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A Deep Dive Into Our 4 Core Archetypes: Alchemy of Self

A collage of four images representing various archetypes and ritual practices. Top left: A mother comforting a crying child in a cozy room. Top right: A healer performing energy work on a person lying on a massage table. Bottom left: A wizard performing a ritual with glowing symbols and candles. Bottom right: A boardroom with a regal figure addressing a meeting, symbolizing leadership and strategy. the top is for light, the bottom is for dark, the left is for feminine and the right is for masculine energies.

Hieros Gamos Alchemy creates products and courses to enhance your embodiment of the 4 core archetypes - Light Feminine, Dark Feminine, Light Masculine and Dark Masculine. We each have all these archetypes within us, expressing in various intensities and this post is devoted too deeply exploring each of the archetypes in their clear expression, with an overview of some shadows for each. As these shadows arise in our awareness and are stalked within our lives, personalities become more attractive and souls shine through illuminating our expressions.



What is Light Feminine?

A serene landscape with a radiant woman representing the Light Feminine energy. She stands by a flowing stream, surrounded by blooming flowers and butterflies, exuding nurturing and compassionate energy.

A Maiden and Mother-like Compassionate Energy.


✺ Sweetness ✺

✺ Support ✺

✺ Surrender ✺


Light Feminine (LF) expresses love and care by offering compassionate support. Their strength and divine expression is to surrender in the innocence of their love. Healers in the way they nurture; mother, maiden, and crone can all express this archetype. They will cook, clean, be a soldier on your battlefield, campaign your services, and support the dreams of others; they may show up just at the right moments as a result of their connection to Global Consciousness. This archetype is a Master of Space, gets the groundwork tasks done efficiently, coaches you to live your dream, maintains boundaries well by knowing what they can surrender to, and is loyal within these parameters. This archetype does what it takes to be supprotive and takes risks for higher purposes. The LF will cheer on others and champion their dreams!

 

Examples of Light Feminine Archetype

  • Warrior/Warrioress

  • Cheerleader

  • Mother Mary

  • Eve

  • Yemonja

  • Quan Yin

  • The Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz

 

Relevant symbols 

  • Astrological Venus ♀

  • 5-pointed star pointing upwards - This is the path Venus takes in the sky ⛥

  • Venus - a Roman Goddess, is synonymous with Aphrodite - a Greek Goddess of love, whose light expression is Urania and Dark expression is Pandemonium

 

In the Shadow

  • Before entering self-knowing and their community building energies fully, the Light Feminine seeks the edges of their capabilities. The LF counterbalances between the polarities of the sadist and masochist, testing their strength and resolve.

  • There is a grieving rebellious heart that has surrendered past their capacities; tolerating more than they could hold. They may have become frozen when their boundaries were pushed instead of voicing their needs.

  • Self-trust and trust in others is absent and permeates decision-making capacity, being caught in indecision is a sign of LF shadow. 

  • Past wounds result in overly rigid boundaries, they may always be on-guard. Their hearts may be closed, and their minds focused on dramas and disasters; their low willpower may have manifested perpetrators to perpetuate.

  • The pains previously experienced have lowered self-esteem to the point that they separate from the tribe or become co-dependent and shut-off to themselves in a PTSD-type response as they tolerate behaviour unhealthy for them like a doormat.

 

Experiencing the Light Feminine Free From Shadow

Their arms call out to hold you and nurture you. The LF waits to receive you and performs acts of service while you are away on your mission. It is their love to let go into your needs. It has been a long day at work and they have cooked for you, put the kids to bed, and are ready to stroke your hair softly as you rest your head on their waiting shoulder. Taken by their beautiful surrender to your needs, you respond by touching them, taking your pleasure in their surrender, their submission to being your delight, and their feelings for you are like a warm nightlight that is ever present in their day. The light feminine wants to know your dreams, to hold them dear to their heart and to build your vision with you.



What is Light Masculine?

A peaceful landscape depicting the Light Masculine energy. A priest-like figure, glowing with a golden aura, stands in a lush meadow with a waterfall in the background, embodying wisdom and strength.

