The magician can be a wonderful ally on your journey. Have you ever noticed that how you name your experience changes the way you feel about it? The magician inside us knows the power of words, and how words can heal or wound, and it teaches us to use our words wisely.
A fun example from my own life and the power of naming something is about 10 years ago I had some of my siblings over to dinner, and my one sister commented that the carrots tasted “musty”. I tried one and said “no they taste like earth”. She said “oh” and proceeded to eat a bunch of them because “earthy” tastes better than “musty”. How we name something is very important to how we view it.
Words can also harm. Most of us have been subject to name calling at some point in our lives, and hopefully we did not integrate the names and decide they were true. But if we do believe we are stupid, fat, ugly, etc, it is because words can harm, if we accept them as truth about us.
The magician also understands that on some level, all things are interconnected, and they are on the look out for synchronicity or being led to their next challenge or experience.
The magician’s shadow qualities are to not look deeply and follow gurus wherever they lead us, but also manipulating others by creating an atmosphere where they “have all the answers” and people look to them instead of inside themselves.
To cultivate more magician in your life, practice naming your experience in a more positive light. For example, the firing may have been the best thing for you, and led you to the next path in life. Maybe you are curvy and not fat, or you have strong facial features, not masculine facial features. You are not shy, you are inner focused, etc. Ask yourself, do you use the power of the word to harm or to heal? When? Do you see synchronicity in your life? When and where?
Showing posts with label archetypes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label archetypes. Show all posts
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
The Ruler
The ruler can be a wonderful archetype for leading and taking responsibility. Good leadership embodies positive qualities of the ruler: having a greater vision than just personal gain, building coalitions, using power wisely (lots of wisdom), a high level of personal integrity, being accountable for our actions (the buck stops here), and being good at empowering others.
Of course there is the shadow side of the ruler that most of us have been privy to in our lives; The dominating aggressive boss who misuses power and blames others instead of looking at themselves, power hungry people who want power for power’s sake, and can’t get enough, a “me” mentality that puts self over the good of the organization or people they are leading, a dictator who issues commands based on whims and not on organizational or family health.
Becoming a ruler in your own kingdom is a step to adulthood that many of us are on. We have families we may be in charge of, making financial and career decisions for the good of ourselves and our loved ones, you learn to accept responsibility for your choices and right any wrongs you may have done are all ways we are rulers in our lives.
A high level of expression of the ruler in your life would include: sharing power and encouraging others to express as much self determination as possible, leading by example and showing positive behaviors and a large degree of self-reflection, and remembering that you cannot force people to do anything but you can lead by inspiring them! It’s such a wonderful and uncommon experience when we encounter good leadership.
To use the ruler archetype in your own life, start by taking responsibility for your actions, not blaming others, and right any wrongs that have been weighing on you. Ask yourself who or what do you give your power away to? And how can you reclaim it? Who do you know that expresses a lot of ruler in their life? Is it a positive or negative expression?
The ruler knows how to get things done and to run things smoothly.
Of course there is the shadow side of the ruler that most of us have been privy to in our lives; The dominating aggressive boss who misuses power and blames others instead of looking at themselves, power hungry people who want power for power’s sake, and can’t get enough, a “me” mentality that puts self over the good of the organization or people they are leading, a dictator who issues commands based on whims and not on organizational or family health.
Becoming a ruler in your own kingdom is a step to adulthood that many of us are on. We have families we may be in charge of, making financial and career decisions for the good of ourselves and our loved ones, you learn to accept responsibility for your choices and right any wrongs you may have done are all ways we are rulers in our lives.
A high level of expression of the ruler in your life would include: sharing power and encouraging others to express as much self determination as possible, leading by example and showing positive behaviors and a large degree of self-reflection, and remembering that you cannot force people to do anything but you can lead by inspiring them! It’s such a wonderful and uncommon experience when we encounter good leadership.
To use the ruler archetype in your own life, start by taking responsibility for your actions, not blaming others, and right any wrongs that have been weighing on you. Ask yourself who or what do you give your power away to? And how can you reclaim it? Who do you know that expresses a lot of ruler in their life? Is it a positive or negative expression?
