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This is based on the book Archetypes: Who Are You by Caroline Myss that I review in part here.
I'm on a quest to honor the age-old directive of 'know thyself' and I feel like understanding archetypes, and mine in particular, is a great place to start.
In this post, I'll discuss the 10 Archetypes that Caroline described in her book. In the end, I'll share the ones I recognize in myself and how they show up in my life.
Understanding Archetypes (as Caroline has explained them in her book) has changed my life. It has expanded my understanding of myself and everyone around me by giving me a higher vantage point from which to view our actions and inner drives.
What Are Archetypes?
Archetypes are narratives that govern our lives. We all have narratives that act as the lenses through which we see life. We assign these to ourselves and others all the time. If I described someone to you as 'A great mother' or 'a Saint'. Or perhaps your dad is 'a Tough Guy' or 'a Hero'.
All of these labels are actually archetypes and they conjure up images in your head as soon as you hear them and you suddenly know something about that person, even if they are a complete stranger.
It's important to know our archetypes because these narratives can determine how we view and experience the world. They determine our inner drives, the unique challenges we are most likely to face, and the particular genius most natural to us.
In short, understanding our archetypes can help us to better understand ourselves and our patterns. It can help us illuminate the unseen driving force of our patterns and move us into a place of conscious growth and choosing.
It empowers us to live a life of our highest authenticity, potential, and alignment.
From my explanation above, I think it's easy to see that Archetypes are particularly powerful as an unseen driving force when a person is still spiritually unconscious or in the process of awakening. The patterns and circumstances dictated by their archetype will feel very natural from this unconscious state, which makes them the most dangerous.
"Until you make your unconscious conscious, it will direct you and you will call it fate" - Carl Jung
List of 10 Archetypes:
The following list is by NO means exhaustive, archetypes grow and evolve as we do, so new ones are always coming in as old ones die off, or rather they evolve to fit the times. These are just the 10 discussed in Caroline's book and a great starting point:
1. The Advocate Archetype
The Advocate archetype is dedicated to social, political, and environmental transformation. She speaks out for those who have no voice and fights for human rights and environmental protection.
Challenge: The need to fight for the sake of fighting. Wanting or feeling that you're always right. The need for acknowledgment for the causes you fight for. Feeling personal worth and validation only through the causes you fight for.
2. The Artist/ Creative Archetype
The Artist/ Creative Archetype sees beauty everywhere, comes alive in front of an audience, creates and appreciates art, and is wholeheartedly committed to realizing her creative dreams.
Challenge: Overcoming the fear of failure and humiliation. Believing that you can make a living from your art.
3. The Athlete Archetype
The Athlete Archetype greatly values the strength and ability of their physical body. As such, they are dedicated to taking great care of their physical body, enjoys physically challenging activities, and is super competitive (but fair).
Challenge: To discover who they are outside of their physical strength and ability.
4. The Caregiver Archetype
The Caregiver Archetype is characterized by how well they take care of other people. They are compassionate and generous. They never turn down anyone who needs help, they serve as the family caregiver, and they see helping others as a calling.
Challenge: To extend your great care to yourself and discover who you are. To care for yourself as you so easily care for others.
5. The Fashionista Archetype
The Fashionista Archetype loves fashion but is not a slave to it. She always looks good and she helps others to find their style. She uses fashion to develop authentic self-esteem.
Challenge: To understand that fashion doesn't always reflect externally who the wearer is internally. To seek deeper, and dig past the topical exterior of people, situations, and things.
6. The Intellectual Archetype
The Intellectual Archetype learns for the sheer love of learning. She responds to life with her head before her heart. She looks closely and considers all the possibilities before acting. She cultivates wisdom to improve life for herself and others.
Challenge: To not overthink. To not live in their heads. To be in the present moment, rather than thinking about and recording it.
7. The Queen/ Executive Archetype
The Queen/ Executive Archetype is a born leader who takes charge of situations for maximum results. She commands center stage even without trying. She uses her influence to empower others. She looks her best at all times.
Challenge: To trust themselves to lead. To share power in intimate relationships. To listen to others and also take their suggestions and learn from them. Humility.
8. The Rebel Archetype
The Rebel Archetype speaks out against discrimination and oppression. She challenges injustice. She is untraditional and wears bold and daring styles. She introduces radically new ideas and thrives on making waves.
Challenge: To not fight for the sake of fighting. To not allow your Rebel nature control your emotional nature.
9. The Spiritual Seeker Archetype
The Spiritual Seeker Archetype trusts intuition unconditionally and seeks insight into who she really is. She searches for the true meaning and purpose of her life. She is committed to a path of spiritual evolution and she wants more from life than material success.
Challenge: To awaken your intuitive intelligence.
10. The Visionary Archetype
The Rebel Archetype breaks free of traditional expectations and rules. She acts as an agent of change. She relies on internal guidance from dreams, and an inner knowing. She looks to the future and sees what could be.
Challenge: To envision new possibilities for humanity and bring the future into the present.