Priest | Priestess -  Lover | Poet - Service and Connection Energy


✺ Knowledge Keeper, Sharer ✺

✺ Devotional Giving ✺

✺ Pure Communicator ✺


Light Masculine (LM) is a service-orientated archetype, doing for the sake of giving from a compassionate place of sharing their higher energies. LM is the ultimate lover, priest/priestess, and healer; they are centred in service and ground those around them—with their streaming consciousness they ground wisdom through the heart. There is a supreme attention to detail and so their care is an embodied expression of who they are. LM is an archetype that expresses through poets and our best eye-gazers (the heartfelt opening type of eye gazing, as opposed to the darker and more seductive eye gazing of our darker archetypes). LM holds their ground, they know their value, and would never sell their soul cheap; they notice the value of others’ dreams and will empower and support dreams from inner realities into actualities.

 

Examples of Light Masculine Archetypes

  • Priest/Priestess

  • Adam, Jesus, Mother Mary

  • Hermes

  • Angels

  • Yogis

  • Breatharians

  • Mother Teresa

  • The Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz

 

Relevant Symbols

  • Astrological Mercury ☿

  • Lightning

  • Halo

 

In the Shadow

  • A Light Masculine in shadow acts as a martyr and has low self-worth and as such gives themselves away freely and to depletion, they accept no acts of reciprocity and are selfless while holding back expressing what they secretly wish to receive in return.

  • LM has desires, values, and passion. When in the shadow, there is a detachment from expressing and fair exchange, and they give to get without checking in with themselves and communicating their truth.

  • By selling values and desires for safety and approval, they have trouble affording things and are stuck in fear as opposed being in a free-flowing conscious expression, as they are fearful of what others will think. As such, they are taken advantage of in business and in sensual encounters.

 

Experiencing Light Masculine Free From Shadow

Truly connected to life, nature and expressing love for all around. The LM streams the consciousness of our connection to all; they know everything and everyone as Divinity; they share this connection with love, poetically inspiring others and serving from a place of alignment. LM embodied beings hold space for you to express; their heart chakra is overflowing, and their presence gives others permission to open their hearts softly, like petals of a flower in their ease. LM is a pillar of self-worth; they make ceremony, blessings and offerings; their loving sensual connections are sociotypically in yab-yum, staying still for hours with only slight movements, like butterflies when making love. There is a sacrificial nature and yet, a knowing that nothing relinquished could be too great for the expression of truth. There is no bending on price in business. LM knows their value and what they value; there is no compromise on opinion and self-expression either. LM shines a strong conscious connection through their heart into all spaces and with an infectious smile.



What is Dark Feminine?

A mystical, dark landscape symbolizing the Dark Feminine energy. A powerful witch stands at the center, surrounded by celestial symbols and candlelight, evoking a sense of mystery and deep intuition.

A Witchy | Wizardy Archetypal Expression.


✺ Manifestation ✺

✺ Magnetising ✺

✺ Alluring ✺


This archetype embodies empowered sensuality, magnetically attracting without becoming attached, and maintaining a pure heart. The charm of Dark Femininity (DF) allows for Magical Living, calling forth from nothing, and as such easier manifestation. This archetype attracts and receives the Light Masculine (LM)’s electricity of service as its polarity, channeling LM energy to express intimate sensuality. LM energy is drawn down as if by the gravity at the centre of the earth. Fully expressed, everything comes to you; the strings you wield pull others and things towards you, as if you were a sexy spider weaving intuitively to universal design, empowered by your soul’s purpose. The DF is a master/mistress of timing that makes wavy motions, shifting the air like syrup, spinning others’ sacral energy through small discreet movements, and creating from nothing. There is no need for logic; intuitive motions are made through a pattern so expansive that it can seem chaotic to onlookers. While this archetype is seemingly preoccupied with the pleasure of being and expressing themselves, a peripheral awareness is kept, and gratefulness is felt for the pampering received. Hypnotised by the DF, devotees willingly draw close; they are drawn like moths to a flame and often pounced on at the last moment. There is no template to their attraction; this being of divine timing is in the moment with purity.

 

Examples of Dark Feminine Archetypes

  • Witches and Wizards of the woods and jungles

  • Jane from Tarzan, if she had been born there instead

  • Cher

  • Snake Tamers

  • Kali

  • Isis

  • Innana

  • Hecate

  • Lilith

  • Pandemonia is the Dark expression of Aphrodite and is symbolized by a 5 pointed star pointing downwards.

  • Flower to a Bee

  • Spider in her web

  • Flame to a moth

  • Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz

 

Relevant symbols

  • Upside-down Astrological Venus ♁

  • Upside down 5-pointed star ⛧

  • Upside down A symbol for Urania (symbol for Pandemonia, a dark expression of Venus)

 

In Shadow

  • Projecting the dark outwards instead of being self-responsible.