The ruler knows how to get things done and to run things smoothly.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
The Lover
The lover is a powerful archetype that tends to first be encountered as a late teen/early adult. It teaches us to connect with others, with ideas, vocations, children, art, the earth, etc.
This archetype invokes passion and sensuality in us and others; it awakens sexual feelings. If the lover is strong in your life, you like the feeling of being “in love” and search it out, either with one partner or many.
The lovers attention differs from the caregiver in that the caregiver wants to help others (sometimes save them) and the lover treats others as peers/equals.
Someone with strong lover energy tends to be romantic and think that love solves everything. Sometimes they are seen as having their head in the clouds by others more practical and pessimistic.
Experiencing the lover can be transformative. It teaches us to love and honor ourselves, others and the earth. In its higher stages, the lover can teach us to connect to a higher power.
Questions to ask yourself: When have you fallen in love? Are you in love with someone or something right now? How much do you enjoy your sensuality? Who do you know that expresses a lot of lover in their life?
This archetype invokes passion and sensuality in us and others; it awakens sexual feelings. If the lover is strong in your life, you like the feeling of being “in love” and search it out, either with one partner or many.
The lovers attention differs from the caregiver in that the caregiver wants to help others (sometimes save them) and the lover treats others as peers/equals.
Someone with strong lover energy tends to be romantic and think that love solves everything. Sometimes they are seen as having their head in the clouds by others more practical and pessimistic.
Experiencing the lover can be transformative. It teaches us to love and honor ourselves, others and the earth. In its higher stages, the lover can teach us to connect to a higher power.
Questions to ask yourself: When have you fallen in love? Are you in love with someone or something right now? How much do you enjoy your sensuality? Who do you know that expresses a lot of lover in their life?
Sunday, July 18, 2010
The Seeker
We yearn for something, but we don’t know what it is. We feel discontent, and think “there has to be more than what is in front of me”.
This may happen in adolescence, early adulthood, after being married for a few years, and any time during our life. The seeker can grab us at any age. We move, join groups, have children, travel, join a commune, start college, divorce, explore a new religion, deepen our spirituality- all ways we encounter the seeker. Often it is because our environment feels to confining in some way.
Ah, but the seeker has a shadow side, as do all the archetypes. We become addicted to newness, drugs, excitement, sex, and can’t commit to anything. We change major after major, unable to settle in to one major. We continuously try on new ideas and ventures, but never really experience them in their fullness because we quit too soon and move on to the next excitement. We stay in relationships only so long- once the newness wears off, we move on. Any addiction can be seen as the shadow side of the seeker.
An example from my own life of the positive side of the seeker is when I had quit college and on a whim moved to New York State. I had felt very dissatisfied with community college and felt stuck. Living nine months in New York satisfied my boredom, and I got myself back into college, after working as a grocery clerk, for low wage and low respect!
I have seen people move from job to job and career to career, never able to commit and become a master at one. I know that can be a good thing to explore career options, but if we are always feel discontent, we may be expecting our job to fulfill too many of our needs, that are best met in other areas of our life.
The seeker can be a wonderful ally, especially as we develop ourselves spiritually.
This may happen in adolescence, early adulthood, after being married for a few years, and any time during our life. The seeker can grab us at any age. We move, join groups, have children, travel, join a commune, start college, divorce, explore a new religion, deepen our spirituality- all ways we encounter the seeker. Often it is because our environment feels to confining in some way.
Ah, but the seeker has a shadow side, as do all the archetypes. We become addicted to newness, drugs, excitement, sex, and can’t commit to anything. We change major after major, unable to settle in to one major. We continuously try on new ideas and ventures, but never really experience them in their fullness because we quit too soon and move on to the next excitement. We stay in relationships only so long- once the newness wears off, we move on. Any addiction can be seen as the shadow side of the seeker.
An example from my own life of the positive side of the seeker is when I had quit college and on a whim moved to New York State. I had felt very dissatisfied with community college and felt stuck. Living nine months in New York satisfied my boredom, and I got myself back into college, after working as a grocery clerk, for low wage and low respect!
