http://www.myss.com/ThreeArchs.asp

A Gallery of Archetypes
The archetypes listed here in boldface type are just a few of the many ancient
patterns that exist in human consciousness. Many additional archetypes that are
closely related are mentioned in parentheses, such as Hermit (found under
Mystic), Therapist (under Healer), or Pirate (under Rebel). Please read through
the entire list, looking at all the archetypes in parentheses, before assuming
that the one you're looking for isn't here. Naturally, it's impossible to list
all the hundreds of archetypes that exist, but these are some of the most
common, and include just about all that are mentioned in my book, CD, or tape of
Sacred Contracts. If you feel that you have an archetype that isn't found here,
please do not hesitate to give it careful consideration, and feel free to
include it in your support team.

Remember that all archetypes are essentially neutral and manifest in both light
and shadow attributes. Accordingly, I have tried to include both sets of
attributes for each listing, along with cues to help you determine whether a
given archetype may be part of your lifelong support team of twelve. To help you
further, I've listed some examples of each archetype as embodied in popular
film, fiction, drama, and the world's religions and mythologies. In evaluating
whether an archetype is part of your intimate group, pay special attention to
whether you can perceive a pattern of influence throughout your history, rather
than only isolated or recent incidents. Never evaluate your connection to an
archetype only by obvious markers. You have to stretch your imagination and
burrow into yourself to discover your life patterns, lessons, and gifts. This
inner knowledge does not surface easily.

Addict (Conspicuous Consumer, Glutton, Workaholic--see also Gambler)

Every one of us is touched by the Addict archetype. The only question is how
much of our lives is consumed by it. Besides the usual suspects--drugs, alcohol,
food, and sex--one can be addicted to work, sports, television, exercise,
computer games, spiritual practice, negative attitudes, and the kinds of thrills
that bring on adrenaline rushes. In its positive aspect, this archetype helps
you recognize when an outside substance, habit, relationship, or any expression
of life has more authority over your will power than does your inner spirit.
Confronting addiction and breaking the hold that a pattern or substance has on
you can impart great strength to your psyche. Discovering the empowerment that
comes with perseverance has a life-long impact, becoming a reference point for
what you are able to accomplish. In the words of one former alcoholic, "I know
now that if I can quit drinking, I can do anything."

From a symbolic perspective, the shadow aspect of the Addict represents a
struggle with will power and the absence of self-control. People who are
extremely intellectual or emotional frequently have a close link to this
archetype, because they struggle to balance these powers. Without this internal
balance, the will may give up its power to an external substance that exerts
authority, providing shadow order to your life. The shadow Addict compromises
your integrity and honesty. Many addicts, for example, steal as a means of
supporting their habit.

In evaluating your connection to the Addict, review how many of your life's
challenges concern an external substance or a consistent, domineering pattern of
trying to maintain order in your life. Although that challenge is a part of all
of our lives, the degree to which an addiction controls you and your lifestyle
determines whether the Addict is part of your intimate family of twelve. For
instance, you can be inconsistent in your exercise program yet quite disciplined
in your spiritual practice. Needing a substance or practice or person so
intensely or regularly that you compromise relationships, finances, integrity,
character, or emotional and psychological well-being, however, indicates that
you should look very seriously at this archetype as a possible choice.

Films: Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick in Days of Wine and Roses (alcohol); Ben
Stiller in Permanent Midnight (heroin); Dom de Luise in Fatso (food); Claire
Bloom in The Chapman Report (sex);

Drama: A Long Day's Journey into Night (morphine) by Eugene O'Neill

Fiction: Basketball Diaries (heroin) by Jim Carroll; Under the Volcano (mescal)
by Malcolm Lowry.

Religion/Myth: Soma (Vedic god of intoxication, as well as the intoxicating
drink itself and the plant from which it is made); Tantalus (a son of Zeus and
king of Sipylos in Greece, he was invited to share the food of the gods but
abused the honor and was punished by being "tantalized" for all eternity by food
and drink he could not reach).

Advocate (Attorney, Defender, Legislator, Lobbyist, Environmentalist)

Coming to the defense of others is one manifestation of what Ram Dass calls
"Compassion in Action." The Advocate embodies a sense of life-long devotion to
championing the rights of others in the public arena. People who relate to this
archetype have recognized early on a passion to transform social concerns,
specifically in behalf of others. Symbolically, they are dedicated to inspiring
the empowerment of groups or causes that are unable to be empowered on their
own. By comparison, archetypes such as the Hermit are clearly more personal and
lack the Advocate's fire for furthering social change. The Advocate needs public
expression, even if only through writing or artwork.

The shadow Advocate manifests in false or negative causes or in committing to
causes for personal gain. In evaluting your connection with this archetype, you
should ask yourself how much of your life is dedicated to social causes and a
willingness to take action.

Films: Paul Newman in The Verdict; Spencer Tracy in Inherit the Wind; Julia
Roberts in The Pelican Brief and Erin Brockovich; Robert Duvall in the Godfather
trilogy (shadow).

Television: Perry Mason; L.A. Law; The Practice.

Fiction: The Devil and Daniel Webster by Stephen Vincent Benet

Fairy Tales: Puss in Boots.

Religion/Myth: David (in the Hebrew Bible, the Jewish champion who slew the much
larger Goliath); Hakuim (a pre-Islamic deity of southern Arabia who administers
justice and oversees arbitration).

Alchemist (Wizard, Magician, Scientist, Inventor--see also Visionary)

These archetypes share the common trait of converting some form of matter into
an altered expression of itself. The Wizard and Magician produce results outside
the ordinary rules of life, whether causing people to fall in love or objects to
disappear. Whereas a Wizard is associated with supernatural powers, the Magician
tends to be seen more as an entertainer. The Alchemist is associated with vain
attempts to turn base metals into gold, but in its highest manifestation it
seeks complete spiritual transformation. You may identify with this archetype if
you are interested in a path of spiritual development that is aligned to the
mystery schools or study of the laws of the universe. From this perspective,
Nostradamus and Isaac Newton could both be classified as Alchemists.

The shadow sides of these archetypes are found in the misuse of the power and
knowledge that comes through them. Seduction and trickery brought about through
magic and wizardry play on the desires of many people to transform their lives.

For the Alchemist or Wizard to be one of your circle of twelve, it needs to be
associated with your physical life in some significant way. Perhaps your work or
living situation demands that you be especially inventive or interventionist on
a regular basis. The shadow Wizard manifests either as the use of ingenuity for
criminal or unethical purposes or as feelings of superiority based on high
intellect.


Films: Spencer Tracy in Edison the Man; Greer Garson in Madame Curie; Anthony
Michael Hall as Bill Gates and Noah Wylie as Steve Jobs in Pirates of Silicon
Valley (HBO video); Fred MacMurray (or Robin Williams) in The Absentminded
Professor; Katharine Hepburn in The African Queen; Jane Powell in Seven Brides
for Seven Brothers; Jeff Goldblum in The Fly (shadow); Patrick Stewart and Ian
McKellan (shadow) in X-Men.

Fiction: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho; The Mists of Avalon by Marion Z.
Bradley; the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling; Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

Drama: The Miracle Worker by William Gibson.

Religion/Myth: Merlin (wizard and prophet involved in every phase of King
Arthur's life, from conception to rulership, who also counseled him as King);
Cessair (magician who became the first Queen of Ireland); Tezcatlipoca (Aztec
god of night and material things, whose black magic mirror made of obsidian or
hematite reflected the thoughts and actions of humanity and could kill enemies);
Paracelsus (16th-century Swiss alchemist and physician who described humans as
the microcosmic reflection of the macrocosm); Hermes Trismegistus (Greek mythic
figure who served as messenger of the gods, but who in later esoteric thought
became a master of reality manipulation able to travel freely between the
various realms and dimensions); Simon (Samaritan magician in the Book of Acts,
8:9-24, condemned by the apostle Peter for offering to buy the power of the Holy
Spirit from him); Suyolak (gypsy wizard said to know all medicinal cures).

Fairy Tales: Rumpelstiltskin (who spun straw into gold).

Angel (Fairy Godmother/Godfather)

Angels exist in a category unto themselves because they are thought to be living
beings of Light and messengers of the Divine. Almost every cultural and
religious tradition on earth features angels of some description, including
belief in a personal Guardian Angel in the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic
traditions. Angels are typically represented as winged beings who intervene in
times of great need or for the purpose of delivering a message of guidance or
instruction from God to humans. Even though you probably aren't an actual Angel,
you can acknowledge a strong connection to the angelic realm, as noted in people
who have a dedication to representing the presence of angels. Artists who paint
their images, for example, authors who write about their interaction with
humans, and those whose lives in some way provide a channel through which their
presence is physically manifested exhibit a rapport with the angelic realm. Some
people are also referred to as "angels" because of the loving and nurturing
qualities of character that they embody. One may also play the role of a Fairy
Godmother or Godfather by helping someone in need either anonymously or with no
expectation of any return.

The shadow side of this archetype manifests through people who make claims to be
in touch with angelic guidance for the sake of control or ego enhancement, or
who act innocent or angelic to mislead others about their true nature. From a
biblical perspective, the shadow Angel is frequently associated with Satan or
Lucifer, but the Devil or Demon should also be considered as a unique archetype.

Films: Herbert Marshall in The Enchanted Cottage; Charles Coburn in The More the
Merrier; Aunt March to Amy in Little Women; the two angels in It's A Wonderful
Life; Marlon Brando in The Godfather trilogy (shadow); Danny Glover, Kevin Kline
in Grand Canyon.

Television: Touched by an Angel

Fairy Tales: Glinda in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Religion/Myth: Angiris (Hindu angels who preside over sacrifices); Uriel (in
rabbinic lore, the angel who wrestled with Jacob); Gabriel (archangel who
appeared to Mary in the Gospels and recited the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad);
Sijil (Islamic angels overseeing the heavenly scrolls); Tenshi (Japanese angels
who are messengers of the gods and helpers of humanity); Lucifer and Iblis (in
medieval Christian and Islamic belief, respectively, evil angels who work to
destroy human souls); Fravashis (ancient Zoroastrian guardian angels who guide
the souls of the dead to heaven); Ombwiri (tribal guardian angels and ancestor
spirits in central Africa); Athena (goddess who frequently comes to the aid of
Odysseus in The Odyssey)

Artist (Artisan, Craftsperson, Sculptor, Weaver)

The Artist archetype embodies the passion to express a dimension of life that is
just beyond the five senses. The Artist psyche is animated with the energy to
express it into physical forms. The nature or relative grandeur of any form of
expression is irrelevant; a chef can be as much of an artist as a painter or
landscaper. The signature of artists is not in what they do but in how intense
their motivation is to manifest the extraordinary. Doing what you do in such a
way that you create an emotional field that inspires others also indicates the
Artist energy at work, as does the emotional and psychological need to express
yourself so much that your well-being is wrapped up in this energy.

The shadow Artist comprises many cliches, including an eccentric nature and the
madness that often accompanies genius. The Starving Artist represents the fear
of financial ruin or the belief that fame and fortune come only after death,
which often cause artists to suppress their talents. In evaluating your
relationship to this archetype, recognize that the need to bring art to others,
such as dedicating part of the energy of your life to supporting artists, is as
much an expression of the Artist archetype as actually holding a brush in your
hand.

Films: Ed Harris in Pollock; Alec Guinness in The Horse's Mouth; Isabelle Adjani
in Camille Claudel; Kirk Douglas in Lust for Life; Gene Kelly in An American in
Paris.

Drama: Amadeus by Peter Schaffer

Fiction: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce; The Horse's
Mouth by Joyce Cary.

Fairy Tales: Gepetto in Pinocchio, by Carlo Collodi.

Religion/Myth: Galatea (sculptor of Greek myth who brought the statue of
Pygmalion to life); Shen-nung (one of the Three Noble Ones of Chinese mythology
who invented the plow and taught humanity the art of agriculture); Basa-Jaun (in
Basque lore, a wood spirit who taught humanity the art of forging metal);
Sarasvati (Hindu patron of the Arts); Ptah (Egyptian creator god and deity of
craftsmen, said to have molded humanity on his potter's wheel); Ambat
(Melanesian hero-deity who taught the art of pottery); Ixzaluoh (Mayan water
goddess who invented the art of weaving); Hiro (Polynesian hero who introduced
humanity to the art of writing); Hephaestus (Greek god of the blacksmith's fire
and patron of all craftsmen).

Athlete (Olympian)

This archetype represents the ultimate expression of the strength of the human
spirit as represented in the power and magnificence of the human body. Because
the Olympian is so connected to spiritual as well as physical strength, a code
of ethics and morality is associated with the archetype, which is an excellent
example of the universal power of the "psyche" of an archetype. A link to the
Athlete should not be evaluated by whether your physical skill is on par with
that of professionals or whether your body is perfect in form and function. A
person dedicated to transcending the limits of a physical handicap qualifies as
much for this archetype as the professional or artistic athlete, because the
development of personal will power and strength of spirit is a requirement for
the body to manifest its perfection.

The shadow aspect of athletics, however, may manifest as a misuse of one's
strength against any sort of person or opponent in the world, even outside the
field of professional athletics, such as a professional boxer who starts a bar
fight; a false sense of invulnerability, like Achilles' and Samson's; dirty
play; or colluding with gamblers (See Bully). The shadow may also appear as a
lack of honor that compels you to cheat to win.

Films: Esther Williams in Million Dollar Mermaid; Burt Lancaster in Jim Thorpe,
All American; Tom Courtenay in The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner;
Daniel Day Lewis in My Left Foot; Hoop Dreams (documentary)

Fiction: The Natural by Bernard Malamud; Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates by
Mary Mapes Dodge.

Folklore/Fairy Tales: The Tortoise and the Hare.

Religion/Myth: Atalanta (female athlete in Greek myth); Smertios (Celtic war-god
portrayed as a bearded athlete); Nike (feminine personification of victory in
Greek myth, who runs and flies at great speed). Samson (Nazarite strongman and
biblical Judge); Achilles (Greek warrior known for his exceptional might, and
the hero of the Iliad); Smertrios (Celtic-Gallic god of war depicted as a
bearded athlete).

