Archetypes are universally recognised patterns of behaviour. Once you identify your personal archetypes, you can use this knowledge to deepen your understanding of yourself and contribute to the evolution of human consciousness. Think of archetypes as patterns, themes and forces of energy. Each one contains a collection of thoughts, ideas and ideals. These shape the roles you play, the scripts running in your head, the stories you live through, and the ways you respond to life.

Carl Jung proposed that archetypes exist in humanity’s collective unconscious. He described instinctive patterns that influence your thoughts, emotions, choices and behaviours throughout life. Since ancient times, people have contributed their thoughts and experiences to archetypes such as the Mother, Warrior, Servant, Healer and Hero. And the many ways people understand and express these archetypes continues to evolve in response to social, environmental, economic and political changes. For example:

• The Mother archetype holds collective ideas about mothering and care. In the past, these ideas often centred on a caregiver who stayed at home. Today, our understanding of parenting includes working mothers, stay-at-home fathers and single parents. The expression of care has become more inclusive and flexible.
• The Hero archetype was once closely associated with warriors and leaders who conquered lands. Today, a hero might be someone who wins an Olympic gold medal, survives cancer or overcomes a significant challenge. The role changes, but the archetypal pattern remains recognisable.

Archetypes hold collective human wisdom gathered over the ages. They bring ancient wisdom into contemporary life. You can access this wisdom by learning to collaborate with your personal archetypes. Becoming aware of these patterns helps you to recognise how they operate in your daily life. However, you are not at their mercy. The energy of every archetype remains neutral until activated by your conscious or unconscious choices. What motivates you, and the choices you make, shape how you recognise, utilise and express them.

Each archetype contains different strengths and challenges which indicates your life lessons. The Child archetype, for example, can express innocence and playfulness, as well as neediness, anxiety and dependency. Recognising and balancing your expression of each archetype helps neutralise the pattern’s impact on your life.

In my Body Soul Spirit archetype framework, you work with three sets of 12 archetypes, making 36 in total. Each set offers a different perspective on your life.

• Your 12 Historical archetypes represent your past and remain unchanged. They include the four survival archetypes: Child, Victim, Prostitute and Saboteur¹, plus eight individual archetypes.
• Your 12 Current Reality archetypes reflect your present circumstances. These are subject to change as your circumstances change.
• Your 12 Way Forward archetypes relate to your future goals. These are also subject to change.

Recognising your archetypes helps you understand your own and others behaviour, and the recurring themes and challenges in your life. Archetypal knowledge can help you to build your intuitive skills, access your intuitive guidance and align with the wisdom of your soul. Your personal archetypes offer insights into your next steps, personal growth, self-actualisation and spiritual development. By identifying and collaborating with your personal archetypes, you can unlock new possibilities, embrace transformation and live with greater clarity and purpose.

But don’t take my word for it. Have a play here:

1. According to Caroline Myss, each person has the same four historical archetypes: Child, Victim, Prostitute and Saboteur. ↩︎

The second draft of this post was edited using AI tools.