CxD Books of '23 #6: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the archetypes of the mature masculine

Meanwhile, the mass-market appeal of the contentious cultural commentator Jordan Peterson suggests an appetite for quasi-spiritual self-help (“Stand up straight with your shoulders back”) in a secular age—Goop for young men. The vintage machismo that Donald Trump so prizes may explain why the gender gap in the popular opinion of him was so large. And the swing among Hispanic voters toward Republicans is being driven, in no small part, by Hispanic men. How men are faring in school and at work may not arouse everyone’s concern, but how men choose to pursue politics inevitably affects us all.

Gender theorists have described a perennial struggle among multiple masculinities…Masculinity is fragile; it’s also malleable. The shapes it will assume in the future have consequences.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/01/30/whats-the-matter-with-men

I wanted to re-read this book of masculine archetypes in preparation for creating a workshop for men and women who are ready to face directly the shadows of immature masculinity and how to cultivate them toward their mature versions.

👑The King stands for the wise one who knows how to integrate all parts of ourselves into a whole with wisdom and diplomacy.

🪄The Magician stands for the one who encourages us to keep learning and focusing on the depth of understanding the world and ourselves.

🗡️The Warrior is the one who knows how to act with forward motion and with strength but without cruelty or force.

❤️ The Lover is the one who knows how to delight in the moment and to find beauty in everything.

Eventually, I hope to offer this workshop and ongoing study alongside 3 other men in my life, each a remarkable living embodiment of one of these archetypes. More on that soon-ish.

When men in crisis hear the words “get yourself together” they often have the will but don’t know the way. This book is a great introduction to what maturity means. But the work still needs to be done. Stay tuned.