Writing a book and having it published was one of the most challenging, yet rewarding, accomplishments I’ve ever taken on. During the span of time it took, I found the project presented many opportunities for me to learn a few valuable lessons.
When I began to consider the idea over seven years ago, the topic focused primarily on the period between my two divorces and twenty-eight days in rehab—when I had my spiritual awakening. After several years of stopping and starting over and over again, something began to stir within me that bubble upped new thoughts, emotions, and ideas.
Initially, I became a student of Caroline Myss to heal nerve pain caused by a lightning strike that occurred many years earlier. However, after examining my interior world and doing the inner work, I noticed that I began to change. Fascinated with the scope of Myss’s practice, I realized I needed to delve deeper into it. After hearing another lecture on Sacred Contracts, I came home and pulled the book from my shelf. Thumbing through it, I noticed I had stopped short of the section on Archetypes.
What were these things called archetypes? Unaware of what exactly they were, I deemed it necessary to become versed in them. Synchronicity befell me when I told a friend that very thing, and the next day I received a catalog indicating Myss was holding a workshop entitled, “The Power of Archetypes.” After the seminar, I decided archetypes, with their shadow and light aspects, would be a theme throughout my book.
One thing I knew for sure was that I could write—I just didn’t know how good it was. Having no one to evaluate my writing, when Lois from The Happy Self-Publisher said, after reading several pages I had written, that my words pulled her into my world, and that my writing was good, I became inspired. The drive to complete the project became instilled within me. After Caroline Myss told me my work was very good and that my story was interesting, I went into overdrive. It was the extra affirmation that compelled me onward.
The stage was set for my school of life matriculation.
Go wherever life takes you.
The first lesson I learned was that you must go wherever life takes you and not hold onto where you think you should be. I had to let go of the original idea for the book and allow my life to unfold and follow wherever it led me, which is simple, but not easy to do. This lesson guided me on a five-year journey where I learned that many of my experiences had names for them.
An example is in the few months right before I hit my rock bottom. As I wrote about it, I had no idea I had entered what is called the “dark night of the soul,” where the meaning and conceptual framework I had given my life utterly collapsed around me. All I knew is that I identified myself through the marriage (as Mrs. John Doe), and when the marriage ended, I ended. It was a kind of death, the death of my egoic self. Ultimately, after hitting rock bottom and then seeking treatment, a more profound sense of purpose where my life was not dependent on explanations.
Through this experience, I discovered I was the Wounded Healer, an archetype that emerged in my psyche with the demand that I push myself to a level of inner effort that became more a process of transformation than an attempt to heal my traumatic wounds. In doing so, I was able to transcend my own pain and suffering and realize there is a choice in healing. The experience gave me the skills and knowledge to impart to other wounded souls and led to the divinely provided path of service I perform today.
Not everything goes your way…
Another lesson I learned is that not everything goes your way, especially when you don’t make the right choices. Not every decision I made when writing Struck by Lightning was a good one. Because I failed to research a particular business, I made an unwise choice that set me back financially over $8,700 and delayed its publication for over six months. These rash choices resulted in a lesson learned the hard way: patience.
Although I have never given birth, I feel writing is analogous to the gestation period and publishing to giving birth. Imagine having to carry a baby for a few extra months. Most women, I believe, would be extremely impatient waiting for the baby to be born. Day in and day out, I was tested to accept where I was in the process because I needed to learn patience. You know the old saying, “When you pray for patience, you’ll receive opportunities to practice it,” like getting stuck in traffic or choosing the wrong line to stand in.
In my case, pay for the entire process of formatting and editing all over again!
During this critical stage, I felt victimized, cheated, and resentful—my vulnerability challenged. Fear of rejection and the inability to healthily control my emotions due to not being heard (the Invisible Child archetype) began to permeate my psyche. I was lost and felt like giving in. However, remembering the prior endorsements, my persistence and tenacity took over and empowered me to complete the project. Even though it took more time and finances, what I gained was priceless—that the experience of failure can be a major thoroughfare to success.
The joy of writing.
One of the joys my writing elicited were the responses of those who read Struck by Lightning. I was able to describe my emotions and communicate them is such a way that the reader felt their feelings arise. Without knowing how to or deliberately focusing on this, I learned I was given this gift.
My journey of writing a book mirrors my journey of life. There are twists and curves at every corner you encounter, some positive, some negative. When I stood at each turning point, in life or when writing, I faced each one, deciding to empower myself instead of caving in. Writing a book helped me grow, as well as fueling the process for that growth.
When I sit back and review what I experienced in the past seven or eight years, it is nothing short of magical. I gained experiences I never thought I would, and for that, I am eternally grateful. My gratitude extends to various people who are central in my life, and those who have been a part of it at some point or other, even if fleeting. For without everything I experienced, without every decision and choice I made, my book—and myself—would not be what we are today.
