Archetypes on the Wheel of Life

What is an Archetype?

There are three dictionary definitions of "archetypes", each of which play into the understanding of the term as a whole. The three definitions are:

  1. A typical specimen
  2. An original model
  3. A Universal or recurring symbol

These three definitions give us a picture of something fundamental in humans that always comes out or plays itself out in some way, most typically in stories. However, as we progress, you may notice a familiarity in the description of these archetypes and can see which one you currently embody in your stage of life.

What do we mean by the Wheel of Life?

Each of the archetypes grows from the previous one and into the next, constantly in a state of birth, trial, growth, change, death, and rebirth. We call this constant cycling the "Wheel of Life," and each of the archetypes reaches both back and forward to touch and affect the other archetypes.

Each Archetype has its:

The Six Main Archetypes

There are six main positive growth archeytpes known in story structure:

  1. The Maiden
  2. The Hero
  3. The Queen>
  4. The King
  5. The Crone
  6. The Mage

Each of these archetypes grows out of the previous flat arc, reaches the zenith of it's own archetype, and ends having grown past it and into the next flat arc. Despite the gendered language, none of the archetypes are specific to any gender: they can be embodied by anyone on any point of their life journey.

Maiden

Innocent to Individual: The Maiden archtype grows out of the preceeding flat or resting archetype of the Child, experiencing an Initiation into adulthood. Their symbolic setting is of the home, where they move from the protected world to the real world. Their thematic lie to reject is "Submission to authority figures is necessary for survival." and their truth to accept is "Personal sovereignty is necessary for growth and survival." Once they have gone through the correct growth pattern, they will enter the succeeding flat or resting archetype of the Lover.

Shadow Archetypes

The Maiden, as with all of the archetypes, has two shadow archetypes that she may fall into, either the passive or the aggressive polarities of the Thematic Lie.

Damsel - Passive

The Damsel is Submissive (to avoid consequences of Dependence). The Damsel finally owns her Potential by embracing her Strength.

Vixen - Aggressive

The Vixen is Deceptive (aggressive use of Dependence). The Vixen learns to wield her true Potential with true Strength.

Archetypal Antagonists

In her arc of growth, the Maiden will have to fight against two archetypical antagonists who resist her growth in a variety of ways.

Authority

The archetypical antagonist of "Authority" is a paradoxical antagonist, representing both the force pushing the Maiden to grow up and leave the home, but also the force that she must fight against for individuation and power. Either she will be abused and neglected, or smothered and cared for too well, but in both scenarios she will have to learn to grow and accept that grown up "real life" is more complex than her predictable home world.

Predator

The predator, on the other hand, revels in the moment between the Maiden leaving home and being unprotected and her full growth into the realiziation that the real world is dangerous and will sometimes be out to harm her. She lacks the experience to discern between the toxic presence of the Predator and the worthy defense of Protector. Both wish her to grow up, but only one wants her to mature.

Hero

Individual to Protector: Most commonly seen archetype in media today, the Hero moves from the flat arc of the Lover through the trials of a Quest away from the symbolic setting of the Village and into the wider world. He must reject the Thematic Lie of "My actions are insignificant in the overall scope of the world" to accept the thematic Truth of "All my actions affect those I love." Once they have returned from their quest, the Hero will move into the flat arc of the Parent.

Shadow Archetypes

The Hero's Shadow archetypes represent the two paths he can follow with his growing power.

Coward - Passive

The Coward is Ineffectual (to avoid consequences of Courage). The Coward finally uses his Strength because he learns to Love and wants to defend what he loves.

Bully - Aggressive

The Bully is Destructive (aggressive use of Courage). The Bully learns to submit his Strength to the service of Love.

Archetypal Antagonists

Dragon

The outside antagonist that pushes the hero to leave his home in the village is the Dragon, an attacking force which is harming the land. This represents the depth of danger the king has allowed the land to reach while he is sick.

Sick King

The internal antagonist is the sick king, a weak and ineffectual ruler through either his own inability or his greed and fear. Regardless if he is a good king under the effects of some malevolent illness or a bad tyrant harming the land with his greed and fear, the hero will be forced to grow because there is no one else to heal the king.

Queen

Protector to Leader: In her arc, the Queen moves from the previous flat arc of the Parent and away from the domestic world into the monarchic world. She faces a Battle, wherein she has to set aside the thematic Lie of "Only my loving control can protect those I love: and into the Truth of "Only wise leadership and trust in those I love can protect them and allow us all to grow." Her symbolic setting is the Kingdom and after assuming the throne she settles into the succeeding archetype of the Ruler.

