“I am myself” The Self Possession of the Virgin
In his biography of Emily Dickinson, Alfred Habeggar describes a scene where Emily sits happily in the lap of a male acquaintance in the front room of her family home. During her later years, she found pleasure in this man’s attentions long after mysteriously absenting herself from Amhearst’s social life and an almost complete inaccessibility to all but the most intimate and trusted friends and family. We know her to be an eccentric and quite likely a virgin, yet this example contradicts all that we assume about virgins. How can someone who rejects physical intimacy and...
Read MoreHedonist Revolutionary
I haven’t found a more potent and exciting combination of the Hedonist and the Revolutionary archetypes than in Jamie Oliver (formerly know as the Naked Chef). One of the the UK’s brightest culinary exports is taking America by storm and I for one love him all the more for it. He won the TED prize in 2010 and began by using his 100k grant to start a Food Revolution!. One year later his progress is stunning and includes a partnership with the American Heart Association and numerous thriving community projects. You can read more about it here at TED.com Jamie is an...
Read MorePart of us is grouchy and lives in Florida
Understanding archetypes goes much deeper than a chat about a movie and beyond the confines of a psychology textbook. An archetype is not just a pattern “out there” in theory but it is a recurring set of experiences that unfold through the course of a human life. Our ability to spot when a particular pattern walks in the door makes the difference between acting out and making a conscious choice. We begin to view the shape of our lives within an archetypal language by introducing ourselves to four patterns that we all share, the Survival Archetypes. Let’s imagine...
Read MoreDMC and the Angel
“Everything happens for a reason.” Says Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, who is one third of the pioneering rap group Run DMC and one of the most influential rap artists of all time. At the age of 35, DMC made a startling discovery and suddenly, everything he thought he knew about himself had changed. He told his story on stage at a Moth Storytelling event which was aired on the radio and subsequently published as a podcast. Info on subscribing to the free podcast here. DMC’s story caught my attention because it’s about purpose, destiny and the seemingly small...
Read MoreWhat keeps you in the cave? Archetype of the Zombie
We find ourselves in the middle of the first month of the New Year. The air is still fresh, dreams are new, and heartbeats run fast. Maybe, like me, you are starting to slump under the abundance of material on keeping resolutions for the next twelve months. Instead of yet another piece on holding your intentions for the next month, let’s look at an archetype that can be your ally for the rest of your life. The Zombie, which is only increasing its popularity in films, comic books, and classic novel mash-ups, is an image that hardly needs an introduction. They are dead people returned...
Read MoreAn Artist Walks into a Monastery
How do archetypal motivations become passions that bring something new into the world? Sometimes one enriches another so much as to create a whole new experience. Inspiration is the deity of the Artist and contemplation the mark of the Monk/Nun. These two archetypes might not ordinarily be considered a natural synergistic match but in 2006, Bay Area artists Betsy McCall and Christopher Fülling began such an adventure in creativity and contemplation called The Art Monastery Project. The Art Monastery Project is a contemporary experiment in social sculpture inspired by the tradition of the...
Read MoreGift + Altruism = Giving that keeps on giving
Looking for a gift that keeps on giving? Consider some of these original creations that will benefit some worthy causes. Kiungo – Images of Africa is a book of beautiful photographs taken in Africa by 28 photographers from around the world and curated by yours truly. This book is a benefit for The Masomo Project a small non-profit group dedicated to educating the orphans of the Starehe Children’s home in Mwanza, Tanzania. All proceeds go to the charity, which is also a 100% volunteer run organization. Click here for more information and to buy the book....
Read MoreMyth and Motivation of the Martyr Archetype
Know a Martyr? Most people have had the experience of working with or knowing someone with a Martyr archetype, or maybe you even see it in yourself. I’d like to provide some information in order to help understand and work with this pattern. Bad Reputation The Martyr archetype seems to get a bad rap and I think I know why. It has to do with the Martyr’s very visible shadow form and a motivation behind the behavior that is not always clear. You might be familiar with the ‘hand-on-forehead-oh-I’ll-do-it-because-no-one-else-will’ type of Martyr...
