Archetypically speaking – the healthy Warrior gets things done. Holds boundaries. Is in service to the King and the realm. And he is accountable.
Of course, there can be a shadow side too.
The Warrior can show up overinflated – sadistic. Attacking. With impossibly high standards. As a workaholic. Or abusive.
When the Warrior is underinflated – he’s masochistic. Not knowing when to stop. Passive-aggressive. Unable to hold boundaries. Pushed around.
I want to share three great resources to learn more about the Warrior, plus King, Magician, and Lover.
First, there is the book by Moore and Gillette, King Warrior, Magician, Lover, Rediscovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine. This classic book explores the masculine psyche through the archetypes. It can be a bit dense of a read,
The Art of Manliness did the hard work to make Moore and Gillette’s work more accessible with a 5-part series on the KWML archetypes – I highly recommend starting here.
My recent find is an ongoing series by Steven Pressfield exploring the warrior archetype. Pressfield, who is just beginning this COVID-inspired project, promises 40 – 50 short videos talking about Warrior. He starts with a few stories from Sparta, and I’m looking forward to following along.
If you could use more Warrior – these are three good places to start.
Go Answer the Call
Matt Kelly
