How to recognise how the Archetypes work in your everyday life.

Archetypes are not abstract figures locked in old myths or psychology textbooks—they’re alive in us. Each archetype has a purpose and a function, and once you learn to see them, you begin to recognise their fingerprints in your daily choices, relationships, and struggles.

Below I’ll walk through twelve archetypes, showing how they show up in everyday life. Afterward, I’ll point you to a simple tarot exercise you can try, to deepen your awareness of which archetype is active in you right now.

1. The Innocent – Stabiliser of Emotion

Shows up when you long for safety, simplicity, or to trust life. Think of the childlike joy of starting something new without baggage.

2. The Explorer – Inspirer of Mind

Appears when you crave freedom and adventure, whether through travel, new books, or simply trying a different route home.

3. The Sage – Mover of Mind

Emerges in those moments of inquiry—when you pause to research, analyse, or share wisdom.

4. The Everyperson – Stabiliser of Mind

Shows itself in the desire to belong, to be accepted as ordinary, to connect through shared humanity.

5. The Lover – Inspirer of Emotion

Appears in the tenderness you feel toward a friend, a partner, or even a passion project.

6. The Magician – Mover of Emotion

Reveals itself in transformation: when you shift moods, reframe situations, or see synchronicities shaping events.

7. The Hero – Inspirer of Will

You notice it when you rise to a challenge, push through fatigue, or defend what matters most.

8. The Outlaw – Mover of Will

Appears when you break a pattern, question authority, or refuse what no longer serves you.

9. The Caregiver – Stabiliser of Will

Reveals itself in caregiving roles—supporting friends, nurturing children, or ensuring someone feels safe.

10. The Creator – Mover of Form

Shows up whenever you make something—whether painting, coding, cooking, or shaping a new life path.

11. The Jester – Inspirer of Form

Appears in humour, play, and levity—the instinct to relieve tension by reminding us not to take life too seriously.

12. The Ruler – Stabiliser of Form

Reveals itself when you create order, manage resources, or hold responsibility for others.

Archetype's Shadow

Jung developed his theory of the Collective Unconscious archetypes to include their shadows, which are when their function is impaired or extremitised because of suppression or the result of conflicts between the archetypes in their functioning together - or because of a need to integrate aspect of the psyche which is refused or becomes overwhelming. These will be the subject of a future blog.

A Tarot Invitation

If you’d like to explore which archetype is most active in your life right now, try this simple tarot exercise:

1. Shuffle your deck with the question: “Which archetype is guiding me today?”

2. Draw one card.

3. Notice the imagery, symbols, and feelings it evokes. Which archetype’s function does it resemble? Is it stabilising, moving, or inspiring? Is it working through emotion, mind, will, or form?

4. Journal about where you see this archetype playing out in your everyday life.

Tarot doesn’t predict—it reflects. The cards give form to the archetypes already stirring within you. By learning to recognise their purpose, you’ll uncover the stories you’re living—and the choices you might yet make.

If you would like to know more about the process of becoming aware and integrating those archetypes into your consious life you can book a Learning about Tarot session either face to face or online with Greg, or watch it in action with a Tarot reading or an Find your Archetypes session at Healing Pathway, click on the booking page on the Healing Pathways website. tarotmelbourne.com