That we may see ourselves better

[Fire Walk With Me]

I'm interested in what you consider to be your archetype. It could be a Tarot figure, a mystic character, anything you most identify with. I'm also interested in what others perceive each other as being, as we may not always see our own major qualities. Sometimes life is a masque, a costume party...

I figure that I am as the Fisher King, the Wounded Healer (who may be too fond of his injuries). As what do you see the other forum regulars?

(Happy Thanksgiving to the US members)

[LaurenG]

1. I am very fond of the High Priestess tarot card

I feel safe with her.

As an aside, I read the book "Sacred Contracts" by Caroline Myss and found it very intriguing that she felt we all had the child, victim, prostitute and saboteur survival archetypes within us too. Have you read her book?

[Fire Walk With Me]

3. I haven't read that yet; thank you for the recommendation.

I have enjoyed the books "She" and "He", about our psychologies and archetypes.. Indeed, we carry many persons within us. I was struck by a description that a man carries the child, the lover, the father, the son, the villian...and how an imbalance in any of these will cause trouble in our relations with others.

[D-Lee]

15. Try Margaret Paul's Inner Bonding books too

If you don't know her, here is an Amazon link to one of her books: http://www.amazon.com/Inner-Bonding-Becoming-Loving-Adult/dp/0062507109

Margaret Paul's website is www.InnerBonding.com

She is terrific! The process involves active structured contemplation, starting with a defined space of love and acceptance of pain and growth. Very consistent with spiritual beliefs and very different from just "muddling through" one's issues.

[Cleita]

2. Long before there was Xena, I always related to warrior queens and goddesses.

It seems like I have always been in a spiritual battle with the bad guys to make things better for all. My DU name Cleita or Clete is an amazon queen. She was mentor to Penthesilea, another amazon queen, who was killed by Achilles at Troy. On her way to join Penthesilea in Troy, she was blown off course and landed in Italy, where she founded a city.

[MorningGlow]

4. Depending on my needs at the time, any of several archetypes

Sylphs (air fairies/elementals), high priestess, the Goddess... When I worked in a bookstore many years ago, I was in charge of the "New Age" section. The person before me was jokingly referred to as Bagwan, because he was not fond of stocking Bagwan Shree Rajnish's books (they took up too much room). When I took over, everyone asked me what I wanted to be called. I toyed with several goddesses' names, but I didn't feel comfortable with any of them. So I said "Goddess" would suffice. And that's how everyone paged me. :D

Happy Thanksgiving back atcha, Peake! :goes to get some papaya enzymes...urp:

[Callie McAllie]

6. that sounds like a great place to work!

[MorningGlow]

8. It was, for a while

Actually it was a Borders--which was cool when it was a small chain owned by the Borders brothers. When they sold out to K-Mart...well, that's when it went all to hell. :scared: But we sure had fun while it was a cool place!

[Kind of Blue]

5. So cool that you bring this up, Peake.

Ever since I saw Tarot illustrations, and before I knew their meaning, I've always identified with The Fool. I think it stemmed from being born on a Thursday and the nursery rhyme line, "Thursday's child has far to go," always on my mind since childhood. That and moving from country to country, continent to continent, and then state to state with my family of immigrants from the time I was 3, and on my own, solidified The Fool as me. I've had my Tarot read about 4 times, all by different people in different locations, but that card I've drawn only once. I draw The World Card again and again.

This year, The Fool has been strongly on my mind. So I thought it was about the election and both Bush and Obama to me are represented by this card. The constant feeling of the Fool grew so strong that I had a vision of her (I know it's usually a him and The Fool in the vision looks nothing like me) and started a painting the other day. I've included a very, very rough draft below. In the vision, and what was confusing and I haven't included yet, is a coyote and not a dog, as in the illustrations. I told my husband about the vision and he thinks the coyote is the Coyote Trickster. So I looked up The Trickster and found that, to me, he can be closely associated with The Fool!
I don't know what's going on but when I saw your OP it was a clear sign to me the Universe is trying to tell me something. So I'll keep painting, researching and living and see if I gain more insight into this archetype. Thanks for asking!

[Callie McAllie]

7. There's no particular tarot figure who resonates with me

but my husband and I were playing this game. Which of the characters from the Lord of the Rings would you be? Or would be you? I'm not sure. Of course, there aren't many women to choose from:

Arwen: Lover, daughter, mother
Eowyn: Helper, sister, warrior
Galadriel: Queen, seer

I think of myself as Eowyn, but my husband said I am Galadriel. Okay, I'll take that. Too bad I can't get them to page me that way at work.

:D

[crikkett]

16. There really aren't enough female characters and they tend to stay out of the action

which is why I role-played effeminate male characters (or robots) when we were kids.

I can't remember enough about the LOTR to choose a character I'd identify with. I read the series when I was a kid. I couldn't stand to watch the movie production, all the posing made me bored and impatient.

[LWolf]

9. I'm the perpetual fool.

I've always known that.

Interestingly enough, I was born after my mother's long, hard labor through "fool's day" and into the next.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

10. One who is of service

who quietly helps out. A sort of quiet Lone Ranger, as it were, though not as dramatic--more like lending a hand with things needed to be done. I've noticed though that lately I've stood up to those who took me for granted. Helping out is fine, but it has it's limits--not good if it keeps another from growing.

[Callie McAllie]

14. I like this. There's a line in Gosford Park

that Helen Mirren says late in the picture. She's one of the head servants, talking about her dedication to her job, and she says "I know what they want before they know themselves." That really resonated with me, sort of describes my own job, or how I see myself doing my job perhaps.

[FirstLight]

11. I have always been attracted to Freya

The goddess of both Love AND War, in simplest terms. She is strong in hr own right, has her own place in Asgard, and gets half the wariors for her own... she is a queen who chooses her consort, exerting the power of the feminine as a woman who is owned by herSELF.she can also kick-ass in her own right, many of the otehr male gods know not to fuck with her, she can not only kick your ass, but she may even give you a public spanking just to prove her prowess. she is mystery and sexiness and strength all in one.

My Native American name is a blend of the Valkirie and my favoite bird : KiraRavenheart

Now I also have this little victim self in me that has to be embraced by the BIG Goddess in me: the Wounded Healer. I am getting to know this one more and more, to realize that the real strength comes not from power and prowess - but from gentleness and compassion

wow, pretty insightful for a saturday morning!
I should listen to myself more often! ;)

[I Have A Dream]

12. I don't know if there's any particular figure that represents how I see myself.

Maybe someone knows of one. I see myself as someone longing for a world where everyone looks out for each other and, although nobody is perfect, everyone does his/her best. I think that my longing is for an evolved humanity -- it almost feels like a homesickness for it. Indeed, "I Have A Dream".

Is there such an archetype?

[Fire Walk With Me]

13. Good question.

There's a combination of angel, teacher, and guide...and you're certainly singing my song about wanting the love-based world you KNOW to be both right and real, throughout your very being.

[crikkett]

17. Jiminy Cricket

of course.

He possesses only minor magical abilities himself but is a friend to fairies. As an "official conscience" JC serves not only Pinnochio but the public at large, by hosting several Disney specials and educational films. In the book "Pinnochio", the Talking Cricket was a Doctor, and more officious than official. Disney renamed the character Jiminy Cricket, an expletive euphemism for Jesus Christ, made him funnier and gave him a larger role in the movie adaptation. The name was evoked in "The Wizard of Oz" and "Snow White".

Does this character correspond to a Tarot card?