Archetypes and Flexibility of Consciousness

While this blog post looks at Archetypes, in deities, in others, and in ourselves, the intent is really about choice, about flexibility of consciousness, and sovereignty and connection as spirit. The term Archetype comes from the ancient Greek, archien,  “original, or old “, and typos, which means  “pattern, model, or type”.
An original pattern, of which all other similar objects, concepts, persons, are derived, copied, emulated.
We know the term well, from psychologist Carl Gustav Jung, who used the concept in his theories, and work of the human psyche.
He believed that these mythic, and universal traits and characters, all reside in our collective unconscious, and they are fundamental human motifs, or templates, of our evolving experience.  They can evoke deep emotion. They can be patterns that we grow from, and weave in and out of. We can become them, and live our lives through them, without being aware of them, or their power over us, or through us.
While there are many archetypes, Jung looks at 12 of them, 4 in each compartment of ego, soul and self. Each type share a similar fuel, or driving source, or motivation.
While we all have a few we are working on at the moment, most people have one that dominates their personality.
That also means that we see people through those lenses, and others see us through that lens as well.
Many deities, and Gods and Goddesses all over the planet share these archetypes. Many of them even share strong forces of nature; lightening, wind, or fire, for example.
They are so old, so ancient. Instilled in us from our ancestors perhaps, or just common templates in which to travess the world.
And how important! How vital, how helpful!
To set out, upon a perilous journey, as the hero, in your world, or to have the wisdom and compassion through pain of the wounded healer.

I can see how easily, though, we could live our lives in a bit of a trance, there, or get lost in a comfort zone. Perhaps the comfort zone we choose to sit in, or the comfort zone of another.
It could easily be a kind of possession. Not as an oppressing entity, but a trance state, which colors your sense of who we are.


In my work in the spiritual world I see people who worship various gods, and goddesses, and emulate them, and gain strength through them. You may identify with one angel, or Orisha. Emulate that energy, work with it, let it work through you.
You may have a shrine to a deity, but you are not that deity.
It may help you in your life’s struggles, or in a way of seeing the world, but you are not that. You are you.
The good part about identifying with an archetype is the enormous boost it can give you. It can be an energetic boost, and since it is ancient, there is a power to it from all that has come before. Perhaps your family line tends toward one or the other.
The bad part is you can lose yourself in it. You may get a bit dogmatic, if your own ego starts to meld and mesh with it. You may get a bit annoying to others (if you are always the victim, or the trickster, for example, or always the sexy goddess).
You may forget that you have choice.
You may want to relate to them, instead of unconsciously identifying with them.
We have, we all have, many temperaments, many ways of looking at things, many ways of creating our lives.
Like goddesses, and warriors, lovers, sages, rulers, caregivers. Healers, and wounded healers.
And so do others.
Dr. Daniel Foor, (who wrote the book, “Ancestral Medicine”), says that it is good to have a spiritual vocabulary, to talk about these things, and that a spiritual vocabulary to the sacred, is an antidote to possession.
And I wholeheartedly agree.
He also said that knowing what Gods you’re friends are ruled by, is important, so you can relate to them.
He called it the “hyena and the swan” mentality.

It could be a temporary situation or archetype, or god they are becoming, or worshipping. They may be coming from a place for survival, or ego, or just learning, or a sense of strength.
Can you be ok with your friend being Kali the destroyer, when you are in a trickster archetype?

Many spiritual teachers can come from the trance space of “sage”, or “rescuer”.
Forgetting who we really are can be easy, when there is a group agreement, as to “what’s so”. Group agreements have so much power.
So as we become more aware, as we grow and evolve, and learn, and try to free ourselves, and be our best, it becomes obvious to stay flexible.
                                             F  L  E  X  I  B  L  E

Flexibility of consciousness, in how we show up in the world is freedom.
We can weave in and out of many of these archetypes, and come out stronger, and not stuck.
We can see others in their ability to move through the states, too.
I think that knowledge is the key. Knowing the different places, in ourselves, and others is first.
I think that knowledge is power, and seeing ourselves and how we play out our character (and how others play out theirs) is enlightening.
It even helps with compassion.
And there is that wonderful spirit tool called a hello.
That spirit-to-spirit acknowledgement,
that we are spirit first, capable, amazing, luminous, and sovereign.
Hello, I see you! As one spirit to another, I say,
      H e l l o !

The other stuff comes next.
The wonderful body, and the belief structures, the emotions, the stories, the ego, and dynamics, even the wounding, the perceived wounding, or the wounding we came in with.

Have you even gotten a hello from someone, mid-stream, in all your stuff? In your act, your drama, your story? Something that was so simple, and yet gave you back that sense of choice, of center, of sovereignty?
Have you ever lost your center, your self, or gotten stuck in a role, no matter how awesome the role?
         H E L L O !

That hello, is why I love doing readings for people. It never fails to amaze me. to amuse me, to heal each of us, and to center us.
It starts when we set safe, and sacred space. My client says their name for me, a few times, slowly, and I see it clairvoyantly, while I give them a hello as spirit. Usually, they give me one back.
I have to fish around, to find them, sometimes. Hiding behind the swirling colors, and pictures, and masks, and archetypes, and sometimes, other entities, is the spirit.
 I fish around, and find it, and say hello,
and Bam! The magic starts to happen.
There you are! Bright colors and all. Usually, you will point stuff out that you want me to read, and we are on our way.
By the end of the session, there is more you in there.
Simple.
You are not your ego, or your victim, or even your hero, or trickster archetype.
I love my work.
In that space, I get to see my own masks, and pictures, too.
Sometimes, a person can have a tag-along being in their space.
If there is time, we give him a hello too, and show him his own sovereignty.
He is not stuck there, and it may be time to move on.
Saying hello to spirit can also involve the spirit of a plant, or animal; the spirit of the land, or of a tree, for example.
Life here is simply amazing. You may get a hello back!
How validating!
Give people a hello on a soul level, not an archetype level. Not what they are projecting, or being, but who they are.
Enjoy your day, and enjoy all the roles we get to play.
And let’s give each other a deep, and validating hello.
Therein lies our freedom.
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