Archetype is a term coined by the great Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, and he described them as ancient and archaic images that derive from the collective unconscious (the causal or mental body), or innate universal psychic dispositions which form the basic symbols of the unconscious. They form a dynamic substratum common to all humanity. In other words, we could almost say that behavior is not individual, but rather universal. We are acting out universal patterns that exist in the mind of all of humanity.
Plato also spoke of archetypes, the eidos or ideas which were pure mental forms imprinted on the soul before birth.
Each archetype exists as an inherited potential in each man, and can be actualized when it enters consciousness as images or manifest as behavior.
There are a limitless number of archetypes that exist, and they are eternal and universal; in other words, they always have existed and always will.
Jung mapped out the soul (or causal body) with endless archetypes that he saw in humanity.
There are 5 main archetypes in the psyche:
The SELF, which is the center of the psyche. It contains the archetypes in it, and is the ideal that the person wishes to be. (Astrologically, I would call this the SUN).
The SHADOW includes the traits deep within us, hidden and usually repressed or denied. They often appear as the opposite of the self. We may have chosen to deny or repress these quailites in childhood, such as anger, vulnerability, sexuality, etc.. It is very important to known and own the shadow qualities in order to become whole. (Astrologically, I would call this the 12th house)
The ANIMA is the inner feminine. (Astrologically, I would refer to this as venus).
The ANIMUS is the inner masculine. (Astrologically, I would refer to this as mars.)
The PERSONA is the mask that we present to the world. (Astrologically, I would refer to this as the ascendant).
The beauty is that we can activate or de-activate the archetypes consciously, using our will, although some of them will greatly color our being if they are very prominent in us.
Some of my favorite information about archetypes comes from the books called called GODDESSES IN EVERYWOMAN (AND GODS IN EVERYMAN, for males) by Jean Shinoda Bolen, and she discusses goddess archetypes that exist within us females as powerful forces that influence what we do and how we feel, how we perceive the world. They make us all very different from one another.
For the females, there are goddesses in two categories: virgin goddess and the vulnerable goddesses.
The virgin goddesses (Artemisia, Hestia, Athena) in themselves are not vulnerable. They were not victimized and did not suffer (in Greek mythology). They are autonomous, unto themselves, and the virgin quality represents the independent, self-sufficient quality in women. Artemisia and Athena are goal-oriented and logical thinkers, and Hestia is the spiritual priestess, focusing inward in meditation. They seek their own goals, and are self-sufficient.
The vulnerable goddesses–Hera, Demeter, and Persephone–represent the traditional roles of wife, mother, and daughter. They are relationship-oriented archetypes whose identities and well-being depend on significant relationships. They are attuned to others and vulnerable; all three goddesses were raped, abducted, dominated, or humiliated by male gods. Each suffered in her own way when an attachment was broken or dishonored, and showed symptoms that resembled psychological illnesses.
Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love and Beauty, is in her own category as the alchemical goddess. She was the most beautiful and irresistible, and generated love and beauty, erotic attraction, sensuality, sexuality, and new life. She entered relationships by her own choice and was never victimized. She values intensity, creativity, and an alchemical focus of attention that is both focused and receptive. She is a special goddess archetype.
There are many many many other innumerable goddess archetypes that we can contain within us.
Hestia: Goddess of the Hearth and Temple
The first main archetype is Hestia, the virgin goddess, virgin simply meaning that she was independent and unto herself, not vulnerable to hurt from others. Hestia is the goddess of the hearth and temple, and wise woman. She was specifically said to be the goddess of the fire burning around the hearth, present in the living flame at the center of a home or temple. In her Greek temples, the sacred fire was tended by the temple priestesses.
Hestia often was paired with Hermes, the messenger god, and in human relationships, it is not uncommon to see Hestia women paired with Hermes men.
Hestia the goddess stayed in her home or temple, and generally did not venture outside into the world to explore the wilderness or the city. She was quite anonymous, lacking a mask or persona to wear in public. Her consciousness was inwardly-directed toward her own subjective experience. While externally-focused goddess like Artemis or Athena focus on achieving goals, Hestia focuses inward in meditation and her intuitive abilities.
A woman who has a strong Hestia archetype may live in a home, temple or an ashram as a meditator, or may spend a lot of time meditating and connecting to her intuitive insights, feeling others from a deeper level. She is detached, as are all of the virgin goddesses. Her life has a deep sense of inner meaning, since she is connected to the spirit within, rather than focused outwardly on temporal objects or situations.
A Hestia woman is a wise woman who feels whole in herself, and is not generally attached to outer people, outcomes, prestige, or power. She doesn’t have a strong sense of ego, which is good for a spiritually-minded meditator or priestess, but could present a problem for a woman in the executive or normal world, in which case she will obviously have to cultivate other goddesses. She lacks ambition and drive, and does well in a profession that requires stillness and depth, such as being an art model, photographer, or psychologist.
In the myth, Hestia was the child of Rhea and Cronos, who swallowed her and later spit her out. And this parallel can be seen in Hestia women in their youth; they may have tyrannical fathers and depressed mothers, and feel quite alone. The tendency for Hestia is to withdraw emotionally, retreating inward for solace in a family or school life that feels foreign to her.
Hestia lives in a realm of timelessness, because she is in the flow of spiritual consciousness and the intuitive realm, whereby she loses sense of time.
Remember that every woman can have many archetypes present simultaneously, so a woman may have Hestia along with Aphrodite, as did the mystic St Teresa of Avila, noted for her ecstatic writings. Mother Teresa seemed to have Hestia along with Demeter, the mother goddess.
One can cultivate Hestia as an archetype within by finding quiet solitude in meditation, and doing housework in a way that is contemplative, meaningful, and free of time constraints. In order to contact Hestia, a woman must spent time alone inwardly, centered in the Self, rather than outward. Some women in contemplation naturally pour out poetry, which flows forth effortless, beyond ego, as a gift of grace.
Also, Hestia women generally lack assertiveness and don’t speak up if they feel devalued. It is important for her to learn to express her feelings. She also will have to learn to have a persona in the world, unless she retreats into a convent. It will be helpful for her to acquire assertiveness through Artemis or Athena.
We will speak more about each goddess in each subsequent blog…
Confessions of a Mermaid 