Psychology recognises 12 major archetypes. Over 300 are listed by various people, but focusing on the 12 major archetypes is sufficient and an easier tool to use for self-development and emotional healing.
If you don't already know what the archetypes are, I recommend watching this five-part series of videos from the Master Mind Content YouTube Channel.
You may also be interested in tuning into the Archetypes Explained series on the Master Mind Content YouTube channel.
Archetypes can be defined as personality traits that emerge as specific patterns of thoughts, behaviours, emotions, attitudes, desires and motivations.
They are subtle energies that emerge as attributes that are accessible to mankind. Not only that, but archetypes play a significant role in how you experience life.
When integrated, archetypes work in your favour because you can access the powerful qualities they provide you; courage, self-awareness, love, selflessness etc.
Archetypes that are not integrated into the conscious personality are known as complexes and cause the chaos that comes with stress, emotional disturbances and childish behaviours.
The eminent psychologist Carl Jung described archetypes as autonomous personalities or complexes that behave “like secondary or partial personalities in possession of a mental life”. [Carl Jung, CW11 Psychology and Religion, p.14 (1958)]
Thought-Provoking Quote
“Every archetype, at its first appearance and so long as it remains unconscious, takes possession of the whole man and impels him to play a corresponding role.”
~ Carl Jung, Psychology and Alchemy
Understanding the contents of your unconscious provides insights as to why problems keep reoccurring in your life.
When unconscious content is brought to the light of the conscious mind, you expand conscious awareness and enrich your quality of life.
Unconscious content is brought to the light of the conscious mind when you recognise and understand your archetypes.
In the Master Mind Content Archetypes Tool, archetypes are depicted as subtle energies we call "qualities."
Qualities are bits of information that are decoded, processed and stored as memory.
Each archetype is illustrated as "developed" or "undeveloped". If you display more of the qualities in the developed column, the archetype is integrated into the conscious personality and doesn't pose too many problems.
If you display most of the qualities in the undeveloped column, the archetype is repressed. That side of your personality has not been given expression and remains in a childish state of maturity.
To work effectively with this powerful resource, it's important to understand that the 12 major archetypes can be identified by certain patterns of behaviour. It's also important to note that you are NOT one archetype.
You are all 12.
That's not to say that you will not display the characteristics of one archetype above the others. Ideally, you should have at least four of five dominant archetypes that influence your life.
If you only had one you become too one-sided and ignore all the other parts of your personality. Then you would become psychotic because the archetypes that are ignored, rebel.
Thought-Provoking Quote
"When, therefore, the individual stands consistently upon one side, the unconscious ranges itself squarely upon the other, and rebels."
~ Carl Jung, Psychological Types
Below, I have outlined the key features of the 12 major archetypes so that you are able to identify them in yourself.
Archetypes can be identified by thoughts, behaviours, attitudes, motivations, emotions and desires centred around specific themes.
These are powerful observations that enable you to identify which archetype is influencing your life in both a good way or a bad way.
Archetypes also serve a function. This is a good way to determine how many archetypes are integrated into your personality.
Failing to express archetypal energies causes a complex, then a neurosis then illness and dis-ease. This is another way to establish which parts of your personality are repressed.
Also known as King, Sovereign, Tyrant, Bully, Father
The Ruler tends to be characterised as someone driven by a need for power. This is not entirely true. It is the chief decision-maker and drives you towards whatever your nervous system needs to offer comfort desires or motivations.
Some people do need power over others to make themselves feel better, but the Ruler can also be be comforted by recognising equality and delegating decisions to others.
Essentially, the Ruler is your autonomous behaviours and give you the capacity to initiate change. It is the neo-cortex, and in a well-developed individuals, works in harmony with the heart.
In other words, the well-developed individual has power over their emotions, desires and motivations.
When this part of your personality is more developed than other ruling archetypes, the Warrior and the Philanthropist, it is the ability to control your thoughts and emotions and adopt the most appropriate response to any given situation.
The respected psychoanalyst John W. Perry described the Ruler as the “central archetype” around which the rest of the psyche is organised.
The Ruler draws on the energies of other archetypes and relies on their integrated qualities to function and react to the environment in the most appropriate way— just as you rely on information stored as memory in the brain to reach your neocortex where you can rationalise, reason and plan.
If the information communicated via neural networks in your brain are driven by emotions and desire, you may not always make the best choices.
If the Ruler archetype is developed, your behaviours are aligned with your intention. You are disciplined, act with conviction, and strive for wholeness.
You are thriving.
In their book, King, Warrior, Magician, Lover, Jungian analysts Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette point out, the energy of the King archetype (which we recognise as the Ruler) means you are calm, centred and life-giving. When fully developed, it is the most important of the personality traits.
Thought-Provoking Quote
"The King archetype in its fullness possesses the qualities of order, of reasonable and rational patterning, of integration and integrity in the masculine psyche. It stabilizes chaotic emotion and out-of-control behaviors. It gives stability and centredness. It brings calm. And in its "fertilising" and centredness, it mediates vitality, life-force, and joy. It brings maintenance and balance. If defends our own sense of inner order, our own integrity of being and of purpose, our own central calmness about who we are, and our essential and unassailability and certainty."
~ Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette, King, Warrior, Magician, Lover
Many of the attributes mentioned in the above description share traits of the "True Self" described by religions. Jung aligned these traits with the "Self" archetype which he also described as the central organising aspect of the totality of consciousness.
It is the Self that prompts you to become whole and thrive.
Until you are able to honour the Self through discipline and strength of mind, you are ego-driven.
Thought-Provoking Quote
"..the Self, the imaginary center of wholeness, directs not only the species-specific but also the individual development of the human being...That is to say, in the human individual the Self exerts its effects as the tendency not only to play the typical role in one's adaptation to life but also to discover one's own authentic beingness and to achieve Self-realization through life and the collective; i.e., to actualize one-Self in one's own unique suchness. But for Self-realization all the phases of transformation are necessary."
~ Erich Neumann, Essays, Fear of the Feminine
An understanding of the Self-ego axis is essential when working with archetypes because unconscious energies take possession of the ego and prompt you to do things you have no real reason why.
