The Non-Ordinary – Part X: Connecting With Our Interior Selves – Archetypes

Archetypes at Work

Our unconscious is home to primordial archetypes. The universal stories, characters and experiences of big life events such as birth and death are part of what Carl Jung called the “collective unconscious.” These big forces and energies are at work within us whether we acknowledge them or not.

Our hero impulse that rises up from time to time, the fairytale motif of the “Big Bad Wolf” that shadows us, the overwhelming need to mother or be mothered, the recurring trickster theme, all of these are archetypal by nature. To recognize them and the other universal figures at work in our lives is to move into a more expansive level of self-understanding, one that has the potential to be life-changing.

Archetypal figures are aspects of the collective unconscious that are at work for the most part quite independent of our ego-self, which provides conscious direction for our lives. Yet it is possible to detect an archetypal force, a universal force, larger than our individual self at work in our lives.

A few years ago I sensed a theme, with recurring events and similar figures that showed up as a pattern in my life, appearing over and over again through many years. Since archetypes are mysterious and their definitions can be vague, I will just start by saying that I felt I was the “Victim” in an overwhelming way in a variety of circumstances over time. It was as though a “predator type” force was pursuing me, first in my childhood, then in pre-adolescence, again in adulthood and once again in my maturing years.

This force appeared to be working through different “agents” at various stages of my life. From physical abuse in childhood to spiritual authority abuse later in my life, these forces together with a victim mentality that I struggled with worked to sabotage several stages of development in my life. The victim archetype avoided detection by remaining in my unconscious.

It wasn’t until during some intense personal work that I recognized red flags were being raised, some of which included persistent low self-value, a debilitating sense of hopelessness and a below the surface rage that spilled over without warning. My conscious self finally caught on. Suddenly, I understood the message loud and clear, “It’s time to draw a line in the sand! No more playing the victim while whatever predator energies wreaked havoc in my life!”

The journey to freedom and wholeness is a profound process that is varied and too intricate to detail here. But recognition is the first step in resolution.

Some archetypal figures are powerful allies for our growth and development as well as for fulfilling our purpose and offering our gifts to the world. Connecting with the universal archetypal mother to find comfort and the power to nurture our “Self” is an important part of coming into our full potential. The sage archetype is a powerful resource for obtaining wisdom for challenges in our lives and the explorer archetype can encourage us to push beyond the status quo.

Our part in all of this is to become familiar with the archetypal figures at work within our unconscious and other hidden aspects of our “Self” and to facilitate an ongoing relationship between the those things and our ego-self, the conscious part of who we are. That process will help ensure that the direction we are choosing for our lives is increasingly informed by all the energies at work.

What “red flags” are being raised in this season of your life?

Writing Prompt for the Week: Hidden Energies