Last Update/Revision: March 1, 2024
What is the Divine Masculine?
The Divine Masculine represents a spiritual, psychological, archetypal ideal—the best and most inspiring, elevating, and restorative aspects of masculine expression and manifestation in the universe. “He”—along with the Divine Feminine—exists on a transpersonal, universal level that manifests through an individual’s psyche and becomes thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors.
As multifaceted, spiritually-embodied beings, we each have a complex psychological and emotional constitution that produces one’s inner health and outer reality. Each one of us, man and woman, carries within our psyche both masculine and feminine archetypes. From these influences come all our conscious thoughts, plans, desires, goals and agendas. They intertwine and cooperate to produce a uniquely personal expression and experience of life.
For those seeking an expanded understanding of the Self, the Divine Masculine is not a distant, detached, jealous and vengeful male deity. The Divine Masculine (along with the Divine Feminine) acts as a shining mirror of the Self, revealing aspects that need compassionate attention and support to become one’s highest potential.
For a man reading this, you may wish to expand your understanding of masculine archetypes and see how these are showing up currently in your life and then consider evoking a more fuller, or “higher” expression. Men who consciously assimilate Divine Masculine energy express higher levels of awareness and spiritual states of being along with greater satisfaction in life experience. Women reading this are equally served by contemplating Divine Masculine qualities while seeking to integrate these into their inner male expression.
God, King, Priest, Warrior, Lover, Sage
The Divine Masculine comprises a group of archetypal energies that drives thoughts, emotions, desires, and behaviors culminating in one’s sense of right-relationship, or “flow” with life and feelings of satisfaction and well-being. There are many archetypes present in the psyche—six have been chosen to represent those with the strongest influence on conducive psychological functioning and one’s psycho-spiritual evolution. By regular conscious feeding of these archetypal energies—weaker aspects are nurtured to fullness.
What are Archetypes, and how can I work with them?Where do they come from? What do they want? How to work with archetypes.
Suggested Practice
Those seeking to discover and “grow into” their expression of the Divine Masculine will want to:
- Contemplate what the “fullness” of each expression means to you.
- Contemplate how these currently show up in your life. Look for areas and ways you are already embodying #1.
- Don’t look for the places you are deficient or lack in the fullness of the archetype. Only look for what you ARE doing.
As you acknowledge and accept what you are already doing, you will notice more places where you already are, or are beginning to, embody the fullness of the archetype. Its like seeing in a dark room, after some time your sight “adjusts,” or expands, and you see more of what was already there. As you contemplate each archetype, you will notice more and more areas where it already exists in your awareness and behavior. This is due to radiation of the archetype energy spreading out in a “blossoming” or unfolding effect within the psyche and happens whenever archetype energy is accessed and stimulated. Contemplation also strengthens the awareness. Two things are accomplished—you see what is already there, reinforcing what is presently integrated, and you strengthen what is beginning to emerge in your awareness, behavior and ability.
Any aspects of the archetype that seem “new” can be integrated by imagining what it would feel like to think or behave in this new way and see what shifts of thinking and behaving that produces. As you do, look for circumstances or opportunities that could be positively affected by adopting these higher concepts, principles and motivations and seek to enable their presence.
The Divine Masculine Archetypes
God
The God archetype is the transcendent, connected-to-all-that-is, aspect of self. It is the part of us that resonates with transpersonal harmonious love for everyone and all beings. The God archetype is the domain of spirituality, mystical experience and intuition.
A man expressing the God archetype in its fullness feels like: he is synergistically connected to all that is and has the confidence of “knowing” resulting from this connection, has spiritual balance and orientation, and emanates unconditional love to all in his sphere of presence.
His power is in his presence—his spiritually centered awareness focused completely in the present moment. He embodies Love, compassionately expressed to whomever is within his sphere of presence.
When with him, you find yourself inspired with new ideas and inspired connections—creating new experiences. He stands for and contributes to the furtherance of the divine-right of happiness; equally for all races, genders, and sexual expressions.
He leads by inspiring: creativity, beauty, and truth seeking—fulfilling the highest ideals and principles, through example and not aspiration alone.
