2. My Archetypes

It can be difficult to discover personal meaning and purpose if we don’t have a clear picture of the patterns and symbols playing themselves out in our life.

Twentieth-century psychiatrist CG Jung identified blueprints or unconscious patterns of behaviour in the human psyche and called them archetypes.

Archetypes are patterns that are universally recognized. We see Archetypes in myths, fairy tales, literature, and movies.

There are individual and universal archetypes. Mother or Father are examples of universal archetypes; symbols which all beings relate to in one way or another. Individual archetypes are more specific to us as individual. For example one may identify with The Wounded Child, The Teacher or The Warrior archetype.


Dreams and myths are constellations of archetypal images. The archetype speaks through and to us. The ancients called them gods and goddesses.

We can find our symbols by asking ourselves, for example, what animals, trees, or objects we identify with. It is helpful to list the qualities which come to mind about them and see how they relate to our lives, personality and interactions with others.

What am I good at? What is my bliss?
If I could turn into a character or Archetype, which would it be? What do I collect?
Do certain symbols frequently crop up
in my dreams?

Guidance and information is all around us in the form of Archetypal energy patterns and symbols. It can be a useful process to separate out the archetypes we admire from those which actually play themselves out in our lives.
Once we identify the archetypes which are most active in our lives we have greater insight into self.

Re: 2. My Archetypes

Mother  /  Child (wounded and also divine)
Lover (transcendent)
Teacher/Healer / Student / Disciple
Artist
Poet/formulator or giver of expression
Spirit Being
Death Walker (for want of a better term - my sense of straddling the physical and spiritual journey and my learning/interest in this)

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Durga
Isis as Sekhmet
Monk
Hermit
Cloud

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When “my” and “i” is not from ego, then what are “my archetypes”?

Image source

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it all comes up from this creative pool which some name oneness - even ‘I’ bubbles up from this

love

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Archetypes
Diplomat, warrior, mother, wounded healer,
bridge, enabler, 
For some reason Lakshmi comes to me often even though I know nothing about Hindu faith or even Lakshmi.
I also have a Fairy Godmother who assists me often. 
Animals that seemed to relate to; as a child - monkey, as an adult -eagle until my 40’s then owl. There is an element of playfulness throughout coupled with a serious protective instinct

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cats are probably one of my first archetypes. they teach me to meditate, love, and to give a good amount of attention to those present….but always leave me with a sense of wonderment and aw…

patterns of music are always running through my head. sometimes they are peaceful, sometimes they are screaming the meaning. sometimes it can be one song resonating for more than just one day. sometimes they are love songs, and not just one.

symbols can be 'om's” whether they be tattoos or tapestries. numbers everywhere are constantly speaking to me. getting my attention. asking me to look in further. to find the meaning of the things I'm manifesting. i also have a small collection of owl and buddha statues.

my main archetype is invisible. i believe we are constantly surrounding by an entourage of angels who are creating blissful situations from complex circumstances. they work with my intuition and the outside world. angels, guides, mid-wayers, archangels, all constantly helping us strive to be the next things we are meant to be.

bliss = to be a warrior of the light serving the higher good and feeling fulfillment like I never could have dreamed.

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I'm a superhero - here to help everyone and to heal the pain of the world
rescuer, healer, comforter, benefactor
my question is - who rescues the rescuer?
I'm so frustrated because I want to help and give and share love, but I'm all broken up and tainted.
I feel guity and selfish when its all about me, so the easiest thing to do is to give rather than take.
bizarre, and quite disfunctional.

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It feels to me that it's not about rescue - because rescue means 'doing it for someone' when in fact we can only 'do it for ourselves'. In some ways the biggest thing we can do for another is help them find ways to realise this. It sounds like you've been carrying a huge load and you're really tired now and wish for someone to take over for a while. Your natural instinct is to be very compassionate - you want to give rather than take. I love this about you. I guess the thing you need to remember is that you need to take care of yourself so you are in better condition to do all this caring for others.

love

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Reminds me of a line in an Annie Lennox song  - “give me the strength to lay my burden down.”

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I found this description of the wounded healer.  Sounds like me - still have a lot of work to do healing myself.
 
http://www.crystalinks.com/woundedhealer.html
 
But…can we become healers if we have not been wounded? It would seem that most healers have experienced great pain and suffering and are here to help others release their pain and create balance. The 'wounds' - of many lifetimes need to heal…. This is the spiritual pulse of the world grid.
But what happens when the Wounded Healer is healed and has had enough drama with healing? It is then they are shown the truth behind the illusion of reality.
Who is The Wounded Healer? Many articles and books have been written about 'The Wounded Healer.' It is the person who has gone through suffering, sometimes great, and as a result of that process has become a source of great wisdom, healing power and inspiration for others. In fact, the archetypal wounded healer undergoes a transformation as a result of their wound, their suffering and pain. They can actually transcend it, and successfully lead themselves to a path of service. It is as if the wound itself helps you drive yourself to an inner journey that becomes the transformation itself. One strips away the selfish, ego-based feeling of being all alone in our wound and expands to see others and how if one chooses a different role, one can help.
The Wounded Healer is often the Victim - He who must suffer the wounds of life to understand.