Read MoreThe Poet
I try to make a point to write about what could be called the ‘unsung’ archetypes. One’s that don’t seem to have a popular or even a very present place in our culture. Last month I wrote about the archetype of the Scribe to illuminate it’s presence and potential for positive change. I’ve recently come across some wonderful pieces of poetry and it brought to mind the power of the Poet archetype. For many people poetry can seem lofty , arcane or just downright fluffy in terms of day to day life and yet a good piece of poetry can stop us in our...
Read MoreHere’s to the bean counters: the power of the Scribe
This comes on the heels of a similarly themed article that I published in June called “Does productivity = happiness?” which deals with the same topic. Statistician (a Scribe in Archetypal terms) Nic Marks asks why we measure a nation’s success by its productivity — instead of by the happiness and well-being of its people. He introduces the Happy Planet Index, which tracks national well-being against resource use (because a happy life doesn’t have to cost the earth). Which countries rank highest in the HPI? You might be surprised. Here’s his...
Read MoreChaos Calling
The ingredients for a resilient, empowered and purposeful life are within you. That knowledge is at the heart of my practice and my vocation is to provide the tools and guidance to not only learn more about the wonderful person that is you, but to live more fully by discovering your own powerful resources. Nearly every client I speak with and those I meet when I’m out and about, all share a feeling that they are being called to live their lives more fully and use their resources for something greater than before. It’s no wonder that we are feeling this way. We see the word...
Read MoreMothers and Bears Oh my!
I recently came upon a blog post by Arianna Huffingtoncalled Sarah Palin, “Mama Grizzlies,” Carl Jung, and the Power of Archetypes . Huffington points out the use of the shadow aspects of the Mother and Bear archetypal symbols being used by Palin and her cadre, the self-proclaimed “Mama Grizzlies” as having a powerful and popular appeal among women. The “Mama Grizzlies” are not the only movement of these two archetypes at large today however. The International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers represent a global alliance of prayer, education and...
Read MoreArchetypal Casting – the results are in!
I often use movie and television references in my consultations. They are one of the best ways to really see archetypal patterns in action. We all have an instinctual sense of archetypes and can usually spot them pretty quickly – especially when they are on screen. To make my point, a few months ago I set up a handful of polls asking readers to cast actors into roles based on archetypes. I had a feeling that the majority of respondents were going to choose the most appropriate actor for the archetypal role. If I was wrong, then I lose the bet with one of my clients and I...
Read MoreSummertime and the Child Archetype
It’s summertime here in the northern hemisphere and it seems our Child archetypes are clamoring to go out and play. I remember as a child, summer was about being outside and hanging out doing whatever we fancied at the time. For most of us, childhood was the only time we’ve felt totally free. Once the archetype of the responsible Adult comes along, any frivolous playtime tends to get reserved for weekends and vacations. We box up the fun and put it on the shelf until the appropriate time. Summer can bring the Child out in all of us. I’ve noticed it in my clients...
Read MoreWhat counts? Does productivity = happiness?
How do we measure what makes life worthwhile? When the dotcom bubble burst, hotelier Chip Conley went in search of a business model based on happiness. In an old friendship with an employee and in the wisdom of a Buddhist king, he learned that success comes from what you count. Watch Chip’s 20 min talk on what he found. What’s pretty amazing is that we don’t really measure happiness on a meaningful level at work or in government. I’m not even sure we have a good way to do this yet. Oh sure, we look at indicators of things that *might* mean that the general...
Read MoreStoryfied: The Storyteller Archetype
This is a true story about one woman, the Storyteller archetype and it’s power for both good and tragic. I came across it on a podcast recording from The Moth which is a not-for-profit storytelling organization. When Nancy Finton was in her early 20’s she had a job as a bartender in New York City. She tells of riding the subway home late at night and walking along dark streets making up stories about how she would defeat any attacker who came her way. Sometimes she would walk with such belief in her own goodness that she imagined that no one would dare hurt her. She...
