Structures of the Self
Depth psychology infers the existence of archetypes in the collective unconscious in part by the startling correspondences between the guiding images of very different cultures. These images surface in myths, in philosophical and theological speculations, in artistic productions, in scientific achievements, and in institutional and societal designs. Though some disciplines emphasize the differences between cultures, as a depth psychologist, Dr. Moore, like sociobiologists and other researchers, is most concerned with similarities. Dr. Moore's research has found an archetype that is eternal, a constant construct within the masculine psyche, which is revealed in the fourfold pattern of King, Warrior, Magician, and Lover energies.
King
The mythic images of the King and Queen, in males and females, represent an instinctual line having to do with nurturing and centering in the human personality. This Royal line of development has to do with inclusive nurturing and blessing. It is critical for the self. Without it, you are not calm, you are not centered, you do not have a vision, you do not have a sense of "I am" and "I want." A lot of men want to know what they want but cannot find it. That is because of a lack of development of this Royal line.
It is easy enough to discover whether this energy is developed within yourself. Just ask yourself one question. When did I last really bless and affirm another person? Was it today, yesterday, last week, last month, last year? Do I find that I do this frequently and spontaneously, or is it an effort? If it's something you do infrequently, and with an effort, you are short of King energy. Most of the men on the planet are in the same position as yourself.
Warrior
The mythic images of the Warrior, in males and females, represent both the capacity for aggression and the ability to serve a cause. The energy of the Warrior is that energy of focused discipline, boundaries, service and mission. It is the ability to get organized and motivated, and the ability to follow the vision found in the royal line of development. Without the Warrior, there is no motivation, no energy to be accessed for a goal. It defends the boundaries of the "I am" and the "I want." And when immature, undeveloped and uninitiated, this energy causes all kinds of trouble, from passivity to rampant violence, both of which we are facing globally.
There are several vital signs of the shortage of Warrior energy, among them failure to defend boundaries in relationships, especially intimate relationships, lack of focus, and absence of clear goals.
Magician
Mythic images of the Magician, high priest or priestess, represent the cognitive line of development. This has to do with moving from mere knowledge to wisdom which is used for healing of self and community.
The Magician and the Royal line are in tension. This is the same for men and for women. There is no difference there. In other words, it is just as hard for men and women; just as hard to develop generativity and the capacity to bless and nurture. We are alike in that way.
If you are strong in the Magician quarter, you will be the sort of person who uses his intuition in the service of others, a man who, for instance, thinks through a problem that faces one of your children, coming up with a solution which is suitable for them, and which doesn't necessarily serve yourself.
Lover
The mythic image of the Lover is an instinctual line of development of sexuality, affiliation, intimacy, embodiment and joy. If you do not have a connection with this, then you do not have any fun. No matter how smart or how caring you are there is not "dance" in your life.
The Lover is the man in touch with his feelings, the man who expresses his joy, his pain, his anger, his fear, spontaneously. He is, most definitely, not someone who bottles up or covers over what he feels.
References
The Quartet of Books: The King Within, The Warrior Within, The Magician Within, The Lover Within.
Moore, R. (1997). Masculine initiation for the 21st century: The global challenge. The New Warrior Handbook.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
The Seekers
Gents
I am a long time admirer of the writings of Joseph Campbell and am aware of
MKP's indebtedness to Campbell for the timeless, poetic and mythical
structure of the hero's journey central to the NWTA. I am currently dipping
into a book on screenwriting that draws heavily on Campbell to provide a
road map for writers wanting to construct a hero's journey in film scripts.
The author, Vogler, believes most popular films strike a deep cord with
audiences precisely because they are based around such a hero's journey.
To illustrate the mythical arc of a typical hero's journey, Vogler tells the
story of The Seekers. I am sharing The Seekers here as it seem to me to
powerfully describe the mythical journey undertaken by initiates before,
during and after the NWTA, and affirms the timeless and universal resonances
of the training.
