The Cloak of Love and Joy

Imagine, if you will, that you live in a city or town with individuals of diverse family situations, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and religious philosophies. Trying to imagine this in the United States of America isn’t very hard to do, especially if you live in an urban setting. The hustle and bustle of public transportation among densely populated neighborhoods and a variety of commercial buildings is second nature to those who live in these environments. Many times even the suburbs located not too far from these urban areas are bustling just as much. However, there is a great deal of difference when towns are located far from this hustle and bustle.

Small rural towns are more homogeneous, that is, the people in them share a sameness of culture born around a common industry such as agriculture, mining or manufacturing. There is still a diversity of incomes and thought, but race, ethnicity and religious beliefs are typically less different. Our rural identity is just as important to the fabric of our country as our urban identity. Both knit together a unique sense of pride which we call patriotism.

What we build together as communities of hardworking and intelligent citizens is more important than what we take individually. We cannot have one without the other however…My commitment to myself as an asset to my community ensures a lasting civilization. Self awareness is key to prosperity no matter who you are on the spectrum of cultural diversity because it can help you make better decisions, build healthier relationships, lead with authenticity, take better care of yourself, and live a more fulfilling life. Self awareness is your personal cloak of love and joy.

Think of this cloak as your own hero cape! You are a Superhero to all those around you when this cloak has been fully formed by other self aware people in your life. It is like the Biblical narrative of the coat of many colors that Joseph’s father gave to him. In this story Joseph’s brothers did not get one and so were jealous of him. The importance here is that the father only recognized Joseph as most worthy of this gift because Joseph had obtained true self awareness. Of all his future suffering, Joseph would still go on to achieve and share much prosperity while maintaining his humility with God, his family and all those around him…An inspiration for all.

Who will give you your hero cloak and are you deserving of it? Is your character up to the challenge? Can you knit your own with the help of God’s presence in your life? The answer is a resounding YES! No matter who you are or where you’re from it is possible. Our western civilization truly depends on our Superheroes.

As with most anything, there is a balance to achieve when being self aware. The jealousy of others will be present and your perception to this will help to direct your path in life…Trust in divine providence.

Shrew U: The Forest, Dragons and Tongues

Archetypes of the Human Spirit (Story Analysis)

Part 11

Archetype #7 – The Forest

“As the forest matures with nature’s care so, too, does the soul.”

The Forest represents fertility, life, renewal and the spiritual aspects of your Self. Your thoughts and emotions take root in the fertile soil and give life to your soul’s essence. Only you can attest to the care that is taken with your soul. Your secrets define your emerging authenticity. Forgiving yourself as well as forgiving others who do not know you as you know yourself are measures of maturation. Notice that this archetype aligns with the Female Principle (refer to post, “The Shrew View”, November 3, 2017).

Do you take time to honestly know yourself?
Could a walk along a familiar wooded path bring you the contemplation your soul deserves? Why does your soul deserve this activity?

Archetype #8 – The Dragons

“Dragons reveal an intensity of character that cannot be denied”

Dragons are intense aberrations. These are deviations from maturity. I name one dragon Ignorance to reference all that you probably still have yet to know and learn about yourself and about other human beings. I name the second dragon Insecurity to reference all the human beings and material things that you believe you need in your physical life, however this “need” is in actuality a deep want for self recognition but only in the physical realm. Know these dragons well because if you ignore them, their intensity lashes out in behaviors you may not expect of yourself.

Can you identify your dragons when they appear? What behaviors do they bring out of you?
Why do you think your dragons have a relationship with the people and things in your physical life? Can you identify these relationships? Are the behaviors relating to these relationships worth the energy that is given to them?

Archetype #9 – Tongues

“Criticism must be heard intelligently”

Tongues represent criticism, either told to you about you or directed at you from yourself. If you haven’t taken the time to nurture your soul then you will not be able to identify weather criticism is valid. If the criticism is valid, how do you then apply that that criticism toward self improvement? Notice that these tongues are of the dragons and are intertwined.

Is all criticism bad? If it is, then how can you turn the information into constructive criticism?
Because these tongues come from dragons, does the criticism also apply to the relationships in your life? How?

**Next up…The conclusion of “Archetypes of the Human Spirit”

Shrew U: The Monster and The Guide

Archetypes of the Human Spirit (Story Analysis)

Part 10

Archetype #5: The Monster

“To dwell solely on failure and loss may consume all efforts to improve.”

I depicted this archetype as a very large and gruesome fish that has the ability to attack. Making choices means that a choice might be wrong and, in this case, the repercussions of a wrong choice could be so overwhelming that you might not be able to continue your metaphysical hero journey. To be “in the belly of the beast” is to be in a very bad place.

When have you made choices that did not end well? Were you able to learn from your mistakes?
Can the darkness of being in this “belly” be compared to being in the “womb” of darkness? What is the difference?

Archetype #6: The Guide

“Wisdom will take much time to acquire.”