He is spiritually guided, supporting and sponsoring: creation, transcendence, and resolution in all its forms. He seeds thought forms and ideas—releasing ownership for the greater good.
A man in the fullness of the God archetype shows up as unconditionally loving, inclusive, open, welcoming, heart-centered, spiritually focused, supportive and inspirational.
King (Father)
The archetype of the King actively plays the central role of order and blessing, benevolence and fertility, strength and balance. While the God archetype seeds thought forms and ideas, the King births them and actively looks to their growth and further manifestation into existence —being the steward of these.
The King archetype governs the domain of material-manifestation, family, “kingdom”—your sphere of influence including your relationship to individuals and physical locations: i.e. home, neighborhood, community, etc., material wealth and abundance.
The King archetype has the sterling attribute of “unyielding strength of character” and is relied upon by all in the realm to not yield to less noble, self-serving interests or compulsions. Thusly, the King inspires and unites the realm to follow his leading. He combines this strength with intelligence, right-action and wisdom.
Being with a man who is in the fullness of the King archetype feels like this: He is supportive and nurturing of the well-being and easeful participation and happiness of those he engages with. He is a stabilizing and calming influence in all circumstances. By his balance and “potency” (strength, effectiveness) others are comforted and influenced to imitate his example. His demeanor is “seasoned” and carries wisdom with it, not adolescent impulsiveness.
The King archetype is complex with multiple aspects that comprise this unique expression of the divine. His wisdom carries a transpersonal selflessness—like a kind father. He is an agent of the divine having reverence for all life. He is benevolent, evenhanded, calm, caring and thoughtfully present—yet passionate in his whole-hearted support. He is settled in the knowing that everything is as it should be, everything changes, and there is no lack or anything to genuinely fear.
Priest
The Priest archetype is possibly the least known or understood and the least supported in our culture. The Priest archetype domain is that of spiritual awareness and insight—connecting with and revealing “occult” (that which is hidden) knowledge of the unknown realm to the enlightenment of the self and selfless benefit for the many.
The Priest is the transducer, connector, and facilitator between the material and spiritual world—one’s conscious personality and the divine realm of Spirit. He is a mediator of the powerful energies that comprise one’s inner community of archetypes and personality components, working closely with the King and Sage archetypes to create, manifest and bring spirit into form.
Light of the World by William Holman Hunt
The Priest calls forth and directs energies between unconscious and conscious awareness, affecting our felt sense of well-being and competence in life. The Priest nurtures and care-takes the spiritual relationship between the ego-personality and Spirit, the Divine.
The Priest archetype in its fullness feels like this: You are with a man who is the master of his spiritual and material realities and knows how to call forth from spiritual storehouses what he needs to transmute energies that would overtake or topple other men not in this fullness. He is thoughtful and reflective, having depth to his presence and intellect. He knows how to obtain higher perspective and detach from (or become neutral to) inner and outer storms and how to connect deep inner truths and resources with his experience of life. He is not easily pushed or pulled by faddish influences but with grace and insight he brings power and confidence to difficult situations requiring resolution, change or shifting.
Warrior
The Warrior archetype is the most represented and exploited archetype in our culture—being elevated and revered by the dominant patriarchal society as: disciplined leader and protector. While these are two of the Warrior’s sterling qualities, it is what comprises his fullness that makes this archetype truly a divine expression.
Warrior qualities include: decisiveness and clarity of thought, selfless service, genuine humility, strength of experiential “knowing,” courage to do what serves the highest good even when it is a personal challenge to do so. He serves to maintain and support established systems and forms consciously, without blind rigidity, being exemplary in loyalty to a greater good beyond personal gain.
He remains calm and centered while under challenge. He is inwardly aligned and integrated—in touch with his feelings, being warm and compassionate, appreciative and generous at every opportunity. He fights “the good fight” in favor of benefiting the greater good and making life more fulfilling for everyone.
Being in the presence of a man in the fullness of the Warrior archetype feels like this: His strength of stature is evident and unheralded—not needing accolades or compliments. He contributes without fanfare or needing to direct or “lord” himself over others. He eagerly responds to requests of service showing respect to all—especially to those “elder” to him, as well as other men, women, children, animals and the earth.
