What we call ‘parts’ of ourselves are actually just different forms of energy. Shadow Work looks at these different energies using a model based on four archetypes. Carl Jung first described the concept of archetypes. However, these energies have been recognised and honoured in human culture for thousands of years. Shadow Work is based on a four-quarter model which groups all the known archetypes into four separate categories: they are the energies of Sovereign, Warrior, Magician and Lover.
We react to negative or painful messages absorbed from our environment over the course of our development by inflating or deflating one or more of these core energies. When these energies are out of balance, one or two tend to predominate.
Sovereign energy is the energy of empowered leadership, the alpha male or female. In balance, it provides the eternal flame of vision, passion and motivation. This energy is the source of our deepest-held beliefs and our desire to be of service in the wider world and our ability to foster and support others. An effective leader needs an abundance of balanced Sovereign energy.
However, when an individual receives the message that they are not good enough just as they are, this energy may inflate to compensate. If we believe ourselves to be deficient, incapable or unworthy, we try harder and harder to prove that we are good enough, eventually becoming overperformers, burned out from having continually given our best and beyond; whatever reward we receive in return, it’s never enough. Alternatively, the Sovereign energy may deflate, resulting in a loss of confidence, frustration, general feelings of inadequacy or loss of ambition. We may decide it’s not worth the bother and not try at all.
Warrior energy is the energy that gets the job done. Warrior energy loves to make things happen; it has little time for theory or explanation, simply wanting to produce the result and move on to the next challenge. Warrior energy responds well to targets, goals and challenges as a means of proving itself (“I did this therefore I must be this type of person.”). Businesses cannot exist or succeed without large doses of focused Warrior energy.
When an individual is ignored, disregarded or misrepresented, this is the energy that gets inflamed and may well go to war to defend our point of view, physical body, family, possessions or country and to prove that we really do matter after all. In contrast, someone whose views and wishes were never respected may believe that they’re just not important and lose the ability to stand up themselves at all. They may get taken for granted or overlooked, and their anger may leak out in a passive-aggressive, sarcastic way.
Magician energy is all about detaching and seeing the bigger picture, reframing in a way that creates new perspectives and possibilities. When we are afraid, and it’s safe for us to feel that fear, we step back from the action to work out what to do next to keep ourselves out of danger. Magician energy comes up with plans and strategies, creating new options and openings for action. It is the natural home of inquiry, strategy, logistics.
If an individual comes to believe that in some way they are bad, the fear that this belief produces may cause them to detach to an exaggerated degree. They may become judgmental and undermining and act without empathy or care for the impact of their behaviour on others.
At the opposite end of the Magician spectrum lies an inability to see the wood for the trees: maybe the person can’t see any options at all, or there are so many that it seems impossible to choose between them. The individual seems scatty or unfocused and finds it difficult to make decisions.
Lover energy wants to connect, to belong and, ultimately, to bond and create something new. It is the energy from which we all come and the energy that connects us to our feelings, both physical and emotional. Consequently, if we lose a healthy connection to it, we often miss out on the richness of life and especially the warmth of authentic relationships. Healers, physicians, therapists and artists rely heavily on their lover energy to generate relationships with clients, get to know the person and genuinely care about them.
However, if a person comes to believe that they don’t ‘do the connection thing’ right, they might simply shut down their feelings, so as to avoid the pain of being disconnected. These people become stoical to hide their loneliness and find it hard to accept life exactly the way it is. Alternatively, they may try too hard to demonstrate that they are really a caring person. Because this behaviour is at some level fake, it irritates those around them, who may find themselves wanting to detach even further in order to avoid them.
When the energies of Sovereign, Warrior, Magician and Lover live in balance within us, we are grounded, confident, at ease with ourselves, genuinely enthusiastic about life. We effortlessly establish authentic relationships. We can speak up for ourselves when necessary and stand up for what we believe in without having to diminish anyone else’s beliefs. We have discernment. We choose what is right for us and find our own path. We can focus on the result to be produced and deliver it with minimum effort. We can put an end to situations that don’t serve us and move on to something better.