Repunzle Part 1: Am I Giving Too Much or Not Enough?

Do you remember the original Rapunzel? As a kid, I loved her long, flowing hair that she’d let down for the prince to climb up. The witch kept her hidden, but eventually, Rapunzel and the prince escaped.

Jungian analyst Donald Kalshed sees Rapunzel as a metaphor for our internal struggles and healing. The tower, our self-imposed isolation from the world. He views Rapunzel as someone locked away, disconnected from parts of herself — authenticity, creativity, desires — even as she moves through her life as usual, inside she’s bracing. 

Kalshed points out that getting out of the tower is about healing and reconnecting with our hidden selves. The witch. Our masculine. The world beyond the tower we know so well.

Rapunzel’s eventual freedom is the beginning of her transformation — expressing herself more fully, and becoming more whole.

I’ve let my hair down for princes before, but the wish for togetherness doesn’t always lead to relational union. Sometimes, one person is ready and the other is not. We may see potential, but they may not actually be where we know they could be. The truth can be painful — questioning if we gave too much or not enough. And we might never know exactly why. True union takes mutual readiness and the willingness to climb.

But the journey continues...within. 

If we think of the tower in Rapunzel as the constraints placed on women by societal expectations, so facing and embracing our strength, independence, and authentic sexuality are places to begin. 

The moment Repunzle lets down her hair is a powerful metaphor for offering the world access to her true beauty, whether it’s through creative expression, vulnerability, or the courage to love the world and breathe in the wild air. 🍃