This is a sign of a weak Ruler.
Whereas the Self prompts you to source your power from within, the ego is the outer-facing aspect of consciousness and seeks comfort from external sources; food, smoking, alcohol, sex, material desires etc.
The ego anchors you to mental states primed for emotional survival.
Unless you engage in introspection before making decisions, the ego is calling all the shots.
The ego are the memories stored in your neural networks. The decisions you make and the beliefs you hold are what have been handed down to you by your parents, teachers, peers and society as a whole.
Thought-Provoking Quote
“The weak ego is the neurotic ego; neurosis is an ego fault; cure is control from headquarters.”
~ James Hillman, Re-Visioning Psychology
People with a well-developed Ruler archetype typically have a goal which they are adept at putting into action.
Depending on whether the information you store as memory is benevolent or tyrannical, you will either persuade and inspire others to willingly support your vision or subdue them through manipulation and force.
When developed, the Ruler archetype is a good leader. You carry an air of authority, people respect your opinions and take your instructions on board. You will have a successful career, raise your children to have strong moral values, earn the respect of others and share a peaceful marriage with your partner.
You exude confidence and authority. When making decisions, you have the mental capacity to use logic and reasoning rather than knee-jerk reactions prompted by emotional impulses.
In symbolism, the “subjects” of a city, realm, kingdom or country are the cells in the body. If your children are afraid of you, their cells are also being damaged. Children living under an undeveloped Ruler are more prone to develop neurotic behaviours in adulthood.
For more information about how a father can disturb the emotional development of a child, read my article on the Father Complex.
When you provide your cells with good information your bodily functions work how they are designed to. This enables you to stay in good health. You also expand conscious awareness and make good decisions.
The shadow side of all the 12 major archetypes is the unconscious aspect of your psyche. To heal, you have to get to know your shadow archetypes and factor their positive aspects into your character armour.
The undeveloped Ruler places unreasonable demands on other people and gets angry at them if they do not fulfil your wishes.
Even if your desire at any given moment is inconsequential, the tyrannical king can make you fly off the handle if you are in a bad mood.
Because the tyrannical ruler wants complete control, people who are possessed by this archetype find it difficult to delegate. In such cases, the shadow energies will appear in the form of feeling overwhelmed. This is an indication for you to stop putting too many demands on yourself and learn to trust others.
When the Ruler archetype is underdeveloped, people will not admit they cannot do something in case it undermines their authority. This can cause a shadow projection of strict authoritarianism, both at work and at home.
Dishonesty will also rear up in the shadow and you will eventually feel overwhelmed and stressed.
Also known as The Caregiver, Mother, Queen, Maiden, Samaritan, Idealist, Healer
Together with the Ruler, the Caretaker is one of the most important archetypes to develop because it is ever-present. The Caretaker is responsible for taking care of the mundane day-to-day duties and responsibilities.
Mainstream psychology calls this archetype the Caregiver, but I feel as though this is the wrong description. This is evident by analysing the definitions of the words caretaker and caregiver.
The word “caregiver” is a relatively modern term that replaced the word “caretaker”. The Oxford English Dictionary describes a caretaker as “one who takes care of a thing, place, or person; one put in charge of anything.”
The caregiver is described as “a person who takes care of a sick or old person at home."
This latter definition indicates a caregiver takes care of other people. It doesn’t imply that you take care of yourself. The definition of the Caretaker implies that you need to take care of yourself as well as others.
That is the function of the Caretaker!
While the Ruler is more concerned with making the right decisions, the Caretaker considers other people. This archetype imbues unconditional love, compassion, dedication and patience.
Other attributes associated with the Caretaker are generosity, protection and nurturing. Developing the mother archetype enables you to willingly help others and put people’s needs before your own.
The Caretaker is a positive and nourishing mother. You are not afraid of upsetting your child by saying "No," because you know what is best for them.
You also have the flexibility and presence of mind to understand your offspring needs personal freedom. Whenever you can, you allow your children to explore the world and nurture their development through supervision, support and tuition.
The shadow side of the Caretaker is said to fall into the categories of the "victim" "martyr" or "slave" archetypes.
People-pleasing is a common trait when this archetype is undeveloped. Subsequently, you overstretch yourself and spend all your energy on other people rather than on your own emotional needs.
This type of behaviour is classified as the “Victim”. By giving yourself to others you lose your sense of Self and find it difficult to set boundaries. So you never say no and feel guilty when you do.
You become the 'Victim' because of the overwhelming feelings of bitterness and resentment. Guilt-tripping becomes part of your personality because you project your repressed feelings of guilt onto others.
Ultimately, you want to be recognised for your good deeds and validated so your self-esteem is given a boost. Shadow energies of the Caretaker surface as feelings of inadequacy.
As an adult, you can often feel overwhelmed with situations you think are beyond your realm of capability. This makes you feel incompetent and unworthy -- feelings instilled in childhood because you were molly-coddled by your parents.
Feelings of guilt and shame ultimately impact your ability to relax and enjoy life. Trapped in your hips, these blocked energies prevent the loving and creative aspect of the feminine principle from flowing through you.
AKA: Member, Orphan, Persona, Realist, Victim
The main focus of the Everyman archetype is to fit in, find a sense of belonging and enjoy life. The motivation for this aspect of your nature is a subconscious longing to be accepted by others.
The Everyman, therefore, serves a function of connecting with others and making friends - something this archetype excels at when its qualities are integrated into the conscious personality.
You are delightful, charming, agreeable, accommodating and amiable. People instantly take to you.
But whilst this aspect of your personality gives you the capacity to form relationships, it can also hides the real you in the background.
Jung warned that if you associate with your persona, you lose your own identity and hide behind the mask you don to society.
Thought-Provoking Quote
“It is only because the persona represents a more or less arbitrary and fortuitous segment of the collective psyche that we can make the mistake of regarding it in total as something individual. It is, as its name implies, only a mask of the collective psyche, a mask that feigns individuality, making others and oneself believe that one is individual, whereas one is simply acting a role through which the collective psyche speaks.”
~ Carl Jung, CW7 Two Essays on Analytical Psychology (1928)
When this archetype is balanced you perform well in groups and share a common vision. You don’t feel the need to stand out, just serve your function as part of a team.
