What are Archetypes and how do I work with them? Archetypes are personifications of collective humanity’s unconscious with identifiable characteristics which influence personal thinking, motives, and beliefs. They operate through the personal unconscious of an individual. You can work with archetypes by learning about them and discovering their influence in your life by becoming more familiar with when one is active in your subconscious.
In the ancient myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, Theseus takes up the challenge to slay a horrible beast. In the shadows of the labyrinth Theseus metaphorically goes through what we would call doing his shadow work.
The myth of the Labyrinth, the Minotaur, and Theseus has parallels with the experience of spiritual awakening, greater personal understanding and in becoming and feeling more whole.
The Myth:
The ancient King Minos of Crete defeated the Athenians in war and demanded that at nine-year intervals seven Athenian boys and seven Athenian girls were to be sent to Crete to be devoured by the Minotaur, a half-man half-bull monster that lived in the Labyrinth (a dark underground matrix of passageways) created by Daedalus.
Theseus, son of Athenian king Aegeus, volunteered to slay the monster to stop the sacrifices and so he took the place of one of the Athenian youths. On his arrival in Crete, Ariadne, King Minos’ daughter, fell in love with Theseus and on the advice of Daedalus gave him a ball of thread so he could find his way out of the Labyrinth. As soon as Theseus entered the Labyrinth, he tied one end of the ball of string to the door post and brandished his sword which he had kept hidden from the guards inside his tunic.
Theseus came to the heart of the Labyrinth and also upon the sleeping Minotaur. The beast awoke and a tremendous fight ensued. Theseus overpowered the Minotaur with his strength and stabbed the beast in the throat with his sword. After decapitating the beast, Theseus used the string to escape the Labyrinth and managed to escape Crete with all of the young Athenians and Ariadne. 1
Taking a closer look at this myth and its relationship to personal Thesian challenges reveals what will help us through the labyrinth of the psyche’s dark passageways and overcome the monster of our fear and pain. (more…)
Ages of evolution have refined our “fight or flight” reactivity to reflect modern society’s fears and battles which are for the most part intellectual and emotional. Confrontations in today’s civilized world are less life or death—the danger we face isn’t from a saber-toothed tiger attack—it’s from a war of attrition Read more…
In light of recent events involving NFL players and domestic abuse—specifically the one reported case of child abuse (where bruises to the back and buttocks and blood on the scrotum were observed by a physician) it’s important to consider the efficacy of corporal punishment and its effect on the children Read more…
How to reclaim personal power and autonomy.
What is the Void and how does it affect consciousness and sacred sexuality? Sunyata explains how you can experience the Void.