Okay, so Furiosa isn’t a goddess, she’s a character in Mad Max: Fury Road. She doesn’t even have magical powers or supernatural forces of any kind. She looks like Charlize Theron, so she has that going for her, but being beautiful is not exactly an asset in her world.

I read Cindy Fazzi’s film review of Mad Max: Fury Road that touches on the feminist themes at work in this film. In fact, I read the review on the way home from seeing the film and it was such a joy to see that someone else understood the same things I did. Mad Max: Fury Road pokes vicious fun at the very power structures that are wreaking havoc in our environment, governments, and domestic relationships right now. At the core of the story, fighting the good, gritty, painful fight: Furiosa.

Furiosa is physically strong, despite having just one hand. She is a trickster goddess, gaining access to power by pretending to serve its interests. She suffers the loss of home, family and friends, but soldiers on with hope regardless. This is a woman of courage, resilience and might. She puts the safety of others before her own. She doesn’t let gender define her skill set.  She has the courage to hope for a better world.

As outsized as every frame of Mad Max: Fury Road is, Furiosa is not a cartoon. I know women like that. I’d be willing to bet you do too.

Call on Furiosa when the power structures in your life need a thorough shakedown. She’ll help you gather the resources you need to get the job done. She’ll help you inspire loyalty in people who will help you. She’ll help you use your strengths so well that your weaknesses won’t matter at all.

And she’ll do it all with one hand.

For another story about a woman serious about saving the world from people who are drunk with power, check out Urban Fantasy novel THE ARROW , written by me.