003 Circe: The Woman Who Refused to Be Tamed

Forget the fairy tales.

Circe wasn’t your typical wicked witch. She wasn’t out here cackling over cauldrons or hexing heroes for the fun of it.

She was a woman who had enough of men’s nonsense and decided to do something about it.

Circe, the infamous sorceress from The Odyssey, is remembered for turning men into pigs—and honestly? Relatable. But her story is more than just a cautionary tale about the dangers of female magic. She represents something far more radical: a woman who owned her power and refused to be controlled.

Circe didn’t fit neatly into the roles of wife, maiden, or obedient daughter. She lived alone on her enchanted island, made her own rules, and didn’t hesitate to defend herself when men underestimated her.

And for that? She was feared. She was misunderstood. She was labeled a villain.

But was she? Or was she simply a woman who decided she wasn’t here to be conquered?

The Outsider with Power

Circe wasn’t a monster; she was a goddess, a witch, and a survivor. Born to the Titan Helios and the nymph Perse, she wasn’t quite divine enough for the gods nor mortal enough for humans. She was caught between worlds, a woman with incredible magic but no place to belong.

When she tried to find her own way, she was met with exile. Banished to the island of Aeaea, she made a home for herself, crafted her spells, and learned how to survive alone. And when men arrived on her island, looking to take advantage of her? She handled it.

Then men arrived. And they expected to take what they wanted.

So Circe did what any self-respecting woman with power would do—she turned them into pigs.

Not out of cruelty, but because they arrived with violence in their hearts.

They had survived storms, monsters, and war. They had learned one thing: to meet every challenge with force. Circe’s reputation preceded her—she was a sorceress, a woman of trickery. And in his world, powerful women were almost always threats.

Odysseus, ever the trickster, managed to outwit her with the help of Hermes. But instead of punishing him, Circe did something unexpected—she welcomed him.

She did not fear him. She did not bow to him.

Instead, she took him to bed and met him as an equal.

For a year, they stayed together. Neither conqueror nor captive. Something else entirely.

Circe’s Legacy: What She Represents

Circe teaches us about self-sovereignty. She doesn’t fit neatly into the roles of wife, maiden, or obedient daughter. She exists outside of them, and she thrives.

Her magic is hers alone, neither borrowed from a husband nor bestowed by a father. She answers to no one, relies on no one, and bows to nothing.

And in a world that demands women be either submissive or useful, that made her dangerous.

Psychology of Circe: The Untamed Feminine

Jungian Take: The Wild Woman Archetype

Carl Jung would recognize Circe as the Wild Woman archetype—the woman who refuses to be caged, who thrives in solitude, who follows her own instincts instead of bending to society’s rules. She is raw, powerful, and free. And that is precisely what patriarchal systems fear the most

Circe wasn’t dangerous because she hurt men—she was dangerous because she didn’t need them

Circe in Modern Representations

Circe has undergone a significant transformation in modern literature and media. From Madeline Miller’s novel Circe, which reframes her as a fully realized, complex character, to feminist interpretations in art and scholarship, she is no longer just a footnote in Odysseus’ journey—she is a protagonist in her own right.

Her story isn’t just about turning men into pigs. It’s about setting boundaries.

The men who underestimated her? They were swiftly transformed.

But the ones who showed respect, like Odysseus, were met with hospitality.

Circe was not cruel—she was simply unwilling to be mistreated.

Circe’s Legacy: Magic, Boundaries, and Transformation

And Circe is about transformation. She remakes herself, over and over again. She turns pain into power, isolation into freedom, and exile into a kingdom of her own making. She reminds us that women can be independent, powerful, and untamed, and that’s something worth celebrating.

Circe wasn’t a villain.

She was a woman who chose her own fate, owned her own magic, and refused to be tamed.

And that?

That made her legendary.

Always,

Your Trusted Friend 🖤

Miate, Liana. “Circe.” World History Encyclopedia, World History Foundation, 8 November 2022, https://www.worldhistory.org/Circe/. Accessed 21 February 2025.

Miller, Madeline. Circe. Little, Brown and Company, 2018.

Ovid. Metamorphoses. Translated by David Raeburn, Penguin Classics, 2004.