Searching For An Archetype
Page 2
When
you have completed the 2 exercises on the previous page, you will be ready
to explore the spiritual plane. There is no greater adventure!!!
If you were reared in and comfy with, the Judeo-Christian tradition, then you
probably already know which archetypes to call upon for assistance in achieving
you goals. There are many people today, however, who are no longer comfy with
this tradition, and it is for them that this is written.
As Murry Hope writes:
Because one man or woman capitalizes the first letter of the word
"god" and another prefers to say Jesus instead of Llew, Apollo,
Arthur, or Horus, does not make him or her a better or more enlightened person,
for in the final analysis it will not be the names, fashions, political
expediencies or the earthly dogmas of the human collective that will be the
deciding factor, but the truth, light, and love in the heart of the individual
for his or her god or goddess.
You may not wish to work with an identifiable deity at all. You may prefer not
to anthropomorphize spiritual energy. This is fine. It is possible to appeal to
spiritual energy for help (through the use of prayer) without personifying it in
any way. I myself have done this many times when, for whatever reason, I have
chosen not to work with any particular deity, and this has proven effective on a
practical level.
You may want to work with the higher self, or with a
spiritual guide. This, too, is fine. Or you may want to work with the
well-established and highly personified deity-figures found in the western
mythologies. There are hundreds of these gods and goddesses, and each is capable
of aiding you with your goals, provided that:
1. You choose an archetype which, given its nature, is able to help you with your
chosen goal, your general aim in life, or balancing your character.
2. you establish some kind of bond with the deity prior to asking it for
favors.
The personal and god symbol exercises sent earlier may help you identify the
archetype(s) with which you can most productively work. Then again, they may
not. If the exercises don't point in the direction of any particular deity, then
you will have to approach the project intellectually.
Choosing an appropriate Western archetype demands some knowledge of mythology.
If this isnt your area of expertise, I recommend that you purchase or borrow
from the library the book New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology. This covers
myths from all over the world not just the west and is lavishly illustrated.
Murry Hope's The Way of Cartouche, Practical
Egyptian Magic, Practical Celtic Magic, Practical Greek Magic, Practical
Atlantean Magic, and her Olympus, Self-Discovery and the Greek Archetypes
are all invaluable sources because they clearly indicate that particular
strengths of each god or goddess, making it very easy to choose archetypes
appropriate to your goals. Also recommended is the book by Kevin Crossly-Holland
The Norse Myths, which, while it is not in any sense a book about magic, does
give a very complete description of the various Norse archetypes in their
mythological context. And for the Greek Mythology, Robert Graves' The Greek
Myths, is undoubtedly the most comprehensive book ever written on the subject.
It may be helpful at this point to take the temperament questionnaire. The
results will tell you whether you are by nature, an intuitive, thinking,
feeling, or sensate type. When you have determined this, use the following
profiles that will be sent to assist you in choosing a spiritual patron.