Shadow Archetypes

Snow Queen - Passive

The Snow Queen is Defensive (to avoid consequences of Love). The Snow Queen finally acts in Love for her children by accepting Responsibility.

Sorceress - Aggressive

The Sorceress is Manipulative/Vampiric (aggressive use of Love). The Sorceress learns to submit her selfish Love to the greater love of Responsibility.

Archetypal Antagonists

Invader

The outside antagonist for the Queen's arc is The Invader. This is the thing that drives her from her home and her children in order to seek aid. And it is this antagonist which will be the large force the Queen must rise to defeat.

Empty Throne

The interior antagonist is the Empty Throne. When the Queen leaves her home in search of aid, she appeals to the legitimate authority she believes will be the one to help her. Instead, she finds a symbolically empty throne, which forces her to grow. Whether that is an ineffectual authority who refuses to help or a wise king who sees potential in the queen and charges her with the task, she will be forced to take up the throne in order to defend her children and allow them to come into their own as loyal subjects.

King

Leader to Elder: the King comes from the height of his power as the Ruler and faces the beginning of the end: his own mortaltiy. The beginning of the Death Arcs, this is the first arc where the victory lies in sacrifice, not conquest. When he leaves behind his role as King, the king will step into the flat arc of the Elder.

Shadow Archetypes

Puppet - Passive

The Puppet is Irresponsible (to avoid consequences of Power). The Puppet finally wields his Power out of a growing Perception.

Tyrant - Aggressive

The Tyrant is Oppressive (aggressive use of Power). The Tyrant learns to submit his Power to the bigger picture of Perception.

Archetypal Antagonists

Cataclysm

The external antagonist is the Cataclysm, the largest trial the king has faced to date, and one that won't be defeatable with normal human force. It is a metaphysical force that the king must face by sacrificing himself instead of greedily holding on to his power.

Rebels

The internal antagonist is the rebels, the subjects that are not happy with how the king is handling the current crisis. These may be loyal subjects who simply don't understand what the king is suffering, but they will be the ones to further pressure the king into his sacrifice.

Crone

Elder to Sage: The Crone begins her arc being forcibly routed from her retirement as an Elder. From there she must go on a pilgrimage to the symbolic setting of the Underworld to reject the thematic Lie that "All life ends in death" and learn the Truth that "Life is Death and Death is Life." When she returns from her pilgrimage, she takes up the flat arc of Mentor for the kingdom and prepares to enter the final positive arc.

Shadow Archetypes

Hermit - Passive

The Hermit is Misanthropic (to avoid consequences of Insight). The Hermit finally accepts her Perception in order to grow into Wisdom.

Witch - Aggressive

The Witch is Punitive (aggressive use of Insight). The Witch learns to submit her Perception to the truths of greater Wisdom.

Archetypal Antagonists

Death Blight

The external conflict comes in the form of a death blight, an active plague on the land which will destroy the land if it is not healed. This is, symbolically, Death, and while it is causing devastation it will also eventually cause renewal.

Tempter

The internal antagonist is the Tempter, who offers the crone a way to "beat" death. If the Crone accepts and falls to temptation, it will release a perverted form of life, a false life far worse than the death that everyone fears. By resisting temptation the Crone keeps life in balance with death, accepting both as the natural order.

Mage

Sage to Saint: Stepping away from the position of the Mentor, the Mage accepts a Mission in the symbolic world of the Cosmos, facing the final Evil. To do this, they must reject the Thematic Lie, "My love must protect others from the difficult journey of life," and accept the Truth: "True love is transcendant and allows life to unfold." The end point of the Mage's journey is a farewell, an ascendance to an supernatural world, where the Mage has achieved the final flat arc, the Saint.

Shadow Archetypes

Miser - Passive

The Miser is Selfish (to avoid consequences of Enlightenment). The Miser finally opens himself up through his Wisdom to gain Transcendence.

Sorcerer - Aggressive

The Sorcerer is Evil (aggressive use of Enlightenment). The Sorcerer learns to surrender his worldly Wisdom in exchange for true Transcendence.

Archetypal Antagonists

Evil

The external antagonist of the Mage is the concept of Evil itself, a grand wickedness that is tempting the loved ones of the mage away from the path they should go.

Weakness of Humankind

The interior antagonist is the weakness of humankind, the ability of the Mage's loved ones to choose Evil when they are tempted, or to make a bad descision the Mage could have saved them from. While the Mage could override the wills of the loved ones and save them, he must instead learn to trust in his teaching and let them go, leaving behind his memory to guide them in the coming fights they must face.