Avenger (Avenging Angel, Savior, Messiah)

This archetype and its related manifestations respond to a need to balance the
scales of justice, sometimes by employing aggressive techniques. Attorneys who
work for the impoverished or disadvantaged, or who volunteer part of their time
for pr bono work are modern avengers. Bringing war criminals to trial or legally
pursuing corporations that harm society are examples of the Avenger on a global
scale, fueled by a sense of righteousness in behalf of society. One can also be
motivated to avenge an injustice against oneself or one's family. The Avenging
Angel is an expression of this archetype of mythic proportions that suggests
that one is on a mission from God, as in the case of Joan of Arc.

On the global level, the shadow manifests as avenging perceived immoral behavior
by resorting to violence, from acts of ecoterroism to bombing abortion clinics.
The "rightness" of one's cause can never justify harming innocent third parties.
(Gandhi countered the shadow of social vengeance by emphasizing passive
resistance to illegitimate authority.) In evaluating your connection to this
archetype, review your life for experiences in which your primary motivation was
to defend or represent a cause in behalf of others. One instance is not enough.
You need to relate to this archetype as a primary force through which many of
the choices and actions of your life are directed. A burning desire to get even
can be so forceful that you organize a lifetime around meeting that end.

Films: Ingrid Bergman in The Visit; Jane Fonda in Cat Ballou; John Wayne in The
Searchers; Julia Roberts in Erin Brokovich; Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton, Lily
Tomlin in Nine to Five; Vincent Price in Theatre of Blood (shadow--an actor who
kills his critics); Al Pacino in The Godfather (shadow); Robert de Niro or
Robert Mitchum in Cape Fear (shadow).

Television: The Avengers.

Drama: The Oresteia by Aeschylus; Hamlet and Macbeth by Shakespeare.

Fiction: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper S. Lee.

Religion/Myth: The Furies or Erinyes (avenging spirits of Roman and Greek myth,
respectively); Bastet (Egyptian cat-headed goddess who is the instrument of Ra's
vengeance); Durga (vengeful warrior goddess of the Hindu pantheon); Kali (Hindu
mother goddess and symbol of destruction who annihilates ignorance and maintains
the world order).

Beggar (Homeless person/ Indigent)

Completely without material resources, the Beggar is associated with dependence
on the kindness of others, living on the streets, starvation, and disease,
whether in New York City or Calcutta. It is easy to believe that the archetype
of the Beggar is solely a negative one, but that is an illusion. A person need
hardly be starving for food to be considered a Beggar. People "beg" for
attention, love, authority, and material objects. We "throw a dog a bone" to
give a powerless being a "treat" of power. From a symbolic perspective, the
Beggar archetype represents a test that compels a person to confront
self-empowerment beginning at the base level of physical survival. Learning
about the nature of generosity, compassion, and self-esteem are fundamental to
this archetypal pattern.

Films: Patrick Swazye in City of Hope.

Fiction: Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens; The Prince and the Pauper by Mark
Twain.

Non Fiction: Meeting the Madwoman by Linda Schierse Leonard, Ph.D.

Religion/Myth: Lazarus (the beggar in Luke 16:22-23, who is "carried by the
angels to Abraham's bosom" after his death, while the rich man outside whose
gate he begged went to Hades); Yeta (Japanese beggar who may be a disguise for
Inari, the god of food or goddess of rice); Odysseus (who disguised himself as a
ragged beggar when he returned home from Troy); Lan Cai-he (in Taoist myth, one
of the eight immortals, who dresses in rags and roams the streets as a drunken
beggar).

Bully (Coward)

The archetype of the Bully manifests the core truth that the spirit is always
stronger than the body. Symbolically, our physical bodies can "bully" our
spirits with any number of reasons why we should back down from our challenges,
which appear to overwhelm us by their size and shape. Your relationship to this
archetype should be evaluated within a framework far more expansive than
evaluating whether you "bully" people. Consider whether on your life path you
confront one experience and relationship after another that appears to have more
power than you and ultimately leads you to ask, "Will I stand up to this
challenge?" People are often called to take on bullies for the sake of others,
as David did Goliath, and this is another criterion of your connection to this
archetype.

Conventional wisdom holds that underneath a bully is a coward trying to keep
others from discovering his true identity. Symbolically, the Coward within must
stand up to being bullied by his own inner fears, which is the path to
empowerment through these two archetypes.

Films: Matt Dillon in My Bodyguard; Jack Palance in Shane; Mel Gibson in
Braveheart; James Cagney in The Fighting 69th; Bert Lahr in The Wizard of Oz.;
Jack Nicholson in As Good as It Gets.

Fiction: The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Vincent Benet.

Fairy Tales: Jack and the Beanstalk; Jack the Giant Killer

Child (Orphan, Wounded, Magical/Innocent, Nature, Divine, Puer/Puella Eternis,
or Eternal Boy/Girl)

Everyone has expressions of each one of these aspects of the Child within his
psyche, although one aspect is usually so dominant that it eclipses the energy
of the others. The Wounded Child, for example, can be so needy that it is almost
impossible for the Magical Child to manifest its qualities. At the same time,
because every one of the Child aspects is present in various degrees of strength
in every psyche, similar patterns often overlap, making it hard to distinguish
which one you relate to most intensely. You may find that you relate equally to
the Orphan and the Wounded Child, or to the Puer Eternis and the Nature Child.
When this is the case, choose one and include the specific qualities that you
relate to in the other archetype as you investigate the psyche of this archetype
in your life.

Child: Orphan

The Orphan Child is the major character in most well known children's stories,
including Little Orphan Annie, the Matchstick Girl, Bambi, the Little Mermaid,
Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, Cinderella, and many more. The pattern in these
stories is reflected in the lives of people who feel from birth as if they are
not a part of their family, including the family psyche or tribal spirit. Yet
precisely because orphans are not allowed into the family circle, they have to
develop independence early in life. The absence of family influences, attitudes,
and traditions inspires or compels the Orphan Child to construct an inner
reality based on personal judgment and experience. Orphans who succeed at
finding a path of survival on their own are celebrated in fairy tales and folk
stories as having won a battle with a dark force, which symbolically represents
the fear of surviving alone in this world.

The shadow aspect manifests when orphans never recover from growing up outside
the family circle. Feelings of abandonment and the scar tissue from family
rejection stifle their maturation, often causing them to seek surrogate family
structures in order to experience tribal union. Therapeutic support groups
become shadow tribes or families for an Orphan Child who knows deep down that
healing these wounds requires moving on to adulthood. Identifying with the
Orphan begins by evaluating your childhood memories, paying particular attention
to whether your painful history arises from the feeling that you were never
accepted as a family member.

Films: Margaret O'Brien in The Secret Garden; Victoire Thivisol in Ponette ;
Hayley Mills in Pollyanna.

Fiction: David Copperfield by Charles Dickens; The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L.
Frank Baum.

Drama: The Changeling by Thomas Middleton.

Fairy Tales: Snow White, Cinderella, Bambi, The Little Mermaid.

Religion/Myth: Romulus and Remus (twins of Roman myth who were cast into the
Tiber, miraculously rescued by a she-wolf, and went on to found Rome); Moses;
Havelock the Dane (in medieval romance, the orphan son of Birkabegn, King of
Denmark, cast adrift by treacherous guardians but found and raised by a British
fisherman, and eventually made King of Denmark and part of England).

Child: Wounded

The Wounded Child archetype holds the memories of the abuse, neglect, and other
traumas that we have endured during childhood. This may be the pattern people
relate to the most, particularly since it has become the focus of therapy and
accepted as a major culprit in the analysis of adult suffering. Choosing the
Wounded Child suggests that you credit the painful and abusive experiences of
your childhood with having a substantial influence on your adult life. Many
people blame their Wounded Child, for instance, for all their subsequent
dysfunctional relationships.

The painful experiences of the Wounded Child archetype often awaken a deep sense
of compassion and a desire to find a path of service aimed at helping other
Wounded Children. From a spiritual perspective, a wounded childhood cracks open
the learning path of forgiveness. The shadow aspect may manifest as an abiding
sense of self-pity, a tendency to blame your parents for your current
shortcomings and to resist moving on through forgiveness.

Films: Diana Scarwid in Mommie Dearest; Dean Stockwell in The Secret Garden;
Linda Blair in The Exorcist; Natalie Wood in The Miracle on 34th Street;
Leonardo di Caprio in This Boy's Life; Jon Voight in Midnight Cowboy.

Fiction: Native Son by Richard Wright; Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.

Religion/Myth: The Amazons (warrior women of Greek myth who, as children, had
their right breast removed to facilitate the use of bow and arrow, their chief
weapon)

Child: Magical/Innocent

The Magical Child represents the part of us that is both enchanted and
enchanting to others. It sees the potential for sacred beauty in all things,
exemplified by Tiny Tim in Dickens's A Christmas Carol, and by Anne Frank, who
wrote in her diary that in spite of all the horror surrounding her family while
hiding from Nazis in an attic in Amsterdam, she still believed that humanity was
basically good. Her insights offered at a time when most people were collapsing
under the weight of war and persecution continue to inspire people to seek out
the wondrous side of life, even in a crisis.

One might assume from the name that this archetype refers to only the delightful
qualities of children, but as demonstrated by Anne Frank and Tiny Tim, it also
embodies qualities of wisdom and courage in the face of difficult circumstances.

Baudelaire wrote that "genius is childhood recaptured," and in that sense the
Magical Child is something of a genius too. The Magical Child is gifted with the
power of imagination and the belief that everything is possible. The shadow
energy of the Magical Child manifests as the absence of the possibility of
miracles and of the transformation of evil to good. Attitudes of pessimism and
depression, particularly when exploring dreams, often emerge from an injured
Magical Child whose dreams were "once upon a time" thought foolish by cynical
adults. The shadow may also manifest as a belief that energy and action are not
required, allowing one to retreat into fantasy.

Films: Drew Barrymore in E.T.; Margaret O'Brien in Meet Me in St. Louis; George
du Fresne in Ma Vie en Rose; Shirley Temple in Good Ship Lollipop.

Fiction: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry; Pippi Longstocking by
Astrid Lindgren; Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass
and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll.

Religion/Myth: Merlin (in Arthurian legend, the "child without a father" who was
about to be sacrificed when he saved himself by displaying magic greater than
the King's sorcerers).

Child: Nature

This archetype inspires deep, intimate bonding with natural forces, and has a
particular affinitiy for friendships with animals. Although the Nature Child has
tender, emotional qualities, it can also have an inner toughness and ability to
survive--the resilience of Nature herself. Nature Children can develop advanced
skills of communicating with animals, and in stories reflecting this archetype
an animal often comes to the rescue of its child companion. Many veterinarians
and animal right activists resonate with this archetype because they have felt a
conscious rapport with animals since childhood. Other adults describe being in
communication with nature spirits and learning to work in harmony with them in
maintaining the order of nature.

The shadow aspect of the Nature Child manifests in a tendency to abuse animals
and people and the environment.

A love of animals is not sufficient to qualify for this archetype, however. A
life pattern of relating to animals in an intimate and caring way, to the extent
that your psyche and spirit need these bonds as a crucial part of your own
well-being, is your best clue in this direction.

Films: Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet ; Anna Paquin in Fly Away Home;
Claude Jarman in The Yearling; Kelly Reno in The Black Stallion; Tommy Kirk in
Old Yeller; Jean-Pierre Cargol in The Wild Child.

Television: Rin Tin Tin; Flipper; My Friend Flicka; Lassie

Fiction: Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Song: "Nature Boy."

Religion/Myth: Persephone (in Greek myth, the daughter of Demeter, who was
abducted to Hades and was associated with the agricultural cycles of growth and
harvest); St. Francis of Assisi (Catholic friar said to have communicated with
animals).

Child: Puer/Puella Eternis (Eternal Boy/Girl)

Positive aspects of the archetype manifest as a determination to remain
eternally young in body, mind, and spirit. People who maintain that age will
never stop them from enjoying life are relying on the positive energy of this
archetype to supply that healthy attitude. The shadow Eternal Child often
manifests as an inability to grow up and embrace the responsible life of an
adult. Like Peter Pan, he resists ending a cycle of life in which he is free to
live outside the boundaries of conventional adulthood. The shadow Puella Eternis
can manifest in women as extreme dependency on those who take charge of their
physical security. A consistent inability to be relied on and the inability to
accept the aging process are also markers of this archetype. Although few people
delight in the ending of their youth, the Eternal Child is sometimes left
floundering and ungrounded between the stages of life, because he has not laid a
foundation for a functioning adulthood.

Films: Tom Hanks in Big; Pee Wee Herman in Pee Wee's Big Adventure; Carroll
Baker in Baby Doll; Thomas Hulce in Dominic and Eugene, and as Mozart in
Amadeus.

Fairy Tales: Peter Pan.

Religion/Myth: Cupid (boy god of Roman myth said to have been born from a silver
egg); Harpa-Khruti (Horus the child); Harpocrates (Greek deity of god of silence
and secrecy, represented as a naked boy sucking his finger);

Child, Divine

The Divine Child is closely related to both the Innocent and Magical Child, but
is distinguished from them both by its redemptive mission. The Divine Child also
has a historical resonance all its own. At the beginning of the Piscean Age
2,000 years ago, the archetype of the Divine Family was introduced. That
structure of the Father, Mother, and Divine Child (God the Father, Mary, and
Jesus) was somewhat prefigured in ancient Egyptian mythology by Osiris, Isis,
and their son Horus, but they do not share the warm-hearted union of love and
divinity that the Christian motif developed. The Divine Child is associated with
innocence, purity, and redemption, god-like qualities that suggest that the
Child enjoys a special union with the Divine itself. Few people are inclined to
choose the Divine Child as their dominant Child archetype, however, because they
have difficulty acknowledging that they could live continually in divine
innocence. And yet, divinity is also a reference point of your inner spirit that
you can turn to when you are in a conscious process of choice.

You may also assume that anything divine cannot have a shadow aspect, but that's
not realistic. The shadow of this archetype manifests as an inability to defend
itself against negative forces. Even the mythic gods and most spiritual masters
-- including Jesus, who is the template of the Divine Child for the Christian
tradition -- simultaneously expressed anger and divine strength when confronting
those who claimed to represent heaven while manifesting injustice, arrogance, or
other negative qualities (think of Jesus' wrath at the money-changers in the
Temple). Assess your involvement with this archetype by asking whether you see
life through the eyes of a benevolent, trusting God/Goddess, or whether you tend
to respond initially with fear of being hurt or with a desire to hurt others
first.

