The Magicians in Our Midst: Archetypes and Where We Find Them

The topic of Archetypes is one that's dear to my heart, as you might expect, since writing The Six Archetypes of Love.

I'm aware, though, that many people will respond well to the concept of archetypes but then shrug and say, 'Ah, I'll never make it all the way to Magician level'. So perhaps I'd better point out right away that we're all capable of becoming Magicians, even though it's really hard to stay consistently at that level.

Think of the piece of music you heard on the radio that filled you with a sense of the beauty , majesty, and richness of life - even if the richness was about the pains of being alive. It moved you. It made you feel something, and it put you in touch with something that felt vital. Perhaps you couldn't put it into words at all. Possibly you felt a tear rising to your eyes. I know I'm not alone when I say this happens quite frequently. My students, who seem to live much more through their music choices than most people I know, truly feel it. And what they're experiencing is the Magic.

Now, the Magic can be created by a bunch of otherwise not very enlightened musicians in a studio. On their own, perhaps none is a Magician. Working together, though, they bring the Magician archetype into being, just for a while. And we are all richer for it.

So when my colleagues at work complain about 'ipod nation' I smile. Some, at least, of those listening to music are getting an experience of the Magician's power. Alas, other listeners are just blotting out the world, but that is their choice.

The value of the Magician archetype is that it can change our energy and remind us of the ordinary glory of being fully alive. Then, if we are willing to try, we can live from the best part of ourselves.

And that is transformative.