Archetypes of male masculinity

Archetypes are one of the frameworks A+ Men's Coaching & Development use to help you understand and balance yourself, empowering you to become a superior man and leader who can begin the journey to your fullest self and best life!

As a framework for understanding ourselves, archetypes guide human behaviour, and they are described as the forms and patterns imprinted to our subconscious. They are made up of strengths, beliefs, values, weaknesses, personality traits, motivations, and fears. They influence human behaviours to different degrees and define the way we perceive and exercise power. They help us understand the ‘different parts’ of ourselves, giving us insights into how we tick, why we might behave more in certain ways and less in others and guide us towards improvements.

Your level of consciousness (awareness) is an indicator to how aware you are of the archetypes operating within you, and this increases with experience and education. A+ Men's Coaching & Development work from four Archetypal structures these help empower you to begin your journey toward personal growth.

The King

The  King archetype, in its most mature form, is the leader in our lives. He holds our sense of mission, purpose and vision. He leads others by example and is accepting, generous, just, clear, and wise. A good expression, one that captures the essence of this sovereign energy within, is 'the heart centred leader'.

The King archetype unites all others. He is the soul, the father, the chief and chosen leader. The King incorporates the other three mature masculine the Warrior, Magician, and Lover archetypes in balance. He sacrifices his individual goals to live a life in service. His benevolence, fairness and support lay the foundation for a healthy culture. A King is centred, decisive, lives with integrity, provides order, inspires creativity, blesses the lives of others, and leaves a legacy.

Some access it, but not in a good way – behaving in tyrannical and abdicating ways. Some use sabotaging King behaviour to intimidate or belittle – verbally, emotionally, or intellectually. They blame or find fault in others and fail to take responsibility. Others, may shame or threaten with the final authority of the weak King – “Off with your head!”

However, not every man gets to access this archetype in its fullness, if at all in his lifetime - this takes work. Most people know the feeling of having no presence, potency or power; just as though you have abdicated from your throne or position in life.

The Lover

The Lover lives in the present moment. A man who connects with his lover is more in tune with flow of his emotions and the sensuality of his body. He is attractive, healthy, potent, playful, and creative. Through his open heart, he experiences oneness and mystical union with all life around him. He seeks love, beauty, and pleasure. His animal side is integrated. He is the artist, poet, singer, dancer and athlete who expresses all of himself without inhibitions or shame.

Men, more in tune with their Lover archetype have the ability to better handle intense emotions and understand their feelings and have a greater passion for life. They are spontaneous with a great sense of wonder and enthusiasm. They are forgiving and understanding of others and pursue their dreams and imagination.

Like all archetypes, there can be too much or too little. Too little – or what we call a deflated Lover – is seen when men are asked what they are feeling and are likely to have a hard time knowing. They tend to have even more difficulty opening up and showing vulnerability. As a result, they can have a hard time connecting with others and forming or sustaining relationships. To others, they often appear to be stoic or just ‘in their head’. Within themselves, they may feel lonely and cut off from people, and they sometimes have given up on ever finding love, much as they may long for it.

On the other hand, people with too much – or inflated Lover – energy are likely to be drowning in their emotions. These people overflow, like a dam that has burst, they often report that there is way too much going on in their lives, as if their life is a constant drama. Unlike the person with deflated lover energy who becomes stoic, the inflated lover may go to the opposite extreme, indulging themselves to the point of hedonism and addictions.

The Magician

The Magician is a master of healing. He unites intuitive and logical aspects of his mind. He knows how to direct and use the energies of body, psyche, and nature in beneficial ways. As a scientist and strategist, he dives deep into the mysteries of the outer and the inner worlds, to find answers for his people. He is a storyteller, who makes information and insights available to others.

The Magician within us is a clever, thinking, intuitive, transforming archetype. But what does he transform? He can transform confusion to clarity, ignorance to wisdom, risk and danger into safety, one state of consciousness into another, and success into failure — or failure into success. He can think problems through to a solution, he can access an incredible depth of wisdom and creativity and intuition. He can, in short, be your greatest asset. Unfortunately, he can also be your greatest hindrance.

When the Magician is not being looked after, his skill is a mask, designed to deceive or elude others. Men who are not in touch with their Magician archetype allow the dark side to take over. They misuse their power to create illusions, personas, and false realities as a way of maintaining control of their own lives. Secrecy is part of this dark side and will show up as one who keeps crucial information from others to prevent them from becoming self-empowered. Typically, they have an astute understanding of how things work, cause and effect, human behavioural responses and so on, they are good at manipulating others into seeing only what they want them to see. They can also be secretive, especially about who they are deep down, their weaknesses and vulnerabilities and anything they feel may threaten their identities.

The Warrior

The Warrior acts in service to a higher goal and can use healthy aggression to protect what he loves. He is humble and knows his boundaries and limitations. His focus is clear and detached. Composed in times of crisis, he accepts the challenges of life and keeps a peaceful and solution-oriented attitude. Protector, representative of physical strength and prowess, the Warrior will stand up for the rights of others and for the things they believe in. Loyalty, purpose, and adaptability are key traits of a healthy Warrior.

An unrefined Warrior can be obsessive and choose conflict as a means of solving problems, rather than more peaceful means such as diplomacy - escalating situations where this was not necessary. They are prone to rage and anger unless they have learned to manage their emotions in a healthy manner, bottling up their feelings until they explode.

Many men today lack Warrior energy. They’ve been told all their lives that anger is bad and they should just work on being “nice guys.” But if there’s anything the world needs today, it’s men in touch with the Warrior archetype and the ability to access this positive Warrior energy in a good way. It’s the energy that propels men to dare greatly and to fight for a worthy cause.