The King – The Divine Grace of the Journey 

The King is the source of order in the kingdom. If he is a wise and just king, the kingdom prospers; people eat well and are safe from harm. In the kingdom of the wise king, laughter rings through the lands, the crops shoot up high, joyful celebrations keep the woods awake, merchants travel with overflowing carts to lively markets. The king is the harmonizing principle, the subjugator of chaos, one who unites opposites. He is the channel through which the gods communicate, and he channels divine blessings to his people and the lands (to whom he is wed). He is selfless and puts the good of his people above his own needs. When the King grows weak, darkness threatens the borders of the kingdom; the sun disappears from the sky, and the crops wither and die. When the king dies, he knows, he is merely replaced by another in a lineage of divinely blessed kings, which humbles him (remember the saying «The King is dead, long live the King»).

In the psyche of the man, the King archetype is the central archetype, around which the rest of the psyche is organized. If the King energy in us is weak, our psyche falls in disarray, and chaos threatens our lands. The man who is constantly overwhelmed by life – who can’t seem to find harmony or order – must develop the King energy, often in conjunction with Warrior energy to protect his borders.

The two main functions of the King are:

1.  Live according to the Tao, the Dharma, the Word, and the lands will flourish.

2.  Bring fertility and blessing. The King is the masculine equivalent of the Great Mother, and he is wed to the lands. The king’s vitality and sexuality directly reflect on his kingdom.

The Shadow King: The Tyrant and the Weakling

The Tyrant is the active pole of the Shadow King. The Tyrant, unlike the King, is not the harmonizing center of the kingdom, and his power is so fragile that he hates with a passion all new life; the beauty and purity of a mere baby boy threaten the Tyrant’s rule. He does not realize that a King is merely a channel, and wants the power to be associated with he himself. He will even develop godly pretensions to cover up his enormous insecurity. His degradation of others and all beauty is limitless, as everything good, true, and beautiful reminds him of his own shortcomings. He is extremely sensitive to criticism and will be deflated by the slightest remark, responding with rage, when what he feels are fear and vulnerability.

The Weakling is the passive pole of the Shadow King. He is not centered in himself and lacks inner peace and harmony, and is prone to paranoia. He suspects that those around him are disloyal, and his fear of betrayal will inevitably cause him to switch over to the Tyrant to control them.

Assignment At Home:

  • Watch the videos below and think about how the Hero’s Journey applies in your life.  The King is the central figure of balance for all of the archetypes.  The King represents your ability to order and keep balance in your life.  Your ability to strengthen, fortify and support your inner and outer kingdom, through the proper use of the Warrior, Magician and Lover energies.  Who serves the king in your life?  How are you serving your inner world? 

Robert Moore – Listen to 40 minutes

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