  • Freeloads, exploits, is lazy and entitled, manipulates to have slaves.

  • Lacks acceptance, and so uses OR instead of AND (Language Sabotage - Learn More In A Hieros Gamos Alchemy Magical Language Course).

  • Believes they are unable to have everything, and so avoids using AND.

  • Believes there is a need to understand the WHY and falls into being overly logical, when they could be listening and following the Eros of the Earth, which in turn answers the WHY as a result of trust and deep listening.

  • Disempowers themselves, shrugging off power with words and actions. 

  • Runs out of time, likely because they believed they didn’t have enough and sabotaged themselves.

 

Experiencing the Dark Feminine Free From Shadow

As you approach the dark feminine, their magnetism pulls you into devotional action, nothing will hold you back. “It is my pleasure to receive your worship,” the communication has been made, the purpose you felt within is activated, and your service is willingly accepted. A corner glance of the eye is made, undulating angles are made, arms waving as hypnotically as pendulums of time swing. The air wobbles from the sensual awareness and conscious pushing of the air, ripples in the water molecules are coaxed to play like schools of fish.



What is Dark Masculine?

A powerful and dramatic landscape representing the Dark Masculine energy. A commanding king-like figure stands amidst rugged mountains and dark skies, exuding authority and transformation.

An Expression of King/Queen Energy.


✺ Sexy Masterful Dominance ✺

✺ Taking ✺

✺ Leading and Commanding ✺


There is an earth-based Eros, a grounded, matter-based guidance with a continual connection to the light. The Dark Masculine (DM) is Masterful to the point that it has integrated the other three archetypes in this system. To know the embodied experience of the other archetypes allows the DM to take with integrity; it has been where others sitting in the other archetypes have been before — The DM can lead them elsewhere usefully with this knowledge and, when truly Masterful, is able to do so without verbal communication. Think of the Spanish lover who confidently walks across the floor, choosing the awaiting and surrendering interest of this passion, dipping his partners as they melt willingly and wantonly. The DM archetype knows when its lovers are open, when they are waiting. There is ease in life with the constant choosing of one’s reality in this archetype; physical and psychic intuition is enhanced; one’s planetary mission may be activated; the lower chakras express into the world. There is a regal benevolence—the DM provides itself as a reference point for strength and brings others into their power. An integrated DM's expression involves taking that is in tune with others and their surroundings and with no sense of entitlement. There also is no need for permission—they know who they are, they plant their feet firmly, consciously taking each step towards their purpose. The DM lives their truth, fairness as perceived by any who would disempower themselves is irrelevant; they are a gift when taking from others who are completed by giving to the visioning and dreaming of King and Queen resonance.

 

Examples of Dark Masculine Archetypes:

  • Kings and Queens, CEOs, Managers

  • Leaders of all kinds of sports teams, Event Organisers, Inspirational Speakers, Visionaries

  • The one-night stand who knows how to leave; the lover who has a harem of lovers

  • Thor, Aragorn, Hercules, Lucifer, and Mufasa

  • The Jock and the School Captain

  • The Lion in the Wizard of Oz

 

Relevant Symbols:

  • Astrological Mars ♂

  • Phallic Symbols

 

In Shadow: 

  • Steals, gropes, bullies, assaults, and rapes

  • Dreams powerfully and is held back from taking, there is a lack of will, integrity and internal completeness

  • Has low self-esteem

  • Expectation of help without having made the connections, and is often spoiled

  • Procrastinates, thinking that they need to learn more, experience more, instead of owning their own power.

 

Experiencing the Dark Masculine Free From Shadow

You wait, knowing that the Dark Masculine is coming for you. What a pleasure, to surrender to a strong leading presence with a plan for pleasure. To know that you will be held, that you are valued and that their desires will overwhelm your senses. Your purpose, your desire is to serve. The DM is dangerous as their presence will reveal to you your own shadows, they stand for Truth and in a regal way will never bow to second class behaviour. If you surrender they will take you to funky town, may ride a motorbike, sing in a rock band and wear mascara. They are willing to chase you into the woods to spank you on the bottom, emitting a penetrative energy,  exuding commanding presence, living inspirational dreams, planning with aligned desires, actions, and words.

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