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It seems, in a sense that we are all potentially 'wounded healers'. All people have experienced or will experience pain - pain is one of Guru Life's teaching tools. I guess we are most capable as compassionate beings when we learn from our pain and are better able to open our hearts to others when recognising their pain.

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awakened one/ tormented one
wolfman/ deerwomyn
golden child/ scowling dirty child

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for the awakened one all is perfect. this one is in touch with the universe and the universe vibrates through this one. there is no right or wrong only goodness and greater goodness
for the tormented one all is failure and pain. there is no future and the past is ghosts, goblins and monster who eat this one, spit this one out and eat this one again and again.
the wolfman is strong and confident, alert and caring, quick and decisive, mauling and intense, wounded and healing. deerwomyn is shy and strong, compassionate and voluble, sexual and robust, providing and taking.
the golden child never does anything not delightful, a wonderful singsong voice, a beautiful visage with golden light radiating from his locks
the scowling dirty child never knows the right thing to do, is always looking at dirty things and doing dirty things and is forever a failure in everyone's eyes-a pox on the golden one.

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the awakened one is the tortured one when 5 mins of meditation is not enough. When seeing that all life is meditation is not enough. WHen not hearing silence is not good enough. This one is wonderful now, here. the awakened one could do to meditate and live. They are one in the same.
the wolfman is the deer womyn. They are one in the same. the wolfman can grow breasts anytime he wants and deerwomyn can have all the beards and tesitcles she wants. They are the same energy, shapeshifting to suit the energy of the moment.
They are the same.
the golden child is the dirty child that no-one has judged or judged to their own suitings. a child is a child to play with and laugh with and cry with and sigh with.
The play of a child has no right or wrong, no judgment or need for mercy.
The play of a child is……..THe growth of a child is……. the child is……..
the child is the man/womyn is the awakened one. They are. This one is.
This one is them. They are this one. This one is this one. this one. this one of One.

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Wounded Healer

Prince/Knight

Teacher

Tragic hero

Weary warrior

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We can find our symbols by asking ourselves, for example, what animals, trees, or objects we identify with.
I can relate to dogs.

What am I good at?
Gardening

What is my bliss?
Studying life
If I could turn into a character or Archetype, which would it be?
an Author
What do I collect?
Vegetables
Do certain symbols frequently crop up
in my dreams? No

Once we identify the archetypes which are most active in our lives we have greater insight into self.

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Was this archetype exploration helpful, Lee? I found archetypes great fun  and very informative when I first became aware of them

love

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The animal I most identify with is dolphin, playful, intelligent, family orientated,
and helpful to other species, protective, empathic, and healing. I guess i used to be a wounded healer/ rescuer, much illness as a child developed compassion and a desire to be of service to others in healing, now after a few really painful episodes I realise  I can only rescue myself others must do the same. I self  talk myself physician heal thyself and work on it constantly, realising it is something we all must do for ourselves, others are my mirror. There are times others need our help when unable to help themselves eg unconscious, or debilitated, alzheimers, severe illness, but as soon as they are able I will be encouraging self help by reflecting, and mirroring.
 I identify with the unconditional love and intelligence within the universe and try to emulate that, admittedly feeling like a toddler learning to walk lol.
Dreams as a pointer is a difficult one, since the dream I described in my profile
i don't remember dreams hardly at all, and rarely, if I do vaguely remember it is usually a practical obvious reminder for action.i used to have quite vivid dreams before that. The myth I most identify wth is Kwan Yin, holdig back herself at heavens gate to help all to get there, perhaps others will have more insight into what that means than I. Objects, I have a thing about spirals as opposed to closed circles and associate them with growth and infinity. Plants oh seeds and endless permutations and possibilities for the new I have grown some mange tot from seed, all green pods except one which sports purple pods!!!!

