i love reading about archetypes in men and women...for we carry the blueprint of the gods and goddesses in our higher bodies and we act them out unconsciously (as explained greatly by carl jung in his entire body of work).. here is an excerpt from the book gods in everyman by jean shinoda bolen, and this subject touches my heart because i see men either take on the role of darth vader in the patriarchy (the false male ego, covering his vulnerability, wearing a hard mask) along with the sky gods who value the rational, logical, mental world, unable to go into the realm of feeling or spirit....or i see the men who are the rejected gods who are all feeling and dont fit in the patriarchy...i long to see the new culture of men healed, so that they can honor their vulnerable, tender emotions free of the darth vader mask and the shame that so many men carry for being emotional or tender... this is the work of the grail knights and grail priestesses..to bring forth a healed divine feminine and masculine to earth... Patriarchal favoritism Values that emphasize the acquisition of power, rational thinking, and being in control=men learn to conform and stifle their individuality and their emotions. Put on correct persona and uniform. Men often cut off emotional, vulnerable, sensual, instinctual aspects of themselves, known as the shadow, the repressed parts that are dishonored in their minds. To feel authentic means to be free to develop traits and potentials that are innate predispositions. When we are accepted and allowed to be genuine, it’s possible to have self-esteem and authenticity together. =spontaneous and truthful, absorbed in what gives us joy. Oedipus myth begins with father’s intent to kill his son. Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. To be a luke, a man needs to uncover his authentic identity, psychologically and spiritually, ally himself with his sister (princess leia, an empowered feminine), and join like-hearted men and others in the struggle against destructive power. Only the son, by not becoming like his father and succumbing to fear and power can free the loving father long buried within Darth Vader, a man in patriarchy. Darth vader represents dark power, to hold power and position is his life and has cost him his human features. An efficient merciless machine who carries out orders from superiors with obedience. Darth vader’s original face is hidden behind a metal mask that serves as his identity, armor, and life support. He can’t take it off, because he is so damaged that w/o it he will die=men who identify w/their personas, the masks they wear in the world. They are sustained by their personas and positions of power. They lack emotional bonds and are emotionally empty; they wouldn’t survive a loss of power and status. Hostile to son for fear he would challenge his authority. (joseph campbell had a major influence on george lucas!) Powerless mothers in patriarchal families. If women and mothers are devalued, powerless, and unable to protect their sons, these feel betrayed by them. If she can’t protect him, or leaves him, or puts someone else first, he sees it as rejection and betrayal, by her or any other woman on whom he becomes emotionally dependent. Also, when women are oppressed by powerful men, they take their resentment out on powerless males, their sons or brothers, thru abuse, rejection, sarcasm, or humiliation. Sky fathers and sons: estrangement and competition Home as a man’s castle Patriarchal family model: man as lord-and-master Most men felt unfathered by emotionally distant and judgemental, rejecting, emotionally closed off, competitive, or abusive fathers. =sadness, pain, anger in sons. Estrangement begins with father’s resentment to son as rival, starting from wife’s pregnancy, reminding him of pain of mother’s pregnancy with new sibling. She is less available, she is more mother than wife. This is due to father’s underlying insecurity and fear of abandonment and insignificance. =distant sky father who is absent, emotionally unavailable. As soon as the son hopes the father will truly notice him and claim him as his own, he feels yearning and sadness. Then, anger because the father won’t love him, or the son is just an extension of the father’s pride, father’s ambitions or need for reflected pride. Sacrifice of the child Indo-europeans and isrealites who came from egypt to promised land invaded areas to an area where the Goddess was worshipped. To do the will of the biblical sky god requires the willing sacrifice of the son. Patriarchal culture sacrifices the inner child quality, innocence, love, etc. for obedience to a higher authority. Identification with the aggressor: what was done to me, I now get to do to you Paradoxically, the son identifies with the aggressor, and repeats the pattern. He came to reject the qualities in himself that provoked his father’s anger, like vulnerability, emotionality, love of beautiful things, sensuality, compassion toward an enemy. Boys learn that showing compassion toward a victim can be dangerous in a patriarchy, and they risk loss of their own position…or they go along with the group who is abusing weaker ones or minorities. LUKE SKYWALKER AND HIS DESTINY In Return of Jedi, darth vader is told by the bad Emperor that luke will be one of them. In the final battle, luke is tempted to respond in fear and hate and be goaded into giving in to murderous anger and identifying with the aggressor, which the Emperor says is “unavoidably your destiny”. Luke doesn’t want to be part of an empire that seeks to obtain power over others, repress freedom, and demands blind obedience. =he resists. He does not trade love for power, or loyalty to others for a secure position, or his own belief in a different kind of status quo. Abused abuser He was abused and humiliated in childhood. His emotions trigger a physical response An abused, terrified or humiliated child inhabits the body of such a man, who now lashes out or beats up someone else when he feels inadequate. In aa, all the men were abused. To survive, he repressed his own feelings of terror and helplessness, so he cannot identify with the victime. He feels inadequate underneath. He is usually rejected and scapegoated by others, kicked out of school; he gets provoked into acting badly and then is ostracized. .... (read the whole book!) ...from gods in everyman, by jean shinoda bolen.
Posted on: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 21:24:08 +0000
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