Although you work hard, you are content with a simple life. Your family is important and you make time to give them the attention they deserve.
Also known as the orphan archetype, the Everyman yearns for personal safety by spending time with other people. Although this archetype is a natural development from the Divine Child there is still a vulnerability about the individual that craves company.
This generally occurs when your trust was betrayed as a child.
However, the imbalance may have been caused by something that is quite natural in the life of a young child.
For example, when you realise the utopian fantasy you have as a child is not how the world really works, there is a high possibility you were left feeling powerless, hence the need to be supported by team members as an adult.
The gravest fear in the Everyman archetype is to feel left out. Being ignored is devastating.
As a result, when this archetype is dominant, you are emotionally sensitive and may be inclined to seek revenge against anybody that causes upset, rejection or humiliation.
A weakness of the Everyman personality is that they are dependent on other people. This can give you a character weakness that exudes a feeling of helplessness and a codependency on others.
An underdeveloped Everyman archetype will also prompt you to conform to societal norms and the demands of people you want to belong to. This will often lead to people-pleasing tendencies, saying yes to things you don’t really want to do.
The Everyman is distinguishable from the Caretaker here in that you agree to go places your friends want to go and do things they want to do even though you do not get any personal satisfaction from them.
Adolescents can often fall into this trap when they are dared to do something dangerous or foolish by their peers. To fit in, the Everyman will do whatever it takes to be validated by the "friends' they hang around with.
At some point, you will realise they are not your friends because they do not respect or serve your emotional well-being.
The Shadow Everyman is likely to manifest as anxiety.
Denying yourself the things you want to do in life, takes away the things that you need to grow emotionally and spiritually. As you get older this will manifest as restlessness and an overwhelming desire to differentiate yourself from your friends.
Also known as Artist, Architect Innovator, Inventor, Visionary, Hermit
The Creator archetype is a transformative energy when used in the right way. This archetype brings the power of imagination and foresight which enables you to envision the future and prepare yourself for real-life situation you anticipate to find yourself in.
This capacity can, therefore, help you to plan what to say or do in order to create the outcome you desire.
Artistic, or imaginative qualities, generated by the Creator archetype, can also provide you with inspiration and a vision. It is this "visionary" element of your personality that is ultimately adopted by the Ruler archetype.
A positive aspect of the Creator archetype is the willingness to constantly learn. Eager to improve, you can adapt to new circumstances without feeling flustered.
With the rapid pace of advancements in technology, new challenges come thick and fast. Being able to call upon the qualities of the Creator (or Magician) enables you to work out a solution that works in your best interests.
Negative traits of the Creator archetype are perfectionist tendencies. This part of your personality can often cause you to lose sight of what you have achieved.
When you focus on perfection, you struggle to accept things for how they are. The expression “an artist's work is never finished” perfectly sums up the shadow side of the Creator archetype.
The inability to be content with what you have and move on is obviously a detriment to self-development. Unless you explore other aspects of life, you cannot develop your personality and ultimately become stale.
Moreover, whilst ever you pursue the ultimate creation, you lack stability and comfort. Individuals with a dominant Creator in their personalities tend to be emotional -- and emotional discharges can create something of beauty or they can create chaos.
As a consequence, this archetype can destabilise your relationships. Self-sabotage through withdrawal and exclusion are the modus operandi of this archetype.
Also known as The Child, Innocent, Shaman, Healer, Idealist
The Divine Child is a modern product of Jung’s child archetype. This archetype is the closest you will get to the True Self or Inner Child spoken of by Eastern mystics.
This archetype is an evident part of your personality when you enjoy inner peace, serve from a place of authenticity and live an uncomplicated existence -- not by avoiding complications but by adopting a carefree attitude that unravels complications and fills you with optimism.
We are born as the Divine Child. As children, we can become separated from this aspect of ourselves and have to search for our way "home".
When we are born, our awareness is solely in the unconscious. Between the ages of 1-2 years old, we start to develop ego - our connection to the outer world. This connection to the outer world can disconnect us from our inner world.
Thought-Provoking Quote
“By the end of the first year of life, if not before, the egogerm of the child begins to prepare for its subsequent autonomy. Initially this development, too, is sheltered by the mother, who supports and furthers the child's growing independence just as she does its learning to walk and to talk. While the first postnatal, embryonic year still stands under the sign of the unconscious unity of mother and child in the primal relationship in which the mother is simultaneously world and Self, the "migration" (as we have called it elsewhere) of the Self from mother to child gradually begins. With this second birth at the end of the first year of life and "postnatal embryonic period," the ego-development and increasing independence of the child's personality become evident.”
~ Erich Neumann, Fear And The Development of Personality
As a newborn child, we are totally oblivious to the outer world. We live in a pure state of bliss without any awareness of the dangers and stresses related to life. It is also said that you fall back into this state of pure consciousness when you die.
The Divine Child archetype is the aspect of your consciousness that can guide you back to the unconscious in search of innate wisdom. Jung believed this wisdom comes from the collective unconscious - a second source of consciousness which is separate from the personal unconscious (subconscious).
As an archetype, the Divine Child is the most unique. It exists in a state of potential and relies on the qualities of the other archetypes to be realised as the Ruler. Whist in a state of potential, it is unrealised.
You may even be unconscious to how you can realise your potential because you have no personal experience of it.
It is the “Alpha to the Omega” a phrase associated with mysticism. It is an idea or desire that must be nurtured to fruition, or the Hero's journey from being a mortal man to becoming spiritually enlightened.
In some respects, primordial energies contain the purity - and thus innocence - of a child. It is the aspect of your nature that is easily pleased.
The ability to connect with your inner guide can instil a sense of trust in your Self and stir utopia within you.
For all the positive traits the Divine Child offers, the shadow side causes serious problems.
People who turn a blind eye to corruption or have an emotional detachment to "evil" are typically possessed by this archetype. A woman who goes back to the husband who beats her is a good example.
It is often the case that people living a sheltered life are strongly influenced by the Divine Child archetype. They have subsequently grown into adult children and harbour childish personality traits.
