Decluttering by Jungian Archetypes - The Sage, Magician, Jester, and Ruler
Decluttering by Jungian Archetypes is a four-part series - this is part three
If you missed the first of the series, head here »
If you missed part two, head here »
Picking up where we left off, let’s now discuss the Self type archetypes.
The Sage - Self - Understanding - Yearning for Paradise - Capricorn
The Sage relentlessly seeks knowledge and wisdom, often leading to a disconnection from reality.
Their fervent desire for understanding can sometimes overshadow the enjoyment of life's simple pleasures, happiness, joy, and stillness. This preoccupation may cause them to reside more in their thoughts than in the present moment.
The sage must remember to savor the other delights life has to offer. Given their nature, they might appear blunt or insensitive to those holding different perspectives and views, potentially alienating individuals who could benefit from their insights. To truly thrive, the sage would benefit from grounding themselves in the physical world and cultivating a mind-body connection.
The Sage continually seeks truth and knowledge, embodying roles such as philosopher, advisor, and expert. They strive for a deeper understanding of reality's true nature. More often than not, everyone who seeks the path of the shadow finds themselves in the role of The Sage before settling into other predominant archetypes.
The Shadow of The Sage
It's important to remember that shadow work is all about embracing our subconscious and shining a light on it. These articles are meant for entertainment and inspiration. If you ever feel that this journey becomes too emotionally overwhelming, don't hesitate to reach out to a professional for support. You're not alone in this!
The Sage's greatest fear is being deceived, remaining ignorant (or witnessing the ignorance of others), and/or facing defeat.
The shadowy bits may present themselves in the following ways -
May lose themselves in the aggressive pursuit of knowledge
May need to get out of their head and into their body (transform knowledge to wisdom)
Forgetting to indulge in the other sensations.
Disconnected from reality
Analysis-paralysis (the layers of what if’s)
Always seeking and learning and yet unable to apply themselves (mastering their craft; wisdom is gained through application)
Healing The Sage
Healing The Sage requires practicing mind and body connection. Grounding into the present moment. Ask what can be learned here, in the present moment of now? They can do this through mindfulness, meditation, exercise, gardening, being in nature, and other healing modalities.
They would also benefit from healing with the Muladhara (Root Chakra: grounding into reality), Svadhisthana (Sacral Chakra: pleasure center), and Ajna (Third Eye Chakra: wisdom, insight, self-awareness).
Decluttering by Archetype - The Sage
The clutter and attachments The Sage may be holding on to would most likely be in these areas of their life. So, what should The Sage declutter first? -
Wallet (Since The Sage embodies the zodiac sign of Capricorn, anything surrounding their money helps solidify their intelligence and knowledge of finances. Also, in doing so, they can begin to examine and lean into the other pleasures)
Purse
Backpack (Applying the life lessons and knowledge they have gained)
Personal library or study (Maybe not decluttering as in getting rid of books, but organizing shelves and prioritization)
Electronics (Anything that stores strategy, analysis, and gathering of knowledge should be sorted.)
Office (This is a huge one because it is the command center of knowledge, wisdom, intelligence, business deals, money, and if this area is thrust into chaos - it can feel like defeat.)
To help The Sage become aware of the unconscious, they must first strengthen the beliefs they hold about themselves, just as it is for any other archetype. Focusing on these aspects of their home and life encourages them to embrace their wisdom and reflect on questions such as, why is clutter building up here? Decluttering serves as a means of reconnecting with reality - it ultimately is a mindful practice.
The Magician - Self - Power - Leave A Mark on The World - Pisces
Often referred to as The Wizard, this figure shares similarities with The Sage. Driven by a quest for wisdom and knowledge, The Magician seeks to apply these insights for a meaningful, powerful, and magical transformation. With a spiritual outlook, their goal is to use their understanding to benefit everyone around them.
They truly want to leave a mark on this world!
The Shadow of The Magician
The Magician's greatest fears include malevolent forces, cowardice, and the loss of their abilities.
How this may show up in the shadow -
Might retain power for themselves
May lead individuals to make poor decisions.
Becoming addicted to power due to the fear of losing it.
Leveraging their power to manipulate and control others. (Rather than using their power and knowledge to aid in their transformation)
Utilizing their gifts and magic for personal gain. (I’m sure you can draw some connections of your own here!)
