Book Review - King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine
Authors: Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette
Category: Masculine Archetypes, Psychology
Quiver Score: 3/5
This book is a timeless classic that had a significant impact on deepening my understanding of the masculine. Published in 1990, King, Warrior, Magician, Lover introduces readers to the concept of mature masculine archetypes and their immature shadows. The authors, Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette, focus on the four predominant archetypes indicated in the title, which ideally overlap and enrich one another.
Perhaps because of my background in Chinese Medicine, I am drawn to this concept of distinct energies blending to form a whole – holism. The concept of yin and yang most simply exemplifies this: you cannot have light without dark, smooth without rough, freedom without imprisonment. In an enhanced state, the energies of yin and yang, as well as the energies of the masculine archetypes, are dynamically shifting to maintain homeostasis. When the warrior archetype begins to overshadow, the lover archetype more strongly emerges to balance. When the king archetype becomes borderline despotic, the magician reawakens the king’s conscience and transmits generosity.
An understanding of these archetypes and their shadows – the energies that emerge when a man is not in his integrity or is acting immaturely – can augment personal growth by hinting at general personality traits and potential strengths and weaknesses. For example, a man presenting with the greed and narcissism of a ‘tyrant’ may, with some personal awareness, development and compassion, mature into a generous leader, a ‘king’. As the authors indicate, “…there is no need asking ourselves if the negative or shadow sides of the archetypes are showing up in our lives. The realistic, honest question we need to ask is how they are manifesting.” When we find the how, we can also deduce the why and shed light on solutions.
Despite its impact, this book falls short for me on both readability and content. Although the content is rich and at times enlightening, I find the countless biblical references and those to the pop culture of the 1980s somewhat distracting and tedious. I would much prefer to read about real life case studies of the authors’ clients, even those from many decades ago, than have parallels drawn to mythical television and film characters.
Although this book is not rich in actionable items, the conclusion does include a description of four techniques for better understanding and accessing the mature masculine archetypes. None had a profound impact on me, but I do not discount their potential power.
In conclusion, I recommend this book for any man who hopes to better understand his own or his clients’/students’ personality tendencies. This exploration of masculine psychology was pioneering at the time of its publication and continues to hold truth. The final page reads as a timely call to action for men, especially in this midst of various social movements to vilify the masculine, even though it was written thirty years ago.