The Seekers
The Ordinary World
Look around, sister, brother of the Home Tribe. You can see the people are
barely getting by, surviving on a dwindling supply of last season's food.
Times are bad and the country all around seems lifeless. The people grow
weak before our eyes, but a few of us are filled with restless energy. Like
you. You're uncomfortable, feeling you no longer fit in with this drab,
exhausted place. You may not know it, but you're soon to be selected as a
hero, to join the select company of the Seekers, those who have always gone
out to face the unknown. You'll undertake a journey to restore life and
health to the entire Home Tribe, an adventure in which the only sure thing
is that you'll be changed. You're uneasy, but there's a thrill running
through you. You're poised to break free from this world, ready to enter the
world of adventure.
The Call To Adventure
Trouble shadows the Home Tribe. You hear its call, in the grumbling of our
stomach and the cries of our hungry children. The land for miles around is
tapped out and barren and clearly someone must go beyond the familiar
territory. That unknown land is strange and fills us with fear, but pressure
mounts to do something, to take some risks, so that life can continue.
A figure emerges from the campfire smoke, an elder of the Home Tribe,
pointing to you. Yes, you have been chosen as a Seeker and called to begin a
new quest. You'll venture your life so that the greater life of the Home
Tribe may go on.
Refusal Of The Call
Gather your gear, fellow Seeker. Think ahead to possible dangers, and
reflect on past disasters. The spectre of the unknown walks among us,
halting our progress at the threshold. Some of us turn down the quest, some
hesitate, some are tugged at by families who fear for our lives and don't
want us to go. You hear people mutter that the journey is foolhardy, doomed
from the start. You feel fear constricting your breathing and making your
heart race. Should you stay with the Home Tribe, and let others risk their
necks in the quest ? Are you cut out to be a Seeker ?
Meeting With The Mentor
You Seekers, fearful at the brink of adventure, consult with the elders of
the Home Tribe. Seek out those who have gone before. Learn the secret lore
of watering holes, games trails, and berry patches, and what badlands,
quicksand, and monsters to avoid. An old one, feeble to go out again,
scratches a map for us in the dirt. The shaman of the tribe presses
something into your hand, a magic gift, a potent talisman that will protect
us and guide us on the quest. Now we can set out with lighter hearts and
greater confidence, for we take with us the collected wisdom of the Home
Tribe.
Crossing The First Threshold
The ranks of the Seekers are thinner now. Some of us have dropped out, but
the final few are ready to cross the threshold and truly begin the
adventure. The problems of the Home Tribe are clear to everyone, and
desperate - something must be done, now ! Ready or not, we lope out of the
village leaving all things familiar behind. As you pull away you feel the
jerk of the invisible threads that bind you to your loved ones. It's
difficult to pull away from everything you know but with a deep breath you
go on, taking the plunge into the abyss of the unknown. We enter a strange
no-man's-land, a world between worlds, a zone of crossing that may be
desolate and lonely. Or, in places, crowded with life. You sense the
presence of other beings, other forces with sharp thorns or claws, guarding
the way to the treasure you seek. But there's no turning back now, we all
feel it; the adventure has begun for good or ill.
Tests, Allies, Enemies
We Seekers are in shock - this new world is so different from the home we've
always known. Not only are the terrain and the local residents different,
the rules of this place are strange as they can be. Different things are
valued here and we have a lot to learn about the local currency, customs,
and language. Strange creatures jump out at you! Think fast! Don't eat that,
it could be poison! Exhausted by the journey across the desolate threshold
zone, we're running out of time and energy. Remember our people back in the
Home Tribe are counting on us. Enough sight-seeing, let's concentrate on the
goal. We must go where the food and game and information are to be found.
There our skills will be tested, and we'll come one step closer to what we
seek.