Films: Terence Stamp in Billy Budd; character of the young Dalai Lama in Kundun;
character of the young Pu Yi in The Last Emperor; Alex Wiesendanger in Little
Buddha.

Religion/Myth: Horus (in Egyptian myth, divine son of Isis and Osiris);
Siddartha Gautama (according to legend, the future Buddha was born proclaiming
that his cycle of rebirths was about to end); Infant of Prague (statue of Jesus
as a child dressed in royal robes and wearing a crown, originating in
17th-century Czechoslovakia); Demophon (in Greek myth, the son of Metanira,
queen of Eleusis, who was raised as a divine being by Demeter); 18. Balakrisna
(the child form of Krishna in Hindu myth); Suitengu (Japanese child god of the
sea).

Clown (Court Jester, Fool, Dummling)

The Clown archetype is associated with three major characteristics: making
people laugh, making them cry, and wearing a mask that covers one's own real
emotions. The Clown is generally male, with few women playing the role either in
literature or the theater. This may well be explained by the social attitude
that associates weakness and loss of control with a man who expresses emotions.
Therefore, the man has to wear a mask, which often portrays a crying face. The
Clown reflects the emotions of the crowd, making an audience laugh by satirizing
something they can relate to collectively or by acting out social absurdities.
In general, the messages communicated through a Clown's humor are deeply serious
and often critical of the hypocrisy in an individual or in some area of society.
Because of the mask he wears, the Clown is allowed--indeed, expected--to cross
the boundaries of social acceptance, representing what people would like to do
or say themselves.

The Court Jester or Fool is the manifestation of the Clown in a royal setting.
Since no one can possibly take a fool seriously at the physical level, he is
allowed entry into the most powerful of circles. While entertaining the king
with outrageous behavior, the Fool is actually communicating messages that the
king trusts. Political satirists often have dominant Court Jester archetypes,
revealing the motivations of the highest officials in the nation in a manner
that is generally granted freedom from the legal retribution that might be
leveled against an ordinary citizen making the same comments.

Related to the Fool is the Dummling, the fairy tale character who, although
often simple-minded, acts with a good heart and is usually rewarded for it.
Modern film characters such as Forrest Gump and Nurse Betty embody this aspect
of the archetype, which does not so much impart wisdom as foster living with
kindness and simplicity.

The shadow aspect of the Clown or Fool manifests as cruel personal mockery or
betrayal, specifically the breaking of confidences gained through knowledge from
the inner circle.

In reviewing your relationship to this archetype, consider your use of humor in
association with power. Since everyone is prone to jesting, you are looking for
a connection to a pattern of behavior that is fundamental to your personal
protection and survival. In distinguishing Clown from Fool, note that the Fool
is connected to arenas of power, while the Clown does his best work as an
Everyman, like Ralph Kramden on "The Honeymooners." Reflect on whether
"clowning" around is an essential channel for expressing your emotions over and
above simple play. Ask yourself if, like the Fool, you carry truth into closed
circles or closed minds.

Films: Danny Kaye in The Court Jester; Buster Keaton in The Navigator, Sherlock
Jr., The General; Charlie Chaplin in The Circus, The Gold Rush; Giulletta Masina
in La Strada; Barbra Steisand in What's Up, Doc?; Rene Zellweger in Nurse Betty;
Woody Allen in Zelig.

Drama: He Who Gets Slapped by Maxim Gorky.

Opera: I Pagliacci, by Leoncavallo.

Literature: Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes; Gimpel the Fool by Isaac
Bashevis Singer; Holy Fools and Mad Hatters by Edward Hays; The Autobiography of
Henry VIII with notes by his Fool, Will Somers by Margaret George.

Religion/Myth: Mullah Nasruddin, a.k.a. Hoja Nasredin (Sufi figure in Egypt,
Iran, and Turkey, half saint and half fool, who acts like a ninny to teach
wisdom); Sir Dagonet (the fool of King Arthur who was knighted as a joke, but
who also performed bravely in tournaments); Heyoka (in Lakota Sioux lore,
someone who does things backwards to teach people not to take themselves too
seriously); Coyote (in Native American lore.

Companion (Friend, Sidekick, Right Arm, Consort)

The Sidekick's qualities of loyalty, tenacity, and unselfishness are the
positive aspects of this archetype. A Sidekick/Companion provides a service,
symbolically speaking, to a personality that often has a stronger nature or a
role in life that carries more authority. Secretaries and personal assistants
are examples of Right Arms, taking care of the day-to-day details of life. You
might have an inner Companion that takes care of the details and allows another
archetype to focus on work central to your mission. Companions are associated
with providing emotional rather than sexual support. Platonic or friendship
bonds are more in keeping with that particular archetype.

Betrayal is a common example of the shadow side of the Companion, which damages
the soul.

Films: Eve Arden in Mildred Pierce, The Lady Takes a Sailor, The Kid from
Brooklyn; Frank Sinatra and Montgomery Clift in From Here to Eternity; Susan
Sarandon and Geena Davis in Thelma and Louise.

Television: My Friend Flicka; Lassie;

Fiction: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Dr. Watson) by Arthur Conan Doyle.

Drama: Iago in Othello by Shakespeare (shadow).

Religion/Myth: Damon and Pythias (in Christian lore, two young men whose loyalty
to each other won their freedom after Pythias was condemned to death); Enkidu
(companion created by the gods for Gilgamesh, a natural man who proved a perfect
match for the godlike hero king); Eris (Greek goddess of strife and constant
companion of the war god, Ares); Apis (holy bull was worshipped in ancient Egypt
as the companion of the creator god Ptah); Nike (Greek victory goddess and
companion of Athena, goddess of wisdom and war).

Damsel (Princess)

The Damsel in Distress may be the oldest female archetype in all of popular
literature and the movies. She is always beautiful, vulnerable, and in need of
rescue, specifically by a Knight and, once rescued, she is taken care of in
lavish style. When disappointed, a Damsel must go through a process of
empowerment and learn to take care of herself in the world. The shadow side of
this archetype mistakenly teaches old patricarchal views that women are weak and
teaches them to be helpless and in need of protection. It leads a woman to
expect to have someone else who will fight her battles for her while she remains
devoted and physically attractive and concealed in the castle. Many women still
expect to marry a man who will give them a castle and take of them. And some men
are raised to expect to do this (see Prince and Knight).

The Damsel's fear of going it alone is holds the Damsel/Knight relationship
together. It also often shatters the relationship when the Prince or Knight
grows older and expects to have a perennially young, attractive Princess at his
beck and call. The Princess inevitably grows older even if she remains helpless.
Or she becomes more interetsed in the outside world, develops skills and
competiencies and is unable to maintain the same old dynamic of dependency.
Either way, most Damsel/Prince relationships ultimately find that they change or
fail. The Damsel/Princess must ultimately learn to fight her own battles and
evolve into a Queen.

The Princess is more often associated with romance rather than distress. She
awaits a Knight who is worthy of her beauty and rank and will take her not to
his castle but to a palace. The castles that Damsels are taken to have prisons,
cold stone walls, drawbridges, and moats. Palaces are fantastically beautiful
and charmed and are associated with ballrooms and elegance. The common
(archetypal) expression, "Daddy's little Princess" implies an adoring father who
brings up his daughter surrounded by beauty and abundance. There is no "Daddy's
little Damsel in Distress." The Princess and the Damsel, however, both are
taught to be helpless and do share a yearning for a Knight as a partner in life,
the implication being that without a Knight, they are powerless in this world.
The challenge inherent in these archetypal patterns, therefore, is to do for
yourself what you expect the Knight to do for you--provide and protect yourself.

The Princess archetype is also influenced by our colloquial use of the term and
especially its heavy freight of antifeminist connotations of a woman who is
overly demanding, as in "Jewish-American Princess" or in the story of the
Princess and the Pea. Even when used positively, the word can imply an unreal,
bland, or cosseted character, like the teenage daughter nicknamed Princess on
the TV series Father Knows Best. But a genuine Princess looks out not for her
own comfort and whimsy but for the welfare of those around her. In Asian, tales
abound of clever and resourceful Princesses, of conflicts between schools of
martial arts for instance in which a Prince and Princess battle it out, as
depicted in the Ang Lee film Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. And Scheherezade
bravely married the sultan who had decided to kill all his new wives at
daybreak, and beguiled him with tales for a thousand and one nights until he
rescinded his decree, thus saving all the women.

In reviewing your relationship to this archetype, return to your fantasies as a
young girl and note what your expectations were in looking for a mate. Most
significantly, were you (or are you) consciously or unconsciously awaiting the
arrival of your Knight in Shining "Amour"? Did you think or behave like a
Damsel? Were you hoping to be rescued? And if you are now coping with the
consequences of a broken relationship, can you trace the reasons for the failed
partnership back to being disappointed that your expectations as Damsel were not
met?

Films: Pearl White in the Perils of Pauline silent films; Fay Wray in King Kong;
Betty Hutton in The Perils of Pauline; Jean Simmons in Young Bess; Robin Wright
in The Princess Bride; Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in the Star Wars Trilogy;
Ingrid Bergman in Anastasia; Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love; Kate
Winslet in Titanic; Jeff Daniels in Something Wild.

Fiction: Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell; Emma by Jane Austin.

Fairy Tales: Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Cinderella.

Religion/Myth: Ko-no-Hana (in Shinto belief, the Japanese Blossom Princess, who
symbolizes the delicate aspects of earthly life); Io (in Greek myth, a princess
and the daughter of a river god, who suffered continually as the object of
Zeus's lust); Princess Aigiarm (strong, valiant daughter of Mongolian King Kaidu
who offered herself in marriage to any suitor who could wrestle her down but
who, if he lost, had to give her a horse. She never married, and won 10,000
horses).

Destroyer (Attila, Mad Scientist, Serial Killer, Spoiler)

Destruction and Reconstruction is another way of describing the Death and
Rebirth cycle of life. Systems and structures must be dismantled so that new
life can be born. Myths and legends about gods and goddesses bringing
destruction to the earth are common to all traditions. Yahweh destroyed the
world through the great Flood and rained fire and brimstone on Sodom and
Gommorah. In the Hindu tradition, the goddess Kali, generally pictured wearing a
belt made of dismembered arms and a necklace of human skulls, represents the
positive power of destruction, annihilating ignorance and maintaining the world
order. The god Shiva, Kali's male counterpart, destroys in order to create.

The impulse to destroy and rebuild is archetypal. We are bound to that cycle and
therein lies the learning. Destruction also refers to releasing that which is
destroying us, and, so, many therapists and other healers serve the role of the
Destroyer by assisting others to release destructive emotions or behavior. The
power of positive destruction is enormously healing and liberating.

In its shadow manifestation, destruction becomes an end in itself, and one
becomes intoxicated with one's own destructive power and addicted to it. The
Destroyer generates death, madness, and abuse and targets individuals and
groups. It can manifest as a nation that destroys other nations or people who
destroy the environment. To count this shadow archetype as part of your support
group, you will be able to recognize a pattern within your psyche that destroys
relationships or promotes attitudes and opinions that destroy others' dreams or
potential.

Films: Jack Palance in The Sign of the Pagan; William Holden in The Wild Bunch;
Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs; Ralph Fiennes in Schindler's List;
Richard Baseheart in Hitler.

Religion/Myth: Angra Mainyu or Ahriman (in Zoroastrianism, the eternal destroyer
of good, personification of evil, conveyor of death and disease); Kalki (in
Hindu belief, the final incarnation of Vishnu, who will descend from the sky on
a white horse to destroy the wicked, renew the world, and restore
righteousness); the Furies or Erynies (avenging deities of Greek myth who
pursued and persecuted anyone who killed a parent, brother, or fellow clansman,
by driving the murderer mad); the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (allegorical
figures in the New Testament Book of Revelation, or Apocalypse, who symbolize
war, pestilence, famine, and death).

Detective (Spy, Double Agent, Sleuth, Snoop, Sherlock Holmes, Private
Investigator, Profiler--see also Warrior/Crime Fighter)

Positive characteristics of the Detective include the ability to seek out
knowledge and information that supports solving crimes and protecting the
public. Detectives combine great powers of observation with highly evolved
intuition to deduce the solutions to crimes. Whereas the Detective is public and
often highly respected--especially its modern counterpart, the police
Profiler--the empowered Spy is associated far more with the surreptitious and
often illegal acquisition of secret information regarding politics, business, or
national security. Our attitude toward spies often depends on whose side they're
on. Many Americans see Gary Powers as a heroic figure, while Double Agents such
as Robert P. Hansson or British intelligence officer and Soviet spy Kim Philby
are considered traitors.

The shadow side of these archetypes can manifest as voyeurism, falsifying
information, or selling out to the highest bidder. Parents who "spy" on their
children with good intentions, such as uncovering their involvement with sex or
drugs, are nonetheless flirting with the shadow Detective.

Films: Humphrey Bogart in The Maltese Falcon and The Big Sleep; Richard Burton
in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold; Kelly McGillis and Jeff Daniels in The
House on Carroll Street; Kathleen Turner in V. I. Warshawski; Laurence Olivier
in Sleuth; any James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, or Charlie Chan film.

Fiction: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; Dashiel Hammett, Agatha Christie, Rex Stout,
Tom Clancy, John LeCarré.

Television: I Spy; Magnum, P.I.

Religion/Myth: Sinon (in Greek lore, a spy who gained the trust of the Trojans
by pretending to have deserted the Greeks, then convinced them to take in the
wooden horse that led to their downfall).

Dilettante (Amateur)

From a Latin root meaning "to delight in," the Dilettante is a lover of the fine
arts who never rises above the level of an amateur, and to whom the phrase "jack
of all trades, master of none" applies. Although the word has the negative
connotation of a dabbler who seeks only a cursory knowledge or experience, it
never completely loses the sense of delighting in the arts. The Amateur, from
the Latin root for "love," has many of the same qualities of the Dilettante
applied to the realm of sports or applied arts such as cooking and gardening. In
many cases it's better to be an inspired amateur than a grind-it-out
professional. Like the survival archetypes, the Dilettante or Amateur can alert
you when you are in danger of becoming merely superficial in your pursuits, or
losing the love that drew you to your avocation in the first place.

