The Old Masculine King
Jungian Analyst and Author, Robert Bly, has stated in his work long ago that the archetypal image of the powerful, old masculine, King is dead – in our collective psyche! An archetype is a way of describing our universal need of a particular aspect of within our psychological development of how we think, feel and behave. The King archetype is one of power, strength and how to fight for our integrity and needs.
Sadly, for many of us, the positive King archetype was killed off in our early childhood from abandonment or abuse, dysfunctional or distorted men and narcissistic to psychopathic fathers. Our idea of what a strong powerful father should be, is actually one that is deeply wounded, weak or insecure, compensating in some form for a deep disconnection from within our psyches. The old masculine lacks a healthy integration with the feminine, an intuitive nature, an inclusive and supportive relationship with others and a way of being that is in harmonious balance with how we live together on this Earth.
The authentic and empowered masculine has been lost within the collective psyche of so many people and needs to be re-claimed individually and collectively through learning new ways of being. This can be done with serious inner reflection, deep soul healing, psychotherapy, group work and a conscious intent to truly understand and begin to act in ways that reflect the new emerging masculine.
Thankfully, there are men – and women – out there who are already integrating, supporting and teaching this new form of healthy, healing masculine. As the old masculine order is crumbling in chaos, the new form is growing through it and reforming in a better, authentic way. I have seen glimpses of this new emerging masculine in many different places:
- Aboriginal and indigenous peoples who hold circle councils to include everyone’s point of view.
- Therapists and teachers who act as wise sage elders, having gone through healing their own inner masculine wound and now teach other men – and women – how to heal theirs.
- Natural Builders who with authentic integrity are quietly building with natural building materials (such as wood, earth and straw).
- Men and women who have breakdowns that transform into breakthroughs, who have the courage to not numb down their intense feeling states (with drugs, alcohol, etc) but who learned how to increase their tolerance and resiliency skills to heal the deep wounds of their psyche and body mind relationships.
- Meditation Centres who are training men & women’s minds to sit still and learn how to ‘be’ (a feminine quality)
- Men and women who are green activists who are calling the world to change and transform.
- People who attend yoga classes and want to create a more flexible body and mind.
- Men and women who attend healing workshops and do group work.
- Men teaching workshops while carrying their baby on their back.
- Men who love being in nature and learning how the birds, animals or even the plants & tree’s communicate.
Have you seen other ways that have shown you that the new masculine is emerging? I’d love to hear about them!
This article is Part 2 of a series of 3 and continues in Part 3
Here is a link to Part 1
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