This behaviour is because they have not learned to deal with failure and accept any wrongdoing of their own.
They can also be precocious and difficult to reason with. Moreover, they shy away from challenges and ignore anything that disturbs their emotional well-being. In doing so, they invite more problems into their lives moving forward.
They have yet to realise that every problem or situation they encounter in life is an opportunity to learn something about themselves and find the happiness they crave. The shadow side of the innocent archetype acts as a catalyst for growth.
Thought-Provoking Quote
“This agrees exactly with our experience of the psychology of the individual, which shows the “child” paves the way for a future change of personality. In the individuation process, it anticipates the figure that comes from the synthesis of conscious and unconscious elements in the personality. It is therefore a symbol which unites the opposites; a mediator, bringer of healing, that is, one who makes whole.”
~ Carl Jung, The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious
Naivety is also a shadow trait of this archetype. This can lead them to trust people who will to rip them off - or cause harm. The Divine Child in an adolescent is likely to suffer abuse at school.
Also known as The Seeker, Revolutionary, Entrepreneur, Hunter, Archer, Rebel, Sleuth, Detective, Philosopher
The archetype of the Explorer is your desire to research, discover and learn. When this aspect of your consciousness is awakened, you may be prompted to go on a voyage of self-discovery in one form or another.
The Explorer is a second-tier stage of character development - when the child breaks away from the will of the parents. It’s not simply that you crave adventure. You are in search of your independence, your identity.
This archetype is essential to break away from the unconscious grip of the Father and Mother complexes. Teenagers who rebel against their parents are developing this side of their personality.
For others, the Explorer emerges later in life when they realise something is missing from their life.
The Explorer energy raises curiosity and compels you to go in search of meaning. This energy may initially surface as intuition and compel you to explore the matter further.
It is a subtle energy that invites seekers into the temptation of discovery. Your willingness to try new things ultimately results in a richer quality of life.
The Explorer archetype is often one that remains repressed in adults and thus surfaces frequently in shadow behaviour.
Because society forces us to conform to pre-determined norms, people do not feel the need to explore alternative options. We also tend to believe what we are told as children and grow up with stored memories hold limiting beliefs, false truths and destructive habits.
This also accounts for why pop music and mediocre TV shows are the most "popular". They are popular because they are known and most people have not explored alternative options.
If you always settle for what is handed to you on a plate, you will have a mediocre experience from the comfort of your bubble. The rich quality of life you crave will be nothing more than pining and fantasy.
When the shadow Explorer appears it is often destructive. You may take an interest in drugs to escape the monotony and mundane nature of life. You will become addicted to whatever drives your motivation.
And if your interest in life is limited to the superficial views of pop culture, your views and experience of life will also be limited.
An urge to do something dangerous for the adrenaline rush, the search for excitement and obsessive ambitions are all attributes of the seeker looking for something fulfilling.
The Explorer energy can also give you an irrational fear that you're missing out on something. It will make you agitated and restless. You, therefore, flit from one thing to the next and never actually finish or accomplish anything.
When this archetype is repressed, you feel unfulfilled. You soon become restless and feel the need to change your circumstances. "There must be more to life than this!" becomes a regular sigh for you.
However, if this energy is undeveloped but becomes a dominant force in your psyche, you resist settling down and starting a family.
Finding stability and grounding in your life becomes a struggle because you think restlessness can be cured by finding a new environment instead of developing qualities that would enable you to deal with the challenges you face.
A positive manifestation of the shadow is the urge to leave a job or a relationship that is not working for you. Sometimes, the situations you get trapped in are because of the conforming nature of the Divine Child. The explorer compels you to find your own path and mould your own identity.
Individuals who have not developed a hero archetype by middle age will typically undergo a mid-life crisis in search of an identity. This can occur in a variety of ways but typically involves acting out unfulfilled dreams.
The problem many people encounter during a mid-life crisis, however, is they hold on to their youth instead of acting in a way that is more fitting for their age. Whilst this newfound freedom or interest can bring joy, it may not necessarily help you to mature and develop conscious awareness.
Essentially, the explorer archetype forces you to evolve. It helps you to discover new interests, to find a different perspective and to acquire more knowledge.
Unless you develop the explorer archetype, you will not mature or experience a rich quality of life. However, sometimes you need to call on the other attributes of the hero archetype - the warrior and the lover.
Other Hero Archetypes: Rescuer, Athlete, Survivor, Scout
The Hero is characterised by courage and motivation. It is the aspect of consciousness that compels you to face your fears regardless of how nervous or anxious you are. It is part of you that has to battle with the challenges you face in the world - and indeed, with your own weaknesses.
Among Jung's original classification of archetypes, the Hero is a blend of the warrior and the explorer. For the Hero to become activated, you must have the willingness and curiosity to learn about the world and the courage to explore it.
Although the Hero is only the second stage of personal development, it has transformative qualities. You only upgrade subconscious programs by putting thoughts and emotions into action. The Hero compels you to move towards self-actualisation and gives you the courage to overcome limiting beliefs implanted in your subconscious.
Individuals that confront their fears, explore the world to discover themselves or successfully give up addictions and habitual behaviours have a strong hero-warrior archetype.
Without the Hero, you will have an unfulfilling life. Unless you evoke this power of this energy, you don’t fulfil the needs of the Explorer which ultimately makes you restless and frustrated.
The Hero archetype is, therefore, the catalyst you need to experience life and learn new skills that will successfully help you navigate the journey. The Warrior aspect of the hero also gives you the perseverance to keep trying until you master whatever challenges lie in your path.
Archetypal energy that appears on the shadow side of the Hero is a willingness to fight the good fight but for the wrong cause. This can lead you to defend your values and actions or remain loyal to someone even when the facts and motivations are not in your best interests or contribute to the greater good.
The shadow side to the Hero character is often found in individuals who had parent(s) or teachers that rejected aspects of your natural instincts typical of a child. Considering yourself as a failure early in life programs low self-esteem and the need to prove yourself to people.
But this can just as easily originate from infanthood when you were denied or refused something you wanted and developed a program that you are not worthy enough to be granted your desires.