The shadow Dilettante manifests as a pretension to much deeper knowledge than
you actually possess.

Films: Catherine Frot in La Dilettante; Carol Channing in Thoroughly Modern
Millie; Liza Minnelli in Cabaret; Spring Byington in You Can't Take It with You;
Hermione Gingold in The Music Man; John Savage in The Amateur; Henry Fonda in
The Lady Eve (Amateur).

Fiction: Dodsworth by Sinclair Lewis; "The Dilettante" by Edith Wharton.

Don Juan (Casanova, Gigolo, Seducer, Sex Addict)

Sexual energy provides great power when properly channeled. Like the Femme
Fatale, the Don Juan archetype can make us aware of falling into sex role
cliches, misusing the power of romantic attraction and pursuit. Although
associated with sensuality and sophistication, this archetype represents a man
preying on women for the sake of conquest alone. Sex addiction is not about sex
but about the need to gain control of someone. Don Juan radiates an attitude
that all women need him far more than he needs them, and that he is invulnerable
to their charms.

The positive aspect of this archetype is its underlying vulnerability and its
power to open wide a heart that is capable of deep love. As many stories
portray, once the gigolo meets his match, he has also found his mate. But his
match, in keeping with the profile of this pattern, must have emotional
independence and the self-esteem to be immune to his manipulative skills.

Films: Warren Beatty in Shampoo; Richard Gere in American Gigolo; Donald
Sutherland in Casanova; Michael Caine in Alfie; Johnny Depp in Don Juan di
Marco; Jude Law in A.I.

Fiction: Quiet Days in Clichy by Henry Miller.

Religion/Myth: Satyr (in Greek myth, a creature with a goat's tail, flanks,
hooves, and horns, but otherwise human upper body, who drinks, dances, and
chases nymphs. The Italian version is the faun, and in Slavonic culture, the
Ljeschi); Priapus (Greek and Roman deity of gardens attributed with enormous
genitals); Aka Manah (in Zoroastrianism, the personification of sensual desire).

Engineer (Architect, Builder, Schemer)

The Engineer is eminently practical, hands-on, and devoted to making things
work. The characteristics of the Engineer reflect the grounded, orderly,
strategic qualities of mind that convert creative energy into a practical
expression. This archetype also manifests as a talent for engineering everyday
situations or designing solutions to common dilemmas. The shadow Engineer
manifests as a master manipulator, designing and engineering situations to one's
own advantage regardless of the needs or desires of others.

Films: Alec Guinness in The Bridge on the River Kwai; Gary Cooper in The
Fountainhead; Jeff Bridges in Tucker.

Drama: The Master Builder by Henrik Ibsen

Religion/Myth: Elen (in Welsh myth, the world's first highway engineer, who
protected her land by magically creating highways so that her soldiers could
defend it); Amenhotep (ancient Egyptian architect who later was venerated as the
god of building); Daedalus (renowned Cretan architect who constructed the
Labyrinth of the Minotaur and fashioned artificial wings for himself and his
son, Icarus).

Exorcist (Shaman)

The ability to confront evil in the form of possession by destructive or
antisocial impulses in oneself and others is as valuable today as it was in the
time of Jesus, the master Exorcist. Just as modern biblical scholars suggest
that the demons that Jesus cast out may have been forms of psychological
illness, so we can see our own inner demons as arising from forces that we feel
are beyond our control. Shamans, for example, conduct rituals for the release of
negative spirits from a person's soul. To include this among your family of
archetypes, however, you would have to find a life-long pattern or exorcising
the negative spirits of others or of social groups or society.

The shadow Exorcist attacks the evil in others without having the courage to
face his own demons.

Films: Jason Miller in The Exorcist; Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense.

Religion/Myth: Shoki (Shinto god of the afterlife and exorcism); Zhong kui
(Taoist god of the afterlife and exorcism).

Father (Patriarch, Progenitor)

This archetype combines a talent for creating or initiating with the ability to
oversee others, whether a biological family or a group of creative people.
Although the Father has taken on negative connotations associated historically
with paternalism and male dominance, we shouldn't lose sight of its primary
characteristics of courage--think of Abraham leaving the home of his ancestors
to father a new race in a strange land--and protectiveness. A true Father guides
and shields those under his care, sacrificing his own desires when that's
appropriate. The shadow Father emerges when that caring guidance and protection
turns into dictatorial control or abuse of authority.

Being a biological father and family man clearly isn't enough to include this
archetype in your intimate circle. You will need to uncover a life-long
attachment to the role of family patriarch, however you conceive of that family.

Films: William Powell in Life with Father; Spencer Tracy in Father of the Bride;
Dustin Hoffman in Kramer vs. Kramer; Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird;
Lamberto Maggiorani in The Bicycle Thief; Raymond Massey in East of Eden
(shadow).

Television: Robert Young in Father Knows Best; Fred MacMurray in My Three Sons.

Fiction: All the Way Home by James Agee.

Religion/Myth: Most ancient cultures had at least one Father god, usually
associated with the sky, who also functioned as creator and patriarch, including
Uranus and Zeus (Greece); Jupiter (Rome); Indra and Brahma (India); the "Jade
Emperor" (China); Izanagi (Japan); Re and Ptah (Egypt); Olorun and Obatala
(Africa/Yoruba).

Femme Fatale (Black Widow, Flirt, Siren, Circe, Seductress, Enchantress)

The female counterpart of Don Juan sometimes adds the twist of killing her
conquests as an expression of her ability to dominate, thereby reversing the
conventional sexual stereotypes. As with Don Juan, the Femme Fatale represents
highly refined skills at manipulating men without investing personal emotion.
The Femme Fatale is a sexual and a financial archetype, and either comes from or
is drawn to money and power. Seducing men with money and power and for the sake
of personal control and survival is a classic part of this archetype, although
the Femme Fatale is not looking for a home in the suburbs and the pleasures of
family life.

As with the Don Juan archetype, the positive aspect of this pattern is the
opening of the heart, which often occurs when the male object rejects the
manipulations and dependency of the Femme Fatale, as Rhett Butler rejects
Scarlett O'Hara at the end of Gone with the Wind.

Films: Barbara Stanwyck in Double Indemnity; Linda Fiorentino in The Last
Seduction; Theresa Russell in Black Widow; Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes; Kathleen Turner in Body Heat; Elizabeth Taylor in
Cleopatra.

Fiction: The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain.

Religion/Myth: Circe (in Greek myth, a sorceress/seductress who could turn men
into animals with her magic wand); Potiphar's wife (in the Hebrew Bible, when
her attempt to seduce Joseph failed, she had him thrown into captivity. Her name
is Zeleikha in Islamic tradition); Tapairu (Polynesian nymphs who inhabit the
waters that lead to the underworld. The goddess of death employs them to seduce
men away from the earth); Lorelei (in Teutonic myth, a beautiful maiden who
drowned herself after being spurned by her lover, and was then transformed into
a siren whose hypnotic music lured sailors to their death).

Gambler

The Gambler is a risk-taker who plays the odds. This archetype has far more
aspects than are commonly considered, including not just card sharps and
racetrack gamblers, but also drug addicts, entrepreneurs, and day traders. The
Gambler is also active in the psyche of people who take risks in politics and
other social activities that amount to gambling with one's reputation. From an
energetic perspective, gambling is an attempt to outrun the speed at which
ordinary change happens. Acquiring great wealth in a casino in one throw of the
dice or by winning the lottery is a spectacular experience not only because of
the money but because of the experience of the compression of time. The drama of
trying to outrun the odds is the psychic lock on the Gambler within a person's
psyche.

The positive aspect of this archetype manifests in following hunches, and in the
belief in one's intuition, even in the face of universal doubt. From real estate
ventures to scientific research, hunches have often yielded successful fruitful
outcomes. To assess whether you are a Gambler, review your ability to follow
your intuition and what others might consider risky inner guidance. Ask yourself
how many of your decisions are based on gut instinct rather than facts and
figures.

You can evaluate your relationship to the shadow Gambler according to whether
you have a compulsion. Some people who are obsessed with winning lotteries and
striking it rich at casino tables--or in get-rich-quick and pyramid schemes--may
spend relatively little money compared to professional gamblers, but their focus
on finding ways to beat the odds is a central part of their life. A related form
of gambling may affect the way you are focused on looking for lucky breaks in
your relationships, rather than doing the hard psychic work needed to make them
succeed.

Films: Steve McQueen in The Cincinnati Kid (shadow); Paul Newman, Jackie
Gleason, and George C. Scott (shadow) in The Hustler; Woody Harrelson and Wesley
Snipes in White Men Can't Jump; Edith Evans in The Queen of Spades; Clive Owen
in Croupier; Roger Duchesne in Bob le Flambeur (Bob the Gambler).

Fiction: The Gambler by Dostoevsky

Religion/Myth: Jason, Odysseus (heroic figures of Greek legend who fearlessly
gambled against the odds, risking life and limb to achieve their goals);
Cunawabi (American Indian--Paiute--figure known as a gambler who takes many
risky adventures and who also brings night and illness)

God (Adonis, see also Hero)

Whether a great worldly power or a great physical specimen, the God archetype
represents the ultimate in male dominance. On the positive side, a God can be
benevolent and compassionate, willing to use his powers to help others out of
love for humanity. The shadow God easily becomes a dictator or despot,
oppressing others with those same powers, or using his physical attractiveness
to get what he wants without ever returning the affection he elicits. To claim
this archetype among your support circle of twelve, you need to have a life-long
sense of great power, used either selfishly or selflessly.

You may feel a powerful connection to a particular deity, so here are a few from
the Roman/Greek:

Jupiter/Zeus: father god, head of the pantheon

Bacchus/Dionysus: wine and revelry

Mars/Ares: war

Neptune/Poseidon: the sea

Pluto/Hades: death and the underworld

Films:

Religion/Myth: Like the archetype in human manifestation, mythic and religious
Gods run the gamut from omniscient, benevolent deity to arbitrary destroyer. In
addition to those listed above are Yahweh (Hebrew); Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Indra
(Hindu); Allah (Muslim); Ra, Osiris, Ptah (Egyptian); Baal (Canaanite); Marduk,
Ishtar (Babylonian); Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca (Aztec); Enlil, Dumuzi
(Sumerian); Osun, Olokun (Yoruba); Wakan Tanka (Native American).

Goddess (see also Heroine)

The oldest religious tradition on earth may well be Goddess worship, which some
archaeologists trace back further than 30,000 years. It was certainly natural to
worship the archetype of woman as the Source of all life, especially in the age
before male warriors replaced Her with their combative sky gods. The connection
of fertility with exaggerated sexual attributes found in ancient statues of the
Goddess survive in modern worship of screen goddesses such as Marilyn Monroe and
Jayne Mansfield. The Goddess can be inspiring to women, embodying wisdom,
guidance, physical grace, athletic prowess, and sensuality. This aspect is
awakened by our relation to the goddesses of various spiritual traditions,
including Kali, Durga, and Uma in India, Tara in Tibet, Quanyin in China, and
the many manifestations of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in Western belief, such as
Our Lady of Guadalupe or the Black Madonna of Czestajowa.

The shadow side of the Goddess emerges from the exploration of the feminine
power, including the exploitation or over-indulgence of movie stars and fashion
models.

Identifying with a goddess figure as a major archetype in your chart requires
that you review life-long associations with the image and personality associated
with it. Athena is the able-bodied warrior woman as well as the classic
"powerful woman behind the throne." Today we see this power re-emerging in
popular form in neo-mythic characters such as Xena the Warrior Princess and
Buffy the Vampire Slayer--attractive women who are also strong and capable. The
energy of Venus (Aphrodite) is prevalent in women who form their self-image
strongly around their sexuality. Study the specific qualities of each goddess
and evaluate how much of your sense of self is reflected in one of those
patterns, beginning with a few of the most familiar names from the Roman/Greek
pantheon:

Venus/Aphrodite: love and fertility

Diana/Artemis: nature and hunting

Minerva/Athena: strength, clear thinking

Ceres/Demeter: motherhood

Juno/Hera: queenship and partnership

Proserpina/Persephone: mysticism and mediumship

Sophia: wisdom

Films: Kim Stanley in The Goddess; Ava Gardner in One Touch of Venus; Marilyn
Monroe in The Seven Year Itch; Mira Sorvino in Mighty Aphrodite.

Fiction: She by H. Rider Haggard

Religion/Myth: Every culture in the world has mythological stories portraying
the power of the Goddess. Besides those mentioned above, you can choose from
Tara and Quanyin (Tibetan and Chinese bodhisattvas of compassion); Amaterasu
Omigami (Shinto Sun goddess); Shakti (Hindu personification of energy as Divine
Mother); Branwen (Celtic goddess of love and beauty); Oshun (East African Yoruba
goddess of pleasure, love, and beauty); Pan Jin Lian (Chinese goddess of
prostitution); Frigg (Norse goddess of marriage, motherhood, childbirth, and
midwifery); Turan (Etruscan goddess of love, health, and fertility).

Gossip (see also Networker)

The Gossip archetype is associated with rumor-spreading, backbiting, and passing
along information that is exaggerated, harmful, and intended to disempower. On a
professional level, the shadow Gossip manifests as publishing misleading
information, creating damaging rumors, or hounding celebrities for their photos.
Although everyone is prone to listening to and spreading gossip in some way, a
Gossip archetype thrives on the power that is generated by passing around
information that is secret or private. Most people would hesitate to choose this
archetype because of its negative implications, yet many others make their
living in the business of political, social, and entertainment gossip in a
positive way. The archetype is connected to lessons of truth, integrity, and
honoring the trust another has placed in you.

In assessing your connection to the Gossip, review how many of your life lessons
have emerged from participating in gossip that has harmed another, and then
coping with the consequences. Do you measure the quality of a relationship by
whether a person is willing to share secrets with you?

Films: Rosalind Russell in The Women; Richard Hayden in Sitting Pretty; Burt
Lancaster in The Sweet Smell of Success; John Malkovich and Glenn Close in
Dangerous Liaisons;

Religion/Myth: Ratatosk (in Norse myth, a squirrel whose name means "swift
teeth," lives in the World Tree called Yggdrasil and is a notorious gossip).

