What's an Archetypal Journey?
When we're lost, we look to a map.
And right now, it's normal — maybe even healthy — to feel adrift.
As someone with Saturn Capricorn, I like to be regularly reminded that I'm not unique 🙃 That, actually, many people had come before me and encountered similar problems to those I feel so lonely and singular facing.
I'm not special because out there in the expanse of time and space, someone else has gone through something almost identical to the situation I'm going through. And while that bursts my little individualism bubble, it also makes me feel less alone.
And feeling less along helps me feel more hopeful. I think we could all use a little more hope.
That's why I love archetypes — they remind me of our human similarities. And the idea that we're not experiencing a brand new condition, and that we can look to the past and the paths of those who've come before us, is why I love archetypal journeys.
What's an archetypal journey?
An archetypal journey is a familiar transition through a series of archetypes. It's clear to us when we look at it from a bird's eye view or a zoomed out perspective because we've seen this journey before — in books, movies, media, or even in our own lives.
For example, the Maiden—Mother—Crone is a familiar archetypal journey. And it's not just for female-identifying people who give birth to actual human beings. Think of the creator who crafts a gallery show or performance; or the entrepreneur who gives 'birth' to their business, and then eventually sells it to someone else. Both are great examples of the Maiden—Mother—Crone journey.
Why do we care?
When you start to clock archetypal journeys, you'll see them everywhere. One that I LOVE is the archetypal rockstar journey — Stevie Nicks is a good example. She went from Starving Artist—Ingenue—Rockstar—Hermit. (Stevie famously does not leave her house in the Hollywood Hills, and honestly, who can blame her.)
Examine your life and the people or situations that mean the most to you— you'll start to track archetypal journeys everywhere.
But, like, why? When we're lost, we look to a map. And studying our archetypal journey provides us a plan. If we can figure out what route we're on, we can see the broad strokes of what might be coming next.
I'm not saying learning about archetypal journeys can help us future-cast — far from it. But I think that the more we study, sketch out, and understand these collective human experiences, the more prepared we can be for what life throws our way next.