Healing The Magician
This archetype can truly thrive by recognizing that vulnerability is actually a source of strength, not a sign of weakness. Sharing their power with others doesn't diminish their own; instead, it rejuvenates and regenerates it! In order to benefit everyone around them with their gifts, they must push through the fear, stand in their confidence, and practice their craft regularly.
The Magician should focus on healing the Manipura (Solar Plexus Chakra: confidence, but tempering power and control over others), Vishuddha (Throat Chakra: speaking truth), and Sahasrara (Crown Charka: higher consciousness, awareness, connection to All).
Decluttering by Archetype - The Magician
Decluttering, organizing, and applying their magic will help them achieve their highest potential. They may even find magic in decluttering certain areas of their lives - which heightens manifestation. That being said, The Magician’s clutter could be held onto in these following spaces. -
Altar and sacred spaces (when the energy is off in these areas, it can be hard to focus intent)
Meditation/zen room. When clutter blocks a space where you’re supposed to relax and enter altered states, you can sometimes take that clutter with you. (That’s not very relaxing!)
The places where they create "magic". This could be an art room, hobby room, kitchen, garden, patio, or a home office where they work 1:1 with clients.
Kitchen cabinets and spice racks. Think “witchy”, pagan, or other practices that require herbalism and working with the sacred properties of herbs, spices, and plants. Having your spices in easy-to-reach places will help align with the purpose of The Magician.
Herb garden. (This is the same as the spice cabinet really!)
Linen closets. (IYKYK, a lot of magic happens in bed and the bedroom.)
Dreams and goals. (This is more for mental and emotional clutter.)
Manifestation lists. (Going over manifestation lists and vision boards regularly can help The Magician become more confident in their abilities and reinforce their connection with magic.)
Recipe books. (What is cooking and recipes but spells for manifestation?)
Magical tools. Think wands, tarot, oracles, pieces of nature, books, pendulums, mirrors, candles, runes, shells, rocks, altar cloths, etc. You get the picture.
The Magician is unique because they would benefit the most from not only bringing the unconscious conscious but also bringing the conscious into the superconscious. The superconscious is the realm of intuition, dreams, metaphor, poetry, magic, and a higher state of awareness with the All and Awen. Of course, all the archetypes would benefit from accessing this higher state of consciousness, but it isn’t necessarily linked to their purpose like it is for The Magician, The Creator, The Sage, and The Innocent.
If you’re thinking - “What the heck is Alea talking about? What is the Superconscious?” Don’t worry; this will be coming up soon. I have so much to say about shadow work! We aren’t even close to being done! That’s why you should subscribe if you haven’t already.
Would you like to take your shadow work to the next step? Check out my FREE Shadow Work Journal here -
Or if you’re ready to fully dive in, you may consider checking out my book Shadow Work, A Path to Enlightenment -
The Jester - Self - Enjoyment - Connect with Others - Libra
Often referred to as The Fool, Trickster, Practical Jokester, or The Comedian, this archetype thrives on illuminating the paradoxes and darker sides of life with humor, which creates a wonderful space for healing. Through their playful wit, they can uncover deeper truths, delighting in exposing the absurdities that are abundant in life, and in this human form.
The Shadow of The Jester
Because they delight in humor, fun, and pleasure - you can see that their biggest fear is becoming boring and irrelevant.
Therefore, the shadow of The Jester can show up in the following ways -
They may seek approval (from anyone and anywhere)
They may struggle to balance work and life
May use their humor to become a hater, belittling others
Using their humor to avoid their own inner shadowy landscape
Falling into addictive patterning and cycles
Extremely hedonistic (all the pleasures, all the time, which, of course, can lead to addictive tendencies. And if there are no pleasures, what do you do with boredom?)
Healing The Jester
To start healing The Jester archetype, they will require balance, accountability and laughing with instead of at others. They want to connect with people, after all, not alientate. They can also thrive by finding healthy outlets for their self-expression.
They would also benefit from healing with the Svadhisthana (Sacral Chakra: pleasure center, tempering hedonism with balance), and Vishuddha (Throat Chakra: speaking truth, sweetness of the tongue, connecting with others).
