The Mother and Father Archetypes
Welcome back to our archetypal journey! Over the past few months, we’ve delved into the nature of our core survival archetypes. In this edition, we’ll explore other pivotal archetypes that significantly shape our psyche: the Mother and Father archetypes.
The Mother Archetype
The Mother archetype symbolizes our relationship with feminine energy. This encompasses both our inner femininity and the feminine energy of others. Feminine energy is characterized by receptivity, intuition, and empathy. It’s the realm where we deeply feel, subtly intuit, and embrace vulnerability. This energy is intrinsically linked to our capacity to receive, and it all starts with our relationship with our mother.
Our mother is our first encounter with the feminine polarity. The way we perceive her sets the tone for how we relate to the feminine within us and in others. Was mom loving and compassionate? Was she smothering and suffocating? Or was she distant and cold? Our experiences with her lay the groundwork for this polarity.
In the Tai Chi symbol, femininity is represented by Yin. Yin is associated with our restorative and regenerative abilities. It amplifies energy, drawing it inwards to create abundance. Aligned with the water element, Yin has a cooling nature. Someone feeling drained or burned out exhibits a Yin deficiency and is being guided towards a deeper connection with their feminine side.
Our bond with our mother also influences how we nurture ourselves. The way she embraced us reflects how we accept parts of our own being. If she was overprotective, we might suppress certain facets of ourselves. If she was neglectful, we might disregard those same facets. The external archetypal mother mirrors the internal one.
To begin exploring the Mother archetype, ask yourself:
– What positive traits did my mother exhibit?
– What were her challenging attributes?
– How did she make me feel?
– How do I receive myself?
– What was lacking in our relationship?
– How can I provide that for myself now?
The Father Archetype
The Father archetype represents our connection to masculine energy. This links us to our inner masculinity and the masculine essence of others. The masculine energy is related to our productivity, passion, command, and sense of contribution. The masculine protects and provides while the feminine nurtures and cares for. (Note: this has nothing to do with gender. We all have masculine and feminine energy within). This energy is introduced through our relationship with our father.
Our father is our gateway to masculine energy. Our experiences with him shape our relationship with our own masculinity and with other men. The way we were received by him also sets the foundation for how we feel received by the world. While masculine energy radiates outwards, feminine energy is inward-focused. Our mother connects more with our internal world, whereas our father relates more to our external experiences.
Our masculine essence is represented by Yang energy. Yang is our inner fire, in contrast to Yin’s water. Yang propels us to produce, perform, and achieve. Balancing these energies is crucial for our well-being. Excessive fire leads to burnout, while an abundance of water causes stagnation.
Reflect on how your father related to you. Was he an excellent provider but lacked emotional connection? This may result in you showing the world your accomplishments and achievements, yet shelving the emotions that your father was unable to receive. A significant part of the healing journey involves “rewriting” the belief that the world’s reception of us is solely based on our father’s acceptance.
To explore the Father archetype, ponder these questions:
– What positive qualities did my father possess?
– What were his challenging traits?
– How did I feel received by him?
– How do I perceive the world’s reception of me?
– What was missing in our relationship?
– How can I provide that for myself now?
As we begin to heal the Mother and Father archetype within, we become the parents to our inner parts that we may have needed but never received. This heals the archetypal patterns and core wounds that have been passed down through your lineage, making you the course correction for all past trauma.
Greg Schmaus
CEO of Healing 4D, a Holistic Health Practitioner, Shamanic Energy Healer, Massage Therapist, the creator of “Healing The Mind,” a 21 day holistic mental health program.
https://www.healing4d.com
