Archetypes of the Masculine

The Lover in his fullest represents connectedness and presence.⁠ He is wholesome, warm and of course loving.⁠

This expression of the masculine could be deemed a healthy expression of his feminine side.⁠ This is a man in deep flow, connected to the things around him and “in touch” with his emotions and senses.⁠

He is expressive, passionate and finds pleasure in people, places and the potential of things.⁠

A man in his Lover, from a social view, could be that of “the Hippie” or new age man (just to give an example that can be referenced easily)⁠.

The active Bi polar shadow of the Lover.⁠

The Addicted Lover has repressed his Lover so much that the void that he is left with needs to be filled with “Something New”⁠.

This man is always chasing the next thing, whether it be a sexual partner, job, hobby, or even material-based objects.

Nothing makes him feel whole, how could it… he is so disconnected from it and can’t truly love what’s in front of him.⁠

The Addicted Lover needs to take responsibility of how he goes from one thing to the next, slow down and feel into what he does have AND that he does deserve to be Loved.⁠

The passive Bi Polar Shadow of the Lover.

The Impotent Lover has equally repressed his Lover so much that he is docile, detached, and most likely depressed.⁠

Rather than chasing things to fill the void, this man just reserves himself within the void and is consumed by it.⁠

As the name of this Archetype suggests, this man is “impotent” nonerect, unable to “perform” and is riddled in the shame of being such.⁠

Depending where a man assesses and places himself within this Archetype will affect what he can do to mature into a more Full and embodied Lover⁠.

The Impotent Lover needs to start small, reconnecting himself to the world – both within him and around him. This could be simply a commitment to go outside into the sunshine every day for 3-5 minutes because he is worthy of that time.⁠

The Magician in his fullest represents a mastery of a craft, foresight and self awareness.⁠

The Magician first needs to master his chosen field, and have a depth of knowledge so he then can pass on his power to the next generation. There’s a reason why the apprentice is so important to the story of the Magician.⁠

The magician is wise beyond his years, this could be known as foresight.⁠ He sees the bigger picture, seemingly from a birds eye view, but does not live in the clouds.⁠ Logical and reserved at times, he is giving in what he sees for those that seek his guidance.⁠

The Magician in his fullest also has clear understanding of himself, one can not see the full picture without the understanding of the perspective in which he stands.⁠

The active Bi polar shadow of the Magician.⁠

This is a man that may have wisdom and insight but keeps it to himself because of his dialogue of “why should I share what I see, what’s in it for me?”.⁠

The detached manipulator can be cunning and tricky, using much of his power to cause chaos around him for his own amusement.⁠

This is a Man that does not seek an apprentice, for teaching his ways will only lead to his own demise.⁠

This archetype also can represent a man that Spiritually bypasses, conveniently ignoring his own bias and toxicity.⁠

The passive Bi Polar Shadow of the Magician.

This is a man that forgoes his wisdom, neglects his talents/ potential, or even downplays his abilities.

He is consumed with his internal world, speaking to how well he knows himself but in such a way that bias to his own passivity because if he was to step into his power, see how he is in his own way, he then would be responsible to change.

This is a man that equally doesn’t want to teach because he “has nothing to give” and has no interest in being responsible for someone else’s growth.

This archetype also be said to spiritually bypass, but more from the place of “this shit doesn’t even matter” or “What’s it to me”

The first step within this archetype is to reflect and place yourself, that is the beginning of ownership. From there, the detached manipulator could explore the reasons why he feels the need to hold on to his power / what makes him so insecure + entitled.

The Denying One can do similarly, exploring the depths of his fear of responsibility and his potential.

Equally this Archetype can be matured through understanding purpose or exploring different things that fulfill him, then diving deep with a sense of purpose.

The Warrior in his fullest represents discipline, commitment to upholding a code, and the courage to act in the face of fear.⁠

The confusion around (and lack of integration in) this Archetype is where many have conceptualised “Toxic Masculinity”.⁠

The Warrior in his fullest is steadfast, committed, and equally grounded.⁠ He is powerful and equally aware of his responsibility with that power.

The concept of “being dangerous, but not a danger”.⁠ To be “on guard and capable” but not “guarded and closed”⁠. This is a man that can step forward if he is called upon, but does not escalate or provoke.⁠

Yes, this archetype can be very much “the doer” or “the go getter” but it’s the depth of where that energy comes from that is crucial.

This Archetype has perhaps been the most significantly affected by the lack of Initiation of Men – Read moving from boyhood to Manhood – within our society (let’s be honest all of these archetypes have been affected by lack of initiation.

To mature in this Archetype, other than discerning which archetype he mostly gets consumed by, is to start “making his word good”. Words have incredible power, and following through on your word brings forward such profoundness.

If you say you’re going to meet someone at a certain time, be there at that time, or ensure you let them know how late you’ll be, and stick to that. If you say you’re going to go start exercising, ensure you start exercising. The words you speak to yourself are equally important to the words you say to others.

Next, build a healthy and integrated relationship with your anger. A warrior is not scared of his anger, he knows his anger well and can call upon it when needed, and equally put it to the side when it’s not required.

The active Bi polar shadow of the Warrior.⁠

Stepping into The Sadist has an “attacking energy”.⁠ The Sadist is on the outward attack, blinded by a sense of his own glory.⁠

A man possessed by The Sadist does not have to be specifically abusive or controlling (however these are definitely symptoms)⁠.

He can also be “so driven/ focused” that he can lose a sense of the consequences of his actions, or more so doesn’t care, attaching myself to “achieving” rather than embodying, leaving a path of destruction and/ or despair in his wake.⁠

The term “lone wolf” can also have some presence within the archetype, for the Sadist would equally be “too busy being busy” or so distrusting of others, that he would never ask for help (unless with the intention to manipulate)⁠.

The passive Bi Polar Shadow of the Warrior.

The Masochist has detached himself from his power and capacity for discipline.

Because he refuses (or is incapable) of “outward attacking” that energy needs to go somewhere, and it goes inward. The Masochist attacks himself, in various ways of course. This man is unable to be disciplined and equally, his word is just words.

He is prone to procrastination, and further consumes himself with the shame of “not being enough”, hating on himself for not following through with his word and upholding himself to what he wants to achieve.

The presence of being a “lone wolf” can be within this archetype, but on the other end of the shadow side, this man is withdrawn and lacks the courage to raise his hand, too consumed by his own mind.