See Original Post: MEDIUM (The Four Archetypes of Mature Masculinity: Activate Your Superpowers)
GBTQ men share a fierce brotherhood, made colorful by the diversity of cultures, identities, and spirits of the men within it, and held together by our shared desire for connection with other men.
One of the most influential psychologists of the human mind, Carl Jung, proposed that all humans share certain “archetypes” with each other, or patterns of thought and behavior. Robert Moore and Douglas Gilette took this idea a step further, claiming that all men share the same four mature masculine archetypes in our unconscious minds: the Warrior, Magician, Lover, and King.
These energies interact with each other in different ways, and all are vital to living a celebrated, empowered, and inspired life.
As GBTQ men, it’s more important than ever to understand ourselves so we can celebrate our identities in their entirety. The path from oppression to celebration has different types of obstacles along the way, so harnessing the unique superpowers of each of the four masculine archetypes, both individually and together, becomes necessary as we grow.
The Lover
At Evoco Center, we believe that empowered sex is an important part of the GBTQ man’s identity. But, the Lover is more than sex. He is the archetype of connection, beauty, and new beginnings. He is empathetic and understanding, and experiences life fully and completely. On the other hand, the Lover can also experience addiction and bitterness when he leans too heavily into pleasure for pleasure’s sake. This encourages him to seek out spiritual connections with art, music, sex, and experiences.
When you feel a spark of inspiration that begs to be written down or you feel truly present in a moment in time, that is the lively energy of the Lover bubbling up. Artists, sex workers, party producers, and travel agents find themselves channeling creative Lover energy often in their careers and relationships.
The Warrior
The Warrior archetype aims to serve, protect, and conquer. He channels his determined energy towards the concrete goals outlined by his archetypal King and his own values, slaying the doubts and societal standards that prevent men from accessing the tower of self-improvement.
In a relationship, the Warrior defends himself and those around him through the setting of healthy and firm boundaries. In this situation, he and the Lover balance each other out in a yin-yang pairing. The Warrior provides the power and strength, and the Lover provides the emotion, gently reminding the Warrior of the human connection that can thrive inside of his boundaries. In return, the Warrior protects the Lover’s giving heart.
People that tend to be more in tune with the Warrior archetype include activists, middle managers, and members of the military. They channel their desire to serve a cause bigger than themselves and their ability to stand up for their authentic beliefs in everyday life.
The Magician
The Magician is the archetype of renewal, introspection, and alchemy. He wants to create systems and techniques that bring transformation, whether that’s water into wine or bad experiences into life lessons. He contributes to the great GBTQ brotherhood by using his knowledge to help those around him, often taking on the role of mentor.
Those that do well at harnessing the disciplines of the Magician archetype include scientists, Shamans, nurses, therapists, and coaches. They work tirelessly to transform people’s lives for the better.
As GBTQ men, the transformative powers of the Magician take on a special role in our continued togetherness. He is the archetype that helps us heal and forgive, ultimately bringing us closer to love and happiness. His ability to identify and release negative thoughts, emotions, and beliefs in a healthy way is critically important, both in one-on-one relationships, as well as with our group history of being outcast and marginalized.
The King
The King is the capstone of the four archetypes, representing complete and mature masculinity. He is the archetype of wisdom, blessing, and freedom. A man harnessing the King accesses his vision for the future, then uses the decisive action of the Warrior, the compassionate nature of the Lover, and the introspective alchemy of the Magician to bring order and peace to the kingdom. He brings cohesion and integrity to your inner realm.
Just as the Warrior and the Lover are two halves of a whole, the King and the Magician also pair together. Rather than a struggle of power versus love, these two can clash with each other as two different types of leadership archetypes. Represented by the balance between church and state, they have great potential to sew the fragmented psyche into wholeness. They just need to work together.
Kings that rule over their respective kingdoms in the modern world are elders, CEOs, statesmen, and other bosses that are able to manage teams of people effectively by combining the superpowers of their inner Magician and King.
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It’s important to lean on the superpowers of all four of the mature masculine archetypes across different circumstances in your life. Whether it’s a situation with your boyfriend, your best friend, your boss, or a hater, your archetypal energies are there, inside you, ready for action.
Allow the Warrior and Lover to come forth and do the heavy lifting that allows you to get through each day with integrity and connection. They’ll be guided by the King and facilitated by the Magician, who in tandem will work together to carry out a long-term vision and positive transformation.
This year, help your King develop his blueprint of authenticity and celebration by learning more about empowered sex, love, and relationships at evococenter.com/events.
We believe that the mature masculine archetypes are an important key to feeling whole, complete, and connected in your uniqueness. We can’t wait to unlock your potential.