Approach To The Inmost Cave
Our band of Seekers leaves the oasis at the edge of the new world, refreshed
and armed with more knowledge about the nature and habits of the game we're
hunting. We're ready press on to the heart of the new world where the
greatest treasures are guarded by our greatest fears. Look around at your
fellow Seekers. We've changed already and new qualities are emerging. Who's
the leader now? Some who were not suited for life in the Ordinary World are
now thriving. Others who seemed ideal for adventure are turning out to be
the least able. A new perception of yourself and others is forming. Based on
this new awareness, you can make plans and direct yourself towards getting
what you want from the Special World. Soon you will be ready to enter the
Inmost Cave.
The Ordeal
Seeker, enter the Inmost Cave and look for that which will restore life to
the Home Tribe. The way grows narrow and dark. You must go alone on hands
and knees and you feel the earth press close around you. You can hardly
breathe. Suddenly you come out into the deepest chamber and find yourself
face-to-face with a towering figure, a menacing Shadow composed of all your
doubts and fears and well armed to defend a treasure. Here, in this moment,
is the chance to win all or die. No matter what you came for, it's Death
that now stares back at you. Whatever the outcome of the battle, you are
about to taste death and it will change you.
Reward
We Seekers look at one another with growing smiles. We've won the right to
be called heroes. For the sake of the Home Tribe we faced death, tasted it,
and yet lived. From the depths of terror we suddenly shoot up to victory.
It's time to fill our empty bellies and raise our voices around the campfire
to sing of our deeds. Old wounds and grievances are forgotten. The story of
our journey is already being woven. You pull apart from the rest, strangely
quiet. In the leaping shadows you remember those who didn't make it, and you
notice something. You're different. You've changed. Part of you has died and
something new has been born. You and the world will never seem the same.
This too is part of the Reward for facing death.
The Road Back
Wake up, Seekers! Shake off the effects of our feast and celebration and
remember why we came out here in the first place! People back home are
starving and it's urgent, now that we've recovered from the ordeal, to load
up our backpacks with food and treasure and head for home. Besides, there's
no telling what dangers still lurk on the edge on the hunting grounds. You
pause at the edge of camp to look back. They'll never believe this back
home. How to tell them? Something bright on the ground catches your eyes.
You bend to pick it up - a beautiful smooth stone with an inner glow.
Suddenly a dark shape darts out at you, all fangs. Run! Run for your life!
The Resurrection
We weary Seekers shuffle back towards the village. Look! The smoke of the
Home Tribe fires! Pick up the pace! But wait - the shaman appears to stop us
from charging back in. You have been to the land of the Death, he says, and
you look like death itself, covered in blood, carrying the torn flesh and
hide of your game. If you march back into the village without purifying and
cleansing yourselves, you may bring death back with you. You must undergo
one final sacrifice before rejoining the tribe. Your warriors self must die
so you can be reborn as an innocent into the group. The trick is to keep the
wisdom of the Ordeal, while getting rid of its bad effects. After all we've
been through, fellow Seekers, we must face one more trial, maybe the hardest
one yet.
Return With The Elixir
We Seekers come home at last, purged, purified, and bearing the fruits of
our journey. We share out the nourishment and treasure among the Home Tribe,
with many a good story about how they were won. A circle has been closed,
you can feel it. You can see that our struggles on the Road of Heroes have
brought new life to our land. There will be other adventures, but this one
is complete, and as it ends it brings deep healing, wellness, and wholeness
to our world. The Seekers have come Home.
From: The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers
By Christopher Vogler
David Wicht
c +27 83 254 3777 h +27 21 795 5698
1 Old Cottage Rd Silverhurst
Constantia 7806 South Africa
I am a long time admirer of the writings of Joseph Campbell and am aware of
MKP's indebtedness to Campbell for the timeless, poetic and mythical
structure of the hero's journey central to the NWTA. I am currently dipping
into a book on screenwriting that draws heavily on Campbell to provide a
road map for writers wanting to construct a hero's journey in film scripts.
