Book Review : King Warrior Magician Lover

 

Discovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine

GENRE   Self Help

AUTHOR Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette. 

PAGES 192

YEAR OF PUBLICATION 1990

Book Summary: King Warrior Magician Lover

"King Warrior Magician Lover" is a book that explores the archetypes of masculinity and how they manifest in the lives of men. The authors, Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette argue that there are four primary archetypes that shape the male psyche: 

• The King, 

• The Warrior, 

• The Magician, 

• The Lover.

The idea of an archetype comes from the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung. He studied under Sigmund Freud. He took the concept of the unconscious mind and took it a step further and discovered that there's something called the collective unconscious. The collective unconscious is part of our psyche that exists in everybody it's Universal we all can relate and connect to inborn tendencies that influence human behavior he calls these archetypes. 

The authors argue that these archetypes are essential to understanding the full range of masculinity and that they are present in every man to varying degrees. They also argue that when one or more of these archetypes are underdeveloped or distorted, it can lead to negative consequences in a man's life.  

Now let's  dive deeper into these archetypes 

Warrior 

The warrior archetype is all about action and strength.

It is the part of yourself that takes massive action on what you say.  

For warrior, what's really important is integrity, honor, following through,  doing what you say,  being true to your word. 

You also finish what you start.  The warrior can grind, hustle & execute.  The warrior loves fat challenges that are an opportunity that the warrior seeks to grow to build muscle and build courage. The warrior is very focused and has precision. 

They will sacrifice themselves for the greater good of their family for a higher purpose.  The warrior will make sacrifices and even leave their family and loved ones in order to pursue something that is meaningful and impactful and significant to their life. 

One limitation of the warrior - the warrior can be stubborn.  The warrior can be fixed and focused on what they are doing.  They don't take a step back to look at things from a different perspective. 

King

The king or the queen is all about vision and stability. They bring order to chaos. 

It's able to have a grand vision for not just itself but for its community, its family, and for the world. They are the leader. 

They are someone that thinks about the big picture.  The king and queen have a maturity about themselves and are able to take a step back from the battlefield and strategize, plan and re-evaluate and make adjustments to their game plan in finding a more intelligent more efficient, or more elegant way to achieve its outcome. 

Some people take massive action towards their goals and dreams but they're not taking a step back to access the king or queen to really evaluate what they're doing and saying. 

The king or the queen can utilize time management but also priority management to look at what it's doing. Sometimes, people when they're younger they've got the warrior but they haven't developed and cultivated their king or queen and as you get older you learn how to achieve more with less effort without having to use your warrior.

Magician

Kings and queens often will seek out mentors or a wise one or the magician because they also understand that they need someone who can look at things from different perspectives.  

King thinks "It is useful for me to have a council. It is useful for me to learn from other people and that's a more intelligent way for me for achieving what I want". 

The magician is all about wisdom and intuition. The magician is that part of yourself that exists that realizes that you don't need to take action and do all this stuff necessarily to achieve a result.  

They realize that everything is just perception everything is just a meaning and interpretation that we make up and that you can change that perspective.  In fact, the magician might believe that everything's perfect the way it is, that is, we just got to trust that everything's happening for a higher purpose. 

The magician can achieve a result by insight or changing a perspective or changing a belief or through manifestation. The magician does not need logic or reason or rationality behind their thinking.

The magician's not as much interested in the physical. They understand that there's a higher purpose and they don't take things as seriously.  The magician doesn't make things life or death like the warrior does.  They have some humor and some softness and wisdom to look at things.

Lover

The Lover archetype is pretty self-explanatory.  It's about connection and love it's the part of yourself that has unconditional love for yourself and others. 

It's a part of yourself that has sensitivity, caring, compassion, and consideration for others.  It's forgiving of others and yourself the lover might look at things and say you know you're being so hard on yourself because one thing the lover does is it helps to relax the Warrior. Lover helps you to enjoy the process and the journey.

Book Review: King Warrior Magician Lover

Throughout the book, the authors provide examples from mythology, literature, and psychology to illustrate each archetype and its manifestations. They also provide practical exercises and guidance for men to develop and integrate these archetypes into their lives.

One of the strengths of this book is its comprehensive approach to masculinity. The authors acknowledge that there are many different ways to be a man and that each individual has their unique journey. 

Another strength of this book is its practicality. The authors provide concrete exercises and guidance for men to develop each archetype in their lives. This makes the book accessible and useful for men who are looking to improve themselves.

One potential weakness of this book is its focus on traditional gender roles. The authors argue that men should embody these archetypes in their lives, while women should embody complementary archetypes such as the Queen, the Mother, the Wisewoman, and the Lover. While this may be true for some individuals, it may not resonate with everyone.

"King Warrior Magician Lover" is a thought-provoking and practical guide for men who want to understand themselves better and live more fulfilling lives. While it may not be for everyone, it offers valuable insights into the archetypes of masculinity and how they shape our lives.

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