Guide: What are Archetypes?
A beginner’s guide to inner patterns and the Psyche.
This guide explains what archetypes are in depth psychology and how they mirror your inner world. Learn how these powerful inner patterns shape your emotions, choices, and sense of Self - and how to begin working with them.
What Are Archetypes?
A symbolic map of the human psyche
There are parts of you that speak in words.
And some parts speak in images, instincts, and ancient patterns.
Those patterns are called archetypes.
They’re not roles you play.
They’re energies you carry.
And they live deeper than personality.
You don’t create archetypes.
You uncover them.
So What Exactly Is an Archetype?
In depth psychology, an archetype is a universal pattern - a structure of experience that appears across cultures, myths, dreams, and human behaviour.
Archetypes aren't invented.
They’re discovered. Again and again, by everyone.
Think of the Warrior. The Lover. The Magician. The Sovereign.
You’ve seen them in stories. In family dynamics. In your clients. In yourself.
These inner figures come with their instincts, fears, desires, and ways of seeing the world.
They act out when we’re stressed. They rise when we’re in flow.
And most importantly, they show us what we’ve forgotten to include.
Archetypes Aren’t Roles - They’re Mirrors
This isn’t about assigning you a label.
Archetypes are mirrors - reflecting the many parts you carry:
The Lover in you that longs for connection, but fears being too much.
The Warrior in you that protects what matters, but sometimes shuts down.
The Magician in you that sees deeply, but hides behind insight.
The Sovereign in you that knows your worth - and the part that’s terrified to claim it.
Each one lives in your unconscious.
Each one holds a piece of your Shadow - and your gold.
Why Archetype Work Matters
When you recognise your dominant archetypes, things start to click:
Emotional patterns make more sense.
Your triggers have a backstory.
You stop trying to “fix” yourself and start working with your inner parts.
You also begin to feel less alone.
Because these archetypes don’t belong to you alone.
They’re shared human experiences - a language of healing that lives in all of us.
Where Archetypes Show Up
In your relationships
In your self-talk
In your creative work
In conflict and collapse
In moments of awe, flow, or fury
In your body, your dreams, your flash reactions
The more you recognise them, the more you can reclaim them.
Want to Meet Your Archetypes?
Take the Archetype Exploration Quiz and find out which part of you is calling for your attention right now.