If this felt like a teaser, it's probably because it is. There is no way I can summarize a book this great into a single blog post. You should read the entire book for yourself. The insights are immeasurable.
How Do Our Archetypes Affect Our Relationships?
Magnetic attraction is something most of us have experienced. I've often thought of it as fate or destiny. In this book, I was introduced to the idea that magnetic attraction is a complete animation of an archetype or archetypal magnetism. Caroline says that if the attraction is romantic, these two people are 'Archemates'.
Damsel Meet Hero
For example, I have strong Eternal Child (Maiden) energy. It makes so much sense then that practically all of my relationships or the people I found attractive and who were attracted to me had strong 'Hero' energy. I was the damsel in distress and they were there to rescue me. Classic.
My Archetypes
As promised, I will now share and discuss the archetypes I've recognized in myself and how they show up in my life. The archetypes are manifested in varying degrees, some are more dominant than others, so I will make a note of this as well.
While each of us can have many different archetypes at play and dominant within our personalities, I think that as you mature and get to know yourself better, this list is more and more refined.
As such, I'm sure that in time some of the archetypes I am about to list will no longer feel relevant to me or their dominance might change. Anyway, this is where I find myself in October of 2022.
Most Dominant Archetypes:
The Artist
I resonate with this one 100 %. I feel a deep need to create (through writing, designing and making clothes) and to share those creations with the world. I feel most connected to that essence of life that animates all things...when I create. It's not something I like to do- It's something I need to do.
This also comes out in a desire to do normal things in an artistic way and deriving great joy from it. Simple things like home décor (I repaint our walls constantly), creating outfits, plating food- whatever.
The Mystic/ Spiritual Seeker
I am and have been on a quest for deeper meaning for as long as I could be mindful enough to search for anything. I find this deeply satisfying and soul-stirring and when I uncover a deep spiritual truth, it feels like finding gold.
Caroline distinguishes between the Mystic and the Spiritual Seeker, where the Mystic is a deeper calling to what might be a topical and even intellectual pursuit for the Spiritual Seeker. I acknowledge the difference, but I don't know yet where I fall. Time will tell.
The Eternal Child
I resonate with this a lot. This is not a fun one to admit because this is where most of my Shadow characteristics tend to come out. For me, this shows up as not being financially independent, and how long it took me to fully see this as a problem. The Eternal Child in me believed that it was meant to be taken care of. By my Mom and family, then by friends, lovers, and finally my husband.
I think that in and of itself, being taken care of and allowing yourself to be is not a bad thing. However, in my case, it tipped the scales to expectation even though I wouldn't have accepted that truth until fairly recently when I did some deep inner work (a personal favorite pastime).
I was incredibly selfish, and because this was in my Shadow, this was subconscious which meant I never gave any of these people the option to opt into this kind of relationship. Before long, we were enmeshed and they couldn't have left if they wanted to.
In different archetypal systems, this particular type of female child archetype (and the way it has manifested for me) can be classed as The Maiden. I'll be looking at these other Archetypal systems soon.
The Other Side
For their part, I know by being so dependent, I enabled the other people in my life to play out their Hero archetype. We subconsciously validated each other.
Less Dominant Archetypes:
The Intellectual
Above I mentioned that I am and have always been on a quest for deeper meaning- however, I think I can accurately stretch that idea to a perpetual quest for knowledge in general. I want to know about places, people and things; processes and systems. I want to know. Teach me all the things.
The difference that makes this a less dominant archetype for me, is that I will let that knowledge find me, not the other way around unless in very specific circumstances. I need someone (who's very excited about the said topic) or I need to have the inspiration sparked within me by an event or something. I won't, for example, just wake up in the morning with a thirst for world news. Or read up deeply on the revolutionary war.
I bring these examples because I've been able to recognize these differences in my husband, who has The Intellectual as a dominant Archetype. He will do all the things I listed above. Then he'll tell me to do it, and that will be my spark to learn more. His spark is intrinsic.
The Fashionista
Yaaaassss! I LOVE clothes. I love how they make me feel, I love how I can style them to make me look how I want. I love how they can make anyone transform.
I think, however, that fashion has taken a back seat in my life as I've matured. I now care more about personal style and a 'forever wardrobe' than trends and designers. It feels like a strong beat, but one that's in the background of my life.
The Athlete
I love my body. In a physical sense. I love how physical I am and can be. I'm fast, I'm strong. I like to be in situations where I can utilize those faculties. I have always loved exercise- running, yoga, Pilates, hiking, and team sports of all kinds. I feel my best when my body is in its best shape. This is vanity, of course, but I know now it's also something more and I will do a better job of honoring it.
Well, that's me in a nutshell. I feel naked but in a good way. I think until we accept who we are we can never become who we're meant to be, or who we'd like to be. This has felt like a necessary first step.
Conclusion
I bet you now know me better than you bargained for, lol. I hope this article has been illuminating for you in some way and that it's sparked an interest in archetypes in general. I hope so because I'll be writing about them more in the near future.
Have you recognized any of these archetypes in yourself? How do they show up in your life? I'd love to know.
Here's to self-discovery,
Nonjabulo
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