As a result, you remain stuck in a situation you don’t want to be in or keep experiencing “bad luck” because you have not learned your lessons and evolved.
For instance, it might be difficult for you to end a relationship because your hero is governed by lust. This is because you are possessed by The Lover archetype that leads you into temptation for the wrong reasons. If you keep going back to a lover you know is not right for you, you need to summon the strength to bring the relationship to a final end.
Lust can appear in many forms and is a product of not getting what you want or wish for. This emotion is often repressed at a very early age and is deep-rooted in everyone. It takes the courage of a warrior to break away from these chains of delusion.
Thought-Provoking Quote
“There is a lust for revenge, which is called rage; a lust for having money, which is called avarice; a lust for victory at all costs, which is called stubbornness; a lust for self-glorification, which is called boastfulness. There are many and varied kinds of lust, some of which are specifically named, others not. For who could easily give a name to the lust for domination, which, as we know from the civil wars, is nevertheless very powerful in the minds of tyrants?”
~ St. Augustine
The Hero, although having outgrown the child, is still among the immature archetypes. The weakness is in failing to control your desires with rational thinking. Subsequently, you have a tendency to rush into something without a strategy or forward planning.
That said, the Hero is central to personal development and the enjoyment of life. When this side of your character is developed you can go on to achieve the greatest good. But when underdeveloped, you will remain unhappy and unfulfilled.
An inability to be honest and open with people is also a shadow aspect of the Hero. You may avoid expressing how you truly think and feel because you are afraid of what other people might think of you.
There may also be times when you feel vulnerable or dependent on others to make your decisions for you rather than voicing what you really want. A weak hero will typically avoid taking an opportunity because it's easier to stay in your comfort zone.
Other times you will act spontaneously without a plan. Here we see the naivety of the child who has not yet developed Hero consciousness. Whereas spontaneity is a good way of developing the 12 major archetypes, other times it will leave you unprepared and floundering - so choose your moments wisely.
This is the result of a lack of trust in yourself because you were reprimanded for “being stupid” when you were a child. If you did something which “could have got you killed (or hurt)”, the Hero in you is repressed.
The same problem may occur if you were never praised for your achievements. A disruption to your confidence-building process in childhood will prompt you to push beyond your limits in adulthood.
Subsequently, the shadow warrior causes you to be wild and reckless as an adult. Here the hero is trying to break into your conscious thinking but has to push you to the extremes - and perhaps beyond your capabilities.
In this scenario, the Self overrides the part of your ego that serves to protect your survival. Because the unconscious drives life, when it is suppressed, it will turn against you.
Thought-Provoking Quote
“The unconscious is not a demoniacal monster, but a natural entity which, as far as moral sense, aesthetic taste, and intellectual judgement go, is completely neutral. It only becomes dangerous when our conscious attitude to it is hopelessly wrong. To the degree that we repress it, its danger increases. But the moment the patient begins to assimilate contents that were previously unconscious, its danger diminishes. The dissociation of personality, the anxious division of the day-time and the night-time sides of the psyche, cease with progressive assimilation.”
~ Carl Jung, The Essential Jung: Selected Writings
People who look to establish their sense of Self are on the path to expressing their uniqueness. There is a lingering feeling that you have to prove yourself and leave a mark on the world. The Hero can help you achieve your goals but unless the positive aspects of this energy are developed, the warrior archetype is destructive and harmful.
This act of defiance is the explorer or outlaw archetype which are essential aspects of the hero. It can often surface in people in their 40s who decide to leave the corporate world and set up their own business, design an innovative product or develop an innovative form of creative work.
Also known as Rebel, Outlaw, Father, Destroyer, Entrepreneur
The Philanthropist archetype is a well-developed version of the Caretaker and emerges in outspoken individuals that recognise when a need for change is required; either in the physical world or within yourself.
Whereas the Caretaker can easily become bogged down by emotions, the Philanthropist has more control over their feelings. You are more confident, clear on your intentions and courageous enough to bring ideas and opportunities into the world without feeling the need to be accepted, loved or appreciated.
Because the Philanthropist cares about making the world a better place, you are often in opposition to government figures, irresponsible corporations and anybody else you do not feel is serving the community in constructive ways.
How you care for others can be a reflection of how you are not paying yourself sufficient care and attention. Like the Caretaker, when this archetype is undeveloped, you have an insecurity complex which prompts you to be driven by desire.
Attachments you use to provide comfort can consume your life and you have a tendency to spend more time working than enjoying time with your family.
But the Philanthropist has the vision to see beyond the veil of illusion. If this energy is a dominant force in your psyche, you have a tendency to reconnect with yourself quickly and recognise a change is required.
The Philanthropist gives you the capacity to let go of habits, routines or attachments that no longer serve a constructive purpose. You can make bold decisions if you believe it is the best thing to do for the greater good. This inner strength enables you to develop as a person, evolve spiritually, improve your career and build loving and meaningful relationships.
When the Philanthropist is wounded, this energy shows up as agitation, impatience, arrogance, doubt, dissatisfaction and stubbornness. You can become argumentative, dictatorial, irrational and selfish.
This energy typically emerges as an ideal but to realise what you believe is best, you have to take constructive action. This may be something you have to do for yourself or with the help of others. But the wounded Philanthropist struggles to find the courage or the communication skills to enact change.
If, on the other hand, you are endowed with courage from the Hero or the Warrior, you may try and bring about the change but go about it the wrong way. Irrational behaviour creeps in and you find yourself becoming less intolerant, bad-tempered, overstretched, frustrated and impractical.
The underlying motivation for the undeveloped Philanthropist is a desperate need for recognition and a single-mindedness that you have to get what you want. If you notice these negative traits are ruining your relationships and hindering your progress, you need to take a step back and have a word with yourself.
To successfully integrate the Philanthropist archetype, you must be prepared to make changes logically and go with the flow to adapt to new ways of being.
Also known as Wizard, Sorcerer, Wise Judge (wise old man), Oracle, Muse, Pope, Magician
The Sage archetype serves as the bridge to creating the life you envision for yourself. This energy emerges as self-awareness and intuitive thoughts that are accompanied by a feeling of certainty -- an inner knowing if you will.
