Psychic Archetypes: The Shaman

A psychic archetype represents a core energy expression that we feel defines our psychological and spiritual journey, in the current, previous, and future lifetimes. While we may engage in various forms of life practice, like being a soldier or a doctor, we are one enduring archetype, which could be the Warrior or the Healer.

This article will explore the psychic archetype of the Shaman, which is linked with the astrological sign Scorpio.

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One Archetype, Many Guises

History is replete with warrior priests and soldier healers (medics). Educators can be athletes and athletes can be educators. We can wear many guises over the course of our lifetimes, but we most often operate from a single psychic archetype.

Sometimes necessity and circumstance can force us into a guise that is far away from our spiritual purpose, or so it will seem. If we look closely enough at our actions within any circumstance, we will be able to see the consistent psychic imprint of our representation.

I have a varied work history, which includes construction, website design/management, teaching (college English), and now spiritual advising. Through each iteration of my work opportunities, I found myself in the same role repeatedly … as a spiritual and emotional advisor to the people around me.

The Shaman

Every society needs people who can help others navigate the dream realm, trauma, loss, and the search for purpose. Many different qualities must blend effectively to represent a true shaman archetype. In the tarot deck, there are three cards that best represent this energy: the Hierophant, the Hanged Man, and the Devil. The sign of Scorpio represents this archetype astrologically.

This may seem like an unlikely trio of cards to represent one archetype, but such is the energy of the Shaman

Hierophant

The Hierophant is the learned and scholarly aspect of the Shaman. Shamans come into life with great wisdom and amass more and more of it with each lifetime. Most of this increased knowledge comes through suffering they experience and overcome. But a good portion of it comes through study. Their role is also respected, and they function as spiritual leaders for their communities, more often on the fringes, but sometimes in the spotlight.

Hanged Man

The Hanged Man might be the most “centered” of the three cards that represent this archetype. Much of Shamanic work is done and comes from “knowing sacrifice”. Also, the composition of the card shows the Hanged Man with a halo of energy around his head, which shows how his “change in perspective” gives him divine insight.

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Devil

The Devil may seem an odd card, but Shamans are not saints. What often makes them such profound healers and counselors is the fact they have fallen in life and had to pick themselves back up. They can have some stout character flaws and still be intensely helpful and unerringly wise, even if their lives look like a wrecked ship strew across a rocky shore.

People born between October 23 to November 21 have a Scorpio Sun sign. The symbol for Scorpio is the scorpion, snake, or eagle. As the Fixed Water sign, these individuals function as change agents, shamans, and life transformers. They are at their best dealing with trauma, intense emotions, and life/death situations.

Each archetype travels through lifetimes to gather experience inside and outside its ideal representation in order to enjoy and understand the full range of human experience while learning lessons associated with completing his or her work. We learn lessons through support and resistance. A person learns the many facets of safety by being very secure in one lifetime and unstable and unsafe in another lifetime.

Do You Know a Shaman?

Each archetype has definable and distinguishable traits. The best Shamans often do not get to choose the role; their pattern is to be “chosen by life”. They demonstrate the ability to wrestle with their darkness, and the darkness of others, to get to the light. And they work hard to persevere, persist, overcome, outlast, and heal. They master regeneration.

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Keen Observers

Great among their strengths is their keen awareness and observation skills. They can see the truth and lies rather easily. And they will instantly get a full picture of any situation or individual; they will know “what is really going on”. They read energy and non-verbal cues as easily as someone reads a children’s book. There is no hiding from their intense gaze.

Knowing the Right Questions to Ask

Because they have divine insight, they know which questions to ask and how to ask them to get to the heart of the matter in a penetrating way. Their questions will often unsettle and discomfort because they know the people who come to them need to get to the truth in a bracing and unvarnished way. They fall into the category of “what does not kill you, makes you stronger” type of counselor.

Willing to Disrupt

Shamans often know that change only comes when the status quo is severely and deeply disrupted. They can be particularly direct and unapologetic if they know the way forward is to upset someone into awareness. It would be great if change could come through hand-holding and soothing encouragement, but sometimes we have to get walloped to wake up. A Shaman is not afraid to ring someone’s bell if that is what it takes for healing or enlightenment.

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Many Styles, One Purpose

Moving in and out of the dream and psychic realms is a constant effort, so these individuals demonstrate tremendous conviction and fortitude. They are intense, uncompromising, and demanding. Sometimes the role is nurturing and sometimes it is destructive, all to achieve spiritual healing and growth.

One of the best fictional representations of comprehensive Shaman can be found in TV shows like Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, or House. The characters in these shows demonstrate skills and mastery of medicine and mysticism, used to make the world safer for the many people who struggle to get through traumatic events in life.