Jungian archetypes are twelve psychological concepts or patterns that all people either embody or struggle with. Find out what these archetypes are, and how you can use them in your own magical practices.
The human mind is a mystery. So are personalities. The more you know someone, the more secrets you learn about them. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was some sort of a map you could consult to discover the truth about who people are deep down in their souls? The late Carl Jung created something that might help- the description of twelve psychological archetypes. But what are these archetypes and how can you use them in your own spiritual or magical practice? Join Myticsense to find out. Discover who Carl Jung was, what his archetypes are, and what they each represent. Find out how to know which archetype you are embodying and a surprising way to unlock their magical power in your life.
Who Was Carl Jung?
Born in 1875, Carl Jung was a Swiss psychologist, writer, psychoanalyst, and thinker. He was the founder of something called analytical psychology and was a close friend of the illustrious Sigmund Freud. He is responsible for such terminology as anima, animus, synchronicity, extroversion, and introversion. His work has been highly influential in not only psychology and psychiatry, but also archaeology, literature, anthropology, spiritual studies, and philosophy. Not only was he a research scientist, but also a psychiatric doctor.
Initially he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps as a Christian minister, but he was also fascinated with philosophy. In the end, he decided to study medicine and psychiatry. Growing up in a deeply religious household gave him an interest in the occult. He believed in something called a collective unconscious which was an unconscious connection of the mind that's experienced by everybody in every culture. He also believed that we all have a shadow side, or a side of ourselves that we prefer to ignore and repress. No matter how much he delved into medicine and psychology, he believed that people were here for spiritual as well as material purposes.
He believed that everybody should develop their personal potential and that all religions help devotees along a path of personal transformation. On this path you not only form a relationship with your higher power, but you meet yourself. Interestingly, he believed that spirituality could help cure alcohol addiction and he indirectly helped establish the organization called Alcoholics Anonymous. He also believed in communication with spirits, attended seances himself, and believed in the human capability to have psychic powers. Are you psychic? Find out here: What Does It Mean To Be Psychic?
What Are the Archetypes?
Jung's archetypes are universal patterns and symbols that influence our personalities and behavior. Understanding them helps to provide insight into our development and helps us to work through challenges in life. Some people say the archetypes show foundations of our personalities and others say they show our deepest fears, desires, and motivations. Jung felt that his archetypes represented universal things that all human beings deal with. These are things that all of us do and they all create a powerful emotional response within us. No matter what culture or generation you belong to, they have deep significance.
Some people say that the archetypes are maps or blueprints of the human mind and they shape our experience through our perceptions, relationships with ourselves and others, and our behaviors. Jung believed that these were ancient forms of knowledge that our ancestors passed down to us. Understanding the archetypes helps us to understand not just our personalities, but our motivation. They help us to understand other people's personalities and their motivations too. In a way, the archetypes are just different things that express what makes us human and these are experiences that all of us share. Astrology can help us to understand ourselves and others as well. Learn all about it here: What is Astrology? | Understanding Astrology
The Twelve Archetypes
Some say that Jung had four main archetypes, others say he had twelve. Some people have taken his basic twelve and expanded them to many more archetypes. Read on to find the twelve basic Jungian archetypes and what they tell you about yourself and other people.
The Innocent
The Innocent archetype is that part within all of us that represents purity, belief in the goodness of the world, and an optimistic, or positive outlook. Some people say the Innocents are naive, and other ones say they just haven't dealt with bad things in life so they don't know any better. This part of us wants to stay innocent and make the world a better place one decision at a time. Gullibility and vulnerability are dangers for the innocent. On the positive side they see good in places where some people only see negative things and they are kind and loving.
The Orphan
The Orphan represents feeling abandoned, empty, and wanting to belong. On one hand, all of us need to be self-reliant, on the other we need other people. How we balance trusting ourselves to function alone and trusting other people who could possibly hurt us and allowing ourselves to be vulnerable embodies the orphan archetype. The goal is to find secure independence within ourselves and know how much we need to lean on others for companionship, help, and love. One Zodiac sign that is always balancing its need for independence with being with friends is Gemini and you can read about them here: Gemini Traits | Star Sign in The Spotlight
The Hero
The Hero archetype is capable of facing fear and adversity head on. Mental and physical power is a part of this. The Hero is driven by a sense of justice and the quest for excellence. Self-determination and overcoming obstacles through strong willpower is part of the Hero archetype. Self-mastery as well as mastery of the environment is sought. Deep down within all of us, we've got to excel, overcome obstacles, and realize our true potential. The hero is courageous, strong, reliable, and seems to achieve whatever they set out to do. On the other hand, they can shift into arrogance and unkindness towards others who they view as weak.
The Caregiver
The Caregiver archetype has powerful motivation to provide for others, protect them, and help them. Keywords to the Caregiver’s qualities are nurturing, guardianship, compassion, and support. They are generous to the point of their own detriment at times. They prioritize others' needs over themselves, sometimes putting themselves last, and other times forgetting to take care of themselves at all. Two of their greatest fears are that they would become a selfish individual or be unable to help people. If they're not careful they can be easily manipulated into becoming enablers. If you ever wanted to know how it felt to be manipulated, all you have to do is date a player. Read on to find out if your man is playing you here: How to Know if He is a Player
The Explorer
In contrast with the Caregiver, the Explorer seeks self discovery, freedom, and to experience new things. They are adventurous, independent, and focus on their own personal growth. They might not necessarily travel a lot, but they explore options wherever they are. The fear of conforming or being trapped terrifies them, and they would rather strike out on their own than be tied down to someone who limits their personal growth. New interesting experiences, deeper knowledge, and escaping the confines of boredom are priorities for them. They are in danger of rejecting commitment at all costs, restlessness, or aimless wandering.