Over the course of the past few years, I have been fascinated with learning about archetypes and chakras, and the power they hold when you become familiar with them. As a student of Caroline Myss, I have delved deep into their realm and, as a result, have concluded that to become fully empowered, you must know what your archetypes are and how they affect your chakras.
So, you ask, just what is an archetype? An archetype is a universal pattern of power or behavior. They represent both the positive and negative qualities within each of us. I have written on them in a prior blog, but my focus here is to share the positive (light) and negative (shadow) archetype that corresponds to each of the seven chakras in the next seven weeks, starting with the Root Chakra.
What is a chakra? A chakra is a spinning vortex of subtle energy located along the spine from the base to the crown. They give you access to your programmed responses – responses that are automatic from programming during the first seven years of your life – so you can minimize their adverse effects and maximize the positive ones.
Each of the seven chakras has a corresponding positive archetype as well as a negative one, that not only relate to your health issues, but emotional issues, habits, attitudes, and even thoughts. It is your thoughts and attitudes more than anything else that either release or block the flow of energy through the chakras.
Imagine a building with seven floors where each one represents a chakra. Consciousness begins in the basement where you only see yourself, and it’s all about you – that’s your EGO. But as you ascend each floor, your perception expands, and you have a significantly different view from the previous floor. You become aware of a larger reality.
On the first level, the Root chakra is found at the base of your spine and is concerned with physical needs and basic human survival; it is your foundation. The underlying issues associated with the root chakra are instinct, safety, survival, grounding, family, security, boundaries and new beginnings.
You will find family wounds and tribal beliefs are stored in this area of the body. The health of this chakra is associated with your upbringing and early life. The passing of ideas or “tribal programming” from previous generations of immigrants is prevalent here.
When we lose our grounding in our physical world, we become victims and everything becomes a struggle. Feeling like a victim, you allow yourself to become vulnerable, needy, and hence ungrounded because you regard every disappointment, separation, or loss as something you cannot control or change.
Identifying the Victim
The lowest level of energy and awareness is the Victim(dysfunctional) archetype. The Victim feels defenseless of outside forces which work against it. The Victim feels that “something has happened to me” and they suffer because they think all choices have been taken from them and they have no control over their fate. They are in a helpless state, entirely dependent on others, and disconnected from their inner core of feelings. They have no sense of empowerment.
There are distinct layers of the Victim’s fear of survival; not just the physical survival, but the survival of their identity or sense of self. In many cases, people feel some wrong has been done to them, and they were taken advantage of, or they are not responsible or at fault. They have no choice in the matter, and their power has been taken away from them. Being given attention through pity or sympathy can be a source of positive feedback for Victims. It is in these situations where the Victim may begin to feel they cannot continue living this way, and that may empower them to transform.
Changing this dysfunctional archetype involves taking personal responsibility for yourself, recognizing there are choices available to you and that you deserve to live your best life. When you finally admit the truth about your life, you then own your power. The primary function of the Victim is to help you develop your self-esteem and personal power. You accomplish this when you feel your fear and move through it. And when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, not a sour face.
Identifying the Mother
On the opposite side of the Root chakra is the Mother (functional) archetype, which is associated with nourishment, caring, and unconditional love. By identifying the Mother within you, you realize you have what it takes to provide for yourself not only physically, but emotionally as well.
When we are a Victim and permit others to take care of all our responsibilities, we shut the Mother archetype out, not allowing her to teach us the crucial aspects of self-care and self-love. It is when we look within to our inner child to provide ourselves with the necessary nurturing and love the Mother instills in us, that we can move from the state of helplessness and insecurity to the state of independence and security.
Becoming self-sufficient in all areas of your life, financially, emotionally, and physically, is the goal of creating a strong Mother archetype. When you can feel secure, loved, and cared for by yourself, you have reached this mode of being.
QUESTIONS TO ASK: BLOCKED ROOT CHAKRA?
In what areas do you not feel safe?
In what areas do you feel there is not enough?
In what areas do you feel you have no control or choice?
Where are you missing healthy boundaries?
Do you trust that life supports you?
Do you trust yourself to make supportive, healthy decisions?
Are you able to quickly make decisions?
The fair use of information above may contain material from Chakras and Their Archetypes, by Ambika Wauters, and The Book of Chakra Healing, by Liz Simpson.
Why do you want to know? First, an archetype is a pattern of power that everyone, including you, recognizes and uses all the time. When you label a person as a Princess or a Rebel, you know their characteristics just from that one word. When you say, “She’s such a Princess!” you know the person you’re talking about loves all things fine and beautiful, as well as wanting a Knight to sweep her away and take care of her forever. With the Rebel, you know the person goes against the mainstream, whether it be concerning religion, appearance, or authority. In other words, when you identify someone’s archetype, you don’t have to explain its meaning; with that one word, everyone understands it psychically.
