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From the seed grows a root, then a sprout; from the sprout, the seedling leaves; from the leaves, the stem; around the stem, the branches; at the top, the flower....We cannot say that the seed causes the growth, nor that the soil does. We say that the potentialities for growth lie within the seed, in mysterious life forces, which, when properly fostered, take on certain forms.
M. C. Richards
From the book, The Goddess in Every Woman
Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D.
Archetype:
All the goddesses are potential patterns in the psyches of all women, yet each individual woman activates the goddess in her own way. There are archetypal patterns which are universal, and patterns which are personally activated. Archetypes can be called blueprints. These are energies that are contained within the seed of the psyche. How the seed is cultivated determines the way in which the seed grows into its actual form. Several energies may be present or one major archetype may blossom at any given stage of a woman's life. Stages of life determine new elements that may be forming within the psyche, and these new potentials give rise to different patterns and visions of one's true nature.
We might call it our psychological landscape. What goes on beneath the surface. This becomes our individual expression of the cultural archetypes reflected in our culture. Our past is etched in stone, so to speak, as aspects of the collective Mind and the Divine Images we hold as a Mass Logos. What is the supposed Big Truth. How does that Truth collide or balance with the idea of our own True Self.
Archetypal Consciousness has two ways of manifesting. It manifests on the personal level and on the collective level. From the view of the collective we are able to tune into ourselves. It is here that we access our inner consciousness. We come to understand the under-lining of our dynamic self in action. If we have a deep challenge in our life, the patterns that we identify can help us to respond creatively to the core issue so that we may not have to repeat it over and over again. Often there is an archetype that is ruling or governing these emotions and impulses, whether they are in harmony or not.
Other ways to identify our archetypal patterns are through dreams, visions, songs, art, wishes, our envy, jealousy, and passions.
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