The Legend of Archetypes

My mentor, and now one of my dearest friends, introduced me to the whole concept of Archetypes and role playing. I thought she was talking about a game, thinking that it kind of ran in the lines of "Dungeons and Dragons". When she first mentioned it, I thought, great...., that is something that really doesn't interest me. Lucky for me that she knows that I am a little hard headed.

"No," she said, "that is not what it is about at all." Then she went on to explain that in life we as humans take on roles that fit our needs or have been conditioned to do and play them out. Ever heard the saying that, "All the world is a stage?" Well, that is where it comes from. "OK", I said, " I get it, I am a mom, sister, aunt, wife, and friend along with my job title, etc."

One of the things I love most about my mentor is that patience is one of her virtues. She always gets this look on her face that freezes for a moment and then she says something like, "OK, that is close but not really it."

There is a lot more to Archetypes than just those roles. Archetypes were introduced by Carl Jung, who discovered that they really represented the different psychological roles that we play in life. For example, you might know someone who always plays the victim. No, matter what happens it is never their fault.

Here is another, the Mediator, you might know someone who is always in the middle of things and wants to help. Or I am sure you have heard of Hermit, Detective, Gossip, Clown, Samaritan, Teacher, Servant, Rebel, Hero, Student, Athlete, Avenger, Bully, Damsel, Martyr and Mentor and the list goes on. There are hundreds more and you are welcome to look this up if you are really interested.

OK, this did spark my interests a little and so I started to investigate. I asked one of my friends who is a professional Psychologist about it and she said, "yes, they study that in school." Wow, I didn't know...... This made me more aware of who I was and the people around me. I noticed that people are not always aware of it, but it was very prevalent in our speech and actions. Of course this made me more self conscious of what was coming out of my own mouth and actions.

Now, this is not a bad thing but understand that each and everyone of us seem to have these attributes. There are good and bad to each Archetype and we find the ones that fit us to get on in this world. I was talking to a lady and she was really upset with herself, she kept telling me that no matter what she did she would somehow find a way to sabotage herself. "The Saboteur." Of course by having this knowledge and being aware of this she could empower herself to change. Listen to what comes out of your own mouth.

Ever hear of the saying, "I sold myself short?" "I gave myself away?" Does Prostitute ring a bell? We all do it at one time or another give ourselves until we are bone dry. It is just a matter of being aware and turning it around to the positive. This teaches us not to give huge chunks of our being to others. By recognizing it in ourselves we are saying, "No, I won't allow this," and even stepping back to give ourselves a break because we are human.

Artist is another one and there are negative sides to that one such as being too eccentric, but it is the positive that needs to be focused on for change. Princess is one that I have heard of often. You even see this in movies like "Private Benjamen." You might work with someone who is one or be one yourself. It is not bad to be a princess, but don't use your power to hurt and control others. If you think about it, a princess can do a lot when they focus on the good. Just look what Princess Diana did.

Some Archetypes really stand out among others like Vampires, Addicts, Healers, Judge, Priest, Misers and Poets who are the Rock and Roll stars of the world.

Have fun with it and know that we are the only ones who can change something in ourselves. It is about looking at the world with eyes of understanding and appreciating what we see in ourselves and others.

Namaste,
Ana