Why Use Archetypes?Human archetypes were conceived (unconsciously or consciously) because certain sets of qualities seem to work well together in solving certain types of life problems. Sexual archetypes are archetypes which relate to each gender specifically. Instead of saying how a “human” can be, sexual archetypes express how a man or a woman can be. And indeed, from the story of Adam and Eve onward (and probably much earlier!), virtually all of our stories, myths, legends deal in some way with gender and polarity. Shiva and Shakti. Zeus and Hera. Isis and Osiris. The list is almost infinite. Seldom do we have a story in myth and literature about anything or anyone who is genderless or of ambiguous gender. This makes sense when we realize how clearly our gender makes up our essence as human beings. Before anything else, I am either a man or a woman, that is how I define myself. After that first definition, I am able to understand the world and my place in it. If our gender is undefined, we will have a more difficult time deciding which archetypes to utilize in our interactions with others. We provide these archetypes in order to assist those living in our culture as well as ourselves in finding the appropriate patterns of behavior to enable us and them to be successful at getting our individual needs met. Continue to: “Why do we use Stories and Myths to define Archetypes?”  |