The author, Vogler, believes most popular films strike a deep cord with
audiences precisely because they are based around such a hero's journey.
To illustrate the mythical arc of a typical hero's journey, Vogler tells the
story of The Seekers. I am sharing The Seekers here as it seem to me to
powerfully describe the mythical journey undertaken by initiates before,
during and after the NWTA, and affirms the timeless and universal resonances
of the training.
The Seekers
The Ordinary World
Look around, sister, brother of the Home Tribe. You can see the people are
barely getting by, surviving on a dwindling supply of last season's food.
Times are bad and the country all around seems lifeless. The people grow
weak before our eyes, but a few of us are filled with restless energy. Like
you. You're uncomfortable, feeling you no longer fit in with this drab,
exhausted place. You may not know it, but you're soon to be selected as a
hero, to join the select company of the Seekers, those who have always gone
out to face the unknown. You'll undertake a journey to restore life and
health to the entire Home Tribe, an adventure in which the only sure thing
is that you'll be changed. You're uneasy, but there's a thrill running
through you. You're poised to break free from this world, ready to enter the
world of adventure.
The Call To Adventure
Trouble shadows the Home Tribe. You hear its call, in the grumbling of our
stomach and the cries of our hungry children. The land for miles around is
tapped out and barren and clearly someone must go beyond the familiar
territory. That unknown land is strange and fills us with fear, but pressure
mounts to do something, to take some risks, so that life can continue.
A figure emerges from the campfire smoke, an elder of the Home Tribe,
pointing to you. Yes, you have been chosen as a Seeker and called to begin a
new quest. You'll venture your life so that the greater life of the Home
Tribe may go on.
Refusal Of The Call
Gather your gear, fellow Seeker. Think ahead to possible dangers, and
reflect on past disasters. The spectre of the unknown walks among us,
halting our progress at the threshold. Some of us turn down the quest, some
hesitate, some are tugged at by families who fear for our lives and don't
want us to go. You hear people mutter that the journey is foolhardy, doomed
from the start. You feel fear constricting your breathing and making your
heart race. Should you stay with the Home Tribe, and let others risk their
necks in the quest ? Are you cut out to be a Seeker ?
Meeting With The Mentor
You Seekers, fearful at the brink of adventure, consult with the elders of
the Home Tribe. Seek out those who have gone before. Learn the secret lore
of watering holes, games trails, and berry patches, and what badlands,
quicksand, and monsters to avoid. An old one, feeble to go out again,
scratches a map for us in the dirt. The shaman of the tribe presses
something into your hand, a magic gift, a potent talisman that will protect
us and guide us on the quest. Now we can set out with lighter hearts and
greater confidence, for we take with us the collected wisdom of the Home
Tribe.
Crossing The First Threshold
The ranks of the Seekers are thinner now. Some of us have dropped out, but
the final few are ready to cross the threshold and truly begin the
adventure. The problems of the Home Tribe are clear to everyone, and
desperate - something must be done, now ! Ready or not, we lope out of the
village leaving all things familiar behind. As you pull away you feel the
jerk of the invisible threads that bind you to your loved ones. It's
difficult to pull away from everything you know but with a deep breath you
go on, taking the plunge into the abyss of the unknown. We enter a strange
no-man's-land, a world between worlds, a zone of crossing that may be
desolate and lonely. Or, in places, crowded with life. You sense the
presence of other beings, other forces with sharp thorns or claws, guarding
the way to the treasure you seek. But there's no turning back now, we all
feel it; the adventure has begun for good or ill.
Tests, Allies, Enemies
We Seekers are in shock - this new world is so different from the home we've
always known. Not only are the terrain and the local residents different,
the rules of this place are strange as they can be. Different things are
valued here and we have a lot to learn about the local currency, customs,
and language. Strange creatures jump out at you! Think fast! Don't eat that,
it could be poison! Exhausted by the journey across the desolate threshold
zone, we're running out of time and energy. Remember our people back in the
Home Tribe are counting on us. Enough sight-seeing, let's concentrate on the
goal. We must go where the food and game and information are to be found.