Whereas intuition in the Divine Child and Explorer archetypes can sometimes be naive and undeveloped, the force is matured and much stronger in the Sage. This is your inner wisdom. To fully develop the Sage, you must learn to trust this inner wisdom is the Truth (the whole truth and nothing but the truth).
In mythology, the Sage archetype shares a close relationship with the King. This character is often the Ruler's adviser as it can help guide your decision-making.
The Sage personality tends to be intellectual, knowledgeable and wise. Essentially, the energy of the Sage is a transformative power which is why we say 'Knowledge is Power'.
The Sage archetype can be likened to the magician in the second card of the tarot. The figure of the Magician is seen with the four elements he will work with on the table in front of him. This imagery reflects the inner Sage in you understands how to focus your energies, work with the forces of nature and use whatever resources you have to hand.
The four elements also represent psychological abilities; passion (fire), logic (air), creativity (water) and application (Earth).
With the capacity to work with your innate forces of nature, the magician in you can transform consciousness and enable you to perceive the world in a different way.
By tapping into the infinite resource of the unconscious, the wisdom of the Sage appears - the next development of consciousness once you have mastered control of your inner magician.
It is wisdom that enables you to detach from the world, to step back and observe in order to gain a perspective.
People with a well-defined magician archetype are often introverted and considered the quiet, silent types. Detachment can be seen as cold and unfriendly, but can also be recognised as a sign of inner strength.
Subsequently, you will find that people who do not understand this aspect of human nature do not trust you and will keep their distance. They may see you as a loner or a weirdo.
On the contrary, healthy Sage types enjoy being in the presence of other people who engage them in one form or another, intellectually and emotionally. However, there comes a point where you have to retreat to your own space to recuperate.
The shadow nature of the Sage typically appears as three types of subtle energies; hyper-critical, emotional detachment and a refusal to see the Truth.
Although Sage’s energy enables you to see more alternatives, you may not always be satisfied with the options you have and often feel there is a better option. This search for the perfect solution leaves you feeling unsatisfied with what you’ve got.
Watch the video on Perfectionism for more information.
Here we see a close relationship with the shadow King (i.e. Midas) who always wants more. This is a common problem in young people who have too many options. You may even have strong sensations of mental paralysis that cloud your decision-making.
Detachment has both positive and negative connotations. Whereas you may not be interested in material possessions, you can take this too far and deny yourself the smaller pleasures in life that are enjoyed by the Lover archetype.
Because you have little time for small talk and have a short-thrift with people who do not meet your intellectual standards, you tend to shy away from social events and may even label yourself as an introvert.
You may be an introvert, but if you retreat too far into solitude, you may cut people out of your life -- including family members. Doing so can starve you of emotional nutrition.
When the Sage energy is unbalanced, you may also have a tendency to analyse your emotions intellectually rather than experiencing the feeling. You live in your head which cuts you off from your body.
Another shadow energy that poses the Sage problems in relationships is the tendency to be overly critical. You have an ideal of how you think the world should be and expect other people to adhere to your standards. This can make you appear irrational and arrogant.
Also known as Maiden, Addict, Hedonist, Damsel, Prostitute, Courtesan
Moore and Gillett feel that of all the 12 major archetypes, the Lovers energy is missing the most in modern men. As a result, men are disconnected from their emotions and the world around them.
The Lover archetype encourages you to love yourself so that you are capable of loving others. But it is also this binding energy that invites you to indulge and delight in the things you love in life.
When Lover energy is developed, you feel comfortable in your skin, you can laugh at yourself, you feel life and have a deep sense of love, gratitude and appreciation.
Whereas the wounded Hero finds it difficult to be open, the Lover understands that honesty is the root of commitment and affection. This energy enables you to find happiness in being part of somebody else’s life and is ultimately a healing influence for the wounded Hero.
But the Lover archetype is not merely about sex and the ability to form long-lasting relationships; it involves an inner knowing of what you like and what you don’t. A positive Lover archetype has control of "libido" - the vital creative energies that influence your behaviours and make you a magnet for the things you deserve.
The energy of the Lover archetype appears in flashes of inspiration that spark creativity. It is the primordial energies of Jung’s Maiden archetype that propels you from the cocoon of your parents and enables you to start experiencing life independently.
In doing so you start to understand what life is all about - which is why it is important to integrate the Lover by reading social cues and being empathetic towards others. By understanding the nature of others, you learn about your own nature and vice versa.
When the Lover is awakened, you develop a passion and an appetite to pursue personal interests. The Lover is, therefore, a perfect foil for the Hero archetype. We see this in Aphrodite's infatuation with Ares in Greek mythology.
The Lover archetype also fuels inspiration in the Everyman archetype which is needed to develop a dedication to yourself rather than attaching yourself to the interests of other people just to fit in. In men, Lover energy helps you develop key feminine qualities of care, nurturance, bonding and self-love.
In women, it enables you to escape the devouring mother, become independent and pursue your goals. In essence, the Lover provokes aspirations and gives your life meaning.
According to Moore and Gilette, the Lover is usually the most repressed archetype in Western men. This is due to a patriarchal mentality in which men are not encouraged to express their emotions. As a result, male adults are “not in touch with their feelings.”
The Lover is also repressed in children who are brought up in an environment that sets narrow boundaries. Parents who are devoutly religious or have rigid views of how to behave and how not to behave ultimately destroy the lover archetype in their child.
Destroying the Lover archetype ultimately hinders the ability of a person to love themselves and form attachments in the external world that are healthy and constructive. This has a devastating impact on the life of an adult.
A lack of self-love ultimately erupts in destructive behaviours. On the one hand, a repressed Lover becomes promiscuous and addicted to drugs, food or some other obsessive passion that feeds your emotions.
On the other hand, you can become impotent and have difficulty forming relationships or finding anything you can relate to. To overcome the Shadow, you have to invoke the energies of the Explorer and embark on a voyage of self-discovery otherwise you risk becoming lost, confused and depressed.
Not only can loving someone too much lead to infatuation and suffocate your partner, but the intense feelings will inevitably lead to rabid jealousy, disappointment and petty arguments. It will also make you turn a blind eye when your partner is ill-treating you or humiliating you.
