Understanding Masculine Archetypes: A Complete Guide
What are your male archetypes?
Countless myths, stories and modern movies have been inspired by the fundamental archetypes that are integral elements of the mature masculine psyche. As men, we all have access in varying degrees, to four powerful archetypes within us. Fully developed men (of which the modern world has few) will channel healthy amounts of the King, Warrior, Magician, and Lover. But many of us have too much – or too little – of the archetypal energies; and this gives rise to shadow archetypes and a life that can get out of balance.
The below descriptions of each of the masculine archetypes are as described in the book King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine, by Jungian psychologist Robert Moore and mythologist Douglas Gillette. Your male archetypes represent your dominant masculine energy pattern. The four primary male archetypes are:
King
This is the energy that expresses itself through a man when he takes the necessary financial and psychological steps to ensure that his wife and children prosper. This is the energy, manifested in ancient myths, of the “shepherd of his people” and “the gardener” of the plants and animals in the kingdom.
“If any man is able to convince me and show me that I do not think or act right, I will gladly change; for I seek the truth, by which no man was ever injured. But he is injured who abides in his error and ignorance.”
– Marcus Aurelius, Meditations.
The Weakling
This is the energy that expresses itself through a lack of centredness, calmness, and security within himself. This also leads a man to be defensive and hostile – “get ‘em before they get you” paranoia destroys his own sense of calmness and orderliness, dragging down his own character and that of others, inviting retaliation.
The Tyrant
This energy is ruthless, merciless, and without feeling when he is pursuing what he thinks is his own self-interest. He hates all beauty, all innocence, all strength, all talent, and all life energy. The man possessed by the Tyrant is very sensitive to criticism and, though putting on a threatening front, will at the slightest remark feel weak and deflated. But he will hide this well.
Warrior
A man accessing this energy in a balanced manner has “a positive mental attitude,” as they say in sales training. This means that he has an unconquerable spirit, that he has great courage, that he is fearless, that he takes responsibility for his own actions, and that he exercises self-discipline. He has developed control over his body and mind and is resilient against both physical and psychological pain.
“If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it - then I can achieve it.”
– Muhammad Ali, The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life’s Journey
The Masochist
This energy manifests by projecting Warrior energy onto others, causing the man to experience himself as powerless. Men under the power of the Masochist will take too much abuse for too long and then explode in a sadistic outburst of verbal and even physical violence. The man possessed by this energy will not know when to quit an impossible relationship, a circle of friends, or a frustrating job.
The Sadist
Men possessed by this energy spend their lives “attacking” everything and everyone – their jobs, the life-tasks before them, themselves, and others. In the process, they are eaten alive by the Sadistic Warrior and soon reach “burnout.” He doesn’t take care of himself, and doesn’t care for his mental and physical well-being.
Magician
This is the energy of awareness and of insight, primarily, but also of knowledge of anything that is not immediately apparent or commonsensical. It is also the energy of introversion. This is not the same as shyness or timidity, it is the ability to detach from the inner and outer storms to connect with deep inner truths and resources.
“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”
– Plato
The Denying Innocent One
The man possessed by this energy wants power and status but does not want the responsibilities. He doesn’t want to share and to teach others. This energy makes a man envious of those who act, who live, who do want to share. He is also afraid that people will discover his lack of life energy and throw him off his very wobbly pedestal.
The Detached Manipulator
This energy not only hurts others with his cynical detachment from the world of human values and his subliminal technologies of manipulation, he also hurts himself. This is the man who thinks too much, who stands back from his life and never lives it. By withholding from others, and not sharing what he knows, he eventually feels isolated and lonely.
Lover
The man under the influence of the Lover wants to touch and be touched. He wants to touch everything physically and emotionally, and he wants to be touched by everything. He has powerful feelings and wants to live out the connectedness he feels. Ultimately, he wants to experience the world of sensual experience in its totality. His life is often unconventional and messy.
“When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.”
– Jimi Hendrix
The Impotent Lover
This energy can manifest in the man who feels bored and listless. He may have trouble getting up in the morning and trouble going to sleep at night. He may find himself speaking in a monotone. He may find himself alienated from family, co-workers, and friends. In short, he will feel depressed.
The Addicted Lover
This energy asks: “Why should I put any limits on my sensual and sexual experience of this vast world?” He dreams of the orgasm without end and can be found going from woman to woman, only staying for as long as it takes for the initial excitement to wane. He needs his “fix” of masculine joy. He just doesn’t know where to look for it. He ends by finding his “spirituality” in a line of cocaine.