Guide (Guru, Sage, Crone, Wise Woman, Spiritual Master, Evangelist, Preacher)

The Guide takes the role of Teacher to a spiritual level, teaching not only the
beliefs and practices that make up established religions, but also the
overarching principle of seeing the Divine in every aspect of life. Clearly you
do not have to be a professional Preacher or Guru to have this archetype, as we
can all learn to lead others spiritually through developing our own intuitive
spiritual awareness and passing on whatever we have learned with genuine
humility. To count this archetype as part of your support group, however, you
will need to discern in your life a continuing pattern of devoting yourself to
teaching others from your own spiritual insights. This presupposes that you have
gained wisdom through some combination of self-disciplined practice and study
and perhaps spontaneous spiritual experiences. Wisdom also comes with age, and
so the Crone or Wise Woman represents the ripening of natural insight and the
acceptance of what is, allowing one to pass that wisdom on to others.

The shadow aspect of the Guide is visible in many modern televangelists and
gurus of various traditions who are more interested in financial gain and
controlling their followers than in imparting genuine spiritual insight.

Films: Meetings with Remarkable Men; Robert Duval in The Apostle.

Religion/Myth: Marpa (Buddhist master and guru of Milarepa who guided him
through arduous tasks to become the greatest yogi of Tibet);

Healer (Wounded Healer, Intuitive Healer, Caregiver, Nurse, Therapist, Analyst,
Counselor)

The Healer archetype manifests as a passion to serve others in the form of
repairing the body, mind, and spirit. It expresses itself through channels other
than those classically associated with the healing of illnesses, and so you need
to look beyond the obvious definition of what you "do." You can be strongly
guided by this archetype in any occupation or role in life. Some people, by
their very nature and personality, are able to inspire others to release their
painful histories or make changes in their lives that redirect the course of
their future. Essential characteristics include an inherent strength and the
ability to assist people in transforming their pain into a healing process, as
well as having the "wiring" required to channel the energy needed to generate
physical or emotional changes.

Religion/Myth: Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa (Jewish healer considered to have been in
the same class as Jesus); Ninkarrak (Babylonian/Sumerian goddess who nursed sick
humans); Bear Medicine Woman (American Indian healing spirit); Mukuru (creator
god of the Herero bushmen of Namibia, who sends life-giving rain, heals the
sick, and cares for the elderly).

Wounded Healer

The Wounded Healer is initiated into the art of healing through some form of
personal hardship--anything from an actual physical injury or illness to the
loss of all one's earthly possessions. Regardless of the shape of the wound, the
challenge inherent in this initiation process is that one is unable to turn to
others for help beyond a certain degree of support. Only the initiate can
ultimately heal the wound; if it is an illness or accident, it will frequently
be one for which there is no conventional cure. The Wounded Healer archetype
emerges in your psyche with the demand that you push yourself to a level of
inner effort that becomes more a process of transformation than an attempt to
heal an illness. If you have successfully completed the initiation, you
inevitably experience an exceptional healing, and a path of service seems to be
divinely provided shortly after the initiation is complete.

The shadow of both the Healer and Wounded Healer manifests through a desire to
take advantage of those who need help, including claims that you can heal any
and every illness a person has.

Films: Ellen Burstyn in Resurrection; Louise Fletcher in One Flew Over the
Cuckoo's Nest (shadow); Rosalind Russell in Sister Kenny; Barbara Stanwyck in
Miracle Woman (based on Aimee Semple McPherson).

Fiction: The Citadel by A. J. Cronin; Elmer Gantry by Sinclair Lewis (shadow).

Religion/Myth: Asklepios (Greek hero who later become a plague god, then the god
of medicine and healing); Aesculapius (Roman god of healing based on the Greek
Asklepios); Garuda (great golden bird with an eagle's beak and wings and human
body, the Indian symbol of medicine); Meditrina ("Healer," a Roman goddess of
wine and health who was later syncretized into the cult of Aesculapius);
Eeyeekalduk (Inuit god of healing); the Medicine Buddhas (most prominently,
Bhaishajyaguru in Tibet and Yakushi-Nyorai in Japan, who symbolize the healing
and transformative quality of buddhahood).

Hedonist (Bon Vivant, Chef, Gourmet, Gourmand, Sybarite--see also Mystic)

This Archetype has an "appetite" for the pleasurable aspects of life, from good
food and wine to sexuality and sensuality. As scientific reserach has shown,
pleasure can improve our health and extend our lives and needs to be part of a
balanced life. Indulging the self is central to the psyche of this archetype,
whether treating oneself to a health spa or learning the nuances of lovemaking.
That the Hedonist is generally thought of as someone who pursues extremes of
self-indulgence is more a reflection of our Puritan heritage than of the
archetype itself. In positive terms, it inspires creative energy in the psyche
to embrace the "good" things in life. It also challenges in a positive way the
collective archetypal fear of being seduced and losing control in the physical
world. The shadow Hedonist may manifest as pursuing pleasure without regard for
other people or one's own good health.

The search for physical ecstasy parallels the search for spiritual
transformation, a truth that is apparent in the dual identity of the famous
Greek icon of pleasure-seeking, Dionysus. Besides being a god of wine and
fertility (later adoped by the Romans as Bacchus), Dionysus also represents the
goal of mystery religions, like those practiced at Eleusis: ecstatic delivery
from the mundane world through the physical or spiritual intoxication induced by
secret rites. (See Mystic.) The sacrament of Soma (also a god of the Vedic
pantheon) played a similar role in ancient Indian spirituality.

Films: Babbette's Feast; Like Water for Chocolate; Big Night.

Fiction: Tom Jones by Henry Fielding; The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan
Kundera; Les Liaisons Dangereuses by P. Choderlos DeLaclos.

Religion/Myth: Oshun (Yoruba goddess of love and pleasure who is generous and
benign); Bebhionn (Irish patron goddess of pleasure); Qadesh (Western Semitic
fertility goddess and epitome of female sexuality and eroticism); Bes (Egyptian
dwarf god originally associated with royalty and childbirth who became popular
among the masses as a god of human pleasures of mirth, music, and dance).

Hero/Heroine (see also Knight, Warrior)

Many of the gods of the world's ancient religions began their lives as heroes
capable of great feats of strength or skill. The Hero is also a classic figure
in ancient Greek and Roman literature, often portrayed as one who must confront
an increasingly difficult path of obstacles in order to birth his manhood. Today
this archetype holds a dominant position in the social mind as an icon of both
male and female power, from the Superheroes of comic books, such as Superman and
Wonder Woman, to television and countless movies and popular novels. In the
classic Hero's Journey, defined by Joseph Campbell and others, an individual
goes on a journey of initiation to awaken an inner knowing or spiritual power.
The Self emerges as the Hero faces physical and internal obstacles, confronting
the survival fears that would compromise his journey of empowerment and
conquering the forces arrayed against him. The Hero then returns to the tribe
with something of great value to all.

From a shadow perspective, the Hero can become empowered through the
disempowerment of others. The manner in which the Hero uses his physical power
is a reflection of the spirit of the Hero, represented through authentic acts of
heroism.

Films: Sigourney Weaver in Alien; Dustin Hoffman in Hero; Anthony Hopkins in
Zorro; Jeff Bridges in The Last American Hero; Kevin Costner in Postman and
Waterworld; Debbie Reynolds in The Unsinkable Molly Brown; Seema Biswas (as
Phoolan Devi) in Bandit Queen.

Religion/Myth: Ulysses (hero of The Odyssey whose most renowned trait was his
supreme resourcefulness, the ability to find a way out of the most dangerous
situation); Arjuna (in the Bhagavad Gita, his questioning of his Hero/Warrior
role leads the god Krishna to instruct him in divine wisdom); Hidesato (in
Japanese legend, a killer of many monsters, including the feared Centipede);
Saynday (a hero-trickster of the Native American Kiowa tribe); Paul Bunyan
(legendary hero of the lumber camps of the American Northwest, whose feats
included creating the Grand Canyon by dragging his axe behind him); Theseus
(Athenian hero who slew the Marathonian Bull and the Minotaur); Bernardo del
Caprio (semi-mythical ninth-century Spanish credited with defeating Roland at
Roncesvalles).

Judge (Critic, Examiner, Mediator, Arbitrator)

The template for the Judge archetype in Jewish-Christian culture largely derives
from King Solomon, who was notable for balancing justice and compassion. So
thoroughly do we maintain this ancient template that Solomon's characteristic
balancing is now the standard by which we measure all judges. Those who
manipulate or disgrace justice or violate this creed are held to be social and
moral criminals, having damaged the honor of the courtroom and the nation, and
the archetype itself. For that reason, this archetype should be understood as
one that has the vision to manage the fair distribution of power in whatever
form it takes, from violating military codes to breaking marriage vows.

One need not be an attorney, judge, or critic by profession to identify with
this archetype. If you are a natural mediator or involved in interventions
between people, you may carry this archetype in your psyche. Personal qualities
that inspire in you a commitment to lead a life with high standards related to
justice and wisdom as well as the manner in which you interact with other people
are very reflective of a strong connection to this archetype. Prolonged
suffering from having been misjudged--an experience that walks hand-in-hand with
learning forgiveness--should also be considered an expression of this archetype
in your life. But as with all other archetypal evaluations, you are not looking
for one experience of having been misjudged or misjudging another, but rather a
life-long learning process that is centered around the learning of justice and
compassion.

The shadow Judge manifests as consistently destructive criticism, judging
without compassion or with a hidden agenda. Legal manipulation, misuse of legal
authority, and threatening others through an association with the law are other
expressions of the shadow. Such manipulation includes the misuse of business
authority as well as conventional legal and criminal authority.

Films: Spencer Tracy in Judgment at Nuremberg; Louis Calhern as Oliver Wendell
Holmes in The Magnificent Yankee; John Forsythe in And Justice for All (shadow);
Dominic Guard in The Go-Between

Fiction: Billy Budd, Foretopman (Capt. Starry Vere) by Herman Melville; The
Ambassadors by Henry James.

Religion/Myth: Skan (creator god of the Dakota Sioux who judges both gods and
the souls of humans); Yama (Hindu and Buddhist god of death, judge of the dead,
and ruler of death's kingdom or the hell realms); Pluto/Hades (Roman/Greek god
of the underworld and judge of the dead); Thoth (primarily the Egyptian patron
deity of scribes, also known as a mediator among the gods); San-guan ("Three
Rulers," collective name for three Taoist deities who keep a register of the
good and evil deeds of people).

King (Emperor, Ruler, Leader, Chief)

The King is an archetype of major proportions, representing the height of
temporal male power and authority. Both benevolence and cruelty in their extreme
expressions are associated with this archetype. (Classic to the cruel King is
the collective hope of his kingdom that he should fall from his throne.) The
King is associated more with the royal blood and inheritance, whereas an Emperor
can arise from common society, as did Napoleon. The bloodline connects the King
to the Prince archetype and to attitudes of "entitlement," one of the shadow
characteristics of archetypes associated with rulership. A resistance to
criticism, questioning, and challenges in decisions about controlling his
kingdom. is also part of the King's shadow.

Throughout history, the pendulum has swung from good Kings to evil, from
benevolent, even saintly rulers to greedy, gluttonous criminals. King Louis IX
of France--St. Louis--combined the qualities of a just ruler, fearless warrior,
and holy man. The thirteenth-century sovereign lived for the welfare of his
subjects and the glory of God. Charlemagne, King David, and Akhenaton of Egypt
were among earth's most enlightened, if occasionally all-too-human, rulers. And
then there were Mad King George III of England, who led the Colonies to rebel;
King Louis XVI of France was synonymous with decadence and excess; Emperor
Hirohito of Japan led his country into a devastating war.

This archetype maintains the same characteristics on an individual level,
whether one's kingdom is a corporation, community, or family. The need to rule
and exert control over a kingdom is key to this archetype.

Films: Charles Laughton in The Private Life of King Henry VIII; Yul Brynner in
The King and I; Richard Gere in King David; Paul Scofield in King Lear (1971);
Christopher Walken in The King of New York (shadow extraordinaire).

Drama: Richard III, Henry IV, Henry V, Hamlet, and Macbeth by Shakespeare.

Fiction: King of the Gypsies by Peter Maas; The Godfather by Mario Puzo
(shadow); The Once and Future King by T.H.White.

Religion/Myth: Priam (king of Troy); Daibutsu/Daibosatsu (Japanese meditating
buddha as world ruler); Sila or Silap inua (divine ruler of the Eskimo seen as
the air you breathe and the energy that moves both the entire universe each of
us individually); Amun (supreme Egyptian creator god, originally ruler of the
air and the force behind wind and breezes); Chief Seattle (Native American
leader); Haile Selassie (Emperor of Ethiopia, later deified by the Rastafarian
religion).

Knight (see also Warrior, Rescuer)

The Knight archetype is primarily associated with chivalry, courtly romance,
protection of the Princess, and going to battle only for honorable causes. The
Knight serves his King or Lord and so this archetype has spiritual overtones as
well of service and devotion. Loyalty and self-sacrifice are the Knight's great
virtues, along with a natural ability to get things done.

The Black Knight donning dark armor and riding a black horse represents the
shadow characteristics of this archetype, especially the absence of honor and
chivalry. Somewhat like the Warrior, the shadow Knight manifests as loyalty to a
questionable ruler or principle. In its negative aspect, the Knight can also,
like the Rescuer, fall into a pattern of saving others but ignoring his own
needs. A true Knight, like the Mystic, walks the fine line between
self-sacrifice and self-neglect.

Films: Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade; Tom Hanks in Apollo
13; Christopher Reeve in Superman; Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves, Tin Cup,
and JFK.

Drama: Man of LaMancha by Dale Wasserman

Fairy Tales: Prince Valiant

Religion/Myth: Knights of the Round Table (in medieval English lore, a
semi-mythic group of 150 knights including Lancelot, Gawain, Kay, Mordred,
Galahad, and others who served under King Arthur); Sir Percival/Parzifal (Knight
of the Round Table who got to see the Holy Grail); Fabian (a good knight turned
into a forest spirit by his ex-lover, a sorceress, and now dwells in the hills
near Prague); Damas (shadow Knight who trapped other knights so that his brother
could fight them).