Someone who is completely out of sync with the Lover archetype feels flat and empty. They have no passion for anything and struggle to form meaningful relationships.
A lack of self-worth can also make you eternally restless. The hapless romantic is always searching for the right person, or an experience, that makes you feel alive. The shadow Lover appears as needy, dissatisfied and depressed.
On the other hand, you could become so obsessed with a project, hobby or vice that it eventually drives you to ruin rather than bringing you joy. Obsessions can cause problems with your relationships and your finances.
Without the Lover, you feel vulnerable and over-reliant on someone or something; alcohol, coffee, marijuana, cocaine etc. Like obsession, dependency is a road to ruin.
A common cause of the shadow Lover is a false belief that you cannot love or be loved. The neurosis stems from a lack of emotional support or love when you were a child.
You may also have abandonment issues which have not been resolved. A feeling of abandonment in infants cannot be avoided. Studies have found that babies feel abandoned the first time the mother leaves them alone. If parents do not respond to the cries (demands) of a baby in good time, the infant will feel abandoned. However, you don't want your child growing up as a spoiled brat either.
These early issues of abandonment can, of course, be rectified as a child matures. With love, affection and care, a child will grow into a self-confident adult who should have the capacity to forge relationships with strong bonds. When the Lover archetype is allowed to flourish, people feel connected to everything and everyone.
Other Trickster Archetypes: Joker, Fool, Joker, Entertainer, Magician,
The Trickster is the playful side of your character that seeks to bring joy and laughter. This archetype is the side of your nature that softens the intensity of the Ruler's energy and helps you to relax into family or social life. It is also the Trickster's positive energy that can make a strict Ruler a warm and amiable leader.
As with the other 12 major archetypes, however, the Trickster has a bipolar attitude which does not recognise anything of value. The shadow Trickster will try to fool other people with lies and manipulation. But essentially you are only fooling yourself.
However, a positive aspect of this seemingly manipulative nature of the Trickster is that it can deflate your ego. A role of the Trickster is to help you recognise the error of your ways and bring you to self-awareness. However, it can do this by making you feel like a fool.
Thought-Provoking Quote
“When the trickster is evident in the psyche, there is a “personification of traits of character which are sometimes worse and sometimes better than those the ego-personality possesses..the trickster motif does not crop up only in its mythical form but appears just as naively and authentically in the unsuspecting modern man - whenever, in fact, he feels himself at the mercy of annoying “accidents” which thwart his will and his actions with apparently malicious intent. He then speaks of “hoodoos” and “jinxes” or of the “mischievousness of the object”…on a civilised level, it is regarded as a personal “gaffe”, “slip” “faux pas” etc, which are then chalked up as defects of the conscious personality.” The “main part of him [the trickster] gets personalised and is made an object of personal responsibility.”
~ Carl Jung, The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious
From a positive perspective, the Trickster teaches you not to take life too seriously, to make jokes and not to be too hard on yourself or others. Together, the Jester and the King are the quintessence of work-life balance. In medieval Royal Courts, it was the role of the Jester to distract the King from his world responsibilities and concerns and to keep his feet on the ground to prevent him from becoming egotistical.
The Trickster places pleasure and happiness above all else. It is a crucial aspect of consciousness which helps you to dissolve the stress associated with modern lifestyles. This archetype can also serve as a bridge and re-connect you with the “Divine Child” which is spontaneous and creatively playful.
When the playful side of your nature is ignored and suppressed because your personality is dominated by an egotistical Ruler, the Trickster will appear to make a fool of you.
Jung classified the Trickster as a rudimentary stage of psychological development - the “psyche that has hardly left the animal level.” It shows up as “instinctual, uninhibited, and often childish.”
It is the prankster in the classroom, the joker in the group, the inhibited leader of the pack, and the fool who acts without any thought of the consequences.
But whilst the trickster archetype is capable of buffoonery and crude behaviour, he can also fuel the creative function to bring forth innovative ideas and serve as a teacher who helps to bring unconscious content to the conscious mind.
Thought-Provoking Quote
“The trickster as a “primitive “cosmic” being of divine-animal nature, on the one hand superior to man because of his superhuman qualities, and on the other hand inferior to him because of his unreason and unconsciousness.”
~ Carl Jung, The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious
When the Trickster is evident in the psyche, the individual will have personality traits that are sometimes better and sometimes worse than the ego possesses.
For example, whereas the shadow nature of this archetype provokes the personal consciousness to acknowledge your character flaws, the Trickster will make you believe anything is possible even when it isn’t.
Although Jung classified the Trickster as “a summation of all the inferior traits of character in individuals” [CW9i], it is the aspect of consciousness that attempts to instil a belief that your goals are possible. In one sense, this energy tricks the ego to help you realise the error of your ways, but the trick may also be to encourage you to pursue opportunities by revealing to you that you have the acumen to achieve your goals despite self-doubt.
We see this clearly in mythology. Prometheus steals the fire from the gods to give to humans. Fire is a motif representing passion and thoughts and the gods are your higher conscious nature - the archetypes that possess the qualities you need to succeed.
In another myth, Hermes, recognised as the ultimate trickster in Greek mythology, steals Apollo’s (conscious mind) cattle on the day he is born (new idea) and hides them from the sun god (replaces concrete beliefs with a different attitude or belief).
People who can laugh at themselves and make others laugh have integrated the positive nature of the trickster archetype into their personalities. So too have free-spirited innovators who can think outside the box and “transform the meaningless into the meaningful.”
However, because the Trickster cannot always be trusted, you have to be on your guard to apply logic and distinguish mad-hatter ideas from the realm of fantasy. The Trickster will fill your mind with false perceptions.
The Trickster's shadow manifests in negative ways. When the playful side of your nature that seeks enjoyment is repressed, the shadow strikes a compromise - usually into self-destructive behaviours.
This immature energy will go in search of comfort to fulfil the survival needs of your animal nature that is unaware of its divinity.
Thus the Trickster’s capacity to ‘deceive’ the conscious mind may draw you towards emotional eating, drugs, alcohol, sex or any other obsessive addiction because you think you need it to get through the moment.
