wander the woods as everyone else lays sleeping. She sits for hours reflecting on the inner journey of her mind, forever at peace no matter what the world brings to her doorstep.

The Mystic

Hestia is the woman of peace and mysticism. She loves to be alone with her thoughts and finds bliss in solitude. Her calm nature and quiet disposition leave her a mystery to all who meet her. How does she live without any stress?

She graces a home and performs everyday tasks with ease and pleasure. She finds honor in baking the bread families will eat. No amount of feminist discourse could ever make her feel inferior to other women who have high-powered careers. Her mind isn't easily manipulated; she was one of few goddesses able to resist the lure of Aphrodite into sex and marriage. She is at one with herself and proud of her choices. She'd choose the spiritual life of a nun before choosing marriage or external earthly desires.

She sometimes plays in the mystical realm with meditation, shamanism and divination. Her internal world is rich, and her sensitivity is extreme. She can feel the thoughts and emotions of others, which gives her great compassion but also makes her wary of public places.

The title character in
Annie Hall,
played by Diane Keaton, is a good example of the Mystic archetype; she's a free spirit who lives in her own world.

What Does the Mystic Care About?

The Mystic cares about simplicity. Give her a nice home base that provides space for her to be herself, and she'll do anything to protect it. She's gentle mannered — but don't invade her quiet space! She needs room to be creative; a studio or garden is perfect.

She flourishes in a house where she can perform all of the household chores alone. She never wants a maid.

She doesn't have a strong desire to have children. She loves solitude and probably wouldn't mind being in prison as much as an Amazon woman would.

She takes her time in everything she does. She performs one task at a time with joy and concentration in each step. No task is beneath her and time is of no consequence.

Recycling and being “earth conscious” is important to her but she doesn't preach to others. She loves to be in nature and mixing herbs is a favorite pastime.

What Does the Mystic Fear?

The Mystic strives to overcome her fears but isn't always successful. She fears not having a place to call her own where she can be herself and escape from other people's drama.

She's fine with having someone else provide for her but she's somewhat uneasy that her ability to do what she wants depends on another person.

Losing her home or sanctuary would devastate her, but she knows she can make a home wherever she goes. To the Mystic, home truly is where the heart is.

Anything that takes away her privacy and her solitude is her enemy.

She deeply fears being in a large group of people because she's so sensitive; she feels the emotions of others and is overwhelmed in public places. She does her grocery shopping at midnight to avoid crowds.