Res Humanitariae

In this article, I speak of the importance of the symbol of Mary (the Virgin Mary), in particular – of the importance of locating and validating the Shadow of Mary and the instinctual side of Mary. For that purpose, I engage with the ideas of the Jungian authors Marie-Louise von Franz and Clarissa Pinkola Estés. I offer an interpretation of the Lithuanian fairy tale “Agnieškėlė” to show an example of the Shadow of Mary. The main aspect of my article is that I speak of the Virgin Mary in non-Christian terms as of the sovereign female divine who can be the source of the divine power and strength.