Second, and perhaps more importantly, you want to know what your archetypes are to become empowered. The following analogy will allow you to grasp the significance of it. Imagine a train. Your BODY is the CABOOSE, and the ARCHETYPE is the ENGINE. You want to learn your archetypes to get your hands on the ENGINE, which has all the POWER. When you live your life in the CABOOSE, you are being dragged, unable to direct your life. You have NO POWER. You ask yourself, “How did this happen? How did I get here?” and the answer is, you are not in the engine of your own train.
Also, archetypes are impersonal; there is no emotion in this level of consciousness. There is only data. You may get emotional about the data, but there is no emotion in this realm of energy.
HOW MANY ARCHETYPES DO YOU HAVE?
You have 12 basic archetypes, 4 of which are common to the human race: Saboteur, Prostitute, Victim, Child (Magical, Orphan, Wounded, Nature, Eternal, Divine). Caroline Myss identifies these 4 in her work, Sacred Contracts, as the Survival Archetypes, and in essence, give you opportunities throughout your life to develop self-esteem. (You are not born with self-esteem, you must build it.) Think of them as four legs of a table. One of the legs is going through the challenges of the Saboteur. You will feel these challenges because life presents you with many situations where you have the opportunity to empower yourself instead of sabotage. We often fear change, yet change is necessary to deepen our resolve to see the world more truthfully. Deliberately turning away opportunities that will positively change your life is a glaring signal you are in the shadow of the Saboteur.
Another leg of the table that confronts you is the Prostitute archetype. We all go through trials where we are tested to cultivate our faith, not to negotiate any part of our lives for the well-being of our physical security. When you have no faith, there will always be a price you are willing to obtain. With faith, you cannot be bought; your integrity (self-esteem) is intact. The Prostitute shows itself when you’re in a job you know is not ethical, or you remain in an unhealthy relationship for fear of being alone. When you confront your fears of survival, having faith you can take care of yourself, this archetype is transformed into your protector.
The Victim, a fear known by everyone, is also a leg that supports your table of self-esteem and self-respect. In its shadow, the Victim is present every time you tell yourself it’s never your fault. You are given a road map with obstacles and challenges that will make you feel like nothing is easy. It’s when you take things personally. An example is when someone takes an illness, such as cancer, and says, “Why did this happen to me?” Once you tell yourself the disease, cancer, happens to many people and is not personal, you are victorious and have confronted the shadow. The illness itself is impersonal, but your experience of cancer is intensely personal.
The fourth and final leg of the table is the Child archetype, which contains various types, such as the Wounded, Abandoned, Orphan, Invisible, Eternal, Magical, or Divine Child. Without going into all types of Child, suffice it to say the core issue of all the Child archetypes, writes Caroline Myss, “is dependency vs. responsibility: when to take responsibility; when to take responsibility, when to have a healthy dependency, when to stand up to the group, and when to embrace communal life.” When you think of a child, you see someone who is happy and carefree, which is our normal state. As we grow from children to teenagers and finally adults, we go through various maturation stages, such as when you become conscious of what is right and wrong at around the age of seven to when your spiritual power emerges around twenty-one. Each archetype is bound by both light and shadow aspects, of which the latter must be confronted.
If you are intrigued by what you’ve just read, then I’ve done my job. It’s important to remember that archetypes are impersonal patterns of power in you; they are neither good nor bad; they are just patterns by which you behave. There is no emotion in archetypes; there is only data. They are real forces, entities and they are psychic fields. When you understand the power archetypes have, you’ll become empowered by discovering the TRUTH about yourself, and FEAR will slip away…..I promise. One thing I’ve learned is “the speed at which you see TRUTH changes the speed of CHANGE in your life.” Do you want that to happen? If so, contact me for more information or to schedule an appointment. You’ll be glad you did.
responses that are automatic from programming during the first seven years of your life – so you can minimize their adverse effects and maximize the positive ones.
When you finally admit the truth about your life, you then own your power. The primary function of the Victim is to help you develop your self-esteem and personal power. You accomplish this when you feel your fear and move through it. And when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, not a sour face.
WHAT IS AN ARCHETYPE? 
You want to learn your archetypes to get your hands on the ENGINE, which has all the POWER. When you live your life in the CABOOSE, you are being dragged, unable to direct your life. You have NO POWER. You ask yourself, “How did this happen? How did I get here?” and the answer is, you are not in the engine of your own train.
You will feel these challenges because life presents you with many situations where you have the opportunity to empower yourself instead of sabotage. We often fear change, yet change is necessary to deepen our resolve to see the world more truthfully. Deliberately turning away opportunities that will positively change your life is a glaring signal you are in the shadow of the Saboteur.
the Victim is present every time you tell yourself it’s never your fault. You are given a road map with obstacles and challenges that will make you feel like nothing is easy. It’s when you take things personally. An example is when someone takes an illness, such as cancer, and says, “Why did this happen to me?” Once you tell yourself the disease, cancer, happens to many people and is not personal, you are victorious and have confronted the shadow. The illness itself is impersonal, but your experience of cancer is intensely personal.