Have you ever heard that there are only seven plots in the world? I used to laugh and tease my Dad when he said that, but in fact, I think he is right. All stories written, are in fact variations on seven basic themes. It goes back to KISS principles really. "Keep It Simple Stupid" is a funny principle that applies to almost all areas of study. It means where there are multiple possibilities, it is often the most simple answer in nature that is the most likely. I have tried over the years to come up with tales that don't fit my Dad's KISS principles of literature but I have failed to find a single one. They are all variations of boy meets girl, boy loses girl etc, etc. To entertain you, I would list them all but I can't remember them all at this time of the night.
Would it interest you to know then, that there are also seven Goddess archetypes? Seven is a very sacred number, it shows up all over the place. How about if I told you that for the most part, the same is true. That we are born as women, and reborn and mostly we walk the paths of the Goddesses. Replaying their wounding and their karmic lessons, placing our tender feet into their time worn footprints. Retracing their steps, replaying their learning within our own lives.
There is a website you can go to and a test you can complete that will rank your answers according to whom you are most alike. It will come as no surprise to those who know me, that I score almost off the charts with Aphrodite, the goddess of Love. Completely at home in my own sensuality, in love with the very idea of love. Her interests, and mine, are mostly relationships, beauty and the arts. Her gifts include enhancing a man's sense of his own masculinity. Aphrodite women have the capacity to "disarm" men, teaching them the way into their own hearts through the pathway of Eros.
Each Goddess has a "wounding" that affected their life path and resulted in their stories. Aphrodite's was patriarchy, threatened by her power over them, men used every means to restrict, confine, label and demote her. The parallels are undeniable. And fascinating. I find it remarkable that as I read each archetype I could actually guess what my friends were fairly reliably by the patterns of their life experiences.
My second archetype was Artemis or Diana the huntress. She was half the number Aphrodite was, but all the other goddess values were far behind. She is the goddess of nature, the nurturer of all and the hunter. Birth and death. She is the patroness of child birth where I had so much difficulty. She is largely solitary, which I thought was kind of funny next to Aphrodite who likes to be the center of attention. She is my shadow side, the part of me that longs for my own company and solitude, the healing of time in nature. Artemis's wound was self esteem issues relating to intimate relationships as a result of an early feeling of isolation from others. She has an intimate love of all animals. And so, not surprisingly, I find myself living in a miniature zoo.
My dear friend and partner is also Artemis, and a far truer version than I. I found it interesting that we would have this in common. And it explained the closeness we feel. The unspoken understanding, the bonds, the depth of our friendship. There are few people in the world that understand me as she does. Reading the archetypes gave me greater understanding and compassion for those around me. Of their trials and their struggles. Their perfect learning. My perfect learning.
As with all things spiritual, it does not change the path, but instead throws light across it, or holds up a mirror that we might see with some detachment why we make the choices we make. Why we need to have those experiences, in order to learn what we need to understand, to be complete. There is some surrender and some peace for me in that. Some grand order and plan. Meaning. The human condition is to search for meaning in all things. What we forget, we are doomed to repeat. In actual fact, forget or not forget, there are only so many lessons to be learned. KISS principles you know! The beauty of my learning has been that at every turn I am finding that meaning, and for that, I am truly in awe.
Gratefully receiving
In love and light,
Kathryn and Aphrodite bid you goodnight!
Would it interest you to know then, that there are also seven Goddess archetypes? Seven is a very sacred number, it shows up all over the place. How about if I told you that for the most part, the same is true. That we are born as women, and reborn and mostly we walk the paths of the Goddesses. Replaying their wounding and their karmic lessons, placing our tender feet into their time worn footprints. Retracing their steps, replaying their learning within our own lives.
There is a website you can go to and a test you can complete that will rank your answers according to whom you are most alike. It will come as no surprise to those who know me, that I score almost off the charts with Aphrodite, the goddess of Love. Completely at home in my own sensuality, in love with the very idea of love. Her interests, and mine, are mostly relationships, beauty and the arts. Her gifts include enhancing a man's sense of his own masculinity. Aphrodite women have the capacity to "disarm" men, teaching them the way into their own hearts through the pathway of Eros.
Each Goddess has a "wounding" that affected their life path and resulted in their stories. Aphrodite's was patriarchy, threatened by her power over them, men used every means to restrict, confine, label and demote her. The parallels are undeniable. And fascinating. I find it remarkable that as I read each archetype I could actually guess what my friends were fairly reliably by the patterns of their life experiences.
My second archetype was Artemis or Diana the huntress. She was half the number Aphrodite was, but all the other goddess values were far behind. She is the goddess of nature, the nurturer of all and the hunter. Birth and death. She is the patroness of child birth where I had so much difficulty. She is largely solitary, which I thought was kind of funny next to Aphrodite who likes to be the center of attention. She is my shadow side, the part of me that longs for my own company and solitude, the healing of time in nature. Artemis's wound was self esteem issues relating to intimate relationships as a result of an early feeling of isolation from others. She has an intimate love of all animals. And so, not surprisingly, I find myself living in a miniature zoo.
My dear friend and partner is also Artemis, and a far truer version than I. I found it interesting that we would have this in common. And it explained the closeness we feel. The unspoken understanding, the bonds, the depth of our friendship. There are few people in the world that understand me as she does. Reading the archetypes gave me greater understanding and compassion for those around me. Of their trials and their struggles. Their perfect learning. My perfect learning.
As with all things spiritual, it does not change the path, but instead throws light across it, or holds up a mirror that we might see with some detachment why we make the choices we make. Why we need to have those experiences, in order to learn what we need to understand, to be complete. There is some surrender and some peace for me in that. Some grand order and plan. Meaning. The human condition is to search for meaning in all things. What we forget, we are doomed to repeat. In actual fact, forget or not forget, there are only so many lessons to be learned. KISS principles you know! The beauty of my learning has been that at every turn I am finding that meaning, and for that, I am truly in awe.
Gratefully receiving
In love and light,
Kathryn and Aphrodite bid you goodnight!
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