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I was interupted so came back to finnish this, my passions -
love, I don't believe any love is ever a waste and I use it as a yardstick for my responses, ie is it a loving compassionate response?
poetry/ creativity just for the sheer creative joy of working on it starting anew, no expectations and my ego appreciates critique as a learning curve to help my craft, honestly I prefer critique to praise as it helps me to hone my craft or passion.
Spirit, after an NDE i have always been aware of being spirit in a body, and of a universal intelligence, going into the light removed any fear of death, it was so incredibly beautiful, peaceful, embracing, and loving
Equity for all is high on my agenda,love places equal value on all right down to the smallest living creature, even plants too.
Freedom for all is also high on my agenda,, with it comes a personal responsibility to do others no harm, and I won't feel completely free till all enjoy the same freedoms 

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Zephyr, your post feels healthy, loving and strong!
Others benefit from your sense of responsibility which is interwoven with compassion.
I also value constructive criticism - I think it takes courage to give and also to receive this medicine and the benefit is great.
Interesting to imagine you as a Dolphin … not sure why I didnt see you as a water creature. The qualities you mention though, sound spot on.
Would you mind cross-posting the dream you refer to on your profile here?

love

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I might add -
Nurturer, this comes out in my productive garden and in my full time caring role.
Nature / Oneness lover, expressed in my natural garden, working as closely with nature as possible, respecting it as a habitat for many creatures. I respect all life as an equally important part of oneness.

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As you requested Anna my dream

In my dream I ascended far out in space, looking back on earth feeling a sadness at the plight of earth the wars, the corruption and pollution of our beautiful ferry on the sea of existence… A gentle voice behind me said look up that’s history, and above earth I saw a cosmic egg, as I watched a crack appeared in the egg - a beautiful light poured down from the egg and enveloped the earth. It was a light of love truth and peace - the same light I experienced in an NDE as a child. The funny thing is I very rarlely dream, I was on a reiki course at the time and we were asked to remember our dreams, I had smiled thinking unlikely I will be reporting back to the group, but as it happened I was the only one to tell my dream to the group.
Lagniappe agreed to make the dream into an icon for me as I am not that clever with making computer art. I told him how I felt after the dream, I realised humanity needs to be that light of love truth and peace, one heart at a time. I had to live what I believe, being human that was a tall order, I felt helpless as a newborn baby.in my efforts but when we really apply ourselves and our intention is right the universe guides as a loving parent would with love, tenderness and humour. One moment at a time I am trying to start the ball rolling. Lagniappe added the babies head to the icon which was appropriate to how I felt after the dream. This was a dream I that I will never forget

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Zephyr, this dream is such a treasure. Thank you so much for posting it here.
love

ps there is a dream room here in this group - this dream belongs under 'significant dreams' which is a thread in that room

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Thank you for your response Anna, for some reason unknown to me my dreams seem to occur very rarely now, and nothing worth remembering or significant, I miss dreaming, (I used to incorporate them in poetry) though I always sleep well and deeply and wake redreshed so I can't really complain.

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Zephyr: I've had the opposite happen recently; typically I don't remember my dreams at all, but increasingly over the past summer I've been waking up with more and more vivid recollections. Part of it happened just as a result of the silly and innocent intention to remember; I got a dream journal to put next to my bed and even though I've not written a single thing in it, just having it there, I think, has impelled my subconscious to pay attention. Maybe you could try something similar?

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Hi Siona, that's good that it worked for you, but I have tried stating my intention and nothing seems to help much.

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Wounded child
Wounded Healer
Rescuer
Damsel in Distress
Magician/Healer
Nature Spirit

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Kala, I feel I'm seeing three 'groups' here which have similarities, overlapping areas and may even be 3 archetypes, though there are also differences - what do you think

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Hi Anna, I agree about the three groups.  I'm not sure I did this right though because the Wounded Child, Damsel in Distress and Rescuer are more past archetypes with which I don't really resonate anymore.  I included them because they were important for me for most of my life.  I worked to get beyond them as I saw them as symptoms of attachment and past issues from childhood and young adulthood.  In the more recent past these three were shadow aspect for me which were sources of shame at myself for having these sides to me.  Now I'm ok with them.  I see the reasons for them and they served a purpose in their time.

Also, I should probably add “Hero” to the list, which again fits in to that second group. Thanks.

Namaste
Kala

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Anna; all…

I'm just dropping gently in to voice my respect for and appreciation of an Archetype I've been exploring recently, and who, I feel, has been making her presence known here already, via the Gaia Minute. The Divine Mother, Gaia, our Mother Earth… I've been noticing the presence and power of her wisdom and love and compassion more and more these past months, and it's been a joy to relax into her arms, and, even more, to remind others of her care.

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and what a gift it's been to all at Gaia as you've awakened to Her, Siona! It's as though Gaia has quietly expanded to embrace all Gaia beyond the network

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yes, it has been awesome relaxing into Gaia's arms with you dear Siona!

Hugs,

Nicole

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Siona, I'm reminded of my 'encounter' with Mother Earth a moon-cycle ago:

“I found the heart of Mother Earth there –radiating outward and inward to the cave within. I feel that the mountains came 'down' to us, that they resonated with the ones in our heart. From Mother EArth to the mother within us.”

There was a sense of golden, and Eli said
Meenakshi, you sensed Devi Sureshawari. Suradevi is the heavenly abode of DIVINE Mother.
She too is a form of Goddess Durga, and one that I perhaps need to research.