There our skills will be tested, and we'll come one step closer to what we
seek.
Approach To The Inmost Cave
Our band of Seekers leaves the oasis at the edge of the new world, refreshed
and armed with more knowledge about the nature and habits of the game we're
hunting. We're ready press on to the heart of the new world where the
greatest treasures are guarded by our greatest fears. Look around at your
fellow Seekers. We've changed already and new qualities are emerging. Who's
the leader now? Some who were not suited for life in the Ordinary World are
now thriving. Others who seemed ideal for adventure are turning out to be
the least able. A new perception of yourself and others is forming. Based on
this new awareness, you can make plans and direct yourself towards getting
what you want from the Special World. Soon you will be ready to enter the
Inmost Cave.
The Ordeal
Seeker, enter the Inmost Cave and look for that which will restore life to
the Home Tribe. The way grows narrow and dark. You must go alone on hands
and knees and you feel the earth press close around you. You can hardly
breathe. Suddenly you come out into the deepest chamber and find yourself
face-to-face with a towering figure, a menacing Shadow composed of all your
doubts and fears and well armed to defend a treasure. Here, in this moment,
is the chance to win all or die. No matter what you came for, it's Death
that now stares back at you. Whatever the outcome of the battle, you are
about to taste death and it will change you.
Reward
We Seekers look at one another with growing smiles. We've won the right to
be called heroes. For the sake of the Home Tribe we faced death, tasted it,
and yet lived. From the depths of terror we suddenly shoot up to victory.
It's time to fill our empty bellies and raise our voices around the campfire
to sing of our deeds. Old wounds and grievances are forgotten. The story of
our journey is already being woven. You pull apart from the rest, strangely
quiet. In the leaping shadows you remember those who didn't make it, and you
notice something. You're different. You've changed. Part of you has died and
something new has been born. You and the world will never seem the same.
This too is part of the Reward for facing death.
The Road Back
Wake up, Seekers! Shake off the effects of our feast and celebration and
remember why we came out here in the first place! People back home are
starving and it's urgent, now that we've recovered from the ordeal, to load
up our backpacks with food and treasure and head for home. Besides, there's
no telling what dangers still lurk on the edge on the hunting grounds. You
pause at the edge of camp to look back. They'll never believe this back
home. How to tell them? Something bright on the ground catches your eyes.
You bend to pick it up - a beautiful smooth stone with an inner glow.
Suddenly a dark shape darts out at you, all fangs. Run! Run for your life!
The Resurrection
We weary Seekers shuffle back towards the village. Look! The smoke of the
Home Tribe fires! Pick up the pace! But wait - the shaman appears to stop us
from charging back in. You have been to the land of the Death, he says, and
you look like death itself, covered in blood, carrying the torn flesh and
hide of your game. If you march back into the village without purifying and
cleansing yourselves, you may bring death back with you. You must undergo
one final sacrifice before rejoining the tribe. Your warriors self must die
so you can be reborn as an innocent into the group. The trick is to keep the
wisdom of the Ordeal, while getting rid of its bad effects. After all we've
been through, fellow Seekers, we must face one more trial, maybe the hardest
one yet.
Return With The Elixir
We Seekers come home at last, purged, purified, and bearing the fruits of
our journey. We share out the nourishment and treasure among the Home Tribe,
with many a good story about how they were won. A circle has been closed,
you can feel it. You can see that our struggles on the Road of Heroes have
brought new life to our land. There will be other adventures, but this one
is complete, and as it ends it brings deep healing, wellness, and wholeness
to our world. The Seekers have come Home.
From: The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers
By Christopher Vogler
David Wicht
c +27 83 254 3777 h +27 21 795 5698
1 Old Cottage Rd Silverhurst
Constantia 7806 South Africa
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