I have seen people move from job to job and career to career, never able to commit and become a master at one. I know that can be a good thing to explore career options, but if we are always feel discontent, we may be expecting our job to fulfill too many of our needs, that are best met in other areas of our life.
The seeker can be a wonderful ally, especially as we develop ourselves spiritually.
Monday, July 12, 2010
The caregiver
The caregiver within knows how to love and care for others. Although the caregiver has traditionally been seen as a women's role and the warrior a males role, we ALL need aspects of the caregiver and the warrior inside of us.
We are called to the caregiver by seeing another in need. The positive qualities of the caregiver are easy to see: warm, loving, concern and care. Hopefully all our parents embody some form of the caregiver because that makes a solid foundation for our young selves.
As with all archetypes, caregiver has a dark side also. It can be martyrdom and controlling behaviors. It can be a way to get our own needs met, by guilting others into doing what we think they should do. Some women over identify with the caregiver and believe that they have worth only in caring for others, and put their own needs aside repeatedly.
How strong is the caregiver in you? Has it changed throughout the years? Do you need more or less caregiver qualities? Who do you know that embodies the caregiver?
We are called to the caregiver by seeing another in need. The positive qualities of the caregiver are easy to see: warm, loving, concern and care. Hopefully all our parents embody some form of the caregiver because that makes a solid foundation for our young selves.
As with all archetypes, caregiver has a dark side also. It can be martyrdom and controlling behaviors. It can be a way to get our own needs met, by guilting others into doing what we think they should do. Some women over identify with the caregiver and believe that they have worth only in caring for others, and put their own needs aside repeatedly.
How strong is the caregiver in you? Has it changed throughout the years? Do you need more or less caregiver qualities? Who do you know that embodies the caregiver?
Saturday, June 26, 2010
The Orphan
"The orphan calls us to wake up, let go of our illusions and face our painful reality." Carol Pearson
We all start the journey as innocents, but then the "fall" happens. We get let down, and this usually happens the first time with our parents, for few of us can be perfect all the time. The orphan is activated when we get wounded- abandoned, hurt, neglected, needs not met, and life is no longer perfect.
If we encounter wounding over and over or the wounds are great, we tend to strongly identify with the orphan archetype and it is a dominant force in our lives.
All of us get wounded- there is no avoiding it. But the wounding is on a continuum: some of us are wounded repeatedly with very egregious offenses, and some may be wounded just from our parent's humanness.
So what are the gifts of the orphan? The innocent believes that good always wins out, but the orphan knows that the bad guys can and do win. The orphan helps us to see life with realism, to acknowledge ours and others wounds and to band together against oppression. We feel more connected to others when we acknowlege our and other's wounds. Everyone is wounded- it is a universal human condition.
The orphan archetype can be painful, but is an important one that we usually revisit during different times of our lives.
There are ways to recognize your inner orphan. Ask yourself, what are my first wounds? How have I been hurt? When have I been abandoned? What are some deep wounds that I have a hard time acknowledging?
Take care of your inner orphan, she needs you to recognize her and she brings depth to your life!
We all start the journey as innocents, but then the "fall" happens. We get let down, and this usually happens the first time with our parents, for few of us can be perfect all the time. The orphan is activated when we get wounded- abandoned, hurt, neglected, needs not met, and life is no longer perfect.
If we encounter wounding over and over or the wounds are great, we tend to strongly identify with the orphan archetype and it is a dominant force in our lives.
All of us get wounded- there is no avoiding it. But the wounding is on a continuum: some of us are wounded repeatedly with very egregious offenses, and some may be wounded just from our parent's humanness.
So what are the gifts of the orphan? The innocent believes that good always wins out, but the orphan knows that the bad guys can and do win. The orphan helps us to see life with realism, to acknowledge ours and others wounds and to band together against oppression. We feel more connected to others when we acknowlege our and other's wounds. Everyone is wounded- it is a universal human condition.
The orphan archetype can be painful, but is an important one that we usually revisit during different times of our lives.
There are ways to recognize your inner orphan. Ask yourself, what are my first wounds? How have I been hurt? When have I been abandoned? What are some deep wounds that I have a hard time acknowledging?
