An archetypal approach to masculine personality development
In working with men in therapy, I often hear about major imbalance in their lives:
“I’m great at my work and do very well, but I have a terrible time dealing with my kids when they act up, and it’s straining my marriage.”
“I love my family and I love being a stay-at-home Dad, yet I feel deeply unfulfilled.”
“I have no idea how to get started in life. I’ve made the default choices up to this point and never really figured out what I want.”
Building on Jung’s work, Robert Moore elaborates a framework for understanding the deep, archetypal energies that make up the masculine personality. I find this framework immensely useful in my own development as a person and in my work with men in therapy. The basic idea is that we must cultivate these forces within us, must develop a robust and healthy relationship with them, in order to develop fully into men living in harmony with the world around us.
Each of these archetypes is relevant for every man. Each has a full, healthy form, as well as two bipolar shadow aspects, one of which is caused by channeling too much of the relevant energy and the other of which stems from not accessing it enough.
The Warrior has to do with initiative, getting things done and, when necessary, fighting for ourselves and especially for those we care about. In its underdeveloped, shadow forms, it can look like a lack of overall drive (too little) or unchecked aggression and rage (too much). To grow the Warrior within us, training of some kind is critical.
The Magician is the master of knowledge, intellectual and practical. He reads; he studies; he knows things. The shadow sides of the Magician are the arrogant manipulator and the naïve dullard. The healthy Magician shares and utilizes his knowledge for the good of all.
The Lover is all about enjoying the pleasures life has to offer, often experienced through sensuality, sex, art, and music. Someone channeling too much Lover energy is likely an addict of one kind or another, while someone insufficiently accessing their inner Lover
The fullness of the masculine personality is embodied in the archetype of the King, which draws together the other three archetypes and directs their energies to best serve the needs of the kingdom (family, community, company, etc.). To operate from a place of true sovereignty in one’s life, it is necessary to master the other aspects of oneself and to coordinate them for the highest good.
If this psychological and philosophical approach resonates with you, please make use of it for your own development. Seeking guidance in this process is an important part of the work; please reach out to me if you might like to work together in this way. To learn more about Robert Moore’s work, check out his book, King, Warrior, Magician, Lover as well as his numerous recorded lectures.