The Magic of Archetypes

What exactly is an “archetype”? It’s a question I needed an answer to so I could have a way to explain it to others. I had a strong intuitive sense of it, through my direct experience of working with archetypal energies, but I could not for the life of me explain it to anyone else.

A collage of the definitions I found: an original model; a prototype; a universally recognized symbol; the structural, energetic form behind the manifested form in physical reality. My own sense of archetypes is deeply embedded within me, and the above words barely begin to touch what moves through my being when I feel into my own inner archetypes.

Archetypes are indelibly melded with myth, woven through stories and legends across the ages. As we hear the stories, we may feel a strong alliance with the resonant archetypal energies deep within our beings. They may evoke strong feelings in us, either attractive or repellant.

Some examples of archetypes are the hero, the warrior, the maiden, the trickster or magician, the amazon queen, the mother or father, and the list goes on. Some we may relate to and others may seem quite foreign to us. It is possible to invite our inner archetypes to reveal themselves to us; or we may aspire to particular archetypes that we feel drawn to emulate.

All this comes vibrantly alive in the relationships we have with our own inner archetypes. Do you have a sense of yours? Do you have a strong relationship with any of them? Do you allow them full expression through you? Chances are there are some you are aware of and others that are more elusive.

For most of us, all we need to do is look around at our living spaces, the artwork we choose, the books we read, and the internet sites we visit to get clues about the archetypal energies that are part of us.

To find out more, there are many ways to make the inquiry:

1. Look inside yourself. Do you notice any particular energies that express through you that feel “bigger than life”?
2. Ask inside yourself, “Are there any archetypes that would like to reveal themselves to me at this time?” The answer may come in a variety of ways, so be open to all sensory input. Let your imagination supply the information
3. Research archetypes and study more about those that draw you. Invite them to play with you and see what happens.

As we invite our own inner archetypes out to play, we have the opportunity to access a richer expression of our true depth of being as well as connect with the universal fabric of myth and mystery.