Liberator

We tend to think of Liberators as great military and political leaders who free
an entire country or people from servitude, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham
Lincoln, SimCn Bol_var of Venezuela, Nelson Mandela, and, depending on your
politics, Lenin, Castro, and Che Guevara. But in everyday life, any number of
people can play a similar role on a smaller scale, helping to liberate us from
the tyranny of self-inflicted negative thought patterns and beliefs, spiritual
sluggishness, poor nutrition, destructive relationships, or addictive behavior.
This archetype can be an invaluable ally in helping to free us from old,
entrenched beliefs and attitudes that have been inculcated from without, much
like colonial occupying armies. Jesus, Muhammad, and the Buddha were Liberators
in this sense, offering options to the violence, suffering, and spiritual
stagnation of their respective times and places. You do not have to be a
charismatic leader to have this archetype, however. Thousands of people have
taken part in long campaigns to win freedom from various kinds of oppression,
from the Freedom Riders of the Civil Rights movement in this country to the
Freedom Fighters of the Hungarian Revolution.

The shadow Liberator manifests in those who would liberate us from one tyrant
only to impose their own tyranny over our lives--corporate, political,
religious, and spiritual leaders who speak of freedom as a way to their
individual aggrandizement.

In evaluating whether this archetype belongs in your circle of twelve, ask
whether you have shown a life-long pattern of helping to free others from
injustices, from adverse economic or social conditions, or simply from their
misconceptions.

Films: Anthony Quinn in Zorba the Greek; Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame; Ingrid
Bergman in Joan of Arc; Tom Selleck in In and Out.

Fiction: Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse.

Fairy Tales: Belling the Cat

Religion/Myth: Dionysus and Eros (both bore other names meaning "the
liberator").

Lover

This archetype appears not only in those who are romantically inclined, but also
in anyone who exhibits great passion and devotion. One can be a Lover of art,
music, gardening, Persian carpets, nature, or needlepoint. The key is having a
sense of unbridled and exaggerated affection and appreciation of someone or
something that influences the organization of your life and environment.
Although the Lover is present in everyone's life to some degree, as a personal
archetype it needs to play a significant role in the overall design of your life
and your self-esteem, which is its strongest link to your psyche. The Lover is
connected to issues of self-esteem because this archetype is so strongly
represented by one's physical appearance. Even if you have the Lover archetype
prominently in your psyche, you may repress this pattern out of a lack of
self-esteem, especially regarding your physical attractiveness.

The shadow lover manifests as an exaggerated of obsessive passion that has a
destructive effect on one's physical or mental health and self-esteem.

Films: Nicholas Cage in Moonstruck; Charles Denner in The Man Who Loved Women
(Truffaut version); Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca; Jose
Ferrer in Cyrano de Bergerac.

Drama: Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare

Poetry: Troilus and Cressida by Chaucer

Fiction: Stealing Heaven by Marion Meade (Abelard and Heloise)

Fairy Tales: The Princess and the Frog; Beauty and the Beast.

Religion/Myth: Pyramus and Thisbe (star-crossed Babylonian lovers, described by
Ovid, who commit double suicide); Endymion (in Greek myth a shepherd boy and
mortal lover of the moon goddess Selene); Hasu-Ko (a Japanese girl who died of
love for her betrothed, whom she had never seen); Freya (Norse goddess of love
and fertility and symbol of sensuality, lover of music, spring, flowers, and
elves); Guinevere and Lancelot (although Guinevere was married to King Arthur
and Lancelot was one of his favorite knights, they pursued an affair that led to
the eventual undoing of the Round Table).

Martyr

The Martyr archetype is well known in two arenas: as a classic political or
religious figure, and in the self-help world of contemporary psychology. Within
the self-help field, the shadow Martyr is viewed as a person who has learned to
utilize a combination of service and suffering for others as the primary means
of controlling and manipulating her environment. Ironically, in the social and
political world, the martyr is often highly respected for having the courage to
represent a cause, even if it requires dying for that cause for the sake of
others. Suffering so that others might be redeemed, whether that redemption take
a spiritual or political form, is among the most sacred of human acts. While
people recognize this archetype in others, particularly when they are directly
influenced by the individual sporting this pattern, they often cannot see it in
themselves.

Films: Paul Scofield in A Man for All Seasons; Meryl Streep in Silkwood; Denzel
Washington in Malcolm X; Ben Kingsley in Gandhi.

Drama: Saint Joan by G.B. Shaw.

Fiction: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

Religion/Myth: Many Christian saints, including the Apostles; Mansur al-Hallaj
(10th-century Sufi mystic martyred for his belief that God existed within him).

Mediator (Ambassador, Diplomat, Go-Between)

Smoothing relations between potentially antagonistic groups or individuals
requires patience and skill, an ability to read people and situations with great
acuity. If a good Advocate must empathize with those he is helping, a good
mediator must be able to see and respect both sides of an argument or cause,
thereby bringing warring parties together. One member of a family often assumes
this role, so you do not have to be a career diplomat to qualify for this
archetype. But you must have a life-long commitment to resolving disputes and
bringing people together.

The shadow Mediator manifests as an ulterior motive or hidden agenda, working
two sides of an issue for personal gain.

Films: Dominic Guard in The Go-Between;

Fiction: The Ambassadors by Henry James

Religion/Myth: Thoth (Egyptian god of wisdom and mediator among the gods, who
always sought his counsel); Genetaska (Iroquois woman so respected for her
fairness and impartiality that all disputes were brought to her to settle);
Mitra/Mithra (Vedic/Persian god of friendships and contracts and guardian of the
cosmic order, regarded as a mediator between the gods and humankind).

Mentor (Master, Counselor, Tutor)

A Mentor is a teacher in whom you can place your implicit trust. The word comes
from the character in The Odyssey to whom Odysseus, on setting out for Troy,
entrusted the care of his house and the education of his son, Telemachus. Today
the role of Mentor is crucial in a surprising range of life situations, from
many forms of art and artisanship to business and spiritual practice. Mentors do
more than just teach; they pass on wisdom and refine their students' character.
In its shadow aspect, however, the Mentor can take on an overbearing attitude
that is more about imposing control than imparting wisdom. A characteristic of
the shadow Mentor is an inability to allow the student to move on into the role
of Master, maintaining control over the student's development of mind, body, and
skills.

The distinction between this archetype and the Teacher is mainly one of degree.
If you have shown a life-long pattern of taking individual "students" under your
wing and guiding many aspects of their life, this may be an appropriate choice.

Films (Mentor): Alec Guinness to Mark Hammill in Star Wars; Takashi Shimura to
Toshiro Mifune in The Seven Samurai; Yul Brynner to Horst Bucholz in The
Magnificent Seven; Bette Davis to Anne Baxter in All About Eve; Paul Newman to
Tom Cruise in The Color of Money.

Films (Teacher): Bette Davis in The Corn Is Green; Sidney Poitier in To Sir with
Love; Michael Caine in Educating Rita; Glenn Ford in Blackboard Jungle.

Television: James Gandolfini to Robert Imperioli in The Sopranos.

Fiction: Fagin to Oliver in Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (shadow)

Drama: The Miracle Worker by William Gibson.

Fiction: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark (shadow); Hard Times by
Charles Dickens (shadow).

Religion/Myth: Krishna (in Indian scripture, the spiritual mentor of Arjuna);
Chiron (in Greek myth, a wise centaur who had extensive knowledge of the healing
arts and tutored Asclepius, Theseus, and Achilles); Ninsun (in Sumerian legend,
the mother of Gilgamesh who serves as his counselor).

Messiah (Redeemer, Savior)

This archetype is associated with the embodiment of divine power and being sent
on a mission by heaven to save humanity. For all of its Judeo-Christian
significance, the archetype of the Messiah has also become associated with
psychological behavior. The Messianic complex, for example, applies to a person
who is convinced of his divine mission and, in almost all cases, becomes
obsessed with his mission to the point of psychosis, reaching an extreme in
which a person begins to hear voices directing him to take lethal action.
Criminals such as Jim Jones and Charles Manson are evidence of the shadow
Messiah in its extreme.

Its subtle expression, however, is far more common and more difficult to
identify as a personal pattern. People can become obsessed about their spiritual
purpose, convinced that God needs them to do something.

Films: Reese Witherspoon and Tobey Maguire in Pleasantville; Jeremy Irons and
Robert De Niro in The Mission; Julia Roberts in Erin Brokovich; Marcello
Mastroianni in The Organizer.

Religion/Myth: Mashiach ("the anointed one" in Hebrew, the descendant of King
David expected to restore the Jewish kingdom); Jesus Christ ("the anointed one"
in Greek, believed by Christians to be the promised redeemer; Adam Kadmon
("Primordial Man," in Jewish Kabbalah, described as the most perfect
manifestation of God that humanity could contemplate, later identified with the
Messiah); al-Mahdi ("the guided one" in Arabic, awaited descendant of Muhammad
who will herald the end of history and restore Islamic purity); Maitreya ("the
loving one" in Sanskrit, the fifth and final earthly Buddha who will help all
those who have not yet realized enlightenment); Kalki (in Hindu belief, a future
reincarnation of Vishnu who will arrive on a white horse to liberate the world
from strife); Tang (Chinese messiah who saved mankind from a great drought by
sacrificing his body in a mulberry bush, immediately inducing rainfall).

Midas/Miser

These two archetypes are so close that for practical purposes you can consider
them together. Midas turned everything he touched into gold, including,
tragically, his beloved daughter. The archetype is associated with
entrepreneurial or creative ability. That Midas was a king symbolically implies
that the Midas figure has the power to generate wealth for an entire kingdom,
yet is interested only in his personal aggrandizement. Greed is his downfall.
For that reason, lessons of generosity are a large part of the characteristics
of this archetype. The shadow Midas or Miser creates wealth by hording money and
emotions at the expense of others, and refusing to share them.

Although the desire to earn a living or become wealthy is not negative, this
archetype also represents a need to control the forces around you for fear of
losing your wealth. The challenges inherent in the Miser and Midas can go so far
as to make a person confront what he is willing to do to create a mountain of
wealth.

Films: Bette Davis in The Little Foxes; Michael Douglas in Wall Street; James
Dean in Giant; Lionel Barrymore in It's a Wonderful Life.

Fiction: Scrooge in A Christmas Carol and Uriah Heep in David Copperfield by
Charles Dickens; Silas Marner by George Eliot.

Drama: The Miser by Moliere

Religion/Myth: Midas (a king of Phrygia in Asia Minor who was given the dubious
gift of the golden touch by Dionysus); Kukuth (in Albanian lore, the spirit of a
deceased miser who cannot find rest).

Monk/Nun (Celibate)

The positive aspects of this archetype are fairly obvious: spiritual intensity,
devotion, dedication, persistence, and perhaps wisdom. On the shadow side, the
role of a religious recluse could be seen as removed from the real world, overly
pious, even privileged in the sense of not having to be concerned about earning
a living or raising a family. Yet, historically, monks have been extremely
industrious and involved in real-world enterprises, whether draining swamps and
planting vineyards in medieval Europe, working the rice fields in Asia, building
monasteries, teaching, or copying and preserving texts. Today the Monk archetype
may show up in the ability to be single-minded, assiduous, devoted to a
spiritual path or to any great achievement that requires intense focus. In this
sense, novelists and entrepreneurs can carry the Monk as readily as spiritual
adepts.

The Celibate reserves his or her energy for work and/or spiritual practice. Yet
one can be a Monk, even a religious one, without being celibate, as is the case
with some Tibetan lamas, Yogis, and Islamic scholars. Then there were Abelard
and Heloise, the twelfth-century Monk and Nun who forsook their vows of celibacy
out of passion for each other. Both were superior in their fields--Abelard as
lecturer, debater, and philosopher, Heloise as a radical prioress and founder of
convents--and, although their passion caused them great suffering, it does not
seem to have hurt their spiritual work.

Films: Claude Laydu in Diary of a Country Priest; Audrey Hepburn in The Nun's
Story; Yi Pan-yong in Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East?; Deborah Kerr in
Heaven Knows Mr. Allison; Loretta Young in Come to the Stable; Lilia Skala in
Lilies of the Field.

Television: Derek Jacobi in Brother Cadfael;

Fiction: The Name of the Rose, by Umberto Eco

Religion/Myth: Friar Tuck (the mythical swordfighting monk of Robin Hood's Merry
Men); Nennius (Welsh monk commonly believed to have compiled the Historia
Brittonum, which was used by Geoffrey of Monmouth and others to reconstruct the
history of King Arthur); Bernadette Soubiros (19th-century French girl who at
the age of fourteen claimed visions of the Virgin Mary.

Mother (Matriarch, Mother Nature)

The Mother is the life-giver, the source of nurturing and nourishment,
unconditional fountain of love, patience, devotion, caring, and unselfish acts.
This archetype is the keeper and protector of life, from children to the family
to the greater Mother Nature archetype whose province is the Earth and all life.
Mother Nature, also known as Gaia, is the Goddess of Life, the caretaker of the
living environment of this planet. She is recognized as powerful, and when
storms leave death and destruction in their wake, she may be referred to as
wrathful. The power of compassion and the endless capacity to forgive her
children and put them before herself are essential to the Good Mother. The
Devouring, Abusive, Abandoning, and Working Mother each represent different
aspects of this primal archetype within the entire human community.

Although Mothers have always worked, the contemporary archetype of the Career or
Working Mother reflects the crises experienced by many women who seek also to be
Devoted Mothers. Measured against the impossible mythic ideal of the Perfect
Mother, the Career Mom is sometimes assumed unfairly to be a mother who puts her
own needs before those of the children. This is an archetypal crisis for many
women.

The Devouring Mother "consumes" her children psychologically and emotionally and
often instills in them feelings of guilt at leaving her or becoming independent.
The Abusive and Abandoning Mothers violate natural law by harming their own
young.

Connections to the Mother archetype are not to be measured only by whether a
woman is a biological mother. If you are intimately connected to nurturing and
protecting the environment, including through gardening or farming, or
supporting any life form, you should strongly consider whether your bond to
Mother Nature is part of a life-long devotion that defines you. You may also
recognize a strong bond to the Mother archetype in the form of one or all of her
shadows. While it is difficult to admit, some women may have to face the fact
that their children see them through the shadow aspects of the Mother, including
the Abusive or Abandoning Mother.