He “knows himself” and finds his place in collaborative projects, being fulfilled and contented with the collaboration and not by ambition or competition. The man in the fullness of the Warrior makes you feel safe while not being oppressed by his stature or protection.
Lover
Tantric Massage © Richard Stodart
The Lover archetype is perhaps the most misunderstood and yet familiar primal energy. The Lover archetype has been distorted into a selfish and dense expression that lacks breadth or spirit. Yet the Lover is the meeting and combining of sex and spirit, Eros, the universal urge to bond and unite. He comprises the alchemy that infuses spirit into flesh with desire -prompting engagement and erotic expression. While most commonly expressed in romantic and sexual form, the Lover archetype contains a much fuller, divine, expression:
The Lover archetype in its fullness is the primal energy of passion, exquisite engagement with life and ecstatic being -an alive and vivid world view. The domain of the Lover archetype is the primal urges of being: sex, food, well-being, procreation and is manifested in creative adaptation and initiatory experience.
The Lover is the epitome of Sensual. He is intimately interested in all forms of sensory engagement, seeing the world in all its splendor. He is the archetype of play and healthy embodiment without shame. The Lover archetype has a mystical quality that seeks to experience beauty and unity in daily life.
The man experiencing the fullness of the Lover archetype feels like this: He is sensual. He is open and invites you to touch—his mind, body and soul. He is “connected” (integrated) and relishes physical, psychological and spiritual connection with others that highlights integrated expanded awareness and experience. He is immersed in the experience, present in the moment, focused on the quality of the connection and engagement. He appreciates beauty in all its forms and makes each moment a “work of art.” He appreciates the “sensuous” experience of life and resonates deeply on many levels of being. He is sensitive to others needs and moods and is intuitively responsive. He is “in his body” —animating it with vital energy through dance, yoga, or movement. He brings a “joy of life” to any engagement or conversation. He has stopped “performing” and has relaxed into “being” -feeling without pressure to “accomplish” or “gain.“
Sage
Swami Sri Yukteswar
The Sage archetype is a very important aspect of the Divine Masculine expression for our species. The Sage is closely aligned with the Priest archetype, however the Sage emanates an additional aspect of advocating “right action,” dharma. The Sage is the Ego in service to, and “right-relationship” with, the higher Self’s power.
The Sage observes, tracks, scans, monitors data from all sources (within and without) and channels wisdom leading to “right action.” The Sage is detached from ordinary life flow, watching and engaging energies with wisdom and toned action as needed for synchronistic harmony of life.
Being with a man in the fullness of the Sage archetype feels like this: Unheralded, he quietly and deftly shares with others wise counsel and channeled direction that shifts the receiver into new possibilities and pathways that reflect “right action” for their life path. He quietly supports the wisdom of others, not seeking acclaim or notice for his contribution. He is thoughtful and reflective and rests in his felt connection with spirit and grounded connection with the earth, Gaia, the source of his wisdom and insight.
The Sage’s importance comes to the fore during crisis and intense need. Through the uniquely formed conduit that the Sage embodies, wisdom and “right action” become clear. With the Sage’s contribution we feel confident and assured that our path is the right one for us, we respond to life with a calm easefulness that transitions crisis and change with grace and wisdom.
Where the Priest archetype has a primary focus on the “inward” realm, the Sage archetype has an “outward” focus of service —to manifest channeled wisdom into being.
Join us in the discussion in the Sacred Masculine group on Facebook (a “closed” group—ask to join)
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If you would like help in working with archetypes and with integrating your masculine energy, contact me for a free 15 consultation.
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5 Comments
triciabarkernde · November 22, 2016 at 8:15 am
Wonderful writing! I enjoyed your posts.
Felipe · January 23, 2016 at 9:19 pm
Perfect!
Priestess Bairavee Balasubramaniam PhD · September 7, 2015 at 10:44 am
Wonderful article <3 🙂 xxx Shared!
Milan Sekulic · February 14, 2015 at 7:35 pm
That is beautifully described. There is a lack of awareness about the Divine Masculine, actually for both Divine Masculine and Feminine. So this article is a like a beacon in the darkness. Bringing much needed clarity. Thank you so much for sharing.
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