Decluttering by Archetype - The Jester
So what should The Jester declutter from their lives to help them align with the light of their purpose and highest potential? Let’s take a closer look -
Entertaining places (almost like The Everyperson, think backyard BBQ, Karaoke room, living room, patios, or any other areas where they love to entertain.)
Den (She shed, Man Cave, Sports center, etc.)
Play areas. Where does The Jester find themselves playing?
Game rooms (i.e. the sports center.)
Schedules (clearing their schedule, learning to plan, and tidying up routines will help them organize their social life and provide balance.)
And any areas of life and work that need a touch of balance (that’s why this archetype fits so well with Libra. The zodiac sign of relationships, balance, and usually are the comedians.)
Moreover, The Jester can begin healing and facing the light by moving this energy from ego to soul, reconnecting with others, focusing on the paradoxes of life instead of individual failings, and taking accountability for where they are leaning a little too much into their pleasures. Remembering that everything needs to be used in moderation. Even too much water can be lethal.
The Ruler - Self - Control - Provide Structure to The World - Leo
For The Ruler archetype, the meaning of life revolves around nurturing power to create wealth and prosperity, not just for themselves but for the greater good as well. Looking at good and well-intentioned rulers and leaders, we can see a pattern of a shared understanding of compassion and community. Maintaining power to help support others.
The Shadow of The Ruler
As mentioned in this post, you can see the shadow of The Ruler, The Jester, and The Caregiver playing out in real-time with American politics -
One of the biggest fears that can lead The Ruler to live through their shadow side is the thought of chaos and the possibility of being overthrown. It can look like this -
Enjoying control too much
May not listen to outside advice
May have trouble trusting others
May become narcissistic
They may become consumed by power and use it to abuse
Using their power to gain control of others
Becoming a dictator (Did you read the attached article yet? Ahem. *wide eyes, looking at this administration*)
Healing The Ruler
I hope by now you have noticed we all have our shadows, our own triggers, our own areas of healing. The shadow in me sees the shadow in you. This is where compassion, love, kinship, understanding, grace, and transformation should bloom. We should be individually on our own path but then converge in the clearing as a community and a collective. When we are all lost in our shadows and egos, it’s like being estranged in a dark wood without a torch. Every noise, every figure, is a threat.
So how can The Ruler shift from shadow to light? By strengthening the trust within, trusting their intuition, and becoming self-aware; essentially how their actions either help or harm others. After all, their purpose is to share the wealth.
They would also benefit from healing the Anahata (Heart Chakra: love, self love, compassion for others), and Vishuddha (Throat Chakra: speaking truth, connecting with others, avoiding any sharpness, illusions, or lies).
Decluttering by Archetype - The Ruler
Going even further and deeper into the healing aspect, The Ruler can benefit from decluttering the following -
Areas around their "throne" (where do they Lead? Where is their helm? A command center?)
Dining room (think a place where they are together with others, leading their family, friends, and partners.)
Living room
The whole house (eventually! This is their “castle” so to speak.)
Clothes and closet. How does the ruler show up for themselves and others each day? What do their clothes say about them? Are they ready to lead?
Makeup. Again, getting ready for the day, not unlike The Hero, sets them up for assuming their “role”.
All in all, The Ruler is a powerful archetype with so much potential when aligned with the light and community building. Healing The Ruler can help lift the collective unconscious and bring more balance to the world. When there are strong leaders who focus on connecting us and bringing us together, there is nothing better.
In Conclusion
There is so much to say about each of these complex archetypes, each with their own story of struggle and triumph. Do you see yourself in any of them? Was it helpful and enlightening to learn about the hidden and deeper aspects of each? How will you use the healing suggested? If you are curious about diving deeper into the healing aspect - as I have only scratched the tippy top of the surface - I will be creating a series (or something even more magical!) for each archetype coming soon. Focused on the Chakras, breathwork, meditation, and mindfulness. I cannot wait!
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Well, you can! If you have loved this series, have gained value and insight, and will be applying what you’ve learned, or you just like my writing - you can support my work (which helps me keep writing!) by buying me a coffee <3 For every cup I send a Reiki wish to you.
Come back next week for the last of this series, where I will be going over the last four archetypes in the Soul types. Can you guess who they are? Who do you think we haven’t covered yet? Haven’t seen yourself reflected yet? Stay tuned!
Really enjoyed this 🥰