Just as women can have a real connection to the Father archetype when they take
on the paternal role in the household, so some men may relate to being "Mr.
Mom," yet another contemporary sculpting of the Mother archetype. The qualities
that are associated with this archetype can be expressed in other than
biological ways, such as giving birth to books or ideas, or nurturing others.

Films: Irene Dunne in I Remember Mama; Myrna Loy in Cheaper by the Dozen and
Belles on Their Toes; Sophia Loren in Two Women; Sally Field in Places in the
Heart; Anne Bancroft in The Pumpkin Eater; Rosalind Russell in Gypsy
(Devouring); Katharine Hepburn in Suddenly Last Summer (shadow); Faye Dunaway in
Mommie Dearest (shadow); Angela Lansbury in The Manchurian Candidate; Gladys
Cooper in Now Voyager (shadow); Alberta Watson in Spanking the Monkey
(Incestuous).

Drama: Mother Courage by Bertoldt Brecht; Medea by Euripedes; The Glass
Menagerie by Tennessee Williams.

Religion/Myth: As with Gods, Goddesses, and Mystics, the Mother appears in all
religious traditions and myths, usually as the Divine Mother. These are just a
few examples: Lakshmi, Durga, Kali (Hinduism); Mary/Miryam (Christianity/Islam);
Sarai, Naomi (Judaism); Cybele (fertility goddess of ancient Anatolia, also
known as known as the Great Mother); Demeter (Greek myth); Isis (Egyptian myth);
Tellus (Roman Mother Earth goddess); Cihuacoatl (Aztec Mother Earth goddess,
also patron of birth and of women who die in childbirth).

Fairy Tales: Mother Goose, Mother Hubbard

Mystic (Renunciate, Anchorite, Hermit)

Perhaps no archetype is more coveted by my students, or more misunderstood than
the Mystic. Many want to believe that they have mystical inclinations, yet
underestimate how arduous the genuine mystical path is. When they find out,
they're usually happy to let someone else have this role. The lives of the
world's great mystics often included extraordinary states of consciousness such
as prolonged ecstatic trance, and preternatural abilities of precognition or
bilocation. Yet they also contained sometimes great physical as well as
spiritual suffering, hard work, and mundane activities that made up much of
their days. If you truly want to name this archetype as part of your sacred
consortium, ask yourself if you are ready to pay the price in blood, sweat, and
tears. If mystical consciousness is something you engage in once a day during
meditation, or on a weekend retreat or a yoga workshop, you may be a spiritual
seeker, but not a Mystic.

The shadow Mystic manifests as an egocentric concern for one's own spiritual
progress to the exclsuion of others, and an attendant sense of self-importance
at having achieved "higher" states of consciousness. It may also emerge in
behavior that takes advantage of admirers or students in base economic,
emotional, or sexual ways. Since genuine enlightenment manifests as the desire
to be of service, this is a pretty good indication that you haven't arrived yet.

Films: Catherine Mouchet in Thér_se; Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters of the
Third Kind; Emily Watson in Breaking the Waves.

Drama: Agnes of God by John Pielmeyer.

Fiction: Lying Awake by Marc Salzman.

Religion/Myth: All the great traditions have produced mystics, of which the
following are a small representative sample: Teresa of vila, Meister Eckhart,
William Law, Hildegarde of Bingen (Christianity); Ba'al Shem Tov, Moses ben
Nahman, Abraham Abulafia (Judaism); Rabi'a, Ibn al-'Arabi, Mansur al-Hallaj
(Islam); Sri Ramakrishna, Anandamayi Ma, Ramana Maharshi (Hinduism);
Bodhidharma, Milarepa, Bankei, Pema Chödron (Buddhism); Chuang-tzu, Wang-pi
(Taoism); Padrinho Sebastio, Credo Mutwa (shamanism).

Networker (Messenger, Herald, Courier, Journalist, Communicator)

Although networking seems like a very modern skill tied to career advancement in
the media age, it is actually quite ancient. Networkers expand their sphere of
influence by forging alliances and making connections among vastly different
groups of people, and can be traced back to the intrigues of the Middle Ages,
Greece, Rome, and ancient China. Networking would also have been an integral
part of any military alliance as well as all social and clan confederations
inprehistory. In its positive aspect, this archetype has a it helps us develop
social flexibility and empathy that enables it to find commonality with others
who might not at first seem to be potential friends, allies, or confederates.
Like the related archetypes of Messenger and Communicator, the Networker has the
skills to bring information--or power-- and inspiration to disparate groups of
people. The shadow Networker merely uses others for personal gain.

Films: John Boles in A Message to Garcia; Stewart Peterson in Pony Express
Rider; Jeff Goldblum in Between the Lines.

Religion/Myth: Almost every culture on earth has or had a messenger of the gods
who networks between the divine and human realms, including the angel Raphael
(Judaism); Gabriel (Christianity); Jibril (Islam); Matarisvan (Vedic India);
Eagle, Coyote (American Indian); Iris, Hermes (Greece); Mercury (Rome); Sraosa
(Zoroastrianism); Nusku (Assyria); Nirah (Sumeria); Srosh (Persia); Paynal
(Aztec); Savali (Samoa); Gou Mang (China); Narada (Java); Gna, Hermod (Norse).

Pioneer (Explorer, Settler, Pilgrim, Innovator)

The Pioneer is called to discover and explore new lands, whether that territory
is external or internal. The passion to explore the South Pole is as much a
pioneering endeavor as the passion to explore medicine or spiritual practice.
Even initiating new fashions, art, music, or literature may qualify as
expressions of this archetype. The core ingredient is innovation--doing and
creating what has not been done before. To consider this archetype seriously as
one of your twelve, your life must be characterized by a need to step on fresh
and undiscovered territory in at least one realm.

The shadow Pioneer manifests as a compulsive need to abandon one's past and move
on, just as the Don Juan or Femme Fatale "pioneer" ever new conquests. Those who
are forced out of their homeland and made into unwilling Pioneers--the Jews of
the Diaspora, Africans bound into slavery, Tibetan Buddhists, or Native
Americans--should not be included under the shadow, however.

Films: Debbie Reynolds in How the West Was Won; Jean Arthur and Van Heflin in
Shane; Judy Garland in The Harvey Girls; Jackie Robinson in The Jackie Robinson
Story.

Television: Wagon Train, Bonanza, Little House on the Prairie.

Fiction: Lost Horizons by James Hilton; O Pioneers! by Willa Cather.

Religion/Myth: Nana-Ula (seafaring pioneer who led his people on a yoage of
2,500 miles from Tahiti to Hawaii over a thousand years ago); Bodhidharma
(Buddhist patriarch who carried the teachings from India to China and
established the tradition that came to be known as Zen); Hagar (handmaiden of
Abraham who brought her son, Ishmael, to the Becca Valley of Arabia and
established the Arab people).

Poet

Closely related to both the Author and the Artist, the Poet combines lyricism
with sharp insight, finding the essence of beauty and truth not only in the
great epic affairs of humanity, but also in everyday acts and objects. Great
poetry extolls momentous events and great deeds, and also expresses wonder at
the hidden joys and sorrows that most of us might overlook. And although you
don't have to be a published poet to have this as one of your twelve archetypes,
you do need to be driven by the need and the ability to discover beauty in the
people and things around you, and express it in a way that helps others, too,
see that beauty.

The shadow Poet turns his gift for lyricism to negative or destructive effect,
as in songs or poems written in support of military aggression or genocide.

Films: Glenda Jackson in Stevie; Philippe Noiret in Il Postino; Sean Connery in
A Fine Madness.

Fiction: The Basketball Diaries by Jim Carroll (shadow);

Religion/Myth: King David (ruler of Israel credited with writing many of the
Psalms); Orpheus (great musician and poet of Greek myth, capable of charming
wild beasts); Bragi (in Norse myth, the god of eloquence and patron of poets);
Finn Mac Cumhail (legendary Irish hero and leader who was also greatly skilled
as a poet).

Priest (Priestess, Minister, Rabbi, Evangelist)

The ritual that establishes the unique role of the Priest is ordination, the
official capacity to facilitate the making of spiritual vows--commitments made
to divine authority. Ordination or similar rituals of initiation allow the
Priest, Rabbi, Shaman or Medicine Man to serve as a vehicle or spiritual channel
of energy for others. Many of those devoted to spiritual life, such as Monks and
Nuns, do not facilitate the ritual exchange of vows and spiritual energy.
Ordination also empowers the Priest to convey to the public the power of sacred
teachings, rituals, wisdom, morality, and ethics of each spiritual tradition.
Because of these profound spiritual responsibilities, the ordained are expected
to represent the teachings through personal example. And, so, the shadow side of
this archetype manifests through the inability to live according to those
teachings, especially in lapses of personal morality. The breaking of vows while
conducting vows for the community, or using ordained authority to control the
population for personal gain, have always been the dominant expression of this
archetype's shadow. From the corrupt temple priests of the ancient Egyptians to
the scheming, power-hungry prelates and Popes of medieval Christianity, shadow
Priests have interfered in secular politics to gain church power, extorted money
from people who need food and shelter just to build larger temples and
cathedrals, held back women's rights and gay rights, and misused the people's
trust to satisfy their own sexual needs.

Films: Montgomery Clift in I Confess; Karl Malden in On the Waterfront; Don
Murray in The Hoodlum Priest; Richard Todd in A Man Called Peter; Richard Burton
in Becket.

Fiction: Diary of A Country Priest by Georges Bernanos.

Drama: Mass Appeal by Bill C. Davis; Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot.

Religion/Myth: Eleazar (first high priest of Israel); Pythia (priestess of
Apollo's temple at Delphi who went into trance and made oracular
pronouncements); Apotequil (high priest of the Incan moon god); Hungan (Haitian
priest of vodun); Ishkhara (priestess of Ishtar and Babylonian goddess of love);
Kokopelli (in Zuni lore, a priest who brings rain to the people);
Utnapishtim/Ziusudra (in Babylonian/Sumerian myth, the priest-king of Shurrupak
who is warned by the gods of a coming deluge and builds a large ark to preserve
human and animal life).

Prince

The connotations of certain words is as significant as their literal meaning in
determining the nature of an archetype. Our word "prince" comes from Latin roots
meaning first or chief, and the word was originally applied to the ruler of a
principality or the son of a sovereign. But we often use the term today for
anyone preeminent in his field, or for any generous individual. The adult fairy
tale The Little Prince by Antoine de St.-Exupérey further colored our image of
the Prince as an innocent, awe-struck explorer. Yet the true Prince is a
ruler-in-training who is in service to the people he will rule, whether that is
a literal kingdom or a figurative or spiritual one, as with Prince Siddhartha
prior to becoming the Buddha. The shadow Prince can manifest as a young man with
great feelings of entitlement, an heir apparent who uses his position solely for
self-aggrandizement, or one who stands to inherit an evil empire and so takes on
all the negative characteristics of the "king," like the character of Michael
Corleone in The Godfather. Machiavelli's The Prince was a guide to using a
ruler's shadow power purely to advance one's career and self-interest without
regard for the needs of others.

Films: Laurence Olivier in The Prince and the Showgirl; Henry Fonda in The Lady
Eve; Joseph Cotten in The Farmer's Daughter; Paul Newman in Cat on a Hot Tin
Roof; Robert Redford in The Way We Were; Anthony Perkins in Phaedra.

Drama: Biff in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

Fiction: The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain

Fairy Tales: Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella

Religion/Myth: Rama (the prince of Ayodhya, seventh incarnation of Vishnu, and
the hero of the Hindu epic Ramayana); Shotoku (Japanese prince deified as the
reincarnation of Siddhartha, the Buddha); Xochipilli (Aztec god of flowers,
maize, love, beauty, and song whose name means "Flower Prince"); Beelzebub
(originally the patron god of the Philistines and Canaanites whose name meant
"Prince Baal," demonized in the Judeo-Christian tradition as the Prince of
Darkness).

Prostitute (see text for extended description)

The Prostitute archetype engages lessons in integrity and the sale or
negotiation of one's integrity or spirit due to fears of physical and financial
survival or for financial gain. This archetype activates the aspects of the
unconscious that are related to seduction and control, whereby you are as
capable of buying a controlling interest in another person as you are in selling
your own power. Prostitution should also be understood as the selling of your
talents, ideas, and any other expression of the self--or the selling-out of
them. This archetype is universal and its core learning relates to the need to
birth and refine self-esteem and self-respect.

Films: Jack Lemmon in The Apartment, Some Like It Hot, Save the Tiger, The China
Syndrome, Mass Appeal; Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday; Fred MacMurray in Double
Indemnity; Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront.

Drama: The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe.

Religion/Myth: Ochun (Yoruba Orisha of love, marriage, and motherhood, who was
forced for a time to become a prostitute to feed her children); Temple
prostitutes (in ancient Greece, Rome, Asia Minor, and India, women who engaged
in public intercourse as a way of sympathertically activating the energy of
fertility).

Queen (Empress)

Besides having a rulership position in a court, the Queen represents power and
authority in all women. Symbolically, her court can be anything from a
corporation to her home. The image of the Dark or Evil Queen has been largely
represented by male authors of fairy tales and folklore as a wicked, dark force.
She may also be depicted as prone to hysteria and dark powers, influences, or
plots, as in the story of Snow White. Gulliver's Travels presents a benevolent
Queen who rules the land of the Giants, but that is a rare exception.

The Queen archetype is also associated with arrogance and a defensive posture
that is symbolic of a need to protect one's personal and emotional power. Queens
are rarely portrayed as having a trustworthy support system; instead, they are
lonely figures surrounded by a court filled with potential traitors, rivals, and
back-stabbers. Women who have identified themselves as Queens in my workshops
tend to have these qualities in common, suggesting that were it not for their
aggressive personality characteristics, they would be vulnerable to others'
control.

Challenges related to control, personal authority and leadership play a primary
role in forming the lessons of personal development that are inherent to this
archetype. The benevolent Queen uses her authority to protect those in her
court, and sees her own empowerment enhanced by her relationships and
experience. The shadow Queen can slip into aggressive and destructive patterns
of behavior, particularly when she perceives that her authority or capacity to
maintain control over the court is being challenged. The Ice Queen rules with a
cold indifference to the genuine needs of others--whether material or emotional.
The Queen Bee is a mixed image--the astonishing ability to power the entire hive
without leaving her "chamber," yet at the cost of enslaving the rest of her
community.

