The 5 Archetypes of The

Mature Masculine
Joker/King/Warrior/Magician/Lover

Joker/King/Warrior/Magician/Lover
 The Lover Archetype
Don't be misled by the name; it's not just about romance. The
Lover archetype encapsulates all types of love — parental,
familial, friendships, spiritual, and romantic. The Lover wants
to have close relationships, achieve intimacy, feel special, and
make others feel special, too. The Lover is passionate and
unashamed in fostering relationship and expressing
appreciation.

There is also a sensual aspect that the Lover archetype

represents. Anything that pleasures the senses – beautiful
things, enticing smells, indulgent foods – give joy and delight to
the Lover.

When lover energy is weak or deflated, people often report

that they are cut off from their emotions.

While the lover archetype itself is not sad, our experience of

sadness and grief open a doorway to it.
Shadow side of Lover and Embodiment
The Lover’s shadow can take many forms. As a chameleon, Healthy Embodiment practises:
thy can risk losing their own self-identity in trying to remake The Lover performs best under mutually-
themselves into the image their desired wishes, or can grow beneficial arrangements. They are no stranger to
so bitter over their failure that they will obstruct the path of dedication and commitment, will
their scorning love, or naive people who remind them of
show appreciation and gratitude for
their former, innocent passion.
others without being prompted, and are
The shadow side of the Lover is also one of the most quickest to wear their heart on their sleeve and
dangerous, as he can not be reasoned with. view the world through rose-tinted glasses.
There is no life for the Lover after loss of love, and many - Schedule in time for painting (Getting
times, they are willing to take many down with them in a Creative)
final, fitting end. They can also have commitment - Expressing love to those closest to you
problems, objectify their desire, and become addicts in the - Spiritual practices (Gratitude)
pursuit of recreating the instigating emotion. - Romantic and close relationships
- Hold space for yourself to feel emotions
The Magician Archetype
What does Gandalf from Lord of the Rings, Yoda from Star
Wars, the Architect from The Matrix, Albert Einstein, and
Nicola Tesla all have in common?

They are all expressions of the Magician archetype.

The Magician is the bearer of knowledge both ancient and

new. The Magician archetype is synonymous with
cognition. In his fullest, the Magician is wise, thoughtful,
reflective, healing, contemplative, and transformative.
As a master of technology, the Magician knows how to
manipulate the elements. And as such, he possesses great
power to create.

The Magician archetype goes by many names:

Sage, Shaman, Holy Man, Wise Old Man, Ritual Elder,
Knower, Seer, Prophet, Wizard, Alchemist.
Shadow Side of Magician and Embodiment
The Shadow Magician uses their power to create
illusions, personae and false realities as a way of Healthy Embodiment practices:
maintaining control of their own lives. Secrecy is part of - Plant medicine/psychedelics
this archetype and will show up in the shadow as one - Meditation
who keeps crucial information from others to prevent - Breathwork
them from becoming self-empowered. - Yoga
- Knowledge of the spiritual realm (Gnosis)
Because they typically have an astute understanding of
how things work, cause and effect, human behavioural
responses etc. they are good at manipulating others into
seeing only what the Shadow Magician wants them to
see.

They can be secretive, especially about who they are

deep down, their weaknesses and vulnerabilities and
anything they feel may threaten their identities.

The passive Shadow Magician keeps the persona of

intelligence and skill (because they want to appear
smart) without taking responsibility for their behaviour.
They want status without responsibility.
The Warrior Archetype
The warrior is a timeless, primal archetype at the core
of both individuals and groups. Men especially are
attracted to warrior energy.

All the hunters, defenders, athletes, guards, knights,

and samurais are, in fact, telling us there’s something
valuable about focus, determination, and courage for
the common good.

In the developed world, warrior energy is often

sublimated into activities of business and sports. But
even here, a clear goal toward a larger good, beyond
self, and for purposes greater than prestige and power
is usually absent. Our work is to find worthy causes and
goals to receive worthy warrior energy.

