Female Intuition in Literature and Life

Most psychics, clairvoyants, mystics, etc. in literature are female. Did you ever notice that? Is it because a single, eccentric woman makes for a better story than a single, eccentric man? Or maybe men just don’t possess the quality to seem uncanny and otherworldly? Maybe they’re doomed to be always boring and logical.

But then I think about these literary women and realize they aren’t that different from me. I too believe myself to be blessed with female intuition. My instincts, and thus reactions, may not be quick when a heavy object is hurtling towards me, but I can listen to my gut in every other way.

(And the term “gut” here is not just an overused generalization of the feeling one gets in relation to their instincts. It’s a real thing. There are literal connections between the neurotransmitters in one’s brain and their gut.)

All females are born with the power of intuition. They just must be attuned to their emotions, aware of their surroundings, and receptive to their subconscious thoughts. They need to trust themselves.

Intuition can be thought of as one’s inner wisdom made mighty. But it is also endearing.

In Time Without Clocks, an autobiography by one of my most favorite authors, Joan Lindsay, she says this of a cottage she and her husband visited: “As soon as we turned the bend in the unmade drive we saw the enormous mulberry tree spreading its leafless branches over the yard–somehow I had known there would be a mulberry tree.” Lindsay continues with her beautiful description in a tone of utmost whimsy but does not elaborate on the point of her intuitive sense. To her, this “knowing,” is naturally accepted, and its conception is not wondered upon. It just is. How darling.

I do not know if Lindsay, in her lifetime, understood the workings of a woman’s brain, but I’m sure she would not be surprised to find that female intuition can be scientifically proven.

Biologically, the female brain is made to process information and emotions faster than a man. This leads to quicker decision-making and without-a-doubt conclusions. Naturally, and no one argues this, women also tend to be more in tune to their emotions and more sensitive to slight changes.

Traditionally, showing or acting on one’s emotions is seen as weak. But in fact, studies have shown that women’s exceptional use of subtlety, empathy, and observation make them the best candidates for espionage. This further leads to reason that females are better equipped for roles in the CIA–the USA’s most powerful agency–than men. I think that says a lot.

Final thought: intuition, and thus femininity, makes us powerful.