Films: Joan Crawford in Queen Bee; Marlene Dietrich as Catherine the Great in
The Scarlet Empress; Geraldine Chaplin in The Three Musketeers; Greta Garbo in
Queen Christina; Judi Densch in Shakespeare in Love; Cate Blanchett in
Elizabeth.

Drama: Antony and Cleopatra by Shakespeare

Religion/Myth: Mary (Mother of Jesus later elevated in Catholic tradition to
Queen of Heaven); Mab (Queen of the faeries and often a trickster who steals
babies, possibly derived from the Welsh Mabb or Gaelic Maeve); Anatu
(Mesopotamian queen of the sky); Antiope (in Greek myth, the queen of the
Amazons); Marisha-Ten (Japanese queen of heaven); Guinevere (King Arthur's
queen).

Fairy Tales: Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs (shadow).

Rebel (Anarchist, Revolutionary, Political Protester, Nonconformist, Pirate)

Our images of the Rebel may be too closely aligned with cliches of youth culture
to let us see the deeper significance of this valuable archetype. Whether
politically inclined like Martin Luther King, Jr., Betty Friedan, or Lech
Walensa, or an artistic innovator such as Van Gogh, Joyce, or Coltrane, the
Rebel is a key component of all human growth and development. The Rebel in a
support group can be a powerful aid in helping the group break out of old tribal
patterns. It can also help you see past tired preconceptions in your field of
professional or creative endeavor. The Rebel can also lead you to reject
spiritual systems that do not serve your inner need for direct union with the
Divine and to seek out more appropriate paths. The shadow Rebel, conversely, may
compel you to rebel out of peer pressure or for the sake of fashion, and so
become mired in another manifestation of conformity. The shadow Rebel may also
reject legitimate authority simply because it is asking you to do something you
find difficult or unpleasant. Be especially careful in evaluating your
rebellious impulses; even if the Rebel is not part of your intimate circle of
archetypes, you probably have it to some extent and should pay attention to its
urgings.

Films: James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause; Marlon Brando in The Wild One; Kirk
Douglas in Spartacus; Sally Field in Norma Rae; Meryl Streep in Silkwood.

Fiction: The Rebel by Albert Camus; One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken
Kesey.

Religion/Myth: Iblis/Lucifer (in Muslim/Christian belief, a rebellious angel who
refused to worship Adam or acknowledge the supremacy of God).

Folklore/Fairy Tales: Jack and the Beanstalk; Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter.

Rescuer

In its empowered profile, the Rescuer assists when needed and, once the rescue
mission is accomplished, withdraws. A Rescuer provides an infusion of strength
and support to help others to survive a difficult situation, crisis, or process
that they lack the stamina or the inner knowledge to maneuver through
themselves. Unlike the Knight, to which it is related, the Rescuer is more
common among women, especially in its shadow aspect. The shadow Rescuer often
surfaces through a romantic connection in which one party seeks to establish an
intimate bond by lending emotional support, with a hidden agenda that assumes
the rescued party will return the Rescuer's romantic feelings. Such romances are
destined to fail, because the shadow agenda has to keep the "rescuee" in need of
being rescued, lest the Rescuer lose her significance.

Healing and empowering the Rescuer within is a common emotional challenge,
because being needed is essential to our nature. Most people can relate in part
to the characteristics of this archetype which somewhat parallel the Knight,
Healer, Hero, and even Servant. If you feel drawn to this archetype, then, be
careful to compare the characteristics of those others before deciding to add
the Rescuer to your family.

Films: Sigourney Weaver in Alien III; Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan; Jason
Gedrick in Iron Eagle.

Television: The Lone Ranger.

Religion/Myth: Bidadari (in Javanese myth, a lovely nymph who uses her knowledge
of magic to rescue a hero from a dangerous situation and marry him); Lancelot
(Knight of the Round Table who rescues Guinevere--with whom he is having an
affair--when King Arthur threatens to execute her for adultery); Bran (in Welsh
lore, a giant who rescued his sister Branwen from enslavement by her Irish
husband).

Saboteur (see text for extended description)

The Saboteur archetype is made up of the fears and issues related to low
self-esteem that cause you to make choices in life that block your own
empowerment and success. As with the Victim and Prostitute, you need to face
this powerful archetype that we all possess and make it an ally. When you do,
you will find that it calls your attention to situations in which you are in
danger of being sabotaged, or of sabotaging yourself. Once you are comfortable
with the Saboteur, you learn to hear and heed these warnings, saving yourself
untold grief from making the same mistakes over and over. Ignore it, and the
shadow Saboteur will manifest in the form of self-destructive behavior or the
desire to undermine others.

Films: Greta Garbo in Mata Hari; Angela Lansbury in The Manchurian Candidate;
Woody Harrelson in The People vs. Larry Flynt. Judy Holliday in The Solid Gold
Cadillac;

Drama: Amadeus (Salieri) by Peter Schaffer; The Madwoman of Chaillot by Jean
Giraudoux.

Religion/Myth: Loki (in Norse myth, a Shape-shifter and Trickster who is crafty
and malicious, but also heroic); Eris/Discordia (Greek/Roman goddess of discord,
said to have caused the Trojan War); Bamapana (Aboriginal hero-trickster who
causes discord and misunderstanding); Serpent (in many cultures, a figure who
deceives humans, often sabotaging their only chance at immortality).

Samaritan

The Samaritan is closely related to the Martyr archetype, with the essential
difference that Samaritans make sacrifices for those they might be least
inclined to serve, as in the Gospel parable of the Good Samaritan. The act
itself can be as simple as stopping in the street to give a stranger directions
when you are in a hurry to get somewhere. The shadow Samaritan helps one person
or group to the detriment of another, one's own family, or the greater good of
society. A simple example is the driver who stops in traffic to let another
driver make a turn against the flow, with the result of holding up many more
drivers in the process. There seems to be implicit in such shadow Samaritan
behavior a kind of self-importance that says others must adhere to one's own
choice of who is most deserving.

Films: Richard Dreyfuss in Down and Out in Beverly Hills; Gary Cooper in Good
Sam; Jean Arthur in The More the Merrier; Liam Neeson in Schindler's List.

Religion/Myth: Ninlil (Sumerian goddess of heaven, earth, air, and grain who
shows compassion to the unfortunate); Parzifal (Arthurian knight who heals the
wound of Anfortas, the Grail King, by compassionately asking about it);

Scribe (Copyist, Secretary, Accountant--see also Journalist)

The Scribe differs from Author or Artist in one significant way: scribes copy
existing works rather than create new ones. The Hebrew scribes were originally
secretaries who wrote down the preachings of the prophets, but evolved into a
priestly class charged with writing and maintaining the laws and records,
copying previous scrolls, and committing oral traditions to paper. Medieval
Christian scribes copied manuscripts and helped preserve learning. In India, the
sages who compiled the Vedas are known as vyasa, a Sanskrit word that means
"collector" but could be translated as "scribe." We can expand the definition to
cover modern journalists, who also record the existing knowledge and information
of their day and uncover secrets (investigative reporters). And we would also
have to include that largely anonymous horde of copiers who are busy uploading
everything imaginable onto the Internet in the hope of preserving it by
distributing it to millions. What makes the Internet the modern equivalent of
the medieval scriptorum is that so much information is transcribed onto it not
for personal gain but for the sheer joy of preserving and sharing these
artifacts with the rest of the world.

The shadow aspect of the Scribe can manifest in altering facts, plagiarizing, or
selling information that belongs to others.

Films: Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford in All the President's Men; Sally Field
in Absence of Malice (shadow); Kirk Douglas in Ace in the Hole (shadow); Nicole
Kidman in To Die For (shadow); Holly Hunter in Broadcast News.

Fiction: Bartleby the Scrivener by Herman Melville

Religion/Myth: Ezra (Hebrew scribe and priest, best known for collecting and
editing the books of the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament, in the fifth century
B.C.); Imhotep (in Egyptian myth, an architect, physician, and scribe in the
court of the Pharaoh Zoser); Thoth (Egyptian god of wisdom, inventor of writing,
and patron of scribes, often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis, holding
a scribal tablet and reed pen).

Seeker (Wanderer, Vagabond, Nomad)

This archetype refers to one who searches on a path that may begin with earthly
curiosity but has at its core the search for God and/or enlightenment. Unlike
the Mystic, which has the Divine as its sole focus, the Seeker is in search of
wisdom and truth wherever it is to be found. The shadow side of the archetype is
the "lost soul," someone on an aimless journey without direction, ungrounded,
disconnected from goals and others. The shadow emerges when seekers become
infatuated with the trappings of a certain practice or guru--what Chögyam
Trungpa so aptly called "spiritual materialism"--but never actually change their
underlying egocentricity.

Films: Tyrone Power in The Razor's Edge; Brad Pitt in Seven Years in Tibet;
Peter Weller and Judy Davis in The New Age (shadow); Ellen Burstyn in Alice
Doesn't Live Here Anymore; Henry Fonda in The Grapes of Wrath.

Drama: A Doll's House (Nora) by Henik Ibsen

Fiction: Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse; Lost Horizon by James Hilton.

Autobiography: Bound for Glory by Woody Guthrie; My Experiments with Truth by
Mahatma Gandhi; Be Here Now by Ram Dass; Longing for Darkness by China Galland.

Religion/Myth: Arjuna (who questions his role in life in the Bhagavad-Gita);
Siddhartha Gautama (before his enlightenment as the Buddha, Siddhartha undertook
the classic path of the Seeker).

Servant (Indentured Servant)

We all serve someone or something. Because the spiritual path is essentially one
of service to others, anyone can relate to this archetype. The Servant engages
aspects of our psyche that call us to make ourselves available to others for the
benefit and enhancement of their lives. This task can only be done in a healthy
manner if the Servant is able to simultaneously be of service to the self.
Without the strength to maintain your own well-being, the Servant becomes
consumed by the needs of those around you and loses all focus of the value of
your own life.

From a mundane perspective, the Servant is associated with money because
servants are hired help. This aspect is witnessed within the psyche of the
Indentured Servant, a person who sees himself bound by conditions of service
that are not of his choosing or preference because of an inability to "buy his
freedom," or symbolically coming into your own power. Therefore, the core
challenge with this particular archetype is making choices that serve your
highest potential. If this describes a substantial personal issue for you, then
consider this archetype as a possibility for your own chart.

Films: William Powell in My Man Godfrey; Anthony Hopkins in Remains of the Day;
Morgan Freeman in Driving Miss Daisy; Dirk Bogarde in The Servant (shadow).

Fiction: The Turn of the Screw (Mrs. Grose ) by Henry James

Religion/Myth: The names of many spiritual masters and teachers often contain a
reference to service. The Sanskrit word dasya, for example, means "servant," and
appears in the names of modern mystics such as Ram Dass, Bhagavan Das, and Lama
Surya Das; Obadiah (Hebrew prophet whose name means "servant of God"); Ganymede
(in Greek myth, the young, beautiful boy who was one of Zeus' lovers and
cupbearer to the gods); Thialfi (Norse servant of Thor and the messenger of the
gods).

Fairy Tales: Cinderella

Shape-shifter (Spell-caster--see also Trickster)

This archetype has long been known to shamans of the American Indian and other
native traditions for having the ability to change appearances for a variety of
reasons. The Shape-shifter can navigate through different levels of
consciousness, dream and waking states and the astral plane. Somewhat related to
the Trickster, it is more flexible and less tied to a specific goal. The shadow
aspect emphasizes instability, fickleness, and lack of conviction, as can be
seen in any number of modern day politicians who reinvent themselves to appeal
to the latest popular trends.

Films: Wolfen; Lon Chaney, Jr., in The Wolf Man; Aaron Eckhart in In the Company
of Men.

Religion/Myth: Because most deities or mythological figures who have the ability
to shape-shift are also Tricksters, many of them overlap with that archetype:
Tezcatlipoca (Aztec god of night who changes shapes and uses his "smoking
mirror" to kill his enemies); Estsanatlehi ("Woman who changes," the most
powerful Navajo deity, a fertility goddess and shape-shifter associated with
transformation and immortality).

Slave

The Slave archetype represents a complete absence of the power of choice and
self-authority. Yet it is precisely the absence of will power that gives the
Slave its potential for personal transformation. The ultimate spiritual task is
to surrender one's will to the Divine--in effect, to become a Divine Slave. The
goal in many monastic practices is to release one's individual power of choice
and become subject to the will of a spiritual mentor, trusting that individual
to have your best interests at heart. This act of releasing your will to a
higher authority is also witnessed within organizational hierarchies, such as in
the military and corporations. One becomes a Slave to the system.

For tens of millions of African Americans, the Slave archetype carries a
historical freight that is impossible to overlook. If Slavery is part of your
genetic history, you need to take a close look at the possible presence of the
Slave archetype in your intimate family. Others who may dismiss this archetype
as having no role in their life may discover that it is more prevalent than most
people imagine, because of its many different expressions. We don't think of a
soldier armed with weapons as a Slave, yet following orders unconditionally is
an aspect of the Slave--especially when these orders personally violate your
integrity. The Puppet, for instance, may be manipulated by others. Regardless of
how this archetype manifests, however, its core learning is to understand the
paradoxical truth that you are only truly free when you have surrendered all
power of choice to the Divine.

Films: Djimon Honsou in Amistad; Ossie Davis in Slaves; Russell Crowe in
Gladiator; Yvette Mimieux in The Time Machine; Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening
in American Beauty; Victor Mature in The Robe; Charlton Heston (Moses) in The
Ten Commandments.

Television: LeVar Burton in Roots.

Drama: The Emperor Jones by Eugene O'Neill; Ma Rainey's Black Bottom by August
Wilson; Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet.

Religion/Myth: Euryclea (in the Odyssey, the slave of Laertes, wet nurse of
Odysseus, and the first to recognize the hero when he returned home from the
Trojan War); Black Peter (medieval Dutch name for the devil, who was chained and
enslaved by Saint Nicholas, who on Dec. 4 made Black Peter drop candy and gifts
down chimneys into the waiting shoes of the children); Sisyphus (in Greek myth,
he chained the god of death, Thanatos, so the deceased could not enter the
underworld, for which he was enslaved for all eternity to roll a boulder up a
steep hill, only to have

(Message over 64k, truncated.)