Take care of your inner orphan, she needs you to recognize her and she brings depth to your life!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
The Innocent Archetype
We all start out our journey as innocents, with trust, faith and optimism. We believe our needs will be taken care of, that people are basically good, and the future is bright. It is wonderful for children to feel this way, and as children, hopefully you did have the experience of feeling safe and secure.
We are trusting of everyone and everything, and not using our faculties of discernment (more on this later). In fairy tales, the main character lives in a utopia with all needs met and life is good, for example the child who is loved and adored until the "step mother" comes into the picture. But the character never stays in the perfect world, and there is always a "let down". The world is no longer perfect(we become the Orphan).
Being innocent gives us incredible energy and optimism. But when we start out the journey we do not see people or situations with clear eyes. We see them how we want to see them, and we circle through this over and over with many different people and situations. An example from my own life is whenever I start with a new mentor, I always trust them completely, think they are so smart and seek their advise often. But then, they show their "humanness" and I feel let down. They get angry, give wrong advise, have big egos, etc. And then I no longer look up to them the same way. Or in the beginning of a relationship, we trust our partner and believe they will never let us down, until they do!
But this is the natural order of things- it's when we use our discernment to decide who/what we trust, what we should be cautious with, and start to fine tune this skill. But this ability does not come without getting wounded first.
Think about when you have been a young innocent and maybe you trusted when your gut told you not to (me in very early relationships!). And also think about a time when you have been a wise innocent (healthy skepticism), and you could trust those whose intentions were pure, or didn't buy into whatever you were being sold, but used your powers of discernment to know who to trust and who not to trust.
The innocent is a very powerful and needed archetype- we wouldn't start new relationships, jobs or ventures without the looking at it from the innocent viewpoint!
Optimism is good, and the innocent knows this.
We are trusting of everyone and everything, and not using our faculties of discernment (more on this later). In fairy tales, the main character lives in a utopia with all needs met and life is good, for example the child who is loved and adored until the "step mother" comes into the picture. But the character never stays in the perfect world, and there is always a "let down". The world is no longer perfect(we become the Orphan).
Being innocent gives us incredible energy and optimism. But when we start out the journey we do not see people or situations with clear eyes. We see them how we want to see them, and we circle through this over and over with many different people and situations. An example from my own life is whenever I start with a new mentor, I always trust them completely, think they are so smart and seek their advise often. But then, they show their "humanness" and I feel let down. They get angry, give wrong advise, have big egos, etc. And then I no longer look up to them the same way. Or in the beginning of a relationship, we trust our partner and believe they will never let us down, until they do!
But this is the natural order of things- it's when we use our discernment to decide who/what we trust, what we should be cautious with, and start to fine tune this skill. But this ability does not come without getting wounded first.
Think about when you have been a young innocent and maybe you trusted when your gut told you not to (me in very early relationships!). And also think about a time when you have been a wise innocent (healthy skepticism), and you could trust those whose intentions were pure, or didn't buy into whatever you were being sold, but used your powers of discernment to know who to trust and who not to trust.
The innocent is a very powerful and needed archetype- we wouldn't start new relationships, jobs or ventures without the looking at it from the innocent viewpoint!
Optimism is good, and the innocent knows this.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Introduction to Archetypes
“We are our own raw material. Only when we know what we’re made of, and what we want to make of it, can we begin our lives…..To be authentic is, literally, to be your own author, to discover your own native energies and desires, and then to find your own way of acting on them.” Warren Bennis
I have long been interested in archetypes due to my interest in Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell, and then later on Thomas Moore and Carol Pearson. So I decided to share my interest, because I find it useful for myself and clients when we can pinpoint what archetype is dominant at any given time- it can give us some space to deal with intense emotions or difficult situations.
What are archetypes? The simplest definition I can give you is a psychological structure in our lives, that is universally experienced (with cultural differences) which show us the aspects of ourselves that need attention. We all have “inner stories” that guide our lives, and those stories have themes (archetypes)
When describing archetypes I rely on Carol Pearson’s work heavily, particularly the Pearson Marr Archetype Indicator, copyright 2002. There are many different nuances to understanding archetypes, but I shall condense the information and make it simpler to understand and use in our own lives.