The Rebel
The Rebel is on a quest for freedom, challenges authority, and seeks to dismantle organizations in systems they believe need it. They believe in change, breaking through barriers, and encouraging others to question everything. They have their own way of doing things and refuse to conform. They are radically bold, and unafraid of anything but being held back. They are passionate about what they believe in and their independence can hold them back from a lot of close relationships. They risk being angry, impulsive, or unbearable to deal with, and would rather be reckless than confined. The Zodiac sign that embodies this is Aries and you can read about them here: Aries Traits | Star Sign in The Spotlight
The Lover
The Lover seeks meaningful relationships, deep connections, and emotional and physical intimacy. They are focused on devotion to people who they are passionate about and forging powerful bonds with other people. The love they share goes beyond romantic love. They cultivate relationships with friends, family, peers, and those who they mentor. They also love using all of their senses to fully engage in happy experiences. They are in danger of being people pleasers who lose their personal sense of identity because they're so busy bonding with others. They can be highly sensitive and prone to addiction issues.
The Creator
The Creator is deeply visionary and creative, focusing their time on making their ideas a reality. They're always coming up with new things that mean a lot to them. Artists and inventors are represented with this, but anyone who makes new things including new recipes, building homes, and creating new social programs embody the Creator archetype. They are in danger of becoming perfectionists who work too hard, and neglect other aspects of their lives. They are terrified of having their ideas or creations rejected. The Zodiac sign that most embodies this is Aquarius and you can read about them here: Aquarius Traits | Star Sign in The Spotlight
The Jester
The Jester archetype has been called a trickster. The Jester uses humor, playfulness, and their ability to be spontaneous and joyous. They use these traits to challenge norms and lighten tense situations. Their focus is on enjoying life for the moment, and using humor to benefit everyone. Their behavior can be very unconventional, but they're different from the Rebel. They don't challenge the norm just for the sake of doing so, but to offer new ideas and growth. They are experts at lightening tense situations and their spontaneous traits help them to be creative. They're always looking to spread some joy and remind people not to take themselves too seriously. They are at risk of going out of their way to be irresponsible and disruptive.
The Sage
The Sage seeks wisdom, and to understand the world. They become teachers and are sought out by others for advice. Their motivation is to find the truth and become enlightened. Intellectual cultivation and acquisition of knowledge are lifelong goals of the Sage. Because they seek wisdom, and self growth, they are excellent at analyzing people and situations and coming up with excellent solutions or advice. They are always looking for ways to grow intellectually and learn. They risk becoming rigid thinkers once they feel that they're right, and can be so logical that they can be seen as emotionally cold and lacking in empathy. Being an empath is a psychic gift. Is this your gift? Find out here: How to Tell if You Are an Empath
The Magician
The Magician archetype is all about the power to create changes. To do this, the Magician seeks knowledge of how things work and how to use tools and technology at their own disposal. They have charismatic personalities that make other people want to naturally follow them. They have a very strong grasp of their natural intuition and are adept at discovering hidden knowledge. They are not only problem solvers, but can heal difficult situations with their wisdom. They seek self-transformation but also help others to change. They do this through both self-mastery and mastery of the world around them. They are at risk for becoming abusive of the power that they wield, and unfairly manipulating others for their own benefit.
The Ruler
The Rulers are the authority figures that seek to organize their world and control things. They are highly responsible individuals who seek stability and have a clear vision of the way that the world should work. They are magnetic leaders and naturally command respect from others. They are master organizers who effortlessly achieve whatever they set their minds to. They are at risk of believing that they are superior to others, who deserve to be in control, and they can be autocratic, demanding, and sometimes seek to stay in control at all costs. Virgos embody the Ruler. Read about them here: Virgo Traits | Star Sign in The Spotlight
Magic with the Twelve Archetypes
The twelve archetypes represent the human journey. We go through different stages of our lives, exploring each archetype. Some people's personalities encompass an archetype for their whole lives. We are born with the innate need to explore all of these archetypes and that's just part of being human. Different experiences in our lives can lead us all down different paths with the archetypes as well. Read the description of the twelve archetypes and see which one you feel that you embody the most. In that way you are that archetype.
The best way to do magic with the archetypes is to explore the archetype which you are the least like. If you are a deeply analytical person, explore the Jester. Instead of thinking deeply about something, allow yourself the opportunity to make a spontaneous decision and see where it takes you. Each of us has the capacity to embody all of the archetypes because there are elements of each archetype already within all of us. Journal your progress, experimenting with all twelve of the archetypes and see how it changes you over time. There is no more powerful magic than the magic of personal transformation.
The twelve archetypes of Carl Jung are different personality aspects that all humans possess within themselves. Each of us have stronger natural tendencies towards some archetypes than others. The archetypes explore our needs, desires, how we live our lives, and how we relate to others. In your own magical and spiritual practice, explore the archetypes which are least like you and you can unlock those parts of your personality.
Would you like some tips for exploring any particular archetype? Reach out to one of our psychics for great advice about that now!
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