A guide that comes to help with your journey can come in many forms. A wise old man in this case signify’s the heavens (white hair like clouds and blue eyes like sky). Notice the light inside his eyes. This light is a reminder of your search for purpose.

Do you trust in the authentic wisdom of your inner voice? Is this voice different from your intuition? If so, then how?
In your life, can you find real people who listen well and do not judge?

If your metaphysical Self has made it this far, you have only just begun the transformative process…

Shrew U: The Road and The River

Archetypes of the Human Spirit (Story Analysis)

Part Nine

Archetype #3: The Road

“Pay attention to all that is seen and not seen.”

We all travel a unique road in our metaphysical “journey”. No matter your sex, skin color, religious belief, or up-bringing, the story is only yours. The start of this journey is new to the Self and offers a glimpse of innocence. Allowing yourself to know the concept of innocence in this way can help you to clear away any emotional baggage that you carry from your physical life. Be curious on this journey. However, if you stray from the road you will always be off course. The road leads to your purpose, and everything that comes across the road is a necessary developmental stage.

What cultures or religions emphasize a journey of inner personal growth?
Are you able to imagine yourself without sin?
In your daily life are you as aware of those things that you cannot see or know as you are about those that you can see or know?
Do you discover those things that you cannot see or know by using contempt (sinful)? Or, do you discover them with curiosity and humility (moral)?

Archetype #4; The River

“Choices give life definition like a river that has cut its path through time.”

Choices are like a river that is in your way. This archetype is very important because if you never try to cross it (i.e. Make a choice), your Self will never mature as it should.

The water in a river moves downstream and you cannot know it’s depth unless you go into it. Crossing to the other side represents a change to your Self.

How do you feel when there is change in your life or when you know you need to change your behavior?
River water is perpetually returning waters. In life there is usually more than one choice. What do you think about your own choices?

Shrew U: Three Anchient Pillars

Archetypes of the Human Spirit (Story analysis)

Part Eight

Archetype #2; Three Anchient Pillars

“Three anchient pillars remain steadfast and sure as if they contain the wisdom of all generations”

This archetype represents support. As we know, it takes at least three legs to support a stool or a table. Think of the Trinity (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) or the great triangular pyramids that symbolize the integration of self and soul. Three represents the physical nature that is heaven, earth and waters as well as The Triad of beginning, middle and end. All of these are measures of maturity.

Inside this strength formation is light that is reaching toward infinity. This is the great power of your Self which has no limits unless it is burdened by your own judgements as represented by the clouds. The clouds that cut across the pillars form the shape of a cross or dagger representing bravery.

There is a road leaving and a road returning. This is the metaphysical path of the hero’s journey. It is not enough to be born into existence, you must be “born again” to self actualization…A Femal Priciple of transformation.

What or who is part of your spiritual support system?
Where are you in the story of your Self?
What limits do you place on your own power of self discovery?
Are you brave enough to take this hero journey?

Shrew U: Archetypes for Being

Archetypes of the Human Spirit

Part Seven

“Humans have been literally torturing each other for centuries as they grope toward a chalice of fulfillment.” The Shrew

How do we teach each other about each other?

Our individual experiences help to shape what we believe to be true about ourselves and about each other. Consequently, an individual is easily given to influences. Those persons, or “influencers”, around an individual can be mistaken as the mold for that individual, and when this happens the individual is no longer that unique creature of his or her life and liberty. Therefore, we each bear the responsibility to seek a greater awareness of our unique purpose also known as our pursuit of happiness.

These are not new concepts. Humans have been literally torturing each other for centuries as they grope toward a chalice of fulfillment. In the United States we have the best chance of attaining individual freedom based on actual resources of shared opportunities. I believe this is where we are today. It is most interestingly evidenced by the women in our U.S. Culture, and the influence here is what I call the Female Principle (FP). Those who embody the FP are know as a Shrew.

In my first blog post (The Shrew View, Nov. 3, 2017) I describe the Shrew as having these qualities:

Emotional maturity
Openness as a condition toward wholeness
Fortitude
Humility

My story, Archetypes of the Human Spirit, recounts the metaphysical steps toward individual happiness. It is a forward driven motion of heroic proportion that when actualized on an individual level can reveal the promise of what our “Creator” intended for his or her human creature. The following analysis provides a deeper understanding of this story for the purpose of finding the happiness we all desire…

Archetype #1; Light and Dark

“Your light of truth will evolve as you leave the storm of darkness”

I depicted this Archetype in two ways:

A vast dark area with a bright spot in the shape of a triangle pointed downward.
A combination of two fetuses with a separation between them.

The fetuses represent the individual in a conflict of duality and with a separation that acts as the “waste” depository for unnecessary emotional baggage.

What does conflict mean to you?
What is your unnecessary emotional baggage?

The triangle of light represents the exit from the womb of darkness and dependency.

Can you think of religions or myths that rely on these Archetypes? There are many, and this is just the beginning (Genesis!).
Can we consider this a Female Principle?

Next, I will reveal the Archetype of the number 3…