Of course the proper use of aggression presupposes

that a man has goals that he’s striving towards in the
first place. A man has to have a clear and definite
purpose in life, or he will feel lost and restless, like he is
drifting along instead of marching ahead.
The Shadow Warrior and Embodiment
The Sadist. Men in touch with the Warrior archetype Healthy embodiment practices:
have the ability to detach themselves from emotions - Physical exercise (conscious adversity)
and human relationships. While detachment provides a - Setting Boundaries with self and others
man with much needed focus on important tasks, when - Get clear on direction and purpose
it becomes a man’s permanent state, the Sadist shadow - Set goals and work towards them
controls a man’s psyche. The Sadist can be cruel, even - Learn martial arts
to those most vulnerable. He disdains the weak. - Play team sports
- Stand up for yourself
The Masochist. A man possessed by the Masochist - Meditation
feels he is powerless. He is a push-over who has no - Discipline
personal boundaries and will let others walk all over
him. He may hate his job or the relationship he’s in and
complain about it, but instead of quitting, cutting his
losses and moving on, he digs in and tries harder to be
who his boss or girlfriend wants him to be and takes
even more abuse.
The King Archetype
Divine Masculine energy express higher levels of
awareness and spiritual states of being along with greater
satisfaction in life experience.

The King archetype is the most important of the four

mature masculine archetypes. Just as a good king in
mythological stories is often something of a Renaissance
man–a good warrior, magician, and lover. The King
archetype incorporates the other three mature masculine
archetypes in perfect harmony. A man who accesses the
King archetype in its fullness will also have accessed the
Warrior, Magician, and Lover archetypes. For this reason,
the King archetype is typically the last of the mature
masculine archetypes to power up in a man’s life.

He is supportive and nurturing of the well-being and

easeful participation and happiness of those he engages
with. He is a stabilizing and calming influence in all
circumstances. By his balance and “potency” (strength,
effectiveness) others are comforted and influenced to
imitate his example. His demeanour is “seasoned” and
carries wisdom with it, not adolescent impulsiveness.
The Shadow King and Embodiment
In the shadow, the king archetype is the tyrant, despot, or dictator Healthy embodiment practices:
squashing any doubt of his authority, forgetting the welfare of his - Take care of the people around, give
subjects and ever hungry for more power. - Embody the other 3 archetypes fully
and your king will step through
The shadow king may be the conqueror looking to increase his - Connect to a power bigger than yourself
territory, treasury and reach by overthrowing other kings. He is no and be of service
longer the conduit for God, but God himself, the supreme ruler. He - Receive feedback from those around
wipes out the advisers of his court and replaces them with mindless you and allow others to feel heard
guards and submissive military captains. This king wants an empire,
not just a kingdom.

The king archetype in the shadow can also become the mad king
who becomes psychotic and turns on his own people. His
unpredictability breeds fear in the populace. On the other side is the
weakling king who hides behind the throne (i.e. his position or title)
afraid to confront his adversaries in court or on the battlefield. In
the Game of Thrones series, Joffrey and Tommen Baratheon are
perfect examples of the tyrant and weakling.
The Joker Archetype
The Joker is a fun-loving character who seeks the now,
inviting others to partake in creating a self-depreciating
form of satire.

The Joker is also almost always male, though this may be

more from the cultural gendering of humour more than a
limitation on the archetype itself. The Joker excels at
projecting infectious joy, letting go, and banishing
depression or aggression from their friends and enemies.
They strive for light-heartedness and carefree living.
The Shadow Joker and Embodiment
The shadow side of the Jester can be quite evil and petty. Their Healthy embodiment practices:
quick wit and even quicker tongue can deliver the most cutting, - Don’t take life too serious
sarcastic lines, critical remarks, and cruel jokes. Their humour - Laugh
can be twisted to be hurtful instead of uplifting and - Have fun and spend time with friends
positive. They might also tend toward con-artistry or other forms where you can fool around
of manipulation. - Speak what’s on your mind
- Dance and play music
Lack discipline and use their laughter as an escape from looking - Pull faces at yourself and others
at trauma and use their ‘act’ as a way to mask what’s really - Spend time with children
going on internally. - Take improv classes