Archetypes are a source of shared human wisdom that has existed and evolved since human life began. They’re universally recognsied patterns of behaviour that reside in the realm of the human collective unconscious. As we go through life, we draw from a repertoire of instinctive, archetypal roles. You could say that each archetype is like a collection of thoughts that have combined to form an idea, and an ideal, and this is what people draw on to shape the roles they play.

Since ancient times, every human being has added their ideas, thoughts and emotions into what it means to be a mother, for example, or a warrior, a servant, a healer, a hero, and the many other roles that people play. If each person has put their thoughts, emotions and ideas about those roles into this collective pool, then it suggests that each archetype is subject to transformation and the evolutionary process. Two hundred years ago, if the word hero was used, it was usually within the context of war or the capacity to lead and conquer foreign lands. These days the word hero has been used to describe Olympic gold medal winners or cancer survivors.

Today’s idea of what it means to be a mother or father is in transformation. Mothers and fathers are now parents. Gender is less important than it was last century when it comes to parenting. This is evident with the increase in working mothers, stay at home fathers, and single parents. Society is now demanding that mothers and fathers learn to play each other’s roles to fill the position whenever the need arises. As such, archetypes continue to grow, since they’re impacted by our everchanging social, environmental, economic and political climates.

Since the evolution of archetypal patterns never stops, this also suggests that archetypes have the potential to hold a vast amount of collective wisdom that has been gathered throughout the ages. Having been in development over eons of time, they are now well and truly established, and yet, are constantly evolving forms.

Archetypal information never goes out of date. It moves with the times. Archetypes provide you with contemporary information supported by ancient wisdom. And when it comes to identifying your personality archetypes, they are selected according to the recurring themes that exist in your personal history.

Collaborating with archetypes to access archetypal information is easy. You simply choose an archetype, deconstruct it by brainstorming positive and negative associations in equal measure, then Self-Author¹ it to access insights, guidance and direction. Self-authoring any archetype also allows you to:

• check it’s one of your 12 personality archetypes,
• identify a one-off archetype to assist you with an out-of-the-box task,
• add wings to each of your 12 personality archetypes.

Archetypes represent and describe your life’s:

• Themes
• Patterns
• Maps
• Frameworks
• Stories
• Scripts
• Narratives
• Plots
• Roles
• Characteristics
• Challenges
• Lessons
• Gifts
• Traps
• Purpose
• Strategies
• Agendas
• Obstacles
• Fears
• Weaknesses
• Strengths
• Talents
• Dreams
• Desires
• Passions
• Wishes

Collaborating with archetypes means you can:

• Read patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving.
• Predict outcomes.
• Manifest your future.
• Explain the past.
• Be more present.
• Draw on collective wisdom.
• Enhance your inner wisdom.
• Dialogue with the archetypes stuck in your body².
• Live an authentic life.
• Lead from your soul by aligning your head and your heart.

Archetypes give you instant access to an unlimited source of human knowledge, experience and wisdom. Archetypes are alive in your psyche, whether you’re conscious of them or not. When you’re aware of your archetypes, you can use them to enhance your inner wisdom, hone your intuitive skills, and as a result, make better, and more informed decisions.

Can you ever have too much wisdom?

1. If you would like to receive the instructions for Self-Authoring your archetypes, contact me here and type Self-author in the message box and I’ll email them to you. ↩︎
2. Your archetypes are alive in your psyche. They take up residence in your body when you overlook, resist or ignore their presence in your soul. With a mindful approach, you can learn to identify and read the energy in and around your body with the help of archetypes. More on this later. ↩︎