Archetypical Dialogue
The Wisdom of Personas
Greetings,
Last December, I invited readers to join me on a six-week programme called the Winter Dreaming Journey. To set the scene for today, below is the post where I introduced readers to the journey's first stage. We began by crafting an overarching question to bring focus to this seasonal inquiry. Please click on the image below if you would like a reminder of the process.
Week 1 : The Art of Winter Listening
Greetings, dear Winter Dreamers, Slowing down and taking time for reflection can bring deeper discernment into what has happened over the year. This understanding can lead to new insights and possibilities for the coming year. It is powerful to stop, be still and listen to our inner voice that the ‘
The question that emerged for me was: 'What is needed to live fully into my Soul's purpose now?' I truly loved this question because of the assumption that the Soul has a purpose, perhaps even a blueprint, that guides me through each lifetime. By bringing my attention to this purpose, I am opening myself to Divine guidance flowing into my thoughts, words, feelings, and deeds. This way of focusing my attention is a powerful and positive way to live in the present moment. It feels like I am living more intentionally.
Typically, at the end of this annual dreaming time, I am ready to move back into my daily life. Yet, this year, I felt I needed something more for completion, and I did not know what was required. Then, on the spur of the moment, I signed up for a free Tony Robbins summit called 'Time to Rise'. I have been aware of Tony and his programmes for many years but have never felt called to take part. The marketing always felt a bit 'Ra-Ra' to me. And yet, when I read the information, it felt just right.
And yes, it was wonderfully 'Ra-Ra'! To my surprise, I really enjoyed attending. It felt authentic, life-affirming and, at times, quite moving. Tony is a fascinating individual with quite a track record. The image above shows how he responded to the Covid shutdowns by building a massive virtual studio to continue to provide his large-scale events.
One of his practices resonated with me because I saw where to go next with my Winter Dreaming inquiry. In essence, he suggested invoking the wisdom of archetypal personas as a way to access our inner guidance system. He spoke about how personas like the Magician, the Warrior, the Lover and the Sovereign tap into universal patterns held in our Collective Consciousness. By relating to archetypes, we gain valuable insights into ourselves and the world around us. Their wisdom offers a powerful way to navigate our journey to personal understanding.
The process he offered was to ask each archetype persona to complete a sentence in response to a particular challenge or situation. The sentence structure he suggested was. 'As the Magician, Ann, I suggest that you….."
Listening to Tony's explanation and guidance, I wondered what would happen if I invited each archetype to respond to my Winter Dreaming question. As a refinement, I decided to use personas I was more familiar with from my Earth Wisdom tradition. In this tradition, we have eight personas (the Creator, the Shaman, the Explorer, the Pathfinder, the Nurturer, the Seer, the Strategist and the Shapeshifter) aligned to the directions of the compass.
So one day, I sat outside in the cool winter sunshine and used free writing to ask each persona for an answer to "What is needed to live fully into my Soul's purpose now?"
Below is the wheel I created from the persona's responses.
I set aside the Wheel and returned to it a few days later. I was amazed at its wisdom and how attuned and congruent the guidance felt. I have placed this glyph on the wall facing my desk so that I can connect with it regularly. As part of my morning practice, I read each of the directions aloud and then selected which feel most relevant to my plans for the day. In doing this, I have a real sense that I raise my vibrational energy to be more at ease, purposeful and playful.
Questions for this Week
Next week, I will write about the Law of Attraction and how this practice enhances it, but for now, here are my questions for you.
What question are you holding for your life as you move through 2024?
Are there any archetypal personas that capture your imagination?
How might they speak to your question and tap into your inner guidance?
As always, I would love to hear from you.
Ann
Thank you for sharing this Ann!
I love how you related the personas to the Earth Wisdom medicine wheel! I have been reconnecting with them again recently promted by a new Ecological Organisations Framework which also has eight directions.
We have also used the archetypes, King, Warrior, Lover & Magician taken from Jung's work, extensively in our work with our man's group, Spirit of Man.
With love and gratitude, Mark
Thank you, Ann. I love how you're reaching out into different traditions and offerings to enhance what you already know. I just finished a 3-day program with Alberto Villoldo, who spent much of his life studying with the Andean shamans of Peru. At the end of one of our meditation journeys, he asked, "What are you summoning?" And I responded, "Respect and Reverence for all life on Mother Earth." At which point I knew exactly what energy was calling and I reframed my answer as a Being Statement: "I embody respect and reverence for life." So simple. Not a to-do list or a wheel, but somehow all-encompassing. Now all I have to do is show up. So glad to be taking this journey with you!!!