ARCHETYPES Part 2: Archetypes in Duality

I’m going to break away from the usual pace of this blog and take on A. Venifica’s challenge to synchroblog on the topic of duality. I wasn’t sure if I’d make the May 1 deadline, but upon closer look the topic provided direct correlation to what I’m currently writing … and so it flowed when I applied myself to it. Here are the other bloggers involved:

Between Old and New Moons
Jewish Myth, Magic, and Mysticism
Goddess in a Teapot
The Aquila ka Hecate
Full Circle Earthwise News
Mythprint (all the myth that’s fit to print)
Stone Circle
Women and Spirituality
Frontiers of Wonder
ReligionThink
Paleothea - Sing, Goddess
Quaker Pagan Reflections
Heart of Flame
Pitch 313
Executive Pagan
Druid’s Apprentice
The Druid Journal
Manzanita, Redwoods and Laurel
Dream Builders

Previously, I’ve described how once I embodied the lesser qualities of personal archetypes in the beginning of my spiritual journey, which began with modern day Hindu saints Sri Karunamayi and Mata Amritanandamayi in the late 90’s. The presence of the Goddess in my life, embodied in these Holy women, began an accelerated period of spiritual growth. This growth was reflected in personal archetypes, which I wrote about here. Once, I identified with Morgan Le Fey, a historical and mythological archetype I picked up in high school. Morgan’s quest for personal power rendered her oblivious to the needs of others. Excluding her negative traits, I perceived Morgan’s self-possession and strength as attractive, which reflected a lack of true inner character and strength in me. I wasn’t aware of it then, but I lived in fear of unidentified inner demons, the ugliest of which was a monster called Abandonment and the lesser of which was a prickly bugger called Neglect. Chasing reactions caused by these fears, I was in danger of doing the very thing my mother did when she made my brothers and I, children, unwilling victims of her repeated carelessness.

The influence of the wholly present Goddess challenged the Morgan Le Fey archetype, and I was encouraged toward one which reflected the positive qualities I possessed. As a result, certain people and behaviors in my life, all of which I enabled, began to fall away. Over a period of time, which I will explore in a separate upcoming article, I migrated toward the Morgaine archetype, who was “… a representation of female power; in this context she is sometimes connected to interpretations of Celtic feminine spirituality … such is the case in Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon.” (wiki) Thus, I was engaged in a personal transition in polarities from one archetype to another, which was in fact a vast and hastened journey between dualities.

The saying goes, “as above, so below” and this micro/macrocosmic correlation works when viewing duality in personal archetypes through an astrological lens. We grow into and through most points on the astrological spectrum, mapped out in our natal chart, as each sign is described in dualities, that is, strengths and lesser qualities. This movement, better analyzed by astrologers (which I’m not), reflects the movement of the planets on a smaller scale and how they manifest in our lives, and is part of our learning experience wherein we unravel the mysteries of our wound (i.e., Chiron as described by both Martin Lass and Barbara Hand Clow).

I have a Leo Sun, a Scorpio moon, and a Cancer rising (and, like my daughter, large amounts of Virgo overall), and in my journey thus far I have embodied both the lesser and stronger qualities of each astrological sign. My sun in Leo, or the manifestation of my ego, has manifested in dualities first through arrogance, pompousness, overt self-consciousness, as well as possessiveness and jealously. The Divine Mother pushed me gently toward confidence, generosity, and supportiveness. This fixed fire sign, that which resides in the sun, is like a road map to outward behavior and the way we interact with our world, and might be better understood as we transform from the lazy and slovenly Leo to the royal Lion garbed in Mother’s purple mantle. My moon in Scorpio, manifested first as secretive and willful, has since become intense and determined. This fixed water sign, which resides in Pluto and Mars, is the key to my emotions, and is a significant contributor to the ability to transform from one duality to the other, i.e., transform from the toxic scorpion to the reborn phoenix. The cancer rising in my chart manifested as controlling tendencies, which are self-fulfilling prophecies of negativity, and then slowly (and, as you’ll see in upcoming articles, reluctantly) I was able to navigate personal and spiritual change successfully. I was the crab, quick to bite and vehement in my refusal to let go, and then I became tenacious insofar as I attempted to better understand myself (primarily through all this blog writing!).

Duality is equally present in my creative expression, which is what this blog is about … how my spirituality is expressed creatively. First, my work was dark and intense. You’ll note that here, here and here. Gradually, my creative expression transformed until it represented change and discovery itself in the offerings here and here. As above, so below indeed.

These dualities, initially playing out in my personal archetypic mythos as the journey from Morgan Le Fey to Morgaine, and then in my astrological chart, illustrate extremes in a spiritual journey. Duality is as much a part of our esoteric life, as it is the mundane. After all, how would we know one extreme without having knowledge of the other? Perhaps this tiny question is the keystone in anyone’s journey. It makes me wonder if we willingly separate from the God/Goddess to be born on the earthly plane specifically in order to endure the struggle inherent in returning to the Goddess or enlightment. Perhaps we must experience it in order to appreciate it.

In close, I will assert that the Divine Mother, the Goddess, is always there for us, and it serves to note she never gives up on us. I don’t think it’s necessary to accept a guru/disciple relationship formally in order to benefit from Her teaching, particularly when her thousand arms and hands are present in our lives everywhere in the most pragmatic sense (read more on that here). If one has been spiritually awakened to even the tiniest degree, the lessons will continue, and duality will manifest repeatedly until we hear, understand and integrate Her lessons.

My thanks to A. Venifica for the ability to participate in this synchroblog.

More coming soon on personal archetypes.

END NOTE on May 8, 2008: None of the graphics used in this article are mine. The graphic at the very top was borrowed from Worth1000.com. You have to admit, it's just perfect! The second piece is by Michelle-Lee Phelan at www.witchwood.com. I wouldn't think of stealing her work, which, by the way, is multi-dimensional and stunning in every way! The last two pieces I just found on the web, and while I don't know who to give credit to, suffice it to say that I am certainly not taking credit. Happy Mother's Day, Bloggers!