The Innocent. We see the world through our naivety and belief that everyone is good. We have fresh eyes, and see beauty. We believe the world is safe.
The Orphan. We have been wounded and we no longer trust. We become cynical of others. We are realistic and resilient.
Caregiver. We enjoy taking care of others, and we give a lot, sometimes at the expense of ourselves.
Warrior. We defend ourselves and others. We stand up to bullies, we right injustice.
Seeker. We are looking for meaning, how to live, “answers”.
Lover. We like connecting with others and being in love is important.
Destroyer. We experience a lot of change, loss, or upheaval in our lives.
Creator. We have new ideas, vision and creativity.
Ruler. We are responsible, and we can lead people.
Magician. We have a healing or transformative presence; we know the power of word.
Sage. We are wise, in an objective way.
Jester. We like humor and to live in the moment.
This is a very simplistic definition of archetypes, and they are much more complex than that! I will go into depth on each archetype in following blogs so that we have a better understanding of how they manifest for good and bad (all archetypes have shadow or “dark” sides to them).
For me personally, the archetypes that were dominant in my life have changed and continue to do so, especially during times of great personal change. Right now the Destroyer and the Creator are very evident. The Creator due to me starting a clinic, taking a leap and creating what I see is important in a clinic. But the Destroyer is strong because I have left 2 long term jobs, and there has been so many endings with that (many of them painful). The other strong Destroyer influence in my life recently has been the loss of our dog and what a difficult, painful time that has been, and continues to be.
So please join me on the journey of understanding archetypes! I will go into depth with one or two every week. I will explain how they have manifested in my life and others, and how it is good to recognize and embrace them.
It is safe to look within.
I have long been interested in archetypes due to my interest in Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell, and then later on Thomas Moore and Carol Pearson. So I decided to share my interest, because I find it useful for myself and clients when we can pinpoint what archetype is dominant at any given time- it can give us some space to deal with intense emotions or difficult situations.
What are archetypes? The simplest definition I can give you is a psychological structure in our lives, that is universally experienced (with cultural differences) which show us the aspects of ourselves that need attention. We all have “inner stories” that guide our lives, and those stories have themes (archetypes)
When describing archetypes I rely on Carol Pearson’s work heavily, particularly the Pearson Marr Archetype Indicator, copyright 2002. There are many different nuances to understanding archetypes, but I shall condense the information and make it simpler to understand and use in our own lives.
The Innocent. We see the world through our naivety and belief that everyone is good. We have fresh eyes, and see beauty. We believe the world is safe.
The Orphan. We have been wounded and we no longer trust. We become cynical of others. We are realistic and resilient.
Caregiver. We enjoy taking care of others, and we give a lot, sometimes at the expense of ourselves.
Warrior. We defend ourselves and others. We stand up to bullies, we right injustice.
Seeker. We are looking for meaning, how to live, “answers”.
Lover. We like connecting with others and being in love is important.
Destroyer. We experience a lot of change, loss, or upheaval in our lives.
Creator. We have new ideas, vision and creativity.
Ruler. We are responsible, and we can lead people.
Magician. We have a healing or transformative presence; we know the power of word.
Sage. We are wise, in an objective way.
Jester. We like humor and to live in the moment.
This is a very simplistic definition of archetypes, and they are much more complex than that! I will go into depth on each archetype in following blogs so that we have a better understanding of how they manifest for good and bad (all archetypes have shadow or “dark” sides to them).
For me personally, the archetypes that were dominant in my life have changed and continue to do so, especially during times of great personal change. Right now the Destroyer and the Creator are very evident. The Creator due to me starting a clinic, taking a leap and creating what I see is important in a clinic. But the Destroyer is strong because I have left 2 long term jobs, and there has been so many endings with that (many of them painful). The other strong Destroyer influence in my life recently has been the loss of our dog and what a difficult, painful time that has been, and continues to be.
So please join me on the journey of understanding archetypes! I will go into depth with one or two every week. I will explain how they have manifested in my life and others, and how it is good to recognize and embrace them.
It is safe to look within.
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