If you observe what happens and how you feel when the shadow trickster is at play, you can release trapped emotions that are buried deep in your subconscious.
A person who has a dominant Trickster archetype will have mental flights of fancy but can often be made to appear like a fool. You will also find yourself caught in two minds, confused by the crossroads you encounter, making jokes in inappropriate moments and feeling sexually rampant.
These are symptoms of an immature mind that has not outgrown the childish behaviour which makes the Trickster archetype such an adorable character. When permitted to project too often, the Trickster can become annoying.
As a teacher, the Trickster can warn against the dangers of arrogance or excessive pride. This energy will bring people who brag or exaggerate achievements back down to earth with a bang.
Like the Sage, the wounded Trickster also has a tendency to live in their heads, but in this case, it is your imagination that consumes you rather than intellectual pursuits.
Whilst a creative imagination can produce positive results, individuals with a wounded Trickster who have not activated the constructive nature of the Hero, have a tendency to imagine how their life could be rather than actually taking positive steps to manifest desire into reality.
Regardless of whether the Trickster appears as the inspirational creative force or the self-sabotaging destructive force, this archetype is a catalyst to establish order out of chaos.
Other Warrior Archetypes: Destroyer, Dragon-slayer, Knight, Soldier, Outlaw
The Warrior archetype has a positive mental attitude that imbues you with self-confidence, composure and courage. You know what you want, you know how to get it and you don’t hold back from facing whatever challenges you have to face to meet your objectives.
When the Warrior is in its fullness, you are self-assured and have an inner calm that enables you to control your emotions. You’re not afraid to make mistakes, and when you do, you recover from setbacks quickly. The defining characteristics of the Warrior archetype are personal integrity, practical logic and the determination to succeed.
When the Warrior’s energy is underdeveloped, you’re afraid to make mistakes and don’t admit any wrongdoing. You also refuse to acknowledge your shortcomings and blame your failure on someone or something else.
The wounded Warrior is more likely to stubbornly drive toward a desire fuelled by greed, arrogance or misdirected pride (to prove a point) than accept you do not have the capabilities. But doing so sets you up for defeat whereby you become defensive and aggressive.
If you allow your ego to remain undeveloped and overinflated, you risk being absorbed by anxiety and depression because you no longer trust your ability to cope with your environment.
The Warrior is a mature version of the Hero. The key differences are that the Warrior knows your limitations and has a strategy in place before taking action. The Hero rushes into battle with a false sense of pride and blind hope.
We see this aspect of the Hero-Warrior dichotomy in the characters of Athena and Ares in Greek mythology. Athena, goddess of wisdom and crafts serves as a protective and guiding influence that is loved by her father Zeus, whereas Ares loses his battles because he is overcome by pride and passion.
A developed Warrior is noticeable in the time you are able to overcome a setback. When you experience a disappointment, the developed Warrior reacts sooner than you ordinarily would if this energy is underdeveloped or dormant.
The capacity to pick yourself up dust yourself down and go again is a sign of courage and a willingness to learn from mistakes. This energy imbues the fearlessness you may need to achieve lofty goals.
In the Master Mind Content Essential Self-Development Program, Athena is associated with both the Warrior and the Sage.
Athena. Of course, is known as the goddess of wisdom. The etymology of philosophy comes from the Greek root - philo (love) and sophia (wisdom). In essence, the Sage embodies the ‘love of wisdom’ and the Warrior gives you the confidence and the courage to follow your ideas through with positive actions.
A yardstick to measure whether your Warrior energy is a dominant force is how aggressive you are. The Shadow nature of the Warrior is overly aggressive even when you're trying to be assertive.
Aggressive energy surfaces in ugly ways; violence, anger, frustration, abusiveness, jealousy, revenge, impatience, recklessness and irrational behaviour.
A lack of emotional security can also lead to indiscretions that involve some form of risk-taking; i.e. cheating on your spouse, extreme sports, gambling higher bets than you can afford.
To develop the Warrior in you, it is important to recognise your inner knowledge but also to avoid unnecessary conflicts and arguments.
Because the Warrior’s insecurity surfaces as aggressiveness/defensiveness, a dislike of being told what to do and distrust of people in a position of authority, you do not want to be influenced by others. This is due to an underlying fear that you will have to relinquish your power which, at times, means losing control of your personal power.
Subconsciously, you don't trust yourself to do the right thing in some areas of your life and ultimately project this onto other people.
This can cause you to lose sight of personal growth to the point where you become competitive and selfish. In this frame of mind, you risk developing a “Me versus the World” attitude rather than recognising the interconnectedness of the world as the Philanthropist does.
Everything becomes a duality for the wounded Warrior; winning and losing, profit and loss, all or nothing. And the unhealthy Warrior does not like to lose and walk away with nothing. Subsequently, you are always fighting, always struggling and always keeping up your guard.
As you can see, it's important to understand the nature of each of the 12 major archetypes and determine which qualities you need to develop. The archetypes can also be used to identify complexes, and neurotic behaviours and determine the root cause of emotional wounds.
Understanding the 12 major archetypes gives you a powerful tool that enables you to recognise how you are causing problems in your life. But more importantly, they help you to determine tailored solutions that work for you.
The Master Mind Content Essential Self-Development Program takes you into a deep understanding of the 12 major archetypes. But to make it easier to learn and remember all the qualities and frailties of human nature, each of the archetypes has been assigned a male and female god from the Greek pantheon.
The gods and goddesses represent masculine and feminine energies that need balancing, and the stories and images in a rich body of mythology increase memory recall and help you to identify which archetype is influencing your life faster than any other archetypal model.
You will also learn how depth psychologists determine the root causes of common complexes, how the human psycho-biological system works, philosophies that enable you to adopt new ways of being, tools that help bring self-awareness to the light of the conscious mind and how you can use esoteric symbolism as a self-development tool.
In addition, to a 230+ page handbook describing the 12 major archetypes in detail, you also have access to additional content stored in the VIP Members Area and in one-to-one consultations with our guides. We consistently upload new content into the VIP Members Area so you will always have access to valuable information at no extra cost for as long as Master Mind Content remains a business.
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