Read MoreProstitute Finds Faith in You
The term Prostitute doesn’t typically come up in polite conversation. It does however in popular culture, usually in it’s slang form, “ho”. In fact “ho” is used quite liberally and casually in music, movies and by kids talking on the bus. So what is all this “Ho” business? Do they really mean the Prostitute archetype when referring to someone as a “Ho”? I looked up the definition from the slang website Urban Dictionary (Warning – this site does contain much foul language). Below is the 3rd listed definition: Ho...
Read MoreReunion: How We Heal Our Broken Connection to the Earth
Reunion: How We Heal Our Broken Connection to the Earth by Ellen Gunter and Ted Carter. This is an incredible and practical guide to reconnecting with our planet co-authored by one of my colleagues from the CMED Institute. Highly recommended! Click here to purchase editorial description: From the earliest mythologies, it’s clear we all start as a little bit of dirt. But these stories aren’t just entertaining. They also carry a profound message: each of us is born with a deep and abiding connection to the earth, one that many of us have lost touch with. The authors, Ellen Gunter...
Read MoreOFGM: Original Fairy Godmother
Once upon a time I was in a grocery store check-out line and struck up a conversation with the woman in front of me. We were talking about good deeds and she mentioned how her friend liked to put quarters in parking meters for total strangers. She called her friend the ‘Parking Meter Fairy’. While we often associate the Fairy Godmother (FGM) archetype with children’s stories and fairy tales, they do walk among us. They might not have a talking umbrella or a magic wand, but people with the FGM archetype are real. What makes a Fairy Godmother in terms of an...
Read MoreFacing the Bully: A New Karate Kid
Poke fun all you want, but I am totally cool with their being a new Karate Kid movie (coming in June). I’ve no doubt that Jackie Chan can pull off the Mentor role first played by Pat Morita (Mr. Miyagi). He’s made an entire career playing Fools and Warriors with a lesson to teach (Teacher) so this role should fit like a glove. From the trailer it appears that Jaden Smith is going to do well playing the scrappy young Warrior-in-training as Ralph Macchio did in 1984. The Child/Victim taking down the Bully is one of our perennial archetypal stories. It’s the David...
Read MoreOk Go! music to get the funk out
I love coming across wisdom and inspiration in musical form! Nothing is better than some poignant lyrics accompanied by and infectious groove. Double the fun with a highly entertaining video. Ok Go, the band that brought us the clever and highly entertaining music video featuring a routine performed on multiple tread mills has done it again. And with some incredibly inspiring lyrics to boot! With so much chaos out there I really appreciate the message of letting go and getting on with it. I am really enjoying the new album from Ok Go and have added it to my store. Buy the MP3...
Read MoreSurvival Archetypes and “The Wizard of Oz”
The film “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” provides a prime example of the hero’s journey of each of the four survival archetypes: the Child, the Victim, the Prostitute, and the Saboteur. This film is an archetypal treasure trove, but for brevity’s sake I will concentrate mainly on these four. The first character that we meet in the film is Dorothy – the Child. She looks for attention and is struggling to be heard and recognized by the adults (the Child seeking self-authority, responsibility). She longs for a place “somewhere over the rainbow”...
Read MoreSurvival Archetypes aka the Fab Four
The four ‘Survival Family’ of archetypes are common to everyone. The are called ‘survival’ archetypes because they symbolize both our major life challenges, strengths and how we choose to survive. The four survival archetypes and their primary purpose: The Child – responsibility, innocence, authority The Victim – personal power, self-esteem The Prostitute – faith, negotiation, integrity The Saboteur – choice, truth, self-esteem These archetypes influence how we respond to challenge, how we make choices especially when we are afraid of...
Read MoreThe Child Archetype
Simply said, we all have had a childhood and a part of us remains a child throughout our lives. Eight or Eighty we are all still capable of playing wild and free, throwing tantrums, hiding from grown-ups (authority), believing that anything can happen or just being silly for the sake of doing so. “We are every age that we have ever been.” ~Madeline L’Engle The Child archetype resides in us all and is the first that we come to know. The Child archetype is sometimes called the guardian of innocence and it represents our beginning point. This archetype sets up our...
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